Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome back to Sleepy Stories. I'm your host, Lucy,
Speaker 1: and my friends and I will be reading you a
Speaker 1: sleepy bedtime story every week to relax you and to
Speaker 1: help you to drift off into a RESTful sleep. From
Speaker 1: time to time, we will also read you a relaxing,
Speaker 1: peaceful meditation that will take you somewhere beautiful and calming.
Speaker 1: Once we have read the stories, we will then read
Speaker 1: them a second time, but this time they will be
Speaker 1: read read even slower. This will help you to relax
Speaker 1: even more. Before we begin, I would like you to
Speaker 1: close your eyes and breathe in and out nice and deeply.
Speaker 1: Take a few seconds to inhale, and then hold your
Speaker 1: breath for a few seconds more, and then release and
Speaker 1: breathe out. Do this a few times if you need to.
Speaker 1: While you listen to the music and you listen to
Speaker 1: my voice, give yourself time to let your body relax
Speaker 1: and your mind settle. It's important that we allow time
Speaker 1: for us to fill safe, cozy, and completely at ease.
Speaker 1: And now it's time for this week's story.
Speaker 2: In a quiet valley surrounded by green hills and silver brooks,
Speaker 2: there lived a very small, but very brave mouse named Pip.
Speaker 2: Pip was no bigger than an apricot, with soft gray fur,
Speaker 2: bright eyes, and a heart that thudded with courage far
Speaker 2: too large for his tiny body. He lived beneath the
Speaker 2: roots of an old hawthorn tree and spent his day's
Speaker 2: gathering crumb polishing pebbles that he thought looked magical, and
Speaker 2: imagining all the great adventures waiting beyond the hilltops. Most
Speaker 2: mice were content to stay close to home, but Pip
Speaker 2: always felt a tug inside him, like a faint melody
Speaker 2: calling him somewhere far away. One day he would whisper
Speaker 2: to the dawn, I'll follow that song. One warm morning,
Speaker 2: as the sun painted the sky peach and gold, Pip
Speaker 2: was collecting berries near the river when he heard a
Speaker 2: strange sound, not the rushing of water or the chirping
Speaker 2: of sparrows, but a deep, rumbling sigh. It trembled through
Speaker 2: the pebbles beneath his paws. Pip froze, Then, curiosity winning
Speaker 2: over caution, he scampered toward the sound. He stopped at
Speaker 2: the river bank and peered across. There, tangled in reeds
Speaker 2: was an enormous creature, shimmering scales long curling tail, wings
Speaker 2: folded tight as though afraid to open. It was a dragon,
Speaker 2: a real dragon. But the dragon was not breathing fire
Speaker 2: or roaring. Instead, it looked embarrassed. Excuse me, Pip called,
Speaker 2: in the tiniest polite voice. Are you stuck? The dragon
Speaker 2: lifted his head. His eyes were gold and gentle, and
Speaker 2: he let out a puff of steam. Oh wonderful, the
Speaker 2: dragon groaned a mouse, Yes, little morsel, I am stuck.
Speaker 2: I'm not a morsel, Pip said firmly. I'm Pip. Brave Pip.
Speaker 2: The dragon blinked my Apology's brave, Pip. I am Embarian,
Speaker 2: Guardian of the northern Sky. He sank lower, looking very
Speaker 2: Unguardian like, or at least I was. Now I appear
Speaker 2: to be guardian of the river bank. Trapped by reeds,
Speaker 2: Pip approached carefully. How did you get stuck? I came
Speaker 2: down to drink. Embarian muttered and slipped. Pip stared, dragon slip.
Speaker 2: There was moss, Embarian said defensively, and the ground was
Speaker 2: deceitfully damp. Pip thought for a moment, if I help you,
Speaker 2: will you promise not to eat me? Embarian's eyes widened.
Speaker 2: Eat you heavens. No, I'm a talking dragon with refined tastes.
Speaker 2: I haven't eaten a mouse in centuries. Besides, I prefer
Speaker 2: honeyed chestnuts. Relieved, Pip hopped closer. He ran around the dragon,
Speaker 2: tugging at reeds, pushing with all his might. It wasn't enough.
