3 The Creepy Castle

CHAPTER 3 THE CREEPY CASTLE We will get the Dream Orb back," Drake promised Jayana. "Where is Zoltan now?" An image of a castle appeared inside the gazing ball. "This is Zoltan's castle in Gothica," Jayana said, before the ball went dark. "Be warned, Gothica is a strange and mysterious land. Ghosts haunt the castles there, and— "Ghosts?!" Bo exclaimed.

Jayana nodded. "Yes, spirits are drawn to Gothica. They can be tricky, so you should be on alert." "Do dragon powers work on ghosts?" Drake asked. "They may not," Jayana replied. "You will have to be brave." Drake and Bo said good-bye to Jayana and stepped into the hallway. The green Dragon Stone around Drake's neck glowed. Drake communicated with Worm using his thoughts. Worm, can you transport us to Zoltan's castle? he asked. Yes. I am ready, Worm replied. Bo put one hand on Shu and the other on Worm. Drake touched Worm. Green light flashed. Drake's stomach flipped as Worm transported them all.

When the light faded, they stood in front of a creepy castle. Its tall towers rose into the starry night sky. A bubbling, stinky moat surrounded the castle. "Gothica does look strange and mysterious," Drake remarked. They crossed the moat on a rickety bridge. They pushed through the main gate and walked to the castle entrance. The doors opened by themselves. Bo raised his eyebrows. "I think somebody knows we are here." They all entered a grand hallway.

Flickering torches lit the gloom. Cobwebs hung from the walls. A wide staircase led to the second floor. Suddenly, a chill swept through the air. Drake and Bo shivered. Drake heard Worm inside his head. Something is here. Drake looked around. I don't see anything. Then a white light flashed in the hallway. A dragon appeared, with a boy on his back! Drake and Bo gasped.

The dragon floated in the air. His long snakelike body looked almost see-through. His face, with its snout full of sharp teeth, reminded Drake of a wolf. The boy had black, slicked-back hair, and wore a cape over his shirt and pants. Drake saw a green Dragon Stone around the boy's neck. He was a Dragon Master!

"Hi! We're also—" Drake started to say. "Get out!" the boy shouted. The boy and dragon both vanished. "Is that dragon transporting like Worm?" Bo asked. "Or is he disappearing like some kind of ghost?" Flash! The boy and dragon popped out of the wall on the stairway. "Spirit Attack!" the caped Dragon Master yelled to his dragon.