CHAPTER ONE In a dark room in the Land of Heart a young warrior readied for battle Twelve-year-old Raya pulled on gloves She grabbed her bamboo fighting sticks and tied a dark mask over her face After a quick pause to pull her hair back she slipped out into the night Outside the damp night air felt charged with electricity though whether it was from the thunderstorm or Raya's own excitement it was hard to say She ran lightly over the tiled rooftops of Heart Fortress Her slippered feet hardly made a sound as she leapt catlike from building to building then jumped to the ground The first raindrops splashed down covering Raya's tracks as she hurried toward the Chamber of the Dragon Gem The fortress sat atop a natural stone arch at the center
of Heart Beneath a tangle of leaves and vines Raya found the hidden doorway that led inside She glanced around making sure she was unseen then sneaked in Raya crept through the torch-lit tunnel sliding her hands along the walls She could feel the shapes of dragons that had been carved there centuries before Raya paused Something didn't feel right There was a groove in the wall that was deeper than the carvings She knelt and examined the damp cobblestones that lined the tunnel floor One stone was looser than the rest Carefully Raya pressed it WHOOSH A net dropped from the ceiling right on the spot where she was standing But Raya had been expecting it She rolled backward easily dodging the trap Looks like someone's trying to be clever Raya murmured Reaching into her satchel she pulled out a small ball covered in hard scales When she tapped it with her finger the ball partly uncurled revealing two bright black eyes and a cute furry face All right Tuk Tuk Raya said to the little nimal Let's show em what clever really looks like She placed her pet on the ground Tuk Tuk curled back into a scaly ball then rolled down the tunnel triggering
more traps One after another nets dropped from the ceiling But Tuk Tuk rolled right underneath them Halfway through though Tuk Tuk spied a bug He waddled after it forgetting all about his job Tuk Tuk Raya whispered Come on Focus Tuk Tuk curled back into a ball and rolled to the end of the tunnel Raya crawled under the nets to where he was waiting She gently picked Tuk Tuk up and patted his head Hey bud That was awesome Gimme some shell Tuk Tuk tried to high-five her but he lost his balance and rolled onto his back I gotcha Raya turned him upright then placed him back in her satchel Ahead of her was a large circular stone door Raya removed her fighting sticks from her belt and unlocked it Wiggling out of her shoes and leaving them at the entrance Raya stepped through the opening She gasped in wonder Incandescent blue flowers dotted the darkness like stars lighting the way Emerald water flowed against gravity up a flight of stone steps Sh was entering the Chamber of the Dragon Gem Four great dragon statues held up the ceiling which was open to the sky The floor was a pond And in the
center of the chamber suspended in midair by its own magic was the glowing Dragon Gem Raya took a deep breath This was it the moment she'd prepared for all her life A series of stepping-stones led over the water to the center of the room Raya started across them then paused Wait a second this feels too easy She turned and glanced behind her When she looked forward again she saw a golden-masked warrior standing between her and the Gem Raya's grip tightened on her fighting sticks Chief Benja look I know it's your job to try to stop me but you won't she said Don't mistake spirit for skill young one the chief replied Behind the golden mask his voice sounded deep I promise you will not set foot on the Dragon Gem's inner circle Not even a toe Raya glanced at the sword at his waist Chief Benja's sword was well-known to Raya Its curved blade could expand into a whip that would take out three warriors at once It wasn't skill alone that made Chief Benja the baddest blade in the lands You might want to take out that blade Raya said boldly though her heart was pounding You're going to need it