Speaker 2: I need help, Pip decided. High above, hanging upside down
Speaker 2: from a willow branch, was Pip's friend, a clever bat
Speaker 2: named Echo. Echo looked tiny and delicate, with velvety wings
Speaker 2: and enormous ears that twitched whenever a sound whispered through
Speaker 2: the valley. Echo Pips squeaked. Come down. Echo flipped gracefully
Speaker 2: and swooped toward him. Pip, what trouble are you in?
Speaker 3: Now?
Speaker 2: Not trouble adventure, Pip said, we need to free a dragon.
Speaker 2: Echo eyed the trapped Emberian. He's large, I noticed, Pip said,
Speaker 2: but you're clever. What do we do? Echo fluttered close
Speaker 2: to the reeds. We need leverage, Embarian winced, I'm all
Speaker 2: for leverage if it involves moving me further from humiliation.
Speaker 2: Echo in spa infected the river bank, then pointed her
Speaker 2: wing toward a fallen branch wedged between stones. If we
Speaker 2: use that as a lever and Embarian pushes at the
Speaker 2: same time, we might get him free. Together they maneuvered
Speaker 2: the branch beneath the dragon's side. Emberian pressed his claws
Speaker 2: against the ground, Pip wedged himself against the branch, and
Speaker 2: Echo flapped up to push the other end with her
Speaker 2: whole body. One two three. With a mighty grunt and
Speaker 2: a burst of dragon strength, Embarian rolled free of the reeds,
Speaker 2: splashing mud and water everywhere. Pip went tumbling, Echo spiraled,
Speaker 2: and Embarian landed on his feet, shaking out his wings. Oh,
Speaker 2: Emberian cried joyfully, I can move again. Pip stood, dripping,
Speaker 2: but proud told I could help. Yes, Embarian said, and
Speaker 2: I owe you a favor, brave Pip. Before Pip could answer,
Speaker 2: a voice called faintly from across the meadow, Hello, Hello,
Speaker 2: can someone help me? A young maiden stepped out from
Speaker 2: behind a cluster of birch trees. She was no older
Speaker 2: than sixteen, wearing a simple dress and carrying a woven
Speaker 2: basket filled with herbs. She had soft auburn hair, kind eyes,
Speaker 2: and the tired look of someone with worries too big
Speaker 2: for her age. Echo fluttered toward her. Are you hurt? No,
Speaker 2: but I need help, she said. My village's in trouble.
Speaker 2: She set her basket down and knelt in the grass.
Speaker 2: My name is a Lara, she said. A great windstorm
Speaker 2: has struck our valley. The roofs are torn, the well collapsed,
Speaker 2: and our crop have been flattened. We can't rebuild fast enough.
Speaker 2: The elders say. We need the Starstone, a magical crystal
Speaker 2: held deep in Moonshadow Cave, to restore the land. Pip's
Speaker 2: ears perked up. A magical quest, he whispered, trembling with excitement.
Speaker 2: Ilara nodded, but the cave is dark and full of
Speaker 2: tricky passages. I can't go alone. I was praying for help,
Speaker 2: and then I heard your voices. Pip puffed out his chest.
Speaker 2: Will help, won't we, Echo nodded, her wings fluttering. We will.
Speaker 2: Emberian lifted his great head Moonshadow Cave. I know the legends.
Speaker 2: The Starstone is guarded by puzzles and illusions. But with
Speaker 2: a brave mouse, a clever bat, and a dragon as
Speaker 2: handsome as myself, perhaps we stand a chance. Elara smiled softly.
Speaker 2: Thank you truly. With that, the four of them, a maiden,
Speaker 2: a mouse, a bat, and a dragon set off across
Speaker 2: the valley. The walk to Moonshadow Cave took them over
Speaker 2: rolling meadows and through tall, whispering grasses. Embarian flew low,
Speaker 2: letting Alara ride on his back. When the ground became rough,
Speaker 2: Pit perched proudly on her shoulder, and Echo glided alongside them.
Speaker 2: They reached the cave just as the sun was dipping
Speaker 2: behind the hills. The entrance yawned like a mouth of darkness,
Speaker 2: cool air breathing out in chilly gusts. Emberian lit a
Speaker 2: small flame at the tip of his snout, but the
Speaker 2: moment the light touched the cave walls, the flame flickered
Speaker 2: and died. Elara shiver no ordinary cave. Echo hovered forward.
