Congratulations! Somehow, you have finally arrived in the Land of Dragons. You’re one step closer to completing your quest and securing the eternal prison of an angry, renegade god who wants to destroy you.

There’s only one tiny problem. . . .

No riding on your spirit horse without the proper travel permit.

To navigate this vast land, you’d better pray that you run into a friendly dragon who will ferry you across the realm at no charge. Someone like Yulong, a dragon who is more than happy to carry Pahua, Zhong, and Miv wherever they want to go. All he asks for in return?

Well, nothing at all. He’s that good of a new friend.

Honestly, that seems kind of suspicious, if you ask us . . .

Silver Medal

First things first, are you sure you’re in the right place? Navigating the six realms can be a little tricky. The Land of Dragons doesn’t show up on Google Maps.

You can identify the Land of Dragons from the gigantic network of intersecting rivers flowing across the realm as far as the eye can see, along with the islands of thick grass and lush trees that are nestled between them. If you look up, you may even see the serpentine shapes of dragons soaring through the sky.

Now, if you want to get up close and personal with one of these dragons yourself, don’t be fooled by their shape-shifting abilities. Dragons such as Yulong have the power to alter their appearance to that of a typical human. As a dragon, he’s twenty feet long, with two horns, two long whiskers, and a mane of silvery hair that runs from his head down his spine. But as a human, he looks like a regular kid.

We can’t blame you for being skeptical. You don’t want to know how many people have fallen for the I swear I’m actually a dragon, but my wings are tired, and I just need a couple bucks to get home scam . . .

Frequent Flyer

But we can’t blame you either if you think Yulong looks intimidating in his true dragon form. Sure, he’s a bit on the small side compared to most other dragons in the realm, but he can hold his own against any pesky spirit horse who dares trespass into the realm without a permit. And he won’t hesitate to report the intruder to the Sky Guard, who dutifully protect the Land of Dragons from uninvited guests.

Truthfully, Yulong’s greatest skill isn’t fighting—it’s flying. And we’re sure he prefers it that way. Riding a spirit horse can be a bit bumpy and unnerving. But riding on Yulong’s back is a much smoother experience thanks to his sinuous body that slithers through the air like an eel in water.

Or at least that’s what we’ve been led to believe. Yulong actually doesn’t have much (or any) experience carrying human beings on his back. But if given the opportunity to say, shuttle the reincarnation of a legendary hero and her friends across the Land of Dragons, Yulong wouldn’t think twice about it.

Unless, of course, said reincarnation of the legendary hero and her friends technically weren’t supposed to be in the Land of Dragons in the first place. In that case, Yulong might think twice . . .

Friendly Skies

Despite their ability to appear human, dragons don’t usually get along very well with mortals. Some believe any association between dragons and mortals will lead to sickness and death.

However, the stories can differ. Others think it’s a blessing to form a spiritual bond with a dragon, as they’re among the wisest and most powerful of spiritfolk. Regardless, there used to be more reports of mortals getting kidnapped or enchanted by dragons . . .

There’s no way that Yulong is one of those dragons who prey on mortals. Especially now that the Dragon Emperor has made that behavior punishable by a hundred years’ exile in the mortal realm . . .

But maybe that explains why your mysterious new swimming coach/history professor/dry cleaner seems so grumpy all the time. They probably just miss being able to fly free in the Land of Dragons.

Maybe you should ask them for a piggyback ride sometime.

See more of Yulong (in both his forms) in Pahua and the Dragon’s Secret, on sale now!