Albert had always known Birdie was tough. But to see her coming full speed ahead, riding a Guildacker like it was a leather-winged dragon, gave him an entirely new perspective on just how tough she was.
“Hit those Hissengores with all you’ve got, Jadar!” Birdie cried out.
The Guildacker reared back on Birdie’s command and let fly a series of fireballs that shook the roots of the tree.
“I guess it’s true King Fireflies aren’t the only things in Calderon that can breathe fire,” Albert said, not quite believing what he was seeing.
Albert and Leroy held on to the Tree of Cinder as Jadar, the Guildacker tamed (and named) by a girl of the Core, flew circles around the pack of Hissengores. Fireball after fireball rocked the base of the tree, until every Hissengore had scattered into the jungle, possibly never to return.
“Birdie!” Albert screamed, pointing into the air below. “There!”
Farnsworth had finally lost his footing. He was falling through the air, and not like a cat with nine lives. Birdie lowered her head with determination, swooped Jadar under the tumbling dog just in time, and caught him in her arms.
Albert and Leroy scrambled down the tree until they could reach vines, and after that they were on the ground in no time, though Albert had to take a bit of extra care with his backpack—he was holding the Means to save the world, after all. They stared at Birdie as she prepared to land the Guildacker beside them.
“Whoa, boy,” Birdie said.
Jadar came to a stop, shaking his head back and forth. Birdie slid off of his side, and patted the creature on his head. He made some deep growling noises, like a wolf awaiting its next command.
“Good job, Jadar,” Birdie said. She turned to face the boys. “Why are you staring at me like that?”
“You’re alive!” Leroy said. “And you caught the dog! And you have a new pet. That part is freaking me out a little bit.”
“I knew it!” Albert said. “I knew he heard me speak to him! I told the Guildacker to protect you, Birdie, and I think he listened!” He watched as the Guildacker nuzzled Birdie’s side with his huge head. “He likes you!”
“He chased me on the King Firefly,” Birdie said, petting Jadar’s leathery, folded wing. “It’s amazing how fast he moves. I jumped on him in midair and the King Firefly just flew away!”
There were a couple of cuts on Birdie’s arms, and a jagged scratch on her cheek, but she was okay. Albert and Leroy couldn’t help it. They came in for a group hug, all smiles and excitement.
“Let’s try and stay together for the rest of this journey,” Albert said.
“Deal,” Birdie said.
Farnsworth joined in with two loud barks.
Birdie noticed Albert handling his pack carefully when he pulled away.
“What’s in the bag?”
Leroy and Albert gave each other a look. They’d been having some success of their own while she was off taming a Guildacker in the faraway corners of Calderon.
CHAPTER 22
Calderon Peak
Team Hydra had passed through the Ring of Entry and the Ring of Gold, found the antidote that could fix Calderon, and tamed a Guildacker. But they were down to three hours, and the numerous fires set by the King Fireflies were still pushing an endless cloud of ash up into the world outside. Ash was starting to fall around them like a blizzard. There was no real sign of the First Unit or Albert’s dad. Time was running out with the biggest tasks still ahead of them.
“How much weight do you think Jadar can carry?” Albert asked, wondering whether or not a Guildacker might be the safest and fastest way out of the Forest of Thorns.
“Approximately four hundred thirty-four pounds,” Leroy said.
“Well, that was more specific than I was looking for,” Albert replied, elbowing Leroy in the arm, “but it’ll work.”
“Down, Jadar,” Birdie said. The mighty Guildacker bowed his head, stooping low to the ground so Birdie could climb on. Then she looked down at Albert and Leroy. “Ready to board?”
It took some coaxing with Jadar, who seemed less sure about the boys than Birdie, but after a few moments, he stopped growling and let Albert and Leroy climb on behind her. They moved Farnsworth into her backpack so he could stick his head out over her shoulder and provide some serious headlights in the darkness to come. “This is perfect!” Albert shouted.
“He’s kind of furry,” Leroy said, running his hand along Jadar’s back. “Who’d have thought?”
