Daiyu and the Demon of the Mountain
Jul 30, 2025
Daiyu, half asleep and half awake, was swimming dangerously fast, her face tight with determination and focus. Behind her, with sharp, gruesome teeth, a pack of sharks chased her with relentless power.
As she swam, she tried to remember how she ended up in this nightmare. It came back to her in flashes—she had boarded a flight to visit her annoying friend in Japan when she sensed a demonic presence on the plane. She had risen to confront and destroy the spirit, but before she could act, the plane plummeted into the Pacific Ocean. That was the beginning of her ordeal.
Days passed. Her face was injured and bleeding when she finally spotted the silhouette of a rainforest—or jungle, whatever it was—and began swimming furiously toward it. After hours of exhausting effort, she reached dry land, just in time, as seasickness was beginning to overwhelm her. She dropped her backpack to the ground, but a strange noise—like screaming—came from inside. Alarmed, Daiyu opened it and out tumbled the last things you'd expect: a panda cub and a tiger cub. Silena, the panda, looked like she was about to cry.
“Land! Beautiful, dry land!” Silena shouted, ignoring how plants sprouted where her tears fell.
“Don’t get too carried away, Silena!” Artemis, the tiger, called out, though she was smiling too.
“You’d be carried away too if you’d been stranded in the ocean for weeks! But even if you were, you wouldn’t care—your element is water. I wish mine was water,” Silena added quietly. The three friends laughed, their faces glowing with innocent joy, unaware of the monstrous danger that lay ahead.
That night, they stayed up late, laughing and celebrating. Their voices echoed through the forest, mingling with the sounds of birds and crickets, creating a magical atmosphere—until an earth-shaking roar shattered the peace. Determined to restore balance, they set off toward the mountain in search of the demon. Daiyu led the way, boasting about her past victories and how this monster would soon beg for mercy. Artemis and Silena tried to warn her that this time might be different, but Daiyu was too proud to listen.
After many days of trekking, they reached the mountain’s peak. What they saw made Daiyu’s mouth drop open in a silent scream—an enormous troll loomed before them. Daiyu wanted to flee, but her friends had other plans. They grabbed the hem of her pink Chinese hanfu and offered words of encouragement. With renewed courage, Daiyu turned to face the beast. The trio fought bravely, wielding the powers of water, earth, and Daiyu’s dragon spirit. The battle lit up the night—rocks flew, lights flashed, and the moon cast an eerie glow over the clearing.
At last, they triumphed. As they descended the mountain, smiling at their hard-won victory, Daiyu carried with her two important lessons: never judge what you cannot see, and always believe in yourself.
Published with Permission of Dixons Manningham Primary School and BCB Radio
