Benotripia- The Complete Trilogy

by McKenzie Wagner

  She saw a wall of black stone with a small ledge precariously jutting out. Jessicana was relieved to see that no Darvonians or Metamordians were around to witness or report her being there. At least, she didn’t see anyone.

  Her blonde hair was soaked, and she figured she had better let herself dry off or when she transformed, her wings would be waterlogged. Jessicana found handholds and footholds and descended the wall of black stone carefully, looking around for anything unusual.

  Her hand slipped and she caught herself, a small shriek escaping her lips. That was close. Even though she could transform into a parrot, flying with wet wings wouldn’t be the greatest option. She’d probably have to walk back. Grasping onto the slippery rock, she cautiously descended a bit more, forcing herself not to look down.

  Suddenly Jessicana found her foot swinging in midair as she searched for a foothold. Her stomach leaped into her throat. Did the wall of black stone end right here? Peeking down, she looked over the terrain.

  Although the wall continued down, she could see an open crevasse right below her. She was glad she was used to heights; otherwise, she might have fallen the twenty feet to the ground. Carefully, she lowered herself using only her arms, her hands shaking uncontrollably, searching for a lower foothold. But she couldn’t find anything, and her feet dangled in the open air.

  Jessicana had to get around this certain crevasse or she knew she’d never make it to the ground. “I should’ve gone back to find Astro and Roseabelle,” she said to herself, taking a calming breath. But already her sweaty fingers were slipping from the ledge. “No, no, come on. Keep yourself up,” she whispered. As she grasped for a better handhold, her hands slipped, and she plummeted toward the ground, her stomach leaping into her throat.

  And then she stopped. Jessicana realized with a thump that she’d landed on solid ground. She looked up and recognized the spot she’d been positioned at—only four feet above where she was now. Yet she was still surrounded by black stone. She’d landed on a flat ledge, overlooking the rocky pool that the waterfall gushed into.

  Turning her head, an astounding sight awaited her gaze. It was an archway, tall and outlined by stones, fitting completely into the black cliffside. Jessicana observed the ledge she was standing on. It was particularly wide and rather thick. She jumped carefully on it a couple times. Obviously, it could hold a lot of weight.

  Deciding she’d wait for Roseabelle and Astro, Jessicana sat down on the ledge, suspecting that if she went to try and find them, she might lose this particular spot on the waterfall. It was rather discreet. Finally, she saw a blurred shape through the waterfall. “ASTRO! ROSEABELLE!” Jessicana shouted. She repeatedly yelled their names until her voice became hoarse. A few moments of silence passed by.

  There was a flash of silver and Astro stepped out from the torrent of water, coughing and sputtering. Jessicana doubted he’d ever be dry again. “Jessicana?” he asked. The two remaining backpacks—one had been lost in the rock spire graveyard—were slung over his shoulders.

  “Up here!” she called. A few seconds later, she spotted a blurred shape nearing the waterfall once again. “ROSEABELLE!”

  Jessicana rubbed her sore throat. Roseabelle eventually emerged with Moonstar by her side. The animal shook his fur out, sending droplets of water in every direction. Roseabelle squeezed out her mess of saturated locks and a stream of water erupted from them. “I never want to be wet again,” she sputtered.

  “Never mind that. I found some sort of tunnel!” Jessicana announced. “We can hide here and figure out a plan to find Magford.”

  “Great, but how are we going to get up there?” Astro asked. “We can’t exactly fly like you.” Beside him, Moonstar scaled the rock with bounding leaps, causing Jessicana to jump as he landed on the ledge. “And we aren’t wild animals,” he added, glaring at Moonstar.

  Jessicana thought for a moment, tapping her chin. Suddenly, she straightened. “Roseabelle, use your Fur Beam,” she suggested, thinking back to when her friend had transformed into a giant hairy beast. “That way you can boost Astro up, then turn back to your normal self and we can help you up.”

  “What?” Roseabelle groaned.

  Astro looked away, and Jessicana suspected he was trying not to burst out laughing.

  “Oh, be nice, Astro,” Jessicana chided and he turned back, biting his lip.

  “Sorry, Roseabelle,” he said, but Jessicana could see his mouth still quivering as he stifled a laugh.

