THE MYSTICONS STARED at the glowing letters hanging above the Dragon Disk.
“I hate riddles,” Em mumbled.
“The first piece to look for,” Arkayna said, reading the projection, “is not behind just any door.”
Zarya continued, “The most regal of wyrms is where you’ll find…”
“Fiery magic,” Em added, “through peace of mind.”
“The most regal of worms?” Piper repeated, confused. “Ugh, gross!”
“Nah, I think it means dragons,” Zarya said. “The most regal would be the—”
“The queen of the dragons!” Arkayna said. She thought about what that could mean, remembering all the different landmarks in Drake City. “The ancient statue of Auratha, the Dragon Queen! It’s in Drake Central Station. Mount up, girls.”
As the girls headed for the elevators, Tazma pulled Arkayna aside. “Well done,” she whispered. “You’ve worked hard for this. Just make sure your team works as hard as you do.”
“Thanks for pushing me, Solon Tazma,” Arkayna said. “I won’t let you down.”
“May the Star of Gygax guide you on your quest!” Tazma called out to the girls. Her expression soured as she turned to her brother. “And may it guide you over a cliff.”
Malvaron ignored his sister as he watched the Mysticons depart. “Not bad, Dragon Mage. You survived my sister,” he called out to them. “Be careful out there.”
* * *
The Mysticons cut through the night on their griffins, getting closer and closer to Drake Central Station. It floated high up among the skyscrapers, with elevated trains zooming in and out of it. When they were within a few feet of the station, they jumped off and zip-lined down a nearby energy cable, landing on the D-train platform. They surveyed the scene.
“The statue of the Dragon Queen,” Arkayna said, spotting it in the distance.
“Looks like we’re not the only ones interested in it,” Zarya whispered.
Two shadowy figures were watching the station. Choko growled.
“They look like some kind of … Shadow Mages,” Piper said.
Em narrowed her eyes. “They must be looking for the Codex, too. But how did they know the Codex piece was here?”
“We’ll just have to beat them to it,” Arkayna said. She repeated the words of the riddle. “The most regal of wyrms is where you’ll find … fiery magic through peace of mind.”
“It’s messing with my mind,” Em said, rubbing her temples. “I want this riddle out of my head. Now.”
“You’re a genius, Em!” Arkayna gasped. “Through peace of mind. The Codex piece is in the dragon’s head! Let’s go, girls!”
The Mysticons ran toward the statue and flipped up to its right wing. Another flip brought them to the statue’s head. But there was no obvious trapdoor or way to get in. Arkayna would have to rappel down to get a better look at its face.
Piper, Em, and Zarya quickly rigged a pulley so they could lower Arkayna safely. She gripped the rope and walked down the statue’s face. She quickly noticed a weird gem in its forehead.
“Hold it steady,” she called out. As she touched the gem, she realized it was an illusion. It was actually a window into a small room. “It must be in here. I said, hold it steady!”
“Relax, princess,” Zarya snapped. They were doing the best they could. Why was Arkayna always so hard on them?
Arkayna was anything but relaxed. “If we unify the Codex,” she said to herself, “we might be able to save my parents.”
She reached in, grabbed something from inside the room, and pulled it out. It was the first Codex piece, a green book that held some of the realm’s most important secrets. She was about to call up to the others when the Shadow Mages blasted her with dark energy. The Codex piece fell from her hand and landed on top of the D train below. The train immediately pulled out of the station, with the two Shadow Mages following it.
“Let’s go, girls!” Arkayna unhooked herself from the rope and somersaulted down to the top of the train, the three other Mysticons right behind her.