Dragon Masters #3: Secret of the Water Dragon (A Branches Book) Read online

  “The note said not to tell anybody,” Bo

  replied.

  The boys walked away from the dragons

  as they talked.

  “But I’m not anybody. I’m your

  friend

  ,”

  Drake shot back.

  “Drake, I am sorry. I —” Bo stopped. A rustling

  sound came from the trees. “What was that?”

  Drake looked up. He saw something move

  in the treetops. He held his breath.

  “The Raven Guards!” Bo whispered.

  Four guards dressed in black swooped down.

  “Worm! Shu! Help us!” Drake yelled.

  A dozen more guards dropped down around

  Worm and Shu.

  Before the dragons could act, the Raven

  Guards carried Drake and Bo away with

  magical speed.

  D

  rake struggled as a Raven Guard held him

  under one arm.

  “It is no use,” Bo whispered. “They are much

  stronger than we are. We cannot fight them.

  And they are taking us to Emperor Song, which

  is what we want.”

  “But we need Shu!” Drake whispered back.

  “Do you think our dragons escaped those

  other guards?”

  EMperOr

  SONG

  Bo frowned. “They may have been captured.

  We will have to face the emperor without

  them.”

  Drake looked down at his Dragon Stone.

  Worm, give me a message.

  But the stone didn’t glow. Then Drake

  thought of something.

  Emperor Song might

  see our pieces of the stone! What if he tries to

  take them?

  “Quick!” he whispered to Bo. “Hide your

  Dragon Stone.”

  The Raven Guards carried Drake and Bo

  through a large hall. Gleaming black and red

  stones formed a pattern on the floor. Large

  black columns lined the walls. A red dragon

  design swirled down the columns.

  The guards took them to a large room. A

  dozen more Raven Guards waited for them

  there.

  A man in a red robe sat on a white throne.

  He had a long mustache, a pointy black beard,

  and wore a black hat. A thin smile spread across

  his face when he saw Bo. It reminded Drake

  of a field snake’s smile.

  Bo whispered to Drake. “See the evil in his

  eyes? This is not the emperor I remember.”

  The guards let go of the boys and pushed

  them toward the emperor.

  “Bo,” Emperor Song said, “I am surprised

  that you came so quickly. Where is my Dragon

  Stone?”

  Bo looked at Drake, panicked. They had

  been counting on Shu to help them deal with

  the emperor. Without Shu, they had no plan.

  And without Worm, there was no way out.

  “Well, Bo?” the emperor asked. “I am waiting.”

  “I ...I don't have the Dragon Stone, Emperor,”

  Bo said in a small voice.

  A dark look came over the emperor’s face.

  “No Dragon Stone?! Then you have failed me!”

  “It’s not Bo’s fault!” Drake blurted out.

  Emperor Song looked down at Drake. “A

  child dares to speak to the emperor this way?!

  Take them to the prison! These boys shall join

  Bo’s family.”

  Drake squeezed his eyes shut.

  Worm? Worm?

  Can you hear me, Worm? We need help!

  “Take them away!” Emperor Song yelled.

  Then the doors burst open.

  Swooooooooooosh!

  A giant wave of water

  flooded the room!

  T

  he emperor jumped onto the seat of his

  throne. The strong wave knocked the guards

  off their feet. Drake held his breath, waiting to

  be knocked down, too. Then his whole body

  began to tingle. He looked down.

  He was floating above the water!

  But how?

  The WateR

  dRagOn'S pOWeR

  “It’s the dragons!” Bo called out. Drake turned

  and saw that Bo was floating in midair, too.

  “Shu must have used the water from the pond

  to break into the castle. And Worm is keeping

  us above the water!”

  Shu floated into the room, traveling on top

  of the waves. Her blue scales shimmered. Her

  eyes gleamed. Worm came behind her. As he

  slid across the floor, the water moved away

  from him.

  Shu floated over to Bo. He climbed on her

  and gripped her saddle. Worm slid underneath

  Drake. Drake felt Worm’s hold leave him, and

  he dropped right onto his dragon’s saddle.

  Emperor Song pointed at the two dragons.

  “Guards! Grab them!” he cried. But his Raven

  Guards were woozy after being hit by the

  wave. They slowly got to their feet, splashing

  in the knee-high water.

  “More guards will come!” the emperor said.

  “You cannot harm me. I am the emperor! I am

  the ruler of this kingdom! Get back!”

  Then Shu glided

  right up to the

  emperor. Her huge

  head stopped just

  inches away from

  his.