  Roseabelle sighed and moved to the corner of the rock wall where tiny rays of sunshine were seeping through. She rolled up her sleeve and held up the sickly yellow spot on her elbow. A bright flash of light nearly blinded them, and Jessicana clapped a hand over her eyes.

  “Please look away, Astro,” Roseabelle’s deep growly voice stated, and he obediently did what he was told. Jessicana’s eyes opened just a crack. Sure enough, her friend was a couple of feet taller, covered in fur, and had gnarly claws. Astro tried to close his eyes and stumbled toward her but ended up smacking into the black wall of stone.

  “A little help here?” he asked. Jessicana guided him verbally over to Roseabelle. “I think I’m permanently blind.”

  Jessicana giggled. “You’ll be fine, Astro!”

  With Astro riding piggyback, Roseabelle moved from her crouched state and into her full height. Astro blinked, opened his eyes, and climbed off her back onto the ledge next to Moonstar. Below them, Roseabelle shone her yellow spot in the sun again and reverted back into a girl.

  Moonstar waited patiently for them as Jessicana tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Hey, Astro, grab onto my ankles and lower me down. I’ll help Roseabelle up.”

  “What?” he asked. “It’s too far down. Can you even reach her?”

  Jessicana scrutinized their surroundings and realized that Roseabelle was at least fifteen feet away from them. Astro was right; it wasn’t going to work. She glanced down at her ring, pushing the Grapplegore’s emerald button. Instantly two ropes sprang, one dropping toward Roseabelle. “Hold on!” she shouted.

  Roseabelle tied the rope around her waist, then began to scale the rock. Jessicana assisted her climb by pulling on the rope as much as she could. Roseabelle ascended rather smoothly, although she tripped a couple of times. Thanks to the Grapplegore, though, she stayed clinging to the rocky cliff side.

  Roseabelle made it up the cliff and untied the rope from her waist. “Thanks, Jessicana,” she said, out of breath.

  “Are the Darvonians close behind?” Jessicana asked.

  “They’re on the island near here,” Astro reported. “We need to be careful; I had a close call. When I was leaving, they were just docking on the edge of the island.”

  Abruptly and without a single noise, the animal slunk into the shadows, disappearing into the tunnel hole. Jessicana’s eyes widened in alarm.

  “Moonstar, come back here!” Astro hissed but the creature just kept on going.

  “So, we follow?” Jessicana asked, glancing skeptically at the darkness that awaited them.

  “We follow,” Roseabelle agreed and stepped ahead, weapon at her side.

  CHAPTER 9

  Darvonian Caverns

  STEPPING INTO THE PITCH-BLACK CAVERN, ROSEABELLE and her friends followed the pattering of Moonstar’s light steps. Pebbles crunched underfoot as they walked, and she winced with each noise. As if reading Roseabelle’s thoughts, Jessicana said from behind, “Try not to make as much noise.”

  Moonstar abruptly halted in his tracks, and Astro nearly tumbled over him. There was a faint echo and Roseabelle stopped, nervously glancing into darkness, but she couldn’t see anything. Taking a cautious step forward, she found her foot hanging in thin air. Was this some sort of precipice? She stared accusingly at Moonstar. “This leads off a cliff edge,” she said. “What are you trying to do, Moonstar?”

  In response, he pushed her forward a bit, and Roseabelle yelped, then realized her foot had touched a solid surface. “It’s a staircase,” she mutte
red to herself in relief. Moonstar moved past Roseabelle and continued down the stairs. The three friends descended after him. But as the distant sound of rushing water faded, new noises flooded over them. It was the clash of wooden wagons and the simmering of lit torches.

  As they reached the bottom of the staircase, a vibrant amber glow washed over them, and they all stopped short.

  They had just entered a clearing, illuminated by dim torchlight. But it was enough to see that they were no longer alone. Hooded figures pushed stone vehicles forward on wheels, and the murmur of chatter and conversation echoed in the tunnels. Roseabelle could see smoking pits from where various lights danced, and the three friends, all at once, exchanged wide-eyed glances.

  Darvonians.

  But that wasn’t the freakiest part. Relaxed and lying near the entrance was a monstrous creature with soft green skin and an enormous shell. Webbed nets lined with spikes covered its shell, which connected to a large head, wrinkly and gray. Its legs were short but thin and packed with muscle.

