The Prince Warriors and the Swords of Rhema Read online

  The trees were thick here, with wide, knotty trunks and heart-shaped leaves. Xavier noticed that the gnarled branches of the trees had fringed tips, which made them look almost like . . . hands.

  Hands? Xavier shook away the thought. They were just trees. They rustled slightly in the wind, but that was totally normal.

  “What kind of trees are these?” asked Brianna, who had noticed them as well.

  “I’ve never seen this species before,” said Manuel, “which is not unusual in Ahoratos.”

  “The leaves look like hearts,” said Ivy, reaching out to touch one. “They feel like velvet.” Suddenly the leaf closed up around her hand; she snatched it away with a gasp. “Guess they don’t like being touched.”

  “Like your Venus flytrap, Manuel,” said Evan.

  “Kind of reminds me of those creepy vines in the Garden of Red,” said Brianna with a shiver.

  “Yes—too bad I can’t take a specimen home.” Manuel had a large collection of weird plants in his room. But everyone knew it was forbidden to take anything from Ahoratos back to earth without permission. Breaking that rule had caused the Prince Warriors more than enough trouble already.

  As they continued up the mountain, the path steepened. Evan walked beside Finn, who had slowed so he could keep up. The two of them fell a bit behind. Evan glanced up from time to time at the bigger boy, who seemed very shy and yet somehow in need of a friend.

  “That was pretty cool, how you took out those Forgers,” Evan said finally. “Were you scared?”

  Finn shrugged a little. “Sure. But I didn’t want to go back there.”

  “To Skot’os?”

  “Right.”

  “So, you haven’t been back to earth since you got out of Skot’os?”

  “Nope.”

  “Do you want to go?”

  “Not sure.”

  Evan couldn’t get Finn to say more than a few words at a time. He figured Finn was not used to people asking him questions.

  “Well, look, if you need a place to stay when you go back, just come to my house. We have an extra room. And my mom is really nice.”

  “Thanks.” Finn gave him a small grin. Evan smiled back.

  Just then Evan saw something bright yellow slinking down the trunk of a tree near Finn’s head. It was long and thick and slimy looking, with a cluster of antennae sprouting from one end. Evan stopped to gawk at it.

  “Hey, Manuel, you gotta see this worm!”

  Manuel turned around to see what he was looking at. “Hmmm. More like a slug than a worm, although some worms do grow to be over five feet long—”

  “It looks like a banana!” Evan said.

  Brianna and Ivy went back to see. The worm/slug thing hunched its back as if it didn’t like being looked at.

  Brianna made a face. “Gross.”

  “Don’t touch it,” said Ivy. “Probably bites.”

  The creature lifted its head from the leaf and appeared to look straight at Evan, its antennae twirling. Its head started to swell up like a balloon.

  “I think it likes me,” Evan said, putting up his hand as if to wave hello. Suddenly the worm’s mouth gaped open, and it shot out a sticky glob of yellow goo all over Evan’s palm.

  “Ahh!” Evan jumped back in shock. “That worm just sneezed on me!”

  The girls started to laugh.

  “That’s what you get,” said Brianna.

  Evan rubbed his hand against his pant leg, trying to get the slime off. “Stupid worm.” He felt his face grow hot at the sound of the girls’ laughter. Even Manuel was snickering a little. Evan looked over at Finn, who was clearly trying to hold back from laughing.

  “You all right, man?” Finn asked.

  “Yeah,” Evan said. And then they both broke out laughing. It was kind of funny.

  “Hey, guys, what’s the holdup?” asked Xavier, who had come back to see what was going on. He looked at Evan, who quickly put his hands behind his back. “What happened to you?”

  “Nothing,” Evan said. He wasn’t going to tell his brother that he’d just gotten worm snot all over him. Xavier would just make fun of him, like he usually did. It made Evan mad sometimes. Xavier thought he was so perfect, but he had plenty of faults too. Like he had no idea how gross he smelled when he came home from basketball practice, with big sweat stains under his arms. Xavier called it his “manly musk.” To Evan it smelled like fish butt. And there were lots of other things as well: the way he left gobs of toothpaste in the sink, how he took off his sneakers in the car and stunk everything up. . . . Evan could thinks of dozens of things Xavier did that were way worse than worm snot. But he figured no one wanted to hear about that right now.