Speaker 2: This may be an illusion field. Only certain sounds or
Speaker 2: movements might activate the pathways. Pip stepped bravely to the entrance.
Speaker 2: Let me try. He squeaked a gentle hello into the darkness.
Speaker 2: The cave walls shimmered, and a narrow path of light
Speaker 2: appeared beneath their feet. Alara gasped, how did you do that?
Speaker 2: Mice are underestimated, Pip said modestly, They followed the glowing path.
Speaker 2: Deep inside, strange shapes danced on the walls, shadows of
Speaker 2: creatures that weren't truly there. The echoes of their footsteps
Speaker 2: rippled like distant music. Suddenly the path split into three tunnels.
Speaker 2: A whisper rose from the walls. Choose the path that
Speaker 2: leads forward. One is truth, one is trickery. One is
Speaker 2: a trap. Embarian frowned. I dislike riddles. Echo closed her
Speaker 2: eyes and listened. Her ears twitched. The left tunnel hums
Speaker 2: like a breeze. She murmured, the middle one feels empty.
Speaker 2: But the right she listened harder. I hear water dripping
Speaker 2: from a ceiling far above, and the rhythm of the
Speaker 2: drips repeats like a pattern. Pips whiskers twitched. A pattern
Speaker 2: means intention. A trap might not bother with patterns. Elara smiled.
Speaker 2: Then the right path, yes, Echo said confidently. They stepped
Speaker 2: into the right tunnel almost at once. The entrance ceiled
Speaker 2: behind them. The ground beneath them trembled, then rose. A
Speaker 2: stone own platform lifted them slowly upward into a vast
Speaker 2: cavern filled with silver light. In the center stood a
Speaker 2: pedestal holding the starstone, A crystal that glowed like a soft,
Speaker 2: pulsing moon. But surrounding the pedestal were floating mirrors, circling slowly.
Speaker 2: Each mirror reflected a different version of themselves. Pip looking
Speaker 2: tall and fierce, Echo wearing a crown, Embarian breathing torrents
Speaker 2: of flame, Elara standing as a queen. A voice echoed
Speaker 2: through the cavern. To touch the starstone, you must see
Speaker 2: what is real. Pip approached his mirror. In the reflection,
Speaker 2: he was enormous, taller than Embarian, muscles, bulging eyes, fierce.
Speaker 2: He lifted his tiny paw to the glass. The reflection
Speaker 2: growled back. Pip sh shook his head. That's not me,
Speaker 2: he whispered. I'm small, but small doesn't mean unimportant. His
Speaker 2: reflection shimmered, then vanished. Echo flew to hers. In her mirror,
Speaker 2: she was adorned in jewels, all the bats of the
Speaker 2: forest bowing before her. She touched the frame. I don't
Speaker 2: want to be queen, she said softly. I just want
Speaker 2: to help those who listen. That's enough. Her reflection dissolved
Speaker 2: like mist Embarion approached his mirror. It showed him roaring
Speaker 2: flames raining over mountains, feared by all, he snorted, nonsense.
Speaker 2: I prefer honeyed chestnuts and being admired for my shine,
Speaker 2: not my roar. The illusion flickered and faded. Elara stepped
Speaker 2: before her mirror. She saw herself, older, powerful, wearing a
Speaker 2: cloak of stars, able to command magic with a wave
Speaker 2: of her hand. Slowly she reached out, brushing the surface.
Speaker 2: Strength is not magic, she said quietly. Strength is compassion.
Speaker 2: That is who I am. Her reflection sighed and disappeared.
Speaker 2: With all illusions gone, the mirrors cracked and floated upward,
Speaker 2: dissolving into motes of light. In a quiet valley, surrounded
Speaker 2: by green hills and silver brooks, there lived a very small,
Speaker 2: but very brave mouse named Pip. Pip was no bigger
Speaker 2: than an apricot, with soft gray fur, bright eyes, and
Speaker 2: a heart that thudded with courage far too large for
Speaker 2: his tiny body. He lived beneath the roots of an
Speaker 2: old hawthorn tree and spent his day's gathering crumbs, polishing
Speaker 2: pebbles that he thought looked magical, and imagining all the
Speaker 2: great adventures waiting beyond the hilltops. Most mice were content
Speaker 2: to stay close to home, but Pip always fell to
Speaker 2: tug inside him, like a faint melody, calling him somewhere
Speaker 2: far away. One day, he would whisper to the dawn,
Speaker 2: I'll follow that song. One warm morning, as the sun
Speaker 2: painted the sky peach and gold, Pip was collecting berries
Speaker 2: near the river when he heard a strange sound, not
Speaker 2: the rushing of water or the chirping of sparrows, but
Speaker 2: a deep, rumbling sigh. It trembled through the pebbles beneath
Speaker 2: his paws. Pip frozs. Then, curiosity winning over caution, he
Speaker 2: scampered toward the sound. He stopped at the river bank
Speaker 2: and peered across. There, tangled in reeds was an enormous creature,
Speaker 2: shimmering scales, long curling tail, wings folded tight as though
Speaker 2: afraid to open. It was a dragon, a real dragon.
