3. RUNE AND LYSA

CHAPTER 3 RUNE AND LYSA Drake and Darma shielded their eyes from the bright light of the crystal castle. As they approached the entrance, Drake heard Worm's voice in his head. There is definitely a dragon in here. I can sense her. "Let's introduce ourselves," Drake said.

The glittering doors were partly open. They entered and stepped into a large room. While the walls and floor were gleaming crystal, the room was filled with ordinary-looking wooden furniture: a table and chairs, a cozy bed, and a bookcase filled with books, toys, and seashells. A dragon was lying on a comfy-looking rug, with a boy curled up inside her tail. The boy was moving the pieces of a small wooden cube.

That looks like a puzzle cube, Drake thought. The dragon had white, shimmering scales. A symbol made of curved lines in the center of her chest softly glowed with rainbow light. The dragon raised her head when she saw the visitors, and her eyes grew wide.

The boy's Dragon Stone glowed, and then he looked over and saw the visitors, too. He put down the cube, and his long, red braid swayed as he jumped to his feet. The dragon stood, too, stretching her gleaming white wings. Drake spoke up. "Hello, I'm Drake, and this is Darma. We've come because we need help from you and your Light Dragon." The boy moved his hands and fingers, making shapes in the air. Drake looked at Darma. "Is he trying to tell us something?" "He is using sign language," Darma replied. "Back home, the monks use sign language to communicate when they practice being silent."

"Do you know sign language, then?" Drake asked his friend. "I learned some signs from the monks," Darma replied. "But sign language is different in different places. I do not understand these signs." The boy was tapping his foot impatiently as Drake and Darma talked. I wish I knew this Dragon Master's language, Drake thought. Then Drake had an idea. He closed his eyes. Worm, please introduce us to this dragon. After about a minute, Drake heard Worm's reply in his mind. The Light Dragon's name is Lysa. She and her Dragon Master Rune want to know why we are here!