by H. B. Bolton
“Oh, I love that show,” exclaimed Lazonia.
“Come on, I’ll help you get situated,” offered Sigurd, as he helped Evan onto the hammock. Once settled, Lazonia and Claire were swiftly at his side.
“What can I get for you?” Claire asked.
“A towel would be nice,” mumbled Evan.
“On it!” said Claire, dashing out the door.
“It has been a very long time since I have seen a television,” Sigurd said with a smile, leaving Evan alone with his mermaid.
“I cannot believe Dufa tried to kill you,” said Lazonia.
“Let me guess: she was always the sweet one,” chided Evan.
“No, she has always been aggressive. After all, her name means to dive.”
“That doesn’t surprise me. She tossed me around pretty efficiently,” Evan said with a weak smile.
“Of all the sisters, Dufa would be the one wanting to see Aegir’s plan through. Once she gets an idea in her thick head, that is.” After finding a small cloth, Lazonia wiped it over Evan’s brow.
“Well, I wouldn’t want to be her right now. Aegir looked really angry.”
“One thing is for certain, Dufa will be dealt with.”
“Lazonia, there’s one other thing that has been bothering me.” Evan sighed and looked away. “Just before Dufa tried to drown me, I had another nightmare.”
“And?”
“Alamaz was there, trying to unlock Jormundgand, but I’m sure it’s nothing. Right?”
“Let us hope it is nothing, but I will discuss this with Aegir … just in case.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
NOT AGAIN
EVAN SLEPT WELL THAT NIGHT, having happy dreams instead of nightmares.
“It’s time to wake up, Sleeping Beauty,” said Claire, as she poured water into Evan’s cup. “It’s almost noon. I’m pretty impressed with myself for resisting the urge to wake you earlier.”
“I slept that long? I guess I was really tired,” grunted Evan.
“Yeah, you hardly moved.”
“Thanks for watching over me.”
“No prob. But you need to get up. There are a few people who would like to see you. And you won’t believe this one; it looks like Alamaz was behind Dufa’s extreme behavior!”
“Alamaz? You mean that immortal guy who tried to steal the Mysticus from the gods—that Alamaz?”
“You know more than I gave you credit for,” Claire said with a smile.
“But I thought he was locked up in nightmares or something.”
“From what I understand, even though Alamaz has been trapped inside the Dungeon of Dreadful Dreams, he is still able to communicate with some creatures.”
“You mean to tell me, Alamaz is still in the picture?”
“Yes, it turns out he corrupted Dufa through her dreams. He convinced her to capsize the ship over the Great Reef,” said Claire, wandering to a chair shaped like a clamshell. She lifted a pile of nicely folded clothes and returned to Evan. “Here, Himinglaeva brought these for you.” With that, Claire tossed them onto her immobile brother. “And look, there’s a pair of shoes under the chair.”
“Finally, I can wear sneakers again,” said Evan, staring at the brown leather flip-flops. “Those aren’t really my style; could you maybe change them into sneakers?”
“When in Rome, Evan. When in Rome,” said Claire.
“I suppose that means you won’t change them.”
“No.”
Evan lifted the shirt to his face and inhaled—fresh, white cotton. It had been days since he had worn anything remotely clean.
“I see you also have some new clothes,” Evan said upon noticing his sister’s white dress.
Claire stood in front of the mirror, admiring her reflection. Her dress wrapped around her neck, scooped down in the back, and draped to her feet.
“Sigurd thinks I look like a goddess,” she sighed. “And look, these pearls are real.”
And so they were. Pearls lined the straps and bottom trim.
“It’s nice,” said Evan.
“Well, got to go. Sigurd’s waiting for me in the Undersea Hall,” she said and fluttered away. “Make sure you try the sea salt bath, it will heal anything,” she hollered back to him.
“Don’t worry about me. I don’t need any help getting out of this hammock or anything,” mumbled Evan, trying to sit upright. Carefully, he edged his legs over and slid to the floor. His entire body ached, and although he wanted to crawl, he managed to stumble over to the bathing area.