Speaker 2: But the dragon was not breathing fire or roaring. Instead,
Speaker 2: it looked embarrassed. Excuse me, Pip called, in the tiniest
Speaker 2: polite voice. Are you stuck? The dragon lifted his head.
Speaker 2: His eyes were gold and gentle, and he let out
Speaker 2: a puff of steam. Oh wonderful, the dragon groaned. A mouse, Yes,
Speaker 2: little morsel, I am stuck. I'm not a morsel, Pip
Speaker 2: said firmly. I'm Pip, Brave Pip. The dragon blinked, my apologies,
Speaker 2: Brave Pip, I am Embarian, Guardian of the northern Sky.
Speaker 2: He sank lower, looking very Unguardian like, or at least
Speaker 2: I was now I appear to be guardian of the
Speaker 2: river bank. Trapped by reeds, Pip approached carefully. How did
Speaker 2: you get stuck? I came down to drink. Embarian muttered
Speaker 2: and slipped. Pip stared, dragon slip. There was moss, Embarian
Speaker 2: said defensively, and the ground was deceitfully damp. Pip thought
Speaker 2: for a moment, if I help you, will you promise
Speaker 2: not to eat me? Embarian's eyes widened. Eat you? Heavens No,
Speaker 2: I'm a talking dragon with refined tastes. I haven't eaten
Speaker 2: a mouse in centuries. Besides, I prefer honeyed chestnuts. Relieved,
Speaker 2: Pip hopped closer. He ran around the dragon, tugging at
Speaker 2: Reed's pushing with all his might. It wasn't enough. I
Speaker 2: need help, Pip decided. High above, hanging upside down from
Speaker 2: a willow branch, was Pip's friend, a clever bat named Echo.
Speaker 2: Echo looked tiny and delicate, with velvety wings and enormous
Speaker 2: ears that twitched whenever a sound whispered through the valley.
Speaker 2: Echo Pip squeaked. Come down. Echo flipped gracefully and swooped
Speaker 2: toward him. Pip, what trouble are you in now? Not
Speaker 2: trouble adventure, Pip said, we need to free a dragon.
Speaker 2: Echo eyed the trapped Emberian. He's large, I noticed, Pip said,
Speaker 2: But you're clever. What do we do? Echo fluttered close
Speaker 2: to the reeds. We need leverage. Embarian winced, I'm all
Speaker 2: for leverage if it involves moving me further from humiliation.
Speaker 2: Echo inspected the river bank, then pointed her wing toward
Speaker 2: a fallen branch wedged between stones. If we use that
Speaker 2: as a lever and Embarian pushes at the same time,
Speaker 2: we might get him free. Together they maneuvered the branch
Speaker 2: beneath the dragon's side. Emberian pressed his claws against the ground,
Speaker 2: Pip wedged himself against the branch, and Echo flapped up
Speaker 2: to push the other end with her whole body. One
Speaker 2: two three. With a mighty grunt and a burst of
Speaker 2: dragon strength, Embarian rolled free of the reeds, splashing mud
Speaker 2: and water everywhere. Pip went tumbling, Echo spiraled and Embarian
Speaker 2: landed on his feet, shaking out his wings. Oh, Emberian
Speaker 2: cried joyfully, I can move again. Pip stood, dripping, but
Speaker 2: Proud told you I could help. Yes, Embarian said, and
Speaker 2: I owe you a favor, brave Pip. Before Pip could answer,
Speaker 2: a voice called faintly from across the meadow, Hello, Hello,
Speaker 2: can someone help me? A young maiden stepped out from
Speaker 2: behind a cluster of birch trees. She was no older
Speaker 2: than sixteen, wearing a simple dress and carrying a woven
Speaker 2: basket filled with herbs. She had soft auburn hair, kind eyes,
Speaker 2: and the tired look of someone with worries too big
Speaker 2: for her age. Echo fluttered toward her. Are you hurt? No,
Speaker 2: but I need help, She said. My village's in trouble.
