Fablehaven: The Complete Series (202 page)

Seth cupped his hands around his mouth and cheered.

Without looking over, the enemy statue flung the remaining length of his club toward Seth. Mara dove, tackling Seth to the floor as the broken club hissed over them before clattering down the passage.

From the cool, hard floor, Seth watched as Goliath swung his hammer several times, but Nancy managed to evade the blows with nimble footwork. As Goliath kept up the pursuit, hammer swinging aggressively, the enemy statue started looking for openings, sneaking in punches or kicks between strokes. The counterattacks proved ineffective, connecting weakly before Nancy had to dodge the next major blow.

Goliath relentlessly pressed his advantage, pursuing the enemy statue around the room, always maneuvering himself to keep his opponent away from the entrance to the passage. Seth watched with his hands balled into fists, his anxiety rising as Nancy proved to be impossible for Goliath to hit. What would they do if Goliath lost? There was no chance they could stand against the huge and agile statue. It would smash them into hamburger.

As Goliath swung high, rather than dodge, Nancy accepted the blow. The hammer connected, shattering the top half of Nancy’s head in a gravelly spray. But even as the blow landed, the enemy statue delivered a strong, sweeping kick to the ankle of Goliath’s short leg, sending Goliath sprawling.

Nancy knelt hard on the wrist of the hand that held the hammer, wrested the weapon free, and then took off Goliath’s head with a fearsome blow. The crude, squarish head bounced and rolled across the floor, reminding Seth of dice. Half rising, moving with alarming speed and grace, the enemy statue brought another crushing blow down on Goliath’s hip. Goliath grasped for the hammer, but Nancy skipped away.

Headless, with a web of cracks running through his right hip, Goliath arose. The enemy statue circled, the heavy hammer poised menacingly. When Nancy charged, Goliath lunged forward to meet him, shield upraised. The hammer whistled down savagely, bashing through the shield and demolishing Goliath’s arm below the elbow. Goliath used his good arm to punch the enemy statue in the chest. Nancy fell backward, but rose to his knees as Goliath rushed forward. The stone hammer connected with Goliath’s right hip once more, snapping the head off the weapon and breaking off Goliath’s right leg. The enemy statue heaved Goliath away.

“We’re dead,” Vincent moaned.

“Keyhole,” Kendra said, pointing.

All eyes turned to the alcove on the far side of the room where Nancy had originally stood. Against the back of the alcove was a circular indentation a little smaller than the recess in the floor.

“Bless you,” Trask said to Kendra, setting down his crossbow and snatching the egg-shaped key from Tanu.

“I’m quicker,” Mara said.

“Not holding a forty-pound weight,” Trask replied hastily. Cradling the iron key in one arm like a football, he raced out into the room.

The enemy statue instantly took notice, turning away from Goliath and rushing to intercept Trask. Seth held his breath. As Nancy closed in, Trask cut to the right, forcing the huge statue to change course. Then Trask cut back to the left at the last second, narrowly avoiding the statue’s outstretched hands as it dove at him.

Goliath was now scuttling across the floor like a wounded crab, using his good arm, his shortened arm, and his remaining leg. As the enemy statue recovered from the fruitless dive, Trask dashed for the alcove. Nancy raced to catch up to Trask, but before the statue succeeded, Goliath pounced and wrapped his thick arms around Nancy’s legs. The enemy statue fell hard, then pounded and thrashed in an attempt to get free, but Goliath held firm.

A dozen paces away, Trask reached the alcove and jammed the iron egg into the recess. After fumbling for a moment, he got it locked into place and spun it halfway around.

Instantly, both Nancy and Goliath crumbled to dust. A grainy green cloud plumed out of the clay pit. The floor trembled as a gust of wind swept through the room, seeming to blow the dust out of existence. Trask returned from the alcove carrying a smaller iron egg.

“The clay pit is now a stairway,” Vincent reported, standing at the edge and peering down.

Holding the iron egg in his palm, Trask curled his arm. “And I’d say our key is now under thirty pounds.”

“Having fun yet?” Kendra asked Seth.

“Watching giant statues pound each other into gravel? I can think of nothing more beautiful.”

Chapter 4

Passageways

Kendra rolled her eyes. Only her brother could act upbeat after nearly getting decapitated by a primitive stone club. She supposed it was better than wallowing in pessimism.

As the others gathered near the stairway to continue onward, Kendra paused, surveying the room. The seamless perfection shared by all of the surfaces inside the Dreamstone made the place feel surreal. Nothing in here looked constructed. The thought of winding through more alien corridors made her frown. After the statues and the strange dead ends, who knew what dangers might await? Berrigan was right—the rules of reality did not seem to apply completely here.

Despite her apprehension, as Trask led the way down the stairs, Kendra fell into line between Tanu and Seth. What else could she do? There were enemies in pursuit. Not to mention that they needed the Translocator to rescue Warren and perhaps her parents.

She felt glad that she had noticed the keyhole in the alcove. Up until that moment, she had been feeling like useless baggage. Of course, a big reason she had been invited along was in case the Translocator needed recharging. If the artifact was inoperative, the magic inside of her should bring it back to life. Still, she hoped she could find ways to help beyond serving as a spare battery.

