“Where are we?”
“In a cave, I think.”
“A cave?”
“The Cave,” said a voice. She turned to see who had spoken. She saw two boys and—a purple bunny?—standing together a few feet away, staring at her. The boys had on the same clothes as she and Levi, except they were also wearing some strange accessories—white plates on their chests, belts, and sleek white boots. Like they were about to play a game of laser tag.
“What—?” she blurted. “How come I’m not all sandy?” She touched her hair—it wasn’t sandy or even messy. Her headband was still in place.
“There is no sand on you, Princess,” said another voice, a very deep, resonant voice that echoed all around her. “The Water has made you clean.”
She stared at the purple creature—did it just talk? And did it call her a . . . princess?
“What’s going on?” She turned back to Levi. “We were being attacked by a sand monster thing, and then we went into a puddle? And ended up—here?”
“That’s one of the rules,” said the little kid, striding forward. “You always have to come through the Water to get to the Cave. That’s really important. Don’t forget it. And then you have to get your armor on. Right, Mr. . . . Redneck?”
The older kid sighed, like he was annoyed. “Sorry about him. I’m Xavier, and this is my brother Evan. We just got here too.”
“Here where?” Brianna asked.
“Welcome to Ahoratos,” said the talking purple bunny. No, it wasn’t a bunny, but it didn’t appear to have a face. Maybe it was a fairy. “I am Ruwach, your guide while you are here.”
“He’s not a troll,” said Evan.
“Evan!” said Xavier.
“Ahoratos,” Brianna repeated, not quite believing it.
“Apparently you were right about how to pronounce it,” Levi said.
“We’re actually there?” Brianna asked. “In Ahoratos? Like from my book?” She blinked a few times, as if still trying to get sand out of her eyes. “Were you guys being chased by a sand monster too?”
“It was a sand grobel,” corrected Evan, full of confidence. “And no, we were in a forest where all the trees were falling on us. And then we came to a big lake, and we saw that symbol—the Crest—and we got in. That’s what you have to do when you see the Crest on the Water—you gotta get in fast. Good thing you did.”
“Yeah,” Brianna said, still sounding a bit confused. “I guess so.”
Levi put his hand on her shoulder. “Hey, Bean,” he said softly. “It’s okay. We’re okay. Right?”
“Stellar,” she said weakly, managing a smile. “I’m just a little—you know—wigged out right now. I mean, that monster, grobel thing . . . and this cave . . . How did we get into that desert in the first place?”
“You were in a time of trouble.” Ruwach spoke gently now, as if he knew what they’d gone through.
“Yes,” said Levi. “There was this bully that was making trouble, and that weird symbol—the Crest—was hanging over his head. It looked so real, so we grabbed it, and the next thing we knew—we were in that desert! And then that monster . . .”
“Grobel,” said Evan.
“Yeah, whatever. It started coming for us and—”
“The enemy knows when you enter Ahoratos, so you must always get to the Water immediately—you must come through the Water to enter the Cave,” said Ruwach. “It is dangerous to be in Ahoratos—unequipped.”
“Like I told you,” said Evan. “They need to get their armor. Right, Ru?”
“Don’t call him that,” Xavier said, flicking Evan lightly on the back of the head with his finger.
“Quit it!” Evan said, waving him away.
Ruwach nodded his hooded head. “Yes. Your armor. You two must follow me.” He turned toward Xavier and Evan and gave a simple slow nod as if to say: Stay out of trouble until we get back. Then Ruwach took off down one of the dark tunnels, which lit up purple as he went.
“Better follow him,” Evan said. “He doesn’t wait.”
“Come on, Bean,” said Levi, still confused but grabbing Brianna by the hand. “Let’s go!”
“Armor?” Brianna turned her nose up at the sight of Xavier’s and Evan’s attire. “There’s no way I’m wearing that!”
She continued to protest as Levi dragged her toward the dark path.
