“Yeah, well, not this time, because this time, it isn’t a game.” Carter kicked the bird on its side exactly like he’d done to the horse he rode at the dude ranch. With another loud shriek, the dinosaur was off and flying.
Trying to steer the bird was not as easy as Carter had secretly hoped. The pterodactyl had a mind of its own, heading in the opposite direction Carter wanted it to go. The younger, stronger pterodactyls spotted them before long, and swarmed around the old dinosaur and the boys. They knew these other dinosaurs respected the old bird and wouldn’t harm it. As long as the boys could hang on and get him to fly in the right direction, they’d remain safe.
The dinosaur was not quick but he was certainly jumpy and he tried desperately to toss off the unwanted riders. As Carter pulled the makeshift reins to the right with all his might, the bird began to turn, and then dove straight towards the ground. Carter pulled and pulled back on the reins, trying desperately to get the dinosaur to turn back up, but it was to no avail. “Oh, no! We’re doomed!” Carter yelled.
“No, we’re not! Don’t say that! We’ve been brave, we’ve been kind, and we’ll be rewarded. We have to be!” Mason yelled over the screaming wind as the dinosaur gained speed. A hundred feet away the ground became quite clear, along with the burning craters. They were totally doomed! No amount of aerobatics or brainpower was getting them out of this mess.
The dinosaur shifted directions fifty feet above the ground and as he turned a sharp corner to the right, poop bombs hailing down all around them, the boys were thrown off. Both screamed at the top of their lungs, their eyes shut tight as they waited to hit the ground. But they never did.
Instead of the ground, they felt something swoop them up, something sturdy, strong, and fast. The boys were afraid to open their eyes and find themselves in more trouble.
“You were correct, Mason, to encourage your brother with words of kindness.” Mason opened one eye. They were riding atop a flying horse. How cool! “And you, Carter, were right about your love for your sister. Because of that love, you took the dinosaur by the reins, so to speak.” The creature carrying them laughed. It was friendly, happy laughter.
Carter’s eyes popped open and, much to his pleasure, saw there was not a pterodactyl in sight. The sky was crystal clear. He looked back and could see, far off in the distance, the prehistoric world they’d left behind. He looked down at the silver mane of the pegasus who’d picked them up. He held on tight to Mason.
“So, you’re a flying horse? A pegasus?” Mason asked.
“You’ve studied your mythology, haven’t you? Or at least, played the game.”
“Both,” Mason replied.
“Excellent. Yes, I am a pegasus. Name’s Isaac.”
“Isaac?”
“Yes, Isaac. What? Did you think I’d have a name like Star or Moonbeam?”
“Uh, kind of.”
“Nope, I’m Isaac. My wife is Noreen, but you won’t have a chance to meet her on this trip. You both still have quite a bit of work to do. If what my sources tell me is correct, time is of the essence.”
Mason and Carter figured Isaac’s sources were in some way connected to Seyem. Mason faced forward only to be confronted with one of the most beautiful but ominous sights he’d ever seen: the volcano. He knew that was where they were headed. Isaac flew directly towards the mountain, where the final challenge of this level would take place. And this challenge would make the earlier ones look like a piece of cake.
CHAPTER FOUR
A FRIEND OF WINGED PROPORTIONS
As Isaac glided through the sky, Mason and Carter reflected that although they had to gear up for the next challenge, they’d both had a chance to relax and enjoy their flight. Isaac’s powerful wings flapped in the wind making a soothing, soulful sound that nearly lulled Carter to sleep.
Isaac descended and landed at the foot of the volcano, next to a flowing spring. A frog’s rhythmic croaking blended with the sound of water, making the bottom of the volcano appear peaceful. Molten rock lay interspersed with flowers of violet, yellow, and orange that sprang up between the rocks.
Carter and Mason climbed down from Isaac’s back.
“You two are very special. We’re all so happy you have come to save us and our world,” Isaac said. Then his expression grew more serious. “Do you realize what will happen if you do not meet this challenge with the same courage and trust with which you have met the others?” The boys nodded solemnly, knowing full well what the outcome would be. “There is another element to this challenge you must face as well. You are aware of this?”
