6 Ch6-Belerion

CHAPTER 6 BELERION Drake's head felt very fuzzy. They were moving impossibly fast. He felt frightened and excited at the same time. This is really different from when Worm transports! he thought. The tingly feeling stopped. Drake blinked.

They had landed on a flat, green plain, overlooking the blue sea. A path led to a tall castle that towered on the end of a cliff. "What did you think, Drake?" Tessa asked. Drake grinned. "That was a wild ride!" "Right?" Tessa patted the braid of hair wrapped around her head. "That's why I wear my hair like this. Otherwise it flies all over." Green light flashed, and Worm appeared with Zera and Petra, who held Griffith under one arm. "Quack!"

"You beat us!" Petra said, surprised. "Sono is really fast," Drake told her. Then he looked at the path leading to the castle. "That must be the Castle of the Wizards. Let's walk." They stepped onto the path. "So, Tessa, what other powers does Sono have?" Petra asked. Tessa jumped off Sono's back, without letting go of the leather strap. "Sono has lots of great sound powers," she said, walking beside her dragon. "She can make powerful sound waves that can break up rocks. She can transform into sound waves and pass through solid things, like walls."

"She is a really cool dragon," Drake said. "Is it hard being a Dragon Master if you can't see?" Petra blurted out. Her cheeks turned pink. "I'm sorry. Is that a rude question?" "I don't mind you asking," Tessa replied. "The answer is that it's not hard. I have the same connection with Sono that you two have with your dragons. Just like you, I train my dragon. But unlike you, Sono tells me what's going on when I can't figure things out by what I hear or feel. She guides me and describes things to me." "That's awesome," Drake said. "Before I met Sono," Tessa explained, "I used this staff to help me get around." She pulled out the long staff strapped to her back. "How does that work?" Drake asked.

Tessa let go of Sono's strap. She gripped the staff just below the dragon head carved on the top. Then she held the staff in front of her and walked forward. She moved it from left to right, tapping the ground. "I move the staff a little wider than my body, to make sure it's clear for me to take a step. I can feel if there's a rock in front of me, or a door stuff like that." "That's so smart," Drake said. "Thanks," Tessa replied. "I use my hearing and other senses to get information about my surroundings, too. But having Sono as my guide is the best!" "Sono's one of the coolest dragons I've ever seen," Petra said.

"Tell me about Zera," Tessa said. "What kind of powers does she have?" "She is a dragon with poison powers called a hydra," Petra explained. "But she also has a beautiful song. She can heal anyone who is hurt by her poison." "That is an amazing power!" Tessa said. "Can I hear her song?" Petra smiled. "Sure," she said, and her Dragon Stone glowed. "Zera, please sing for us." The hydra's four heads began to sing together in harmony. A sweet, pretty tune filled the air.