Queen Zamora had no soul, and her goal was to rule the entire universe, one planet at a time. After she gained control of Boysen and turned it dark, her plan was to conquer earth and move on from there.
She already had her own people working on earth, preparing things for her. They were the same people who’d constructed the Queen Zamora game. They had devised a portal for her to come through, but first she had to find the perfect opportunity and the perfect household. It couldn’t be just anyone.
The Clover family was exactly what she hoped for, except for the brothers. They were a nuisance, proving to be more of a pain than she’d imagined. She’d thought Victor’s idea of bringing them to Boysen was a good one, because then she’d be done with them, and their poor parents would only have one sweet, perfect little girl to dote on. A little girl who would grow up and conquer the planet, only to travel to another universe and be hosted by a different being. Her plan was nearly perfect, except for those wretched boys. When the toddler had come into their room all by herself, it was more than luck, it had been fate, and the queen seized the moment.
But now she had those pesky brothers to deal with, and she had no one to blame but Victor. If she hadn’t brought them into the game, they would have never known where to find their sister. When she reappeared out of nowhere, they would have been so happy to see her, they would’ve spoiled her rotten.
“Ha! Well, I’m not going to let those upstarts set me back.” She raised her arms into the air. An eerie glow of black light surrounded her. Victor cowered at the sight of it. He knew she was growing more powerful by the minute. She brought her arms down and then raised one, with its bony fingers extended towards Victor. “Find them now, you absurd, filthy pest, or you’ll find yourself down in the dungeon with that little brat!”
Victor quaked. “She is rather sweet, actually,” he said quietly.
“Get out!” the queen screamed.
Victor left and descended the long winding staircase into the dungeons below. On his way, he pocketed several strawberries and a few pieces of cheese from the kitchen. He took out his ring of a hundred keys and found the one to Isabella’s prison cell. The child sat up on the small bed he’d made up for her. She was coloring with the crayons he’d given her.
“Hi,” he whispered. She whimpered. He could see she was frightened since tears clouded her big, blue eyes. “Shh, it’s okay. I brought you some strawberries.” He held them out to her. She half smiled and took them from his hands. “Hey, look what else I brought you.” Victor reached into his other pocket and first brought out a cookie, and then a small, stuffed bear. Her smile widened. She took a bite out of the cookie and leaned into Victor, giving him a hug. He was so overcome he wiped his own fresh tears away. He had not been hugged by anyone since his mother, when he was a child. That was before she died and Queen Zamora took him into her castle. That’s how the queen found many of her servants—as orphaned children. At first, Victor was grateful, then fearful, but now he’d grown just plain angry.
“I know you miss your family, but I’ve got a little secret for you that you might like to know.” Isabella tilted her head to the side. “Your brothers are on their way, and they’ve got a friend on the inside. I’m going to do my best to see they get here, little one. I’m going to do my very best.”
Victor stayed and played with Isabella until she fell asleep, drinking from the bottle of warm milk he’d made for her. He knew the queen would kill him if she knew all the attention he’d been paying the child, but he had to. He wanted freedom, and he knew Isabella and her brothers were the ones who would bring it to him.
CHAPTER SEVEN
THE DIRECTOROUTER
The boys were tired and hungry. Although the ride through the air was one of magnificent splendor, with views of rainforests, turquoise seas, and tall mountains, the challenges they had already met with today had worn them out. All they really wanted to do was sleep.
Sensing their need for rest, Isaac hummed a lullaby and the boys quickly fell into a deep slumber.
The magic horse was aware of their time constraints, but also knew the boys would be of no use to their sister and Boysen if they didn’t rest up. There was still much more for them to do.
Isaac had witnessed this land change drastically in the years under Queen Zamora’s rule. At first, all the inhabitants of the land thought she would be a good queen, because her mother had been so very kind and generous. But Queen Zamora’s father died when she was a young princess, and everyone had come to the conclusion that she’d loved her father so much that when he died, it turned her heart cold. Then, when Zamora was in her early teens, she lost her mother, who had been broken-hearted for years after Zamora’s father passed away. The inhabitants of Boysen felt certain after her mother’s death, Zamora’s heart had frozen over and the young woman came to believe there was no one left to love her.
She was right about that, because by turning her heart cold, she’d created her own loneliness and despair, as well as her need to rule those who would and could never love her. Isaac understood better than most that the true problem lay within the queen’s hardened heart. Queen Zamora had never learned to love herself, and because there was no love left in her—only hate, fear, and greed—she was doomed to live a life dominated by all of these barriers to love. Ironically, the queen believed she lived a wonderful life because she was in total control of so many lives. In reality, she was pitiful and sad. She would never know what true life was all about.
Due to her lack of love, everyone in her kingdom suffered. The land slowly changed from one of light and happiness to a dark, ugly place. There was still plenty of good in Boysen Land, but the queen’s powers grew stronger every day. She knew how to harness it and spread hate. She took others like herself—orphans—and spread her lies through them. And so, as her ugly feelings grew in others, the land became darker and darker. Now, with the queen abducting the innocent earth child, and her ability to harness the forces of nature, the universe could be changed forever.
