Benotripia- The Complete Trilogy

by McKenzie Wagner

  “Roseabelle!” Jessicana shouted and rushed over to her friend while Astro kept his eyes fixed on the Darvonian.

  “What do you want?” Astro snarled, tempted to throw his spear at her, but he knew it wouldn’t do any good. Sheklyth was well trained with her knife and he had a feeling that that wasn’t the only thing she was hiding under her cloak.

  Sheklyth smirked at him. “Why, I was sent to deliver a message, of course. We won’t bother you on this mountain.”

  “Why do I find that hard to believe?” Astro shot back.

  Sheklyth smiled, her expression cold and heartless. “Well, it’s true. Of course, you might be fighting for your lives on this mountain. But we won’t be the ones you’ll be fighting.”

  “What are you talking about?” Astro hissed. He was getting nervous, and agitation was gnawing at him furiously. “Stop speaking in riddles.”

  Sheklyth gave a mock sigh. “Very well then.” She clicked her tongue, and a dark shadow began to spread over Astro. A rhythmic pounding shook the ground, and Astro stumbled back a bit. He could see Jessicana and Roseabelle shakily standing up, Jessicana’s eyes filling with utter terror and Roseabelle’s with grim determination.

  Sheklyth gave a hearty “Ta-ta!” and zipped away into the foothills.

  CHAPTER 6

  Garaganta

  A MONSTROUS SHAPE EMERGED FROM THE SHADOWS, and Astro’s heart skipped a beat. When he looked straight forward, he could see green scaly legs with multiple large zits and knots. When Astro tilted his head back, he could see the legs connected to a giant furry body with an ugly green head and horns. Astro had never seen anything like it. “They must have brought it from Darvonia,” he whispered.

  Jessicana screamed, and Roseabelle tripped over her backpack. Astro was left alone, his fear growing by the minute. His spear was a toothpick compared to the monster. “Hey, Bigfoot!” Roseabelle suddenly yelled. Both the monster and Astro turned their heads to see Roseabelle aiming a Flame-hurler at the beast. She cranked the lever, and three iron balls came flying out, hurtling toward it.

  Jessicana, now standing, shouted to Astro, “It’s a Garaganta!” Astro turned back to the monster as it batted away two of the spheres from its chest, but the third zoomed in between the Garaganta’s claws and hit the monster squarely in the chest.

  “Hit the deck!” Roseabelle screamed. Astro dived underneath a pile of rocks as an explosion of red and black erupted above them. Smoke entered Astro’s nostrils, and he starting coughing. “Roseabelle? Jessicana?” he shouted. Is the Garaganta dead?

  A loud bellow answered his question, and Astro stood, his eyes watering because of the smoke. The gray fog cleared, and Astro winced as the Garaganta staggered forward. He could see Jessicana, slumped against a large boulder, and Roseabelle trying to revive her.

  The Garaganta turned toward him, and Astro immediately extended a finger and shot a silver-blue lightning bolt at the beast. It struck the Garaganta in the thigh. Bellowing with rage, it advanced toward the boy. Astro gulped. Now he’d only made the situation worse. He opened his pack and pulled out the Flame-hurler, trained it at the beast, and reached for ammo, only to realize he didn’t have any. Roseabelle had all the iron spheres tucked away in her pack.

  Astro quickly pulled out his sword and shield, gritted his teeth, and charged, knowing that this was one battle he couldn’t win. The monster stared down at him, mesmerized for a second, as though he was surprised that such a puny little thing thought it could oppose him. Then he jumped, making the ground shake. Astro stumbled but managed to stay on his feet. Behind him he could hear Roseabelle shouting “Astro, no!” but he kept going anyway.

  As Astro reached the monster’s foot, he plunged his sword into the soft part between the Garaganta’s claw and the bone. His foe yowled in pain and kicked him off, sending Astro flying into the air. Astro landed hard on the ground, which knocked the breath out of him. His head ached, as if it were being shaken, and he felt tempted to fall asleep. He could hear Roseabelle’s faint screams and forced himself back to consciousness.

