by Ellis Byrd
We need to work together, Peck thought, and she caught Greely’s eye.
“Our Alpha Stones!” She waved hers high in the air, doing her best to raise her voice over the noisy chaos. “We should use them!”
Greely glanced up at the Phantoms, his doubt evident. “You and Sir Gilbert tried that already,” he reminded her, though he took his Alpha Stone out as well. “I saw your attempt. It failed.”
“Then we’ll just have to try again,” Peck said desperately. “All six of us. It’s our only chance!”
Turning, she stared up at the swirling Phantoms and burning trees and focused. Greely did the same, and soon, a wind began to pick up just like it had in Kimbara Outback.
“Keep it going!” Peck called. “Everyone, use your Alpha Stones!”
One by one, the other Alphas followed suit. Cosmo clutched his Alpha Stone, and the next bucket of water he threw on the fire seemed to triple in volume, dousing the trees faster than the Phantoms could light them. Sparks erupted from Graham’s slingshot like fireworks the moment his fingers wrapped around his Alpha Stone, sending several Phantoms fleeing in fright. When Sir Gilbert and Liza grabbed hold of their Alpha Stones, the atmosphere seemed to shift.
The wind swept and wrapped around the Alphas, creating a powerful funnel. Streams of water and fire whirled gracefully in alternating arcs, extinguishing the trees and turning the flames on the Phantoms. The other animals forgot their panic and watched in awe as the Phantoms scattered.
When the last Phantom had vanished, the Alphas lowered their arms, and the wind died down. The flames fizzled out, and the water fell in gentle drops, putting out the last few burning leaves. For a moment, everything was still and silent.
Then the animals burst into cheers.
“We did it!” Peck beamed around at the other Alphas. “When we work together, we are unstoppable! The Phantoms are gone!”
“For now.” Greely stared up at the sky, avoiding eye contact with the others. “They’ll be back in two days, and they’ll be stronger.”
“Which means we still have work to do,” Liza said firmly.
Peck nodded, her whiskers quivering with excitement. “Then let’s start planning!”
CHAPTER EIGHT
The sun began to rise over the treetops, casting a golden glow over the leaves. Inside Alphas Hollow, five exhausted but determined leaders still sat around a table covered in maps, notes, and photos. Cosmo had brewed a pot of herbal tea to give them energy as they planned through the night, and now everyone’s cups were cold and mostly empty.
Tap-tap-tap. Tap, tap-tap. Tap. Tap.
“The secret knock,” Peck said, hopping up immediately. “That’s Liza.”
She opened the entrance and stepped aside to let the panda Alpha in. Liza leaned her staff against the wall before taking her place at the table. Although she looked tired, she wore a pleased smile.
“I’ve spoken to each and every animal who witnessed what happened last night at Jamaa Township,” she told the others. “And they’ve all agreed to join us in our attack against the Phantoms.” Cosmo and Peck cheered, and Graham slapped his hands on the table in triumph.
“And,” Liza added, her eyes sparkling, “several also volunteered to join us on our missions today to recruit more animals. I have a sign-up list here, so we can divide into groups based on species.”
She slid the list to the center of the table so everyone could see. Peck leaned forward, delighted at the number of bunnies who had signed up. There were plenty of pandas, too, and tigers, koalas, monkeys . . .
But not a single wolf.
Deflated, Peck sat back down. She watched Greely out of the corner of her eye as he read the list, but his expression remained stony.
“Let’s go over the plan once more,” Sir Gilbert said. “After rallying as many animals as we can, we’ll meet at midnight on the outskirts of the Phantom camp in Sarepia Forest—then launch a preemptive attack.”
Greely reached forward and scratched an X in the center of the map. “The camp is located here.” He paused, looking around the table. “Stealth is imperative,” he told them. “If the Phantoms hear you lumbering through the bushes, you’ll lose the element of surprise.”
“You?” Sir Gilbert repeated. His voice was calm, but his eyes flashed like steel. “Don’t you mean us? Or are you not planning on being a part of this endeavor?”
