8. FOLLOW FIG!

CHAPTER 8 FOLLOW FIG! Val ran after Fig and dove, grabbing the dragon by the tail just as she tumbled over the edge of the cliff. Drake and Worm caught up to them. "Fig, be careful!" Val warned. The baby dragon sniffed the air. She whined and looked over the cliff's edge. Val's eyes got wide. "Do you think Fig is on the trail of her parents?"

Drake heard Worm's voice in his head. Fig might be tracking her parents' scent. Or she could be connecting with their energy. Her connection with them is likely stronger than mine. I still cannot sense them at all. "You're right, Val," Drake reported. "Worm thinks Fig might be tracking her parents. Let's see if she can lead us to them." "I think she wants to go down there," Val said, pointing to the beach below.

"Luckily, we don't have to climb down," Drake said with a grin. "Worm, please take us there!" Worm transported them down to the beach. Instead of soft sand, slippery rocks made up the jagged shoreline. Fig broke away from Val and headed inland.

It wasn't easy to keep up with the fast little dragon. Val tripped on the rocks, and Drake helped them up. Then Drake, Worm, and Val caught up to Fig on the bank of a swiftly moving stream. Before they could stop her, Fig jumped into the water! The dragon paddled downstream. "Fig!" Val cried. Drake turned to Worm. "We need to catch up to Fig!"

You and Val should climb onto my back, Drake heard. "Val, jump on Worm!" Drake instructed. When they were both on his back, Worm slid into the water. "I didn't know Earth Dragons could swim, Worm!" Drake said. The current will carry me, Worm replied. He floated downstream like a big raft.

Val gripped Worm's neck and called out to the baby dragon, "Fig wait for us! You can't do this alone!" Fig flipped onto her back and grinned at Val. Val sighed. "What am I doing? I'm not a Dragon Master. Fig can't understand me!" "I think Fig really likes you, Val," Drake said. "She knows you care about her."