The boys certainly knew what Isaac was referring to. Yes, they would need to be crafty if they were to get past what lay ahead.
“You must make it to the top without waking the lava monster, or else you risk losing not only your own lives, but the lives of all the inhabitants who live at the bottom of the volcano. If the monster were to become extremely angry, you would risk an eruption so large it could do most of Queen Zamora’s work for her, destroying much of Boysen. Once at the top, you must locate the Crystal of Freeze and then say the words that will render the lava monster useless, taking away his power and anger.”
“Yes, we know,” Mason replied.
“We need to take care of the lava monster, or else Queen Zamora’s wrath will destroy all of this.” Carter spread his arms wide, gesturing at the beauty surrounding them.
Isaac bowed his head and tears came to his eyes. “Yes, all will be destroyed if you cannot master the lava monster. But he is vicious, and you must outwit him. To do this, I give you a gift. You’ve earned it. You will need it.”
“Another gift?” Carter asked.
“Yes, lift my wings up. There is one underneath each wing.” Mason walked to one side of the silver horse and lifted up a wing. “Inside the pouch,” Isaac instructed. Pouches, similar to those of a kangaroo, held Isaac’s wings together. In each pouch, the boys found their gifts. They were strange looking suits made of a hard, but flexible, material. The suits were bright red and nearly matched the lava. These were fire suits to help keep them from being burned by the boiling hot lava while the deep, red color would keep them hidden from the lava monster.
“Put them on,” Isaac said. “I know you’d like some rest and probably some food, but there’s no time. Inside the pocket of the each fire suit, you will find an energy bar. Use them only if you absolutely have to. You have no idea where in your journey you may need an extra ounce of energy. Be cautious, and go with love. I wish you both luck.” With that, Isaac flapped his wings and lifted himself into the air. They watched him fly away, and once again the feeling of being completely alone overcame them. Knowing they had to go on, and remembering Seyem’s words, the boys pulled on the fire suits and made a plan—one they hoped would not only help save Boysen Land, but keep them safe and, most importantly, alive.
CHAPTER FIVE
THE LAVA MONSTER AND THE CRYSTAL OF FREEZE
Mason started on one side of the volcano, Carter on the other. Their test would have to be completed individually. If they split up now and met back up at the top, there would be less noise and less chance of waking the beast. But going it alone was a terrifying prospect for both of them. What if one didn’t make it back? What if both didn’t make it back?
Carter carefully jumped from one solid rock to the other as he began to see threads of red slowly sliding past him. He knew if the rocks gave way, he would be thrown into what surely lay beneath them—a sea of hot lava. Fear propelled him forward. He thought about whistling a tune, but knew that was forbidden, so he played one of his mom’s favorite songs over and over in his head, trying to remember the words, knowing they would distract him from fear. The lyrics were something about seeing clearly now that the rain was gone, and all the bad feelings had disappeared.
His stomach ached and he thought about eating the energy bar, but remembered Isaac’s words. He wondered how Mason was doing. The higher he climbed, the wider the thread of lava grew, until
he realized—after much focused concentration on climbing up the rocks—there was a river of the gurgling, sizzling liquid on either side of him and the rocks were becoming increasingly smaller and smaller.
Carter sweated like crazy underneath the fire suit. As much as he wanted to take it off, he knew it was there to keep him from being burned alive.
As he took another step, a bubble of lava shot up into the air, like a red fly whizzing past him. He turned his face in time before it hit his cheek and burnt its mark forever into his skin. But his near miss caused him to wobble. He felt the rock beneath him give way. He jumped. It was not his first leap of faith in this game, but it was the one with the most treacherous consequences.
A whoosh of wind swooped up underneath him and before he knew it, Carter had risen to the top of the volcano. “Whew!” Surprised at his rapid ascent, Carter figured he must have had some help—the magical kind—because there was no way he could’ve leapt that far on his own. He wiped his hand across his sweat-covered forehead and looked around; lava and black rock surrounded him. The top of the volcano was massive. The crater was a hundred feet away and Carter knew, as he watched it spew its hot venom, the lava monster lay in wait.
