“Some call me that, yes.”
“But … how?” Eric said. “Who are you?”
The man turned to the far side of the cave. When he moved, sparks — like tiny stars — scattered around him, making a sound like fingers brushing the strings of a harp.
“In truth, I do not know,” he said. “Long ago, I was in a battle and was hurt. Afterward, I had no memory of who I was. I have wandered Droon in secret, searching for an answer.”
“But what about … Krog?” asked Eric.
The man smiled. “Krog is — was — an ancient, mysterious, and cursed beast. Yesterday, I happened on his path and met him in battle. I struck him down, but I was wounded.”
He touched his arm as he spoke.
“Within hours, I began to change into him. That is when I discovered the real curse. Destroy Krog and you become the monster yourself….”
Eric heard voices yelling. “My friends.”
The prince approached the cave wall. “If you and your friends hadn’t come when you did, I would have become the beast in my heart. After that, if you had used your powers, Krog wouldn’t have fallen, but I would have. You saved me.”
Eric felt breathless. “Someone told me that real power is knowing when to use it and when not to use it. I guess we did okay?”
For the first time, the prince laughed. It was a chiming laugh, like a harp strummed joyfully.
His hand touched the wall.
Vrrrt! The ice parted onto the treasure cave.
“Eric!” cried Keeah. Everyone rushed to him.
He laughed as he introduced the prince, who bowed, spraying more stars around him.
“Thank you all for saving me,” said the prince. Then he pointed toward the treasure. “Now, look there to see your friends —”
“Oyyyy!” boomed a voice. “Blast some Kroggy flame on these cold muffins, will you?”
The kids turned. Tramping across the golden heaps were two figures.
“Rolf!” yelled Neal. “And Max, too!”
The Knight of Silversnow and the spider troll hurried over and hugged their friends.
“The iceman dumped me here with Max and some muffins,” snorted Rolf. “Good muffins!”
“Motli flew me here safe and sound,” Max chirped. “But how did you ever find the caves?”
“As for that!” The prince whistled. Suddenly, the caves resounded with the sound of flapping.
“Wings?” said Eric. “What is this? I’ve heard the sound of wings all day!”
In an instant, three tattered crows, with red, white, and black feathers, swept into the treasure room and perched on the prince’s shoulders.
“Meet Otli, Jotli, and Motli,” said the prince. “Birds who like to change shape —”
“And help a friend!” chirped the black crow.
Eric gasped. “I knew it! The second we were lost, someone pointed us in the right direction.”
Keeah laughed. “Motli was there to show us the river.” She pointed at the black crow.
It bowed to them. “Glad to be of service!”
“And the iceman only attacked when we decided not to cross the bridge,” said Julie.
Otli, the white bird, bowed. “Grooo!”
Neal nodded. “And that little guy who tried to make us sleep — I bet he was testing us to see if we would keep going!”
“A test you nearly failed,” said Jotli, fluffing its red feathers.
“We were guided from the beginning,” said Julie. “We had all those crazy harp riddles.”
The prince laughed again. “I hoped that if you understood the riddles and passed the test, you would solve Krog’s mystery. Which you did —”
CRACKKKK!
The ice caves thundered, and instantly, the air filled with the sounds of hissing and spitting.
“Evil creatures of the Wasp!” cried Max.
Keeah gasped. “Wraiths! They followed us!”
“Behind me!” said the prince.
But the shadow creatures were ruthless and swift. They dived at Keeah, pushed her down, and wrenched the magic harp from her. Sssss! Sss!
“What?” cried the prince. “Those words —”
Eric shot his sparks back at the wraiths — zannng! — but it was too late. The wraiths were gone as quickly as they had come, vanishing away in the cold darkness.
Eric rushed to help Keeah up. “It was the harp that Sparr’s men wanted, not you —”
“We shall get the harp back!” said the prince, his green eyes flashing. “Come. I must show you something. Children, Max, Rolf — follow me!”
The Prince of Stars ran to the center of the treasure cave. “Yesterday, after the fight, I saw something among the treasure. It’s gone now.”