The stairway narrowed as it descended. After the stairs ended, Kendra and the others once again meandered single file through a snug, snaking corridor until they reached a dead end. Doubling back, they arrived at a short downward stairway that promptly led to another rounded termination. When they reversed direction again, they found a long stairway that curved up and up, spiraling left and right in a disorienting climb until finally the steps ended at a wide, level corridor. As they progressed along the serpentine passage, the air became balmy and humid.

The corridor descended until they reached a cavernous, flooded room. Water simmered within a few inches of the level of the corridor, heat radiating from the burbling surface. Steam hung in the air, and moisture beaded the walls. A simple wooden canoe was secured near the entryway to the room, with two paddles resting inside. A low island in the middle of the partially submerged chamber was the only destination accessible by boat besides the bases of the high, smooth walls.

“How deep is it?” Seth asked, squinting down.

“Can’t tell,” Mara replied. “The water is too bubbly and the surrounding stone too dark. At least fifteen feet. I would guess more, perhaps much more.”

Trask leaned out over the boiling water, inspecting the room. “The next keyhole probably awaits on that island. I don’t see any on the walls or ceiling. We have any canoeing enthusiasts among us?”

“I can handle a canoe,” Vincent said.

“As can I,” Berrigan added.

“Me too,” Mara put in.

“The craft is small,” Trask said. “I wouldn’t trust it to carry more than two people. Vincent and Berrigan were the first to speak.”

“I don’t like all this superheated water,” Tanu said. “We should all take one of these.” He held up a small cylinder of fluid. “The potion is designed to make the user fire resistant. It will offer considerable protection against high temperatures.”

“This makes me feel a little better about the rickety canoe,” Vincent said, accepting a cylinder.

“You’re a miracle worker,” Trask said.

“I try to be prepared,” Tanu replied. “I originally designed these for Wyrmroost.”

Kendra unstopped a cylinder and drank the contents. The clear liquid tasted sugary at first, then spicy hot, then cool and tangy.

After everyone had downed the potion, Vincent accepted the iron egg from Trask. Tanu held the canoe steady as the two men climbed inside and got situated.

“Let’s not capsize,” Vincent recommended.

“Not in the mood for boiled Aborigine?” Berrigan asked.

“I could live with that,” Vincent replied. “It’s the side order of Filipino guy that worries me.”

Tanu gave them a gentle shove away from the entrance. Vincent and Berrigan dipped their paddles into the simmering water. Kendra estimated it was about fifty yards to the damp island. Handling their paddles with careful competence, Vincent and Berrigan guided the canoe swiftly to the destination. Vincent disembarked first, one foot sliding on the shiny black surface. He steadied himself, and then Berrigan climbed out too, remaining at the edge of the island with a brown hand on the canoe.

“Hot out here,” Vincent called. “You might end up with
steamed
Filipino guy.”

“See a keyhole?” Elise asked.

“Sure do, right here at the center of the island.” Vincent stood up straight and turned in a slow circle. “I don’t see any other options. Should I go for it?”

“Time is a critical issue,” Trask shouted back.

Vincent knelt and took out the iron egg. The island was high enough that they could not see the keyhole from the entryway, but they could see Vincent’s posture change as he turned the key. He held up a slightly smaller key to show he had accomplished the task.

The water stopped bubbling, creating a momentary silence. After the brief lull, a strong wind swept through the room. Vincent fell flat to avoid being blown off the island. Berrigan sprang into the canoe as the gust pushed it adrift. The small craft rocked severely, then capsized, dumping him into the water.

Kendra noticed when the sound of the wind changed, becoming fuller and more violent. The volume seemed to increase behind her, as if a gale were whooshing down the corridor. She turned in time to see a frothing wall of water hurtling down the tunnel toward her. Mara called out a warning. Kendra barely had time to close her eyes and tuck her head before a foamy explosion of water hurled her and the others into the searing pool.

The water felt scalding, although Kendra hardly noticed since the force of the flash flood kept her tumbling blindly. Hot water sluiced into her nostrils. As the colossal influx of water pushed Kendra farther from the tunnel, the turbulence diminished. Having lost all sense of direction, Kendra opened her eyes to verify which way was up, then stroked toward the surface, following the bubbles churned up by the flood. The weight of her sword made her progress slow, so, with her lungs beginning to burn, she unbuckled the weapon. When her head finally broke the surface, she coughed out water and gulped air in greedy gasps. Her clothes felt billowy and cumbersome, but she could keep her head above water. At least her shirt of adamant mail didn’t exert too much downward pull.

The water seemed cooler than it had at first. Either the new water rushing from the tunnel was lowering the overall temperature of the pool or the potion was compensating, because although the water felt uncomfortably warm, it was endurable and did not seem to be inflicting physical harm.

Already beyond the island, Kendra treaded water, drifting toward the far wall of the room. She saw Seth and Tanu not far from her. Trask, Elise, and Berrigan had righted the canoe and clung to the sides as they swam toward her.

Suddenly Vincent’s head shot out of the water, breathing hard. “I lost the key!” he spluttered.

“Where?” Trask demanded urgently.

“Right around here,” Vincent said. “Below me. I think Mara dove for it.”

“I’m on it,” Elise said, disappearing under the water.

“Me too,” Berrigan said, vanishing as well.

“Everyone grab the canoe,” Trask instructed, towing it toward Kendra. “I’m worried we aren’t out of the woods yet.”

Kendra reached the canoe a moment before Seth and Tanu. The water level in the room surpassed the top of the entryway. Although the water continued to rise, the influx of water stopped making noise. They drifted in silence.