8 Ch8-The Dragon Rock

CHAPTER 8 THE DRAGON ROCK Where are we going, Opeli?" Drake asked. He and Ana had to walk quickly to keep up with her. She stopped and turned to face them. "You— you might think I'm silly if I tell you," she replied. "I'd rather show you."

As they walked, the sand under their feet turned to rocky ground. A strip of land extended into the ocean. Big, jagged black rocks jutted out of the ground. "I've never seen rocks shaped like this," Drake remarked. "This does not look like a papaya grove," Ana said. "It's not," Opeli said. "But there's something here you should see."

She led them down the strip of land. Then she stopped in front of one very long rock with spiky points sticking out of it. "This rock has always looked like a dragon to me," she said. "See?" Drake studied the rock. It did look like a dragon— a dragon as big as Worm, with spikes down its back and on the end of its long tail.

"I see it!" he cried. "I do, too," Ana said. "There is the dragon's big head!" Opeli smiled. "Oh, I am so glad you see it, too!" she said. "Sometimes I like to sing out loud to this dragon rock. It makes me feel happy. I like to imagine there is a Lava Dragon inside, like the ones from Mother's stories." Ana's eyes got wide. "Is that what your mother meant when she said that the Lava Dragons became part of the land?" Opeli frowned. "I like to think so. But Mother says I have a big imagination."

"Something tells me it's more than that," Ana said, studying the rock. Opeli touched the tall part of the rock that looked like the dragon's spiky back. "I do feel something when I am here. A special connection." Drake looked at his dragon. Sometimes Worm could sense when a dragon was nearby. In the Land of Ifri, he had connected with the Rainbow Dragon, even though she was asleep in a spider's trap!

"Worm, can you feel any dragon energy here?" he asked. I do! Worm answered. It is weak, but I can sense it. "Worm feels something, too," Drake said. "Maybe there is a dragon inside this rock!" Opeli clapped her hands. "Oh, I hope it is true! How can we know for sure?" "Maybe Kepri's light can show us what's inside," Ana said. She touched her dragon. "Kepri, aim your sunbeam at this big rock." Kepri flew up and opened her mouth. A beam of golden, glowing sunlight poured out. Her light hit the rock. Deep inside, Drake saw an orange glow! Something was pulsing. Ba-bump. Ba-bump. Drake gasped. "Do you see that? It's a beating heart!"