CHAPTER SEVEN
The Book
When Levi and Brianna returned to the main room of the Cave, Evan and Xavier stared at them openmouthed.
“What’s with that?” Evan said, pointing to Brianna’s armor, which was similar to the boys’ but embedded with tiny sparkles so it glistened in the dim light of the Cave. Even her belt and boots seemed iridescent, like they’d been dipped in her signature lip gloss. “Armor isn’t supposed to sparkle!”
“It’s my armor,” said Brianna, putting her hands on her hips. “It can be sparkly if it wants to.” She was clearly delighted with her new accessories. “Just wish I had my lip gloss,” she added under her breath.
Levi’s armor looked pretty much like the other boys’. The trip through the tunnels had been—a trip. He wished he’d had his skateboard with him. Ruwach didn’t talk much, nor did he explain what the doors with the padlocks were for. Levi really wanted to know what was in those rooms. Brianna had been too preoccupied with her shiny armor to pay much attention.
“It looks funny,” muttered Evan.
“You look funny too,” Brianna sniffed. “Whoever saw a six-year-old wearing armor?”
“I’m almost ten!” Evan shouted.
“Whatever!” Brianna said, flipping her hair imperiously.
“Young Warriors . . .” Ruwach’s thundering voice stopped their bickering. They turned to look at him, sensing a warning in the stillness of his hooded figure. Ruwach lifted one arm and pointed to something hovering in the air that hadn’t been there a moment ago. It was a large scroll. He made a movement with his arm, and it rolled open, revealing a list of statements written one after the other in a fancy script.
“There are some things you must remember in order to secure victory in Ahoratos.” He spoke each one aloud while the children read along on the scroll:
#1 Always enter the Cave through the Water.
#2 Always put on your armor immediately.
#3 Never leave anything in Ahoratos.
#4 Never take anything back to your world with you.
“So we can’t take this armor back with us?” Evan asked with a crestfallen look. He really wanted to show the armor off to his friends. Although it wasn’t exactly fearsome, it did have some cool features.
Ruwach’s hood swiveled in Evan’s direction. “Not right now—but in time. Be patient, young prince.”
“Fine,” Evan said with a sigh. “Can we get going now?”
Ruwach didn’t answer. Instead he turned away from them and faced one of the long, dark corridors. Far in the distance, the kids could see a small speck of something golden hovering in midair. It was too far away to tell exactly what it was. Ruwach stretched both of his long arms toward the tunnel once again, and when he did a strong beam of light burst straight out of the ceiling over the object, illuminating it. It stood out against the backdrop of the darkened, dreamy cave walls. Ruwach drew in his arms, as if he was pulling the object toward them. As he did, it began moving toward them at an impossible speed.
“Watch out! It’s gonna crash!” said Evan, diving behind a stalagmite for safety. Levi instinctively grabbed hold of Brianna’s arm and pulled her back from the oncoming object—she, naturally, had been moving toward it, wanting to get a better view.
Oddly, it stopped suddenly in the center of the Cave, still bathed in the golden light, hovering just above the floor. The light above dimmed so the kids could actually see what it was. Their eyes widened.
A book.<
br />
A big book, sitting on a golden pedestal.
It didn’t look like any book the kids had ever seen before. It was a book, they knew that, but it was luminous and pulsing faintly, as if it was not quite there at all. The golden cover was very plain, with no title or image except the Crest of Ahoratos. But the Crest itself was not stagnant; it rotated slowly, projecting out of the book like a 3-D image. The kids stared in awe.
“This is The Book,” said Ruwach. “It was written by the Source. It provides you with your instruction, which will help you stand against the enemy.”
“Who’s the Source?” asked Xavier.
“The Source of all things: all life, all truth, all wisdom. The Book contains all you ever need to have victory in Ahoratos and on earth.”
