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The Dragon's Lair (The Lost Journals of Ven Polypheme)
By Elizabeth Haydon

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Barely one day after fulfilling his second mission for King Vandemere as Royal Reporter of the land of Serendair, young Charles Magnus Ven Polypheme—known as Ven—is off on another adventure. To keep them safe from the wrath of the Thief Queen, whose rage at their escape from the Gated City knows no bounds, the king sends Ven and his friends on an important mission.

Their journey takes them across a wondrous land filled with marvels—and danger. For the mission the king entrusts to Ven is a delicate one: to discover the cause of a dispute between two warring kingdoms—and the answer leads Ven straight into the lair of a very angry dragon….

Fans of The Floating Island and The Thief Queen’s Daughter—both chosen as Book Sense Children’s Picks—will love this third enchanting adventure in The Lost Journals of Ven Polypheme series by bestselling author Elizabeth Haydon.

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #80023 in Books
Published on: 2008-07-08
Released on: 2008-07-08
Original language: English
Number of items: 1
Binding: Hardcover
352 pages

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Haydon not only maintains the dazzling action, convincing characterizations, and vigorous world building of the first book, but also carefully paves the way for further installments in the Lost Journals of Ven Polypheme series. Another surefire winner.”--Booklist on The Thief Queen’s Daughter

“This first-rate novel will have wide appeal.”--School Library Journal on The Thief Queen’s Daughter

“A delightful epic fantasy that will attract a readership both older and younger than the target audience.”--Booklist, starred review, on The Floating Island

“Haydon spins a story both warm and thrilling.”--Publishers Weekly on The Floating Island

About the Author

Little is known for sure about reclusive documentarian Elizabeth Haydon. She is an expert in dead languages and holds advanced degrees in Nain Studies from Arcana College and Lirin History from the University of Rigamarole. She is now at a dig site where a fourth journal by Ven Polypheme has been found.

Chapter One

A Surprising Guest

I was sort of hoping to have a moment to rest before my next adventure began.

I hope for a lot of things that never happen.

Don’t get me wrong—I love adventuring. Unlike most people of my race, I go to bed at night dreaming of faraway lands and all the magical things waiting to be found there. It’s

only been recently that I discovered adventures can be less than magical, and very dangerous.

My name is Charles Magnus Ven Polypheme. Most people just call me Ven. When I say “most people of my race,” I’m referring to the Nain, an old race of people who live in dark

mountains, far away from the upworld. I am fifty years and a few months old, but that makes me about twelve or thirteen in human years, because Nain live about four times longer

than humans. Even though I am Nain, I have lived around humans all my life, and have never been downworld to see how Nain really live.

I began life the youngest of the thirteen children of Pepin Polypheme, a shipbuilder of note back in my homeland of Vaarn, which is a city, not a mountain range. Now I live at

the Crossroads Inn in the beautiful countryside just east of the city of Kingston on the Island of Serendair, far from my home and family.

Even though Nain don’t like to travel, I do. They don’t know how to swim, either, but I do. They generally try never to leave home, but I did. Most Nain are suspicious and

grumpy about trying new things, but I was born with a driving curiosity that burns so hot in me that sometimes I feel like my head is on fire or my skin is being eaten by ants

when something new and adventurous comes along. Even though they are highly superstitious, the upworld Nain I know don’t believe in magic. I imagine that’s even more true for

the downworld Nain I’ve never met.

But I know it exists, because I’ve seen it with my own eyes.

I guess in many ways I’m sort of a fish out of water. That’s fairly odd, since most Nain don’t even know what a fish is.

Anyway, I have a brand new journal, bound in purple leather with crisp, blank parchment pages inside. I am supposed to be keeping track of all the magical things I see in the

world, especially those that are hiding in plain sight. I was asked to do this by the ruler of this land, His Majesty, Vandemere, high king of Serendair. When the king gave me

my first journal a short time ago, I thought it would be many years before I had filled all the pages with notes and drawings of the magic I had seen.

This purple journal is my third one in only a few weeks’ time. I’ve filled up so many pages with notes and drawings that I have worn an inch off the albatross feather I am using

for a quill pen. Fortunately, the feather is as long as my arm, but at this rate it will be worn down to the size of a chicken feather in no time.

Which is why I was hoping to give adventuring, and my fingers, a rest for a while.

