Chapter 10

Drake stepped inside Worm's dark cave. Worm opened one eye.

"I need to shine your scales," Drake said. He was carrying a brush, a basket, and towels.

Drake looked at Worm's brown scales. "They're not shiny," he said. "But I'll clean them anyway."

Drake was still getting used to being around Worm. The dragon's head was as big as Drake. Worm could swallow Drake in one gulp if he wanted to. But something about Worm made Drake feel... peaceful.

Drake gently brushed one of Worm's scales. The big dragon made a sound low in his throat. Worm smiled and closed his eyes.

“You like that?" Drake asked. Worm made another purring sound. "Good."

He cleaned Worm's scales, one at a time.

"I kind of miss the onion field back home," Drake said to his dragon. "It was hard work. But I loved being outside."

Drake started to clean Worm's head.

"And I really miss my family," Drake said.

He scratched behind Worm's ears, like he did with his cat back home. Then he felt his hand start tingling.... He tried to take his hand off Worm, but he couldn't. It was stuck. Drake's eyes widened. He looked at Worm. The dragon was staring hard at him.

Pictures popped into Drake's head. He saw the cave from his nightmare. He saw the explosion again. Before, Drake had woken up. This time, the pictures kept coming....

Worm was trying to get out of the cave, but the other dragons were in the way. Then soldiers rushed into the cave. Each soldier's shirt had a gold dragon sewn on it.

"The king's soldiers?" Drake asked

The soldiers wrapped Worm in chains. They dragged him out of the cave. Owwwreeeeee! Drake could hear Worm's cry. Then his hand stopped tingling. The pictures left his head.

Drake looked at Worm. "Did that really happen? Did the king's men take you away from your family? Just like they took me away from mine?"

Worm nodded

"I'm so sorry," Drake said. He threw his arms around Worm's neck. Worm closed his eyes.

All his life, Drake had looked up to King Roland. But why would the king's men treat Worm like a prisoner? wondered Drake. Maybe he isn't such a good king after all.