  As his eyes fluttered open, Astro realized that his “headache” was actually the Garaganta running toward him. He could see Roseabelle behind the monster, whacking it with her sword and trying to distract it from Astro, but it wasn’t working. The beast’s black eyes, dark as tunnels, were intently fixed on the lightning boy. Astro’s sword was lying three feet away, so he was armed with only his shield. Astro scoured the landscape, looking for something he could use as a weapon, but nothing looked promising. All he had was his lightning, which didn’t seem to affect the monster.

  A black object came sailing toward him, and Astro caught it. It was his backpack. He quickly opened it and realized that Roseabelle had placed some ammo inside and then tossed it to him. Astro grabbed the Flame-hurler, loaded the iron sphere into it, and braced for impact. But just before he fired, a small slip of paper on the sphere made him stop.

  He quickly read out loud, “Maximum force.” Suddenly Astro understood. Most ammo was enough to get rid of a person. But earlier, Roseabelle had shot a “Maximum force” sphere at the monster, and that was why it caused such an explosion. He silently thanked Roseabelle for labeling it, or else he wouldn’t have known to take cover.

  “Astro, hurry!” came Roseabelle’s voice. When Astro looked up, he saw the Garaganta getting closer and closer. Its shadow soon hovered over him, and Astro looked away and fired at the monster’s chest.

  Astro clenched the Flame-hurler tightly, and when he opened his eyes, he could see the sphere about to plunge into the Garaganta’s chest. He spotted an alcove, jumped into the rocky cave, and covered his ears, waiting for the explosion.

  Instead, a rumble shook his cavern, and Astro trembled as his hiding spot crumbled into several different pieces. One piece bit into his back, and he cried out in pain. A sharp claw lifted him into the air, the sunlight blinding him. He soon found himself facing the dark eyes of the Garaganta. Astro struggled to breathe as the monster tightened its grip.

  “Hey, you big bully!” someone shouted. But it wasn’t Roseabelle. It wasn’t even Jessicana. Astro painfully turned his head to see a red-haired man holding a large catapult, loaded with large boulders. He had a black cloak on and Astro tensed. Could he be a Darvonian? But something inside told him that a Darvonian wouldn’t come to rescue his enemies.

  Roseabelle was next to him, wielding a large, thick wooden club that the man had obviously given to her. Jessicana still lay slumped against the boulder, and Astro wished that she was a safer place. It was the second time this week she had been unconscious.

  “Take cover!” Roseabelle yelled as the man pulled back on his catapult. A large boulder sailed into the air. Astro ducked right when the rock soared over his head. He could feel the monster’s claw tightening against his body. Astro struggled to draw in another breath.

  The monster loosened its grip at the impact. Astro tumbled to the earth below, flailing wildly, and then everything went black. He was unconscious before he hit the ground.

  CHAPTER 7

  Dastrock

  ROSEABELLE STOOD OVER ASTRO AND FACED THE RED -haired man that had just saved her friend’s life. “All right,” she demanded. “You owe us an explanation. Who are you?”

  The red-haired man smiled gently. “I imagine you aren’t going to believe me straightaway, Roseabelle. But, please, hear me out.”

  Roseabelle thumped her foot against the barren ground. “I’m waiting.”

  The man sighed and stated plainly, “I’m your uncle.”

  Roseabelle blinked. Her uncle? Danette didn’t have a brother! Was this guy actually expecting her to believe him? She burst out laughing, her hearty bellow echoing throughout the mountains.

  “I’m serious,” the man said. “My name is Dastrock.”

  “I think my mother would have told me if she had a brother,” Roseabelle reasoned.

  “Who said I was your mother’s brother?” Dastrock asked, folding his arms across
his chest.

  “Y-you’re claiming to be my father’s brother?” Roseabelle asked incredulously.

  “That’s right,” Dastrock confirmed.

  “How do I know you aren’t a Darvonian?” Roseabelle questioned suspiciously.

  “Would a Darvonian save him?” Dastrock pointed to Astro, and Roseabelle sighed. The man did have a point.

  “Well, even if you aren’t a Darvonian, that doesn’t mean you’re my uncle,” Roseabelle told him. “You could be some crazy Benotripian who lives in a hut on the mountain peak.”

  Dastrock shrugged. “True. But what kind of crazy hermit knows Danette’s daughter’s name?”

  Roseabelle blinked. He was right. Dastrock had known her name without asking. “All right,” she admitted. “Let’s say that you are my uncle. What are you doing here dressed up as a Darvonian?”