But all was not lost. There was hope and it currently rested on Isaac’s back. He wished he could give the brothers a little more time to sleep, but he could see his destination up ahead. He flew over one of the great mountains of Boysen and the ocean came into view—the Great Sea, which connected to the queen’s Island of Desmal on the other side. He had no choice but to begin his descent.
Isaac landed with ease and the boys slowly awakened, stretching their limbs. “We’re here,” he said in his deep, but gentle, voice.
The boys looked around at what lay before them, and knew they were at the next level. They climbed off Isaac’s back and stared in wonderment at the clear, greenish-blue water with orange, red, and yellow coral lining its bottom. Swimming amongst the coral were brightly colored fish and other tropical sea life.
Close by at the water’s edge, they saw a wooden boat bobbing gently. On one side were the words, The Journey, and they knew the boat had been placed there specifically for them.
“Obviously this boat is for you, and as you can see to the west, the other side is, well…”
Isaac didn’t need to finish his sentence, for the boys could see, across the sea, the darkness that marked the home of Queen Zamora, the Island of Desmal.
“Thank you,” they said.
“No, thank you,” Isaac said. “But before I go, I have something for you.”
The pupil of one of Isaac’s eyes grew so bright, Carter had to place his arms in front of his face. Isaac closed his eyes and when he opened them, what appeared to be a tear fell to the sand. Upon closer examination, the boys could see it was a jewel. It resembled a diamond with its facets and crystal-clear brightness.
“Whoa, cool!” Carter said.
“Yes, it is,” Isaac remarked calmly.
“What is it?” the boys asked.
“I’m certain you will figure that out.” Isaac winked at them and then lifted into the air, the sand swirling around at his hooves . “Good luck!”
<
br /> “Will we see you again?” Carter yelled.
“Let’s hope, my boy, let’s hope,” Isaac replied and flew higher, heading back towards the mountains of Boysen and the valley beyond.
Carter reached down to pick up the sparkling jewel.
“Wait.” Mason walked over to grab it.
“You wait! You’re always making me wait and be last, and all that. I want to look at it,” Carter said.
“You’re so stupid sometimes. I don’t do any of that. If anyone makes anyone wait around, it’s you.”
“Nuh-uh. Look at the volcano. How long did I wait for you there, only to have you scare the gobbledygook out of me so I nearly fell into the lava?”
“Gobbledygook? That’s, like, mom’s favorite word. You sound dumb saying it. She sounds dumb saying it, but you sound really dumb. As for scaring you…please! I was late because I burnt my hand. You know that, you big dork!”
“Boys!” It was Seyem’s voice, but where was it coming from? The jewel!
The boys looked down where it lay on the ground. It had grown, while the two of them argued, from the size of Isaac’s teardrops to the size of a grapefruit. Carter picked it up. They stared at it and could suddenly see Seyem’s face appear within it.
“It’s a crystal ball! No way. Like those psychics on TV,” Carter said. Carter sometimes had insomnia—meaning he didn’t sleep well at nights. The family often found him seated in front of the television at odd hours watching paid programs featuring “seers of the future,” as he liked to call them.
“Ah, it is more than that, Carter. It is your directorouter.”
“Our what?” Mason asked.
“Your directorouter. It will guide you if you get off course. You have done well in your first battle. You chose to trust one another, and worked together to heal the baby dino and her mother rewarded you with a ride to the next level. You trusted her because you believed in her kind heart. You also were quite brave and clever during your challenges against the pterodactyls and the lava monster. I am impressed, but I knew if you listened to your heart and worked together, you could do this.
“However, if you don’t stop squabbling with one another you will lose this gift and any others that come your way. You must always pay heed to the rules or you will not succeed on this journey.”
The boys bowed their head in shame. Sheepishly, Carter looked over at his brother, who returned his look. They simultaneously apologized to one another and Seyem.
“There is no need to apologize to me. You must take care of each other. There will be times when all the two of you have is one another and the gifts you have received. As I’ve said, gifts can be as easily taken away as they have been granted.”
“We understand. Right, Carter?” Mason said.
“Right.” Carter nodded his head emphatically.
“Well, so what does this directorouter do?” Mason asked again.
“It helps you maintain course. When you get too far off, or think you’re lost, I will appear on it at your request, and do my best to direct you.”
“So you’re with us the whole way?”
“In a sense. But you can only use it once. And you can also only use it by the light of the moon. In fact, the magic I have conjured up with which to reach you during daylight is running out, and I must explain rather quickly. Remember, love fuels your power, negative thought takes it away. You are correct to believe the boat will take you onwards. But please be careful. These waters look beautiful, but they can become treacherous, especially as you get closer to the queen’s island.
“The queen has defenders everywhere who are trained to obstruct anyone of the light who tries to get in her way. And remember, only call on me if you absolutely must. The daytime will be difficult if you are lost. Your powers are to be used sparingly and only when necessary. Goodbye, boys. I must go. Our time has run out.” With that Seyem’s face blurred and faded away. Soon, there was nothing left of his image.
