The Andy Smithson Series: Books 1, 2, and 3 (Young Adult Epic Fantasy Bundle) (Andy Smithson Series Boxset): Dragons, Serpents, Unicorns, Pegasus, Pixies, Trolls, Dwarfs, Knights and More!

by L. EE

  Andy threw open his door, jettisoned the hilt at the foot of his bed, and crash-landed across the pillows. He panted as he eyed the piece. The afternoon sun shining through the fog-clouded window seemed intent on cheering him, but his mind kept replaying all that the King had shared, like a YouTube video on auto-repeat.

  What have I gotten myself into? It sounds like a whole lot more than just retrieving a red dragon scale, as if that’s not bad enough.

  He wiped his sweaty hands on the covers. When can I go home? I miss Mom and Dad…and even Madison.

  Andy punched his pillow hard once, and then again and again and again. He stopped only when feathers began flying everywhere. He ruffled his hair as they drifted down, scaring them off. His bed now looked as if a thick layer of snow had fallen.

  Why me? There’s no way I can do to this!

  “You’re right, Andy! You can’t do this on your own,” his inneru interrupted. “You need help.”

  What? Oh, it’s you… As the thought launched, a second amethyst-colored stone landed on his bed, barely missing his head.

  “Hey, watch it! You almost hit me!” Where do these things keep coming from? As before, it started pulsing and a trumpet blast sounded when he picked it up.

  “Methuselah has appeared to you, Andrew Ferrin Smithson. It is the sword of your forefathers by which you will become known. Evil must be extinguished from the land, by your hand.”

  “My forefathers? What do you mean?” The message paused.

  “You have not been told, but your ancestors came from Oomaldee.”

  What? Really?

  “It is not I who gives Methuselah, but One far greater. It is given and taken as the times require,” the message continued. “You have been chosen to wield it for such a time as this.”

  No! You can’t be serious! You can’t mean me!

  “Stop!” his inneru interrupted. “Listen!”

  Andy slumped and the message continued, “Take courage. You do not yet see your own abilities because you have never been tested. You have never demonstrated to yourself or anyone else all that you can do. Put your fears aside and trust that you will succeed in the challenges that lie ahead.”

  “What kind of evil are we talking about?” Andy swallowed.

  The sphere gave no reply but disappeared, its message complete. Once again it gave no indication who had sent it.

  This evil sounds really bad.

  “This is not about you,” intoned the voice in his head.

  Andy sighed. “How did I get myself into this mess? I didn’t ask for this.”

  “It’s about all the people in the land of Oomaldee. It’s about the King, Mermin, Alden, Marta, Hans, and everyone else.”

  “I know…” Andy rubbed his arm.

  “You don’t usually think about others first.”

  Andy scowled but had no evidence to counter the accusation.

  “Maybe this is your chance to change that.”

  He exhaled heavily. I’m not going home anytime soon, am I?

  Chapter Eleven

  Where’s Methuselah?

  The next morning, Andy packed a backpack with everything he thought he might need: a blanket, rain poncho, two changes of clothes, matches, a compass, the gold key, the sword hilt of Methuselah, and more. He then dressed in his scratchy leggings and tunic. I still don’t understand why I’ve been chosen, but maybe… He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Maybe I can help. I did almost destroy the castle after all.

  With a nod, Andy exited his room, listing to the left under the weight of his pack. In an alcove to the right of the door, a two-foot tall statue of a victorious knight, its foot pressing down on an enemy’s neck, looked up and waved. “Fare thee well, lad!” Andy did a double take. He’d passed this statue many times. It had never moved, let alone spoken. He shook his head. I must be imagining things.

  Andy leaned down.

  “I’m Sir Lancelot,” the little man squeaked. To the captive under his foot he warned, “Clarence, stop squirming. Show some dignity, man. I’m trying to have a conversation here.” Then, turning his attention back to Andy, he said, “Sorry about that. These barbarians lack manners.”

  “Oh. Hi. I’m Andy. Nice to meet you. How is it that you can talk to me?”

