Benotripia- The Complete Trilogy

by McKenzie Wagner

  She fought to keep her balance as the Roarcaneum tromped around, following the many noises. She concentrated on not toppling over the edge even though the ground was shaking violently. “Astro, give me your pack!” she yelled over the monster’s sudden roaring.

  The lightning boy tossed it to her. Jessicana grabbed a Flame-hurler, loaded it up, and set it off. A single ball of ammo hurled toward the creature’s eyes.

  And then the Flame-hurler exploded in a flash of smoke.

  Coughing and sputtering, a dark cloud of fog smothered them and Jessicana could faintly hear the wailings of the creature as it tipped this way and that. “Moonstar!” Magford yelled, but before he could continue, the Roarcaneum tilted drastically, and Jessicana tumbled through the air. Her vision clouded, her senses muddled—and then, suddenly, her limbs felt as though they were on fire.

  An excruciating jolt of pain shot through her leg, and Jessicana instantly sat up straight. She was positioned on the back of Moonstar, but she had landed wrong. One of her legs was sticking out at an odd angle. She cringed, her arms shaking.

  Roseabelle and Magford appeared beside her, and Astro came plummeting down, flailing wildly. Roseabelle and Astro scrambled over to Moonstar and threw themselves on top of his back

  Moonstar instantly sprinted away, and Jessicana clutched his sleek fur. As the Roarcaneum bellowed, she, Roseabelle, Magford, and Astro were carted across the rough Darvonian terrain, dark clouds blocking the sun.

  “Won’t it come after us?” Jessicana yelled over the sound of the wind rushing past their faces.

  Magford shook his head.

  “It’s almost impossible to destroy a Roarcaneum, but the fortunate part is that it can’t follow us,” Magford said. “It’s too grounded.”

  “But it wasn’t there last night!” Jessicana heard Astro say, her energy seeping away. She managed to sit up. She was glad she hadn’t been required to completely destroy the Roarcaneum. Jessicana hated hurting animals of any kind and only did it in self-defense.

  “The Darvonians must have planted it, moved it somehow,” Magford shouted back. “They probably were watching us from afar.”

  Moonstar raced up a dark hill, passing large walls of stones and hidden fortifications. They sped by Darvonian encampments, but they were traveling so quickly, the Darvonians couldn’t see them, let alone stop them. Jessicana noticed Magford was staring intently at Moonstar, and she figured they were probably mentally communicating.

  She glanced at her leg and winced, gritting her teeth. She hadn’t broken it—Jessicana could tell due to her experience as a healer—but it still surged with pain. She gripped Moonstar’s fur.

  Moonstar suddenly came to a stop, and everyone was thrown off onto a patch of hard earth. Jessicana’s leg hit a hard boulder, and she yelped. “Fortunate,” she muttered, gritting her teeth as she pulled herself into an upright position. “Really fortunate.”

  Jessicana’s fingers went to her deep tunic pocket where her blue Stone rested. She also took out some water from her pack. Her heart sank when she realized that most of the items inside had fallen out. But she still had her javelin and some leftover ammo from the Flame-Hurler. A needle-like pain shot through her leg again, and she dug through her tunic pockets as her face twisted in a grimace. Where was her potion kit?

  Jessicana caught hold of a tiny metal container and pulled it out to see her emergency potion kit. Of course, it wasn’t her full collection of potions and herbs so she couldn’t heal fully, but at least the kit would fix her leg a little bit. She dipped her finger into some gray paste and swallowed it, shivering at the grainy taste. That should do it.

  Magford helped Roseabelle up, and then Jessicana who gladly accepted his hand. Astro popped to his feet. They were standing on a tall rocky hill, and Magford nodded firmly. “Listen closely, very closely. Astro and Jessicana, you must take out your Stones and press them together. Their power will attract Roseabelle’s Stone.” He took a deep breath. “Meanwhile, I’m going to distract the Darvonians.”

  “What?” Roseabelle burst out, rushing to her father’s side. Jessicana and Astro exchanged worried looks. Magford couldn’t go into the midst of Darvonians—he could be caught again! He bent down on his knees to face Roseabelle and smiled gently at her.

  “Roseabelle, from what you’ve told me, you’ve grown into an amazing person. You’re an intelligent, brave girl, and I’m proud to call you my daughter. Once you obtain the Stones, follow Moonstar—he knows where the physical entrance to the Dream World is.