“How is this supposed to help?” wondered Evan, staring at the circular pool.
He crept into the shallow edge. As soon as he had both feet in, something started to fizz. Small bubbles whizzed around the saucerlike tub, and water massaged his aching muscles.
“This is going to be interesting,” said Evan, sliding deeper into the warm salt bath.
After Evan stepped out of the tub, he put on his new outfit. Definitely not like anything he would wear at home, but at least the clothes were clean. The tuniclike shirt hung down too low, and the pants were way too baggy. And he never wore flip-flops. In the end, he didn’t care if he looked like a geek, the cotton was exceptionally soft against his skin, and that was all that mattered.
He wandered down the long, barnacle-covered tunnel toward the Undersea Hall. As he neared the Hall, he was shocked by how loud it was inside. He wondered just how many people Ran had invited and couldn’t believe they were already in celebration mode so early in the afternoon.
A few feet ahead, one of the Undersea Hall’s smaller entrances came into view. Two large gilded eels wrapped around the opening. Evan watched, as their eyes followed him.
“Creepy,” said Evan, ducking a little lower.
From inside the Undersea Hall, more than a thousand merpeople, gods, and a variety of other creatures gathered. Every single one of them stared at Evan and the room fell silent. After a moment, a great applause ensued. He looked to his left and right and behind. He was the only one standing there, and all eyes were focused on him.
“Evan Jones!” said Aegir with his mighty voice. “Come, stand before those who wish to thank you.”
Evan inched his way to where Aegir stood. In truth, Evan was more terrified of all this new attention than he was of Jormundgand.
“You are a true hero,” said Aegir, patting Evan on the shoulder. “I believe this belongs to you.”
Dangling from his enormous hand, hung the divining locket. Evan reached for it and said, “Actually, it belongs to my sister. Thanks.”
“Make sure it finds its rightful owner. We would not want an all seeing locket to fall into the hands of Alamaz,” said Aegir before walking away.
Evan hadn’t moved yet, when from the corner of his eye he saw a flash of violet hair. “Come, join us,” encouraged Lazonia. “Today, we celebrate your heroism. And tomorrow they will come up with another excuse to gather.”
“Do they party every single day?” Evan asked.
“They do on most days, yes.”
They approached the table right next to where twenty-five or more imps danced, each one a different color with variations in their markings. All of them had hair that stood straight up, forming fuzzy mohawks. And it smelled to Evan like he had entered a forest.
Claire and Sigurd sat with Dr. Irving and Vor. They were in the middle of a discussion, and by the look on Claire’s face it was a fascinating one at that.
“So, there I was, innocently bathing under a waterfall. How was I to know it was the secret entrance to Vor’s dwellings?” said Dr. Irving, laughing so hard he had to wipe away a tear.
“Imagine, if you will, my surprise at finding this human using my waterfall as his personal shower. Well, that did not please me. Not one tiny bit!” said Vor.
“What did you do?” Claire asked eagerly.
“Of course, I hid his clothing,” answered Vor, laughing along with the group.
“Once I realized the error of my ways, I pro
mised never to insult Vor, or any other goddess, like that again,” added Dr. Irving.
“Needless to say, he made it up to me,” said Vor, running her fingers through the professor’s hair.
“How did he manage that?” Claire asked.
“I did what any other love-struck man would. Every day, I brought her flowers and laid them outside her waterfall,” said Dr. Irving.
“That is so sweet,” said Claire, lightly resting her chin on top of her hand.
“That was not all he brought. Eventually, he added razzleberries. And that is how he won my forgiveness and my heart,” added Vor.
“So, when did you decide to stay here to be with Vor?” Claire asked.
“That decision was made the instant I met her,” said Dr. Irving.
“Why did you decide to stay here? I mean, why not have Vor live in our world?” Claire asked, briefly glancing at Sigurd.
