Chapter 2

2 Zoe rose to the surface of the water and burst through. Air filled her lungs and the sun warmed her face. She hadn't opened her eyes yet. Had she been transported into the Magic Forest? She hardly dared to look! The water felt softer and warmer. And the waves sounded different somehow. Rather than crashing, they made a magical tinkly sound. It reminded Zoe of wind chimes, blown by a summer breeze. Zoe opened her eyes. Looking around, she saw she was still at a surf beach. But it was not the

same one she'd just left. All the other surfers in her group had disappeared. The people who had been sitting on the beach were gone, too. Before, there had been beach shacks lining the shore. Now the shacks had been replaced with tall trees. A shiver of excitement passed through Zoe. The Magic Forest! Treading water, Zoe glanced down at herself. She grinned at what she saw. Yes! She was back in her dragon form! Her body was covered with sandy-yellow scales, tipped with blue. She had a long, swishy tail that made treading water as easy as breathing. She also had a fabulous pair of wings. Zoe gave them a huge flap and rose smoothly out of the water. She zoomed up, sending shimmering droplets of water in every direction. Surfing would always be Zoe's first love. But flying was a very, very close second. "Flying is like surfing in the air, isn't it?" said a friendly little voice. Zoe looked down. Swimming in the sea below her was the tiniest penguin Zoe had ever seen. It

looked up at Zoe with big blue eyes. "Hello there. Yes, that's exactly what it's like!" agreed Zoe, swooping around and coming back to hover near the tiny penguin. A thought crossed her mind. "But how do you know that? I know that penguins can surf. But they can't fly, can they?" Instead of answering, the penguin flapped its stubby little wings furiously. To Zoe's great surprise, the penguin flew up into the air beside

her. Even more surprising was how the tiny creature looked. Zoe had never seen a purple-and-white penguin before! "I'm a pixie penguin," explained the bird. "My name's Splashi." "Hi, Splashi! I'm Zoe," Zoe said. "I'm a Sea Dragon." Splashi did a twirl. She had a funny way of flying. Her whole body seemed to waddle. But Zoe was careful not to laugh. She didn't want to hurt the little bird's feelings. "Oh, I know that!" said Splashi. "I've been waiting for you to arrive. The Tree Queen wants me to bring you to her as quickly as possible. She really needs help from you and your friends." "Let's go, then!" Zoe said. Surfing had taught Zoe to act quickly. And she wanted to leap into this adventure as soon as possible. Together, Splashi and Zoe flew over the sparkling sea toward the huge trees of the Magic Forest. A strong wind blew in from the shore. It

almost felt as if it was trying to stop them from getting to the Magic Forest. "The wind is part of the Fire Queen's magic," Splashi explained. "She was furious when you and the other Sea Dragons rescued the first Sea Keeper. She is determined to stop you from rescuing the others." Zoe flapped her wings harder than ever. The Fire Queen could make the strongest winds she wanted. There was no way a bit of hot air was going to stop the Sea Dragons! Splashi led the way high above the beach and into the forest. Zoe had been here only once before. Yet the Magic Forest already felt familiar to her. Zoe breathed in the rich scent of tropical fruit and flowers. The sounds of birds filled the air. Their songs were beautiful, but Zoe sensed a note of danger in the birdcalls, too. Splashi flew closer. "We need to be careful in here. The Fire Queen has been waiting for your return. Her Fire Sparks are lurking everywhere." Zoe shuddered, remembering the nasty sparks from her last visit. Zoe loved everything about

nature. She even loved the parts that weren't cute or friendly. She never killed spiders. She knew lots about grizzly bears. And she thought the worms in their garden at home were cool. But the Fire Sparks were very hard to like! They could give you a nasty sting. Their bright glow made it hard to see. Worst of all, when the sparks swooshed around your head, you ended up feeling very confused and forgetful. It was all part of their evil magic. But I won't let them stop me, Zoe decided. The strong wind seemed to follow Zoe and Splashi as they flew deeper into the forest. It whipped between the trees, making the leaves rustle wildly. Twirls of dirt blew up from the forest floor, filling Zoe's eyes with grit. She blinked away the dust and continued, weaving between the tall trees. The farther into the forest Zoe and Splashi went, the darker it became. The birdsong dropped away, and soon all that could be heard was the wind. Zoe got the strange feeling that the forest creatures were hiding.