But that is not going to happen. My next adventure is beginning less than one day after the last one ended.

And it’s just as well, because it seems that if I don’t get started on my next adventure—and out of here—quickly, the job of recording the world’s magic may have to be finished

by someone else.

Because I may no longer be alive, having met my end in what is sure to be a very painful and unpleasant way.

Ven’s bedroom in the boy’s dormitory known as hare Warren was still dark when he heard the first thump, followed by horrifying sounds of snarling and screaming.

He had been sleeping soundly, so at first his head was fuzzy. His heart began to beat wildly as he fumbled for the lantern on his bedside table. After a few seconds he removed

the hood of the lantern and light spilled into the room.

The snarling and screaming turned into hissing and moaning.

“Gah! Ven, douse the light, you’re stabbin’ my eyes!”

Ven looked down at the floor between his bed and that of his roommate, Char. Char was lying on the floor, covering his eyes with one arm and rubbing his shin with the other. Ven

scrambled out of bed and helped him stand up.

“What happened?” he asked woozily. “What’s all the noise?”

“Blimey, I dunno,” Char replied, still rubbing his leg. “I just came back from the privy. I got to get to work, it’s almost dawn. I was headin’ for the lookin’ glass when I

tripped over somethin’. And it stabbed me.”

Ven looked around the floor. “Spice Folk, maybe?” he asked.The invisible fairies who lived at the Crossroads Inn, behind which Hare Warren stood, loved to torment Char, but they

weren’t usually violent.

“Criminey, I hope not,” Char said. “Never known a spice fairy to draw blood before.” He raised his ragged pant leg. Three long red stripes were dripping down his shin, forming

what looked like an M slashed into his leg. “Besides, it was bigger, like a pillow.”

“Uh oh,” said Ven. “Murphy, is that you?”

From under the bed he could hear the sound of a throat clearing.

“Murphy, what are you doing out here?” Char demanded. “And what the heck?” He pointed to his bleeding shin.

Slowly the head of a large orange cat emerged from beneath the bed. Murphy was an old tabby, a famous ratter who had caught rodents on the ships of Captain Oliver Snodgrass, the

husband of the innkeeper.He looked annoyed.

“I’m on an errand for Mrs. Snodgrass,” he said testily. “I was sent to wake Ven up and tell him to come in with you when you report to the kitchen for work. Mrs. Snodgrass wants

him to help you unload some of the supply wagons that are making deliveries this morning. I’ll have to let her know that your response was to boot me across the room.”

Char’s mouth dropped open in horror.

“I did no such thing,” he insisted. “I’d no idea you’d be on the floor. It was dark in here—I try not to wake Ven up when I go to work.” He glanced sourly at his roommate. “He

needs his beauty sleep.”

Murphy came all the way out from under the bed. He stretched lazily, allowing his front claws to extend all the way out.

“That’s no excuse for kicking me,” he said, yawning. “I’ve been keeping the Spice Folk busy and out of your room for days, and this is the thanks I get. Well, I’d be sure to

watch myself from now on if I were you. They’ve been cooking up all kinds of interesting tricks to play on you. I think I’ll just let them. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be on

my way back to the Inn, where no one would dare to trip over me. Next time you kick me, I’ll write my entire name on your leg.”

Char sighed, and limped to the door of the room. He held it open for the cat, who strolled out regally, then shut it behind him.

“Well, this day is off to a lovely start,” he said. “At least it will leave an interesting scar. Come on, Ven, we better hightail it to the kitchen.” He checked himself in the

mirror, ran his hands through his straight black hair, then hurried from the room and closed the door behind him.

Char never leaves our room without trying to make himself look presentable, because the girl he has a terrible crush on works with him in the kitchen of the Crossroads Inn. Her

name is Felitza, and she’s very shy and quiet. When I first met her, I wondered what it was that Char saw in her. She has rather large teeth, and neither her hair nor her skin

has much color in it. But there is something about her that has appealed to Char from the moment he met her. At first I thought it was that she is a wonderful cook, and he was

named Char by the men he sailed with because he burns everything. But now it’s clear that he just really likes her, and he does his best to look good and behave properly when

she’s around.

