The Fortress of the Treasure Queen

  Instantly — kkkkkk! — the water in the channel froze solid.

  And the Sword of Jaffa was trapped.

  KKKKK! Ice rose up out of the channel like grasping fingers that clutched the hull and held it fast. All the while, the children could see Bazra laughing with glee.

  Max stared out the cabin’s giant window. “I don’t think it’s so funny!”

  “This is Ko’s sub,” said Eric, turning to both Sparrs. “Isn’t there something it can do?”

  Both boys gave a little chuckle. “Maybe like … this?” they chimed.

  Together, they hit two identical red buttons on the top of the control panel.

  Vrrrr! The two giant claws jerked up from below the surface and crashed through the ice. Then, one after another, the claws pounded the ice in front of the sub until it cracked and splintered all the way to the end of the channel.

  The Sword of Jaffa crashed forward.

  “Now that’s what I had in mind!” said Eric. “Let’s get out of here!”

  But Bazra shrieked so loudly that the kids could hear her from inside the cabin. “I want that sub! I want everything! Give me your other magic, too!”

  “She wants our magic?” said Keeah, a smile growing on her lips. “Then let’s give her some magic. Eric, outside!”

  Together, they raced up the stairs and out on deck. Aiming their hands, they sent a blast into the channel itself. Whoom! A spray of water and ice chunks exploded over Bazra.

  Smoke plumed out of her antler throne. The throne wobbled, then tilted, then plunged into the water with a loud hiss.

  “Arrrgh!” cried the queen as she hit the water. She splashed her way to the edge of the canal and shrieked, “Your troubles aren’t over yet. Fangmouth will stop you!”

  The kids hurried back down into the cabin.

  “Fangmouth?” said Eric. “Never heard of him. Full steam ahead!”

  “Ko’s ship runs on lightning,” said the first Sparr.

  Neal laughed. “Full lightning ahead!”

  With a crackle of lightning and a boom of thunder, the ship shot straight down the channel toward the sea. Looming ahead was the big black gate the kids had seen when they first arrived on the island. Even at that distance, they saw the tiny figures of dog-headed guards massed in huge numbers, pulling on long chains. Each time the guards pulled on the chains, the fanglike bars of the gate opened wide, then clamped shut.

  “I guess that’s what the queen meant,” said Keeah. “Hello, Fangmouth….”

  Julie blinked. “Those chomping jaws remind me of Neal!”

  “They could tear a hole in our hull,” said the first Sparr.

  “Maybe there’s something we can do,” mumbled the shorter one. “After all, it’s what the sub was built for….” He touched a silver button on the control panel. With a terrible grinding sound, a long wavy blade moved up slowly from underneath the sub.

  “The Sword!” said Eric.

  “The Sword,” repeated both Sparrs. Using their controls, the boys aimed the blade right at the gate.

  The jaws opened wide.

  “Now!” yelled the Sparrs.

  As the guards tugged the chains once more and the jagged teeth started to come down, the ship rushed at the gate.

  “Brace yourselves!” said Keeah, clutching Max tightly.

  Kkkkkk! The giant submarine headed right into the curved teeth of the gate. Its huge blade suddenly twisted into the teeth, then spun around, shattering the fangs as if they were made of wood. Sparks sprayed up. Rocks tumbled down from the tunnel ceiling. The guards hurled their spears at the hull.

  But the submarine burst free of the broken gate. It roared out of the channel and into the night air.

  “Yes, yes!” crowed Neal, punching his hands in the air. “We did it. We’re free!”

  The shorter Sparr peered at the moonlit sky above them. “Uh, not quite.”

  Even as the ship drove through the swamp surrounding the island, three dark shapes swooped down.

  Eric gasped. “Gethwing! Shouldn’t we be going faster? And underwater?”

  “Not until we get out of the swamp,” the shorter boy said. “I told you Gethwing was smart. He let us battle Bazra. He waited until we stole the ship. We’re the only ones left now. It’ll be easier for him —”

  “Does he have a weakness?” asked Keeah, watching the dragon and the two beasts circle closer to the sub. “You know him. Is there anything? Maybe we can fight him off!”