“Good for holding on to,” Birdie said, “which is what you should do right now.” She leaned to the right, where Calderon Peak rose high into the air, gave a little kick, and pulled up on Jadar’s neck.
“Let’s ride, Jadar!”
Jadar let out a wolfish howl, then shot into the sky. Wind rushed into Albert’s face, and he held on for dear life. They soared through the canopy of the Forest of Thorns, over the tops of the blackened trees, leaving the Hissengores behind.
Even in the ash storm, they could see a blue stream sparkling far beneath them like the riverbed was covered in diamonds. Hexabons swung between the trees below, disappearing into strange jungles of green and yellow. And the view of orange goo flowing down the mountain, from way up in the sky, was breathtaking, even though Albert knew it was evidence of the great Imbalance wreaking havoc on the Realm.
As if to drive that point home, there was an explosion from inside the Peak. Channels of steaming, toxic, orange sludge ran down the side of the mountain and out into the valley floor. It was clear that if it kept up much longer, the sludge would burn all of Calderon, including every tree and all the underbrush they’d tried to cross through. Albert could only imagine that that much sludge would affect other creatures in Calderon, too. What if they were poisoned, too, and started breathing fire like the King Fireflies? And the Ring of Gold was a tinderbox of dry grass, just waiting to burst into an endless, smoke-filled flame. New York wouldn’t stand a chance if all that smoke and ash poured out into the city.
Over the roar of the wind, Birdie said what Albert was thinking.
“If this whole place goes up in smoke, it’s not just New York that will be in trouble. We could lose the Core and the other Realms, too. Maybe even the whole world.”
“We can’t let that happen,” Leroy said. “We have to restore the Balance!”
Birdie increased their speed, driving them ever closer to Calderon Peak.
“Albert,” Leroy shouted, “what’s the plan for the eggs when we get there?”
“Good question. I think we’ll have to make a decision once we see what we’re working with.”
“Got it,” Leroy replied. “Just let me know how I can help.”
Jadar swooped closer, and more details of the mountain came into view—even more when Albert used the power of Enhanced Vision.
“It’s like the Peak in the simulations,” Albert said. “Leroy, keep an eye out for any openings or cracks in the surface as we circle this thing. We can go in, find the Sea Inspire, and figure out where to drop the eggs.”
“Will do,” Leroy said. His Hydra baseball cap was turned backward and wedged on tight, but as they came very near the mountainside, the flowing, orange sludge put off a ton of heat and glowing light. A wind blew and more ash fell from the sky, obstructing their view. Leroy turned the hat around, pulled it down supertight, and used the visor to shield the light as he scanned the top third of the mountain while Jadar circled.
“There!” Leroy yelled, pointing toward the mountain.
“I see it, too!” Albert said.
“And another opening, right there,” Birdie said.
Albert spied giant holes in the side of the mountain, with overhanging rock formations that made the sludge flow around the edges.
“Keep circling, Jadar,” Birdie said. “I think we’ve found what we’re looking for.”
As Birdie guided Jadar all the way around, they saw a total of four wide holes, all of them at the same level on the oozing mountain.
/> “What do you think—are they big enough for Jadar to fly into?” Albert asked as he turned to Leroy.
“I’d say yes,” Leroy answered. “Because those things can get out.”
When Albert turned back to the mountain he saw what Leroy was talking about. King Fireflies, which were just as big as Jadar was, were pouring out of the holes like hornets from a nest.
“They’re acting weird,” Birdie said.
It was true. The King Fireflies were flying haphazardly, bouncing off one another and wobbling from side to side. Two of them crashed together and fell into the sludge flow, rolling down in a burning mass of flaming ooze. The remaining King Fireflies caught sight of Jadar and their whole bodies turned red as flames.
“They’ve spotted us!” Leroy said. He turned his baseball cap backward again and leaned in low toward Birdie. “See if you can navigate past them and aim for one of the holes. We need to get in there and get to the Sea Inspire fast!”
Birdie took the command and ran with it, guiding Jadar like a top-notch Air Force pilot. Albert’s Double Vision helped them notice every opportunity to get hit by a fireball. Leroy acted as navigator.
