The Serpent's Ring (Relics of Mysticus)

by H. B. Bolton

  “This is it,” whispered Evan, staring at the door. The golden handle was also in the likeness of Jormundgand, but only the serpent’s head. Jormundgand’s open mouth and pointy teeth were daunting, and Evan debated whether he wanted to touch it.

  “Evan, it’s only a doorknob,” said Claire. “Go on through. We’re right behind you.”

  “All right,” he said and reached forward. While the small likeness of Jormundgand was clutched inside Evan’s hand it snapped at him! “Argh!” Evan yelled and leapt backward. “The handle tried to bite me!”

  “Evan, that’s impossible,” said Claire.

  The eyes on the handle glowed, one red and one blue. It snarled and snapped every time Evan reached for it.

  “Great,” said Evan. “How are we going to get through?”

  “Try your powers,” said Claire. “Imagine turning the handle with your mind.”

  Evan stared at the little monster and tried to open the door using the power of his mind. It didn’t work, and the mini Jormundgand growled some more.

  “Please, allow me to try,” said Dunkle. “The door is immune to your powers. This, however, should do the trick.” Dunkle removed his vest. “Evan, as soon as I open the door, you must race through.”

  “Whatever you say,” Evan replied. “But, I seriously doubt you’ll be able to open it.”

  Dunkle swayed from side to side while studying the door handle. Promptly, he tossed his vest over the small serpent and turned the handle. It worked! Evan rushed over and helped push into the heavy door. It barely budged, so Evan rammed into it with his shoulder. He fell through and ended up slipping onto the wet ground on the other side. Claire began to follow, but a tremendous whoosh blasted shut the door, right in her face! Evan’s friends were stuck on the other side. He jumped up and rushed over. He tugged and pounded and yelled! But it was no use, the door was sealed.

  “Evan! Wait for us!” yelled Claire. “Don’t do anything stupid!”

  Although Evan tried to move the door with telekinesis, he knew it was futile. He hollered, “Dunkle was right, there must be a greater power working here! The door won’t budge!”

  It was going to be difficult, but Evan knew he was going to face Aegir on his own. And no matter what was to come, it was time to show what he was made of. He turned around and saw that he was standing inside a small cave. Water occupied its center, with only a few feet of ground around the edge.

  Evan staggered along until he was finally outside, staring up at the open sky. His choices were grim: jagged rocks behind and turbulent sea in front. The wind was fierce and waves raged below. Ever so carefully, he climbed along a narrow trail that led up and along the mountain’s side.

  It was difficult, but he finally made it to the other side of the mountain. He wasn’t relieved, however; as there, high up in the sky, was the enormous and terrifying face of Jormundgand! Its tail was still clenched in its mouth, but it didn’t hold still. No, the tail thrashed around, like a snake caught on fire.

  Jormundgand was horrifyingly massive. The serpent’s head alone was bigger than the entire University of Michigan football stadium. The giant beast was an appalling sight, with its deep thunderous roar and venom seething like acid from its mouth.

  Evan edged his way up the path, getting closer and closer to Jormundgand, until finally, he reached a plateau and couldn’t go any farther. This was where he would take his stand. But where was Aegir? Hopefully, the sea god had changed his mind.

  The wind beat against Evan, and water rose up the mountain’s side. The tide had already covered the cave’s door, so it was now underwater. He thought about his sister and friends. How would they find him? Would he ever see them again?

  Dark harrowing clouds formed, lightning flashed, and thunder erupted. Rain spilled, making it practically impossible for Evan to stand on the cliff’s slippery surface. He clung to grooves along the wall and waited and waited.

  Suddenly, Aegir’s gargantuan body came up from the sea. His hair was jet black with streaks of turquoise blue. Waves crashed against his barrel chest. White sea foam formed into horses at play, holding their shape for a little while and then dissolving into the waters of the sea.

  “You don’t have to do this!” Evan shouted and then threw his hand over his mouth.

  Aegir shifted his attention away from the Serpent’s Ring, focusing it fully onto Evan.

  “I must act now. Jormundgand’s head moves slowly, taking an entire month to cycle around the world. This is when he visits Hlesey,” said the sea god, moving closer to a frightened Evan. “Besides, what does a young boy know of such things?”

