Moonfin (31 page)

“I bet you've been here so long that you don't even know what it is to be free … or maybe you're afraid you'll leave something behind?”

Lizzy stroked her fin, briefly, because Moonfin opened her rather enormous toothy mouth and spoke.

“What do you want, Glimmruyn?” she rumbled.

Lizzy quaked all over.

With popping eyes, she said, “I-I've come to help you!”

Moonfin snorted gruffly, smoke billowing from her nostrils. “Then you have wasted your time,” she growled savagely. “Go back to the sea from where you came.”

“B-but—I am not just from the sea. Look here—”

Lizzy concentrated hard and transformed to her plain human-self for a brief moment. And had she thought it through, she probably would not have done it. Moonfin's head bolted up, and sparks flew from her mouth. “
HUUUUMAN
! I hate humans! Leave before I kill you,
hafliiiinnng
!”

Lizzy didn't doubt that for a second, after all the poking and prodding Moonfin suffered at Dr. Krell's hands. She transformed back. “I'm sorry for all the pain they've caused you,” she said sadly. Then, sitting down in the sludgy seabed, she pulled her knees into her chest and buried her face in her hands, discouraged, and searched her heart for the right words to say to Moonfin, but none came. Not even a Glimmruyn word came to her.

Then a small idea came into her head.

It might have been a bad idea, for how does one move a giant sea dragon out of a cave except with fear and trembling?

She darted up to her enormous eye and laid a hand on Moonfin's head. Lizzy tried to convey to her in pictures that her babies depended on her to escape. Moonfin's eye narrowed, sending a chill down Lizzy's spine. She continued to explain as best she could all about the Quarantine Room: where it was in the aquarium, and all that Dr. Krell was doing there, and also about the offspring that had died, except the one, which was still alive, but trapped.

That did the trick.

Fiery hues rippled under her skin and billowed toward her head, releasing more smoldering sulfur through her nostrils.

“Follow me,” Lizzy said swiftly.

They both lifted off the seafloor and broke the surface right next to the dinghy, which sent Jeff and Kai scrambling in fright.

Lizzy waved to them and shouted, “I want you to get out of the boat and grab onto one of her dorsal fins!”

Jeff and Kai gaped, wide-mouthed back at her.

“Are you insane? We were lucky to escape death once!” snapped Kai. Jeff shook his head violently while muttering incoherent words.

“Listen—you know these scales around our necks? My mom said they let off an EM pulse, and I think it might be confusing Moonfin into thinking we're part of the ocean—like non-human or something. It's sending a signal message, and I'm willing to bet she won't hurt either of you.”

Jeff let out a terrified groan.

“We don't have a choice now. People are coming,” he said, casting glances back toward shore.

Jeff was right. The earlier alarm was short-lived but enough to bring some techs to this side of the sea. Little dots wearing white lab coats flooded the shore and were yelling and pointing at them. A few even mounted Jet Skis and were rapidly heading their way.

Jeff and Kai dove into the sea and swam behind Moonfin. She didn't lunge at them or pay much attention to them at all, but only looked over curiously with one of her sizable eyes, at one point swinging a gigantic nostril around and giving them a long sniff before looking away satisfied.

Latching on to one of her dorsal fins, they motioned to Lizzy that they were ready. She wrapped her hand around one of the long antennae that shot out from Moonfin's head, and digging deep into her Glimmruyn heart, she shouted, “Muktiparu—freedom!” And off they went, getting the ride of their life as Moonfin tunneled through the water. She gave the Jet Skis a huge wave after flipping her massive fin, and Jeff and Kai laughed heartily when they looked behind to find them tumbling into the water.

Coming to the underwater gate, they glided out through a very long lava tube—which is why it was so difficult for the Glimmruyn to find: lava tubes can go for miles—and away from the black caves of Frog Mountain. After what seemed like an eternity, because Moonfin had to slow down several times and break the surface for Jeff and Kai to breathe pockets of oxygen along the top of the lava tube, they emerged out in the open ocean, the setting sun blasting their faces as they surfaced.

Lizzy didn't want to risk another capture by Dr. Krell, and so she had Moonfin ride them over to a small beach on the far north side of the island. Concealed by steep rock cliffs, it would be difficult for him to find. She moved in close to shore.

“I'll take Moonfin to Xili and the others,” Lizzy told them, “and meet you back here before nightfall.”

She watched as Jeff and Kai pulled up onto the beach. Once there, they turned, sopping wet, and waved her out to sea.

Chapter 20
FREEDOM!

L
izzy sidled up to Moonfin, holding on to one of her many dorsal spikes, and the two glided out to the Deep to gather with the other Glimmruyns. It was many miles yet, and Moonfin swam silently the first few. But then she spoke, and Lizzy‘s heart lurched to have such an old and frightening creature speak into her mind.

“Hhhaaaffliiing,” she growled haughtily, “there is more to you than the eye can see.”

Lizzy was silent.

She didn't like being called a “hafling.” It just meant that she wasn't wholly one thing, or another. But how do you argue with a dragon?

“And I am neither stupid nor blind. I can see that your friends are human. The scales around your necks did stop me at first … but not for long.”

She was surprised to hear this.

“Then why didn't you go ahead and eat them, like you did the eel?”

Moonfin shook the waters around them.

“What offense have they given me?” she roared. “I am not unjust toward humankind.
Snirchers
”—and she said this word as if it was filth to her taste buds—“are another matter. Besides, humans are abhorrent to the palate. Simply too chewy.” Her shard-filled mouth twitched slightly, and Lizzy couldn't tell if she was being serious or not.

Moonfin suddenly whipped her head around and peered one of her big fiery eyes onto Lizzy.

