The Serpent's Ring (Relics of Mysticus)

by H. B. Bolton

  “Come to me, come to me. I will keep you safe,” a delicate song reached Evan’s ears. “Come to me, come to me.”

  Evan was transfixed by the melody. Frantically, he scanned the horizon. But no one was there. Wait! There, on top of a coral reef sat a beautiful woman. A ring of flowers was perched upon her long golden hair; she wore it as if it were an imperial crown. She didn’t move her lips, but from her came an enchanting melody. Her shoulders swayed, and her fingers rolled back toward her palm. Desperately, Evan maneuvered around the stingrays—he wanted to be near the enchantress.

  Closer, closer … she was almost within reach. A few more yards, and he would be able to join her. Almost there! Her smile was sweet and enchanting. Evan’s heart melted. Her milky-white arms extended toward him. As he was gazing into her pale-blue eyes, he noticed a cow’s tale appear from behind her back. Without warning, her song changed into a high screech! It pierced Evan’s ears and vibrated through his bones. He clasped his hands to the sides of his head and screamed.

  “Aahh!” Evan cried out and sat upright.

  “Evan, Evan, wake up. You’re having another nightmare,” Claire’s voice called to him, as she shook his shoulders.

  Evan opened his eyes. Dunkle and Barfel were hunching forward, wringing their hands, and Claire sat back with a sigh. “You really scared me. What were you dreaming about?”

  “I just had a bad dream. I’ll be alright,” he said and pulled himself up off the deck. He peered over the bow: no sharks, no stingrays, and no sea cows.

  He then looked out toward the horizon; the sun had arrived as a pale-yellow ball. It rose up into the dark-blue sky, and its yellow center intensified, deepening in color.

  Evan leaned his body back against the boat’s side and clenched his stomach. “I’m hungry. I don’t suppose we have any reserve food left?”

  “I’m afraid not. Wait, I have an idea,” said Claire, leaning down to lift a piece of driftwood. The stick stretched into a long pole.

  Evan reached for it, exclaiming, “It’s a fishing pole! We need a line and lure.”

  “No problem,” said Claire. She stared up at the sail and some thread unraveled. Evan guided the thread across the ship and then attached it to the rod. She scooped up a tiny ball of glass and molded it into a lure—shiny and desirable to any fish.

  “That will do,” said Evan, casting the line.

  Within a matter of seconds, he felt a tug. Skillfully, he set the hook. “I caught one!” he yelled, pulling in his prize. “And it’s big!”

  Claire created a net from another piece of driftwood and more blue thread. This fish was fat, 30 pounds or more. It took both Claire and Evan to bring it in.

  “I don’t believe it,” said Evan, watching the fish flip and flop.

  “I know. You caught a fish,” said Claire, “a pretty one too.”

  “No, I mean the colors are familiar. Just like the sharks and stingrays in my dream,” he said, still studying the patterns on the fish’s scaly skin. “Dunkle, is it normal for fish to have this kind of marking?”

  “Only those loyal to Aegir have colors like that,” said Dunkle. “I am afraid you caught one of his spies.”

  Evan’s face paled, and he said, “I’ve lost my appetite. What do we do with it?”

  “We’ll take care of him,” said Dunkle, retrieving the fish. “Claire, we will need your help, if you please.”

  She followed the imps to the back of the boat. Evan watched as they explained something to her. Barfel handed her a glass shield and backed away. The shield transformed into a rectangular glass tub. Dunkle lowered a bucket into the ocean and filled it with seawater; he then poured the water into the tub. Swiftly, Barfel dumped in the colorful fish.

  Claire returned and sat beside Evan. The two imps made horrible squawking sounds, barely pausing to take a breath. After a few minutes, they looked at each other and nodded.

  Dunkle hollered toward Evan and Claire, “Aegir knows we are here for the Serpent’s Ring. He will do everything in his power to stop us.”

  “Are you going to let the fish go?” Claire asked.

  “We might need him,” said Dunkle, tapping his hand along the side of the glass fish tank. “If he helps us enough, we might let him go.”

