Under the Serpent Sea, Page 3

  The witch waved her hand and a whooshing sound came from the pool beneath her.

  An instant later the pool went still. On its surface was the image of Queen Relna. She was dressed in silver robes and flying on a carpet over Sparr’s black fortress.

  Suddenly the sorcerer swooped in from nowhere, his cloak flapping like wings, the jagged fins behind his ears purple with rage.

  “Queen of Droon!” Sparr yelled. “I have you now! Prepare to end your days!”

  Relna swerved, but Sparr was too quick. He hurled a bolt of black fire at her.

  Zzz — blam! Relna fell back and Sparr zoomed in, shrieking with mad laughter. “I have won!”

  All of a sudden, the lake exploded.

  Out of it burst the head of a giant serpent.

  It was Demither!

  “You will not harm her!” the witch boomed.

  “Go back under the sea where you belong!” Sparr bellowed.

  Blam! He shot a second fiery bolt at Queen Relna. She was thrown from her carpet and fell lifeless through the sky.

  “Mother!” Keeah winced, watching the scene through her parted fingers.

  But from Demither’s eyes came a piercing red light. It surrounded the queen and slowed her fall. A moment later, the light vanished and something white fluttered up into the air.

  A bird.

  “The white falcon!” Keeah gasped. “That’s how my mother became the falcon. You put a spell on her!”

  In a final angry move, Sparr hurled a bolt of sizzling black fire at Demither. She took the blow in her heart and shrank back into the lake.

  The scene blurred and vanished, and then the pool was just a pool again.

  Keeah watched the water until there was nothing more to see. She stood there stunned, unable to speak. Finally, she turned to Demither.

  “You saved my mother’s life,” she said softly. “You didn’t have to, but you did. Why?”

  Water splashed suddenly behind them.

  “Demither saved me,” said a voice, “because … she is my sister!”

  Everyone turned. There, bobbing up from the depths of another pool was a sleek black dolphin.

  They all knew who it was.

  It was Queen Relna.

  Keeah ran to the pool, knelt, and hugged the dolphin. “Mother, Mother! Is it true?”

  The queen nuzzled her daughter. “Yes, my love, it is true. Demither and I are sisters.”

  Keeah stared at her mother. “But how … why didn’t you ever tell me?”

  “I forbade her to tell you until you needed to know,” Demither said. “My story is a sad one.”

  Julie turned to Eric and Neal. “Talk about a day of surprises!”

  Neal blinked. “So Witch Demither is now … Aunt Demither? That’s fairly weird.”

  “Keeah, my love,” said the dolphin queen, “long ago my sister and I shared the same powers, the same love of Droon. But she …”

  Relna stopped, struggling to find the words.

  “I chose the way of strength over that of family,” Demither hissed from her throne. “Sparr offered me greater powers. I followed him. But I grew greedy. You see what has become of me. Now Sparr is coming here to reclaim the Red Eye once and for all —”

  At that moment, a rumbling sound echoed into the dome. Everyone looked up to see a shadow spreading over the surface of the sea.

  “The black ships,” said Julie. “They’re nearly here.”

  “It is Sparr’s warriors, coming for the Eye,” said Demither. “Alas, Om has made me weak. Now only Keeah has the power to seal the jewel in Doom Gate.”

  Keeah looked at her mother, then at the witch. “Me? What do you mean? Why me?”

  Demither dived into the silver pool, then surfaced, her skin even paler than before.

  “Wizardry alone cannot stop Sparr,” she replied. “His magic is deeper, darker, older than Galen’s. Seven years ago, Keeah, I told your mother this. She did not believe me. So I took you and fled through the tunnels that weave through Droon’s underground —”

  “The passages!” Eric gasped. “Of course! They connect every place to every other place. I fell into them once.”

  “It was in the passages that I gave you my powers,” Demither said to the princess. “I knew you would need them to fight Sparr one day. But first you needed them for a dangerous journey.”

  “To the Upper World!” Neal blurted out. “Just like Eric remembered in his dream!”