Julie took out the picture she had painted of the golden treasure. “Then it wouldn’t be here.”
The prince grinned. “Not anymore, but wait.”
He ran his hand over the picture and whispered strange words. Instantly, what had been a simple watercolor began to move like a movie.
“Now, that’s very cool!” said Neal.
“This is yesterday,” said the prince. “There!”
The picture moved slowly over piles and piles of golden things when suddenly, a necklace burst into the air, then a goblet, then a sword.
Finally, a curved tail popped out of the heap.
Something was working its way from the pile.
“What is it?” asked Eric, peering closer.
Then Keeah gasped. “The tail … the wings … it’s the … Wasp! It’s the Golden Wasp —”
“Sparr’s second great Power!” chittered Max.
“It’s bigger than it was,” said Julie. “Lots!”
In the picture, the Wasp lifted over the treasure. Even as they watched, the creature grew larger. Its wings blurred swiftly, then it changed direction and flew up and out of the caves.
The watercolor went still once more.
“So! After months,” said Rolf, “this is where the Wasp had vanished to, the terrible thing.”
Keeah breathed deeply. “Krog must have stolen the Wasp and brought it here. But it came alive and will find its way back to Sparr. The wraiths stole my harp because it can control the Wasp. And now Sparr will have both!”
The prince shook his head. “Listen. What remains of the beast in me heard the wraiths hissing about Sparr. They will meet in Jaffa City —”
Keeah gasped. “My mother —”
“Shall be safe!” said the prince. He pointed to a golden sled half hidden in the clutter. “Come help me. This will take us to Jaffa City!”
Rolf and Max, together with the kids, helped drag out the sled. One by one, they piled in.
“Everyone ready?” asked Eric.
The birds on the prince’s shoulder crowed.
“Good-bye, ice caves!” said the prince.
“Let’s go!” said Keeah.
With a sprinkle of stars, the prince took the controls, and — foom-foom-foom! —the sled shot up through the tunnels and out into the snow. Then, as if it were flying, the sled barreled down the mountain, splashed across the river, and roared over the snowbanks of the north.
As the sky began to lighten toward dawn, the small band spied a mass of towers and domes.
“Jaffa City!” cried Keeah. “Home.”
Home, thought Eric. But a home under attack.
The real Krog may have ruined villages, but it was nothing compared to what Sparr would do.
As the sled approached the gate, the children saw a blaze of blue wizard light and heard the sound of swords being drawn.
Errck! The sled stopped before the city walls.
Queen Relna, Lunk, and Smee were there, together with King Zello and the wizard Galen.
“Keeah, children, sir!” boomed Galen’s deep voice, looking the Prince of Stars up and down. “Zello and I came as soon as we could. Wraiths are gathering for a charge on the city!”
“They shall not win,” said Queen Relna.
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Eric looked at Keeah, then turned to Neal and Julie at his side. He felt his heart race. “Guys, we have the power to do this together.”
A smile drifted across the prince’s lips. “And now is the right time to use it —”
“Us first!” boomed Rolf. Together with his Silversnow friends, the knight gave his great shield a shove and they all jumped on.
Gathering speed, the three friends tilted to the left and — vrrm! — plowed through the first line of wraiths, toppling them like bowling pins!
Thwapp-app! Max, Julie, and Neal flung snowball after snowball and got the wraiths before they could stand.
Galen laughed. “Now us!” He leaped forward, his fingers blasting. The sky over Jaffa City went bright with sparks as he and Keeah and Eric pushed the wraiths back to the Farne Woods.
“And now, for him,” said Relna. “Look there!”
High in the clouds was a dark, twisted shape, weaving and diving toward the city.
It was the terrible Golden Wasp. On its back was none other than Lord Sparr. The scar on his forehead from when the Wasp stung him long ago was glowing bright red.
“If it isn’t the creep himself,” said Neal.
“And his icky pet, too,” added Julie.
The Wasp veered down at them, shrieking and buzzing. Its deadly tail was arched to strike.