Speaker 2: She set her basket down and melt in the grass.
Speaker 2: My name is Alara, she said. A great windstorm has
Speaker 2: struck our valley. The roofs are torn, the well collapsed,
Speaker 2: and our crops have been flattened. We can't rebuild fast enough,
Speaker 2: the elders say. We need the Starstone, a magical crystal
Speaker 2: held deep in moonshadow cave, to restore the land. Pip's
Speaker 2: ears perked up. A magical quest, he whispered, trembling with excitement.
Speaker 2: Ilara nodded, But the cave is dark and full of
Speaker 2: tricky passages. I can't go alone. I was praying for help,
Speaker 2: and then I heard your voices. Pip puffed out his chest.
Speaker 2: Will help, won't we, Echo nodded, her wings fluttering, we will.
Speaker 2: Emberian lifted his great head. Moonshadow Cave. I know the legends.
Speaker 2: The starstone is guarded by puzzles and delusions. But with
Speaker 2: a brave mouse, a clever bat, and a dragon as
Speaker 2: handsome as myself, perhaps we stand a chance. Elara smiled softly.
Speaker 2: Thank you truly. With that, the four of them, a maiden,
Speaker 2: a mouse, a bat, and a dragon set off across
Speaker 2: the valley. The walk to Moonshadow Cave took them over
Speaker 2: rolling meadows and through tall, whispering grasses. Embarian flew low,
Speaker 2: letting Alara ride on his back. When the ground became rough,
Speaker 2: pit perched proudly on her shoulder, and Echo glided alongside them.
Speaker 2: They reached the cave just as the sun was dipping
Speaker 2: behind the hills. The entrance yawned like a mouth of darkness,
Speaker 2: cool air, breathing out in chill gusts. Embarion lit a
Speaker 2: small flame at the tip of his snout, but the
Speaker 2: moment the light touched the cave walls, the flame flickered
Speaker 2: and died. Elara shivered. No ordinary cave. Echo hovered forward.
Speaker 2: This may be an illusion field. Only certain sounds or
Speaker 2: movements might activate the pathways. Pip stepped bravely to the entrance.
Speaker 2: Let me try. He squeaked a gentle Hello into the darkness.
Speaker 2: The cave walls shimmered, and a narrow path of light
Speaker 2: appeared beneath their feet. Elara gasped, how did you do that?
Speaker 2: Mice are underestimated, Pip said modestly. They followed the glowing
Speaker 2: path deep inside, Strange shapes danced on the walls, shadows
Speaker 2: of creatures that weren't truly there. The echoes of their
Speaker 2: footsteps rippled like distant music. Suddenly the path split into
Speaker 2: three tunnels. A whisper rose from the walls. Choose the
Speaker 2: path that leads forward. One is truth, one is trickery,
Speaker 2: one is a trap. Embarian frowned. I dislike riddles. Echo
Speaker 2: closed her eyes and listened. Her ears twitched the left
Speaker 2: tunnel hums like a breeze. She murmured. The middle one
Speaker 2: feels empty, But the right she listened harder. I hear
Speaker 2: water dripping from a ceiling far above, and the rhythm
Speaker 2: of the drips repeats like a pattern. Pips whiskers twitched.
Speaker 2: A pattern means intention. A trap might not bother with patterns.
Speaker 2: Elara smiled. Then the right path, yes, Echo said confidently.
Speaker 2: They stepped into the right tunnel almost at once. The
Speaker 2: entrance sealed behind them. The ground beneath them trembled, then rose.
Speaker 2: A stone platform lifted them slowly upward into a vast
Speaker 2: cavern filled with silver light. In the center stood a
Speaker 2: pedestal holding the Starstone, a crystal that glowed like a soft,
Speaker 2: pulsing moon. But surrounding the pedestal were floating mirrors, circling slowly.