  “You have to go inside, with your friends or alone, and go to the very core of the Dream World, avoiding Darvonians, creatures, whatever else may be there.”

  Roseabelle shook her head. “You already disappeared once. I’m not letting that happen again!”

  Magford took her by the shoulders. “It won’t. I’ll come back, I promise. Dastrock and Danette should be fine, as well. I’ll find them if I can. Be safe, be careful.” Before they could stop him, he drew his double swords, offered them a half smile, and ducked into the shadow of the hill, closing his eyes and instantly vanishing. In a matter of seconds, he had Shadow Tumbled away without a trace.

  “No!” Roseabelle exclaimed, and Jessicana touched her arm, smiling reassuringly at her friend.

  “Come on,” she said. “You can do this. Get the Third Eye. We don’t know how the Stone is going to come to us.”

  Astro yanked the Stone out of his pocket and tossed Roseabelle the spyglass. She caught it in one hand and raised it to her eye. Jessicana cautiously withdrew her Stone and held it up to Astro’s. The two glimmering surfaces pushed against each other.

  For a moment, nothing happened. Jessicana shifted a bit. “See anything?” she asked Roseabelle, but her friend shook her head.

  “No,” Roseabelle muttered. Minutes droned on with Jessicana and Astro’s Stones still pressed together.

  Astro was about to open his mouth to suggest a new idea when Roseabelle suddenly perked up. “Guys . . . I see something . . .”

  Jessicana grinned but it quickly faltered. The hill had begun to quake.

  CHAPTER 13

  The Chase

  AS THE GROUND BENEATH HIM SHOOK VIOLENTLY, Astro gripped his gleaming red gem. Gusts of air blew at the trio, and Astro squinted his eyes. Everyone’s hair was tossed about in the wind. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Jessicana’s tiny potion kit and most of their weapons fly away. He could see Roseabelle standing her ground as she clutched the Third Eye tightly in her hands.

  Digging his feet into the soil, he raised a hand up to protect himself when suddenly it all stopped, and an eerie hush fell over the hills. Astro searched the landscape, and his eyes brightened when he saw a glittering object zooming toward them.

  He glanced at his and Jessicana’s Stones, the blue and red, and then back to Roseabelle’s healing Stone flying quickly at them. He hurriedly caught it in one hand and gave it to Roseabelle.

  “Why was there so much wind?” Jessicana asked.

  “I’m guessing it was buried in the ocean floor,” Roseabelle said. “Maybe the gravitational pull of the two Stones was so much it had to burrow itself out of there.”

  Moonstar had taken cover below the hill and climbed up to meet them. Astro noticed that Jessicana’s backpack had flown away, but luckily she still had her ammo, javelin, and, of course, her Stone. His pack had been lightly positioned on his back and still remained there. Roseabelle had managed to grab onto the Third Eye.

  “Come on,” Jessicana urged. The girls mounted Moonstar, and Astro was about to follow when a silver jagged disc sped past his head, barely nicking his ear. A Thepgile! He jumped in surprise and whirled around, protectively raising his hands in front of him.

  “Astro,” Roseabelle whispered. “Look.”

  He scrutinized the landscape closer and saw dark shadowy figures perched in trees and hiding below the hill. Darvonians.

  There had to be hundreds of them, all armed with weapons. How could they
have not seen them before? Astro shot a range of high-powered bolts at the line of the Darvonians. He mounted Moonstar when arrows flew past his head. Jessicana and Roseabelle had already jumped onto Moonstar.

  “GO!” he yelled, and the Sheilvoh took off running, speeding past the throngs of waiting Darvonians. It was extremely lucky that the trio had Moonstar on their side. Astro figured that animals on Metamordia had powers as well, not only amazing speed but also incredible strength.

  Jessicana glanced behind them. “They’re not far behind!”

  “It’s all right. Don’t look back, just focus on the horizon!” Roseabelle shouted back.

  Ignoring her, Astro turned to see the Darvonians—but they weren’t alone. His fingertips tingled when he saw the dark shadowy shapes they rode.

  Shadow Horses.

  Astro reasoned that the Shadow Horses had come from Metamordia but had been tainted by Darvonians so they could ride them. He clenched his teeth and held out his hands toward them. Enormous lightning bolts erupted from out of his fingertips.

