Chapter 4

4 The three Storm Dragons turned to one another. "Well, I guess we need to find this Thunder Maker," Mina said. "I'm ready," Zora said, her eyes twinkling. Hana nodded, feeling excited but also a little nervous. The thunder continued to roll outside the force field. "How are you both at flying?"

"We love it!" Mina said. "It's easy!" Zora added. Hana laughed. She was not at all surprised. When they played online, the three girls always chose flying avatars. It felt like they'd been training for this moment their whole lives. Hana flapped her wings and rose into the glade's sweetly scented air. "Then let's go." In a flash, Mina and Zora whooshed high to join her. Together, they pressed back through the shimmering force field and into the Magic Forest beyond. The thunder clapped and the trees swayed dangerously. "Which way to the Thunder Theater, do you think?" Mina yelled to the others over the noise. "The Tree Queen said we had to find the loudest place in the forest," Zora yelled back. "I wonder where that is?" Hana wasn't sure, either. Everywhere was pretty loud right now! Then she remembered the

find-o-meter the Tree Queen had given her. The queen had said it would help. But how, exactly? "Let's fly that way," Hana said, pointing. Whenever she was unsure, she followed her gut instinct. As they flew, Hana and Mina checked the find-o-meter. "It looks like the temperature is rising," Mina said. "See the silver line, going higher and higher?" "But the forest doesn't feel like it's getting warmer," Zora commented. "Then maybe it's not showing us the temperature," Mina said. "You're right!" Hana grinned. "I think it's directing us! Maybe it's like that game we loved when we were little. Remember Hot and Cold? The warmer it gets, the closer we are!" "If that's the case, we're going in the right direction," Mina said.

"I wish we could get out of the wind," Zora said, swooping to avoid clipping a tree with her wing. "It's so hard to fly. And branches falling every time it thunders doesn't help, either." It was very tough going. The falling branches were worrying Hana as well. What if they couldn't stop the thunder, and the branches kept falling and falling? Would the forest be destroyed? Just then, a flock of birds flew past, calling to each other in alarm. But they didn't sound like birds. They sounded like wolves. Hana could tell that many things were magical and different in the Magic Forest. But birds sounding like wolves didn't seem right. It was just as the Tree Queen had said. She checked the find-o-meter. The silver line was still rising. They must be getting closer to the Thunder Theater. At least, Hana hoped they were. "Look!" Mina called. Just visible through a break in the trees was a mountain. Hana's pointy dragon ears tilted

forward. Was she imagining it, or was the rumbling coming from the mountain? As the Dragon Girls watched, a plume of glittering sparks shot from its peak. The sparks lit up the stormy sky like fireworks. "Is that a volcano?" Zora's voice was full of wonder. It definitely was a volcano, and it was making a lot of noise.

As often happened, Mina said exactly what was on Hana's mind. "Maybe the Thunder Theater is near the volcano?" "I think it is," Hana called above the racket. "The silver line on the find-o-meter is near the top now. Let's go check it out." Hana sped up, Mina and Zora close behind. The rumbling grew louder as they approached. Hana scanned the area with her powerful dragon vision, searching for the Thunder Theater. But it was difficult to spot something she had no idea about. She really hoped this mysterious place wasn't hidden in the lava somewhere. "This way!" called a voice from below. Hana saw Beebi waving a paw at her. He began scampering along, crawling over rocks and leaping across spindly shrubs, leading them around the volcano's base. Hana followed the little bear, and Mina and Zora followed her. Hana checked the find-o-meter. The silver line was still rising.