  The taller Sparr’s eyes lit up. “Weakness? That’s it! The three of us. Come on!”

  In a flash of purple light, the two sorcerers became one Sparr. He headed to the circular stairs. “The elbow of Gethwing’s left leg is where he’s weakest. Come on deck with me! Maybe together we can stop him —”

  As Gethwing flew lower, the three wizards scrambled up to the deck.

  The dragon was much closer now. He eyed the children. Then, in a flash of wings and claws, he jumped down onto the deck. A terrible red flame burst from his jaws.

  “Now!” cried Sparr.

  “Now!” repeated Eric. His heart beating faster, he aimed his silver sparks together with Keeah’s violet and Sparr’s red ones to create a single powerful blast of light.

  KA — WHOOOM! They struck Gethwing in the elbow, and he jerked away suddenly. “Eeeegggg!” The dragon’s shriek was echoed by the cries of the other beasts. They dived to join the fight.

  Keeah shot quick blasts at them, keeping them circling.

  Julie scrambled up from below. “We’re nearly out of the swamp,” she cried. “We can dive —”

  “Then get below!” shouted Sparr. “Get ready to dive. Go!”

  Sparr shot another blast at Gethwing, knocking him back against the sub’s main tower, while Eric and Keeah charged down to the cabin with Julie. Inside, Max and Neal were pushing, pulling, and spinning every lever, button, and wheel on the control panel.

  Finally — vrrrr! — the great claws on the ship sprang suddenly to life. Flailing up, they struck Gethwing and one of the other beasts, knocking them away from the ship.

  An instant later, Sparr tumbled into the hatch and shut it behind him. “Dive! Dive!”

  “Aye, aye!” said Max. He pushed down both main levers at once.

  Everyone held tight as — sloooosh! — the Sword of Jaffa slid down through the icy water, past clusters of sharp rocks, and into the depths of the sea.

  The submarine raced beneath the surface into a world of gray and green.

  “Gethwing’s gone!” cried Neal, jumping up and down. “I’ll say it again. We’re free!”

  “Yes, well, about that,” said Sparr. He joined Max at the controls, sending the submarine deeper underwater and increasing its speed. “Did I ever tell you that Gethwing is one-half sea dragon?”

  Julie gulped. “Which half?”

  “The half,” said Sparr, “that comes after us because he can swim —”

  Wump! Wump! A great shudder went through the ship’s iron hull, knocking the kids to the floor.

  “Gethwing really wants this sub!” said Max.

  “Or he wants to keep us from having it!” said Keeah.

  Thwump! The sub rocked again.

  Through the cabin’s giant window they watched Gethwing grab the hull with his claws and twist it. Looping his tail around the hull, he tugged. The submarine went into a spin, scattering the children around the cabin. Next there came the sound of scratching from the hull under their feet. Everyone stared at the floor.

  Kritch! Slank! Clank! Then they heard the trickle of water.

  “Oh, no,” chittered Max. “He’s trying to get through —”

  Sparr’s fins darkened. “He must have found a weakness. Just like we found his. Take over here. I have to see what he’s doing and stop him —”

  Sparr jumped from his seat and charged to a hatch leading below. Julie, Neal, and Keeah rushed to help Max with the controls.

  “I’m coming, too!” Eric ran for the hatch after Sparr. I
f Gethwing was getting in, he didn’t want Sparr to be alone with him. He followed the boy down through one passage after another, listening for the sound of running water. Together, they stopped at a large, round hatch.

  Opening it, they found a small room made almost entirely of glass. On the back wall was a giant map of Droon. The rest of the room looked like a bubble, with the dark sea visible all around. Halfway up, the bubble’s glass was cracked, and water was trickling in.

  “Ko’s private chamber!” said Sparr. “Where he planned his attacks —”

  Kritchhh! In a flash of watery wings, the moon dragon swam at the sub, clawing at the glass. Kritch-chhh! The crack became larger. Water rushed in faster now.

  “And the weakest part of the sub!” said Eric as water poured in around their feet. “Maybe we can’t save Ko’s playroom, but we can save the sub. Let’s seal off the room!” He pushed Sparr back to the main hatch. The boy tumbled through it to the passage outside.