  Sure enough, pain flashed through his hands, and he tightly curled them into fists. “Astro—” Jessicana started to say.

  “It’s all right! I’ve got it,” he cut her off. He wanted to reassure her, but Astro knew he probably wouldn’t be able to shoot another round of lightning. The Shadow Horses radiated too much electricity, which overloaded him when he shot lightning. It also caused immense pain. Astro had finally resolved something. If the Shadow Horses were Darvonian, they would’ve known a long time ago. They had to have come from Metamordia.

  Moonstar darted past rocky ledges and tall villages, bounding and leaping skillfully across the landscape. Astro, in the very back, nearly fell off twice. The Darvonians were still riding after them, but quite a few of them had stopped, which made Astro feel a little uneasy. What were they doing? He knew that the Darvonians wouldn’t just give up. Up ahead, he heard Roseabelle mutter something.

  “What?” he yelled, his voice catching in his throat.

  “Moonstar’s taking us to Kinetle’s castle!” Roseabelle shouted back. Astro saw that she was right. Kinetle was the ruler of Darvonia, Sheklyth’s mother.

  He felt the Sheilvoh’s muscles tense a bit more, his pace gradually slowing. “Moonstar’s getting tired!” he yelled. “He probably can’t carry us much longer.”

  “I’ve got it covered!” Jessicana shouted. “I’ll transform and follow you as best as I can.” Without another word, she jumped into the air, transforming into a parrot midflight and soared above them. Although Moonstar was too quick for her, Astro could still keep sight of the tiny colorful dot in the sky that was Jessicana.

  Moonstar traveled through the marketplace in a wild frenzy, knocking over carts and stands. Astro recognized it as the Darvonian courtyard marketplace they had come to while trying to find Danette, not too long ago.

  “Is the door in the castle?” he shouted to Roseabelle.

  “I’m not sure!” she responded. Moonstar swerved in the dark cobblestone path streets, leaping over surprised Darvonians. Astro tried to focus on their surroundings but everything became a blur as Moonstar gave an extra burst of speed. He thought he saw the enormous structure of the dark castle fly past him, but he wasn’t sure. The next thing he knew, he was staring up at the foggy sky. He could hear Roseabelle groaning beside him, and Astro rubbed his head as a headache pounded into his skull. Beside them, Moonstar was lying on his belly, paws out in front.

  Jessicana suddenly landed beside them and turned back into a girl. She wiped away the sweat from her forehead. “That . . .” she panted. “Was the most exhausting flight ever.”

  Astro wanted nothing more than to take a long nap. All the air was knocked out of him. He struggled to his feet. A silver jagged disc came swinging at him and he dodged it, the blade nicking his ankle, leaving a shallow cut. He looked back at the marketplace courtyard and saw cloaked Darvonians mounted on their Shadow Horses, cantering toward them. A few Darvonians had already drawn their weapons.

  Roseabelle got to her feet, looking a bit woozy as well. “Come on,” she said. “We have to get to the door, wherever it is.” She put a hand on Moonstar’s lithe form, and the Sheilvoh rose to its full extent. “Come on, Moonstar,” she whispered in the animal’s ears.

  Moonstar seemed to sense the urgency of her tone. The Sheilvoh set off at a normal pace, and the three friends stumbled after Moonstar, who circled the vast perimeter of the castle. Behind them, the furious thundering of hooves followed. “They’re gaining on us!” Astro shouted. He clutched his bloodred Stone, thinking how much easier it would be if the Stones worked in Darvonia.

  Just then, a group of Shadow Horses, Darvonians mounted proudly on top, veered straight in front of them, blocking their path. Astro stopped in his tracks as the Darvonians pointed their weapons at them.

  They were completely surrounded. Again.

  CHAPTER 14

  The Invisible Door

  ROSEABELLE LET OUT A GASP WHEN THE DARVONIANS jumped out in front of them. Another group blocked their escape from behind. The Darvonians circled around them, enclosing the three friends and Moonstar.

  Moonstar bounded back to the trio, stepping in front of them and growling. He purred softly, rubbing against Roseabelle’s leg and nuzzling his horn against her pocket. What was he doing? She placed her hand inside, her fingers closing around the Stone and then the small spyglass. She carefully brought out the Third Eye. Maybe the Sheilvoh wanted to tell her something about it.

