The Serpent's Ring (Relics of Mysticus) (7 page)

“‘We must return to Asgard,’ my strange, little creature whispered. As you can imagine, I literally fell to the floor.”

“Here, I had always assumed you startled because of what I said, not because I said anything at all,” said Dunkle with a smile.

Dr. Irving continued with his story, "Then, the little creature raised his head, for what I believed must be the last time, and gasped, ‘Not much time; please, we will need the Serpent’s Ring.’

“I just stared in astonishment, and Dunkle stared right back at me. He shook his head and said, ‘Please, excuse my manners; my name is Dunkle. Now, hurry!’

“What was I to do? I gathered Dunkle into my arms and followed his directions to where he had hidden the Serpent’s Ring. This was particularly difficult since, as we approached the exact spot, Dunkle made me shield my eyes. I retrieved the Serpent's Ring and was impressed by its intricacy. Although Dunkle was not particularly heavy, our journey had been long, and I needed both hands free to carry him back. Without a thought, I placed the golden ring on my arm. Then something astounding occurred. The sky changed from blue to tangerine.”

“You were in Sagaas!” chimed Evan.

“Yes, we were,” said Dr. Irving.

“Then what happened?” urged Claire.

“I happened,” replied Vor.

With a silly grin, Dr. Irving continued, “Vor nursed Dunkle back to health; the improvement was noticeable immediately. I was amazed by Vor’s knowledge of medicinal herbs; there were species here I had never dreamed of, but the real truth was I was captivated by her mind and beauty and fell head over heels in love.”

“And you never left Asgard?” asked Claire.

“No, I never did,” Dr. Irving said and winked at Vor. “Besides, after touching the Serpent’s Ring, I was changed.”

“You don’t mean to say you also have powers?” Claire asked.

“Yes, that is correct,” admitted Dr. Irving. “I am able to transfigure an object and then move it through the air, both with a simple thought.”

“Both powers! Wow, that is so cool!” said Evan.

“It can be. But you must use caution when using your powers,” Vor added. “And, Evan, you must listen to what your dreams are telling you.”

“My goddess is very wise,” said Dr. Irving. “You can see why I fell in love with her. If I am to be honest, I forgot all about the Serpent’s Ring, but Vor and Dunkle did not. They knew it must be returned to Terra quickly, and as soon as Dunkle was strong enough to travel, he left to find a new location for which to hide it.”

“Wait!” said Claire. “Dunkle, how did you get injured in the first place?”

Dunkle shuddered and hugged his body tight with his arms. A strong odor began to fill the space around him.

Vor looked at Dunkle and almost imperceptibly shook her head back and forth; Dr. Irving immediately changed the subject. “Dunkle, I have yet to ask, where did you hide it?”

“Your secret laboratory served as the most proper hiding place,” said Dunkle, with great relief. “That was until your entire house was shipped over to America and placed on exhibit.”

“Placed on exhibit?” said Dr. Irving. “But why on Terra would anyone be interested in seeing my old home?”

Evan interjected, “Are you kidding me? That lab of yours is awesome! I could spend days digging through all of your things.”

“I am also afraid that your sudden disappearance caused quite some commotion,” said Dunkle. “You are famous.”

“I am famous because I disappeared, not for my research and ideas,” stated the Professor. “Unfortunate, really—I would much rather be famous for something more notable.”

“I should never have entered your house, much less removed the Serpent’s Ring,” said Evan.

“Do not place blame,” Vor interrupted. “What was done was done. Now, we need to focus our efforts on finding the Serpent’s Ring and returning it back to your world.”

“How will we be able to do this?” Claire asked.

“You must sail south to the island, Hlesey. It sits above the Undersea Hall of Aegir and Ran. I am afraid, you have only three days in which to retrieve the Serpent’s Ring,” said Vor.

“But why only three days?” Evan asked.

“Because, that is when the mighty sea serpent’s head will travel over Asgard, of course,” said Vor.

“Dear, our guests are probably not aware of Jormundgand’s cycle,” Dr. Irving whispered into her ear.

“Really, I simply assumed everyone knew of Jormundgand’s cycle,” said Vor, returning her attention toward Evan and Claire. “You see, not only is Jormundgand wrapped around Terra, he circles it just like the rings around Saturn.”

“Jormundgand is so big he actually circles the entire planet?” Evan asked.

“Of course,” said Vor.

“Exactly how big is his body, and how big is his head?” Evan questioned.

“His body is rather thin, about the size around as one of your cruise ships,” explained Vor. “His head is much larger, but you shall see that soon enough.”

“How much larger are we talking about here?” Evan asked.

“Evan, the size of Jormundgand is not relevant,” said Vor. “It is important for you to focus on how you will retrieve the Serpent’s Ring from Aegir.”

“How are we supposed to do that?” Evan asked.

“You must enter through his Undersea Hall without his knowledge; however, that will be tricky,” said Vor.

“How will we be able to?” Claire asked.

Vor smiled. “You will discover new friends along the way. You will find help in places you least expect.”

“At last, some good news. Vague, but good,” said Evan.

Vor stared at the siblings, as if contemplating. “Your powers are stronger in Sagaas. Be careful when you use them. They will help save you from trouble, but they could steer you off course.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Evan asked, but Vor continued to hold a blank expression.

“She does this when she ‘sees.’ You will have to decode the information yourself. That is how it usually works,” whispered Dr. Irving.

And just when Evan was really intrigued, it was time to leave.

Chapter Eight

TROLLS AND SNOW GLOBES

“YOU MUST MAKE HASTE,” SAID Dr. Irving. “I am afraid Aegir has been alerted to your arrival. You see, when you touched the Serpent’s Ring, an energy wave was sent throughout all of Sagaas.”

