13. THE FINAL CLUE

CHAPTER 13 THE FINAL CLUE Drake, Darma, and the three dragons walked toward a flock of singing bluebirds. Rune ran in front of them. Danger! Danger! he signed. Drake saw Rune, and understood the sign. He paused.

Beyond the birds was nothing but an eerie, blue mist. Drake somehow knew the mist was dangerous. But the music I have to follow the music, he thought. Then Rune's Dragon Stone began to glow. Lysa blinked and a bright light shone from the symbol on her chest. The light hit the birds, and they scattered.

The singing stopped. But the mist remained. Drake, Darma, Worm, and Hema stopped walking. Drake shook his head from side to side. "Thanks, Rune," he said. "We almost walked right into that mist." Rune says: The birds were trying to get us lost in that mist. We should go backin the other direction. Rune and Lysa led the way. They turned left, and right, and then left again. The next right took them to a dead end.

This pathway ended with a tall wall made of a green hedge. Right before the hedge was a box floating in the air. It was bigger than the puzzle box—about as long as Drake's arm. And carved on the box was a flute!

"We've finally found the Star Flute!" Drake cried. "Just in time," Darma remarked "The sky is a shade lighter than it was when we began. Dawn is coming very soon."

Drake looked at Rune and motioned to the box. Rune stepped up to the box and tried to open it, but the lid did not move. He frowned. Rune says: It will not open. Then Rune's eyes widened. He pointed to the top of the box, where a rhyme was carved. IF YOU CAME HERE ALONE, THERE IS NO HELP FOR THEE. THE BOX WILL OPEN ONLY FOR A CIRCLE OF THREE. The boys grinned at one another. They knew what the rhyme meant. Drake, Darma, and Rune formed a circle around the floating box. Then they held hands.