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KING ROLAND'S QUEST FOR DRAGONS When King Roland was fourteen years old, Bracken was attacked by the Kingdom of Dunkelberg. He bravely joined the battle, fighting alongside his father to protect Bracken. His grandfather died during that battle, but Roland fought on and Bracken won. That is how he earned the name Roland the Bold. Eight years later, Roland's father died peacefully, and Roland became king. From that day on, Roland decided to make Bracken the most protected place on Earth. He believed that one thing could protect his kingdom: dragons. So he asked Griffith to help him learn about dragons around the world.

The king sent his soldiers out to capture all kinds of dragons. Griffith did not agree with the king's actions. Taking the dragons from their homes seemed cruel. And when the dragons first came to the castle, they were wild and upset. King Roland ordered them to be locked in their caves. Thanks to the books Griffith had read, he knew that he needed to find Dragon Masters for the dragons right away. But first, he had to find a Dragon Stone!

DRAGON STONES Dragon Masters and wizards both use Dragon Stones, but in different ways. Dragon Masters Every Dragon Master wears a small piece of the Dragon Stone. At first, the Dragon Master can give the dragon simple commands. When their bond grows strong, and they can reach each other's minds, the stone will glow green. This connection becomes even stronger as the Dragon Master and dragon work together. Wizards If a wizard wants to train a Dragon Master, he or she must first find a Dragon Stone. Wizards cannot communicate with dragons. But they can ask their Dragon Stone to choose a Dragon Master to match with a dragon. An image of the Dragon Master will appear inside a green beam of light given off by the stone.

The Secret of Green Lake Getting my Dragon Stone was not easy. I knew that wizards in the far North Lands had been using these stones for many years. So I asked my wizard friend Hulda where to find one. She told me that a piece of the prime stone might be found in the bottom of a magical body of water known as Green Lake. I traveled far to reach the lake. Once I got there, I dove to the very bottom. I found my Dragon Stone and brought it back to Bracken. Then I used it to find Dragon Masters for King Roland's dragons. —Griffith

THE PRIME STONE Every Dragon Stone in the world comes from one very big, very old stone: the prime stone. It is hidden inside the Pyramid of the Seven Dragons, in the Land of Pyramids.

Every ten thousand years, energy from the prime stone creates a Lightning Dragon egg. The stone feeds energy to the egg, so its powers are weakened until the egg hatches. Nobody is sure how old the prime stone is, or where it came from. Is it a wonder of nature? Was it created by powerful wizards, or some other kind of magic? There may be more secrets to be discovered inside that pyramid.