  “Let’s go then,” said Xavier impatiently. He turned away and started walking again.

  After what seemed like hours, they reached the edge of the tree line. Xavier called a halt to assess the situation. Above them the mountain loomed, serene and majestic, whiffs of smoke curling from its peak. The terrain before them changed from packed dirt to rocks and big boulders jumbled on top of each other, as if there had been an avalanche. Xavier looked around for an alternate route, but the armor was still pointing straight up.

  “Looks like we’re going to have to climb for a while,” he told the others. “Anyone ever done any rock climbing before?”

  “Just on the fake rock wall at school,” said Brianna.

  “Well, this is kind of like that. Look for handholds and toeholds. Don’t rush. Three points of contact at all times. Be careful. If you have trouble, call out. Okay?”

  The kids nodded.

  Evan had to work twice as hard as the others just to keep up. Not for the first time he felt aggravated that his legs were still so short. When was he going to grow, already? His mom always told him to be patient, but in times like this he just wished he would sprout some big strong legs and maybe a few extra muscles.

  He saw Xavier way up ahead, practically leaping from rock to rock with his long legs. Levi and the girls managed to keep up, although Manuel was having a tougher time. His legs were so gangly; they didn’t seem to do what he wanted them to.

  Evan reached up toward an edge in the rock above him; he strained his arm and wiggled his fingers but couldn’t reach it. Then he felt someone grasp his leg and push him up so he could get a grip on the boulder.

  “I got you,” said Finn, who was behind him.

  “Thanks,” said Evan, glancing down at Finn, who waited patiently for him to complete the maneuver. Whenever he had trouble getting a handhold or foothold, Finn was there to help. He didn’t rush ahead like the other kids, trying to outdo them, even though he was the biggest and could probably climb these boulders faster than any of them. Evan was grateful for that.

  He soon realized that his boots felt different—thicker and spongier, gripping the boulders like glue. He stopped to examine his foot and noticed that the toe of his boot had curved so it hugged the boulders. And the whole bottom of the boot was rubbery, giving it extra gripping power. He remembered how these boots had sprouted sticky tendrils like Spider-Man to help him climb up the side of a building once. They had also helped build the stone steps of a bridge over a steep chasm. They seemed able to transform to any kind of terrain, wherever the Prince Warriors had to go.

  Evan was just about to announce his discovery to the rest of the kids when Manuel’s squeaky voice pierced the air.

  “Help! I’m stuck!”

  Evan looked up. The others in front turned around. Manuel’s leg was trapped between two big rocks. He pushed up uselessly with his arms to try and free himself. Brianna and Ivy reached out to grab his arms, but they couldn’t get a good enough grip to pull him out.

  “I wasn’t looking—stepped into a crack . . .” Manuel said, panting.

  “Oh, man,” said Levi, climbing back down toward him. “He’s real
ly stuck.”

  “I’ll get him out,” said Finn suddenly. He shimmied past Evan to where Manuel was stuck, still struggling to move his leg. “Hold still.” Finn waited until Manuel had calmed down a bit. Then he bent to one knee, balancing himself on the rock above Manuel, and slipped his arms under Manuel’s arms, clasping his wrists together.

  “Just relax. Let your leg go limp. Ready?” Finn asked. Manuel nodded. Finn began to lift Manuel toward him, tugging the stuck leg back and forth in a gentle and steady rhythm. Manuel was soon able to move his leg slightly, working it out of the crack as Finn raised him up.

  Once Manuel was free, Finn set him down on the top of the boulder. Manuel sat still for a moment, dusty and shaking but otherwise okay.

  “Thank you,” he said to Finn in a weak voice. Finn waved him off, as if it was no big deal.