  Dastrock sighed and glanced over his shoulder. “I suppose by talking to you I’ve already blown my cover, so I might as well tell you the rest of it. I’m a spy for the Benotripians and have been posing as a Darvonian for eleven years, since your father disappeared. I’ve worked my way up through the system and finally got into the position of a Missonair, a scout who could embark on top-secret missions along with the royal family. I never, not once, got in touch with Benotripia, which helped my cover.”

  “What’s the point of being a spy if you don’t gain any information?” Roseabelle asked.

  “If you don’t share information,” Dastrock corrected her. “I learned many things.”

  “All right then,” Roseabelle reasoned. “For all I know you could be an IB, an Imitation Benotripian. So show me your power.”

  Dastrock blinked. “What?”

  “If you are a Benotripian, then you are born with a power,” Roseabelle supplied.

  “Oh. Right.” Dastrock spread his arms and closed his eyes, softly humming. Roseabelle raised her eyebrows, trying to figure out what he was doing, when goose bumps crept onto her arms and she shivered. Why was it so cold all of a sudden? Of course, it was Dastrock causing the temperature shift. He could obviously drop or raise temperatures. How terrifying. The hairs on the back of her hand stood up.

  “All right,” she said loudly, “you’ve made your point. You’re a Benotripian. You’re possibly my uncle. And you saved Astro. Thank you.”

  “Well, finally I get some credit,” Dastrock said. “And I think your friend right there is waking up.”

  Roseabelle whirled around to see Jessicana standing up sluggishly, muttering to herself. When she swooned, Roseabelle ran over to catch her, one hand on her friend’s shoulder, the other on her back. “You okay, Jessicana?” she asked softly.

  Jessicana blinked. “W-What happened? There was a monster—and Sheklyth . . . a-a-a—”

  “It’s all right, Jessicana,” Roseabelle soothed. “You’re going to be fine. Astro fought the monster, and my uncle here, Dastrock, killed it.”

  “U-uncle?” Jessicana stammered. “Dastrock? Who?”

  “Just rest,” Roseabelle comforted. “We’re going to fly up the mountain in an hour, so you can sleep for now.” Jessicana nodded, muttered something Roseabelle couldn’t make out, and slumped against the boulder again.

  Dastrock cleared his throat. “So . . . ?”

  “What?” Roseabelle snapped. She didn’t mean to be irritated with Dastrock, but she wanted to care for her friends, fly up the mountain, find the journal, and get the Stones of Horsh before the Darvonians could. They were wasting precious time.

  Dastrock put a hand on her shoulder and looked into her eyes. “Roseabelle, please. I must warn you. The Darvonians must know by now that you’ve defeated the monster, something they were not planning on. They’ll block you, ambush you, and do whatever it takes to get to the journal first. Your friends need rest, and so do you.”

  “What if they get the journal and then run off?” Roseabelle protested.

  “They won’t,” Dastrock promised. “They know you’ll just follow them.

  “I can’t believe I’m trusting you,” Roseabelle grumbled as she lay down on a large smooth stone for some rest.

  Dastrock gave her a small smile. “Neither can I.”

  ROSEABELLE JOSTLED JESSICANA AND ASTRO AWAKE, HER OWN eyes weary from sleep. “Guys, wake up,” she whispered urgently.

  Both of them sat up, and Roseabelle pointed to the large carcass of the Garaganta. “Dastrock’s gone. He probably betrayed us and is now telling the Darvonians our location. I was a fool to believe him,” she fumed.

  Astro raised an eyebrow. “Who’s Dastrock?”

  Jessicana rubbed her eyes. “Her grandfather, I think.”

  “Uncle,” corrected a masculine voice. “And no, I haven’t betrayed you, Roseabelle. I didn’t know it was a crime to doze off where you couldn’t see me.”

  The three of them turned to see Dastrock stretching. Roseabelle glared at him. “Very witty. Come on, we need to go. Dastrock, thanks for the help.” She picked up the backpacks and whistled for the Persopians.

  “Hey, wait a second!” Dastrock protested. “I can help you.”

