The Serpent's Ring (Relics of Mysticus) (8 page)

Now Evan had to free himself from his troll. There were tiny pebbles scattered along the shore. Evan used them to pelt his troll on the back of his head. Evan’s pirate hat flew off the troll and landed on the ground. When the troll lifted his hands to protect his eyes, Evan fell to freedom and scurried over to retrieve his hat. Claire trapped the second troll within another shimmering glass prison. Bits of golden sand fluttered around inside, which made Evan think he was looking into an enormous snow globe.

Both trolls screeched and bellowed and pleaded to be released. The troll’s right head yelled, “Ouch! Stings!”

The troll’s left head cried out, “We be turn to stone when sun ups the morning!”

“No leave us!” hollered the troll’s center face.

“You’ll get what you deserve. How could you try to eat us?” said Evan, now standing on the ship’s deck and leaning over its side.

“Nooo,” they continued to cry, and Evan felt somewhat sorry for the wretched creatures.

“Come on; let’s set sail,” said Claire, not even glancing over at the trolls. She lifted her nose and sniffed. While cringing, she pivoted on her heels and stared down. Glaring at the two imps, she added, “Gee, glad you could make it back.”

“Eeww, you must have been really scared. You guys stink!” declared Evan, grabbing his nose and fanning the air.

“We feel awful for leaving you,” mumbled Dunkle.

“What else could we do, could we do?” said Barfel.

“Oh, I don’t know. How about, stay and help us fight?” said Evan.

“Just look what you two accomplished. Why, you outwitted trolls,” said Dunkle.

“Three cheers for Evan and Claire!” Barfel chimed, and his wretched odor returned to the more pleasant cedar scent.

“We need to be able to count on you,” interjected Claire. “You can’t run off every time things get a little scary. Not if we’re going to beat Aegir.”

Dunkle and Barfel glanced at each other and nodded.

“You are right. Generally speaking, imps are not afraid of many things; unfortunately, we are not particularly fond of trolls. We find their odor rather repulsive and, how can I put this delicately, it causes imps to lose their breakfast. However, we will not abandon you again,” Dunkle said with a grin, and he too began to smell a whole lot better.

“All right, I’m counting on that,” Claire said and headed to the back of the boat.

Evan used his powers to return the ship to water. Their vessel floated over waves and sliced through the current. The mainland disappeared from view, and Evan watched Claire wave her hand around like she was swatting a fly.

“I couldn’t leave the trolls like that, even if they are stupid and stinky,” she said, and Evan could hear the sound of glass shattering.

Chapter Nine

COW SAYS: “MOO”

THAT NIGHT, AS EVAN CURLED into a ball on the boat’s deck, he had another bad dream. In it, he was sailing the glass Viking ship, alone; everything was calm. That was until a huge thump pounded from underneath. Evan looked down past his sneakers and through the clear deck. Something shifted in the dark-blue water below. A gigantic stingray appeared, gliding along. Peacefully, it streamed through the water. It began to swim faster and faster, and then more arrived. They pushed and knocked and banged into the boat.

“Come to me, come to me. I will keep you safe,” a delicate song reached Evan’s ears. “Come to me, come to me.”

Evan was transfixed by the melody. Frantically, he scanned the horizon. But no one was there. Wait! There, on top of a coral reef sat a beautiful woman. A ring of flowers was perched upon her long golden hair; she wore it as if it were an imperial crown. She didn’t move her lips, but from her came an enchanting melody. Her shoulders swayed, and her fingers rolled back toward her palm. Desperately, Evan maneuvered around the stingrays—he wanted to be near the enchantress.

Closer, closer … she was almost within reach. A few more yards, and he would be able to join her. Almost there! Her smile was sweet and enchanting. Evan’s heart melted. Her milky-white arms extended toward him. As he was gazing into her pale-blue eyes, he noticed a cow’s tale appear from behind her back. Without warning, her song changed into a high screech! It pierced Evan’s ears and vibrated through his bones. He clasped his hands to the sides of his head and screamed.

“Aahh!” Evan cried out and sat upright.

“Evan, Evan, wake up. You’re having another nightmare,” Claire’s voice called to him, as she shook his shoulders.

Evan opened his eyes. Dunkle and Barfel were hunching forward, wringing their hands, and Claire sat back with a sigh. “You really scared me. What were you dreaming about?”

“I just had a bad dream. I’ll be alright,” he said and pulled himself up off the deck. He peered over the bow: no sharks, no stingrays, and no sea cows.

He then looked out toward the horizon; the sun had arrived as a pale-yellow ball. It rose up into the dark-blue sky, and its yellow center intensified, deepening in color.

Evan leaned his body back against the boat’s side and clenched his stomach. “I’m hungry. I don’t suppose we have any reserve food left?”

“I’m afraid not. Wait, I have an idea,” said Claire, leaning down to lift a piece of driftwood. The stick stretched into a long pole.

Evan reached for it, exclaiming, “It’s a fishing pole! We need a line and lure.”

“No problem,” said Claire. She stared up at the sail and some thread unraveled. Evan guided the thread across the ship and then attached it to the rod. She scooped up a tiny ball of glass and molded it into a lure—shiny and desirable to any fish.

