Dare to Believe: Teen & Young Adult Epic Fantasy Bundle (Series Bundle Andy Smithson Bk 4, 5 & 6): Dragons, Serpents, Unicorns, Pegasus, Pixies, Trolls, Dwarfs, Knights and More!

by L. R. W. Lee

  Andy rubbed his chin then diverted his gaze, surveying the campus.

  “Looking for something?” The centaur grinned. “Of course you are. Come on.”

  Andy fell in beside his guide, whose withers matched Andy’s height. They passed a life-size tyrannosaurus skeleton being attacked by a flock of pink plastic flamingos, a giant Android statue, gobs more bikes, organic gardens where Google grew fresh vegetables used in their campus restaurants, and a beach volleyball court. Malcolm narrated all the way.

  At length they approached a hulking oak tree. Its branches strained to grasp hold of the two buildings it stood between.

  Andy reached the thick trunk and looked up. The sun snuck between the gently swaying foliage and made it look like stars twinkling against an expansive green sky. Andy bounced from foot to foot. “Is this it?”

  “Did you know Permanente Creek used to run right through here?”

  Andy tilted his head and pursed his lips.

  “Guess not.” The centaur pushed his black, thick-framed geek glasses up his broad nose. “Well, it did. For hundreds of years before Europeans settled in the area, Ohlone Indians lived along the creek’s banks, fishing and gathering acorns. The land was crawling with all types of animals, from lowly insects to the now vanished grizzly bear.”

  Andy shifted as Malcolm continued, “In their culture, every object was alive and contained varying levels of power, so it wasn’t a hard sell when Merlin approached them about hiding something special.”

  “You were here?”

  “Of course. I was the one who suggested using this tree as the vault for our safe-deposit box.” The centaur patted the trunk and beamed.

  Andy’s heart lightened.

  “In fact, after we sealed away our little secret, the Indians experienced a technological revolution. They invented clever snares, decoys, and weapons for hunting, and devised ways of preparing acorns that leached away the bitterness. The nuts became a highly versatile food staple from which they made flour, bread, soups, and mush. Very ingenious, and it didn’t taste half bad. They’d never been happier.”

  Andy didn’t want to be impolite, but he grew impatient with the history lesson. “Is there some sort of question I need to answer to access your ‘safe-deposit box’?”

  Malcolm raised his pointer finger, reached for his backpack, and extracted a Google Nexus tablet. “There is. Let me just pull it up. It’s a survey, actually—designed to test your loyalty in a variety of situations.”

  Andy swallowed. My loyalty? Sir Kay… How’d he know?

  “The stars told me, if you’re wondering. It’s one thing for you to assess yourself as loyal, but quite another to prove it.”

  “Really? The stars?”

  The centaur nodded. “They blab the world’s secrets. You just have to know how to separate all the different messages. The skies are like a giant data dump.”

  Andy considered this, then rose on his tippy toes, trying to see what Malcolm pulled up.

  “Okay, here we are. The Loyalty Test.” Malcolm’s eyes twinkled as the breeze caught the propeller on his beanie. “I love real-time feedback, don’t you?”

  Andy forced the corners of his mouth upward in a quivering smile. “What happens if I don’t pass?”

  “I think you know the answer to that, don’t you?”

  Andy dropped his gaze.

  “Okay then, question number one: What would you do if your friend was arrested by the police? Would you stay silent, defend him, blame someone else, or testify against him in court, if need be?”

  “What? I don’t hang out with kids who get arrested!”

  “Just answer the question to the best of your ability.”

  Andy rolled his eyes. “I’d do my best to defend him.”

  “B,” the centaur said to himself as he ticked off the answer. “Question two: Are there any circumstances in which you would squeal to the police? Answer yes or no.”

  Andy shot Malcolm an unbelieving look. “I know. I know. Answer to the best of my ability.” After a minute of making the simple question complex, he answered, “Yes. If he was going to hurt someone else, for example, I’d say something.”

  Malcolm noted his response and moved on. “Your friend is threatened, then drawn into a fight. What do you do? Cower, record it with your cell phone, try to break it up, or take bets on the winner.”

