her thoughts.
Emily shook her head.
“The whole ocean is in danger, my entire kingdom.” Realization filled the merteen’s eyes with sadness. “I was taught to prepare for a world without magic. Then, I find Niva, you find Indi, and we bump into real mermaids. I don’t know anything anymore.”
“You can’t deny what you are, Marlin,” Emily told him. “You’re connected to the water and its magic. You always were.”
“Yeah, next you’re going to tell me Avalon really exists,” he scoffed. When Emily didn’t smile, he continued. “If Avalon were real, magic wouldn’t be disappearing, would it?”
“Avalon’s been lost for a long time.” Emily turned away, Miranda’s words haunting her. “We need to find nine power crystals or the magic of Avalon could wind up in the hands of terrible people.”
“If you can classify the Spider Witch and the Dark Sorceress as ‘people,’” Marlin quipped. “What do these crystals do?”
“Open the Gates of Avalon. But they’re unstable and very dangerous, powerful enough to twist magic.”
“How many have you got so far?” the merprince asked.
“Four, but one was destroyed. So that’s five more to go.”
“But if you’ve destroyed one, you’ll never get enough.”
Emily had no answer for that.
“You think there’s one in the crystal caves?” Marlin asked.
“Yes.”
“And it’s twisting the water magic.”
Emily nodded.
“Well, what do we do with them once we collect them all?”
“I don’t know,” Emily admitted. “We don’t know where the Gates of Avalon are.”
Marlin shook his head. “Geez, nobody really seems to know anything about magic.”
“Some things are worth fighting for—even if they seem impossible,” Emily said quietly.
“I turned my back on magic, and now the dragons could become extinct because of me.”
“No, Marlin,” she said, looking into his eyes. “They’re dying because the magic is sick. And if what the mermaids said is true, you must help them. And Niva.”
“I…” Marlin cast his eyes down. “Emily, I don’t know what to do.”
“You can protect the magic that’s left before it’s too late.”
“Truth is, the merkingdom needs a warrior, a dragon rider, not me. I don’t deserve to be heir,” he said in a small voice.
Underneath all his snobbiness and arrogance, Marlin was just scared of failing, afraid of disappointing his people. She understood that better than anyone.
“I didn’t choose to be a healer,” Emily said. “But I am. We have to do the best we can with what’s given to us.”
Marlin gazed at her, his brown eyes softening as he smiled.
“Need some help here, mateys!” Cribby called. “These sails ain’t gonna trim themselves.”
“Okay.” Marlin slapped his knees and stood up, offering a hand to Emily. “Let’s go get a power crystal and save the world.”
“Heading forty degrees port,” Cribby directed.
Emily got to her feet and looked ahead. They had come to a fork in the river. One branch continued through more jungle. The other branch churned into ominous dark canyons.
She felt magic tickling up and down her arms, pulling her forward.
“There,” Indi said, and pointed his horn toward the canyons.
“We have to go that way,” Emily called to Cribby.
“Don’t be absurd, ya muckwiggle,” the elf protested. “That river ain’t even on the charts.”
“That’s where we have to go.”
“You heard her, turn this boat,” Marlin ordered.
The sea elf grumbled. “That’ll teach me for ferrying a mage, a merprince and a…” Cribby looked at Indi. “What kind of a beastie are you?”
“The most beautiful unicorn on the web,” Indi tooted.
“Yeah, well, would ye mind tootin’ over yonder.” The captain pushed Indi aside, pulling the ropes tightly over the supply barrels. “Gonna be a rough ride. Winds are fierce through these canyons.”
The Flyer bobbed like a top as it passed into the shadows of the sheer canyons. Caves
Emily shook her head.
“The whole ocean is in danger, my entire kingdom.” Realization filled the merteen’s eyes with sadness. “I was taught to prepare for a world without magic. Then, I find Niva, you find Indi, and we bump into real mermaids. I don’t know anything anymore.”
“You can’t deny what you are, Marlin,” Emily told him. “You’re connected to the water and its magic. You always were.”
“Yeah, next you’re going to tell me Avalon really exists,” he scoffed. When Emily didn’t smile, he continued. “If Avalon were real, magic wouldn’t be disappearing, would it?”
“Avalon’s been lost for a long time.” Emily turned away, Miranda’s words haunting her. “We need to find nine power crystals or the magic of Avalon could wind up in the hands of terrible people.”
“If you can classify the Spider Witch and the Dark Sorceress as ‘people,’” Marlin quipped. “What do these crystals do?”
“Open the Gates of Avalon. But they’re unstable and very dangerous, powerful enough to twist magic.”
“How many have you got so far?” the merprince asked.
“Four, but one was destroyed. So that’s five more to go.”
“But if you’ve destroyed one, you’ll never get enough.”
Emily had no answer for that.
“You think there’s one in the crystal caves?” Marlin asked.
“Yes.”
“And it’s twisting the water magic.”
Emily nodded.
“Well, what do we do with them once we collect them all?”
“I don’t know,” Emily admitted. “We don’t know where the Gates of Avalon are.”
Marlin shook his head. “Geez, nobody really seems to know anything about magic.”
“Some things are worth fighting for—even if they seem impossible,” Emily said quietly.
“I turned my back on magic, and now the dragons could become extinct because of me.”
“No, Marlin,” she said, looking into his eyes. “They’re dying because the magic is sick. And if what the mermaids said is true, you must help them. And Niva.”
“I…” Marlin cast his eyes down. “Emily, I don’t know what to do.”
“You can protect the magic that’s left before it’s too late.”
“Truth is, the merkingdom needs a warrior, a dragon rider, not me. I don’t deserve to be heir,” he said in a small voice.
Underneath all his snobbiness and arrogance, Marlin was just scared of failing, afraid of disappointing his people. She understood that better than anyone.
“I didn’t choose to be a healer,” Emily said. “But I am. We have to do the best we can with what’s given to us.”
Marlin gazed at her, his brown eyes softening as he smiled.
“Need some help here, mateys!” Cribby called. “These sails ain’t gonna trim themselves.”
“Okay.” Marlin slapped his knees and stood up, offering a hand to Emily. “Let’s go get a power crystal and save the world.”
“Heading forty degrees port,” Cribby directed.
Emily got to her feet and looked ahead. They had come to a fork in the river. One branch continued through more jungle. The other branch churned into ominous dark canyons.
She felt magic tickling up and down her arms, pulling her forward.
“There,” Indi said, and pointed his horn toward the canyons.
“We have to go that way,” Emily called to Cribby.
“Don’t be absurd, ya muckwiggle,” the elf protested. “That river ain’t even on the charts.”
“That’s where we have to go.”
“You heard her, turn this boat,” Marlin ordered.
The sea elf grumbled. “That’ll teach me for ferrying a mage, a merprince and a…” Cribby looked at Indi. “What kind of a beastie are you?”
“The most beautiful unicorn on the web,” Indi tooted.
“Yeah, well, would ye mind tootin’ over yonder.” The captain pushed Indi aside, pulling the ropes tightly over the supply barrels. “Gonna be a rough ride. Winds are fierce through these canyons.”
The Flyer bobbed like a top as it passed into the shadows of the sheer canyons. Caves
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