Speaker 2: Each mirror reflected a different version of themselves, Pip looking
Speaker 2: tall and fierce, Echo wearing a crown, Emberian, breathing torrents
Speaker 2: of flame, Elara standing as a queen. A voice echoed
Speaker 2: through the cavern. To touch the starstone, you must see
Speaker 2: what is real. Pip approached his mirror. In the reflection,
Speaker 2: he was enormous, taller than Embarian, muscles, bulging eyes, fierce.
Speaker 2: He lifted his tiny paw to the glass. The reflection
Speaker 2: growled back. Pip shook his head. That's not me, he whispered.
Speaker 2: I'm small, but small doesn't mean unimportant. His reflection shimmered,
Speaker 2: then vanished. Echo flew to hers. In her mirror, she
Speaker 2: was adorned in jewels, all the bats of the forest
Speaker 2: bowing before her. She touched the frame. I don't want
Speaker 2: to be queen, she said softly. I just want to
Speaker 2: help those who listen. That's enough. Her reflection dissolved like mist.
Speaker 2: Embarian approached his mirror. It showed him roaring flames, raining
Speaker 2: over mountains, feared by all. He snorted, nonsense. I prefer
Speaker 2: honeyed chestnuts and being admired for my shine, not my roar.
Speaker 2: The illusion flickered and faded. Elara stepped before her mirror.
Speaker 2: She saw herself, older, powerful, wearing a cloak of stars,
Speaker 2: able to command magic with a wave of her hand.
Speaker 2: Slowly she reached out, brushing the surface. Strength is not magic,
Speaker 2: she said quietly. Strength is compassion. That is who I am.
Speaker 2: Her reflection sighed and disappeared, with all illusions gone, the
Speaker 2: mirrors cracked and floated upward, dissolving into motes of light.
Speaker 2: In a quiet valley, surrounded by green hills and silver brooks,
Speaker 2: there lived a very small, but very brave mouse named Pip.
Speaker 2: Pip was no bigger than an apricot, with soft gray fur,
Speaker 2: bright eyes, and a heart that thudded with courage far
Speaker 2: too large for his tiny body. He lived beneath the
Speaker 2: roots of an old hawthorn tree and spent his day's
Speaker 2: gathering crumbs, polishing pebbles that he thought looked magical, and
Speaker 2: imagining all the great adventures waiting beyond the hilltops. Most
Speaker 2: mice were content to stay close to home, but Pip
Speaker 2: always felt a tug inside him, like a faint melody
Speaker 2: calling him somewhere far away. One day, he would whisper,
Speaker 2: to the dawn, I'll follow that song. One warm morning,
Speaker 2: as the sun painted the sky peach and gold, Pip
Speaker 2: collecting berries near the river when he heard a strange sound,
Speaker 2: not the rushing of water or the chirping of sparrows,
Speaker 2: but a deep, rumbling sigh. It trembled through the pebbles
Speaker 2: beneath his paws. Pip froze, then curiosity winning over caution,
Speaker 2: he scampered toward the sound. He stopped at the river
Speaker 2: bank and peered across. There, tangled in reeds was an
Speaker 2: enormous creature, shimmering scales, long curling tail, wings folded tight
Speaker 2: as though afraid to open.
Speaker 3: It was a.
Speaker 2: Dragon, a real dragon. But the dragon was not breathing
Speaker 2: fire or roaring. Instead, it looked embarrassed. M excuse me,
Speaker 2: Pip called, in the tiniest polite voice. Are you stuck?
Speaker 2: The dragon lifted his head. His eyes were gold and gentle,
Speaker 2: and he let out a puff of steam. Oh wonderful,
Speaker 2: the dragon groaned a mouse, Yes, little morsel, I am stuck.
Speaker 2: I'm not a morsel, Pip said firmly. I'm Pip, Brave Pip.
Speaker 2: The dragon blinked my Apologi's brave, Pip. I am Embarian,
Speaker 2: Guardian of the Northern Sky. He sank lower, looking very
Speaker 2: Unguardian like, or at least I was now I appear
Speaker 2: to be guardian of the river bank. Trapped by reeds,
Speaker 2: Pip approached carefully. How did you get stuck? I came
Speaker 2: down to drink? Embarian muttered and slipped. Pip stared, dragon slip.
