“This enemy sure doesn’t attack like a normal enemy,” Brianna said.
“Isn’t that what Ruwach was trying to tell us?” Evan asked. “Well, a little warning would have been nice.”
“Maybe it’s just something—we always have to be on alert for,” said Xavier thoughtfully.
“Where are we anyway?” said Evan. He had recovered himself enough to start looking around.
“I think—we’re there.” Xavier pointed behind them. Evan and Brianna both turned to look, their mouths dropping open in unison.
Above them, perched on a ring of clouds, sat the magnificent castle they had seen only from a distance, bathed in ethereal sunlight so it glimmered like something not quite real. The castle seemed to go on forever, its many turrets and towers looking more like sleek white peaks cutting into the sky, smooth as ice. The air around the castle was filled with small flickering lights, like the ones they had seen in the Cave.
“It’s so . . . beautiful,” breathed Brianna.
“Yeah, but how do we get up there?” Evan asked.
There didn’t seem to be any sort of path.
Ruwach’s familiar voice interrupted their musing. “Well done, Warriors.”
All three kids turned, and there he was, standing there as if he’d just come out of the water. He looked bigger than he had in the Cave, and there seemed to be something visible beneath the dark hood. Xavier wondered if he was catching a glimpse of Ruwach’s nose.
“Ruwach!” Xavier said. “Where did you—?”
“Are we glad to see you!” Brianna said, interrupting. “Is Levi up there? Did he make it?”
Ruwach shook his head slowly. “I’m afraid not. Levi is—trapped.”
“Trapped?”
“He chose the wrong path. And the wrong path always leads to disaster.” Ruwach leaned toward Brianna and Evan when he spoke, as if he wasn’t just referring to Levi alone.
“Well, can’t you just go and get him?” Brianna demanded, stamping her foot. “Don’t you have magic powers or something?”
“I’m afraid that is not how it works,” said Ruwach, with genuine sorrow in his voice. “But he is safe for the moment. I have made sure of that. Come to the castle, have something to eat, and we will talk about what has to be done. There is someone there waiting for you.”
Ruwach pointed with his long draped arm toward the castle. The kids turned and were surprised to see a magnificent staircase leading from the beach to the castle. Each step flickered unsteadily, as if it were made of light.
“Where’d that come from?” said Evan. “It wasn’t there a minute ago.”
“Follow me,” said Ruwach, gliding up the shining steps.
Brianna hesitated. “Is it safe?” she asked, suspicious.
Ruwach stopped, his hooded head turning slowly to face her. Then his shoulders moved up and down in what could only have been a sort of chuckle.
“Safe?” he said, a sudden lightness in his tone. “It may or may not be safe, but it will most definitely be worth it.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Castle in the Air
Xavier stepped carefully onto the stairway of light, followed by Evan and Brianna. It held them despite its transparency. None of them commented—by this time they had stopped being surprised by much of anything.
They trudged up the steps, their joy at finally reaching their destination dampened by the absence of Levi. When they emerged from the cloud layer, they found themselves on a grand balcony of smooth, marble-like, white stone, overlooking the lake. A giant gate stood before them, leading into the castle. It glittered as if crusted with thousands of diamonds, making it almost hard to look at in the bright sun. The little puffs of light darted around them, sparkling like brilliant gems. The very air seemed filled with starry light. The kids stared around them, unsure of what to make of it all.
Evan was the first to move, running to the edge of the balcony to view the kingdom spread out below them. The other two followed. From this vantage point, they could see that Ahoratos was bigger than they had first imagined, an endless landscape of mountains, forests, and rivers. But the mountains looked nothing like the mountains back home—they were tall and twisty, as if formed from cords of rock, and they were fringed by lacy trees and brilliant flowers. Waterfalls streamed from the faces of the mountains into a wide blue river that wound through the landscape, kissed by the golden light of the sun. Large lumpy objects, almost like rocks, hung in the golden sky. A fine mist drifted over the water and around the mountains, casting the whole scene in dreamy majesty.
“Whoa,” said Evan. He couldn’t think of anything else to say.
