Benotripia- The Complete Trilogy

by McKenzie Wagner

  “I saw what happened,” he said, grinning despite his exhausted state. “You took down three boats! And all of the harpoons! Nice work, Roseabelle.”

  “Thanks,” she said. “Did you patch up the hole?”

  Jessicana wiped the beads of sweat off her forehead. “Yeah. That hole sure was stubborn.” In truth, she was just glad to see Roseabelle alive. “We had better steer ahead to get away from those Darvonians. Astro, you should’ve shot a few Flame-hurlers at them.”

  “I know,” he said. “But Roseabelle had it covered.” Astro reached inside his pocket. “It might be a little helpful to use the St—” He stopped abruptly and lifted the Stone to eye-level; Jessicana’s eyes widened in surprise. She could see that the once-brilliant light that gleamed in the Stone was gone. The dull red jewel seemed to be lifeless.

  Roseabelle noticed as well, and she and Jessicana withdrew their Stones from their pockets. The shimmer, the light glowing from within, had vanished.

  “Do they still work?” Jessicana asked, her voice penetrating the shocked silence. She waved her Stone toward Roseabelle, picturing a flower appearing in her red hair. But nothing happened.

  Astro tried his as well. “The power’s been sucked out of them,” he said. “At least, that’s what it looks like.”

  Roseabelle surveyed the Stones while Jessicana studied her own. Had she done something wrong? Maybe the Darvonians had enchanted it. No, that wasn’t right. The Stones were extremely powerful artifacts; no one could just tamper with them like that.

  “They were glowing when we left,” Roseabelle said. “So we can’t despair. My father will know what’s going on. We just have to focus on protecting them.” Jessicana glanced up at the sky, realizing how dark it was. The sparkling stars contrasted deeply against the pitch black of the night.

  “Can I go back to sleep now?” Astro grumbled, and Jessicana and Roseabelle both grinned at each other.

  “Knock yourself out,” Jessicana responded. Astro flung open the trapdoor, then scrambled down the ladder. “Speaking of sleeping, what’s wrong with Moonstar?” It was strange—Moonstar had been asleep the entire voyage! Even though Jessicana didn’t know anything about this species, she really was worried about him sleeping for so long.

  Roseabelle scowled. “He hasn’t eaten or drunk anything, has he?”

  Jessicana shook her head. “It’s odd for an animal. Usually all they want to do is eat.” Being part animal, she should know.

  Jessicana picked up the spyglass and resumed her original position. She stared at the waves with their hypnotic rhythm. Gazing into the distance, she saw that the two black Darvonian boats bobbed on the water, and she was pleased to see that they were going just as slow as her ship was.

  Suddenly Roseabelle spoke, nearly making Jessicana jump. “Jessicana,” she said, speaking softly. “Do you think my mother’s going to be all right?” Jessicana instantly felt guilty. Here she was just minding her own business, while Roseabelle was thinking about her mother. Jessicana was impressed by how well her friend hid her feelings.

  Jessicana walked up to Roseabelle and squeezed her hand. “I don’t know, Roseabelle. But as long as we’re doing our best, Danette will be just fine.”

  Now she had to convince herself to believe it.

  TWO MORE DAYS PASSED ON THE OCEAN, AND THE THREE friends took turns alternating between resting, steering, and keeping watch for any signs of danger as they steered toward Metamordia. The ocean was relatively calm, and Astro was glad they didn’t have to pass through Blackwater Sea. After all, his definition of fun was not sailing through deadly black waters where only death and danger awaited.

  Only hours earlier, Jessicana had spotted with their spyglass the fight between Danette’s ships and the sneaky Darvonian fleets. There had been cannons and bright flashes of Dragocone Rays, but the fleets had retreated farther into the distance and she couldn’t see them anymore.

  Astro glanced toward the trapdoor. He was amazed that during this whole time Moonstar had been asleep. Lucky animal. While everyone else was fighting, the creature was taking a nice long nap.

  Right now, Astro was at the steering wheel, clenching it tight, peering straight ahead. He had counted that a week had now passed and his stomach wobbled a bit. Both of his friends were extremely lucky—Jessicana could get off the boat at any time and fly in the clouds for a few minutes, and Roseabelle could transform into a dolphin and swim freely. Astro didn’t have the freedom to get off the boat at all, and as a result, seasickness was starting to bother him.

