Morning Patrol

Ms. Crayon Dragon stretched her light blue wings as the morning sun painted the sky above Artwork Kingdom. Her teal scales shimmered as she stepped onto the highest tower of Crayon Dragon Castle, adjusting her black and light blue supersuit.

"Another beautiful day to keep everyone safe," she said, gazing across the bustling kingdom below.

Humans hurried to work while gargoyles perched on building corners, sharing morning gossip. A group of young gryphons played tag between the colorful market stalls. Ms. Crayon Dragon smiled at the peaceful scene.

She activated her x-ray vision to scan the kingdom. The art supply shops glowed with their usual rainbow inventory. Children walked to school with backpacks full of crayons and colored pencils.

Everything looked perfectly normal.

Ms. Crayon Dragon launched herself into the air, her powerful wings carrying her in graceful circles above the kingdom. Her blue hair streamed behind her as she completed her morning patrol, completely unaware that this would be the last normal day Artwork Kingdom would see for quite some time.

The Silent Morning

Ms. Crayon Dragon soared down toward the main plaza, ready to greet the morning shoppers. But something felt wrong. The art supply store windows looked strangely dim.

She landed softly near Colorful Corner, the kingdom's biggest crayon shop. The elderly shopkeeper, Mrs. Pencil, stood outside wringing her hands. She was a small human woman with silver hair pulled back in a neat bun and worried brown eyes.

"Mrs. Pencil, what's wrong?" Ms. Crayon Dragon asked.

"They're gone!" Mrs. Pencil exclaimed, pointing at her empty shelves. "Every single crayon vanished overnight. Not just mine—every shop in the kingdom!"

Ms. Crayon Dragon peered through the window with her x-ray vision. The metal shelves stood completely bare. She flew quickly to three other art stores. Each one was the same—empty crayon displays, confused owners, and panicked customers.

At Sunny's Art Supplies, she found a young jogger named Jake. He had short brown hair, green eyes, and wore a bright yellow running shirt. He was desperately searching through his backpack.

"My daughter's school art project is due today," he said frantically. "I promised her new crayons, but there aren't any left in the entire kingdom!"