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David Rain is the main character of the series. To the Pennykettle dragons, he is known as "The David". In later books, he is able to transform into the polar bear, Ingavar, who is also known as Nanukapik. When he is illumined to the dragon Grockle, they are known as "G'lant", and the dragons of the New Wearle always call David by this name as it is his name given in ki:mera.

David was introduced at the beginning of The Fire Within, when he began to lodge at 42 Wayward Crescent, the home of Liz and Lucy Pennykettle and their dragons. At this time, he was believed to be a human student from Blackburn, who was beginning a Geography course at Scrubbley College. However, over the course of the books it has been revealed that David has much more complex origins.


David's Personality[]

Throughout The Fire Within, it is not suspected that David is anything more or less.

David is a curious, skeptical, friendly, laid-back 20 year-old Geography student. He is described as being tall, and having blue eyes and moppy brown hair.

David has a kind and caring spirit. This is shown on a continuous basis. He keeps a one-eyed teddy bear named

Winston

Winston, David's teddy bear

Winston, which he believes he has had since childhood. Bonnington the cat often sleeps on David's bed and David has been known to laughingly engage him in one-way conversation. David also forms a close bond with Lucy, who is eleven years old at the start of The Fire Within. She eventually comes to idolize David as an older brother of sorts. He helps Lucy to find Conker and writes her a story called Snigger and the Nutbeast. He cares deeply for Lucy and tries to protect her.

David as a human is skeptical on the topic of dragons, dismissing Liz and Lucy's stories as eccentric quirks. Over the course of the first book, his resolve weakens slightly and he begins to relate to Gadzooks, but can't accept him as being anything other than a "pot thing". Upon the conclusion of Icefire, David accepts the strange and contorted reality of the Pennykettles' world and has the ability to understand dragontongue. (Dragon Tongue.)

David has an initial prejudice towards Goths and is wary of Suzanna 'Zanna' (who is introduced in Icefire) when they first meet. His skepticism remains steadfast, and although he slowly accepts the existence of dragons, he finds it difficult to humor Zanna when she attempts to recount other legends to him.

Despite his own skepticism, David becomes increasingly eccentric as the series progress - although it can also be noted that he is still one of the most sensible, sane and reliable characters in the series. 

The Last Dragon Chronicles by Chris D'lacey[]

David moves in with the Pennykettles at 42 Wayward Crescent after seeing their "Lodgings Available" ad. He begins a Geography course at Scrubbley College whilst helping Lucy search for a one-eyed squirrel called Conker in their garden. He is given his first special dragon by Liz and names him Gadzooks.

He soon discovers that there used to be lots of squirrels in the Crescent, and Lucy named five of them: Ringtail, Birchwood, Cherrylea, Shooter and Conker. When the oak tree was cut down and the squirrels fled to the library gardens, Conker was left behind because he couldn't travel with his impaired vision, and he was getting weaker because he was unable to find food. David and Lucy become friendlier towards each other, as he begins to help her catch Conker so as to set him free in the library gardens. When they find out that Mr. Bacon was the person who petitioned to have the oak tree cut down, Lucy runs back to her mother in tears. It is perhaps in an attempt to atone for this, David begins to write her a story called 'Snigger and the Nutbeast', named after another squirrel they encountered upon their domestic adventures.

David is prompted to write the story for Lucy as a birthday present, as he has no means to buy her anything else. Through writing the story, David discovered that Gadzooks could offer him inspiration, although he initially thinks that this is his own imagination at work.

On the night of Lucy's birthday, Lucy breaks the clay dragon Gawain accidentally and the day ends in tears. Afterwards, David listens from the landing as Liz tells Lucy the story of Guinevere and Gawain. David is astounded when he hears it - the images of Liz's words form in his head so it's as though he's reliving the legend. He falls asleep before he can discover what happened to Gawain and Guinevere, and upon awakening, he does not believe a word.

David began to write a scene in which Snigger brought Conker to the Pennykettles garden. But as he wrote it, the scene took place outside, with a very small time gap. This was the first real indication of David and Gadzooks' ability to alter dark matter through writing.

Once they had Conker and Snigger safe, they took the squirrels to a wildlife hospital, where Sophie Prentice worked. At this point, David is romantically interested in Sophie. After it was discovered that Conker had a terminal kidney problem, Sophie secreted the squirrels away and she, David and the Pennykettles released them in the library gardens.

Some time later, the group returned to the gardens but David was in a strange mood. He was very confused about what was going on with Gadzooks and the other dragons, and he had a feeling that something was wrong. They came upon the body of Conker, who had died from his kidney problem. They buried him by an oak tree. Mention was made of Gadzooks and David snapped, saying that Gadzooks wasn't real. He stormed away, and when he returned to the house that night, Liz sat him down and told him some more about the legend of Gawain and Guinevere, some of which he had overheard on Lucy's birthday. She sang him to sleep in dragon tongue, and when he awoke Liz was gone. Feeling very surreal, David went upstairs to the Dragon's Den, where the dragons had all come to and were watching over Gadzooks, who was about to cry his fire tear, feeling that David didn't love him. David was shown an instruction manual by the guard dragon, Gruffen, and using this he caught Zookie's fire tear and successfully restored it to his special dragon.

