Royal Institute of Magic: Elizabeth's Legacy by Victor Kloss Read Free Book Online

less than three feet high and painted
green from head to toe. He had huge ears, a pointed nose and a
comically long chin. His pot belly was poorly concealed by a faded
green t-shirt. He was holding a tall sign that said “INFORMATION”.
    “Do you see that?”
Ben asked.
    Charlie’s dramatic gasp was
a “yes”.
    Ben turned his attention to the
big sign. “Information – that’s just what we need.”
    “Can we ask someone who
doesn’t look clinically insane?”
    But Ben was already moving,
picking his way through the crowd along the platform edge.
    The mask the little man wore was
extremely good, right down to the sharp, yellow teeth, but the effect
was ruined slightly by the chewing gum.
    “Alright, lads,” the
little man said in a high-pitched voice. “What can I do for
ya?”
    Obvious questions would arouse
too much suspicion, but Ben had to ask something.
    “Where does this line go?”
    “Northbound takes you into
London Victoria. Southbound takes you to Taecia. From there you can
pretty much get to any kingdom you choose.”
    Ben attempted a casual nod of
understanding, trying to disguise the fact that he had no clue what
the man was talking about. He decided to take a calculated risk and
ask a more direct question.
    “Can you tell me how to get
to the Institute?”
    “You want the next train,
which arrives any minute now. Anything else?”
    Ben thanked him, unable to think
of anything further to ask.
    “Something wrong with your
gawking friend? He looks like he’s never seen a goblin before.”
    Before Ben could reply, the
ground shuddered. It felt like a mini earthquake.
    “Your ride,” the
goblin said.“You should step back, unless you want to be
eaten.”
    The goblin had already taken his
own advice, stepping away from the platform. Everyone else near the
edge was doing the same. Several people were now peering into the
inky blackness of the tunnel to their right.
    Ben heard a soft rumbling noise,
which quickly got louder until it sounded like a jumbo jet was
careering down the tunnel right at them. The wind picked up, sweeping
his hair back. Two green dots appeared in the depths of the tunnel;
their oval shape and colour were an unusual choice for headlights.
    The headlights blinked.
    A dragon came flying down the
tunnel and entered the platform with a deep-throated roar. It had
teeth the size of daggers, flaring nostrils and red, scaly skin. Its
leathery wings were short and stubby, suited to the deep tunnels
rather than the open air. Ben flung himself backwards at the last
minute, taking Charlie with him and landed hard on his backside. The
sight before him made the pain insignificant. The dragon was pulling
a dozen bright red carriages. They were far smaller than their London
Underground counterparts. Elbows rested on half-doors and the windows
had no glass, leaving the passengers open to the elements. It
reminded Ben of the trams at theme parks, which took you from the car
park to the entrance. On the dragon’s neck sat three men on a
huge saddle, each holding a harness.
    The dragon came to a halt, steam
hissing from its nostrils. The small half-doors swung open and people
started filing out as if it were nothing more than the 9:07 from
London Victoria.
    Impossible. Impossible! But there it was, living and breathing. The shades of red on its
scaly armour, rising and falling with every breath, were so real that
Ben had the insane urge to touch them.
    “I’m dreaming,”
Charlie whispered. “It’s the only possible explanation.”
    They picked themselves off the
floor, eyes still glued to the dragon.
    “You’d better get in.
Next one’s not for an hour.”
    It was the little green man, or
goblin, as he called himself. Was he a real goblin? A minute ago Ben
would have scoffed at the prospect, but then came the dragon.
    Charlie was lost in his own
world, incapable of thought or reason. Ben gave the goblin a nod of
thanks and shoved Charlie into one of the carriages, shutting the
door