  Luckily, the creature’s eyes were closed.

  Roseabelle, Jessicana, and Astro exchanged alarmed glances. Roseabelle hesitated. It wouldn’t be wise to sneak past this creature. Where were they going? But they couldn’t just abandon Moonstar. And besides, if he were seen by the Darvonians, they would be suspicious. Feeling a bit reluctant, she crept past the creature with Astro and Jessicana close behind. Roseabelle tried to keep calm, hoping that the animal wouldn’t wake up. If he did, they would be done for.

  The truth hit Roseabelle hard. The Darvonians had clearly been here for years, using this place as their secret hideout. But for what? And where were all the Metamordians?

  Before any of the friends could talk to each other, Moonstar purred quietly, so soft that only they could hear. Then he darted behind a stack of tall barrels a few feet to their left, leaping into open sight for just a second. “Moonstar!” Jessicana whispered loudly, but the animal stayed where he was, shooting a pleading glance at Roseabelle.

  “We need to follow him,” Roseabelle whispered. They couldn’t just stay here, crouched in a big huddle, waiting for the Darvonians to find them. “He knows what he’s doing.”

  Rolling and ducking, Astro dashed behind the barrels, and Jessicana followed. Roseabelle crept after them, glad they had the cover of darkness on their side.

  They continued traveling discreetly in this manner, Moonstar leading the way, and the three friends clambering after him. Luckily they’d had some experience keeping quiet before, and didn’t make any suspicious noises. Leaping from one obstacle to the next, they managed to stay hidden in the shadows.

  And then Astro’s foot clanged against a metal shield resting on the ground. Roseabelle froze, heart pounding, as the clamor of hushed conversation suddenly halted behind them. But after a few painstaking seconds of suspense, the Darvonians resumed their work.

  Not much security, she thought. She dug in her pack silently, withdrawing a sheathed sword that she had borrowed from Astro, as Moonstar directed them to a stop at a black stone wall. Up ahead, Jessicana pulled out a Spidegar, and Astro armed himself with a Trapita, a rod with three blades lined on it. Any moment they could be discovered, and they had to be ready for an attack.

  Roseabelle saw the creature take another step forward. Up ahead, Jessicana took in a sharp breath. Roseabelle blinked a couple of times when she realized that Moonstar had disappeared. One minute he’d been there, right in front of them, and the next he had melted into the shadows.

  “Where’d he go?” Astro muttered frantically and crawled forward. Then, Astro was gone too.

  “It’s a portal!” Jessicana realized, keeping her voice low. “Come on.” She moved forward and then vanished from sight. Roseabelle winced, glancing back. Well, what did she have to lose? She could only hope that on the other side, her father really was waiting.

  Inhaling deeply to calm her nerves, Roseabelle stepped forward as a light-headed, dizzying sensation enveloped her.

  When she opened her eyes, she only met darkness. “Roseabelle?” said a voice to her right. Jessicana.

  “Where are we?” she asked. A silver-blue glow flared inside the room from Astro’s crackling fingertips. Roseabelle could now see that they were in some sort of black hall. The worn stones they stood on were covered in slash-and-burn marks, as though weapons had been forged here.

  “Moonstar went this way,” Astro’s voice said. With the small amount of light, she could see his faint outline. “Everyone okay?”

  “Yes,” Jessicana said, and Roseabelle echoed her.

  “This way,” Astro said, and the girls made an effort to follow his footsteps, because he was the only one with light. Roseabelle scanned their environment, taking in every little detail in case they needed to make a quick getaway.

  “He’s stopped,” Astro reported.

  Roseabelle put a hand on her sword. An eerie feeling sent chills tingling down her. Could it be possible that someone was watching them? “And now he’s turning a corner and—” His voice broke off in the empty blackness. Jessicana crossed over to him, treading lightly.

  “What—” Jessicana tried to say, but Astro clapped a hand over her mouth. Roseabelle swallowed and quickly caught up with her friends. Obviously, something unpleasant was right there.