  “But why?” Keeah demanded of the witch. “Why did you take me to the Upper World? What was the dangerous journey? Tell me!”

  Crash! Clang! Darkness swept over the dome.

  The black ships were directly over the palace.

  And the green water outside was turning red.

  Red … with Ninns!

  Hundreds of Lord Sparr’s red-faced warriors were jumping into the water. They were riding fierce, dragon-tailed fish with spiky teeth and bulging yellow eyes. They dived swiftly to the palace.

  “Ninns plus sea monsters!” cried Neal. “It just doesn’t get any worse!”

  Demither’s eyes flashed. “They have come for the red jewel. Keeah, you alone, using all your powers together, can seal the Eye away from Sparr.”

  “But how will we get in the Doom Gate?” Keeah asked.

  “You yourself are the key!” the witch said. “You will find the Gate in a grotto beneath this palace. In the Gate are three rooms. In the final chamber is a pit. You must seal the Eye in that pit. And remember — just as power can be shared, it can also be stolen. Be wary of Om. He is dangerous —”

  Crash! The Ninns, with helmets looking like goldfish bowls on their heads, burst into the throne room. Water splashed wildly around them as they rushed in.

  Keeah grasped the staff. Red light sizzled down the length of the staff to her hand.

  She winced, but did not let go.

  “Keeah, be strong,” said her mother. Then she turned to Demither. “Sister, I will help you!”

  “Get the Eye!” the Ninns grunted.

  “No!” Relna declared. “Sparr will never get his hands on the jewel!”

  “Take it, Keeah!” cried Demither. “Go now!”

  As Ninn arrows whizzed into the throne room, the kids slipped away to the narrow, twisting tunnels below the palace. Deeper and deeper they went, the light dimming around them, the sounds of fighting growing distant.

  Finally the tunnels ended, opening into a large room carved from the jagged rock under the palace.

  “This must be the grotto,” said Keeah softly, trying to peer into the darkness.

  With her friends close beside her, the princess grasped the staff tightly and stepped into the cave. When she did, a silvery glow lit up the darkness.

  And they saw it.

  “Whoa, it’s big,” said Neal with a low whistle.

  Eric swallowed loudly.

  “I think we found the Doom Gate.”

  The Doom Gate was a huge slab of stone. It stretched like a wall from the grotto floor to the high ceiling above.

  A black door was set deep into the bottom of the Gate. In its center was a flat space in the shape of a hand.

  “That must be the first of the three doors,” said Eric. “We enter the Gate there.”

  “And you are the key,” said Julie, remembering Demither’s words.

  “Then come on,” the princess said. “Let’s all stick together.”

  Eric smiled. “Like cheese on a pizza,” he whispered to himself.

  Keeah placed her hand flat against the center of the door.

  Kkk! Boom — boom! The black door slid aside with a thunderous sound. Beyond it stood a smaller room carved from the rock around it.

  But the instant they entered the room, the door clanged shut behind them.

  “It’s a trap!” said Julie, suddenly afraid. “I told you we shouldn’t have gone in —”

  Neal gave her a look. “No, you didn’t.”

  Julie frowned. “Well, I was thinking it!�
�

  “It’s all right,” said the princess, looking around. “Demither conjured the Doom Gate to keep people out. I guess we should think of this as a sort of trial.”

  “A trial?” said Eric, glancing quickly at Julie and Neal. “I guess you could call it that.”

  He wondered if Keeah had any idea that she herself was being tested. She seemed brave and strong, but with so much magic in her, who could tell what would happen?

  Especially in a place called Doom!

  In the red light of the flickering Eye, they saw that the rocky room was very cold. Ice had formed all the way up the walls. A path winding to a second door across the room was matted with frost. Clusters of icicles hung from the ceiling.

  “Well, we found Demither’s freezer,” said Neal, shivering. “But I don’t think we’ll find any ice cream.”

  Sssss! A hissing sound echoed off the walls.

  “What was that?” Eric asked.

  Keeah nodded. “I heard it, too.”

  Spar-r-r-r-r!

  It was raspy and low. But whether it was more like an old man’s voice, or like a whispering child’s, Eric couldn’t tell.