“What’s that?” asked Brianna. She pointed over to one side, where a deep chasm separated the dreamy scene from a darker, foreboding landscape of sharp, jagged mountains and black, leafless trees. The sky was a myriad of violent color—red, black, and purple—and was crowded with more of those strange lumpy objects and heavy dark clouds that looked like smoke oozing from the pointy peaks. A bridge stretched over the chasm. It looked like an old-fashioned footbridge on the near side, with vine-covered railings and stone steps. But halfway across, it changed to black, angular beams, like steel girders disappearing into a low-lying fog.
“That is Skot’os,” Ruwach said. “The enemy’s lair in Ahoratos.”
Brianna shivered a little. “Is that where those nasty butterflies come from?” she asked. “The Maribuntas?”
“Ah, yes,” Ruwach said with a deep chuckle. “Here they are known as Ents. You will find that in Ahoratos, things that seem innocent and familiar can be very dangerous—even deadly. I suppose it is the same in your world. Like little lies, for instance.” Ruwach’s hood turned in Brianna’s direction—she knew he was referring to her. She instantly remembered the little lie she’d told Landon about the Maribuntas.
Brianna lowered her eyes. “I didn’t mean anything,” she murmured.
“That’s the danger.” Ruwach’s voice was stern but kind. He gestured with his robed arm. “Come inside now.”
The kids followed Ruwach through the glittering gate and into the castle. They gazed in awe at the huge hall, at the center of which was a long table loaded with food. Fruits, cheeses, bread, cupcakes, even large bowls of ice cream. The kids forgot their sadness and weariness as they sat down at the table and began eating everything they could.
Brianna helped herself to a muffin. Chocolate chip, her favorite. It seemed like all her favorite foods were on the table. “I wish Levi was here,” she said.
“Me too.” It was a deep voice. But this was not Ruwach’s voice, although it sounded familiar. They turned to look, shocked. There, standing with them in the castle, was someone they never expected to see.
“Mr. J. Ar?” Brianna gasped, rising to her feet. “Mr. J. Ar!” She ran to him, throwing herself in his arms. She didn’t even seem to notice that he, too, was wearing armor.
The rest did. They stood motionless, thrilled but confused to see him without his trademark baseball cap and jersey.
“James is also a Prince Warrior,” Ruwach said, noticing the disbelief on their faces. “Just as you are.”
There was a short pause, the quiet filled with unspoken questions.
“How did you get here?” Evan asked finally, his mouth still stuffed with food.
“I saw Levi’s drawing, so I figured he was probably going to end up here,” said Mr. J. Ar, his arm still around Brianna. “I came—because I thought he might have some trouble.”
Brianna’s smile melted. “He’s trapped,” she said, sniffing.
“I know.” Mr. J. Ar released her and walked to the table, sitting down heavily in a chair. “The same thing happened to me the first time I came here.”
“Really?” Evan said.
“Went my own way, down my own path. Got in a mess of trouble. Lured across the
bridge to Skot’os, then captured by the Forgers.”
“Forgers?” Xavier asked.
“Yes, servants of the enemy.”
“What saved you?”
“This.” Mr. J. Ar rapped on his armor, which was more elaborate than the kids’ single plates. His armor had several sections and covered his whole middle as well as his shoulders. He noticed their interest. “It grows with you, the more you use it,” he explained. “But if you don’t use it, it weakens and withers.”
“Looks like you used it a lot,” Evan said, admiration in his voice.
“I still do,” said Mr. J. Ar. “There were some tough times. But I’m free now, thanks to the wisdom of Ruwach and The Book.”
“Why didn’t you tell Levi?” Brianna said. “Why didn’t you warn him?”
“I did.” Mr. J. Ar looked down at his hands thoughtfully. “Well, I’ve tried to, many times. But he may not have clearly understood. It’s important to discover some things for yourself. Right, Ruwach?”
“That is right, James,” said the little guide.
Mr. J. Ar let out a great, sad, sigh. Then he looked up, new energy in his voice. “Hope you’ve all eaten your fill, because we have work to do.”