  “Do not eat me!”

  Emperor Song yelled.

  Shu closed her eyes. A misty blue cloud

  floated from her mouth. Emperor Song looked

  up at it, terrified. He froze as a light blue mist

  rained down on his head.

  The look on his face changed. He looked

  peaceful.

  “What a beautiful creature,” the emperor

  said, reaching out. He gently touched Shu’s

  nose.

  Back on their feet, the Raven Guards charged

  toward Shu.

  “STOP!” Emperor Song called out. “Our

  guests must not be harmed!”

  Drake and Bo looked at each other.

  “Guests?”

  Drake mouthed to Bo. It seemed

  like Shu’s powers were working!

  Emperor Song stood up. “I am sorry, Bo,”

  he said. “I do not know what came over me. I

  should never have asked you to steal the Dragon

  Stone. I fear I was under a dark spell. But your

  dragon ... your dragon has somehow saved me.”

  Bo’s Dragon Stone began to glow beneath

  his shirt. Bo closed his eyes. After a minute, he

  opened them. “Shu has a very special, secret

  power. She can wash away any spell. She has

  just broken the spell that Maldred placed on

  you.”

  “I should never have let that wizard into

  the palace,” said the emperor. “Maldred’s dark

  spell made me force you to steal the Dragon

  Stone. My Raven Guards were only obeying

  my orders.”

  “Does this mean Bo’s family will be safe?”

  Drake asked.

  “Of course,” Emperor Song said. “I will

  release them from prison.”

  Bo bowed his head. “Thank you, Emperor.”

  Drake smiled. He was happy for Bo.

  Then, without warning, he heard Worm’s

  voice in his head.

  Danger is coming!

  Drake looked up. A swarm of glowing red

  balls flew into
the throne room. They came

  at them at lightning speed!

  “It’s Maldred’s dark magic! Get down!”

  Drake yelled.

  T

  he red balls of light darted around the

  room like angry bees.

  Zap!

  One of the orbs shot a beam of dark

  energy at a Raven Guard. It knocked down

  the guard.

  One of the orbs zoomed right at Drake.

  Worm’s eyes glowed.

  BattLe

  Of tHe ORbS

  Boom!

  The orb exploded.

  Another red ball zoomed toward Bo.

  Bam!

  The orb burst. Worm had used the power of

  his mind to destroy them.

  Blast!

  Shu tried hitting one of the glowing

  balls with a jet of water. But the water bounced

  off it.

  Around them, the Raven Guards were

  jumping and dodging. One swung a fighting

  stick at an orb. But like Shu’s water, it didn’t

  harm it at all.

  Suddenly, the orbs grouped together. They

  zoomed all at once toward the dragons. Drake

  gripped Worm’s saddle.

  Boom! Boom! Boom!

  Worm blasted them

  with his green light, and they exploded.

  Then the room became quiet. Drake looked

  around. Worm had destroyed all of the orbs!

  “Good job, Worm,” he said, patting Worm’s

  neck.

  Emperor Song stepped forward.

  “You and your dragons have saved us again,”

  he said. “I thank you. And Bo, I will tell your

  family of your bravery here today.”

  “Thank you, Emperor. Now I must return

  to Bracken. The dragons need me,” said Bo.

  “But please tell my family that I will try to

  come see them soon.”

  “I will,” said the emperor. “And I am sorry

  for what I have put them through. I will make

  it up to them.”

  Bo thanked the emperor. He and Shu both

  touched Worm.

  “Good-bye, Bo,” said the emperor. “You have

  made your kingdom proud.”

  “Let’s go home, Worm,” Drake said. They

  left Emperor Song’s kingdom behind them in

  a flash of green light.

  S

  econds later, Drake and Bo landed in the

  Training Room. Rori and Ana rushed over.

  “You’re okay!” Ana cried.

  The boys climbed down from their dragons.

  “Yes!” replied Bo. “My family is safe and the

  emperor is no longer under Maldred’s dark

  spell.”

  RiSe AgaiNSt

  MaldRed

  “Shu and Worm were amazing!” Drake said.

  “You should have seen them in action!”

  Then Drake noticed the worried look on

  the girls’ faces. “What’s wrong?”

  “Something has happened to Diego,” Rori

  said. “Come see.”

  Drake and Bo followed the girls to Griffith’s

  workshop. Griffith leaned over Diego, who

  was stretched out on a cot.

  “Is he asleep?” Drake asked.