  “I know your Undersea Hall is empty, except for some food and music. And that your daughter, Himinglaeva, has been isolated from Lazonia. I suspect you have also lost a few allies, along the way,” yelled Evan.

  “How dare you speak to me about my daughter?” Aegir cried out and moved his hand over the ocean. Now, the sea formed into perfectly structured waves—just like in Evan’s nightmares. Several more waves started out as soothing ripples along the ocean’s surface. They grew higher and higher, into enormous walls, and then slammed against the rocks.

  Evan sank down and cowered. The sea god’s boisterous laughter reached down into Evan’s core, pushing him into a tighter ball.

  “This frightened young boy is what I feared would stop me?” Aegir proclaimed and laughed some more.

  Aegir was right, Evan felt foolish. So, he started to inch his way back down the slope. After all, this was crazy; he wouldn’t be able to defeat a sea god and serpent.

  A wave surged up and crashed against the cliff, blocking Evan. Aegir scowled and lifted his hand higher. A giant wall of water froze a few feet from Evan. Colorful fins from a stingray flashed back and forth, and Evan was being watched by black, round eyes. Bull sharks had come.

  The sea god continued to laugh, mocking Evan, when all of a sudden, something was unleashed from deep inside the boy. He became angry. Angry with the taunting and angry with this bully trying to inflict fear! Evan rose to his feet and clenched his fists. He narrowed his eyes and put all of his energy into moving the wave.

  It worked! The large sheet of water crept back—the sharks and stingrays swam away. Rain stopped pouring, and the wind came to a halt. Evan wasn’t sure if he had caused all of that to happen but was relieved nonetheless.

  Aegir stood motionless and watched Evan with apparent interest.

  “I may have underestimated you,” began Aegir, “except I am afraid it is too late. There is nothing you can do to stop me.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  FACES IN WAVES

  AEGIR TURNED HIS BACK ON Evan and stared up at Jormundgand. Evan hadn’t noticed before, but the giant sea serpent was bound by a golden collar. The smooth band had one simple design molded into it. On the area underneath Jormundgand’s jaw was an impression of a small, circular ring. Evan couldn’t make out the details, but had little doubt it would match the Serpent’s Ring.

  Slowly, the Serpent’s Ring drifted upward. Evan wasn’t sure what he could do to stop it, but he had to try something. He pushed himself off the cliff. Water drops slapped his face, stinging his skin and burning his eyes. He jetted around to the back of Aegir and darted for the Serpent’s Ring. Lucky for Evan, Aegir was still looking at the collar and had not yet noticed the flying boy.

  With lightning speed, Evan caught the Serpent’s Ring. He looped around and aimed for the mountain’s top. Aegir waved his hand. A wave spat water in Evan’s direction with great precision, striking Evan on the back of his head. Everything went black, and he started to spiral down. With all of his might, he tried to focus, but it was useless, and he plummeted toward the raging sea.

  Just as he was about to crash hard onto the water, something strange happened. Foam bubbled up and cushioned Evan’s fall.

  “Take this, Evan. Give it to Aegir,” whispered the water, and it spouted up like a geyser, propelling Evan higher and higher and closer and closer to Aeg
ir. Something small and round was clenched inside Evan’s fist. What could it be? He opened his hand … Claire’s locket! Evan didn’t have time to open it, and there was no time to consider his options. Aegir’s large hand swatted, barely missing Evan. The geyser lifted Evan to just above Aegir’s open palm and froze. Evan didn’t think; he tossed the locket into the sea god’s hand and yelled, “You need to look at this!” And with that, the waterspout turned away and headed back toward the rocky cliff.

  A column of white foam cradled Evan, as it raced over the sea; that was, until he was tossed through the air. Luckily, he landed safely on his hands and knees. He lifted his head and looked for the sea foam; it was now returning to Aegir.

  “Father, you must look inside the locket,” whispered the wave.

  Aegir’s face reddened, and he howled, “What is the meaning of this?”

  A girl’s face formed along the crest, and her finger rested on her lips. “Shhhh. Father, open the locket. It will show you what you need to see.”