Graham frowned. “And why should we trust that what you say about the Phantoms is true? Why were you at their camp in the first place?”
“How do we know you’ll bother trying to recruit the wolves?” Cosmo added. “We don’t even know where the wolves are.”
Greely’s expression didn’t change. “Their location is none of your concern, nor are my methods. I’ve done my part, and I’ll continue to do so.”
With that, he stood and headed for the door. The other Alphas exchanged worried glances, and Peck jumped up.
“I’ll be right back,” she said, then hurried after Greely.
Peck caught up to the wolf Alpha just outside of the Hollow. “Greely, wait,” she said, putting a paw on his shoulder. “I just wanted to, um . . .”
Greely watched her impassively, and she took a deep breath. If there was one thing Peck had learned as an art teacher, it was that sometimes an animal just needed to know someone believed in them, especially when no one else did.
“I just wanted to tell you that I trust you,” Peck said clearly. “I know you’re on our side.”
Blinking, Greely’s eyes flickered back to the twisted roots now concealing the entrance to the Hollow. When he finally responded, he didn’t meet her gaze.
“Look for me in the battle.”
Peck nodded, then watched as he disappeared into the woods without a sound.
CHAPTER NINE
In the heart of Sarepia Forest, the Phantom camp was buzzing with activity. Along the northern end of the clearing, a small group of Phantoms practiced melting rocks into thick, poisonous sludge. On the opposite end, a larger group was gathered around a pile of freshly dug dirt, which they were attempting to turn into oozy quicksand. And in the center of the camp, Leach was commanding a battalion of Phantoms standing in uniform rows.
“Spin!” he ordered, and the Phantoms began to twirl their tentacles in unison. Leach nodded approvingly. “Shock!” he yelled out, and sparks flew from their tentacles. “Smash!” Instantly, the Phantoms began pounding the ground in a heavy beat.
Stench drifted sullenly from one activity to the next. Leach had directed him to “supervise, but not participate in” the activities. It was, in Stench’s opinion, highly unfair. He was the Phantom Queen’s right-hand henchman, too—he should be able to give orders. But after his storm cloud mistake, Leach had threatened to have him demoted.
Pausing near the western end of the camp, Stench glanced up at the treetops, then did a double take. He could’ve sworn he’d seen something there. Two shiny orbs, like a pair of eyes.
Stench stared and stared, but the trees were still and dark. He scratched his head. Should he say something to Leach, just in case?
“Stench!” Leach yelled. “This is no time for stargazing! Get back to work!”
A few nearby Phantoms snickered, and Stench scowled. He skulked back over to the north end of the camp without looking back.
Along the eastern edge, the treetops quivered slightly as the monkeys readied their sturdy net made of straw and branches. Directly across the camp from them, the koalas hid in the leaves, each clutching their vine lassos. The tigers, bunnies, and pandas were spread out, covering the ground that surrounded the camp. Everyone crouched silently, tense and waiting for orders.
Five Alpha leaders huddled together at the northern edge as midnight approached. Sir Gilbert watched the moon rise higher, his nostrils flaring.
“We can’t wait for Greely much longer,” he
said in a low voice. “It’s only a matter of time before one of the Phantoms spots us, and then we lose the element of surprise.”
“What if he isn’t coming?” Cosmo couldn’t help but ask. “What if . . . what if he’s betrayed us? This could all be a trap!”
“It’s not!” Peck whispered fiercely. “Greely will be here, I know it.”
But as the minutes passed, even Peck’s hope began to fade. Graham shifted from foot to foot, and Cosmo eyed the horizon nervously. At last, Liza sighed.
“I think Sir Gilbert is right,” she said bracingly. “If we’re going to get the jump on them, we need to do it now.”
The others nodded, some more reluctantly than others. Raising his paw, Sir Gilbert signaled to the monkeys and koalas in the treetops. Then he stood tall, rising above the bushes, and roared:
“Charge!”