Where was Mason? Had he reached the top from the other side yet? “Mason,” he whispered as loud as he thought would be safe. The boys had agreed before they started not to make any unnecessary noise, lest they awaken the lava monster. But was calling out your brother’s name when he wasn’t where he was supposed to be unnecessary? Carter wasn’t sure.
“Hey.” Carter felt a tapping on his shoulder and nearly jumped into the flowing lava. “Jeez, it’s me!” Mason’s grabbed him by the edge of the fire suit and pulled him back from the brink.
“What are you doing?!” Carter shouted.
“Shh! Do you want to wake the monster? Do you want to mess everything up?”
“Ha! Me? What about you? You’re the one who nearly knocking me into the death zone.” Carter brought his hands up to his throat and feigned choking himself.
Mason rolled his eyes. “Remember we’re here to battle the lava monster.”
“How could I forget? I nearly burned my face off, and almost fell in at one point. I thought for sure I was a goner.”
“Yeah, me, too.” Mason held out his hand and on it was a tiny but very real black burn mark.
“Oh, Mason, it got you!”
Mason nodded. He looked like he was trying not to cry. “I went to take out the magic salve, and when I did, I dropped it in the lava and it disintegrated. Man, that burn hurt. Worse than anything I‘ve ever felt in my life. I know it’s small but for a minute, it was like my entire body was on fire. I thought I’d melt right then and there.”
Carter brought his hands to his mouth. He immediately pulled his backpack off and opened it, reaching for his salve. He put a drop on his brother’s burn mark. The burn closed up, but left a scar.
“Thanks. You have no idea how bad it was killing me. The lava came up from nowhere and hit my hand. I’m just grateful it didn’t get the rest of me.”
“Yeah, me too,” Carter muttered.
“You’d miss me?”
“Nah.”
“Good, cause I wouldn’t miss you either.”
“Good.”
Before they could continue bickering, the boys heard a low, loud rumble. Their eyes popped open, filled with fear and surprise. “What was that?” Carter whispered.
“I think you know what that was, and I think our fighting woke him up.”
Sure enough, just as Mason finished speaking, the rocks beneath them shook, and they knew they were in trouble. “I suppose we should have listened to Seyem and not been so quick to argue with each other,” Carter remarked.
Mason nodded. “You know what we have to do?”
“Get the Crystal of Freeze.”
“Yep, the Crystal of Freeze.”
The earth continued to shake, but both boys knew they had no time to be afraid. Mason looked around. “Okay, I can tell where we are, at least I think I can. If the map from the 850 Beacon Guidebook is correct, I’d say the Crystal of Freeze is right about there.” Mason pointed to an area of the volcano where two large boulders had fused together. In the crevice between the boulders was a small but spectacular waterfall.
“Yeah, that does look like it. How do we get to it?” Carter asked.
“Very carefully, because it appears we’ve awakened the lava monster, who’s just about to blow, so we don’t have a lot of time.”
The lava monster was a nasty creature, filled with ferocity and a horrific desire for vengeance. Like most lava monsters, he liked his sleep and liked his volcano to flow continuously, but when disturbed, he blew sky-high and could release enough lava to destroy everything below. Until recently, the lava only flowed in one direction: down into the sea. But as Queen Zamora’s powers further encroached upon Boysen Land, darkening it bit by bit, she’d sent a crew of her dark elves to shake up the sleeping beast. He’d recently blown so high, the lava flowed on both sides of the mountain and was making its way into the land of Boysen. If disturbed again, the monster might just blow his top and, in one huge explosion, destroy most of the planet. All that would be left for Queen Zamora to do would be to take over Izzy’s soul in order to become human…and then, one day, take over earth.
The last thing the Clover brothers wanted to do at that point was to wake the sleeping beast. But it was too late. They’d done just that with their fighting, and now they would have to move fast.
