14 Ch14-Three Dragons

CHAPTER 14 THREE DRAGONS Hulda and Drake appeared in the Head Wizard's workshop in Belerion. Jayana and five other wizards were gathered around her desk. "Get Drake some tea, quickly," Jayana said. She hurried to Drake and led him to a chair. She snapped her fingers and a soft blanket appeared on his lap. Then a wizard handed him a cup of warm tea.

Drake's hands shook as he lifted the cup to his lips. "Drake, I am sorry," Jayana said. "I should have guessed that Astrid would use a magic portal to get to the fortress faster. I didn't realize her powers were as strong as they are." "I would have gotten there sooner, too, but Astrid delayed me with a binding spell that she sent through my gazing ball," Hulda said. "As soon as I got free, I came." Drake swallowed some tea. "Astrid is going to bring the Garden of the Beasts to life," he said. "She wants to rule the world. We tried to stop her, but... Mina and Frost, and Caspar and Shaka, and Worm..." Tears welled up in Drake's eyes. "My sister turned them all into stone," Hulda finished for him.

The Head Wizard held his hand. "Oh, Drake, I am sorry this has happened," she said. "How did Astrid do it?" Hulda asked. Drake told them all about the bottles of dragon powers on her belt. "She stole Shaka's power and then used it to turn everyone into stone," he explained.

"Do not worry, Drake," Jayana said. "We will save your friends. We will stop Astrid." Hulda looked at Jayana like she didn't believe her. "It will not be easy," Jayana admitted. "My wizards and I have had no luck finding a way to reverse the False Life spell. But what has Griffith found out?" Drake held up his broken mirror. "I haven't been able to contact him," he said. Jayana smiled. "That is easily fixed," she said. She waved her hand over the mirror, and a silver glow hit the glass. She handed it back to Drake, and the mirror's surface was smooth again. "Thank you," Drake said. Then he called into the mirror. "Griffith!" "Drake!" Griffith said. "Are you all right?"

"Not really," Drake said. Thinking of his friends and their dragons, he almost started to cry again. Jayana took the mirror from him and explained everything to Griffith. Then she gave the mirror back to Drake. "Drake, we can help everyone who has been turned to stone," Griffith promised. "And Ana has found a way to reverse the False Life spell." Ana appeared in the mirror. "Drake! On a hunch, I flew to the Dragon Temple in the Land of Pyramids. It turns out, dragons are the key to breaking the spell." "What did you find out?" Drake asked, sitting up straight.

"We will need to find three special dragons," Ana told him. "We must look for them right away!" "Yes! But... how can I go anywhere without Worm?" Drake asked. Suddenly, Drake's Dragon Stone began to glow. He heard Worm's voice inside his head. Drake, where are you?