3. A STARRY TALE

CHAPTER 3 A STARRY TALE Drake and Petra sat down to look at the book together. The title read, Legend of the Star Dragons. Petra opened the book, which was filled with beautiful pictures. She read aloud the tale of the Star Dragons...

Every three hundred years, one of the Star Dragons flies down from the sky. She lays an egg at the Star Temple on the highest peak of Mount Sky in Helas. When the egg hatches, the baby dragon flies into the cosmos to join its parents. A baby Star Dragon was usually never seen again, except as a twinkling star in the night sky. Then long ago, a baby Star Dragon named Nova fell to Earth after bumping into an asteroid. Nova was injured, and a girl named Stella helped her heal. When Nova got better, she flew back to the stars.

But Stella missed her dragon friend. So she asked Harmonia, the Goddess of Music, for help. The goddess created the Star Flute. First, Harmonia played a song to summon Nova back down to the temple. Then she gave Stella a Dragon Stone and Stella became Nova's Dragon Master. Harmonia played a second song that allowed Stella to stay with Nova in the stars forever.

"When Stella and Nova flew into the stars, Harmonia hid the flute in a faraway land," Petra read. "But if the flute is found, it may be used to summon Stella and Nova to the temple. They can visit for only a short time, and cannot leave the mountaintop." Petra turned the page and pointed. "This is the tune to play on the flute! It is beautiful."

"You can read music notes?" Drake asked. "I never learned how to do that." Petra nodded. "I learned so that I can play the flute when Zera sings." "Then you should be the one to summon the Star Dragon," Drake said. "Me?" Petra asked, wide-eyed. "Yes," Drake replied. "There's only one problem. The Star Dragon won't be able to leave Mount Sky." He took a deep breath. "We will have to lure the Shadow Dragon to the temple!"