  “Good thing we brought Finn along, huh?” asked Evan.

  “Yeah, that was stellar,” said Brianna.

  “You okay, Manuel?” Levi asked.

  “I think so, but perhaps we could—rest a bit?”

  Evan was glad for the break—he was just as tired as Manuel. His lungs ached, and his arms and legs shook with exhaustion. They still had a long, long way to go. He wondered how they would ever make it to the top at this rate before the sun set, although it was always hard to tell how long a day was in Ahoratos.

  He closed his eyes, lifted his chin, and took a deep breath. And that’s when he smelled it. And felt it. Something cool on his face—it smelled moist and pleasant, like the air after a rainstorm. He opened his eyes, squinting, and looked up to the top of the mountain. The thin streams of mist that had been spewing from the crest were now cascading down the mountain. He wondered if the mountain was about to explode like a volcano. But the mist was not moving in all directions; it came straight for them. Couldn’t be an accident. Somehow, he just knew he wasn’t in danger. He relaxed and inhaled and felt the mist seep down into his lungs, easing the ache.

  “Hey guys,” he said. “Do you smell that?”

  The others looked up and saw the curling vapors around their heads. They breathed deeply, filling their lungs.

  “What is it?” Xavier asked.

  “The breath of the Source,” said Ivy.

  “Stellar,” said Brianna.

  “I do feel better,” said Manuel.

  “Can you keep going?” asked Levi.

  Manuel tested his foot, rotating the ankle and bending his knee. “I think so.”

  “Good thing,” said Ivy.

  “Yeah, good thing,” said Evan. “We wouldn’t want to have to carry you all the way up—”

  “Evan!” said Xavier. “We better get moving. Everyone ready?” The kids nodded and got into position again, no longer as tired as they were a moment ago.

  They had barely resumed the climb when Evan felt a shadow overtake him, followed by a noise like the flapping of wings. He instinctively ducked. Ents? he wondered, searching the sky for the large, metallic bugs with their jagged wings and poisonous stingers. He saw nothing but the mountain and sky and the drifting skypods.

  “What’s up?” asked Finn, from behind him.

  “Oh, nothing I guess.” Evan shrugged and kept climbing.

  Then the shadow passed by again. This time, Evan caught sight of huge, spiny wings disappearing over the top of the mountain.

  He felt his stomach rise up into his throat. He could think of only one creature that could possibly have wings like that.

  CHAPTER 4

  The Black Dragon

  Dragon!” Evan shouted.

  Xavier looked up in time to see a dark shape slipping around the side of the mountain. Perhaps it was Tannyn keeping an eye on them. Or a big bird, like an eagle. Maybe there were eagles in Ahoratos. He couldn’t be sure. He just knew he couldn’t let the kids get sidetracked. This climb required all their attention.

  “Stay focused,” he said to the others. “Keep moving.”

  A few minutes later Levi called out: “There it is again!”

  This time Xavier saw it too: a sleek, black dragon circling the top of the mountain, its massive wings spread wide, gliding on updrafts. Its forked tail appeared to be covered in long, sharp spikes.

  It was definitely not Tannyn.

  “What if it attacks us?” asked Manuel. “We can’t use our shields and climb at the same time.”

  “Just keep going,” said Xavier. Yet he couldn’t help but wonder what that dragon was going to do. If it saw them, why didn’t it attack? What was it waiting for?

  Xavier felt a sweat breaking out on his brow, despite the fact that it was getting colder the farther up they climbed. He reached into his pocket to make sure his seed was still there. He turned to check on the others behind him and saw the worried expressions on their faces. He smiled to reassure them, even though he felt just as nervous as they did.

  Finally, the rocky slope ended at a steep cliff face. There was nowhere to go except for a narrow ledge that appeared to wind around the side of the mountain. Xavier had to jump to get to it, but he was glad to feel a flat surface under his feet after climbing those rocks for so long. Levi jumped after him, then turned to help Ivy, who snatched her hand away.

