Quest for the Keys

by Scholastic

  Suddenly, the water churned and the sea turned a murky brown color, filled with bubbles and rocking wild waves. They couldn’t see Naida anymore.

  “Oh no!” Emily exclaimed as the boat swished from side to side in the rough waves. “It looks like Naida’s in trouble!”

  Aira called up wind to push back the water, but they couldn’t see Naida.

  “We shouldn’t have come,” Farran moaned.

  Just then, the water cleared, the staircase reappeared, and Naida stepped onto the boat. In her hand, she held a turquoise-colored key that sparkled in the sunlight.

  They all rushed over to her.

  “What happened?” Azari asked.

  “We were worried!” Emily said.

  “That oyster sure was angry,” Naida told them. “Just like Emily said, I had to find the unhappiest one. The one who was in the most pain.” She raised the key. “I did, and now he feels better!”

  “I’m glad we could help him,” Emily said.

  “And he helped us!” Naida added, staring at the glittering key.

  “We got the first key! Woo!” Azari exclaimed.

  The group’s excitement was back, and they congratulated each other with high fives.

  “It’s getting dark,” Farran said. “Let’s sleep on the boat and look for the next key in the morning.”

  Everyone agreed. Emily was impatient to keep going, but she was also exhausted from the day’s adventure. Finding the other keys would be easier after a rest.

  They all settled in for the night, and Emily let the slow rock of the waves soothe her. The stars were twinkling in the sky above. Were those the same stars her parents could see at home?

  Emily thought she would fall right to sleep, but worry and doubt were bubbling back up, keeping her awake. Perhaps she should have pushed the group to keep going overnight. She’d been gone for a long time. Had her parents called the police by now? Were they searching for her?

  Emily missed them, and she missed home. She let out a long, heavy sigh.

  “Are you still up?” Azari asked.

  It turned out the others were having a hard time falling asleep as well.

  “We need a bedtime story,” Naida suggested. “I have about a thousand different ones in my head. Which one do you want to hear?”

  “Or I could sing a song,” Aira suggested.

  “No!” they all shouted together.

  Emily said, “When I was young, I liked to go to sleep with a song my grandmother sang to me. Would you like to hear it?”

  “Yes!” Aira said. “I’d love to hear more about your grandmother.”

  “The song is about never being alone, and it always made me feel safe,” Emily told them. She began to sing:

  “Earth moves the air,

  And the wind feeds the fire.

  Magic is here,

  If you dare to believe!

  Sail out to sea

  On an ocean of mystery,

  And bring your heart

  To the ones that you meet.”

  Emily loved singing, and was in the school choir. Grandmother had never missed a performance, and always clapped the loudest. School songs were fun, but Grandmother’s song was her favorite.

  Emily hummed the song once more to herself with her eyes closed, holding her blue medallion. She started to feel calmer—and the next thing she knew, it was morning.

  Farran was standing above her shouting, “Wake up!” He was acting like Azari, waving the map around. “It’s glowing! Let’s move it!”

  They docked the boat at Sparkle Rock and walked deep into the forest, toward where the key seemed to be. As they got closer, a mist rose off the map again, and new text appeared. Farran read the clue aloud. “The pockets of the earth are never empty, yet they can be hard to dig into.”

  Farran was irritated. “That’s just nonsense. Naida’s clue was so easy. Why is mine so hard?”

  “Mine wasn’t easy,” Naida said. “Emily just figured it out.” All the elves looked at her.

  Azari asked, “What do you think it means?”

  Emily frowned. “I’m not sure. Could it have to do with money? Money can fill your pocket.”

  “Money?” Azari asked. “What’s that?”

  “We use it to pay for stuff,” Emily said. “Never mind.”

  “Can you think of anything else?” Naida asked.

  Emily thought more. “What if ‘pockets of earth’ are holes in the ground, like animal burrows? When Grandmother and I walked in her garden, she always pointed them out to me.”

  “Yes!” Farran said. “And the pockets are never empty, because there are always living things under the ground, even if the animal isn’t home.”