  She put a hand on his head, then felt a rush of urgency directed at the spyglass. Discreetly, Roseabelle put the spyglass to her eye.

  Something caught her vision—a brown object in the distance, floating in the air. A thrill ran through Roseabelle. Of course! It had to be the door to the Dream World, hidden by an enchantment to keep it invisible.

  Roseabelle removed the spyglass from her face and stuffed it in her pocket before the Darvonians could notice it. She then peered past their enemies, seeing a cluster of jutting rocky stones from the path. Focusing intently on them, her mind lifted the boulders into the air behind the Darvonians.

  Soft gentle breezes sifted through the area. The Darvonian in the front dismounted. “Where are the Stones?” the Darvonian asked, deathly quiet. Roseabelle recognized the voice—it was Heltonine, Sheklyth’s younger sister! Heltonine turned to Astro. “It wouldn’t be wise to shoot your lightning at us now.” Roseabelle understood what she was saying. They were surrounded by so many Shadow Horses that the overpowering rush of power inside Astro could seriously injure him.

  Concentrating hard on the boulders, Roseabelle used her telekinesis to lift them and lead them over to Heltonine. She felt Jessicana tense beside her. Roseabelle tried to block out all other thoughts from her mind as Heltonine carefully approached them.

  “Fly,” Astro whispered to Jessicana.

  Roseabelle barely heard Jessicana’s reply. “I’m not leaving you guys.”

  Roseabelle surreptitiously watched the boulders she was sneakily positioning above the Darvonians. Heltonine stopped a few paces in front of them, looking puzzled that the three friends weren’t reacting to what she was saying. All was quiet as she surveyed the trio.

  Suddenly Roseabelle tilted her head. The cluster of boulders hovering over the Darvonian’s heads dropped, knocking the Darvonians to the ground. They remained motionless. Commotion instantly filled the courtyard. Jessicana quickly shot into the air as a parrot, but not before tossing Roseabelle her javelin and Astro some Flame-Hurler ammo. Roseabelle guessed Jessicana had quietly rummaged through her pack.

  Because Roseabelle had kept the boulders behind the Darvonians before raising and dropping them from above, the Darvonians from behind hadn’t seen anything at all. But now the Darvonians instantly reacted, and a dozen arrows rained down on Roseabelle and Astro. Roseabelle quickly sidestepped a cluster of arrows and swung her javelin to bat another away. Two others whistled past her ankles, and Astro quickly hurled som
e ammo at the group, which exploded into a mixture of dark fog, fire, and ash. A foggy wall rose up between Astro and the Darvonians. Roseabelle could hear Darvonians coughing and spluttering on the other side. “Come on!” she said, and Astro and she sprinted away from the throngs of Darvonians. Moonstar followed close behind, skillfully dodging all the missiles thrown at them.

  Jessicana was already a few yards ahead. “Where’s the door?”

  “I saw it with the spyglass!” Roseabelle exclaimed, but Moonstar had already bounded ahead, leading them to it.

  “Hurry!” Jessicana said.

  “I think reinforcements are coming,” Astro said, pointing upward. Darvonians had appeared on the buildings’ balconies and towers. The sky began raining weapons. Roseabelle eyed the Dream World door and inside her pocket, her Stone began to vibrate.

  “Do you feel that?” she asked, her eyes lighting up. “Of course! The Stones are regaining their power since they’re so close to the Dream World’s entrance!” They continued sprinting, thrilled at the sudden sizzle of energy in their pockets.

  Suddenly a slew of arrows shattered the air around them. Roseabelle looked to see Darvonian archers shooting from the castle—the fog had cleared up and the enemy had spotted them. An arrow nearly hit Jessicana’s leg, and Roseabelle felt one of the arrows nick her shoulder.

  She saw they had two balls of ammo left, which Astro was holding. “Wait for it,” he muttered as all three of them sprinted.

  “Uh, Astro, I think you should throw that right about now!” Roseabelle’s voice had a nervous edge to it as a Thepgile snapped at them. She quickly jumped out of the way as its owner reeled it back. They were running as fast as they could, following in Moonstar’s tracks. Reinforcements had come, and Darvonians poured out of the castle at an alarming rate.

  “Just a few more seconds,” he countered as more Darvonians suddenly burst into view, with bows nocked and swords drawn.