Speaker 2: There was moss, Embarian said defensively, and the ground was
Speaker 2: deceitfully damp. Pip thought for a moment, if I help you,
Speaker 2: will you promise not to eat me? Embarian's eyes widened.
Speaker 2: Eat you, heavens, No, I'm a talking dragon with refined tastes.
Speaker 2: I haven't eaten a mouse in centuries. Besides, I prefer
Speaker 2: honeyed chestnuts. Relieved, Pip hopped closer. He ran around the dragon,
Speaker 2: tugging at Reed's pushing with all his might. It wasn't enough.
Speaker 2: I need help, Pip decided. High above, hanging upside down
Speaker 2: from a willow branch, was Pip's friend, a clever bat
Speaker 2: named Echo. Echo looked tiny and delicate, with velvety wings
Speaker 2: and enormous ears that twitched whenever a sound whispered through
Speaker 2: the valley. Echo Pips squeaked. Come down. Echo flipped gracefully
Speaker 2: and swooped toward him. Pip, what trouble are you in?
Speaker 3: Now?
Speaker 2: Not trouble adventure, Pip said, We need to free a dragon.
Speaker 2: Echo eyed the trapped Emberian. He's large, I noticed, Pip said,
Speaker 2: But you're clever. What do we do? Echo fluttered close
Speaker 2: to the reeds. We need leverage Embarian winced, I'm all
Speaker 2: for leverage if it involves moving me further from humiliation.
Speaker 2: Echo inspected the river bank, then pointed her wing toward
Speaker 2: a fallen branch wedged between stones. If we use that
Speaker 2: as a lever and Embarian pushes at the same time,
Speaker 2: we might get him free. Together they maneuvered the branch
Speaker 2: beneath the dragon's side. Emberian pressed his claws against the ground,
Speaker 2: Pip wedged himself against the branch, and Echo flapped up
Speaker 2: to push the other end with her whole body one
Speaker 2: two three. With a mighty grunt and a burst of
Speaker 2: dragon strength, Embarian rolled free of the reeds, splashing mud
Speaker 2: and water everywhere. Pip went tumbling, Echo spiraled, and Embarian
Speaker 2: landed on his feet, shaking out his wings. Oh, Emberian
Speaker 2: cried joyfully, I can move again. Pip stood, dripping, but
Speaker 2: proud told you I could help. Yes, Embarian said, and
Speaker 2: I owe you a favor, brave Pip. Before Pip could answer,
Speaker 2: a voice called faintly from across the meadow, Hello, Hello,
Speaker 2: can someone help me? A young maiden stepped out from
Speaker 2: behind a cluster of birch trees. She was no older
Speaker 2: than sixteen, wearing a simple dress and carrying a woven
Speaker 2: basket filled with herbs. She had soft auburn hair ki
Speaker 2: and the tired look of someone with worries too big
Speaker 2: for her age. Echo fluttered toward her. Are you hurt? No?
Speaker 2: But I need help, She said, My village's in trouble.
Speaker 2: She set her basket down and knelt in the grass.
Speaker 2: My name is Alara, she said. A great windstorm has
Speaker 2: struck our valley. The roofs are torn, the well collapsed,
Speaker 2: and our crops have been flattened. We can't rebuild fast enough.
Speaker 2: The elders say. We need the Starstone, a magical crystal
Speaker 2: held deep in Moonshadow Cave, to restore the land. Pip's
Speaker 2: ears perked up. A magical quest, he whispered, trembling with excitement.
Speaker 2: Elara nodded, But the cave is dark and full of
Speaker 2: tricky passages. I can't go alone. I was praying for help,
Speaker 2: and then I heard your voices. Pip puffed out his chest.
Speaker 2: Will help, won't we, Echo nodded, her wings fluttering. We
Speaker 2: will Emberian lifted his great head Moonshadow Cave. I know
Speaker 2: the legends. The Starstone is guarded by puzzles and delusions.
Speaker 2: But with a brave mouse, a clever bat, and a
Speaker 2: dragon as handsome as myself, perhaps we stand a chance.
Speaker 2: Elara smiled softly, Thank you truly. With that, the four
Speaker 2: of them, a maiden, a mouse, a bat, and a
Speaker 2: dragon set off across the valley. The walk to Moonshadow
Speaker 2: Cave took them over rolling meadows and through tall, whispering grasses.