  Evan stretched his neck and looked down through the glass bottom. Colorful fish multiplied below.

  “Claire, do you hear that?” Evan asked, his eyes developing a milky-white film.

  “I don’t hear anything,” said Claire, also looking around.

  “That song, it’s so beautiful. I heard it in my dream,” said Evan as if hypnotized. “Mooo-ooooo, moooo-ooooo.”

  “Evan, you sound like a cow. And all I hear is wind in the sail,” she said and peered over the bow. The imps scurried over and joined her in the search.

  “Oh dear, oh dear!” squealed Barfel, and the pleasant odor of cedar disappeared, replaced by something awful.

  “What’s going on?” Claire asked in alarm.

  “It must be Huldra. Her call can be heard only by men. That is why you and we cannot hear it,” Dunkle explained.

  “Who’s Huldra?” Claire asked.

  “I have never met her, but I have heard she is an extremely beautiful woman,” said Dunkle.

  “Well, that doesn’t sound so bad,” said Claire.

  “I would not be so sure about that, not unless the man does not mind loving a woman who has the tail of a cow. And with her, most men do not mind. She will lure the man into worshiping her and then she changes,” said Dunkle.

  “How so?”

  “She turns into a frightening old hag, with the strength of ten men. If she traps Evan, I am afraid he is done for,” said Dunkle.

  “What do we do? I don’t see anything!” screamed Claire. “What is she doing here in the middle of the ocean?”

  “Aegir has requested help from many creatures,” Dunkle quipped. “Do not be surprised by anything.”

  “It’s the most incredible music I’ve ever heard. Moo-ooo-oooo,” sang Evan. “I must head over in that direction.”

  “Bad idea, bad idea! Not that way!” shouted out Barfel, leaping toward the back of the boat. He grabbed the rudder and strained to break Evan's control over the ship. Evan was strong, but in his current hypnotic trance, Barfel was stronger and able to shift direction just in time. Rocks, shaped like giant swords, jutted out of the sea!

  More and more gray spikes appeared far below the clear ship, ready to pierce through the hull. Bubbles multiplied, obscuring the view of the deep sea and spikes. Again, Barfel shifted direction. Now, they were heading back toward Dr. Irving’s home.

  “We can’t go back! That’s what Aegir wants us to do!” yelled Claire. She reached Evan and shook him vigorously. “Evan, Evan, snap out of it! We need your help!”

  His eyes were hidden behind a cloudy film. Claire looked around desperately. She spied Barfel’s shell collection and rushed over. She rummaged through the little pile and removed two clamshells.

  “They’re a little small but will have to do,” she said and returned to Evan.

  The shells grew bigger, ballooning out, and then deflating so as to fit snugly over Evan’s ears. She continued to shake him, while screaming in his face. At last, his blue-green eyes returned.

  “What happened?” he asked.

  “Rocks are blocking our path! It’s going to take both of us to get through!” she said and lifted him to his feet.

  “What do we do?” he asked, thumping his hand on the side of his head. “What’s on my ears?”

  He tried to pull off the shells, but Claire grabbed his hands and shook her head no. “Leave them on! Trust me!”

  “But I can barely hear you!” cried out Evan.

  “Believe me; you don’t want to be able to hear.”

  Evan stared ahead. One hand gripped the boat’s side, while the other clasped his sister. He was ready to charge.

  Chapter Ten

  BINDING BRONZE

  “BARFEL, TURN
US AROUND!” CLAIRE commanded, and Barfel did as instructed. “Evan, on my signal, speed us up. Make the ship fly if you can. We must get around those rocks.”

  Claire strained her eyes, searching for a clear pathway. The ocean gurgled like boiling oil and bubbles burst on its surface. Rocks followed and sharp edges now blocked their way. Claire squinted and the rocks began to bend, forming a circular tunnel.

  “Evan, now!” yelled Claire.

  The boat lunged forward, moving through the warped formations, but just as Evan managed to push the boat forward, the current would drag it back. Had the sea actually grown tentacles?

  “Evan, try to lift the boat higher!” shouted Claire.