  Roseabelle sighed sadly. “I’m really sorry, whoever you are. It doesn’t matter if you’re a good guy or a bad guy. Because no matter what, I’ll never really know where your loyalties lie. I’m sorry, Dastrock. It’s true you could be my uncle, but what if you’ve been biding your time, waiting to strike. What if you’re the one who made my father disappear?”

  Dastrock looked taken aback. “I would never,” he stated solemnly.

  “Yeah, well, either you’re telling the truth or you’re a good liar,” Roseabelle spat. Her voice softened. “Listen, I’m sorry, Dastrock, but I can’t.”

  He sighed. “I understand. But please let me at least distract the Darvonians from you.”

  Roseabelle shrugged. “All right. But we’re not telling you where we’re going.”

  “Fair enough. Get your friends ready. You’ll need all the time you can get.”

  Something about the man’s tone made Roseabelle shiver.

  CHAPTER 8

  The Journal

  JESSICANA HOISTED HERSELF ATOP HER MOUNT, RUBBED her eyes, and bit her lip. How could she have done this to her friends? Just when they could have used her help, she’d fainted, becoming utterly useless. She felt terrible.

  “Ready to go?” called Roseabelle. She had laid out the plan just a few minutes ago. They would fly to the peak of the mountain, find where the journal was buried, and fly off with it. Roseabelle had gone back to her tower room to read more about the fairy tale “The Stones of Horsh” before they had left for the Aku Mountains. She had learned three things:

  The journal would be under a silver statuette.

  It was indeed hidden in the Aku Mountains.

  Many traps were laid out to keep intruders from stealing the journal.

  Jessicana could only hope that these were actual facts and not just made-up details to the fairy tale. “Fly!” Roseabelle shouted, and Jessicana dug her heel into the flank of the Persopian. His feathery wings rose up around her, and Jessicana let out a shriek of delight as the animal bolted into the air at high speed. “Left!” Roseabelle shouted. Jessicana tugged on the animal’s mane, and they veered to the left. Jessicana kept a sharp ear out as Roseabelle shouted out commands.

  Dastrock had told Roseabelle where the Darvonians were planning to ambush them, so they decided it would be safest to avoid those areas, even when they were in the air. As they rose in altitude, Jessicana’s ears popped, and she bit her lip furiously. In her human form, this was extremely uncomfortable. But when she was a parrot, she could soar wherever she wanted.

  Jessicana felt tempted to transform, but that would probably lose the Persopian, and she didn’t want to fly all the way to where the Stones were hidden! She fought the urge and concentrated on their destination.

  “Stop!” Roseabelle shouted, and she landed roughly on a small peak of the mountain. Astro followed her, while Jessicana chose a more precis
e spot to land.

  Astro gulped as he stared over the edge of the peak. “That’s high,” he whispered. “Really, really high.”

  Jessicana rolled her eyes. “Come on, Astro. It’s not so bad.”

  He shrugged. “It’s easy to say when you can just fly on down.”

  “Guys, we don’t have time for arguing! Search for the statuette. It has to be here somewhere,” Roseabelle scolded. The three friends instantly knelt down, pawing in the dirt, hands groping for something metal.

  After a long search, Jessicana sat up, breathing heavily. “It’s not here. There are too many mountain peaks, Roseabelle.”

  “I found it!” Astro exclaimed. “It’s here.”

  Jessicana blinked. “Let me just say, that was pure luck.” The girls rushed to Astro’s side, and he held up the small silver statuette of a man holding a thick book. “Dig!” Jessicana urged. They all scooped handfuls of dirt, flinging it off the mountain, desperately prying through the soil. Their hands suddenly hit rock, and they sat back in disappointment, staring at all the dirt they had excavated.

  “Where is it?” Astro asked hollowly.

  Jessicana ran her hands over the smooth stone, questioning each detail. Her eyes then lit up. “I think I know what to do,” she announced, and she put all her weight on the left side of the stone, pushing as hard as she could. “Help me!” she groaned. Astro and Roseabelle placed their hands on the stone too, putting so much weight on the stone that their cheeks were pressed against the ground.

  The right side of the stone suddenly came up, and Jessicana quickly pulled Roseabelle and Astro out of the way as the slab of rock nearly hit their faces. Astro stared at it in amazement. “Jessicana, you’re a genius!” he shouted. “I think I see the journal!”

  “There’s no need to announce it to the whole island,” Roseabelle hissed.