  “So we have to find the right animal burrow!” Emily exclaimed.

  “But what does ‘they can be hard to dig into’ mean?” Naida asked.

  “I think that finding the key is going to be hard,” Aira said. “It’s a warning.”

  “Uh-oh.” Farran sighed.

  “Let’s start exploring!” Azari cried.

  Emily proudly showed them how Grandmother taught her to spot the “pockets” where the animals made their homes.

  Farran took over, using his earth senses to lead them up a hill and down another, until he raised his arms and shouted, “Stop! This is the place! I can feel it!”

  Before them was an enormous stone. It was gray streaked with black, and there was a little cave opening near the ground. A squirrel was running back and forth territorially in front of it.

  “If only we could speak squirrel …” Emily said, looking at the furry creature.

  “I’ve got this one,” Farran said, approaching the rock. “Hello, squirrel, I’m—” He paused when the squirrel said something back in a chattery squeak. “Oh, excuse me,” Farran said. “Hello, Miss Spry. I’m Farran, earth elf. We request your assistance—”

  Again the squirrel interrupted him, but this time not with chatter. She bared her teeth and waved her little paws, trying to scare the group away.

  “This fur-ball thinks it can scare us?” Azari snorted.

  Farran said, “Miss Spry, if we could just—” He gasped at whatever she said. “There’s no need for that kind of language!”

  “I think she’s protecting something,” Emily said.

  “Farran, ask fur-face about her storage facility,” Azari said.

  Miss Spry growled and started launching nuts at Farran’s head with a tiny twig catapult.

  He ducked, saying, “Does she look like she wants to talk?!” Without warning, Miss Spry leapt up onto Farran’s head and grabbed onto his hair. “Ahhhhhh!” he shouted. “Get off me!”

  Naida began using her magic to draw water from a nearby stream. She tossed it on Miss Spry, who finally let go, scampering back down in front of the rock. Farran was dripping wet.

  “You’re welcome,” Naida said with a smile.

  Farran shook himself off, then said, “Let’s try something else.” Kneeling to the ground, he closed his eyes, put his hands on the soil, and moved them in a slow pattern. A green glow surrounded him, and plants began sprouting and twirling around him. Emily was entranced. Finally, he stood. “The key is back in that cave, but there are too many rocks in the way for me to get to it right now.”

  “Just like your head.” Azari laughed. “Full of rocks!”

  “That must be the ‘hard to dig into’ part of the clue,” Emily realized.

  Farran nodded. “Okay. I’m going to get the key out, but it’s going to get messy, dangerous, and a bit—”

  “Just do it!” Azari shouted.

  “I am!” he shouted back.

  Emily laughed at the two of them, bickering like brother and sister. Aira was far more encouraging. “Go on,” she said. “We know you can do this.”

  The air became electric as Farran directed his magic toward the trees, as if he were conducting an earth symphony. The regular noises of the forest stopped. Roots appeared, slithering like snakes over the forest fl
oor toward the cave.

  Suddenly, Farran stood tall, and shouted, “RUN!”

  With a deep groan and a crash, the huge stone in front of them cracked, and a mighty rockslide began. Farran had warned them just in time. With a swooping leap, he grabbed Miss Spry, too.

  When the dust settled, they could see where the cave had been.

  “Way to go, Farran!” Emily cried happily. “Look!”

  Nestled on the ground between nuts and sparkling gemstones was a shining green key.

  Farran reached out for it, but Miss Spry bounded forward, blocking his way.

  “Come on,” he told her. “We’re not the enemy here. We just gave you access to all these blocked acorns—and gems! Just let us have that key.”

  After a moment’s consideration, Miss Spry moved aside.

  Farran shook her little paw, then grabbed the key and waved it above his head. “I did it!” he said, and they all cheered. “All right,” Farran said, handing Azari the map. “Your turn. Good luck.”