Ruwach reached one arm toward The Book. The children half expected it to move at lightning speed as it had before. Instead, the cover flipped open, just like a normal book. Except it made a noise—like a musical note—as it lay back against the pedestal. A little spray of light lifted from the first page, as if the sound itself were visible. Ruwach made another quick move with his arm, and the pages of the book began to turn, fanning open, each page playing its own soft note. The notes harmonized into something like a song, filling the Cave with a strange, vibrant music.
Ruwach raised a hand, and the pages stopped flipping, the music still trembling in the air faintly. The kids leaned in to get a closer look. The page Ruwach had stopped on was filled with letters and words that didn’t make sense. Like a code, mysteriously scrambled.
“Is that some new language?” Brianna asked.
“This Book is different from any other. It cannot simply be read. It must be revealed. You may not understand the revelation at first, but if you keep it close, you will soon see its meaning. Each instruction you receive from The Book will be stored here.” He pointed to the orb on Brianna’s breastplate. The children all looked at their own breastplates and then back at Ruwach. Now they were really confused.
“Prince Xavier, step forward.”
Xavier took a tentative step toward the shining book. And, without being told, he knelt. He wasn’t sure why; he just thought he should. There was something about this moment that felt sacred.
Ruwach nodded his hooded head and touched the page of The Book. The cryptic message began to glow and shift, coming to life. Then the letters themselves lifted off the page and floated into the air above them:
Aort hth Armu oal etF Whhn
ytelrfd eaew oolwl dgt wply ioo Ithi
Before their eyes, the letters slowly began to move, dancing around and rearranging until they formed a whole phrase:
Follow the Way of the Armor.
It will lead you down the right path.
Xavier read the words over and over, wondering what they meant. The Way of the Armor? Then Ruwach reached up and grabbed one of the letters—plucked it right out of the air. When he did, the rest of them trailed behind, as if they were all connected. He gathered them together in his arms and tossed them toward Xavier. Xavier was too shocked to move as he watched each letter flow into the orb of his breastplate, accompanied by the same soft music that had filled the Cave when the pages of The Book had turned. The orb started to glow very faintly, an iridescent purple, like the golden words were spinning right under the surface. Xavier took a breath, as if breathing the words themselves into his lungs, feeling them take root, embedding into his very soul. It was strange and astounding—the most refreshing breath he’d ever taken.
“Whoa,” he said softly. He glanced up at Evan, whose mouth dropped open, although no words came out this time. Evan was completely speechless, like he was when he first saw Ruwach in his bedroom.
“Prince Evan,” Ruwach said. Evan jumped, then moved slowly next to Xavier. He knelt as well, now in total reverence of this strange, wonderful Book.
Ruwach turned the pages of The Book just as he had before. When the pages slowed, Evan’s heart began to race in anticipation of what his instructions might be. The pages stopped turning, and Ruwach pointed to words he’d been planning for Evan since before time began—they too lifted off the page and hovered in the air:
leoFh oelcnte pupw yanta ddso filo lfd ha lwio
Once again, the letters transformed to spell the true instruction.
Follow the paths of old, and you will find peace.
“What’s that mean?” Evan asked, his eyebrows furrowing. “The paths of old?” But Ruwach didn’t answer him. Instead, he grasped the words and flung them into Evan’s orb, so it glowed, humming softly. Evan took in a deeper breath than he’d ever remembered. He glanced at Xavier, who put his hand on Evan’s shoulder, smiling faintly.
“Prince Levi,” Ruwach said. He beckoned to Levi, who sauntered over to where the other two boys were kneeling. But he didn’t kneel. He shifted onto one leg uncomfortably.
Ruwach didn’t seem to notice. He just made the pages turn again. They flipped rapidly until a new page appeared, the scrambled-up words straightening out and floating in the air.
The gate to destruction is wide,
and the road that leads there is easy to follow.
