Monster War by Dean Lorey Page B

mouth of a tunnel where the trail came to a dead end. “Not far NOW! The time of BANISHING is near!” With a boisterous crooooak! it hopped into the entrance - little more than a crack in the side of the mountain - and was soon gone.
    Theodore stared into the blackness nervously. “Umm…looks kind of dark.”
    Charlie clapped his friend on the shoulder. “Don’t worry. It’ll be cool. Nothing to be afraid of.”
    “Afraid?” Theodore laughed shrilly. “Who said anything about afraid? Where did the word ‘afraid’ come into the conversation? I’m not afraid! I am a death-dealing machine! I am a weapon of doom!”
    “You want me to go first?”
    “Would you?”
    Charlie entered, followed by Violet.
    By then, Brooke had caught up. She peered uncertainly inside the mouth of the cave. “We’re really going in there?”
    Theodore swallowed hard and nodded. “Looks like it.”
    Brooke took his hand. “You’ll protect me, right?”
    Theodore instantly brightened. “Protect you? Are you kidding? This is Theodore Dagget you’re talking to - the man with the plan! I eat Nethercreatures for breakfast! I—”
    As he talked, he led her inside, praying desperately that she couldn’t see his knees shaking. The tunnel, though dark, was mercifully short and Theodore was still babbling away when he and Brooke walked out the other side and into the pale blue light of the Nether.
    “—and that’s, of course, the benefit of my constantchatter. See, it lets any Nethercreatures in the tunnel know that there’s an instrument of destruction nearby and that they do not, repeat, do NOT want to tangle with him.”
    Brooke nodded sympathetically. “You were very brave.”
    “I know.”
    She tried to let go of his hand, but Theodore clung on tightly.
    “Over here!” Violet shouted, breaking the awkward moment.
    Brooke and Theodore scampered across the wide ledge they now stood on to join the rest of the group, who were waiting for them in front of a stone bridge that arched across a chasm. Clearly a natural formation, it had no guard rails, no steps, no protection of any kind.
    The Smith turned to them with a dark expression that Charlie figured was its version of a smile. “So, my little GRUNTS, have you ever faced a - crooooak! - Chasm Wyrm before?”
    Charlie shook his head. “Never even heard of one.”
    “I have,” Brooke said. “They mentioned them in Leet Bestiary class. They’re pretty rare, I think. They fly and…there’s something unusual about them, but I can’t quite…” She struggled to recall exactly what was unusual about them, then finally gave up and shook her head. “Idon’t remember. It’s definitely something though.”
    Violet nodded. “Well, that’s helpful. At least now we know it’s ‘definitely something’.” She turned to the Smith. “So do you have any info about fighting these monsters, other than that there’s ‘definitely something’ about them?”
    “Only THIS: most Banishers - crooooak! - do not SURVIVE the encounter. Even DOUBLE-THREATS are undone by them.” It hopped closer to Charlie, grinning. “I have been here eons, BOY. I have seen MANY - crooooak! - Double-Threats. I have seen many DIE!” The creature gestured to the bone-white rock that spanned the chasm. “Go on. Show us your - crooooak! - POWER.”
    Charlie glanced at his friends - then headed out over the arch.
    “Good luck, Charlie,” Violet called after him.
    “And don’t look down!” Brooke added.
    “You just call me if you need help!” Theodore yelled. “I’ll come running! You know I will!”
    Charlie could hear them, but already his mind was drifting away, drifting to the solitary place he always went to when battle was imminent. Walking across the narrow bridge reminded him of something. At first, he couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but then the answer came to him.
    The Trout of Truth.
    To be tested by the great fish, you had to walk alone across a series of stepping stones, until