They all turned to Ruwach, who produced an object from his sleeve and set it on the table before them.
“A snow globe?” Brianna said, staring at it. It did look like a snow globe, except there was no snow in it. They all gathered around to look more closely.
There in the globe was a holographic image of their friend Levi, stuck up to his waist in something like gray cement. He was calling for help. His hand was locked in the grip of some sort of mechanical creature. Levi’s arm had turned completely gray, the same color as the metal creature that held him captive. On the surface of the snow globe, letters flicked on and off:
L-E-V-I
Then the letters began to shiver, like they were being shaken. The kids held their breath, staring intently as the letters moved, rearranging, forming a new word:
E-V-I-L
Brianna raised a hand over her mouth to cover her gasp. The words LEVI and EVIL blinked back and forth, over and over.
“What does that mean? Is Levi turning evil?” Brianna asked.
“No, but he is in the grip of evil,” Ruwach said.
Brianna straightened, a new fire gleaming in her eyes. She turned to Ruwach and Mr. J. Ar. “We have to go and get him out. Now!”
“We will,” said Mr. J. Ar. His face was drawn with worry, but he managed a smile at Brianna’s resolute tone.
“How can we get there?” Xavier asked. “To that place, where Levi is trapped.”
“I have a friend who can take you,” said Ruwach. He led the kids and Mr. J. Ar out to the wide courtyard and back down the glowing staircase to the shore. He stood before the water and raised his long, robed arms high in the air.
“Tannyn!” he shouted in a voice that reverberated off the glassy surface of the water. “Tannyn! Come!”
The water began to vibrate as if excited by Ruwach’s command. A low rumbling sound emanated from below the surface. Evan stepped closer to Mr. J. Ar. Brianna moved closer to Xavier.
“What’s happening?” she whispered.
The water shook ferociously until something broke through—something huge and silvery—something with wings.
Evan was sure it was the Loch Ness monster, although he’d never say it out loud with Xavier there. He stood still, trying not to cry out in fright.
The creature was enormous. Its wingspan seemed to reach to the edges of the lake itself. Water cascaded down its iridescent scales, and its long neck shook violently. Its head was surprisingly small with large yellow eyes. It opened its mouth, releasing a torrent of water and revealing long, spiky teeth. And then, weirdly, it seemed to smile.
“Don’t be afraid,” said Ruwach gently. “Tannyn will not harm you.”
The giant creature settled onto the surface of the lake, blinking at them calmly.
“Gorp,” it said. The kids looked at each other—Brianna grinned. There was something sort of comical about the creature, despite its fearsome appearance.
“Tannyn was once a slave,” Ruwach said. “Forced to use his fire breath in the service of the ruler of Skot’os.”
“So—it’s not—dangerous?” Evan asked shakily.
“Tannyn wouldn’t hurt a fly,” Mr. J. Ar said. “Although he might deep-fry any Ents that happen to show up.”
The creature waddled to shore, folding its wings and lowering its head submissively to Ruwach, like a big dog.
“Gorp,” it said again. Brianna giggled. Xavier and Evan managed to smile.
“Tannyn will take you to Levi,” Ruwach said.
“You want us to ride a dragon?” Brianna asked.
“He seems friendly,” said Xavier, cautiously.
“He is not actually a dragon,” said Ruwach. “More of a sea monster. With wings.”
“Well, that explains that,” said Evan.
“Tannyn’s helped me out many times,” Mr. J. Ar said. “He’s the one that brought me out of Skot’os.” He went up to stroke the giant creature’s neck. It stretched its massive head around and gave him a gentle nudge.
“Gorp.”
“Hello to you too,” said Mr. J. Ar, smiling despite his lingering anxiety. “Long time no see.” He glanced at the kids, who were still hanging back as Tannyn’s head swung this way and that, its tongue lolling, smoke curling around its huge nostrils. “Hey, you can’t always judge a book by its cover, right? So—who wants to go first?”
