Angelique and Persephone
ran into Dr. Stine’s alcove and gasped. They watched a swarm of
tiny people flock across Dr. Stine’s arms, legs, and upper torso. A
small, thumb-sized, elderly man, who wore a top hat, a black,
pinstriped suit, and a gray necktie, tried to push his way into Dr.
Stine’s left nostril. A miniature girl, who wore a pink summer
dress and a matching ribbon in her blonde hair, dug ear wax out of
Dr. Stine’s left ear so it would be easier for her to penetrate his
ear canal. Dozens of tiny people danced on Dr. Stine’s chest,
climbed the slope of his nose, and pried his mouth open.
“
Razor, where are you? We
need you!” Angelique said.
The dog licked her ankle.
When Angelique reached down and scratched his ears, Razor barked
and wagged his tail. Angelique pointed at Dr. Stine. When Razor
noticed the tiny people, he opened his mouth extremely wide and the
blades of an oscillating fan formed in his throat. The fan’s blades
created a powerful surge of wind that pinned the tiny people
against the back wall of Dr. Stine’s room. Shrill screams and loud
yells emerged from their tiny mouths as they flew off of Dr. Stine
and whirled through the air.
Dr. Stine’s fingers removed
miniature humans from his nostrils, ears, and mouth. Hot pain
throbbed in his shoulder when he hoisted himself to his feet. His
shoes crushed a trio of tiny people when he charged across the
room. After he joined Persephone and Angelique, he pointed at the
ceiling of the chamber and ordered Razor to open fire. Red lasers
radiated from the dog’s eyes and shattered a roof of rock and
stone. The little people glanced up and begged for mercy as an
avalanche crashed to the floor and squashed them. Then more rocks
tumbled to the ground and sealed the chamber.
“
I can’t even rest for a
few minutes! This is ridiculous!” Dr. Stine said.
“
We need to keep moving.
I’m sure there are more yetis and tiny people nearby. If we stop to
rest, something will catch up to us. Don’t forget about the
Tyrannosaurus rex. If it smells blood, it will come running,”
Persephone said.
They gathered their
belongings and emerged from the wide crevice. A blast of cold air
caused them to shield their eyes. Then they located the path and
started climbing again.
***
Thirty minutes later, Dr.
Stine guided the group toward a narrow ledge, which spanned a short
distance. On the other side of the ledge, a snow-covered platform
provided access to a decorative archway and a torch-lined corridor.
Dr. Stine pointed at the archway and said: “There it is! We’ve
finally reached the labyrinth of Polinus!”
“
We’ll find access to the
ocean on the other side of the labyrinth, right?” Alexander asked.
His teeth chattered and he wrapped his arms around his
midsection.
“
Yes. Our journey is almost
over. We should arrive at Thames Keep very soon. Considering
everything that’s happened, I think we’ve done well so far.
Remember to hug the mountain and don’t look down when we walk
across the ledge. The snow will make it hard to see. Concentrate on
getting to the other side and you’ll be fine,” he said.
He guided the group toward
the ledge and stepped onto it. His nose pressed against the side of
the mountain as he shuffled his feet from left to right. Moments
later, Persephone joined him. Angelique held Razor against her
chest and followed them. Alexander watched them and hesitated. When
they reached the middle of the ledge, he decided he didn’t want to
get left behind. He stepped onto the ledge and inched across it
slowly.
The blizzard intensified.
Potent wind, which Dr. Stine estimated to be as strong as a
tropical storm, slammed against them. Icicles dropped from cliffs
above them and transformed into missiles. They dodged the icicles
by strafing to the left and right.
Dr. Stine reached the other
side of the ledge and held his hand out to Persephone. A weak
section of the ledge crumbled beneath her left foot. Chunks of rock
and stone tumbled into the abyss. Persephone lost her balance and
tottered on the ledge. When Dr. Stine reached out and grabbed her
hand, she steadied herself and hopped off the ledge.
The snow blinded Angelique.
Razor whimpered and whined while he groveled against her breasts.
Angelique stretched her right leg to step over the gap in the
ledge. She pulled a muscle in her calf and started grinding her
teeth. When she tried to hop off of the ledge, she stumbled toward
Dr. Stine and Persephone and hit the ground. Razor jumped out of
her arms and licked her on the face. Angelique moaned when she
noticed scrapes and scratches on her knees. She dusted herself off
and watched Alexander.