“You are not made for retribution. Leave such things to the likes of me!” she rumbled. Lizzy guessed she meant the moment she, Lizzy, was going to pulverize the Snircher eel into a bazillion scummy pieces and whispered, “Thank you,” knowing she was right. Moonfin puffed a small fire-ball in response.

“I owe you this one thing,” she continued in a most superior tone. “When you saw into me earlier and the pains I suffered, I saw into you as well. You gave me the gift of showing me my children held captive on land. Now this one thing I give to you: the one you call ‘Brandon' lives.”

Lizzy was stunned. “But how do you know—”

Moonfin swung one of her long antennae forward.

“When I place these above the surface, I can read the data streams and radio signals, as well as hear conversations that take place on land in close proximity. Once, not very long ago, I heard his name mentioned, and they spoke about him as if he were alive.”

“But—”

“That is all I know of it!” she snarled deeply.

Lizzy held Moonfin's words in her heart like precious stones, and they swam the rest of the way in silence.

 

The Glimmruyn were waiting, having received a message from Iddo that Lizzy was attempting to free Moonfin and would soon be on her way. Xili, Cheroo, Rhizoo, Tevu, and many she probably had seen before, but couldn't remember, had all gathered on the surface of the waters to take Moonfin to safety.

Lizzy was so very happy to see them all.

“Mhmhmhmh, my sister, you did it! There is no time to waste. We can take her from here,” said Xili joyfully.

“She knows all of you?”

“Oh yes! We have been on many migrations together.”

Lizzy glanced anxiously toward Frog Mountain.

“But where will you take her? If she continues on her usual route, Dr. Krell is sure to find her again.”

Xili smiled. “You do not need to worry. We will hide her away in the great canyons for a time and make sure there is not a tracking device implanted, and then we will set her free in a distant sea.”

Lizzy looked unconvinced. “But if he could do it once before—”

“It is very unlikely Moonfin will fall for his tricks again. Indeed, it is Dr. Krell I should worry about if they by chance meet again.”

The Glimmruyn surrounded Moonfin, caring for her, checking her wounds and consoling her pains. Lizzy explained the problem of the shackle on her flipper, and Xili assured her they would remove it safely, healing the damage it caused. That was their job after all!

Xili sighed happily.

“You have done well, child. Many were saved because of you.”

“But the aquarium … so many have perished—” Lizzy felt the pain welling up in her heart.

“That battle will be fought one day.” Xili placed a watery hand on her cheek. “You had better go. Wait on shore with your friends for one more night, and Captain Quinn will come with his fishing boat to take you home at daybreak.”

She turned to leave.

“But wait, Xili, please,” Lizzy suddenly blurted. She had so many questions!

“Yes?”

There was a long pause as Lizzy tried to recall that puzzling word she had uttered within the dark caves of Frog Mountain. She mouthed it silently a few times to get it right before saying it out loud.

“Wh-whirl-whirly …
whirliptinger
?”

A look of pleasant surprise flooded Xili's face.

“Whirliptinger came to you?

“Yes, in the cave. There was this horrid Snircher named Samira—”

“Oh! I have heard of her,” Xili said, shaking her head. “She is one of the vilest of the Fear Guardians—one of their queens, as I understand it.”

“Queen?”

Xili twittered about, highly distressed to even speak of such things.

“She has the unique ability to split from her animal so they can act independently. Only the most powerful can do such a thing. They are often deadly. Are you—?”

“I'm okay,” said Lizzy, hungry to know more. “Can you tell me about … about this Whirliptinger?”

“Why, it's your sword, of course!”

Lizzy was dumbstruck.
I have a sword of my own,
she thought wildly.

“All the Glimmruyn receive a weapon of some kind when they reach the age of maturity. Whirliptinger chose you. Some receive the bow, others the horn. And some receive a secret word that only they can know and wield. It depends on the warrior and their needs. I am very glad Whirliptinger came. The sword will only come when you need it the most!”

She needed it all right—Samira nearly sucked the life right out of her. With a jolt she remembered, too, the man who spoke from the darkness of the cave, saying, “
Like the time you were little you called, and it came
.” How did he know?

“But Xili, have I ever … did I ever once call Whirliptinger before—as a human?”

“Just once, I recall. There was an injured whale on the beach of Blowing Prawn. It was near death, and a wild dog was viciously attacking it …”

She paused and started to giggle, probably from the shocked look on Lizzy's face.

“Mhmhmhmh, you were only four years old when you called the blade up from the ocean. It was so funny because the blade was bigger than you and—”

“I
killed
it!” Lizzy croaked, pulling her hands to her mouth.

“No, no, Whirliptinger does not kill. Only … how do you say it …
purges
them momentarily. It empties out all the bad inside and renders them harmless for the time being, sending them on their way, usually very confused for a time.”

“That makes sense. Samira broke into uncontrollable laughter before disappearing into the wall,” she said breathlessly. “Did anyone see me call up the sword?”

“Yes, your brother, Brandon, saw you do so.”

Brandon!
It could've been him in the cave telling her to call the blade up like he'd seen her do before … or a hallucination … or a desperate memory from her past.

Xili twirled around anxiously. The other Glimmruyn had already moved off into the open sea, and she was ready to leave with them. Lizzy was sad to see them go. Now that she had fulfilled her mission and set Moonfin free, she wondered, “Will I see you all again?”

“Mmhmhmhm, we are—”

“Never far from me,” she said, finishing her words. “Yes, I know…. OH!”
What was that
?

It came in a flash. Lizzy spun quickly around, squinting into the cool, green waters.

In one fraction of a second, the ocean looked
different
. It wasn't the same color or textures—it was electric, somehow.