  Evan closed his eyes and focused on lifting the ship. The sea’s tentacles stretched higher and higher, until finally, Evan heard a strange POP. The boat jarred back, but Evan managed to push it forward and raced over the water.

  Ultimately, the ship moved faster than the rocks could form, and before long, the rocks were nowhere in sight. And although air beat at his face, he refused to slow down. He propelled the boat as far forward as he could before finally resting and allowing the boat to drift along the calm water.

  “We made it!” Claire cheered, wrapping her arms around her brother. She hugged him tightly, but pulled away quickly. “Uh, good job, Evan. And here, let me remove those clam shells from your ears.”

  “Yes, well done, Evan. Unfortunately it seems we have one little problem,” said Dunkle. “We have gotten ourselves off-track.”

  “Well, that’s all right. We’ll just go back a little,” said Evan.

  “I’m afraid it’s going to be more than just a little. We overshot Hlesey completely. It will take an entire day to return,” said Dunkle.

  “No biggie. I’ll just zip us back,” said Evan. “But I’m tired and need to rest for a minute first.”

  Dunkle stepped forward, saying, “Not a good idea. You will need to rest for more than a minute to be able to use your powers again.”

  “I feel okay, just a little sleepy,” said Evan.

  “Evan, your powers have limits,” explained Dunkle. “It is best if you do not exhaust yourself. You will need your strength for when you meet Aegir.”

  Barfel leapt into the middle of the group. “Another island! Just that way! Just that way!”

  “Good thing,” said Claire. “We need to get off this boat. Maybe, we’ll be able to find some edible food.”

  “All food is edible, Claire,” Evan mocked.

  Claire glanced over to where the colorful fish-spy was still imprisoned. His large bulging eyes stared at them through his fish-tank prison.

  “Not really,” she said and cringed.

  Barfel was right. Halfway through the day, an island appeared in the distance.

  “We shouldn’t spend much time on that island,” Dunkle said and shivered, a faint musty odor wafted.

  “Dunkle, what is that island?” Evan asked, pinching his nose.

  “It is called Jotunheim, land of giants,” Dunkle answered.

  “Great—so there are actual giants on that island?” Claire asked.

  Dunkle and Barfel both nodded. As they drew closer to the island, the foul odor of decay drifted in their direction. Evan and Claire both turned their heads toward the imps.

  “Not us! Not us! Giants!” cried out Barfel.

  “Not good,” Evan said to Claire. “Wanna use some of Barfel’s shells to make a cover for my nose?”

  “Man up, Evan. Stop being such a sissy,” she said.

  Evan raised the boat onto shore, and the crew leapt overboard. Evan had no desire to scoop up this sand, with its dark-greenish color and rank odor of mildew. He dragged his feet through sludge with bits of animal remains. Skull fragments were here and rib bones were there. And the dunes were covered with graying sea oats.

  “Barfel, hurry up!” Claire yelled toward the straggling imp.

  “What’s he doing back there?” Evan asked.

  “It looks like he’s saying something to that fish-spy. That imp better hurry up,” said Claire. “I don’t want to wait around here for too long. The sooner we find food, the sooner we can leave this horrible place.”

  “This island is pretty disgusting,” Evan agreed.

  Beyond the dunes, a patch of lush emerald-green grass sprouted up from the dead ground. Trees burst into life and fruit swelled like balloons on long branches.

  “Perfect!” shouted Evan, quickening his pace.

  “Wait! Things aren’t always what they seem,” yelled Dunkle. But Evan was too fast. He and Claire were halfway up to the plump luscious fruit when wilted and battered vines came to life. They grew fast, intertwining and creating knots that formed into walls of a labyrinth. A tightly woven barricade formed and separated the imps from Evan and Claire.

  “It’s a trap! It’s a trap!” Barfel shouted from somewhere beyond the tall hedges.

  “Don’t move; we’ll find you!” yelled Claire.

  “Argh!” Dunkle’s wail was followed by pounding and shuffling.

  “Dunkle? Barfel?” said Claire in a shaky whisper.

  Nothing, no response.

  “What do you suppose happened?” Evan asked.

  “I don’t know. But we need to find them.”

