Max guessed the Codex had taken the form of Sydney’s journal. “Do you think you could show it to us?”
Considerate Panda frowned. “It’s definitely not polite to read someone’s journal,” it said, waving a finger at Max. Max had a sudden urge to kick Considerate Panda through the window.
“Well . . . ,” Sydney said, thinking it over. “I suppose it would be okay since you’re really good friends. You are a really good friend, aren’t you, Max?”
“Oh, uh, sure.”
Sydney smiled again. “Then I would be happy to show you.”
“Do we really have time to read journals?” Dirk asked Max.
“It’s the Codex,” Megan answered.
“Oh.”
“Only there’s a teensy-weensy little problem,” Sydney continued. “My journal was stolen and taken to Scare Bear Island!”
“We don’t care for scare bears very much,” Friendly Bear said.
“But I know!” Sydney suddenly exclaimed. “You could go and get it for me! I’m sure the three of you are brave enough to go to Scare Bear Island!”
“Yeah, I’d hope so,” Dirk said. “They’re probably like soft and furry and stuff.”
“True,” Sydney admitted, “except for their claws and teeth.”
Friendly Bear frowned. “It’s not very nice to file your teeth down to sharp points.” Max didn’t like the sound of that.
“You’ll have to get past the four guardians,” Sydney told them. “Do Your Worst Bear, Share Your Secret Bear, Bad Pun Bear, and worst of all, Surprise You’re Dead Bear.”
Max knew they had very little choice in the matter. Even though the Codex managed to interject itself into the minds of his dreaming friends, it seemed to be bound by whatever logic was controlling the dream. In this case, a sleeping Sydney who apparently had a thing for flair bears. “Okay then, show us the way to Scare Bear Island.”
The boat was shaped like an upside-down rainbow. It’s Your Birthday Bear was steering the vessel across a shimmering body of blue water, while Champion Bear stood watch on the boat’s bow, a shiny gold trophy in its hand.
“I thought you were a ‘champion’ as in you were a knight or something,” Dirk said as they crossed the lake. The two of them had struck up a conversation shortly after leaving.
“But I am a champion,” the blue-and-white bear announced proudly. “I even have a trophy.” Dirk moved over to take a closer look.
“It says ‘Everyone Gets a Trophy Day.’”
“Yep!” the bear exclaimed, holding it up. “A champion.”
As the small boat moved across the water, the blue sky became overcast. By the time they reached Scare Bear Island the world had turned gray and the air had chilled.
“My birthday wish is to never have to come here again,” It’s Your Birthday Bear announced as the boat pulled up to a decrepit dock. Along the beach a number of pikes had been driven into the sand, adorned with the heads of various stuffed animals.
“I don’t think they have trophies here,” Champion Bear said, unnecessarily.
Dirk jumped off the boat and tied the rope to the dock (the rope had a certain red-licorice vibe to it). “Don’t leave without us,” he commanded the two flair bears. They nodded, not looking especially thrilled at the idea.
“We’ll wait,” It’s Your Birthday Bear replied. “But are you sure it’s not your birthday today? I always keep a slice of cake in my pouch, just in case.”
“Ew,” Megan replied.
Max, Dirk, and Megan climbed off the boat and made their way to the beach. They walked past the row of pikes and found a small trail that led into a dense jungle beyond, marked by a wooden sign painted with a skull and crossbones.
“I’d say it’s probably this way,” Dirk said, motioning to the sign.
“We need to be careful,” Megan cautioned. “As sweet and innocent as those flair bears are, I think the scare bears might be the opposite.”
They hurried, driven by thoughts of their unconscious bodies as ready-made snacks back in the real world. The jungle eventually gave way to a small clearing, where two torches burned by the mouth of a cave. The cave itself was set into the stone face of a rocky hillside.
“I think we go inside—” Dirk started to say, when a blur of movement exploded from the opening and hit Dirk square in the chest. He was driven backward and fell to the ground, his hands wrapped tightly around the neck of a snarling scare bear. It looked like a flair bear—if a flair bear had been dropped in a damp hole for a decade and gnawed on by rats. Add to that a set of sharp claws and gnashing, pointed teeth.