After this, David was unsure about whether or not it was real. He tried to tell Sophie about it but she laughed him off. David could no longer see the dragons move came to the conclusion that it had just been a very vivid dream. But he continued to rely on Gadzooks and was able to more easily accept him.

Sophie (David's girlfriend at the time) moves away to study animals in Africa for eight months.

Meanwhile, David is set an essay by a guest tutor, Anders Bergstrom, who shows an intense interest on the topic of dragons. The essay is to prove how it is feasible for dragons to ever have existed. The prize (a free research trip to the Arctic for the best essay) encourages David to write the essay. After Bergstrom issued the essay, he hands David a talisman in the hope that it prompts some inspiration. In reality, this talisman was the Tooth of Ragnar and when he touched it David saw Gadzook's in mind's eye. The dragon wrote the name 'Lorel' onto his notepad. Bemused, David hands the talisman back and leaves.

That evening, while having dinner with Liz and Lucy, David brings Lorel into the conversation, causing Liz to drop empty plates and cutlery in shock. He apologizes and cleans up the kitchen for her with the help of Lucy.

Afterwards, David had an online conversation with Zanna about his essay topic. Zanna, whom he disliked at the time, showed a lot of interest in the dragons and visited No. 42 Wayward Crescent where David told her some more. Over the course of the book, David and Zanna (later revealed to have been in love with David for a while before the events of the book) get closer, eventually kissing, just as Sophie returned to tell David that she had been offered a three-year contract in Africa and she regretfully broke up with him.

Meanwhile, the sibyl Gwilanna arrived, calling herself Aunty Gwyneth. David had to move to Henry Bacon's whilst Gwilanna stayed in his room. Mr. Bacon introduced David to the large collection of books and photographs he had about the Arctic, and lodger and landlord formed quite a bond (which developed further in Fire Star). Gwilanna had been drawn to Wayward Crescent because David had made a wish to know the secret of Gawain's fire tear. She was also around because an egg containing Liz's auma had been quickened, and she was to act as midwife. However, she found that David got in the way, thanks to his curiosity and confusion, and she had her dragon, Gretel, cast a spell on him that allowed him to see and speak to dragons, and accept this as commonplace.

David also had a meeting with a publisher, Dilys Whutton, about Snigger & the nut beast; which she doesn't think is suitable for her 'list' but she would like David to write something else. However, Gwilanna sends Gretel who influences Dilys into agreeing to publish both Snigger and David's proposed saga about polar bears.

Gwilanna was attempting to turn Liz's son into a real dragon, but the others would not allow this to happen. As the crucial moment arrived, many attempts were made to stop her, including a rugby tackle from David that saw him thrown beneath the floorboards, where rubble crashed on top of him. It is quite possible that David died at this point, but G'reth pushed the tooth of Ragnar down to David, and it landed in his hand, flooding David with the fighting bear's strength. Gwilanna was defeated, but the dragon had been born - but without fire. David, Zanna, David's dragons and the newly named Grockle went to Anders Bergstrom and he revealed the secret of the fire tear to David: Guinevere caught the tear and dropped it into a bone. She refused to give it to Gwilanna as promised, but tried to still take Gwendolen, the daughter Gwilanna had created for her. They fled, carried across the ocean by a brown bear called Thoran. But Gwilanna caught Gwendolen and caused a tidal wave that washed Guinevere and Thoran away. When they hit land, Guinevere released the tear, which fell into the ocean, and the ocean became ice - the polar ice cap. And when he touched the ice, Thoran's pelt turned cream, as he became the first polar bear.

Later, after Grockle turned to stone and they had begun to redecorate David's room,David shared his kiss with Zanna. Sophie's return saw Zanna flee, furious with David. David was left melancholy and love lorn, singing tunelessly, and using Zanna's paintbrush to compete the decorations. But all worked out - on the day David was due to leave for the Arctic (paid for by his novels), Liz and Lucy arranged for Zanna, who had won the competition, to pick him up and the couple were reunited.



In Fire Star David starts writing a book called White Fire. In this book he also realizes that whatever he writes actually happens after he writes it. He can predict the future, but only seconds before it happens. At the end an Ix that took over an Inuit called Tootega stabbed David's heart with an ice spear, which turned out to be Gawain's fire tear.

David went to the arctic. While he was there, Gwillana stole Lucy and took her to a place in the Arctic called the Tooth of Ragnar. Gwillana's ultimate plan was to raise Gawain and calm him using Lucy, a "Guinevere clone". David did realize that he could predict the future, but anyway, at the arctic, Zanna breaks up with David, and afterwards, Zanna got lost in a freak whiteout trying to release Ingavar, who was only 12 at the time. After she disappears, the only evidence of her disappearance is her hat. Zanna finds Tootega and she and David quickly get back together. Then Saugus was 'killed' by an Inuit called Tootega who was controlled by the Ix. Gawain sank into the ocean. During the time that David was still alive with the shard in his heart Zanna was with him. She begged for him to stay but he put a "Valentine Dragon" into Zannas hands. Then the polar bears broke the ice and floated away with David's body. Later in the story when the Pennykettles and Zanna are releasing "Snigger", Zanna reveals she is having a baby. earlier that morning, the fain commingled with Bonnington the cat and allowed him to shape -shift into any feline species at nearly the same time Gadzooks writes the name G'lant on his pad and shows it to Zanna. She knew it was the name of the valentine dragon. 