  “I’d try to help him by breaking it up.”

  “Have you ever knowingly betrayed a friend? Answer yes or no.”

  “No.” Andy scowled.

  “Who are you most loyal to? Your family, your friends, or yourself.”

  After several seconds he countered, “I’d say I’m equally loyal to both my family and my friends. How am I supposed to choose?”

  Malcolm lowered his gaze, making Andy exhale. “Fine. Let’s say I’m most loyal to my family.”

  “A,” Malcolm whispered to himself as he ticked it off.

  “How many more questions?” Andy tapped a foot.

  “Your friend decides to skip school. What do you do? Skip with him, report him to school authorities, nothing (he’s your friend), caution him against it.”

  “I’d probably do nothing. He’s the one taking the risk.”

  “How would you characterize your personality? Confident, serious, caring, lazy.”

  “Dad would probably say I’m lazy.”

  “But what do you say?”

  “I’ve changed a lot over the last few years. I think I’m...”

  Malcolm held his finger above the tablet, waiting for an answer.

  “I’m going to say…caring.”

  “Okay, last question. Of the following, which movie is your favorite? Star Wars, The Hobbit, Indiana Jones.”

  “Which Hobbit movie?” Andy clarified.

  “Just answer the question to the best of your ability.”

  Andy raised his hands in surrender. “I’d say The Hobbit.”

  Malcolm tapped the screen several times then stared, waiting for the results to render. Andy peered over the tablet, his stomach quivering.

  “Ah, here we go,” Malcolm said several seconds later.

  Andy read the result: You are very loyal! You will only betray someone if he/she does something to hurt you.

  Andy looked skyward.

  “Look at that! You had nothing to worry about. You’re not just loyal, you’re very loyal.”

  Like a whirlpool of bark, a knot in the tree’s trunk grew then swirled open, leaving a basketball-size tunnel that extended into the center. Andy felt his pulse quicken as he and Malcolm bent down. Shadows made it difficult to see, so Andy illuminated it with his phone. The light glinted off something round and bronze about two feet in. Intricate etchings adorned its surface.

  Andy and Malcolm pulled back and exchanged looks.

  Twaaannnng. A circular door the size of Andy’s hand sprung open.

  “Yes!”

  “There you go,” Malcolm encouraged over Andy’s shoulder.

  Andy reached in and extracted something that looked nothing like the gears he already had: an odd-shaped piece of metal the size of a dessert plate. Two bronze rods the thickness of pencils were clamped to two of its sides and converged at a right angle. A series of interconnected cogs sprouted from its face.

  Andy swung around and hugged Malcolm. “We did it!”

  “I’d say you did it. You’re the one who’s loyal.”

  Andy laughed and pushed back from the centaur’s grasp. “Thank you.”

  Malcolm bowed. “It has been an honor doing my part to restore the power of Oomaldee. And meeting you, loyal one.”

  Andy nodded. “Are you headed back to Oomaldee?”

  “I’m not sure what I want to do.” Malcolm hesitated, and Andy sensed there was something the centaur wasn’t telling him. “I’ve gotten spoiled by the internet and gaming,” he hedged. He pushed his glasses back up his nose then shouldered his backpack.

  “You should come to my house. We could play
Dragon Slayer and a bunch of other games.”

  “That sounds like fun.”

  “Do you have GPS?” Andy asked.

  “What do I look like?”

  Andy texted his address as they walked back toward Mom, Dad, and Madison. He had barely reached the car and stowed the strange device in his backpack when Madison asked, “Where should we go first?”

  Andy grinned as Malcolm waved and headed across the parking lot.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  A Rogue’s Challenge

  “Woohoo!” Andy yipped a month later as he and Malcolm combined forces against the biggest, meanest fire-breathing beast either had ever encountered. The centaur waved his controller wildly, wielding a sword they hoped would cut down the aggressor. Andy followed up with an arrow to the brute’s neck, which drew a blast that narrowly missed Malcolm.

  “Easy there,” the centaur warned.