“Get it off me!” Dirk screamed as he struggled with the snarling scare bear.
Reaching for the Codex was instinctual. Max drew out the level two Spontaneous Combustion Spell and flung it at the berserking scare bear. The creature burst into flames, and Dirk managed to toss it toward the jungle and roll away. The small, flaming bear landed in a section of thick foliage as Dirk scrambled to his feet and drew the elven sword from his belt. “That thing is super creepy,” he announced.
Suddenly the scare bear jumped from the jungle, completely engulfed in flames. It took a step forward, calling out in a harsh voice: “Is that the best you got, or the worst?”
“Looks like we found Do Your Worst Bear,” Dirk said, raising his sword.
The flaming bear took another step forward and then fell to the ground, bursting into a final orange fireball. Dirk walked over to it and poked it with the edge of his blade. “I think that’s that. Also, I’m totally going to get rid of my stuffed animals when I get home.”
Megan reached down and found a heavy branch. “We’d better be ready for more of those things,” she said. “It moved awfully fast.”
“Nice job with the spell,” Dirk said to Max. “Just be careful where you’re aiming that thing, you know, because you’ve had problems in the past.”
“A long time ago,” Max replied. “But I’ve got a handle on it now. But more importantly, the Codex is close. I can feel it.”
Dirk nodded. “Cool. You must have leveled up or something. I bet you’re level ten. Good things usually happen at level ten, because you’re now a double digit.”
Max shrugged. “Let’s just keep moving.” He grabbed one of the torches as he led the others into the cave. The opening stretched out to a passage large enough for them to walk down. They followed the path, feeling the dampness and cold wrap around them with each step. Along the walls they could make out drawings of small bears with thick claws and long teeth in battles with various creatures. What is it with Sydney and scare bears? he wondered. Then he felt the presence of the Codex grow stronger—they were heading in the right direction.
The passage opened into a larger, well-lit chamber. The place stretched up a hundred or more feet to a huge glass dome, and in the center was a rock pillar encased in a cage that looked as if it had been carved from a single, giant diamond. Inside, the Codex of Infinite Knowability rested on a pedestal of rocks. But there were also three more of the scare bears there. They had the same old-and-worn look as the first, but each with its own unique design: Share Your Secret Bear was blood red and had the faded image of an open lock on its stained, off-white belly; Bad Pun Bear had baby blue fur with a frowny face on its front; Surprise You’re Dead Bear was midnight black, with a gray tombstone on the patch of dirty white fur. It was Share Your Secret Bear that spoke first.
“How did you get past Do Your Worst bear?”
“Oh, him?” Dirk replied. “You might want to change his name to Impaired Bear.”
“I’m not sure we need to be antagonizing them,” Megan cautioned.
“I know we don’t need to . . .”
“Tell me why you’re here,” the scare bear continued. “I can keep a secret—I promise.”
“I don’t think we should trust a guy named Share You
r Secret Bear,” Dirk replied. “Just saying.”
“Don’t feed us your lies,” Bad Pun Bear injected, “because we’re already stuffed. Get it? Stuffed? Because we’re all full of stuffing on the inside.”
Max rolled his eyes. “Look, we don’t want any trouble. Just give us the Codex—uh, journal—and we’ll be on our way.”
The three scare bears began to laugh, but it wasn’t the kind of adorable cartoon bear laugh you’d see on television. It was a creepy, crackling laugh that suggested they might want to pay a visit to Family Physician Bear fairly soon.
“You are all going to die here,” Bad Pun Bear continued. “Fur sure.”
“You there,” Max said, pointing to Surprise You’re Dead Bear. “Are you in charge?”
Surprise You’re Dead Bear smiled, its yellow, sharpened teeth contrasting with its black fur. “You could say that.”
“Then you should know that I don’t want to hurt you, but I have to get that book back. The lives of my friends depend on it, and I’m not going to let anything happen to them.”
Bad Pun Bear groaned. “Can we just kill them already? All this talking is un-bear-able.”