“Pay close attention when you enter the forest,” said Vor. “You do not want to face what lurks among the trees at night. Remember, if you need answers, look into the divining locket. It will serve as your guide.”

“Farewell, my old friend,” Dr. Irving said and squeezed Dunkle, lifting him from the floor. “Good luck and much success on your quest.”

“You will be safe once you reach the ship,” said Vor, “at least for tonight. Be ever diligent while at sea. There will be spies, those who wish for Aegir to flood these lands. Be careful; Aegir has mercenaries searching for you.”

“What kind of mercenaries?” Evan asked.

“He has enlisted various creatures of the most unsavory nature: trolls and giants. He has promised them great rewards. I am afraid your voyage will be difficult.”

“Thank you for your help,” said Claire diplomatically. She then turned toward her brother. “We need to hurry.”

As the small group treaded along winding corridors, Evan ran his fingertips along and over the knobby wooden walls. Up ahead, a pale-blue light trickled through a small gap. Dunkle rushed over and knocked in a rhythmic beat. The crevice widened, and the group exited the tree.

The sky had turned to twilight, with hazy clouds reflecting purple, blue, and orange. Tiny fragments of light whizzed by like fireflies feasting on flowers. A golden beam zipped through the grass and froze a few inches from Evan’s face. Its little body was four inches tall with wings that sparkled and glowed. She—it must have been a she—wore a small band of leaves around her spiky red hair. Evan wasn’t sure what she was, but one thing he knew for certain, she definitely wasn’t a firefly.

“Hi there,” said Evan. She fluttered around him in multiple circles with a stream of light trailing behind her and then she disappeared. “Ouch! She set fire to the back of my neck! Where did she go?” He shouted, flailing his arms around his head.

“I’m sure she didn’t do it on purpose,” Claire said and leaned toward the pixie, whispering sweetly, “Don’t listen to him. I won’t let him hurt you.” Just then, another fairy swooped down from a tree branch and pelted Claire’s forehead with an acorn. “Hey! That hurt!” yelled Claire, trying to grab the tiny menace.

“I’m sure it was an accident,” Evan said smugly and laughed.

“What did you expect her to do, grant you a wish?” said Dunkle. “Why should she treat you kindly? She does not owe you anything. Besides, you will find most creatures in Sagaas are upset with humans.”

Dunkle looked at the red-headed fairy and made a funny sound and wriggled with his ears. The fairy dashed to the side of his head, hovered for a second, and just like that, she was gone.

“What did she say?” Evan asked, still rubbing the back of his neck.

“Oh, nothing much, just giving me some news,” said Dunkle, turning toward the trail. “We need to watch out for trolls.”

“Trolls,” repeated Claire. “Come on, let’s go.” She grabbed Evan’s arm and raced for the ship.

Although their ship was somewhat camouflaged, stars reflected along its surface, helping the group find it easily enough. The imps had started to climb aboard when a loud thump came from aboard the vessel. Dunkle and Barfel zipped away so swiftly that Evan barely saw them run off.

“They’re close. I can smell ’em,” said a wet, soggy voice, coming from aboard the vessel. “Go down and find ’em, we will.”

Evan whispered to Claire, “Those trolls are onboard. Ugh, gross! That one has three ugly heads. Look, the other troll is wearing my hat. What are we going to do?”

“I’m not sure, but we need to get on the boat,” said Claire. Adding sarcastically, “But first, we need to find our great imp protectors.”

“Good idea.” Evan edged backward and then quickened his stride. But just as he turned around,
wham
! He slammed right into a big troll with a humongous nose!

“Ugh,” Evan yelped and backed away. The troll reached out his hairy arm and grabbed hold of Evan’s T-shirt. “Claire, run for it!”

But Claire hadn’t run two steps before another large troll snatched her up and off the ground. “Aahh!” Claire squealed, kicking and pounding. She was face to faces with a three-headed troll! Stringy, greasy hair dangled from each of its heads. Each face was a different shade of yellow. One was greenish-yellow, the other an orange-yellow, and the third a yellowish-gray. Worst of all, their skin was covered with cherry-size boils!

“What we gots here?” Evan’s troll grumbled.

“It looks like we gots what we was after,” said the center head of Claire’s troll, still using his free hand to block her punches. “Hey, Grot, I gots meself a feisty one. Think Aegir will let us eat ’em? It look tasty.”

Evan’s troll answered, “Mighty tasty, but we was told no hurt ’em. Aegir wants ’em unspoiled, so he can deal with ’em ’imself.”

“Just one lil’ bite won’t hurt ’em,” said the head on the far left, saliva dripping from between his green teeth.

“Not one bite! We deliver ’em unharmed, an’ we’ll get lots of other tasty bites,” said Grot.

“An’ when the flood come, there be tons of chewy bits floatin’,” said the troll’s right head. As he stared at Claire’s shoulder, drool poured down like syrup onto her arm.

“Put me down!” Claire managed to yell, wiping her arm on the troll’s ratty shirtsleeve.

Whoa, things were intense; Evan had to come up with a plan and fast! He looked around and realized the only thing within reach was a bunch of golden sand, golden shells, and golden pebbles.

“Those will have to do,” Evan mumbled and then concentrated.

Golden sand swirled around. Small rocks and shells joined into the mix, forming a small tornado. The whirlwind stretched higher and faster. Claire’s troll turned, let out a cry, and then flung up his arms, shielding his three faces. At last, Claire fell to the ground. She focused on the area around the troll’s dirt-encrusted toenails, and before Evan knew it, the sand was so thick that all three of the troll’s heads disappeared from sight. The sand transformed into great bubbles of gooey glass and then formed an enormous sphere. It didn’t take long for the troll to become imprisoned.