Speaker 2: Embarian flew low, letting Alara ride on his back. When
Speaker 2: the ground became rough, pit perched proudly on her shoulder,
Speaker 2: and Echo glided alongside them. They reached the cave just
Speaker 2: as the sun was dipping behind the hills. The entrance
Speaker 2: yawned like a mouth of darkness, cool air breathing out
Speaker 2: in chilly gusts. Embarion lit a small flame at the
Speaker 2: tip of his snout, but the moment the light touched
Speaker 2: the cave walls, the flame flickered and died. Elara shivered
Speaker 2: no ordinary cave. Echo hovered forward. This may be an
Speaker 2: illusion field. Only certain sounds or movements might activate the pathways.
Speaker 2: Pip stepped bravely to the entrance. Let me try. He
Speaker 2: squeaked a gentle hello into the darkness. The cave walls shimmered,
Speaker 2: and a narrow path of light appeared beneath their feet.
Speaker 2: Lara gasped, how did you do that? Mice are underestimated,
Speaker 2: Pip said modestly. They followed the glowing path deep inside.
Speaker 2: Strange shapes danced on the walls, shadows of creatures that
Speaker 2: weren't truly there. The echoes of their footsteps rippled like
Speaker 2: distant music. Suddenly the path split into three tunnels. A
Speaker 2: whisper rose from the walls. Choose the path that leads forward.
Speaker 2: One is truth, one is trickery. One is a trap.
Speaker 2: Embarian frowned. I dislike riddles. Echo closed her eyes and listened.
Speaker 2: Her ears twitched. The left tunnel hums like a breeze,
Speaker 2: She murmured. The middle one feels empty. But the right
Speaker 2: she listened harder. I hear water dripping from a ceiling
Speaker 2: far above, and the rhythm of the drips peats like
Speaker 2: a pattern. Pip's whiskers twitched. A pattern means intention. A
Speaker 2: trap might not bother with patterns. Elara smiled. Then the
Speaker 2: right path, yes, Echo said confidently. They stepped into the
Speaker 2: right tunnel. Almost at once, the entrance sealed behind them.
Speaker 2: The ground beneath them trembled, then rose. A stone platform
Speaker 2: lifted them slowly upward into a vast cavern filled with
Speaker 2: silver light. In the center stood a pedestal holding the Starstone,
Speaker 2: a crystal that glowed like a soft, pulsing moon. But
Speaker 2: surrounding the pedestal were floating mirrors circling slowly. Each mirror
Speaker 2: reflected a different version of themselves, Pip looking tall and fierce,
Speaker 2: Echo wearing a crown, Emberian, breathing torrents of flame, Elara
Speaker 2: standing as a queen. A voice echoed through the cavern.
Speaker 2: To touch the starstone, you must see what is real.
Speaker 2: Pip approached his mirror. In the reflection, he was enormous,
Speaker 2: taller than Embarian, muscles, bulging eyes, fierce. He lifted his
Speaker 2: tiny paw to the glass. The reflection growled back. Pip
Speaker 2: shook his head. That's not me, he whispered. I'm small,
Speaker 2: but small doesn't mean unimportant. His reflection shimmered, then vanished.
Speaker 2: Echo flew to hers. In her mirror, she was adorned
Speaker 2: in jewels, all the bats of the forest bowing before her.
Speaker 2: She touched the frame. I don't want to be queen,
Speaker 2: she said, softly. I just want to help those who listen.
Speaker 2: That's enough. Her reflection dissolved like mist Embarion approached his mirror.
Speaker 2: It showed him roaring flames, raining over mountains, feared by all.
Speaker 2: He snorted, nonsense. I prefer honeyed chestnuts and being admired
Speaker 2: for my shine, not my roar. The illusion flickered and faded.
Speaker 2: Elara stepped before her mirror. She saw herself, older, powerful,
Speaker 2: wearing a cloak of stars, able to command magic with
Speaker 2: a wave of her hand. Slowly she reached out, brushing
Speaker 2: the surface. Strength is not magic, she said quietly. Strength
Speaker 2: is compassion. That is who I am. Her reflection sighed
Speaker 2: and disappeared, With all illusions gone, The mirrors cracked and
Speaker 2: floated upward, dissolving into modes of light.
Speaker 3: In St.
Speaker 1: Mo