A plume of soot-black smoke curls above the ink-washed hills. Tally's chalky legs wobble across the meadow, leaving a zigzag trail. She clutches her eraser tight and marches toward the smoke.
Tally crests the ridge. Below, the kingdom's central fountain sparkles — and a dragon is coiled around it, tail twitching.
Tally raises her eraser like a shield. "This is my kingdom! Leave it alone!" The dragon's eyes narrow. A puff of ember-scented breath fizzes from its nostrils.
The dragon tilts its head. Then it lets out a rumbling laugh — and leans in close. "I'm just… hiding," it whispers. "The paper gets too bright."
Tally's fear loosens. She holds out her eraser. "You can shade yourself with this," she says. The dragon sniffs the eraser, then gently rubs its snout against it.
A soft gray patch spreads across the dragon's snout. The dragon closes its eyes and sighs — the paper isn't so bright there anymore.
The kingdom grows calm. The dragon curls into a shaded hollow near the fountain. Tally redraws the spout and draws a tiny flag on the dragon's back.
The sun warms the paper. The dragon snores softly in its hollow, gray patch glowing in the light. Tally sketches herself on a hill, waving.