  “Of course, but I’m starving. I’m going to pass out if I don’t eat soon, and that pear looks delicious.”

  Evan wrapped his hand around a succulent looking pear. It felt soft and ripe. With a gentle tug, he released it from the tree, and Evan claimed his prize. Just as he brought the golden fruit to his mouth it started to harden. It had turned to brass or maybe copper. He tossed the hunk of metal aside and reached for a pear with yellow and orange skin. But it too transformed into metal.

  “I don’t believe it! What kind of sick joke is this?” shouted Evan. “When am I going to eat?”

  “You need to be patient. We’ll find food after we find the imps,” said Claire, reaching for the wall of ivy. When she tugged and pushed at the vines, they too transformed into metal. “Whoa, what’s happening?” she asked and tried to tear through the wall. “Ouch!” She pulled away and stuck her finger in her mouth.

  “Are you bleeding?” Evan asked, not daring to look. Instead, he focused on a patch of ivy still green with life. “So, you touched the wall, and the vines changed into metal?”

  “Yeah. It’s unbelievably sharp; it sliced me pretty good,” mumbled Claire, her finger still inserted in her mouth.

  “So I guess that means we won’t be able to climb over these walls,” said Evan, looking up at all of the surrounding plant life.

  The pounding returned, and the ground shook. Could it possibly be an elephant? Unfortunately, it was not an elephant, but a group of enormous hairy men! Their bodies were covered with clothes made from animal skins. Massive battle armor—clubs with spikes, axes, swords, and knives—rattled at their sides.

  “Run!” Claire screamed, grabbing hold of Evan’s arm. They fled down one of the labyrinth’s long pathways, but after only a few feet were stopped short. Two giants were blocking their way!

  Claire did not touch the wall; instead, she focused her mental powers on the ivy. The vines melted together like wax from a candle. Eventually, an opening stretched wide enough for Evan and Claire to squeeze through safely. In a flash, Claire resealed the hole behind them.

  More and more giants came at them from just a few yards away. Claire continued to create passageways through the ivy, but it was no use. They were outnumbered. Evan’s heart sank, and he stared down at the dirt beneath his sneakers. He kicked at a tiny pebble. It scuttled over the ground and then floated up into the air. Just then, a radical idea came to him. An idea he wasn’t so certain would work.

  “Claire, hold on to me tight,” he said and looked up toward the open sky. “I’m not exactly sure how this will go.”

  “How what will go? Evan, what are you going to doooo—” Claire began, but her feet were pulled off the ground! Within seconds, she and Evan w
ere soaring above the clan of giants who were swinging their clubs around. Claire kicked her legs, whacking one giant on his nose. As the siblings rose up higher and higher, the giants continued to yell, holler, and raise their fists.

  Evan followed the lines of the maze. There, in its center, sat a dilapidated fort with high crumbling walls. Off to the right was a crumbling tower, propped up with large wooden beams.

  “Look, there’s Dunkle,” said Claire, pointing toward a broken drawbridge that hung over a parched moat.

  Three large giants clutched the tiny imps, who were kicking and thrashing their little bodies. But the imps were no match for giants and were eventually taken inside the fort’s stone walls.

  A giant’s booming voice echoed. “Why bring imps? Where humans?”

  Evan swooped down and hovered outside.

  “They were, uh, got away,” answered another giant.

  “Find humans!” thundered a commanding voice. “Aegir be angry if we don’t hand over humans. And giants drown wit rest of ’em.”

  “Yeah, me no wanna drown, cuz measly kids got away,” said a third giant. “Hounds find ’em. I go open crate.”

  “They’re releasing hounds. Evan, get us out of here,” Claire demanded, and Evan lifted them up and away.

  A sinister mountain loomed up ahead. Its entire surface consisted of chiseled rock—sharp and uninviting. A severe point at its top and a moss-covered cave gaped open in the middle.

  “We can hide out over there. Just until we figure out a plan,” said Claire.

  Evan looked over at the cave. Smoke streamed out from its mouth, as if it were alive and hungry. He shuddered and asked, “Are you sure about this?”