“I will,” said Xavier, stepping forward. Tannyn lowered his head to the ground so Xavier could climb up his spiky neck to his back. Evan followed excitedly. Mr. J. Ar helped Brianna climb up too. There was enough space between the spikes on Tannyn’s back for each kid to sit, holding onto the spike for balance. His skin felt slimy and scaly. The kids squirmed around, trying to get comfortable.
“Cake,” Xavier said, looking back at Evan.
“Yeah, cake,” Evan replied, cracking a smile.
“Wish my sisters could see this,” Brianna said with a sigh. Mr. J. Ar climbed up, taking the spot in front of her.
“Farewell, warriors,” said Ruwach, raising an arm. “James—take care.” Mr. J. Ar nodded to him with a grim smile.
“Who’s driving?” Evan asked, too preoccupied with the dragon-thing to notice their exchange.
“How do we steer?” echoed Brianna.
“Tannyn knows where to go,” Mr. J. Ar said. “The enemy’s ways are anything but original. He’s been trapping people the same way since the beginning of time. Just hang on tight. Might get bumpy. Tannyn isn’t the smoothest ride in Ahoratos.”
He was right about that. Tannyn bolted straight off the ground like a streak of light. They held on for dear life.
“Keep your seat backs in an upright and locked position!” Mr. J. Ar shouted.
“Need—seat—belts!” Brianna shrieked.
Tannyn dipped and swooped crazily, as if struggling to get airborne.
“Does this thing even know how to fly?” Brianna yelled.
“Give him time,” Mr. J Ar called back. “He needs to get his flying wings working. Spends most of his time underwater.”
They thought for sure they would crash at least twice before Tannyn managed to level out.
“Stellar!” Brianna shouted as they soared—really soared—over mountain ranges, foothills, valleys, forests, and rivers. Always, the dark land of Skot’os seemed just over the horizon, never quite out of sight. Tannyn swerved this way and that to avoid the huge lumpy objects that floated in the golden sky.
“What are those things?” Brianna asked as they flew.
“Skypods,” Mr. J. Ar shouted in answer. “We definitely don’t want to disturb them.”
; Tannyn’s great wings beat faster, taking them higher and higher, dipping and swooping around more skypods and mountain peaks. The kids shrieked in delight, as if they were on a breathtaking roller coaster ride. But their delight turned to screams when Tannyn suddenly folded his wings and dove, headed straight for the ground below.
“Hang on!” yelled Mr. J. Ar. “Landings aren’t his specialty!”
Tannyn hit something solid and bounced three times before coming to a stop, lowering his head and opening his mouth. “Gorp.”
The kids took a moment to catch their breath. Mr. J. Ar raced down the dragon’s neck to the ground.
But there was no ground. When Xavier looked over the side of the creature’s massive body, he saw that Mr. J. Ar seemed to be standing in the middle of the sky.
“Where are we?” he asked.
Mr. J. Ar crouched down to put his hands on the invisible surface on which they had landed.
“It’s a dome,” he said. “Like the snow globe Ruwach showed us.”
Mr. J. Ar peered anxiously into the scene below. At first he saw nothing but a pulsing gray mass, like a heavy raincloud. He pounded on the barrier and the cloud broke apart—Ents. Hundreds of them filling the dome. They scattered as he pounded again, giving him a clear view of the scene below.
“Levi!”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Into the Dome
Son! Hang on! I’m coming!”
From far above the surface of the dome, Mr. J. Ar saw his son stuck up to his waist in the ground, like he had sunk into concrete. His arm was held in the grip of a large metal figure, and the metal had spread halfway up Levi’s arm. Levi was struggling to free himself, but he seemed very weak, as if he had lost not only the strength but also the will to fight.
Mr. J. Ar pounded on the dome and shouted again, but Levi couldn’t hear him.
The other kids slid from Tannyn’s back onto the invisible surface and knelt down beside Mr. J. Ar.
“Levi!” Brianna cried, shocked to see Levi in so much trouble.
“I’ve gotta get down there right now!” Mr. J. Ar stood up and went over to Tannyn, whispering fervently into the creature’s small ear.
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