Overhead, the koalas swung their lassos and pulled several surprised Phantoms, including Leach, high up into the air. Then the monkeys launched their nets in perfect coordination, trapping the remaining Phantoms on the ground. With roars and calls, paws and claws, the Alphas and other animals raced into battle together.
Leach snarled as the leaders raced toward the net. “Spin!” he screeched, and the Phantoms instantly obeyed. Their tentacles were a blur, whipping at the nets and lassos until they were free.
A thick smog seeped into the camp when several Phantoms began to swirl over the trees. The monkeys and koalas lashed out again with their nets and lassos, but the Phantoms defended themselves with electric sparks. Other Phantoms, including Leach, twirled over the quicksand pit, which steadily grew larger and larger, forcing the animals to the outskirts of the camp. The smog grew thicker, making it harder for the animals to see their targets.
Stench spun around, unsure of what to do. He noticed a cluster of bushes shaking, and the next thing he knew, a giant creature lumbered out of the woods, barreling straight for him.
“Monster! Monster!” Stench shrieked, flapping his tentacles and running in circles.
“Make way, make way!” Graham hollered from behind the creature—which wasn’t a creature at all, but his newly designed super smog vacuum. Two pandas and a tiger helped him push the contraption as close to the edge of the quicksand as they dared. Five bunnies climbed to the top of the vacuum, each holding an extra-long bamboo tube.
“Here we go!” Graham called, then flipped the switch. With a growl that sent Stench scurrying away in fright, the vacuum rumbled to life. The bunnies clung to their tubes, slowly but surely sucking the smog from the air.
“Aha, I see you now!” Cosmo tossed his lasso, which landed neatly around Stench just before he reached the woods. The Phantom henchman yelped as Cosmo pulled him back into the fray.
And so the battle raged for hours, with neither side showing signs of giving up.
Suddenly, the super smog vacuum lurched to the side, sending the bunnies tumbling. “The quicksand!” Liza cried, hurrying over to help. “Graham, the vacuum is sinking!”
Several monkeys and pandas rushed to help pull the contraption away from the quicksand. Sir Gilbert had nearly reached them when a strange yet somehow familiar movement in the sky caught his eye.
“Look up!” The tiger Alpha’s roar rose above the din of the battle. “Stop them!”
The other animals tilted their heads back and stared in horror at the Phantoms still swirling over the trees. The vacuum had cleared enough smog that now they could see a small purplish cloud, growing bigger by the second, raining down sparks.
Peck’s stomach dropped when she realized what was happening.
“It’s a portal!” she shouted frantically. “They’re opening a portal!”
Lassos and stones flew through the air as the animals attempted to stop the Phantoms. But it was too late.
The Phantom Queen’s tentacles emerged first, lowering slowly from the portal. Next came her body, her massive eye glaring right at the Alphas. The quicksand beneath her began to churn, sending the animals stumbling farther back. Graham’s super smog vacuum sputtered to a halt, sinking deeper into the quagmire.
It’s over, Peck realized in horror. We’ve lost.
Just then, a howl filled the air. Turning, Peck saw the full moon descending over the hill that sloped down into the camp. And on top of the hill . . .
“Greely,” she whispered. And then, beaming, she shouted: “Greely!”
The Alpha leaders turned as Greely howled again. Another howl joined his, then another, and soon even the Phantoms were spinning around to look.
“The wolves!” Liza cried with joy. “He brought the wolves!”
Sir Gilbert gave a mighty roar, joined by his fellow tigers. The other animals whooped and called when Greely let out one final howl, then raced down the hill, his pack close behind him.
The wolves jumped into the fray, and with renewed energy and hope, the six remaining species of Jamaa fought together against the Phantoms. They used lassos and nets to slow the spinning Phantoms, and soon the smog began to lift and the quicksand’s churning slowed.
But the Phantom Queen continued to descend from the portal. Her eye locked on to Sir Gilbert, who glared back. All around the camp, the other Alphas turned to look.