  “You now possess a gold key about you.”

  “Gold key. Oh…really? The gold key makes you alive?”

  “At your service.”

  “Thank you.” That is totally awesome! Andy glanced both ways down the hall then leaned back in. “I’m headed on a mission to retrieve the scale of a red dragon. But don’t tell anyone.”

  “On my honor, you have my word.” The little man saluted.

  “Uh…carry on, Sir Lancelot.” Andy returned the gesture as he headed toward the stairs.

  “I will, sir!” echoed the knight, clicking his heels together. “Fare thee well!”

  As Andy made his way toward breakfast, each statue he passed greeted him. Wow! This is amazing.

  The King’s boisterous laugh met Andy as he entered the dining hall. “Andy, you’re only going for eight or nine days. Are you sure you need all that? You’re going to have to carry it all.”

  “I wanted to be prepared,” he reasoned, taking his pack off and resting it against a nearby wall.

  Andy overheard Mermin whisper to the King, “He may pack lighter for the next twip.”

  The King chuckled his agreement.

  Let’s hope there’s no “next trip.”

  Andy did not mention his experience with the castle artwork as he ate breakfast. He finished his cereal, excused himself, and joined Alden in the kitchen. Marta was just putting the last of the food she had prepared for their journey into a large backpack that held Alden’s supplies. She looked at Andy and gave a half smile. “I don’t know why the King is sending you two on this trip. It could be very dangerous.”

  “We’ll be careful. I promise.” Andy gave Marta a big hug and a kiss. She feels like Mom. He swallowed a lump in his throat, forced a laugh, and asked, “Can you have some chocolate chip cookies ready for when we get back?”

  Marta nodded and ran her hand down his cheek. Then, turning to Alden, she hugged him as if she would never see him again. After giving a heavy sigh, she wiped her eyes.

  Alden shouldered his backpack. Despite its weight, he uttered no complaint. Joining the King and Mermin in the dining hall, Andy grabbed his backpack and slung it on, tilting precariously in the process. When he had righted himself with a little help from the wall, he felt the side pocket for the key and the sword hilt. Good. Right where I packed them.

  The four headed down the grand staircase to the entry. Whooshing, creaking, and groaning met them as a servant heaved the gear to lower the drawbridge.

  True to form, the fog occluded the end of the span where it came to rest. Mermin handed Andy “A New Beginning,” which he had retrofitted to be worn like a hat. Andy put it on and buckled the chin strap. “It’s really light.”

  In just a few minutes, the fog thinned and then cleared for a good distance.

  Alden, who was seeing the invention for the first time, dropped his jaw. “This is awesome!”

  “Thank you, Mermin!” Andy grinned.

  “My pleasure.”

  The King placed his hands on Andy’s shoulders and looked him in the eye. “It is no accident that Methuselah has appeared. I have great confidence in you.”

  Alden cocked his head and Andy fidgeted before replying, “Thank you, sir.”

  The King and Mermin gave Andy and Alden hugs, then the two boys headed across the drawbridge toward the city of Oops.

  “What he did he mean by that?” Alden probed as they walked.

  “I don’t really want to talk about it.”

  Alden frowned and shook his head.

  The two hadn’t spent much time together since the end of the festival, what with chores and preparations going on. Now, the silence forced an awkward hush. Should I ask him about why he seems upset with me
?

  The thought vanished as a farmer pushing a large wooden cart full of produce passed by. The burly man sent them a questioning look as he continued on his way. The next pair of men they passed raised their eyebrows at seeing them. Andy overheard one of them comment about the sudden lightness of the fog.

  “We’re probably quite a sight,” laughed Andy, trying to lighten the mood. “Between our overstuffed backpacks, this shiny silver bowl on my head, and—pardon me for saying, Alden—your neon-green hair, we’re a piece of work!”

  Alden gave a half smile.

  A bit farther down the path, they passed a young girl leading a cow by a rope halter. The cow seemed happy enough to follow since she enticed it with an apple. The girl recognized Andy from the festival and congratulated him on his heroic actions. Alden gave Andy a passing frown.

