12 A Puzzle

CHAPTER 12 A PUZZLE Drake and Worm stood alone in the darkness. "It's so dark in here," Drake whispered. Worm's body began to glow with green light again. Drake could see six large stone balls in the center of the room, placed in a circle. They looked perfectly round and smooth. Beyond them, on the wall, was a stone door. Above it, carved into the stone, was a line of six holes.

"Do you think these stone balls go into those holes above the door, Worm?" Drake asked. Drake heard Worm's voice in his head. Yes. Drake walked over to one of the stones. He put his arms around it. It was so heavy! These are too heavy for me to move, thought Drake. But Worm could move them with his mind.

Drake looked at the stones. Each one had a symbol on it, just like the symbols on the front door. There was a moon, a sun, a water drop, a flame, a rock, and a skull. Next, Drake looked at the holes above the door. He didn't see any symbols on them. "How will I know which stone goes where? There must be a special way they need to go in..." Drake said.

Then he remembered the words from the rhyme that Heru had just read. "'A Water Dragon was dragon one,'" Drake repeated. "That's it! I bet the stones go into the wall in the same order as we crossed through this pyramid. So the stone with the water drop on it goes first. Ready, Worm?" Worm nodded. The stone with the water drop glowed green. It floated up and... ...it fit perfectly in the first hole above the door.

"'Dragon two was of the sun,'" Drake said, remembering the rhyme. The stone with the sun symbol glowed. It floated up and slid into the second hole. "Great job, Worm!" Drake said. "Zera was the third dragon, so the poison symbol is next." Worm lifted the stone with the skull symbol. Then the stone with the flame. Then the stone with the moon. "One more, Worm!" Drake cheered.

Worm's body glowed, and the stone with the rock symbol on it slowly rose up. It floated into the final hole above the door. Creeaaaak! The door lifted up. "We did it!" cheered Drake. Worm crawled through the doorway with Drake. They entered the seventh room. Suddenly, Worm sank to the ground! His glow faded. "Worm!" Drake cried. "What's wrong?"