The boy paused when he
reached the gap. He glanced down and stared at a huge stretch of
stone, which dived into a whirlwind of snowflakes and mist. His
lips trembled and he felt the urge to cry. His right foot stepped
over the gap. Then he dragged his body over the ledge and let his
left foot land on solid ground. He felt like he might fall backward
into the chasm. When the sensation of falling passed, he jumped off
of the ledge and landed on both feet. He scurried away from the
ledge and shivered.
“
Good job, everyone. I know
how uncomfortable it must’ve been to cross the ledge. It’s so much
easier if you focus on pleasant thoughts,” Dr. Stine
said.
“
I’m afraid of heights. I
thought I was going to fall,” Alexander said.
Their conversation ended
abruptly when heavy feet walked across the ground and caused it to
rumble. Enormous wings flapped behind them, creating a strong gust
of wind. When they heard a behemoth growl, they turned around
slowly. They felt paralyzed when they noticed a huge, white dragon
standing behind them. Its blue eyes glowed.
“
Is it…Frostbite?”
Angelique said. She stood behind Dr. Stine.
“
Yes. I think so. We’re in
big trouble,” Dr. Stine said. He wondered if they should run toward
the labyrinth of Polinus. He didn’t think they’d make it in
time.
Frostbite lumbered toward
them and opened its cavernous mouth. Giant, white teeth rose from
the beast’s pink gums. Its long tail twitched back and forth, which
caused boulders to tumble off the edge of the platform and fall
into the abyss. When Frostbite roared again, a mound of rocks above
the labyrinth of Polinus shifted and stirred. Dr. Stine realized
that the dragon could trigger an avalanche. If a huge mound of rock
and stone tumbled from the mountain and blocked the labyrinth’s
entrance, he knew they’d never complete their journey. He stepped
away from the group and confronted the dragon.
White energy throbbed
around Dr. Stine’s fists. He closed his eyes and tapped a reservoir
of magical energy. Persephone smiled when a burst of light swelled
around Dr. Stine’s silhouette. She’d always known that he could
wield magic without his scepter, but this was the first time she’d
seen him try to do it. Before he could unleash his power,
Frostbite’s tail whipped across the ground and knocked his feet out
from under him.
Alexander and Persephone
ran toward Dr. Stine. Before they reached him, a potent freeze-ray
emerged from Frostbite’s throat. The burst of ice surrounded
Alexander and Persephone, trapping them in solid blocks of ice.
Angelique screamed when she realized they’d been frozen alive. Dr.
Stine stood up and mourned for them.
“
We can’t defeat him, Dr.
Stine. He’s too strong for us,” Angelique said.
“
Maybe Razor can do
something. He’s a very resourceful dog,” Dr. Stine
countered.
A compartment opened on
Razor’s back. Moments before Frostbite spewed another burst of
frozen energy, a reflective device, similar to a mirror, emerged
from a compartment on the dog’s back. The dog positioned the device
between Frostbite and Dr. Stine. The freeze-ray ricocheted off of
the reflective surface and deflected toward Frostbite. The dragon
panicked and tried to move out of the way, but the arctic blast
impacted the beast’s face and upper torso. A block of ice
surrounded Frostbite’s head, neck, and chest. Its tail tried to
break the ice but couldn’t reach it.
Razor trotted toward
Persephone and Alexander. He exhaled several breaths of fire and
thawed them out. After several minutes elapsed, cold water flowed
across the blocks of ice. Ten minutes later, Alexander’s hands
shattered the block of ice. Persephone broke free of her prison and
tumbled to the ground. She plucked two flasks from her satchel and
handed one of them to Alexander. After they gulped down a dose of
purple fluid, they recovered from hypothermia slowly.
“
Come on, guys. Let’s get
inside the labyrinth before Frostbite frees himself,” Dr. Stine
said. He guided them toward the labyrinth and approached the
ancient prison’s entrance.
Flames flickered at the
tips of wall-mounted torches while Dr. Stine guided the group into
a wide, S-shaped passageway. On both sides of the corridor, stiff
corpses dangled from large, wooden stakes. Snow and ice covered the
rigid hands, leathery faces, and frozen clothes of the cadavers.
Alexander remembered hearing stories about Vlad the Impaler, who’d
slaughtered his enemies in ancient times and hung their bodies in a
similar fashion. Persephone and Angelique cringed when a gust of
wind causes the corpses to shift on their stakes. Dr. Stine
quickened his stride after he heard a few of the corpses moan.