In the beginning of the story (which takes place on Valentine's Day, five years after the death of David), we find that Zanna has given birth to a girl, Alexa, and bought a shop to keep herself busy. In the times that she can't tend the store, she sends Lucy (now 16 years old) to look after it.

In Dark Fire David returns while Alexa is having a bath. At this time Zanna spots a rash on Alexa's back. David later reveals that Alexa is in fact an 'angel' - part fain, part dragon, and part human, a messenger between the worlds - and the rash on her shoulders will grow into wings. David was planned by the Fain to be Liz and Arthur's son, but it never happened because of Gwilanna tricking Arthur in his younger years. The Fain decided that Arthur would write about David and design him. David disappears with the other Pennykettles.

David appears as David Merriman and is the main character of Fire World. He befriends Rosa just like he did with Zanna.(another thing in common) he is involved in an experiment by Thoren Stromberg. He and his father witnessed a portal opening near David and fire birds coming to repair it. David was sleeping at the time and he appeared to be morphing into a polar bear. He later was sent to a Librarium to work with a girl named Rosa. They become really good friends. Each are competitive and one day they drop a book out a window and it lands on an emerald green fire bird named Alerion (Runency). A bird named Alkizar is angry at David and breaths fire on him but it is stopped and he is in a coma.

Rosa is miserable without her friend. But the red bird comes again and sends her a book on dragons the Librarium then leads her to the floor 42. After many long days she learns dragon tongue and learns how to say the three lined symbol sometimes ... David wakes up just as they are sent eight years into the future.

Mr. Henry dies and Aunt Gwyenth comes to dispose of his body. David later returns home to find a new sister: Penny. When he reads her Alice in Wonderland they see a polar bear and a darkling battling as well as Gawain and Guinevere in front of Liz's mirror. He falls into a two day coma again. When he awakes Eliza tells him Stromberg wants to speak to him at the common. He meets him and they talk unknown that Gwyenth in katt form is spying and she returns to the Librarium with him. After a fire when they are cleaning up a darkling appears and the katt kills it.

Eliza and Penny come to visit David and give him a present. The present turns out to be Gadzooks and he and the firebirds lead David and Rosa upstairs. When Penny comes along to check out a book a mysterious girl born from the egg Eliza made and the tear in the flame and David's flower chain. The girl calls herself Angel and shows Penny snigger and the nutbeast. She picks it up turning the librarium into an ark.

After David gets Groyne from Angel they learn that Harlan David's father comes back from the dead lands. David manages to turn into Ingavar and kills Gwyenth but she re-writes Gwilanna back to life. The book ends with David and Rosa over a sea of white fire.

David and Rosa return later in The Fire Ascending when they meet Agawin and Guinevere there's a time shift and they are captured by Tam and Lucy who are mutated into darklings and work for Voss. David later in his prison is shot by an arrow Lucy shot at him and is slowly being turned into ix. Zanna was ordered to kill him but instead kisses him. She is knocked out by Rosa and David wakes. David doesn't know how to save her but when Rosa touches Zanna Rosa disappears and Zanna is normal. Everyone appears to be normal now and Joseph comes to tell them they will soon have a normal life.

In the new timeline David talks to Alexa in the first chapter and soon it is many years later and David wrote The Last Dragon Chronicles and is now a movie he said he wrote the books to give Joseph Henry a life. He later goes to visit Liz's grave and Dr. Bergstorm is there. David appears to be involved in a experiment where a crystal which could very well be a piece of ice is by his heart no one knows for what. David notices the mark of Oomara on Bergstorm's forehead and that is his final appearance. David pictures Gadzooks in his head and Zookie appears on the grave. This is David and Gadzooks' final appearance.

Powers and Abilities[]

  • He can shapeshift into Ingavar or Oomara
  • He can jump dimensions
  • He can teleport with the help of Groyne
  • He and Grockle can turn into one Dragon
  • He can make clay come to life
  • He has the ability to imagineer

Close Friends[]

Liz- In all of the books they have a good relationship. They sometimes tease each other but she is secretive at first but later on she trusts him. In the later books after David's disappeared she is really happy to see him.

Lucy- She calls him the big brother she never had. After his disappearance she refused to believe he was dead even though she witnessed it herself. She is Liz's daughter and is very talkative.

Arthur- David really doesn't communicate with him too much but David once referred to him as his father.

Zanna- Their relationship is often rocky and they argue over Alexa's upbringing but they love each other nevertheless.

Alexa - She loves him very much and is very excited when he returns. She is also David and Zanna's child.

The Dragons- David, 'The David', is loved very much by all dragons in the Pennykettle house. His special dragon is Gadzooks, but he made Gollygosh.

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