Eric shuddered. “It’s huge!”
A howl of laughter came from the sky. “If you mean me,” snarled Sparr loudly, “then you’re quite right! I am huge! And soon to be huger, without Jaffa City to worry about! And, by the way, Keeah, thanks for the sound track!”
Plimmm! He plucked Keeah’s harp with his bony fingers and the Wasp shot up into the sky.
“I can’t stand it!” shouted Keeah. “He can’t have the harp. He can’t have more power!”
“And he won’t,” said the prince. “When I heard the wraiths hissing, I knew some of Krog remains in me. The Wasp needs a foe. A monster must battle — a monster!”
As they watched, the Prince of Stars began to change shape back into the spiky-winged beast.
A moment later — roooorrr! — Krog loomed before them again.
With a great flap of his wings, the prince lifted into the air. “Eric, I need your power. Care to join me?”
Without thinking, Eric looked at Julie. “Um?”
“You got it!” She took his hand and flew up.
Eric slid onto the prince’s scaly back. A moment later, they shot high into the air.
Zzzzz! The Golden Wasp turned to him.
Sparr hissed, “A boy and a stranger!”
“And yet, something tells me we’ve done this before!” the prince said, flying closer. “Wasp, meet Krog!”
Sparr’s eyes flashed as he plucked the harp. The Wasp buzzed in response, then set its deadly golden eyes on Eric.
“I shall win!” cried Sparr.
“We’ll see about that!” yelled the prince.
Howling, Sparr strummed again, and the Wasp dived at Eric and the prince.
The prince and the Wasp roared across the air at each other, then circled.
Eric kept his eyes glued to the sorcerer.
“Get ready, Sparr!” he whispered.
Sparr had already taken the Coiled Viper. Now he had the Wasp. Eric knew what was next.
The Red Eye of Dawn.
Eric crouched. “We need to get the harp back.”
“Moving in,” said the prince, flapping his beastly wings and looping nearer to the Wasp.
When Sparr had all three Powers, he would be nearly unbeatable. That’s what this was all about. The journey north. Finding Krog. The prince. It was what Galen had told him once.
There is a greater purpose here.
It was about power.
Eric’s power to battle Sparr.
“Closer …” said Eric. “And … now!”
The prince veered over the Wasp, and Eric let go a sudden stunning burst of light — zzannng!
“Eeeoow — silver sparks —!” Sparr shook from Eric’s blast and loosened his grip on Keeah’s harp. It fell from his hand.
It was just what Eric wanted. As the prince flew by, Eric flung out his hand.
Thwap! Eric grabbed the magic harp.
“Nooooo!” cried Sparr, staring back at the boy.
In the second that their eyes met, Eric tried to read the mind behind those eyes, the cruel smile, the glowing V-shaped scar on Sparr’s forehead.
The sorcerer looked like … a monster.
Krog had, too. But the prince’s eyes told the truth about him. What did Sparr’s eyes tell? Was he the real monster?
“Be — gone!” cried the sorcerer. He blasted Eric, knocking him off the prince’s back. Blam! Ka-blam!
Eric tumbled to the ground, splashing snowflakes everywhere. The harp bounced across the frozen earth to Neal.
“Got it,” said Neal. “Keeah, your harp —”
But the princess was busy keeping the wraiths in the forest. “Neal, play it. Play it now!”
“You don’t want me to —”
“Play it!” cried Eric, stumbling to his friend.
Neal touched the harp. Ploink! Splang!
Suddenly, the Wasp lunged down, then flipped over and back up again.
“Aaaa-eeee!” Sparr howled from its back.
“Keep on playing,” yelled Keeah. “Pluck the strings!”
Neal grinned and strummed the strings hard. Ploink! Blang! Blimfff!
The Wasp spun completely around, then began to buck wildly up and down.
“Silly insect!” cried Sparr, trying to stay on. “Everyone, leave now! Go! To the Dark Lands!”
“If you can!” Galen cheered, sending blast after blast after Sparr. The Wasp, with the sorcerer still clinging tightly, jerked away across the sky.