Razor barked when the eyelids of a rigid, frostbitten lady flashed
open.
“
They’re still alive, Dr.
Stine. We need to help them,” Alexander said.
“
I think it’s a trick,” Dr.
Stine said. He removed a torch from the wall with his left hand.
Then he motioned for the rest of the group to follow
him.
Rows of skulls covered
narrow shelves, which lined both sides of the corridor. Heaps of
bones formed steep hills against the ice-covered walls. Dr. Stine
held the torch in front of him as he walked slowly across the icy,
bone-covered floor. His feet slid out from under him, but he braced
himself against the left wall and steadied himself. The group
followed him when he rounded a corner and inched carefully into a
narrow passageway. At the end of the cramped tunnel, Dr. Stine
watched a man in a brown robe kneel beneath an old sign. The
stenciled, faded, black letters on the sign said: MOUNT ZAHN
PENITENTIARY. On the right side of the path, a pile of skeletons
blocked access to the damaged door of a guard shack. The old man
placed a scepter on the ground next to the guard shack,
straightened his legs, and turned around to face the group. A smile
formed on Dr. Stine’s face when he recognized the white-haired,
bearded man.
“
Is it really you? Why are
you here, Saxines?” Dr. Stine asked.
“
You finally caught up to
me! I was wondering when you’d find me. I’ve been leaving a trail
of bread crumbs for you to find. Unfortunately, this is the last
gift I can give to you. After this, I must return to Thyme,”
Saxines said. He stepped away from the guard shack, hugged Dr.
Stine, and frowned when he looked at Angelique.
“
What’s wrong, Saxines? You
seem upset,” Angelique said. Her throat went dry.
“
Haven’t you heard the
news? Your mother passed away when Xavier’s Eye-Bots invaded the
City of Thyme. She was crushed beneath a pile of rubble,” Saxines
said.
Angelique collapsed into
Dr. Stine’s open arms. She wrapped her arms around his midsection
and sobbed. Moisture formed on Dr. Stine’s robe when tears flowed
from the corners of her eyes and snot bubbled around her nostrils.
She mourned for her mother and wailed. Her shrill voice echoed
throughout the tunnel and into the labyrinth.
“
I…I can’t believe she’s
gone! Why did this have to happen? Why?” Angelique said.
“
Your mother loved you very
much, Angelique. Xavier doesn’t care who he hurts. All he wants is
to inflict pain on others. He’ll pay for what he’s done,” Dr. Stine
said.
Saxines bent his knees,
plucked the scepter from the ground, and strolled toward Dr. Stine.
He held the scepter with both hands and extended his arms. Dr.
Stine stepped away from Angelique and examined the weapon. The
long, slender stem of the scepter boasted a gold spiral. Rubies,
emeralds, and diamonds formed a colorful crown at the tip of the
weapon. Dr. Stine took the scepter from Saxines and felt energy
flow into his hands, up his arms, and into the rest of his body. He
smiled and bowed to Saxines.
“
Are you the one who left
battery packs in the Calypso Desert and The Valley of Fire? We
thought it was someone who wanted to trap us,” Dr. Stine
said.
“
Yes. I found the battery
packs after Xavier dropped them. They tumbled from the cache while
he soared above the desert and valley on Polinus’ back. I placed
them in strategic locations to test you. The scepter is your reward
for a job well done,” Saxines said. He watched the scepter’s gems
sparkle while the weapon emitted a white glow.
“
Thank you, Saxines. My
original scepter fell into a pool of lava,” Dr. Stine
said.
“
You’re welcome. It’s time
for me to go. I can’t help you anymore,” the wizard
said.
Their eyes widened when
Saxines morphed into a swarm of glowing butterflies. The
transparent creatures hovered in the air, tickled their skin, and
flew toward the labyrinth’s exit. When they were gone, Dr. Stine
hoisted the scepter into the air. Electricity throbbed at the tip
of the weapon. His other hand held the torch. He guided the group
toward the guard shack. A skeleton, who wore a black uniform,
leather gun belt, and a star-shaped badge, slumped in a leather
swivel chair behind a desk. Large, black spiders crawled out of the
skeleton’s eye sockets and nostrils. Spider webs clung to the
ceiling.