“My dear girl, it is forbidden for gods and goddesses to leave Sagaas,” said Vor, and she too glanced at Sigurd. “Normally, it is forbidden for immortals to permanently leave, as well.”
“Have there been any exceptions? Has an immortal ever lived in Terra?” Claire asked hopefully.
“I am afraid it is not time to reveal information of that nature to you, dear,” said Vor.
“Claire, I will visit you,” said Sigurd, draping his arm down around her waist.
“And you may keep the divining locket. Use it as a way to communicate with each other and me,” said Vor.
“That’s right, Claire, here’s your locket,” interrupted Evan. “Aegir returned it to me.”
“Thanks,” said Claire, her eyes welling up.
Evan looked at Lazonia and felt a twinge in his heart. For the first time in his life, he felt empathy for his sister.
Evan hesitated before asking, “Vor, will we be able to come back?”
As if waiting for permission to answer, Vor glanced at Dr. Irving, who nodded his head.
“You will return. Your adventures in Sagaas are not over,” announced Vor. “But, I will say no more.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
SURF’S UP, DUDE
BY EARLY EVENING, THE CELEBRATION was in full swing. Twenty or more imps controlled the floor. They hopped and cheered and occasionally created a giant circle, where they snapped their tails into its center, looped them around each other, and continued to dance in rings.
Sigurd and Claire had quietly shuffled off to the side. They danced to their own slow rhythm. Lazonia was being entertained by another of Himinglaeva’s sisters, and Dr. Irving and Vor had been joined by a god with wild, yellow hair, which actually moved around, all by itself.
Evan feasted alone, relishing in the quiet moment. It gave him a minute to absorb all that had happened, and as he picked at his grilled sea lettuce with “Seasar” dressing, he wondered how he would be able to resume a normal life.
“You will be surprised by how easy it will be,” said Vor, joining his thoughts.
“How did you know what I was …” and Evan realized quickly the reason she understood. “I sometimes forget that you’re the goddess who knows everything.”
“I suspect there is something you wish to ask.”
“Why me? Why was I the one to go on this quest?”
“After all you have accomplished, you still doubt yourself,” she stated, and Evan shrugged. Vor sighed, and continued, “I do not understand this weakness in humans. You question yourselves far too much.”
“Sure we do, sometimes. Don’t you ever question yourself?”
“No,” said Vor abruptly. “Gods might not always make the right decisions, but at least we make them with conviction. Even when we are wrong, we are right.”
“I noticed Aegir still doesn’t act like he did anything wrong. He seems to believe what he did was right. He probably thinks because everyone is together again that he did something noble, when it was his fault everyone split ways in the first place,” realized Evan.
“Correct. What happened, happened. There is nothing anyone can do about the past, including Aegir. He will embrace his mistake and treat it as though now the world were a better place for it.”
“Why did I have all of those dreams about Aegir’s sharks and waves before I took the Serpent’s Ring? Somehow I fit into this puzzle, and I’m not sure how or why,” said Evan.
“You wonder if you were preselected for this quest.”
“Yeah, I guess.”
“Everyone must follow his own destiny and is chosen for some sort of quest. Yours happened to lead you here. And the answers are meant to come to you along the way. What is important, now, is that you pushed through your fear and doubt. Yes, you have been connected to Sagaas, all along. But, I must not say anymore. You will find answers to your questions in days yet to come.” She stood to leave, adding, “Evan, pay special attention to what your dreams are showing you. There is almost always a message hidden in them. You must also be careful; Alamaz will try to corrupt you through your nightmares.”
“Why do you think Alamaz wants to flood Terra?”
“I might have all knowing power, however, I tend to find the dream world a bit confusing. Since Alamaz lives in the dream world, I have trouble ‘seeing’ him clearly. I can only speculate to his reasoning.”
“Well, what do you think?”