  The centaur had been waiting for them in the driveway upon their return from California, the propeller on his hat turning in the breeze. Strangely, no one in the family noticed him. When Andy questioned him about it, the centaur replied that he wasn’t fond of being the center of attention and had modified a few of the house’s Oomaldee-based settings. He would remain invisible unless he chose to reveal himself. Andy let a technical explanation slide knowing he would never understand even if the Noogler deigned to attempt one.

  Malcolm had since proven his gaming prowess, defeating Andy and his troops in several contests. Andy’s bedroom was a bit squished with a creature his size, but Andy was more than happy to make the sacrifice. And with all the Dr. Pepper Malcolm contributed, Andy was one happy gamer.

  At the beginning, Andy had asked where the centaur got the money to buy soda. Malcolm’s response: “Google pays me well.” When Andy questioned Google’s hiring the centaur since only Andy could actually see him, he’d flicked his eyebrows and countered, “They love my work. I bring a whole new meaning to virtual reality.” Andy hadn’t inquired further.

  Malcolm had figured out how to pop in and out of Oomaldee time, which proved an added benefit, permitting the pair all-night gaming marathons without the consequence of being tired the next day. Just as well, for Andy found it increasingly difficult to sleep. His dreams plagued him with visions of Father stumbling after Abaddon on yet another forced march through Oops, Ooggy, or Oohhh, his body bruised and bleeding.

  Every morning he woke with the same mantra: Father, I won’t let you die like Yara.

  The fun also helped dull the ever-growing helplessness Andy felt. He had all three parts, but he couldn’t get them to fit together as a coherent whole no matter what he tried. He could recite Jax’s letter by rote:

  “Three pieces and a letter which,

  their ticking, tocking shows,

  To reawaken what’s been dead,

  to set their parts just so.”

  Andy hoped the mysterious letter would contain the assembly instructions. But where to look and which knight Merlin would have used as the password remained unclear.

  So one day after school, Andy decided to research Sir Gawain since he was the only other stone knight Andy had come to know. He found one story of particular interest: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Malcolm, his equine quarters folded on the floor of the study, tapped on his tablet, capturing an idea before it vanished. The pair popped M&Ms as they worked.

  Andy read and his imagination took over: He sat with his comrades around King Arthur’s table in the drafty, candlelit hall, pulling swigs of ale from a tankard. Laughter and revelry reverberated around the stone-walled space; everyone seemed to have caught the festive spirit. Maids and stewards had decked the castle with boughs of holly and other trappings, for tonight they would welcome in the New Year.

  Halfway through the meal, a cold breeze interrupted conversation as a knight clad in green armor strode in. He stomped snow off his feet and surveyed those in attendance. Once he spotted Arthur, he made his way to the king. He didn’t bother to bow or acknowledge him, and Andy’s thumb started twitching over the blade at his side. He wasn’t alone.

  The Green Knight didn’t remove his helmet. “I challenge you and your knights!”

  That’s a bold move.

  King Arthur looked him up and down, sizing him up. “What’s your challenge?”

  “You or one of your knights may strike me with a weapon of your choosing.”

  Andy looked around the table and everyone seemed as puzzled as he.

  “On one condition,” the Green Knight continued.

  This ought to be good.

  “Out with it, man,” Arthur said, clearly irritated.

  “In one year’s time, I will do the same to the one who strikes me.”

  Arthur furrowed his brow. “And what would be the point?”

  The Green Knight didn’t reply.

  The king shook his head. “Very well.”

  “I’ll accept the challenge, Majesty,” Andy offered. He rose, strode around the table and bowed, kissing Arthur’s ring.

  The Green Knight and Andy moved to an empty corner of the hall, and Andy drew his blade.

  “Must they do it here? We were eating,” Andy heard a couple of his companions complain.

  Arthur waved his hand. “Be done with it. This rogue interrupts our festivities with a challenge like this, the least we can do is grant his request.”

  The table emptied and folks circled around.

  The knight stood before Andy, hands at his sides, waiting for him to strike.

  I don’t get it. What’s the catch?

  “Make it quick.” “Don’t make him suffer.” “He asked for it.”

  Andy raised his blade and sliced quickly, cleanly.