  Soon they came upon a gaggle of women carrying baskets of clothes on their heads, all heading to do laundry in the Crystal River that flowed nearby. The ladies were cackling to each other like grackles, but when one spotted the boys, she heaped praise on Andy. The other ladies echoed enthusiastically, to which the corners of Alden’s mouth fell.

  At one point a herd of goats nearly ran over Andy and Alden. A shepherd boy following behind struggled to manage them. It was clear who was boss, and it wasn’t the boy. He kept running back and forth to either side of the herd, yelling and waving his arms, trying to stop the animals from going into the trees that lined the path. The animals ignored him. One goat stopped right next to Alden, stood up on its hind legs, and tried to nibble the food it smelled in the top of his backpack. Alden backed away, and the shepherd boy ran over, apologizing profusely. It registered who he was speaking to seconds later and he gasped. “You saved your friend at the festival!”

  Andy nodded.

  More apologies followed. But when the goats decided to bolt, the boy excused himself. Andy and Alden felt sorry for him, but they knew there was nothing to do to help the kid.

  By lunchtime, the boys had reached the southernmost end of Goozy Bog. They found an old oak tree whose branches shaded more than half the road, removed their packs, and sat down to rest.

  “Mermin’s invention is working great!” Andy observed. “I’ve never seen it so clear.”

  “Yeah,” Alden agreed, but said no more.

  Andy took off his pack and the fog-clearing cap. “Oh, that’s better.” He ran his hands through his hair and moved his arms in circles, stretching his sore back muscles. “What did your mom pack us for lunch?”

  Alden rummaged in the top of his backpack. After spreading the various parcels on the ground, he announced, “Fried chicken.”

  Andy bit into the still-warm, savory meat with enthusiasm. After downing four drumsticks and a fresh roll, he wiped his greasy hands on some nearby grass.

  “My dad took me camping in the woods one time.” Yeah, the only time, what with Dad always so busy running his company. Andy didn’t mention that, but recounted his memories of the event as Alden finished eating.

  Lunch complete, Andy replaced the fog-clearing cap while Alden repacked their provisions. They picked up their backpacks and set off once more.

  “My pack feels heavier than it did this morning,” commented Andy.

  “Yeah, mine too. Maybe we shouldn’t have brought so much.”

  They picked their way down the path that wound around Goozy Bog. Alden knew where most of the patches of quicksand were near the road and did his best to steer them around those, but sometimes the path turned soft as the bog spread its tentacles, seemingly dissatisfied with its current bounds.

  While Andy had never experienced quicksand, he vividly remembered his nightmares after hearing Mermin’s stories. They rounded a bend, and Andy saw bubbles rising from a particularly muddy part of the bog. “What’s that?” He pointed.

  “I’m not sure, but I once heard that’s where a person got sucked under, only they’re still not dead. Those are their air bubbles.”

  A chill went up Andy’s spine. “I thought Mermin said if you get sucked under in quicksand, you die because you can’t breathe.”

  “I don’t know, I’m just telling you what some folks say.”

  “Well, if whoever is in there didn’t die, why doesn’t someone help them out?”

  “Lots of people have tried, but they’ve never found anyone under there. He must be so far down no one can reach him. He’ll stay there forever.”

  Andy’s eyes grew wide and he gulped. What a horrible way to live…or die…or whatever that person’s doing.

  They walked on for a bit and started seeing enormous trees off to their right. The trees were bigger than any Andy had seen, and he’d seen some big ones. He remembered the trip he and his family took to Sequoia National Forest. Now those were huge trees! One of them was so big, you could drive a car through the middle of it. But these trees were at least twice that size! And they grew so thick the boys couldn’t see far into the woods, even though it was midday and Mermin’s invention cleared away the fog.

  “What is that?” Andy asked.

  “That’s the Forest of Giants.”

  “Those trees are gigantic!”

  “Remember what Mermin told us about the guy who got dragged in there and was never heard from again?”