The boys knew they must continue their journey.
CHAPTER EIGHT
SANDCRABS, ROBOTIC SHARKS, AND PIRATES—OH MY!
Carter watched Mason study the directorouter. He was pretty sure his big brother was on the verge of tears. He walked over and put his arm around him, even though Mason was a foot and a half taller. “I know. I’m scared too. But we have to find Izzy and we have to be brave. You heard Seyem. Fear will keep us from moving ahead.”
“It’s harder than I thought, Carter. I’m never afraid of anything. Even when Jimmy Jennings threatened to punch my lights out because I wouldn’t give him my lunch money, and you know how huge that kid is. I wasn’t scared then. Well, maybe kind of. But not like this. I’ve never been so scared in my life. What if we can’t find her in time? What if we never get back home? And never see our mom and dad.” Mason ran his fingers through his black, curly hair. He twirled one of the curls on top, something he did when he was nervous.
“We will. We can do this. I trust you. Do you trust me? We’re gonna find her, get home, and give Mom and Dad the biggest hug of their lives.”
As Mason looked at his brother, a goofy grin spread across his face. He never thought he’d say it, but yes, for once in his life he trusted Carter. In fact, at this moment, he trusted Carter more than anyone else in the world. He tugged him on the ear, the closest he could get to showing affection.
Arm-in-arm, they trudged down to the wooden boat. “She looks sturdy,” Mason said as they climbed aboard to check it out. Inside, they found colored sandwiches (orange and purple) and green sodas, which they thought was fairly peculiar. But then again, everything about this day had been pretty weird.
“Wonder if we should drink these?” Mason said.
“Here, let’s ask…” Carter held up the crystal jewel.
Mason quickly grabbed it out of his hands, “No! Remember what he said. You can only use it once. Besides it only works by the light of the moon, and from the looks of it, I’d say we’ve got a few hours to go before then. I think we can figure this one out. The food must be all right, or else it wouldn’t be here, and Seyem himself said the boat was our transportation for this part of the journey.”
“Yeah.”
“First, before we do anything else, let’s check this thing out.”
The boys walked all the way around the thirty-foot sailboat. It was made from teakwood—shiny, beautiful, and impeccably kept. Someone loved the boat. They could tell by the way it had been cared for. The wheel was very shiny and made of brass; polished so much so the boys could see slivers of their reflections on the surface. A small, deflated life-raft was tied to the boat on the left side.
There was a cabin down below where they’d found the food inside a small refrigerator. There was also a toilet and smaller cabin with bunk beds and warm blankets.
“I wonder how long it will take for us to get there?” Carter asked.
“I don’t know, but from the looks of it, I’d say at least overnight. Otherwise, I doubt anyone would’ve stocked it with food and blankets,” Mason said.
“Overnight?” It was hard for Carter to keep the fear out of his voice now. He didn’t especially like the idea of spending the night on a boat out on open waters.
“We’ll be fine. We’re sure lucky Dad has a sailboat and taught us how to sail, huh?” Mason was trying hard to maintain a sense of calm, but there was no way around it, and it was getting later and later the longer they stood and talked.
“Okay, it’s now or never. Let’s get her into the water.”
“I’m with you,” Carter replied.
They stepped off the boat and got behind it where it was buried deep in the sand. They pushed and pushed, but to no avail. Neither was strong enough to make her budge. She was buried too deeply.
Mason went back in the cabin to see if he could find something that might be of use. There had to be a way to get her off the ground.
“Uh, Mason? Mason, could you come here?” He heard Carter calling him from the front of the boa
t.
“What? I’m trying to figure out how to get us into the water. Maybe there’s something in here.”
“I think I might have figured it out, well kind of, anyway.”
“What in the world are you talking about?” Mason climbed down the hull. Squinting his eyes, he then rubbed them, not believing what he saw. It looked like Carter was talking to an army of hermit crabs.
As Mason walked a few feet closer, rubbing his eyes again to clear his vision, he could see this was exactly what his brother was doing. “Um, what the heck is going on here?”
“Yeah, that’s what I said. Uh, Mason this here is Sergeant Sand…”
“Sandblaster,” a booming voice sounded from the tiny creature. “I am Sergeant Sandblaster and these here are my crabs. We’ve recently received reports of a beached vessel and some need for assistance. I am assuming that would be you two?”
The boys looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders. “Uh, yeah, I suppose that would be us.”
“All righty, then. Grand, grand, grand! It’s them, boys! We know who you are, you know. We know you’ve come to save Boysen, and rid us of the threat of the evil queen.”
“How do you know that?” Mason asked.
“Word travels fast in this world. And we are so happy to see you. Now, go get that nasty woman and make us proud! Get on board, boys. We’ll do the rest!”
Mason and Carter did as they were told. They watched over the side of the boat as the hoard of hermit crabs crawled under and slowly but surely moved them into the water. Within minutes they were completely water bound. “Get the mast, Carter! Thank you!”
“Yeah, thank you,” Carter yelled as he strung up the mast and the boat began to pick up speed.
The Clover Siblings and the Evil of Desmal Page 5