  “See anything?” he asked Roseabelle, who was standing near the boat’s railings.

  “I can’t tell,” Roseabelle mused. “There’s a lot of mist up ahead but we’ve traveled so far that Metamordia’s bound to be close.”

  Astro turned back to steering as tiny crystal waves lapped at the hull. He honestly didn’t know if they could handle being out here for much longer. They were already running low on food. What if they had completely missed Metamordia? No, that wasn’t possible—the spyglass could see through enchantments.

  “Wait!” Roseabelle exclaimed, lengthening the spyglass suddenly.

  “What is it?” he asked.

  “Nothing good,” she said and held the instrument toward him. Astro snatched it and held it to his eye, looking for anything strange. All he could see was open water and an enormous mass of white fog. Squinting, he noted that the only thing beyond the fog was an endless sea of blue.

  “I don’t see anything,” he said.

  Roseabelle took him by the shoulders and jerked him to the right.

  “Look closer,” she insisted.

  Astro did, and just as he was about to put the spyglass down, a blur of darkness flashed past his vision. “What was that?” he whispered to himself. The boat suddenly shuddered, and Astro nearly dropped the spyglass.

  Jessicana came up through the trapdoor, rubbing her eyes. “Something wrong?” she asked sleepily.

  A horrible grinding split the air and Astro winced. Yikes! What was that? He gripped onto the side of the boat with one hand and peeped through the spyglass with the other. His mouth agape, he saw what lay ahead of the boat.

  Dark twisted rock spires and clumps of enormous boulders rose majestically out of the sea like giants. Astro wondered if the boat was skidding on pieces of rock right at that moment. He realized with a start that the spyglass was no longer extended at all—the spires were right in front of their eyes. They had been too busy looking way ahead to see what was right in front of them.

  “We’ve got trouble,” Roseabelle said.

  Astro put down the spyglass and saw their boat barely miss a towering black rock spire.

  “Where’d Metamordia go?” he asked urgently.

  “It has to be beyond this rock,” Jessicana said. “This is another Darvonian trick. Remember last time? We had to make it through that cloud of fog in Blackwater Sea to get to Darvonia. There’s always an obstacle to pass. This one just happens to be crazy-looking rocks jutting out of the ocean. The Darvonians don’t want anyone finding their way to the third island, that’s for sure.” Astro couldn’t see very well through the mist that was sticking to the sides of the boat—the rocks seemed to pop out of nowhere.

  “We have to steer out of here!” Astro exclaimed, reaching for the controls. There was no way they’d survive going through there. Their boat would be demolished and they would be stranded.

  “Wait,” Jessicana said, taking the controls first. “The Darvonians designed it like this. If we veer off course, we’ll have to go through a different obstacle. We’ll never get to Metamordia. Blackwater Sea is full of too many surprises. We have to go straight through.”

  Astro stared. Jessicana was absolutely right. “Kinetle’s cloak, sometimes the Darvonians are so clever it hurts,” he muttered.

  “We need some sort of protection for the boat,” Roseabelle said and instantly dashed off.

  “Where are you going?” Jessicana called, but Roseabelle was a
lready below deck. The boat tipped slightly as the hull scraped against a rough piece of submerged rock. Astro grabbed onto the stern, dropping the spyglass. It rolled around on the deck.

  “Watch out!” he yelled at Jessicana. Yanking her down, they watched as a spire of rock, jutting out from a monstrous boulder, appeared where her head had just been.

  “Thanks,” she said, giving him a quick smile. Roseabelle came racing back .

  “Get down,” Astro said, worried that more rock spires might appear. “What’s your plan, Roseabelle?” It wouldn’t be long before the jagged rocks sliced through the wood of the boat like putty. If Roseabelle didn’t have a plan, it seemed like they were done for.

  Roseabelle was holding the trutan in her hands along with a bottle of ink and a quill. As she was running, some of her ink had spilled on the wood, staining the deck purple. Astro noticed her hands were shaking uncontrollably.

  “What should we draw?” Jessicana asked.