  Gethwing slashed at the bubble again. Kritchhh! Then came a sharp cracking sound and a sudden burst of water into the room. Eric was thrown against the hatch door, slamming it shut and trapping him inside.

  Sparr pounded from the other side. “Eric! Pull the hatch toward you!”

  Eric tugged hard, but the water from the crack rose quickly. It pressed against the inside of the hatch and kept it shut. In minutes, seawater was sloshing around his waist, then at his chest. He heard more pounding on the far side, and the voices of Julie and Keeah joined Sparr’s. “Eric! Eric!”

  Gethwing’s scaly head was visible at the glass again, bubbles streaming up from his open jaws. Clawing again and again, the moon dragon tore at the glass, making gashes in it.

  “Eric!” yelled Keeah. She pounded on the hatch. “I’m going to blast it open —”

  “No!” he cried. “The sub will sink!”

  At that instant, Gethwing made a powerful swipe at a seam of glass and iron. The whole glass dome buckled, and a wall of water exploded into the room. Eric was thrown to the floor. He struggled to gain his footing, but wave after wave kept him down. Finally, in a massive thrust of water and crash of glass, he was swept up and out of the ship.

  “Nooooo!” he yelled.

  Water surrounded him.

  He thrashed wildly. He tried to swim up through the water to the surface, but it wrapped around him like a wet cloak. It weighed down his arms and legs.

  As his breath escaped, air bubbles rose from him like diamonds. He dropped away from the ship, even as Gethwing kept slashing at it.

  Cold water. Dark water.

  As he sank, it seemed as if time slowed down. In some part of his mind, Eric knew he needed to be as light as possible. But he had nothing to let go. His pockets were empty. He didn’t even have the bird —

  The bird!

  And there it was, suddenly, mysteriously, its tiny black shape swimming — flying! — through the dark water to him.

  My bird! he thought, reaching out his palm. It got away from the guards!

  I did…. said the bird, fluttering its tiny wings against his hand.

  Eric blinked. You know the silent talk!

  Droon has lots of magic. Remember?

  Eric’s breath burned inside his lungs, his throat ached as he drifted away from the submarine. Even as his fingers loosened around the bird, its wings kept fluttering against his palm. Its green eyes glowed.

  My mission is accomplished. I must go now.

  Your mission? said Eric. What was it, after all?

  To find you. To get you to bring me to your world. So that the jar would come here! said the bird.

  The jar? But why?

  So that one thing happens that needs to happen, if Droon is to survive.

  Eric sank faster now. What happens?

  The hands of the sorcerer!

  Then, in a rush of bubbles, Eric watched the wooden bird shoot to the surface of the water and break right through it.

  He got away, he thought. That’s good.

  Out of the corner of his eye, Eric saw movement. He turned his head just in time to see the claws of the ship strike Gethwing a terrible blow. As the moon dragon rose to the surface for air, the submarine twisted away through a tangle of jagged rocks.

  His friends were escaping.

  Okay, then, he thought. That’s good, too!

  Colder and darker still.

  Eric’s worries, his desperate need to breathe, seemed to fade away. Just before he closed his eyes, he saw a little flash of violet light near the surface. The water lit up for a moment, then went dark again.

  Pretty, he thought.

  “Gggg-ahhh!”

  Eric exploded from the water, bursting through the surface as if he were shot from a cannon. The Sword of Jaffa itself crashed up from the waves next to him, and he felt himself being lifted and dragged onto its deck by two small hands.

  Gasping for breath, gagging, coughing, Eric blinked the stinging-cold seawater from his eyes and looked up. “Y-y-you!” He choked. “You … saved … me!”

  “With my own two hands!” said Sparr.

  Eric’s heart thundered in his chest. The hands of the sorcerer! he thought. The thing that needs to happen. Sparr needed to save me?

  “Is Max still driving the ship?” Eric coughed.

  “Nope. I split myself again,” said Sparr. “Come on. We need to get below. Grab my hands —”

  As soon as Sparr helped him down into the cabin, Eric was surrounded by his friends. Max spun a thick cloak for him, and in moments he felt warmth returning to his hands and feet. “Thanks,” he murmured. “All of you …”

  It was only when Sparr’s two selves — one taller than the other — stood right next to Max, Keeah, Julie, and Neal that Eric noticed the other differences between the two boys.