  Claire’s locket began to glow. It opened up, and sparks of color reflected off Aegir’s stricken face. He looked down and watched as the reflective surface revealed a message. Aegir’s skin paled, and his thunderous voice echoed, “Dufa!”

  Evan was incredibly confused until he was approached by the sea goddess herself. “I am impressed by your bravery, young man,” Ran’s cool voice came from behind. “You are an exception to your kind. Most mortals would have turned back long ago. Cowardice has often proved to be the preferred option over certain demise, has it not? But you stayed. Perhaps there is hope for mankind yet."

  But Evan didn’t turn around. He was too captivated, wondering what news the locket held for Aegir.

  “The locket revealed something important to your sister, Claire,” said Ran, and Evan finally looked upon the goddess.

  “Where is Claire?” Evan asked. “Is she all right? And how did the waves end up with her locket?”

  “You ask many questions,” said Ran with a sigh. “Do not fret; your sister is well. She and the others came to me, exclaiming they held some vital information. In good faith, your sister gave her locket to Himinglaeva, pleading with her to bring it to you.”

  “But why would Claire want for me to give Aegir the locket?”

  “Are you not curious as to the nature of the locket’s message?”

  “Yes, of course.”

  Ran chuckled and said, “I will never understand humans, nor shall I ever truly favor them. It would seem, however, humans are not entirely at fault for the oil tanker spill in the Great Reef.”

  Ran paused and watched as her husband’s expression changed from anger to concern. “One of our daughters was behind the poisoning of the Great Reef. It would seem Dufa created the wave that not only capsized that ship, but pushed it to the reef to make it look like humans were at fault.”

  “One of the waves did this?”

  “Yes—Dufa. She is what you could consider our rogue wave.”

  “Why would she do something so horrible?”

  “She has been angry at the humans for more than a century. She wanted to punish mankind, but I never thought she would go this far. Once Aegir and I locate her, we will discover the reason behind her capsizing that ship.”

  “She’s missing?” Evan asked. He studied the waves, surrounding Aegir. One, two, three … Ran was right; there were only eight waves. Where was Dufa?

  “Yes, she is missing. Do not worry; most sea creatures are loyal to us. Dufa will be found very soon.” Ran sighed and watched as her other eight daughters calmed the angry sea god. “I am glad Aegir was stopped before he flooded the entire planet. Mankind will be given another chance. Besides, I miss the grand festivities the Undersea Hall once held. I should very much like to have merpeople return, and perhaps a few selected humans.”

  Evan turned to look at the goddess. She winked and then gracefully wandered closer to the mountain’s edge.

  “Aegir might be a stern god, perhaps even irrational at times, but he has a good heart.”

  “I don’t know what to say,” said Evan. “Thanks for helping.”

  “In some respects, Lazonia is correct. Your kind is not a complete disappointment.”

  “I’m glad you feel that way.”

  “It is time to join your friends. Come with me.”

  Evan turned and realized he was standing on the ledge of a volcano.

  “Whoa! I thought the Undersea Hall was under a mountain, not a volcano!” shouted Evan.

  “Honestly, what difference does it make?”

  “Don’t volcanoes sometimes throw out scorching hot lava?”

  “Of course they do. This volcano, however, erupts only when Aegir is extremely angry.”

  Evan looked back at Aegir and was relieved to see a smile on the sea god’s face, as his daughters tugged playfully at his beard.

  “I’ll have to keep that in mind. I didn’t want to upset him before, but now I definitely don’t want to,” said Evan.

  “This volcano has been still for quite some time,” said Ran. “In fact, I believe the last time this volcano erupted, a small island south of us sank. It caused quite a stir. I still do not see what all the fuss was about. The people of that particular island have thrived for thousands of years under the sea.”

  “You’re not talking about Atlantis, are you?”

  “Yes, that is its name. Aegir realized what his anger had done quickly enough and saved all of the island’s inhabitants. But rarely does mankind tell stories about a god’s sympathy. Typically, what is written is how this god reigned terror and that god turned poor little so-and-so into a terrible monster.”

  “So, those stories aren’t true?” Evan asked.