  “Wooden planks,” Roseabelle said. “And tools. We’re going to need to patch up any holes these rocks might make.”

  “Can’t any of your powers help with the Stones?” Astro asked. Although the trutan was better than nothing, it wasn’t as fast as the Stones of Horsh. Eventually, these rocks would get the better of them and their boat would sink.

  Roseabelle pondered the question for a moment while Jessicana began drawing frantically. “Telekinesis,” she suddenly burst. “Of course! It’ll take a lot of effort though. I might be able to move the rocks away from the boat with my mind. Astro, you man the sides of the boat and chop off any rocks that come near us with a Dragocone Ray. Jessicana, you keep drawing.” Roseabelle took her position at the front of the boat and Astro dashed below deck to find a Dragocone Ray. Avoiding the puddles of water, all he could think was, This had better work.

  CHAPTER 8

  Metamordia

  ROSEABELLE STOOD AT THE STERN, FOCUSING HARD AND warming up her mind. Beforehand, she already knew that this was going to wear her out, maybe to the point of total exhaustion. But it didn’t matter. Her friends’ lives were in jeopardy, and this was the only way they would make it to Metamordia.

  This was the only way they would make it alive.

  Shadowy shapes leered at them from above, jagged rock spirals sticking out from different angles. As a cluster of enormous boulders appeared, Roseabelle swerved the boat to avoid them. Glancing up ahead, she could see piles of loose black rock jutting out of the surface.

  Clenching her teeth and clearing her mind, Roseabelle focused on the rocks, blotting out every other sound, every other movement. She made a motion with her arms, and the cluster of rocks wobbled slightly. “Come on,” she muttered, thinking of her father on the other side of this stone graveyard. “He’s just past this point. Come on, Roseabelle, you can do this. For him. For them.”

  Grunting, body pumping with adrenaline, Roseabelle lifted four of the rocks mere inches in the air. They skimmed the water and plopped into a different part of the ocean, where they disappeared below the surface. Face red and breathing heavily, Roseabelle focused on the other clusters of rocks that lay in their path. As they approached a second pile, she panicked, realizing she couldn’t do it. Her mind was sore from the exhaustion of the previous lift.

  “Brace yourselves!” she yelled as the boat headed dead on toward the rocks. Just as they were going to hit, Astro ran up behind her. With a quick downward swish of his Dragocone Ray, the rocks split into numerous pieces and sank to the sea floor. “Thanks,” she said.

  “Don’t thank me yet,” he said with a worried grin. At that moment, the ship slid into a cloud of white fog, and Astro and Roseabelle looked at each other nervously.

  “The spyglass can see through this fog right?” Astro asked.

  Roseabelle nodded. “Give me the Ray. Use your lightning but don’t hit the water. With the combined Telekinesis and weapon, I should be able to move the rocks out of the way in time. We can’t afford another blow.”

  Astro handed Roseabelle his Ray and slid off his silk gloves just as another rock spire dug into the ship’s wood. He could hear Jessicana’s triumphant shout as she finished patching the previous hole—then her groan as she realized there was another one.

  With the Dragocone Ray gleaming brilliantly, Roseabelle could see relatively well through the fog, and with the spyglass, so could Astro. A jagged rock spire jutted from the side, and she hurriedly slashed through it, the rock splashing through the water. Astro’s lightning severed the boulders so quickly that a path soon appeared, free of the rocky dangers. Astro cheered in delight as the fog and debris ahead of them cleared to reveal a pristine ocean free of obstacles. He exchanged a high-five with Roseabelle.

  And then all the glee drained from their faces. Up ahead, as though in slow motion, a towering mass of smooth black obsidian popped up from the waters. Roseabelle’s eyes widened, and she hit the deck. Acting on instinct, Astro grabbed the Dragocone Ray and flung it at the spire. As the Ray came into contact with the rock, a burst of fiery energy emitted, sparks flying in every direction. The rock was severed from its position, cut jaggedly and glowing bright red. The spire sank into the sea, causing monstrous waves to wash over them.

  Several moments later, Roseabelle looked up—coughing and sputtering from being completely doused. Her heart was beating faster than usual. “Nice thinking,” she said to Astro. He was kneeling beside her, equally soaked.