“Left!” Leroy screamed. “Right!”
A new wave of fireballs came in, and Birdie followed Leroy’s commands.
“Go down, go down!” Leroy cried out.
Birdie pushed down on Jadar’s neck and the Guildacker dove, narrowly avoiding a sky filled with flame.
“Take us in!” Albert yelled, and Birdie guided Jadar up, aiming directly for one of the four holes in the mountainside. The closer they got, the hotter the mountain felt and the more ash rained down, until they all had to close their eyes and shield their faces.
They were going in blind.
Albert opened his eyes again when he felt a cool breeze on his face; the heat had evaporated along with the light as soon as they entered the hole. He was suddenly grateful they had brought Farnsworth with them—if it weren’t for his eyes acting as headlights, they would have been traveling through total darkness.
Leroy shifted forward on Jadar’s back, craning to get a better look.
“Keep the lights on, Rudolph!” Leroy yelled. Farnsworth howled in response. “Let’s see if we can find the Sea Inspire.”
The tunnel widened out, but it was also a labyrinth that twisted and turned in many directions. Albert craned his neck backward, and his stomach dropped.
“We haven’t lost them yet!”
A pack of angry King Fireflies was right behind them, tailing their every move.
They exited through one of the other holes and shot back into the smoky skies of Calderon. Once the King Fireflies had exited, too, they doubled back and entered the mountain again. Jadar was amazing, so fast and precise in his movements. If Albert hadn’t known any better, he would have thought Birdie had a Creature Taming Tile.
Three more times they entered and exited the mountain, and each time it seemed more confusing to Albert. We entered over there, then went through there, made a left, a right—no, that wasn’t right. . . .
But Leroy was there to keep them on track, guiding them with his Synapse Tile like he was reading straight from a map.
“We’ve got a light source,” Birdie said. “There.”
She pointed down as they passed over a small opening inside the rock that revealed two more tubes of stone crossing through a wide space below. Orange goo was floating on the surface of a sea of water, hissing and gurgling wildly beneath them. They passed over and continued through the dark tunnels, pursued by King Fireflies once more.
“That’s gotta be the Sea Inspire back there!” Albert said. “That’s where we need to release the silver eggs!”
They continued flying through the labyrinth of tunnels, searching for the way into the center of the hollow mountain.
Once more, they burst back out into the open air around Calderon Peak. The heat was even worse than before and Jadar was clearly getting tired.
“Hey, guys,” Leroy said.
“Whatcha got, Leroy?” Albert asked.
“I’ve been memorizing every path we’ve taken through the mountain. I have it now—I know the way to the Sea Inspire!”
“I love your photographic memory!” Birdie said, turning Jadar on a hard path back toward the mountain. “You tell us what to do; we’ll do it.”
Jadar let fly a series of fireballs, clearing a path.
“Take that hole right there,” Leroy pointed. “Then I’ll give you directions.”
“On it!” Birdie yelled, aiming Jadar and closing her eyes. Albert closed his, too. When they cleared the heat of the toxic sludge, Leroy started guiding: Left here, right here, down fast! Left, left again, up hard!
A flurry of commands followed and they lost all the King Fireflies. Then Leroy gave a final command.
“Down hard! Now!”
Birdie guided Jadar straight down into a narrow opening that forced the Guildacker to fold his wings and take the shape of an arrow. They shot through the hole at the bottom, and Jadar’s wings spread once more, holding them aloft in a soft circle.
When Albert opened his eyes, they were floating over a sea of bubbling, orange goo. In the very center, a column of stone rose up into the middle of the open cave. And there, on the shelf of the column of stone, was the best thing Albert could have hoped to find.
“Dad! Dad! It’s us. It’s Hydra! Grey! Aria!”
Albert’s heart leaped as Grey and Professor Flynn cheered, and Jadar came in for a soft landing. Albert leaned down and embraced his dad, dismounting Jadar in the process.
“But how . . . ,” Professor Flynn started to ask. His clothing was torn and singed, and his hair was nearly all white, but he had the biggest smile on his face. “I didn’t think anyone would ever find us.”