The wraiths hissed and flitted after their master, black smears against the snow.
“Woo-hoo!” boomed Rolf. “Look at them go!”
A moment later, the sorcerer and his shadow creatures were gone.
“Hooray!” cried Eric, running to Keeah. “We did it! Today, we whooped Sparr!”
Everyone gathered at the city gates.
“Well done, one and all!” said Galen. “Even if we haven’t seen the last of Sparr, it’s always good to give him a bit of trouble!”
Landing nearby, the Prince of Stars soon turned into himself again. He bowed before the king and queen. “It is an honor to serve you.”
Smiling, King Zello extended his large hand. “As man or beast, you are quite a good warrior!”
“And you are welcome to stay,” said the queen. “We should like your company.”
“I cannot stay,” he replied. “Before Krog, I was searching for someone. I must continue the search. But I can’t leave without giving a gift.”
From the depths of his cloak, the prince pulled out a small dark bottle. “Magically, this old bottle seemed to call out to me from Krog’s treasure. I sense it will help against Sparr, but not how we expect!”
Neal sniffed the bottle. “Like if you fill it with stinky stuff and splash it on Sparr, he’ll have to change his black suit? Maybe he won’t be so scary if he has to wear polka dots!”
As everyone laughed, Keeah turned to the prince. “You said you were searching. For who?”
The prince breathed deeply. “In my mind, I see a small child with golden curls dressed all in blue, sitting alone in a silver tree. Until I know who that child is and what it might mean, I must keep searching.”
Saying this, he stepped to the top of a mound of snow and called out. An instant later — fwap — fwap — fwap! — Otli, Jotli, and Motli, his three crows, perched together on his shoulders.
Standing against the blue-black sky, the prince whipped his dark cloak about, scattering tiny star-shaped sparks around him — pling — bing — thoom!
As everyone watched, this fountain of light faded. And so did he.
The Prince of Stars was gone.
Ga
len stared at the spot, then gave out a sigh. “So! Our strange man resumes his wanderings once more — if he even is a man. It’s odd, but I feel I’ve known him forever.”
“Me, too,” said Eric.
Keeah nodded. “I think we’ll see him again.”
Relna turned to Eric. “Thank you for your powers today. We shall need them again.”
“Keeah showed me how to control them,” said Eric. “Maybe I won’t break any more dishes!”
The queen laughed. “And Julie … keep secret those paintings of Droon. But do not stop making them. They are very special.”
Julie beamed. “Thank you. I’ll be careful.”
Whoosh! A glow appeared nearby. The rainbow stairs glimmered near the walls.
Neal sighed. “I guess it’s time to go home.”
“It’s back to the ice caves for us,” said Rolf, shoulder to shoulder with Lunk and Smee. “We’ll return treasure to everyone who lost it.”
“We’ll put it in sacks and use the prince’s big sled to carry us around,” said Lunk.
“Ho-ho!” said Smee. “People will love us!”
The knights waved, climbed into the sled, then rode away over the hills.
“It’s time for us, too,” said Galen, clutching the prince’s bottle in his hand. “To plan for Droon’s future, now that Sparr has the Wasp.”
“And keep him from stealing any more power,” chirped Max, scampering to the wizard’s tower.
Keeah gave her friends one last hug. “This means me, too. Good-bye. Until next time!”
Waving, the three friends trotted up the shimmering stairs. At the top, they looked out Eric’s basement window and saw the neighborhood kids sledding in the snowstorm.
“We did some sledding today,” said Julie, closing the closet on the purple clouds of Droon.
“In the North!” Neal boomed with a laugh.
Eric thought of the prince’s bright eyes.
Then of Sparr’s dark, terrifying ones.
Shaking his head, he gazed at the storm outside. “I was thinking,” he said. “Powers are cool, but maybe this snow is … you know …”
“Just good plain snow?” said Julie, heading for the stairs. “There’s really only one way to find out —”
Without another word, the three friends raced one another out the back door and leaped into a world of drifting, swirling, spinning flakes of snow.