  Jessicana came running up, panting. “I finished,” she said. “But that was not easy. Below deck is pretty much ruined. We still have our supplies—” She was cut off as the three were almost blinded by white light.

  Blinking and shielding their faces, they realized the fog had cleared and sunlight had poured into their view. But that wasn’t all they saw. Jessicana leaped in her excitement and gripped the wooden railing of the boat, and Roseabelle let out a huge sigh. “Amazing,” she gasped. Beside her, Astro’s eyes nearly popped out of his skull.

  The island before them was lush, with green grass growing everywhere. A glistening crystal waterfall gushed from a smooth brown cliff, and rolling hills were complemented by trees that grew rich green leaves. It was nothing like Benotripia, yet it shared the same exotic beauty.

  “Metamordia,” Roseabelle gasped.

  Beside her, Astro took in the amazing sight, then frowned, running a hand through his spiky black hair. “There are no people. Isn’t that a little strange?” Jessicana shrugged. From behind them, Moonstar suddenly bounded up and out of the open trapdoor. “So now he wakes up,” Astro said, groaning playfully and the animal obediently slunk next to Roseabelle, purring softly. She patted the animal’s head and bent down next to him, her mind whirling.

  “And what have you been doing all this time?” she murmured, petting his smooth black-and-red fur.

  The boat thudded against the shore, bumping against the sand. Roseabelle turned to the group. “Jessicana’s patch-ups won’t last for long and the Darvonians are close behind us. We’re going to have to abandon the boat and start looking for my father straightaway.”

  “I’ll scout for anything suspicious,” Jessicana volunteered, and Roseabelle agreed wholeheartedly. If they were going to explore an abandoned mystery island, a bird’s eye view would be helpful.

  Astro took the spyglass from her and peered into it. “We really have to hurry! The Darvonians will be here in a matter of minutes.”

  “What?” Roseabelle exclaimed. That couldn’t be true. Hadn’t the Darvonians been way behind? She peered at the ocean, putting a hand over her forehead and blocking the sun from her eyes. Sure enough, the boats were moving swiftly toward the three friends, easily tracing the path Roseabelle and Astro had blasted.

  “Hurry!” she said. “Astro, grab our supplies. Jessicana, scout the area. I’ll take Moonstar and start searching in the trees.” Roseabelle hurriedly surveyed the island, then pointed to a large brown cliff in the distance. “We’ll meet there. Now go, go, go!”

  “Good l
uck,” Jessicana and Astro said at the same time, then all three of them scurried their separate ways.

  * * * * *

  JESSICANA IMMEDIATELY TRANSFORMED INTO A PARROT AND fluttered away, soaring high above the green treetops, swooping through the clear blue sky. She tried to stay within the white fluffy clouds so the Darvonians wouldn’t see her.

  Metamordia was enormous. But as Jessicana flew, she could see no signs of natives living there—and no Darvonians either. There was, however, an abundance of animals creeping, crawling, and flying about, so she knew that the island wasn’t deserted. Looking down, she could see Roseabelle and Astro panting as they ran after her, crashing through masses of rich green bushes and trees.

  Jessicana landed swiftly on the smooth brown cliff, ruffling her wings anxiously. Where could Magford be imprisoned? This island definitely did not look as though Darvonians had taken over it. She wondered if the Darvonians following them had landed on the island yet. The thought sent chills tingling down her spine. Parrots didn’t seem to be common on this island. What if they recognized her for who she was?

  Surveying the island, Jessicana compared Benotripia and Metamordia. It was strange how two things could be so different yet so amazing. Listening contentedly to the rush of the crystal waterfall, she marveled at how different it was from the one that had guarded the Stones of Horsh. This water was so clear and so pure, Jessicana could see straight through it.

  She swooped down and looked through it, then squawked in surprise.

  Was that a black stone behind the waterfall? Jessicana inched closer to the perilous rush of water, her sharp parrot eyes scrutinizing the waterfall. Beyond the falls, a strong sheen of black stood out. Her curiosity shot sky high.

  Taking a deep breath, Jessicana flew straight through the water. Her wings became waterlogged and she gasped for breath. Transforming back into a girl in midair, her fingers latched on to a sharp protruding black rock.

  And then Jessicana realized what was behind the waterfall.