  “Not exactly,” said Griffith. “Diego tried

  out a new spell — to find Maldred. But it put

  him into a deep sleep. He has been like this for

  hours. I am very worried.”

  Drake and Bo looked at each other.

  “Griffith!” cried Bo. “I think we can help. Shu

  broke the spell that Maldred put on Emperor

  Song. She has the power to undo magic spells.”

  Griffith clapped his hands together. “What a

  wonderful secret power! It may be just what

  we need to break Diego’s spell, too! Can you

  please ask her to help him?”

  Bo nodded and turned to Shu. “Please wash

  away the spell that is on Diego.”

  Shu glided right up to Diego. Another misty,

  blue cloud floated from her mouth. It rained

  down on Diego. Then he opened his eyes.

  “Dragon!” he yelled, sitting up.

  “Don’t be scared, Diego,” said Griffith. “It is

  only Shu.”

  “Not Shu,” said Diego. “I saw another dragon

  as I slept.”

  “What did you see exactly?” Griffith asked

  Diego.

  “Maldred! He had a dragon — an evil dragon

  with four heads!” Diego said.

  “But dragons aren’t evil. Are they?” Ana

  asked.

  “Not by nature. But when in the hands of

  Maldred . . .” Griffith’s voice trailed off.

  “We should do something,” Rori said.

  “Yes!” agreed Ana. “We need to find Maldred

  before he and this four-headed dragon attack

  the kingdom!”

  “Maldred attacked us in Emperor Song’s

  throne room,” said Drake. “He sent more red

  orbs. Lots of them.”

  “But Worm blasted them all!” added Bo.

  Griffith stroked his beard.

  “Dragon Masters,

  you are right,” he

  said. “We cannot

  risk waiting for

  Maldred to attack

  again. We must find

  him and stop him

  before it’s too late.”

  “All of us?” Drake asked. “And our dragons,

  too?”

  Griffith nodded. “Yes.”

  Drake looked at his friends and smiled.

  Together, we can face anything!

  Drake

  thought.

  Griffith turned to the Dragon Masters.

  “Now, then. It is time for us all to rise against

  Maldred!”

  TRACEY WEST

  loves the ocean.

  Ever since she can remember, Tracey has

  gone on a trip to the shore each year

  with her family. The ocean reminds her

  of Shu the Water Dragon. They are both

  powerful and peaceful at the same time.

  Tracey has written dozens of books for kids. She

  does her writing in the house she shares with her

  husband and three stepkids. She also has plenty of

  animal friends to keep her company. She has two

  dogs, seven chickens, and one cat, who sits on her desk

  when she writes! Thankfully, the cat does not weigh

  as much as a dragon.

  GRAHAM HOWELLS

  lives with

  his wife and two sons in west Wales,

  a place full of castles, and legends of

  wizards and dragons.

  There are many stories about the

  dragons of Wales. One story tells of a large, legless

  dragon—sort of like Worm! Graham’s home is also near

  where Merlin the great wizard is said to lie asleep in

  a crystal cave.

  Graham has illustrated several books. He has created

  artwork for film, television, and board games, too.

  Graham also writes stories for children. In 2009, he won

  the Tir Na N’Og award for

  Merlin’s Magical Creatures

  .

  Look back at the words and

  pictures to find CLUES that

  something was bothering Bo.

  Why does someone want to

  steal the Dragon Stone?

  Look back at the words and

  pictures to DESCRIBE the

  Raven Guards.

  What is Shu the Water

  Dragon�
�s secret power?

  Write a story

  about what

  might have

  happened in

  Diego’s dream.

  Questions and Activities

  scholastic.com/branches

  OF

  THE

  SECRET WATER DRAGON

  scholastic.com/branches

  Illustrated early chapter books that grow readers!

  APPEALS TO

  READING LEVEL

  1

  ST

  -3

  RD

  GRADERS

  GRADE 2

  More leveling information for this book:

  www.scholastic.com/readinglevel

  Cover art by Graham Howells

  Cover design by Jessica Meltzer

  Drake loves being a Dragon

  Master for King Roland!

  The magic Dragon Stone

  lets Drake, Rori, Bo,

  and Ana train and

  even fly their very own

  dragons. But someone is

  trying to steal the stone!

  And Bo starts acting strangely. Does he have a

  secret? The Dragon Masters will have to protect

  the Dragon Stone—no matter what!

  DISCOVER THE SECRET

  OF THE DRAGON STONE!

  Read more

  adventures!