With as much care as possible, the two boys jumped between the rocks without lava flowing on them. A few times they teetered and nearly fell in, but eventually they made it to the boulders. They knew what they had to do next.
The brothers reached into their backpacks and took out their light wands. “Okay, on my count,” Mason said. “One, two, three.”
Together the boys flashed their light wands between the two boulders where the lava flowed the thickest. The magic rays of light from the wands caused the lava to part. Beneath the lava in the middle of the rocks sat a glass case, and inside was the Crystal of Freeze. Only seconds remained to seize it, as the ground shook more violently and lava flowed faster all around them. Mason handed his wand to Carter but kept one hand on it, which was part of the game rules—a master can never let go of his tools when fighting off the forces of evil. Carter watched as Mason reached into the crevice and plucked out the Crystal of Freeze.
As he did, the monster fully woke and a violent eruption of lava exploded into the air. Mason held up the Crystal of Freeze and shouted, “I am now the master of the Crystal of Freeze!” Nothing happened. The volcano kept exploding. Carter ducked. He’d almost been burned as the lava rained down all around them. He looked at Mason, fear in his eyes.
They both figured it out at the same time and repeated together, “We are the masters of the Crystal of Freeze!!”
As the words escaped their lips, the huge explosion that had just shot into the air (and would have surely destroyed them and everything in its path) simply froze solid. The freeze slowly descended over the entire mountain. The sight was astonishing. The heap of lava became a huge glacier, with an angry, twisted face frozen in the middle. The freeze settled into the mountain, but beneath the ice, the lava was still red although no longer flowing. The boys had thought the active volcano and its rivers of lava were beautiful. Yet now, in its crystallized form, the volcano had turned into an icy wonderland with rays of deep red splashing into the sky. And the best part was the volcano, which had once seemed so scary, now seemed quite peaceful.
“Wow!” Mason exclaimed.
“I’ll second that,” Carter murmured. He patted his brother on the back, “Nice work! I guess we do make a good team.”
“I guess we do.”
They looked up into the sky at the colors and saw Isaac coming in for a landing. Tears of joy flowed down his silver face. “I had faith you could do this! Thank you. But there is more.”
; “We know,” they said in unison.
“Yes, I suppose you do. Are you ready?”
The boys nodded. As Isaac knelt down, the boys climbed onto his back and prepared themselves for the next challenge.
CHAPTER SIX
THE TRAITOR
“Victor! Victor!!” the nasty queen screamed as she peered into a glass mirror.
“Yes, Your Highness?” Victor was a small creature, half-goat and half-man, with a head of long brown hair, a goatee nearly as long as the hair on his head, and a protruding stomach. He ran into the elaborate room, decorated in furniture made of gold and draped in purple velvet.
Queen Zamora sat up straight on her ornate, high-back chair, her long, red hair flowing almost down to the ground and her coal-dark eyes shining brightly, filled with rage.
Victor bowed his head.
“I did just as you suggested, and now look! Look, just look, you stupid fool!! ‘Bring them into the game, Your Highness. It will be fun.’ That is what you said! But now look! Those brothers are far smarter than I thought.” She pointed to the mirror, which reflected nothing back at her. “They have gotten much further than I ever dreamed. I am not certain how they did it, and I don’t really care, but now that they have captured the Crystal of Freeze, I can no longer watch over their comings and goings. I have no idea where they are! None!! Do you?”
The little elf shook his head, his face somber and filled with shame. “I do not, Your Highness.”
“Well, let me tell you something, you’d better find them and find them now! I don’t need this distraction. I have things to do, plans to make. I have to prepare. We are but two nights from the alignment of the planets. I do not need this, Victor!” She stood in all her splendor. She was over six-feet tall, and by most standards, extremely beautiful, with flawless skin and long thin, manicured hands. But her eyes were cold and heartless, and when she wanted, she could change her looks instantly, turning into a wrinkled monster with leathery, purple skin and oozing pores. She had powers that frightened Victor and right now he was deathly afraid of her.
The Clover Siblings and the Evil of Desmal Page 4