  Screams reverberated off the walls.

  The Green Knight’s helmeted head clattered to the floor and rolled a short distance.

  But his body didn’t crumple.

  Andy’s jaw dropped along with everyone else.

  More screams filled his ears.

  “Would you mind?” the man asked from inside the helmet.

  Andy leaned over and grabbed the head, nearly retching in the process. Andy pulled the knight’s hand up and placed the head in his palm. The Green Knight spoke, “In one year’s time, you must seek me out so I may do the same to you.”

  Andy’s eyes grew wide and his heart raced. All he could do was nod as the knight turned and left.

  Needless to say, the evening was ruined.

  Memories of that night plagued Andy all year: What did I get myself into? It seemed like such a simple challenge. How did he not die?

  “My word is my bond,” Andy declared when Sir Lancelot questioned his plans to go in search of the Green Knight. Andy had left the castle to hearty hugs and heavy hearts. For his part, the king offered his sympathy, saying no one could have anticipated such an outcome.

  Andy’s horse’s hooves punched through a foot of new-fallen snow. He had been searching for ten days now without so much as a hint of where the Green Knight came from. He had heard carols as he passed near a town earlier in the day. Christmas Day. He missed his friends and loved ones. The cold nipped at his ears and nose. His fingers and toes were frozen and it hurt to wiggle them. He reined Nelly to a stop and blew on his fingers as he looked around. Snow. Snow. More snow. That’s all he saw over the rolling hills.

  Nelly whinnied and stomped, then bobbed her head, pulling on the reins. He followed her line of sight, squinting, for the sun reflected off the snow.

  A castle! It looked like a dollhouse on the horizon.

  An hour later, a servant permitted Andy entry and the lord welcomed him. He offered something to warm Andy’s insides as he thawed by the roaring fire. Andy told him about his quest.

  A lady entered the room. “Ah, my dearest.” The lord leaned in and gave her a peck on the cheek before introducing her. “Sir Gawain, I’d like you to meet my wife, Lady Amareta.” A boy no older than three walked in and froze when he saw Andy. “And this is Bertram.” The bo
y tried hiding his smile.

  Andy rose and kissed the lady’s hand. Her smile warmed him further. He waved at the lad who darted behind his mother, drawing a chuckle from his father. “Always a bit shy.”

  “You must stay with us,” the lady insisted. “At least until some of the snow melts.”

  Her offer was hard to refuse, and Andy easily relented. The Green Knight will wait a few days more.

  The lord proved quite the conversationalist, bragging about his hunts and the prize trophies that hung around the room: the head of a buck with antlers in abundance, a boar’s head sporting lengthy tusks, a wolf’s head with teeth bared. A fox stood stiffly in one corner near a bookcase. Preserved forms stared at Andy from nearly every angle, and he noticed the rug he stood on was actually a bear’s hide.

  Over a delicious dinner the nobleman continued with his hunting stories. “Hey, I’ve got an idea,” he interrupted himself, slapping the table.

  All three stopped eating and looked to the head of the table.

  “I’m itching for a hunt, Sir Gawain. When I return tomorrow night, I’ll trade what I catch with what you acquire.”

  “I don’t understand, sir. I’ll be staying behind. I don’t believe I’ll have anything to exchange,” he clarified.

  The lord smiled broadly. “It’s just sport. You might be surprised what you find.”

  Really? This seems too easy. “Okay.”

  Lady Amareta wiggled her eyebrows and grinned at Andy. “Don’t you just love sport?”

  He inhaled. Did I just commit to something I shouldn’t have?

  By the time Andy made it down to breakfast the next morning, the lord had already left to go hunting. He busied himself with polishing his armor and sword. A silver hand mirror on the dresser looked like it hadn’t seen a rag in ages, so he polished it too.

  At lunchtime, Lady Amareta and Bertram came and found him. She noticed the now-shiny mirror.

  “It’s beautiful! Thank you so much for your kindness.” She bent over and kissed his cheek.

  Andy blushed and drew a hand to his face, making her laugh.

  That night when the lord returned, he plopped a doe at Andy’s feet.