  “I can do it myself,” she said with a huffy breath. Levi put his hands up and mouthed “Sorry” as Ivy jumped onto the ledge by herself. Brianna was next; she looked at Levi and put out her hand for him to grab so he could help her, even though she too could have done it all by herself.

  Soon all of the kids had made it to the ledge. They took a moment to rest, to fill their lungs with the breath of the Source once more.

  Xavier scouted out the path before them. The ledge rose at a gentler grade, traversing the side of the mountain. There was nothing below it but a mist-shrouded abyss. They’d have to be extremely careful, keeping close to the rock wall, and rely on the gripping power of the boots in order to not fall to their deaths. But at least it would be less arduous than climbing boulders.

  Xavier went back to tell the others. “Looks like we will need to stay on this ledge for a while. Whatever you do, keep close to the wall. Don’t look down. Keep focused ahead.”

  They all nodded, understanding.

  “What about the dragon?” asked Evan.

  Xavier glanced up—the dragon continued to circle high in the sky.

  “Maybe he’s not interested in us. But keep your seeds ready, just in case.”

  The kids got up and followed Xavier as he made his way across the ledge. They walked in silence, concentrating on the narrow path, on the person in front of them, on anything except the shadow passing above them. Xavier felt very exposed; there was no place to hide here, no cover, and they were too far along to make it back to the boulders if something should happen—if the dragon came for them, or if there was a rock slide or avalanche. But he dared not risk falling by trying to go any faster.

  You have everything you need.

  Whenever Xavier felt doubts and fears overwhelm him, those words from Ruwach came back to him, calming him. He was thankful he wore the helmet, which blocked any “unuseful” thoughts from taking over his brain.

  As time went on, Xavier noticed the dragon was dropping lower, closer. He could see its glittering, armored scales with needlelike spikes, almost like the quills of a porcupine. Longer, sharper spikes ridged its back, wings, and tail. Its neck was layered in thick scales with short, pointed spikes sticking out all over its head. Steam curled from its nostrils. Xavier felt its beady yellow eyes zero in on him and lost his breath completely: the eyes told him it was on the hunt and it had found its prey. He quickened his pace along the ledge, urging the rest to follow.

  As if sensing that the Prince Warriors were trying to get away, the dragon suddenly dove straight for them, its skeletal wings spread wide, the spikes on either side of its head fanning out. Xavier f
roze, throwing out one arm to halt the others. He dug his hand into his pocket, grasping the seed and crying out, “Shields!”

  All the kids deployed their seeds as the dragon opened its mouth, revealing several rows of serrated teeth. But no fire came out. Instead, it banked left and whipped its long, forked tail toward them, discharging several razor-sharp spikes, each one a few feet long. The spikes sped like javelins toward the kids and slammed into the side of the mountain, sending up small explosions of pebbles and dust. The black dragon veered away, its tail lashing the air, circling for another strike.

  “What was that?” Brianna gasped, gazing up at the spikes that surrounded them, hemming them in.

  “Did that thing just shoot spikes? From its tail?” asked Ivy, breathless.

  “Never saw a dragon do that before,” Evan choked out. He glanced at Finn, whose eyes were riveted on the black dragon. “Did you?” Finn just shook his head.

  Xavier looked to his right and saw that several of the dragon’s spikes now blocked their path forward along the ledge. They would have to climb over them, or under them, somehow. Which would make the trek much more dangerous.

  Then from high above, Xavier heard a piercing screech that filtered through his shield like the wail of a distant siren. But within the sound, he thought he heard words too:

  You . . . will . . . fail. . . .

  His helmet began to glow, pressing down over his ears. The words were instantly replaced by Ruwach’s whispering voice: You have everything you need.

  But what do we need? Xavier thought to himself. Even if they could get rid of the dragon, how would they get rid of these spikes that blocked their path? He grasped a spike and yanked as hard as he could, trying to pull it out. But it wouldn’t budge. He put his seed away so he could use both hands. When that failed, he tried to break it off, but it was too thick and strong. Levi reached over to help; the two of them heaved and strained, but the spikes were immovable.