A mysterious voice wakes Swimmer the water dragon from a deep sleep, urging him to find a creature called a Koolewong. Quickly, Swimmer learns the voice belongs to Killara, an ancient tree who lives in symbiotic harmony with the wildlife community of Swamp Hen Island. Until that night, Swimmer had always believed the tales about Killara being a conscious entity were fanciful. Suddenly, he is forced to face a new reality, made more difficult as only he can hear Killara speak. The king water dragon, Deimos, is enraged by the ...
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A mysterious voice wakes Swimmer the water dragon from a deep sleep, urging him to find a creature called a Koolewong. Quickly, Swimmer learns the voice belongs to Killara, an ancient tree who lives in symbiotic harmony with the wildlife community of Swamp Hen Island. Until that night, Swimmer had always believed the tales about Killara being a conscious entity were fanciful. Suddenly, he is forced to face a new reality, made more difficult as only he can hear Killara speak. The king water dragon, Deimos, is enraged by the insult of Killara speaking to only a mere minion, and enraged even further that Killara has chosen Swimmer for this vital mission. The ancient tree instructs Swimmer to make an announcement from Dragon Rock on Swamp Hen Island, telling the entire community that he will do as Killara asks. The all-knowing tree assures Swimmer that if he finds a Koolewong and returns with it, a chain of events will be set in motion to bring about the great rains which have not fallen in a full changing of the seasons. The entire community knows that if Killara falls, the kingdom will be doomed as Killara's leaves are toxic to all but the Koolewong. When the tree's leaves wither and fall into the lake, they will poison the water supply for everyone. To find a Koolewong, Swimmer is told he must travel to the Place of Pigeons through the valley of the giants (humans) where he will face many life-threatening challenges along the way. If he is to triumph, the young water dragon needs more than his innate swimming and climbing prowess, he must learn to connect with his past to save the future, the genetic memory of his species that dates back millions of years. To make matters worse, Swimmer must leave behind his heavily pregnant mate, Grace. No sooner has he left Swamp Hen Island than Deimos sets about turning the dragon colony against Swimmer, forcing Grace to rise into a leadership position to head off a revolt. With Killara's voice carrying on the wind as he travels, Swimmer gradually learns to hone his new skills. His only companions on this journey are a wise-cracking cheeky white duck called Lord Quacksalot and his mate, Precious. The two ducks have offered to be Swimmer's 'eyes in the skies' because they have one skill that Swimmer does not possess and covets more than anything else - they can fly.
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