  “Who said that?” said Julie, looking around.

  The red jewel flared and sizzled in the staff.

  Then they knew.

  It was Om, the spirit in the stone.

  Sparr made me. Demither stole me. You shall free me!

  “Whoa, a jewel that talks,” said Neal. “Well, think again, Eyeball. We’re not freeing you. We’re here to put you in your place!”

  Are you him?

  Neal blinked at the jewel. “Him who?”

  No, it’s not you. It’s the other. The quiet one.

  “Hey, is there an off switch on this thing?” Neal asked, backing onto the path. “Because he’s starting to scare me —”

  “Neal!” Julie cried. “Watch out!”

  Suddenly — crack! whoosh! — a long, sharp icicle broke off from the ceiling and fell at Neal. Then another fell and another. He tried to jump away, but there was nowhere for him to go.

  “Hellllllp!” he screamed.

  Keeah thrust out her hands and — zzzing! Red light surrounded Neal. He flailed his arms and legs for an instant. Then — ploomf! — Neal was no longer Neal.

  He was a turtle.

  A baby sea turtle.

  Crash! Crunch! Crack!

  The icicles shattered on Neal’s hard shell, sprinkling icy dust harmlessly across the floor.

  Julie snatched Neal from the ground. “Keeah, you saved him! That was amazing!”

  “Amazing?” Neal squeaked. “Amazing? It’s terrible! Now I’m just like Queen Relna! I’ll go from shape to shape. A chipmunk. An elephant. A worm! None of my clothes will fit —”

  “Please don’t freak out,” said Eric.

  “Neal, I’m sorry,” said Keeah, touching his shell lightly. “I’m not sure where that spell came from. I know I can change you back, but not right now. We need to keep going.”

  Clang! Crash! The sounds of the battle in the palace echoed down into the cavern.

  “And we need to go fast,” said Eric.

  “Wait here.” Keeah held her hand up over her head and flicked her fingers. A shower of silver crystals fell over her, the flakes plinking and tinkling together like hundreds of tiny bells.

  “What’s that for?” Julie asked.

  “Just watch,” the princess said. She gazed up at the ceiling. “Here I go!”

  There was a blur and a sudden whizzing sound where Keeah was. Then she was gone.

  “Where did she go?” Neal started.

  The next instant — fwoosh! — she was on the other side of the chamber, smiling brightly.

  Then — thwack! flang! crunch! — every icicle fell from the ceiling and crashed to the floor right where Keeah had been just seconds earlier!

  Eric blinked. “That was so cool!”

  “It’s safe for you to cross now,” Keeah said.

  Julie popped Neal into a small pouch on her belt, and she and Eric ran to the princess.

  Keeah set her hand on the second door and it slid aside like the first.

  But this time the room ahead was a warm green garden full of strange and beautiful plants.

  “This looks much better,” said Eric. “I think.”

  They stepped in carefully, Keeah in the lead.

  “What’s going on?” Neal asked in a squeaky voice, peering out of the pouch. “Anything happening?”

  Just wait! hissed Om’s voice.

  Suddenly one of the plants nearest Eric unfurled two spiky tendrils and grabbed for him.

  “Veggies!” cried Eric. “With attitude!”

  He managed to dodge out of the way when the plant lunged. But Julie wasn’t so lucky. The spiky shoots wrapped around her arms and yanked her off her feet.

  “Ohhh!” she cried. The plant tightened its grip and twisted her upside down, sending Neal clattering to the floor.

  Keeah jumped for the plant, muttering words in a language Eric had never heard before.

  A red light covered Julie. She shuddered once, then — poof! — became a snake.

  “A fire snake!” Keeah announced, surprised. “I didn’t know I could do that, either.”

  Julie slithered easily from the plant’s grasp. Then she turned and breathed on the plant.

  Tssst! A blast of hot air withered the tendrils.

  “Serves them right!” said Neal, snapping the toasted tendrils off with his beak. “Yum!”

  Clang! Clonk! More sounds of fighting echoed into the Doom Gate.