“I know, right?” Leroy said, jumping down from Jadar’s back and embracing Grey. “You guys are way in here.”
Albert suddenly realized that Aria was still on the floor.
Birdie knelt beside her unconscious figure. “Is she okay?”
“Yes. Well, no, but she will be as soon as we get back to the Core,” Professor Flynn said. “She’s badly dehydrated.”
Phew, Albert thought. Could be worse.
Albert turned to his dad. “How did you end up in here?” Albert asked.
Grey stepped forward, covered in cuts and bruises. “It was the King Fireflies. They scooped us up while we were looking for Hissengore eggs in the Circle of Entry. We didn’t even stand a chance.”
“I tried to speak with them,” Professor Flynn said, picking up where Grey had left off. “But in the chaos, I’d lost my Tile. It was pointless by then.”
Albert touched the place where his Master Tile hung, right beside his dad’s. Albert removed Professor Flynn’s Tile from around his neck.
“I think this belongs to you, Dad.”
Albert’s dad beamed with pride as Albert handed him back his lost Tile.
“We thought the Kings might kill us,” Grey said, completing the story. “But they carried us here, to their home. Sometimes they come back and look at us, but they don’t actually seem to want to do us real harm.”
“They know, even in their madness, that we are friends,” Professor Flynn said.
“If only we could have discovered the Means in time,” Grey said angrily. “They brought us right to the Sea Inspire. Right where the eggs need to be used. It would have been so perfect.”
Albert took off his pack and opened it up. Soft light leaked out into the chamber.
“I think we may have found what you’ve been looking for.”
Everyone except Aria gathered close as Albert took out one of the silver eggs and held it up.
“You guys really are something,” Albert’s dad said, astonished. He looked at the eggs as if they were holy relics. “I wasn’t even sure these were real. Where did you find them?”
“Inside the Tree of Cinder,” Leroy said. “The opening is way at the top. Can you believe i
t?”
Farnsworth barked, and Birdie took him out of her pack and set him on the ground.
“Okay, fine,” Leroy said. “Farnsworth found them. But Albert went inside and got them. He’s the egg man.”
Professor Flynn looked at Albert. “That’s my boy.”
Albert beamed. He had waited for so long to hear those words. But there wasn’t time to celebrate yet. Albert set the silver egg back inside the bag and pulled it shut for safekeeping.
“We have four. Now we just need to release their contents into the four tunnels.”
Birdie was standing at the edge of the shelf, staring down into the water. She appeared to be contemplating the situation.
Professor Flynn looked out over the goo-filled surface of the Sea Inspire and sighed. “The four tunnels are deep under the water; that’s all we know. No one’s been down there in centuries.”
Everyone was gathered at one edge of the stone shelf, staring down at the orange goo clinging to the sides of the pillar.
Everyone, that is, but Birdie.
Albert whirled around too late. “Birdie! No!” he shouted, but she was already diving through the air.
“Birdie!” Leroy yelled, too, running to the other side of the stone pillar. He got down on his hands and knees and peered over the side, right as she disappeared into the Sea Inspire with a splash. “She did not just do that!”
But she had. Albert’s knees went weak. Wasn’t losing Birdie once in a day enough? He dropped his pack at his feet, then scrambled over to the edge next to Leroy. One second later, he heard his dad gasp. “The silver eggs are gone,” Professor Flynn said, picking up Albert’s pack. “She’s taken them.”
“Oh man!” Leroy said. “Now we’re really in trouble.” He got up and began pacing back and forth. “What if the goo stuff burned her? What if she’s dead?”
“She should be fine in the water, I think,” Professor Flynn said, but didn’t look entirely sure himself.
As Albert stared into the water, he remembered the last time he’d waited for Birdie to surface back at the Waterfall of Fate, and the dread in his stomach disappeared. He stood back up. “Guys! This is Birdie Howell we’re talking about here. She can stay underwater for as long as it takes. If anyone can do this, it’s Birdie, right, Grey?”