  “Yes, they are very true, at least most of them. What I am saying is that with every horrible story there are ten good ones.”

  “I suppose the same could be said for mankind,” said Evan, and Ran stopped walking.

  She stared at Evan for a moment before saying, “I am certain it could.”

  Evan shifted his attention back toward the volcano. Up ahead was a recess, big enough to hold a small car. From what Evan could see, it wasn’t a tunnel. So, why was Ran leading him toward it? Evan didn’t have to wonder for long when a large clamshell filled the space. It opened slowly and Ran motioned for Evan to go inside.

  “I’m not so sure about this,” said Evan.

  “I assure you, it is safe. The Undersea Hall is very far below, and you will need to travel down many stories. Once inside, you will descend as if you were inside an elevator.”

  “So, it’s a ‘clam-o-vator’,” said Evan while chuckling.

  Ran smiled and nodded her head. Evan stepped inside the clam-o-vator and studied all of the golden buttons. Each one was stamped with a strange rune. Ran pressed her long finger onto the bottom one and the clam-o-vator descended smoothly.

  Evan looked down and realized he still possessed the Serpent’s Ring. Ran’s eyes gazed upon the ring, but she did not try to take it.

  “I’m not sure what I’m going to do with this,” said Evan, rolling it around his wrist.

  “I’m certain the professor will know,” she advised. “If I were you, I would not flaunt it in front of my husband.”

  Evan nodded in agreement. He looked down, trying to figure out a safe place to put it. An idea came to him and he removed his shirt. He tore at the bottom of the sleeve and tied the Serpent’s Ring to it. After putting his shirt back on, he tucked it away. For now, it was safely stored under the pit of his arm. Surely, nobody would want to search for it there.

  Ran had been watching Evan and now smiled. “You are a clever boy, Evan Jones.”

  The clam-o-vator came to a smooth stop. In one efficient movement, the clam pivoted around and opened up. The seal widened, and Evan could see his sister and Lazonia.

  “Evan!” Claire and Lazonia both cheered from the room beyond. It didn’t take long for Dunkle and Barfel to leap up and dance on the table. Sigurd t
railed behind the girls, smiling proudly. Evan entered the Undersea Hall once again, only this time, as a guest and not an intruder. Just as he walked toward his friends, he realized Ran was still in the clam-o-vator.

  “Aren’t you coming?” Evan asked curiously.

  “I am afraid there is some unfinished business to which I must attend on the surface,” answered Ran. “Besides, it would be best for you to have a private moment with your friends.”

  Evan smiled, and since he couldn’t think of anything else to say, he said, “Thank you.” She returned his smile as the door clamped shut.

  Claire and Lazonia came forward and hugged Evan.

  “I thought I told you not to do anything stupid!” scolded Claire as she released him.

  “What were you thinking trying to confront Aegir all on your own?” chimed Lazonia.

  “Perhaps you are a hero after all. Nice job. I cannot wait to hear the details,” Sigurd said appraisingly, at which Claire looked startled.

  “What he did was not heroic, it was dangerous. He’s lucky to be alive,” said Claire, narrowing her eyes.

  “He is alive, and the world is safe. You underestimate him,” returned Sigurd, and Evan felt his shoulders raise a little higher. Evan’s opinion of this guy shot up exponentially.

  Claire didn’t respond. She gritted her teeth as she absorbed Sigurd’s comment, and after a while, she looked at Evan.

  “Fine, at least you’re safe,” said Claire, hugging him once more. She then whispered, “If you ever scare me like that again, I’ll pummel you.”

  “No problem, Sis. I can honestly say my days of playing hero are over. Better left to guys like Sigurd.”

  Lazonia then wrapped her arms around Evan’s waist and nuzzled her nose into his hair. He turned to her and beamed. Lazonia giggled and reached for his hand, leading him over to where the imps were frolicking on top of a table.

  “Dunkle, I believe this belongs to you,” said Evan, handing over the Serpent’s Ring.

  “If it is all the same to you, I would appreciate it if you could hold onto it for a little longer,” said Dunkle. “You see, it has been a long time since I was able to join in the merrymaking of my fellow imps.”