“Alamaz has always been jealous of the gods’ powers. That is why, many thousands of years ago, he tried to steal the Mysticus Orb. Now that he is trapped in the Dungeon of Dreadful Dreams, I believe he wants to claim power from the relics.”
“So, he can escape.”
“Yes, and not only does he want to escape, if Alamaz were to find all of the relics, he would become unimaginably powerful.”
“What will the gods do to stop him?”
“All those in Sagaas will keep a watchful eye on Alamaz, but like I said, he is very cunning and manipulative.”
“So, we have to wait and see what he does next?”
“I am afraid so,” said Vor with a smile. “It might comfort you to know that I will be watching over you and your sister. I have been for a long time now.”
“I appreciate that,” said Evan. “Thanks.”
Vor ran her fingers under Evan’s chin and then wandered back toward Dr. Irving.
Again, Evan was alone. He looked around for Lazonia. She was still laughing along with some of the waves. Sigurd and Claire appeared to enjoy their “private” moment, and Dunkle and Barfel would probably dance the night away. Maybe Ran was right; for now at least, life was good.
Early the next morning, Evan stood on a pure-white, sandy beach. There were tiny ripples, lapping along the shore. The sun was bright, and Evan soaked in its rays. After spending many days underwater, he vowed to spend more of his time away from video games and explore outdoors more often.
“Glorious, isn’t it?” said Lazonia, who had joined him. “Over the past few months, I have spent most of my time hiding underwater. I greatly missed the sunlight.”
“I can imagine you normally spend your days sitting on a rock, near a waterfall, brushing your hair with a blowfish,” teased Evan, and Lazonia playfully swatted his arm.
“You have never surfed properly, unless you have made friends with the waves,” she said, staring at the calm sea.
“Do you like to surf?”
“Why do you look so surprised?” Lazonia asked. “Do you want for me to show you how mermaids surf? We have some time. The others are still chatting inside.”
Evan nodded his head yes, kicked off his flip-flops, and dashed into the calm ocean. Water circled his ankles, and it felt like a lukewarm bath.
“A little anxious, are we?” shouted Lazonia, still standing on shore. “I need to call Himinglaeva. We won’t be able to surf without her and her sister Hefring. They will make the water rise into a wave.”
Careful not to touch the water, Lazonia cupped her hands around her face. A soft breeze came from her open mouth and skimmed over the surface. It rush
ed past Evan and arched down into the sea.
“What was that?” said Evan, still staring at the place where the wake ended.
“I just placed a call, of course.”
Before Evan could blink, Lazonia leapt head first through the air. She sliced through the water, and with a flick of her tail, she was gone.
“Hey, where did you go?” hollered Evan, spinning around and around. He was facing the shore, when something from behind erupted with a loud rush. He turned quickly and saw, from the still water, a great wave arose. And there was Lazonia, skimming along with it. Her tail barely visible, as her upper body shot through the wave’s barrel.
“Are you ready?” came a whisper. Evan looked around, but didn’t see anyone.
Suddenly, water rose up around his waist. With a mighty splash, Himinglaeva appeared, giggling.
“Whoa, you startled me,” said Evan, grasping at his racing heart.
“Sorry, I could not help myself,” laughed Himinglaeva. “Would you like to surf?”
“I’d love to, but I don’t exactly know how.”
“I will be there to give you a little nudge when it is time to stand.”
“But, I don’t have a surfboard.”
“You can body surf.”
“That’s not the same thing.”
“Now, swim to just over there,” she said and disappeared.
He swam out and waited and waited.
“What am I supposed to do, now?” he asked, but the wave had vanished.
“Evan, what are you doing out there?” yelled Claire, approaching with Sigurd.
“I’m about to catch a wave,” grunted Evan, trying not to look ridiculous.
“There aren’t any waves. And you don’t have a surfboard,” she said, shaking her head. “I’ll take your word for it. Here,” she said and created a surfboard out of some driftwood. She slid it toward Evan, who directed it his way.