Wind whipped through the trees, and the animals moved back as the wind turned into a funnel that surrounded the portal. The quicksand hardened back into packed dirt, and the Alphas gathered closer together in the center. Directly above them, the Phantom Queen struggled to continue her descent.
The Alphas stood in a tight circle, back to back, feeling the power of their Alpha Stones surge through them. One by one, the Phantoms were sucked up into the portal, flailing their tentacles but finding nothing to grab onto. Leach was the last to vanish, leaving just the Phantom Queen.
The sun began to rise on the eastern horizon, highlighting two figures above the trees. A fresh, cool wind swept down, and the Alphas all turned, squinting against the light.
“Mira!” Liza gasped. “And Zios!”
“You’ve done it!” Mira called to them, spreading her wings and soaring overhead. “You’ve harnessed your full power as Alphas!”
“And you’ve given all of Jamaa newfound strength,” Zios boomed. “Including Mira and me. Hold fast, now . . .”
The guardian spirits of Jamaa seemed to radiate, strengthening the rays of early morning sun and filling the animals with renewed hope and warmth. The portal began to crackle and smoke, and slowly, the Phantom Queen retreated.
“It’s working!” Sir Gilbert called to the others, the powerful wind carrying his voice to the animals watching from the outskirts of the camp. “Steady now!”
Mira and Zios concentrated their powers on the portal. Slowly, the purplish-black swirling cloud began to shrink, emitting a few final sparks. The Phantom Queen’s giant eye disappeared, and soon just the tips of her tentacles were visible.
“We’ve got her!” Mira cried, her feathers glowing gold in the sunrise. “Stay strong!”
One tentacle vanished, and the Alphas focused their power harder than ever. The portal shrank even more, and the Phantom Queen was going, going . . . gone.
The Alphas stared at the now empty portal, which was quickly fading. Peck was the first to speak.
“We did it,” she said with a shaky laugh. “I can’t believe it. We did it!”
“You did,” Mira said warmly, and the Alphas turned to gaze at her. “Thank you, Alphas. Your—”
Suddenly, a long tentacle lashed out of the portal. It wrapped around Zios, pulling him into the churning cloud.
“No!” Mira’s cry of distress rang throughout the forest, and she dived into the portal after him. The Alphas cried out in shock as the heron wrestled with the Phantom Queen’s tentacle, trying desperately to free Zios. The portal swirled faster, rapidly shrinking around the guardian spirits of Jamaa . . .
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nbsp; With a ferocious growl, Greely leaped after them. But in a final spark, the portal closed behind Mira. The wolf Alpha’s paws hit the ground, and he stared up at the clear sky in shock.
The wind died down to a gentle breeze. The Alphas stood in the clearing, all gazing in disbelief at the spot where the portal had been. The Phantoms were gone.
But so were the guardian spirits of Jamaa.
Cosmo blinked, a tear trickling down his cheek. “There must be a way to bring them back. Right?”
“We don’t know where the portal leads,” Peck said, her throat tight. “They’re . . . they’re lost.”
Before anyone could respond, a panda exclaimed:
“They did it! The Alphas saved us!”
“The Phantoms are gone!” a bunny squeaked, hopping up and down.
Next to her, a tiger stepped forward. “Jamaa is ours once again!”
The animals burst into cheers, crowding around the Alphas and clapping them on the shoulders. Even the wolves joined the celebration, politely shaking paws with the other animals. After a moment, Liza smiled sadly at her fellow leaders.
“They’re right,” she said. “We saved Jamaa. And we couldn’t have done it without Zios and Mira.”
Sir Gilbert nodded solemnly. He raised his paw, and a hush fell over the animals.
“A moment of silence,” he said. “For the lost guardian spirits of Jamaa.” He paused, looking around at each of the leaders. “Once this land is restored, we will find them. No matter what it takes.”
As one, the tigers, pandas, bunnies, koalas, monkeys, and wolves bowed their heads in remembrance and gratitude. And overhead, the sun rose higher in the clear blue sky: a new day in Jamaa.