  The sun was high as they boarded Naida’s boat to head back to the mainland. With Aira blowing the sails and Farran at the mast, they soon reached the shore. Emily was confident that with Azari in the lead, they’d have the third key in no time—which was good, because the passage of time was making her more and more nervous about what was happening back at home. Were her parents frantic? Were the police searching the neighborhood? Emily shivered at that last thought. But she was doing her best to get back. She turned her attention to Azari, hoping the map would reveal another clue.

  They were soon walking through a forest toward the Lava Field. Emily was surprised that it felt so different from the forest at Sparkle Rock. There it was cooler, and very shady. Here, the air felt warm, and there was a slight smoky smell. In the distance, she could see a small mountain with a low black cloud covering the peak. Was that a volcano?!

  “Are we going there?” Emily asked. All she knew about volcanoes was that they were very dangerous!

  “Of course,” Azari told her, looking down at the glowing map. “We’re in the lava lands now, Em, and I’m all aglow!”

  Emily chuckled. Azari’s jokes were bad, but they lightened her mood.

  Soon, a new clue appeared on the map, and Azari read it out loud. “A curtain of gold falls between you and what you need.” She frowned. “What could that mean?!”

  “A curtain might be like on a stage,” Farran said, trying to help.

  “I’m an expert in falling,” Naida said with a small smile. “That’s what happens when you try to think and walk at the same time.”

  Azari sighed. “Let’s just stick to getting closer to the key,” she said. “We can solve the clue later. This way.”

  As they approached the volcano, Emily had to admit that it was pretty majestic. A puff of smoke came from the top, and lava stretched down the side, glowing bright red and yellow mixed with black. As it reached the bottom, it oozed over rough dark rocks into a glittering sunset-colored lava pool.

  Emily walked faster to keep up with Azari as they veered down a narrow path.

  “That pool at the bottom looks so much like water!” Naida remarked.

  Azari explained, “The hottest lava is the brightest color. As it cools, the lava turns from that brilliant orange to a shimmering red, then to dark red, then brown, and finally black when it’s solid.” She looked around, then exclaimed, “Hey, we’re near the bakery! Let’s go. But we have to walk carefully through here. Follow me, and try to step only where I step.”

  They lined up and stayed close together. The lava smelled bad, like burned tires, but soon there was also a waft of something delicious nearby. It reminded Emily of the scrumptious scent of Grandmother’s kitchen when she was making her famous cookies!

  Just past the next rocky outcrop, Emily was amazed to see why: There was a bakery right by the lava pool! It was a small shack with open windows. Each window ledge was filled with steaming treats.

  A fox sat outside the bakery. Its red, bushy tail waved as if greeting the visitors.

  Azari called out, “Hey, Flamy, how’s it going?” She turned toward Emily. “He’s a fire fox.”

  A moment later, a boy burst out of the bakery. His red clothing looked very similar to Azari’s dress, and in his hands was a tray piled with cookies, cinnamon buns, bagels, and bread slices.

  “Johnny!” Azari rushed to hug him.

  “Hey, Azari!” he said. “Want some fresh baked goods? I recommend the cinnamon buns!”

  Aira’s hand was almost to the tray when Azari blocked the way.

  “Priorities, Johnny Baker,” Azari told him. “We have to find a key before we can eat!”

  But Azari was out-voted, and the elves and Emily swarmed Johnny and his tray.

  While Naida enjoyed a thick piece of sweet bread, Emily ate several cookies. “Just like my grandmother’s,” Emily said, licking her lips. “Thanks.”

  Azari gave in and had a few treats, too. They all munched happily.

  Johnny soon offered Emily another cookie, but she declined. “I can’t eat another bite. I’m so full!”

  So he wrapped some cookies up for her, saying, “Here’s some for later!”

  Emily took them and thanked him.

  Azari looked at the map again. “I know the third key’s right around here,” she said. “But this clue is a mystery. ‘A curtain of gold falls between you and what you need.’ Pff! I don’t see any curtains here!”

  “I live here, and I don’t know what that means,” Johnny said. “I don’t even have curtains in my house because they catch fire so easily!”