  On one, the fins were smaller than before and pale green, as if they had shrunk.

  The second Sparr’s fins were dark and red.

  And while the taller one’s right hand sprinkled pale sparks, the left hand of the other sprayed sparks of a deep red color.

  Maybe that’s what the bird’s message meant, too. That there were two sides of Sparr, just like the two different colors sparking from his hands. The hands of the sorcerer.

  Could Sparr become good after all?

  In a flash of violet light, the two boys joined into one again. Sparr stretched and wiggled. Then he whipped his black cloak around, leaped into one of the seats, and grinned. “All right, then, people. Full lightning ahead! Forty degrees east! Raise the fore flaps, draw in the flippers, claws to the side, and — oh, man, him again!”

  Gethwing’s dark shape dived once more from the sky, shrieking. His claws out, the moon dragon swooped at the sub, followed by the two gray beasts, all three breathing fire.

  But before the sub could respond — fwing-fwing-fwing! — a sudden round of flaming arrows arched up from the water.

  Kaww! Kaww! The beasts squealed. Gethwing himself hissed and shrieked a bloodcurdling cry. Another round of fiery arrows shot up. Then another and another.

  They rose from the Ninns’ sailing boat as it raced across the waves.

  “Ya-hoooo!” shouted Neal.

  “Go, Ninns!” cried Julie.

  Gethwing squawked and flapped up and away from the sub. It circled out of range of the arrows. Then all three beasts cried out once more and headed off into the night sky, weaving away toward the Dark Lands.

  “Going, going, gone!” chirped Max.

  “I can’t believe the Ninns remembered and helped us!” said Eric.

  Sparr chuckled. “Neither can I. Ninns can hardly remember anything!”

  “We did it,” said Keeah softly. “We saved Jaffa City.” And we have Sparr to thank for it, she added, looking at Eric.

  Sparr turned to her. “Not really,” he said. “I wouldn’t even be here if it weren’t for all of you.”

  Eric blinked. “You know the silent talk!”

  “Since forever!” said Sparr. “I guess my
mother taught me. My mother also taught me not to take stuff that doesn’t belong to me. I believe you were looking for this?”

  He waved his hand in the air and — plink! — a brown jar appeared in his hands.

  Julie jumped. “Holy cow, you found the cookie jar!”

  “I had to keep it hidden or else Gethwing would have found it,” said Sparr.

  Eric took the jar and held it close. “Gethwing wanted it?”

  Sparr nodded. “That’s what I discovered when he came to me in the courtyard. Ko would have used it to keep the stairs open to your world. I knew I had to find it before Gethwing did. First the guards took it from the Ninns. Then the Ninns stole it back. Bazra got it next. Finally, the Ninns had it again. I just asked for it.”

  “And they gave it to you?” asked Julie.

  “The Ninns know I’m their leader — well, I was their leader,” he said.

  Eric looked at the boy. He swallowed hard. “Sparr, I’m really sorry. I’ve really been wrong about you. You saved me and the cookie jar. This is awesome! Thank you.”

  Max began to giggle. “For a sorcerer, you’re pretty handy to have around!”

  “Hey,” said Sparr. “I try!”

  * * *

  Two hours later, in the light of early morning, the submarine pulled into the port of Jaffa City. Within minutes, palace guards were swarming across the dock and up to the sides of the ship. Keeah’s parents, King Zello and Queen Relna, rushed out of the palace, and a cheer rose up when the children popped their heads up from the hatch.

  Hugging her daughter and Max tightly, Queen Relna said, “You all foiled one of Ko’s plans today. Maybe this is a sign of victories to come.”

  “Sparr helped,” said Keeah.

  “A lot,” agreed Julie.

  “Against Ko, you need all the help there is,” said Sparr. “Look what I found.”

  He unrolled the scroll he had taken from Bazra’s treasure fortress. It was a map of Droon but unlike any they had ever seen before. All across the Dark Lands were the names of places no one had ever heard of.