The Serpent's Ring (Relics of Mysticus) Read Online Free Page B

there, little sparks flying up in the air. Evan and Claire watched in amusement. The little imp flipped and rolled around, splattering bits of pearlescent sand.
    “There,” said Dunkle, standing back to admire his work.
    “What were you doing?” Claire asked.
    “You will soon see,” Dunkle sang.
    “Dunkle, Dunkle!” a second gurgling voice came from some purple bushes.
    “Barfel!” Dunkle squealed, scurrying over to meet the other imp. Not that Evan was very familiar with imps, but an imp is what it looked like. This imp’s skin was different than Dunkle’s. It was predominantly burnt-orange with darker brown splotches. He too had a bushy mohawk trailing over his head, but instead of being green, like Dunkle’s, it was red.
    The two imps spoke a language consisting of gulps and gurgles. Every so often, Dunkle would motion toward Evan and Claire. After awhile, the orange imp’s face started to sag.
    “The sound I made earlier was a call to my dear friend, Barfel,” explained Dunkle. “This is Barfel. And please pronounce it correctly, BAR-fell .”
    “Dunkle, why is he here?” Evan questioned. Then, he said quietly to Claire, “The last thing we need is another stinky imp.” At which Claire chuckled.
    “Ah-hum,” Dunkle interrupted. “Barfel is going to help us. We will need all the friends we can get. And for the record, his personal aroma is from the tree under which he was born: cedar.”
     
     
     
     

Chapter Five
     

     
    SAIL OVER SAND
     
     
    THE TWO IMPS SCAMPERED OVER and around the large drawing in the sand. Dunkle and Barfel discussed their sketch as if it were a great work of art. Both nodded their heads and made various modifications, and occasionally, Barfel would clap. They ran here and there, grabbing random objects and piling them up in the center of the sketch: driftwood, old rope, they even took Evan’s prize baseball cap. After a minute of this, they turned toward Claire. Dunkle and Barfel made a few more garbled sounds and approached her.
    “Make the boat, make the boat!” exclaimed Barfel, bouncing up and down.
    “Dunkle is right. You do smell like cedar,” said Evan.
    “Ah-hem,” sounded Dunkle. “Claire, your brother was not the only person in Dr. Irving’s lab. If you recall, you were there, too. And the last time the Serpent’s Ring was activated, there were two powers given. One was the power to move objects with the mind: Evan claimed that power. The other was the ability to manipulate matter.”
    “Really, I can manipulate matter? Please explain,” said Claire.
    “I believe the second power—transfiguration—was given to you, Claire. You should be able to change an object’s form from one thing to another,” Dunkle answered.
    “So, if I wanted to, I could turn my sandals into boots?” Claire asked, and Dunkle nodded.
    “Try it, try it!” Barfel chimed. “Sandals into boots!”
    “Please, just focus on making a boat,” said Dunkle. “You two can play with fashion later.”
    “After all that has happened, I guess I’ll believe anything,” said Claire, sounding rather adult in her wisdom. “What do you suggest I do?”
    “We need to travel to Asgard by boat,” said Dunkle. “We must use the materials at hand. As you may or may not know, when heated, sand turns into glass. Imagine melting down sand and then molding it into a boat. Now, you will also need to stretch the fabric from Evan’s cap into a sail, and use these old ropes to tether it. The drawing Barfel and I sketched can be used as a guide. Clearly, it is an outline of a ship.”
    “What about that stick, over there?” Evan asked.
    “Leave it as is; we’ll need it for firewood,” said Dunkle.
    “Go on, go on!” Barfel cheered, in a distracting sort of way.
    For a second time, Claire looked at her brother. It appeared as if she were saying “Help me!” with her eyes. Evan didn’t know how to help her, so he shrugged his shoulders and motioned toward the imps’