  Astro slowly took his hand from Jessicana’s mouth. By the light of his crackling fingertips, Roseabelle could see a long corridor with at least six metal doors guarded by a mass of about twenty Darvonians. Fortunately, Jessicana and Astro had been whispering, and the Darvonians hadn’t been really paying attention. It was clear that they didn’t expect intruders to find their secret hideout, maybe because no one had ever showed up that they’d needed to fight. Roseabelle again wondered just how long the Darvonians had been secretly encamped down here.

  “We need to get into the open and knock them out,” Astro mouthed. Roseabelle shook her head. They were three kids against twenty grown Darvonians. Even with their powers, it was a challenge. And if even one of the Darvonians escaped, they would be in serious trouble.

  “No,” she mouthed back. “I have a better idea.”

  Bending down in the dirt, she drew a diagram with her finger, outlining the plan. Slowly, her friends’ faces lit up.

  A few minutes later, they were all ready, each standing in a different position in the corridor. Jessicana had a Spidegar from Astro’s pack and was crouched at the far end of the hall, around a corner. Roseabelle herself waited at the opposite end of the hall in the same position, her sword ready.

  Astro, lying flat on his stomach, looked to Roseabelle, who nodded. Suddenly a stream of silver blue lightning flew from Astro’s fingertips—right at the Darvonian guards.

  Lightning crackled in every direction. It was just as Roseabelle had predicted—pandemonium. Already she could see six Darvonians lying unconscious. Their armor had protected them from further injury. Another Darvonian who had escaped the brunt of Astro’s attack raced out of the corridor blindly, frantically attempting to get out. Jessicana quickly wrapped him in the webs of her Spidegar, entangling him fully. Astro shot a separate bolt of lightning at him as well, and soon the hooded figure was out cold.

  In a matter of minutes, all twenty Darvonians were facedown and unconscious. Standing, Roseabelle quickly searched them, but found no keys. “Do you think my father is behind one of these doors?” she asked, and Jessicana shrugged.

  “Most likely. Moonstar seems to know what he’s doing.” Inspecting the doors closely, Roseabelle took a few steps back. They were made of a certain kind of metal and had no barred windows to look inside. But to her left, Moonstar whined and crouched at a door at the end of the corridor. It was tinier than the others, with no keyhole.

  “How do we get in?” Astro asked.

  Roseabelle sighed, wondering what she could do and which powers she could use. Dust Draining? It would have no effect. Fur Beam? It could be useful, but there was no sunlight here to allow her to morph. Telekinesis?
There was no way she could remove a door that heavy.

  Suddenly, the trio heard the faint echo of voices from behind them, and they exchanged worried glances. The Darvonians must have heard the commotion. They had to get inside before they were found!

  Moonstar clawed at the hinges. Astro dug in his pack, then began hacking at them with a Dragocone Ray. The metal began to dent slightly, but even the force of a powerful weapon couldn’t break the hinges. “Wait,” Astro said as he dug in his pack again and brought out a heavy Flame-hurler.

  “But that could cause an explosion,” Roseabelle protested as he loaded extra force ammo onto the Flame-hurler and leveled it at the door.

  “What if Magford’s behind the door?” Jessicana pointed out. “And if the Darvonians come through, we can’t lock the door on them.”

  Astro sighed. “You’re right.” He slid the Flame-hurler back inside.

  Roseabelle studied the hinges frantically as the sound of clonking heavy footsteps became even louder. She noticed something on the silver hinges. “They have slits!” she exclaimed. “Astro, shoot your lightning between the openings in the hinges.”

  “What?” Jessicana exclaimed.

  “It’ll work,” Roseabelle assured them. “It’ll break the hinges open, and once we’re in, we can bar the door from the inside. We have to be quick, though. I can use my telekinesis to help too.”

  “Well, it’s better than exploding everything,” Jessicana agreed. They took a step back to allow Astro to step forward. Quick as a flash, three bolts of precise lightning shot through the hinges and the door fell forward. Just before it hit the ground, Roseabelle clenched her teeth and froze the door in midair with her telekinesis, strength draining from her limbs.

  Astro and Jessicana raced forward to grab the door, and they caught it inches before it hit the ground. “Go!” Astro urged. Roseabelle leaped past them into the dank musty interior of, hopefully, where Magford was being held.

  Moonstar followed her, trotting alongside obediently. “You okay?” Roseabelle asked as Jessicana and Astro lifted the door back into its proper place.