  “I remember,” shuddered Andy. “There sure is a lot of scary stuff out here. It was bad enough when Mermin was telling us about it, but now that we’re here—”

  “You just have to know what can hurt you and stay away from it.”

  “That’s easier said than done. I’m glad you’re here.”

  They continued walking on the path. Before long, Andy had the strange feeling they were being watched. He glanced into the forest but thankfully didn’t see anything. I’m just imagining things, he kept telling himself.

  But as they continued, the feeling plagued him. Every time he thought he heard something in the trees, which was often, he glanced over to see…nothing. It was a creepy feeling.

  “I feel like we’re being watched,” Andy confided at last.

  “I’ve had that feeling too. Let’s just keep a look out.”

  The sun began casting late-afternoon shadows across Goozy Bog. After all the walking, the boys grew hungry and chose to stop and rest for a few minutes. Alden located bread and cheese in his pack and handed some to his companion.

  Andy sat on the ground as he ate. He leaned against his pack, which cushioned a large boulder by the side of the road. He felt the side pocket for the gold key and the sword hilt. He found the key right away but couldn’t locate the hilt. He popped the last bite of snack in his mouth as he turned to more closely examine his pack. Plunging his hand to the bottom of the pocket, he felt around. Nothing. Panic began rising. He hauled the contents out in seconds and took inventory. “What happened to it?”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I can’t find Methuselah! It has to be here. It was there this morning before we left the castle, I felt it!” He pushed back the cap.

  After a second search of the contents of his backpack, Andy had to accept that the sword was missing. He thought back to where they had been, trying desperately to determine where he might have lost it.

  “Did you have it after we ate lunch?”

  “I’m not sure. I don’t remember checking my pack for it after lunch. We have to find it!”

  Andy and Alden packed up their gear and began retracing their steps. With the sun getting lower in the sky, the Forest of Giants looked more threatening and Goozy Bog more ominous. Running most of the way, heavy packs bouncing, they reached their lunchtime location just as the sun set—Andy knew the orange glow would be gone within minutes.

  “You look over there and I’ll look over here,” Andy instructed.

  Several minutes of searching turned up nothing, and Andy’s panic grew.

  Alden interrupted the search several minutes later. “It’s getting dark. You keep looking. I’ll find some wood and set up camp.”

  Andy’s
thoughts raced. How could I be so stupid? Stupid, stupid, stupid! It has to be here! It just has to be!

  In no time, Alden had a roaring fire built. Andy continued his search, stumbling in the dark over tree roots and rocks.

  “Why don’t we pick up the search in the morning?” Alden suggested from his seat on a log next to the fire where he prepared dinner.

  “I have to find it tonight!”

  A long while later Andy stumbled over a rotten log and fell to his knees. As he stood, he thought he saw something shining in the firelight not far away. He crept closer. Could it be? He had nearly reached it when he felt his footing slip, and he sunk down to his knees.

  “Alden, help! I’m stuck in quicksand!” He struggled to escape, and with every movement the muck pulled him closer to its hungry belly. Just then he heard a woman’s voice celebrating his misfortune…

  “Wahoo!” she cheered, clapping enthusiastically.

  “Imogenia, I can’t believe you did this! Stop it! Get him out this minute!” a man’s voice chided.

  “What? I didn’t do anything. He did this to himself. He saved me the trouble. Ha, ha!” the lady cackled. Andy barely noticed in his panic.

  Alden reached Andy just as his waist disappeared below the surface. “Don’t move! The more you move, the faster you’ll sink!”

  “What should I do?”

  “Try floating on your back. You should stay up long enough for me to find a branch and pull you out.”

  Andy moved as slowly as possible. He had taken swimming lessons a couple years ago at summer camp, and while he wasn’t any good at most of the strokes, he had mastered the back float. But floating in water proved completely different than quicksand. No sooner had he laid back than thick sand started to ooze into his ears and smother his hair. All he could think about were the people who had suffocated. He glanced out of the corner of one eye, trying to locate Alden, but there was only darkness.

  “Alden! Don’t leave me!”