“That will do,” said Evan, casting the line.

Within a matter of seconds, he felt a tug. Skillfully, he set the hook. “I caught one!” he yelled, pulling in his prize. “And it’s big!”

Claire created a net from another piece of driftwood and more blue thread. This fish was fat, 30 pounds or more. It took both Claire and Evan to bring it in.

“I don’t believe it,” said Evan, watching the fish flip and flop.

“I know. You caught a fish,” said Claire, “a pretty one too.”

“No, I mean the colors are familiar. Just like the sharks and stingrays in my dream,” he said, still studying the patterns on the fish’s scaly skin. “Dunkle, is it normal for fish to have this kind of marking?”

“Only those loyal to Aegir have colors like that,” said Dunkle. “I am afraid you caught one of his spies.”

Evan’s face paled, and he said, “I’ve lost my appetite. What do we do with
it
?”

“We’ll take care of
him
,” said Dunkle, retrieving the fish. “Claire, we will need your help, if you please.”

She followed the imps to the back of the boat. Evan watched as they explained something to her. Barfel handed her a glass shield and backed away. The shield transformed into a rectangular glass tub. Dunkle lowered a bucket into the ocean and filled it with seawater; he then poured the water into the tub. Swiftly, Barfel dumped in the colorful fish.

Claire returned and sat beside Evan. The two imps made horrible squawking sounds, barely pausing to take a breath. After a few minutes, they looked at each other and nodded.

Dunkle hollered toward Evan and Claire, “Aegir knows we are here for the Serpent’s Ring. He will do everything in his power to stop us.”

“Are you going to let the fish go?” Claire asked.

“We might need him,” said Dunkle, tapping his hand along the side of the glass fish tank. “If he helps us enough, we might let him go.”

Evan stretched his neck and looked down through the glass bottom. Colorful fish multiplied below.

“Claire, do you hear that?” Evan asked, his eyes developing a milky-white film.

“I don’t hear anything,” said Claire, also looking around.

“That song, it’s so beautiful. I heard it in my dream,” said Evan as if hypnotized. “Mooo-ooooo, moooo-ooooo.”

“Evan, you sound like a cow. And all I hear is wind in the sail,” she said and peered over the bow. The imps scurried over and joined her in the search.

“Oh dear, oh dear!” squealed Barfel, and the pleasant odor of cedar disappeared, replaced by something awful.

“What’s going on?” Claire asked in alarm.

“It must be Huldra. Her call can be heard only by men. That is why you and we cannot hear it,” Dunkle explained.

“Who’s Huldra?” Claire asked.

“I have never met her, but I have heard she is an extremely beautiful woman,” said Dunkle.

“Well, that doesn’t sound so bad,” said Claire.

“I would not be so sure about that, not unless the man does not mind loving a woman who has the tail of a cow. And with her, most men do not mind. She will lure the man into worshiping her and then she changes,” said Dunkle.

“How so?”

“She turns into a frightening old hag, with the strength of ten men. If she traps Evan, I am afraid he is done for,” said Dunkle.

“What do we do? I don’t see anything!” screamed Claire. “What is she doing here in the middle of the ocean?”

“Aegir has requested help from many creatures,” Dunkle quipped. “Do not be surprised by anything.”

“It’s the most incredible music I’ve ever heard. Moo-ooo-oooo,” sang Evan. “I must head over in that direction.”

“Bad idea, bad idea! Not that way!” shouted out Barfel, leaping toward the back of the boat. He grabbed the rudder and strained to break Evan's control over the ship. Evan was strong, but in his current hypnotic trance, Barfel was stronger and able to shift direction just in time. Rocks, shaped like giant swords, jutted out of the sea!

More and more gray spikes appeared far below the clear ship, ready to pierce through the hull. Bubbles multiplied, obscuring the view of the deep sea and spikes. Again, Barfel shifted direction. Now, they were heading back toward Dr. Irving’s home.

“We can’t go back! That’s what Aegir wants us to do!” yelled Claire. She reached Evan and shook him vigorously. “Evan, Evan, snap out of it! We need your help!”

His eyes were hidden behind a cloudy film. Claire looked around desperately. She spied Barfel’s shell collection and rushed over. She rummaged through the little pile and removed two clamshells.

“They’re a little small but will have to do,” she said and returned to Evan.

The shells grew bigger, ballooning out, and then deflating so as to fit snugly over Evan’s ears. She continued to shake him, while screaming in his face. At last, his blue-green eyes returned.

“What happened?” he asked.

“Rocks are blocking our path! It’s going to take both of us to get through!” she said and lifted him to his feet.

“What do we do?” he asked, thumping his hand on the side of his head. “What’s on my ears?”

He tried to pull off the shells, but Claire grabbed his hands and shook her head no. “Leave them on! Trust me!”

“But I can barely hear you!” cried out Evan.

“Believe me; you don’t want to be able to hear.”

Evan stared ahead. One hand gripped the boat’s side, while the other clasped his sister. He was ready to charge.

Chapter Ten