Levi’s eyebrows scrunched together—he looked confused. The message sounded more like a warning than friendly advice. Not like Evan’s and Xavier’s. He watched as Ruwach transferred the words to his own orb, seeing the glow like the others, hearing the music. And he was surprised by the full breath he had to take when the words came to him.
Brianna stepped up next to him. She looked at the two kneeling boys and at Levi, then shrugged and waited for Ruwach to show her her instruction. Ruwach, without a word, flipped to a new page in The Book and revealed it to her:
My truth shall lead you to
my house on the holy hill.
Brianna smiled in satisfaction.
“There is one more instruction you all must have,” Ruwach said, once he had given the words to Brianna’s orb. He touched another page, and the words appeared before them:
Guard your heart above all else,
for it determines your path.
Ruwach did that grabbing thing again, and the words went into all four of their breastplates with a final musical chord. The orbs glowed a little brighter.
“Now,” Ruwach said, “you will see your destination as soon as you leave the Cave. But be sure to follow the armor. It will guide you.”
“What is the destination?” Brianna asked. “Is it a house, like my instruction said? Like a castle maybe? With unicorns?”
“When you see it, you will know.”
“That’s it?” Xavier frowned a little. It didn’t seem like nearly enough information. “No map? Or even a description of where we’re headed? I mean, if we’re supposed to be fighting a battle—”
Ruwach’s voice stopped Xavier cold––it boomed off the walls of the Cave, making the stalactites tremble, echoing into each kid’s heart:
“You have everything you need.”
The walls of the Cave quivered, like when the picture on a TV starts cutting out. The kids looked around, startled. When they turned back, Ruwach had disappeared.
Then the Cave itself disappeared, like the TV had been shut off.
It was just—gone.
CHAPTER EIGHT
The Gate to Destruction
The kids found themselves in the middle of the sandstorm that they thought they’d left behind for good. They stood with their backs together, their bodies tense. The sand cloud was so thick and the wind so fierce they couldn’t see any light coming through, no hint of sky or sun.
“Is it the grobel thing again?” Brianna asked, covering her head in defense against the giant, horrible sand monster that had almost buried her before.
“Hey,” Levi said, looking at his hands in wonder. “There’s no wind.”
He was right. Although the storm raged all
around them, they couldn’t feel any sand whipping their faces. It was like they were in a protective bubble—or an invisible force field.
“It’s like we’re in it, but we’re not really in it,” Evan said, his voice hushed. He went up to the edge of the bubble and poked his finger into the barrier. It didn’t tremble the way the ceiling of the Cave had. It was solid, hard, and clear like glass. Clearer than glass, actually.
“Cool,” whispered Xavier to himself.
“So how are we supposed to get out of here?” Brianna asked. “Find this kingdom or whatever?”
As if in answer to her question, loud popping noises sounded all around them, each one announcing trouble. Cracks began to form in the bubble, small at first, but snaking outward like an intricately woven spiderweb.
“This doesn’t look good,” said Evan.
The kids huddled closer together, as if preparing themselves for the inevitable—the bubble imploding, the storm filling all the space around them. The cracks continued to widen, the creaking noises more pronounced.
“It’s opening!” said Brianna, backing away.
“Yeah, but no sand is coming in,” Xavier said. He strained forward for a better view. The others followed his lead. It was true: the storm did not enter through the cracks. “They’re more like—doorways.”
He was right—the cracks had become openings wide enough to see through. Three gates appeared, a big one in the middle and two smaller ones on either side. The middle gate was ornate gold, and the two on the outside were plain, rough wood. Over all three were engraved the words:
Lean not on your own understanding.
Around each doorway, suspended in space, the sandstorm continued to blow. Yet the three doorways opened to three different worlds. The doorway to the left led to a dark, gloomy-looking street with old, crumbling buildings on either side. Two street lamps in the foreground were lit, but the rest weren’t. The pavement looked damp, like it was raining.
The gate on the right was the only one that led right back into the raging sandstorm.
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