Max took a step forward. “My name is Max Spencer. I am the last living descendant of the World Sunderer, Maximilian Sporazo. I am the keeper of the Codex of Infinite Knowability and wielder of the Prime Spells. Do not test me.”
“Kill them!” Surprise You’re Dead Bear rasped before arching its head back and howling. And then the stuffed scare bear began to grow—its body expanding until it stood twice Max’s height. Its chest had thickened, its limbs had lengthened, and as it turned to glare down at them, it had a wolfish aspect to it. “Surprise,” it growled.
“Werebear!” Dirk shouted. Max had no idea how Dirk had come to that conclusion, but it seemed reasonable.
The two scare bears rushed them, one coming at Dirk and the other at Megan. They would have to fend for themselves, Max knew—he was going to have his hands full with the werebear. He caught a glimpse of Megan swinging her branch while Dirk began circling with his sword raised. Dirk had had some training at the hands of Prince Conall back in the Magrus, and at the very least he knew how to defend himself. Megan, however, was a different story. He wasn’t sure if LARPing translated into actual combat skills or not.
Suddenly the werebear attacked. It covered the distance between itself and Max in the blink of an eye, and Max swung the torch in response. The werebear knocked it out of his hand with a head-sized paw, then swung the other. The impact hit Max on the shoulder, and his arm went numb as he flew through the air and landed on the stone floor. He barely managed to turn as the werebear ran toward him, driving both clawed fists into the ground. Unbelievably, the hard stone floor exploded, and bits of rock and debris flew into the air. Whatever the werebear was, not only was it fast, but it was strong. Too strong.
Max rolled again, just avoiding the next blow. He reached out to the Codex, but the snarling monster grabbed hold of him. The beast lifted Max over its head, and his connection with the Codex faltered. Max panicked, helpless, his limbs flailing. He could see Megan, her branch now glowing a bright blue, driving Share Your Secret Bear back. Then the world blurred as he was launched into the air. Max slammed into the side of the cave wall with a thud that sent electric shocks through his body.
He didn’t remember hitting the ground, but he could feel the cold stone under his cheek as spots of light danced around his eyes. Claws encircled him again, and Max was hoisted back into the air. His vision had all but narrowed into a tiny tunnel of light, and the sounds of combat echoed strangely as if far away and through a tin can. He could feel himself losing consciousness, and with it came a profound and deep sorrow. His failure meant not only the end of his friends, but the end of the world. It was too much to face. Max reached for the Codex again, but the magical book felt far away. He could barely sense it when the rush of wind and the sensation of falling returned. And then another explosion of pain, and his world turned white, for just a moment, before being swallowed by the numbing blackness.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
ROCKY AND COMPANY
"MAX!”
Max opened his eyes to see Megan leaning over him. She had the glowing blue branch in her hands and she touched him with it. Suddenly the pain and weakness fell away. He drew in a deep breath, and with it came a renewed strength and clarity. The change must have been obvious because Megan said, “Now go destroy that thing so we can get out of here.”
Max climbed to his feet and saw Dirk dancing around the werebear with his sword. The monster was fast, but so was Dirk as he used the sword to parry the creature’s attacks. He and Megan had been able to take care of the other scare bears before coming to his rescue—but the werebear wasn’t going to go down so easy. Max reached out to the Codex and dove into the part of the book where the Prime Spells were hidden.
“Tutelary!” Max shouted, his voice shaking the cavern and causing the werebear to stumble. The creature whirled, snarling, but it seemed insignificant compared to the power of the Prime Spell. Max drove the magic into the rock itself. He watched as the stones shifted and came together, taking shape. What rose from the cavern floor was larger than the werebear by half. It had four arms and two legs, formed by great masses of rock and bound together by glowing magma. Steam rose off its body as it stepped between the werebear and Dirk, its fingers clenching and unclenching with the sound of grinding stone. Its two eyes were fiery pools of light, and a red glow emanated from its mouth. The werebear charged its new opponent, dragging its long claws against the heaving, steaming chest of the rock now come to life. The rock creature was unfazed, however, and responded by driving its two fists into the werebear, sending it flying.