  “We’d better keep going,” said Keeah. “Julie?”

  “Spicy breath at your service!” Julie said. She slithered across the floor, burning a path of roasted plants to the far end of the room.

  Eric wondered if Keeah’s trial was going well. With two of his best friends turned into strange animals, he wasn’t really sure.

  He picked up Neal and popped him into the pouch on his belt. Then he tapped Keeah’s arm.

  “You can change Julie and Neal back, right?” he whispered. “Because I’m pretty sure their parents will be mad if I bring back a turtle and a snake instead of them.”

  “Of course!” Keeah said confidently. Then she whispered, “I hope so, anyway.”

  With that, she placed her hand on the final lock, the door slid aside with a boom, and they headed together into the last chamber.

  The innermost chamber of the Doom Gate was shrouded in shadows.

  “Am I still in my shell?” asked Neal, poking his head out of Eric’s pouch. “Or is this room dark?”

  “It’s-s-s dark,” Julie hissed, coiling near Keeah’s feet.

  With a whispered word, the princess opened her palm, and a ball of blue wizard light rolled from her hand.

  “Wizard powers are still the best,” she said.

  She tossed the ball high, lighting the chamber.

  Right away, the light began to fade.

  “There is magic in this place,” Keeah said.

  Eric peered into the gloom.

  The chamber was almost perfectly round. A narrow stone bridge led from the door to a sort of island in the center. On either side of the bridge the ground fell away to nothing.

  “I don’t like it here,” said Neal. “It makes me want to hide my head.”

  “Stay here, all of you,” said Keeah. With the staff grasped firmly in her hand, she stepped onto the bridge. The others stayed near the door.

  “This place makes me feel creepy,” said Julie. “And for a s-s-snake, that’s s-s-saying a lot!”

  Eric felt it, too.

  There was something frightening about this final chamber. He hoped Keeah wasn’t as afraid as he and his friends were. It might mess up her powers just when she needed them most.

  He watched Keeah closely.

  As she crossed the bridge, a strange hot wind began swirling around the walls of the room.

  It was coming from the staff. From Om.

&nbs
p; “There’s a pit in the center of the island,” Keeah called. “And an iron lid that seals shut. That’s where Om needs to go.”

  Eric hoped Keeah would be able to do it.

  But Om didn’t want to be inside the pit.

  The closer Keeah drew to the pit, the fiercer were the sparks shooting off the end of the staff.

  Flashes of red flame darted out of the gem, circling the room and crackling overhead. The hot wind howled even louder.

  Om was angry.

  Eric stood by the door as Neal pulled his head into his shell and Julie curled up next to him.

  “This is it,” Eric murmured, watching Keeah. “This is her trial. And we can’t help her….”

  On the island now, Keeah lifted the staff over her head. Then she turned the staff down toward the dark pit.

  “Good-bye, Om,” Keeah said. “The Red Eye goes dark … now!”

  Noooo! Om howled. Keeah! Look … look!

  The staff began to shake in her hands.

  Eric tried to see what was happening, but the storm grew louder and darker and fiercer.

  Keeah — look! Om whispered.

  Suddenly there were castles forming out of the swirling wind, and piles of gold, and armies of warriors as far as the eye could see.

  Use your witch power to set me free, Om shouted. All this will be yours. Yes! Then I will share my power with you!

  “Or steal mine from me — like you stole Witch Demither’s!” Keeah snapped.

  You are part witch now!

  “Begone, Om!” she cried. “Into the pit!”

  Nooooo! Om shouted.

  At once, the red storm swept around her.

  “Keeah!” said Eric. He knew he wasn’t supposed to help her. But he couldn’t stop himself.

  “Keeah!” he shouted. “Keeah!”

  Eric battled the winds on the bridge. He made his way across and leaped onto the island. Struggling to help Keeah, he, too, grasped the witch’s staff.

  You! Om shouted at him. You!

  The staff felt strange in his hand. As if it were water running through his palm.

  Hot water. Very hot!

  Then he knew what it was. It was power.

  “Owww!” cried Eric. “It’s burning me!”

  You are him, aren’t you?