This isn’t easy for him, because Char is an orphan, like many of the other kids who live in the dormitories behind the Inn. But unlike them, Char was sent to work on the sea

when he was too young to remember any other life. So his clothes are more ragged than everyone else’s, and he learned his manners from sailors, so it’s sometimes either comical

or disturbing to watch him eat. But he is the best friend anyone could ask for, and I’m really glad he’s mine. He is smart, resourceful, and more loyal than anyone I’ve ever

met. He follows me everywhere, because Captain Oliver once told him to look out for me. He’s even saved my life a couple of times.

So if he says Felitza is beautiful, he must be right. Now I think of her that way, too.

Ven climbed out of bed and got dressed quickly, then left Hare Warren and hurried up the path to the back door of the Inn. The air around him was cool and heavy with vapor, and

the sky was still dark. The edge of the horizon was the faintest shade of gray, meaning the sun would not be up for almost another three hours.

Inside the Inn the fire on the enormous hearth was burning, as it did year-round. Sitting in front of it, as he always seemed to be, was McLean, the Inn’s resident Storysinger.

He smiled and waved from across the vast room, and Ven waved back, even though he knew that McLean could not really see him.

Most of the other people in the Inn, including Char, have no idea that McLean is blind. McLean is a Lirin Singer, a race of people who have a special understanding of the

vibrations of the world, especially music. While his eyes do not work, ...

Customer Reviews

Scarnag's Lair!
The Dragon's Lair is the third book of Elizabeth Haydon's new series for young adults, The Lost Journals of Ven Polypheme. The story opens up with Ven helping Char gather the food that is being dropped-off at The Crossroads Inn when a farmer helps him unload. The farmer turns out to be King Vandemere from the Castle of Elysian in disguise, who warns Ven that the Thief Queen is out to capture him and his friends. Understanding the warning of the King, who advises Ven to take his friends and run beyond the Great River, he agrees with his advice and a plan that he assigns him and is greeted by the King's forester, Tuck, a Lirinved (the in-between) who will guide them and protect them from the Thief Queen and her spies, huge flocks of Ravens that hunt them wherever they go.
Meanwhile, the Kingdom of the Nain and Lirin are against each other, threatening to disrupt in war. Even worse, a Dragon by the name of Scarnag is terrorizing the Nain to get back his treasure that was taken from him by the Nain. It is up to Ven to avoid the dragon and find out what exactly was stolen, and to trade with the Lirin/Nain to get something that King Vandemere wants, even if it may cost him the throne!
When Ven heads back to Kingston with Tuck, he sets-out to get Amariel to come along with him, the Merrow that saved him from the Fire Pirates. He is also greeted by Madam Sharra, who gives him one of the cards of her deck that is tucked-away in Black Ivory, a dragon scale from the Primeval Wyrm spoken of in The Symphony of Ages series and the first book of the War of the Known World trilogy (Requiem for the Sun/The Assassin King).
This is a nice treat for any of the legions of fans for the Symphony of Ages, which is a World Wide Bestseller series, but is also a nice introduction and "sugar-coated flavor," for any one younger who are just experiencing Elizabeth Haydon's enchanting world for the first time. I highly recommend this book to anyone, young or old, who enjoy a good story, or who enjoyed J.K.Rowling's Harry Potter series or J.R.R.Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy.
I acclaim Haydon as the best fantasy author of this age, don't let her books slip you by! And if you read some of Haydon's Lost Journals, than try her Symphony's on for size if you haven't already! Elizabeth Haydon is right up there with the best fantasy authors known to date!

Antother winner
Once again this series hits a homerun with my son. Very rarely am I able to get my 15 year old to read, but when this pre ordered book finally came he read it in 2 days flat. Believe me when I say your boy will love this book and this series. Wonderfully captivating for imaginations of all ages.

Wonderful book by a wonderful author
I have been a fan of Elizabeth Haydon since her first publication of the Rhapsody series and jumped on the young adult book when my daughter was 7 and son 5. This is the third book in the Ven Polypheme series and is wonderful! My children love all of the characters even after 2 years and still beg me to read these to them as often as they trade them back and forth across the hall! Also, these are AR books for those who have students in those programs. Haydon also provides thought provoking questions at the end of all 3 novels and questions on comprehension. I know that there is a website with a curriculum for the first novel The Floating Island that we have exhausted endlessly. WONDERFUL and we are looking forward to the next installment Tree of Water.