Dirk hurried and scrambled away from the fighting, circling over to where Max and Megan were standing. Max watched as the werebear decided it had had enough, and ducked into a passageway and retreated.
“Whoa!” Dirk exclaimed. “You made a rock golem. How come you never did that before?”
Max shrugged. “It’s not like I’ve been trained or anything—I kind of make it up as I go.” He turned and put his hand on Megan’s shoulder. “You saved me—again.”
Megan smiled. “It’s what a healer does.”
“Yeah, every party needs a quality healer,” Dirk added.
Max turned his attention to the rock golem and called out, “Hey, uh . . .”
“Rocky,” Dirk suggested.
Max frowned. “You there,” he continued, trying to sound polite. “Would you mind breaking this cage open for us?” He pointed to the diamondlike bars that surrounded the Codex. The rock golem moved to the center of the chamber, each step sending vibrations through the floor. It raised its giant fists and struck the cage with a mighty blow, shattering it into a thousand shimmering pieces.
Max ran up to the stand where the Codex lay. He grabbed it, feeling the magic tingle in his hand.
“Back to the queen?” Dirk asked.
“Yeah.” Max turned to the golem. “Thanks for your help.” The rock creature regarded him for a moment, but did not speak. Instead, Max heard a voice in his head:
The one who seeks your end cowers in its den. I will stay here and ensure it does not harm you. Then I will return to whence I came.
Max nodded and then led the others from the cavern and out of the cave. They followed the trail through the jungle, leaving Max a moment to reflect on what had happened. He had summoned a Prime Spell, but it hadn’t exhausted him. Whether it was a part of whatever rules governed the dream or something else, he wasn’t sure. But he took it as a good sign—he’d need all the strength he could muster to face and defeat the Maelshadow. He’d also need to be more careful. If not for Megan and Dirk the werebear would have beaten him. He was fairly certain that no matter how dangerous the werebear was, it was nothing compared to the Lord of Shadows. He needed to remember tha
t lesson—he would need to use every advantage he could find.
“Rocky was awesome,” Dirk said to Max as they stepped out of the jungle and back to the beach. To their shared relief, the rainbow boat was still tied to the dock and waiting for them.
“I’m pretty sure that’s not his name.”
“Well, that’s what I’m calling him in the song I’m writing. Need something that rhymes with Rocky . . .”
They returned to the dock and made their way to the boat, Max pausing to help Megan aboard.
“You found the queen’s journal,” Champion Bear announced. “I’ve won!”
Max rolled his eyes as they boarded the boat and made for Flair Bear Kingdom. He wasn’t sure of the mechanisms involved that actually made the vessel move, but when you were in a dream, he supposed, details like that didn’t matter. But the whole scenario was becoming problematic—Max didn’t want to jump from dream to dream in order to pull everyone back to reality. If things continued like they had, he’d have to move through Dwight’s and Melvin’s minds next. Not to mention Fluff’s and Moki’s—and Max was pretty sure he didn’t want to know what fire kittens dreamed about. More frightening, however, was the thought that if sweet little Sydney could conjure something as horrible as scare bears what would be waiting for him in Dwight’s or Melvin’s head? No—there’s got to be a way to pull all of us back at once.
By the time they returned to the docks at the foot of the flair bear castle, Max had come up with a plan. They disembarked from the rainbow boat and he moved to a secluded spot just outside the castle wall.
“I’m going to see if I can short-circuit all this dream stuff,” he announced. Max tightened his grip on the Codex and made the connection with the Prime Spells. He knew them all, having spent long days memorizing the list on their travels in the Magrus: Captivity, to imprison or enslave; Density, to compact or make heavy; Elemenity, to affect through fire, earth, water, or air; Fixity, to hold fast and unchanging; Futurity, to move forward in time; Gallimaufry, to create a mixture of diverse things; Gravity, to attract; Irony, to disrupt the expected and the realized; Liquidity, to make flow; Nimiety, to copy and make excess; Panoply, to cover and protect; Parity, to balance and make equivalent; Tutelary, to summon protection; Unity, to unite into one; Vacuity, to empty.
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