  Azari heaved a big sigh.

  “Is there anything gold in the bakery?” Emily asked.

  “You mean, other than my luscious gold hair?” Johnny said, winking. “I’m not sure, but I can show you around.” The elves all followed him into the kitchen, and he explained how the volcano lava created heat for the ovens. When he showed them a panel of buttons and switches, Aira’s eyes lit up.

  “I’d like a closer look at the valve casings and the knobs,” Aira said, rubbing her chin. “I might even have some ideas for how to improve your cooking system …”

  “You’re welcome to visit any time!” Johnny said as Azari dragged Aira away from the panel. Flamy the fox ran by, and Johnny said, “Oh, better check the oven! He tells me when the cakes are done.”

  “Like a timer?” Emily said. She explained how Grandmother used a small alarm clock to tell her when her treats were ready.

  “Exactly,” Johnny said. “Flamy’s a very talented fire fox!”

  “Flamy, have you seen the key?” Azari asked. He howled at her. Azari frowned. “Nope.”

  They all went back outside. Emily was starting to get anxious again. They had to find that key!

  “What could be a curtain of gold?” she asked. “My necklace chain is silver, so that’s not it.” Grandmother’s medallion hung cool around her neck.

  Farran said, “Johnny’s bread is gold-colored.”

  “Sunsets can be gold,” Aira said dreamily. “Though we’d have to wait around all day for that. Or if we waited all summer, autumn leaves are gold, too.”

  Suddenly, Emily had a thought. “Something gold IS falling!”

  “What? Where?!” Johnny’s head spun as he looked all around.

  “Lava!” Emily pointed toward the lava pool and the way the lava flowed down into it over the rocks, like a small waterfall.

  “That’s not really falling, it’s more just slowly flowing …” Farran said. But Azari was going over to it with her arms outstretched, glowing red, her hair sparking.

  “Azari’s all fired up!” Johnny joked.

  “You were right again, Em! This is the place!” Azari exclaimed.

  Johnny and Farran looked at her skeptically.

  “The key is behind the lava.” Azari turned to Johnny and asked, “Is there a path that goes behind the lavafall?”

  “No,” Johnny said. “Even with fire powers, you can’t
get there.”

  Everyone was silent for a moment, and Azari took a different approach to the lava flow, stepping on cool black stones within the little lava lake. With a flick of her wrist, she magically moved the lava curtain to the side, revealing the key! But when she went to reach for it with her other hand, the curtain closed again.

  “I can’t keep the lava curtain open and grab the key at the same time!” She turned back to look at the others. “What do we do?”

  “There’s not room for another person to even get close,” Aira said.

  Emily’s mind was racing. They were so close to getting this key!

  “Aira!” Farran exclaimed. “Build a heat-resistant, fireproof key-grabber!”

  Aira looked around. “Hmm. I could use parts from Johnny’s kitchen and add some sticks and a long vine. If we could put together some sort of engine, I could start to …” Her words died away as she realized how impossible that all would be. “I wish,” she ended. “But I can’t.”

  Emily noticed that Flamy had come out of bakery again, and looked curious.

  “Can we get the fox to help?” Emily suggested.

  “Great idea!” Azari said. She quickly explained the situation to Flamy, and he nodded. “You can do it, boy!” she said.

  She raised her arms with fresh determination, splitting the lava curtain into two hot golden halves. Flamy leapt right through the center.

  The fire fox looked like a flame himself! Fear seized Emily—what if she had just put the fox in danger?! But no one else seemed to be worried.

  “Yes!” Azari cheered. “Thatta boy! Go on, Flamy!”

  Flamy leapt back out between the molten flow and dropped a red key at Azari’s feet.

  “Unbelievable!” Emily cried.

  Azari hugged the fox. Emily ran forward to hug him, too, but Azari stopped her. “Em, no! He still needs to cool down.”

  “Right,” she said, backing up. “Of course.” She gave him a little wave instead. “Thanks, Flamy. You’re the best.”