Chapter 3

3 Sofia hovered a moment longer, looking at the force field below. She breathed deeply, focusing her mind. Then she tucked her wings by her sides, stretched out her front paws, and started free-falling. What would it feel like to dive through the

force field? She really hoped that it wouldn't be like a trampoline and bounce her back into the air! With a flick of her tail, Sofia sped up. The colors of the forest flashed by. The glade's forcefield loomed larger and larger until suddenly, it was right there in front of her! Sofia's scales tingled as she passed right through the glowing shield. Phew! Diving through the force field had gone really well. But there was one thing she hadn't thought about: how to finish the dive! Luckily, there was a pond in the glade's center. It wasn't very big, but it would have to do. Sofia stretched out her wings to slow herself down, then tucked them back in and managed to dive directly into the pond. Quickly, she did a somersault and headed straight back up to the surface. As she burst out of the pond and into the air, Sofia saw Grace and Zoe hovering nearby. They were both dripping with water.

"Hi! Why are you two wet?" Sofia asked. "Has it been raining?" Grace and Zoe started laughing. "We're wet from the splash you just made when you dove into the pond!" "Oops," Sofia said. "Sorry!" "That's okay," Grace said. "It was quite nice. Like being caught in a summer rainstorm."

Zoe flew over to the lush tree in the center of the glade. "Come on, you two! The Tree Queen is about to change." The tree was swaying gently from side to side. Sofia watched in awe as it transformed into the elegant figure of the Tree Queen, dressed in her flowing green robes. Sofia had seen this transformation twice before already, but it still took her breath away. The Magic Forest truly was, well, magical! The Tree Queen smiled at the Sea Dragons. But could Sofia see a hint of worry on her welcoming face? "I am so glad you are back," the Tree Queen said warmly. "You three have already done so much for our seas." Sofia felt a flush of pride. It was true that she and her friends had had some big adventures here. While they were rescuing the dolphin and the turtle, they had encountered Shiver Sharks, a lovely group of baby turtles, and some very

relaxed surfing seals. Plus, they had battled with lots of Fire Sparks and, of course, the Fire Queen herself. So far, the Sea Dragons had managed to deal with everything. But Sofia felt a little nervous. Who knew what lay ahead of them this time? The Tree Queen seemed to sense Sofia's feelings. She looked at Sofia, her leaves rustling gently. "This last part of the quest won't be easy," she said softly. "The Fire Queen is extremely angry that you three have outsmarted her so far. And her Fire Sparks are bigger than ever, fueled by her fury." Sofia nodded. "I saw them on the way here. They are huge!" "Not only that, but the last of the Sea Keepers —the narwhal Nara—is the most important of the trio. You must find her." Despite the seriousness of the situation, Sofia couldn't help feeling pleased. Narwhals were her

favorite sea creature. Maybe she would actually get to meet one! "Why is the narwhal so important?" Zoe asked. "All three Sea Keepers must be in the Undersea Garden for the winding ceremony," explained the Tree Queen. "But it is the narwhal who actually winds the Water Watch." "The Water Watch keeps the seas healthy, right?" Grace said. "It makes the tides ebb and flow, and keeps the water at the right level." "Exactly," said the Tree Queen. "Once a year it must be wound. And that day is today." "Today!" Sofia gasped, summing up how all three Dragon Girls felt. "Will we have time?" The Tree Queen looked at her, her brown eyes very serious indeed. "There is no doubt that it will be challenging," she said. "The Fire Queen will do everything she can to stop you. But the welfare of the Magic Forest's seas depends on you succeeding."