8 THE LAND OF THE LOST

CHAPTER 8 THE LAND OF THE LOST What makes the Land of the Lost so very dangerous for you?" Drake asked Kishar. "The land is based on dreams that people have when they can't find their way home," she explained. "Dreamers leave the land when they wake up. But Mamu and I have gotten lost there for days."

"Can't Mamu just fly up and away?" Drake asked. Kishar shook her head. "The energy of this land latches onto anyone who visits, and doesn't want to let you go. It also affects Mamu and me." "That probably means Zoltan is still stuck there, right?" Drake asked. "Yes," Kishar replied. "But even if Mamu follows his trail, we might get lost, too." "Luckily, I only ended up there once in my dreams," Llew said. "It's so eerie there." Drake remembered something. "What about Worm?" Drake asked. "Maybe he won't get stuck there, because he's an Earth Dragon." "Good thinking, Drake," Kishar said. "We should all stick close to Worm." "I will help!" Llew said. "I can—

As he spoke, Llew's body began to fade. "I'm waking up!" he cried. "My wizard's pet rooster is crowing before dawn again. Sorry! Bye, Drake and Kishar!" Llew completely disappeared as he left the Dream World. Kishar "Llew was smart to trick Zoltan," remarked. "If the wizard is stuck in the Land of the Lost, he can't find the fountain."

Kishar and Drake climbed back onto their dragons. Mamu and Worm flew away from the Land of Endless Treats. They hadn't flown far when the blue sky around them grew dark. Drake looked down. A gray mist hovered over the land below. Mamu and Worm flew toward the haze. Drake shivered as the damp air touched his skin. The mist had settled over a forest of trees with dark gray trunks and dark green leaves that looked almost black. The trees were crowded together, and Drake wondered how they were going to land. But Mamu found a break in the trees big enough for both dragons to set down.

A wide beam of light shone from Mamu's mouth into the forest. The light revealed a tangle of sparkly trails that zigzagged all through the trees. "Zoltan was here, and it looks like he's been traveling in circles," Kishar reported. "I hope that means he's still lost. Let's follow one of his trails and see where it takes us."

Mamu walked and Worm crawled through the forest. The pathways between the trees were so narrow that Drake and Worm had to follow behind Mamu and Kishar.