Benotripia- The Complete Trilogy Read online

Roseabelle knew exactly what she was talking about. Danette had enforced that every family in Benotripia be provided with some kind of a boat—a quick getaway if Darvonians invaded. “That’s a great idea, Mom,” Roseabelle replied, offering her a fake smile. “Thanks.”

  As Roseabelle walked out the door, Danette called out, “Be back before sundown!”

  * * * * *

  JESSICANA’S DAY WASN’T GOING GREAT. THE FIRST REASON: school was out. Most kids got excited at this prospect, but with the Wingling family, school-out vacation translated into one result: endless cleaning.

  It wasn’t that Jessicana didn’t like to tidy up. But she also believed in a time for fun and books. She wished that she could go over to Roseabelle’s, plop down in the middle of the tower room, pick out a nice thick novel, and read it from start to finish.

  Jessicana sighed as she washed the table off for the fifth time that day. “Mom, are you sure the table isn’t clean enough?” she asked.

  “One can never be too tidy,” her mother answered cheerfully, and Jessicana groaned. This was going to be a long day.

  A loud rap at the front door made her jump with excitement, and Jessicana ran to answer it. They didn’t get many visitors. As she swung the door open, Jessicana sighed in relief. It was Roseabelle, her long auburn hair flowing, and Astro.

  “Hi!” Jessicana greeted them enthusiastically.

  Roseabelle smiled at her. “Hi, Jessicana. So I was wondering if you wanted to go boating with us. We won’t go too far, and we’ll get back before sunset.”

  “Sure!” Jessicana shouted over her shoulder, “Mom! Astro, Roseabelle, and I are going out boating. We’ll be back before sunset.”

  Mrs. Wingling, a plump woman with mousy brown hair tied up in a bun, appeared in the doorway. “O-oh hello,” she stammered. Jessicana crossed her fingers, hoping her mother would say yes.

  “Mom, please?” Jessicana fixed her mother with a pleading blue-eyed stare so persistent that Mrs. Wingling bit her lip furiously.

  “Well, all right,” she said, sighing, and Jessicana quickly sped out the door.

  Roseabelle eyed her friend quizzically. “Well, good day, Mrs. Wingling.”

  Jessicana’s mother nodded and shut the door softly.

  Astro flashed Jessicana an amused grin. “What was that all about?”

  Jessicana blushed. “Mom’s a clean freak. Thanks for saving me back there. I think I’ve swept the place fifty times by now.”

  Astro rolled his eyes. “Jessicana, your house is a tree. Doesn’t your mom realize that it’s going to be pretty hard to get the floor perfectly clean with all the plants growing underneath?”

  Jessicana shrugged. “She’s determined.” It was true. Mrs. Wingling was known for her excellent potion making, which Jessicana had inherited, but more important, she was known for her cleanliness and order. It may have been a good thing for customers (Benotripians bought potions from her), but for her children, it was a heavy workload.

  Roseabelle led them to the beach. “Come on, you guys!” she said. “Here’s the boat.”

  Roseabelle and Danette’s boat was old and weathered but still managed fine. Jessicana had actually been there when they had picked it out. It was carved out of wood and had three seats and three pairs of oars. A small box in the corner was filled to the top with dry snacks, a canteen of water, and rope, to be used for emergencies, although Jessicana remembered that Danette had told Roseabelle she could use the rope any time.

  “Climb in!” Roseabelle invited and slung the rope around her waist.

  “You’re going to turn into a dolphin?” Astro questioned. Transforming into a dolphin was one of Roseabelle’s many abilities.

  Roseabelle shrugged. “Just enough to get us out in the middle of the water.” Jessicana watched in awe as her friend secured the other side of the rope to a seat and dove into the water. Gradually, the boat began to move.

  They soon picked up speed, and Jessicana leaned over the side of the boat to brush her fingers against the light spray of cool water. A soft smile spread over her lips as the water made her relax, lulling her into a pleasant dreamlike state. And then, just like that, Jessicana thought back to the day she and Roseabelle had met.

  CHAPTER 2

  The Black Ship of Shadows

  WHEN SHE WAS SIX, JESSICANA AND HER FAMILY had gone boating on their watercraft that they had just bought. It had been a great trip, and the whole family had had a fun time.

  Soft rays of sunlight shot down from the heavens and bounced across the water, heating the water slightly. Little Jessicana, her hair braided and hanging down her back, gazed at the crystal cool waters with her big blue eyes. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.

  As her family sipped on coconut milk and mango smoothies, Jessicana leaned over the side, captivated by the ocean. She felt it drawing her in, and she showed no resistance, bending closer and closer to the water. Jessicana splashed her face with the cool water and dipped her arms in, enjoying the feeling, enticed.

  A wave of water crashed over her head, and Jessicana plunged into the sea. She panicked and flailed her arms wildly, fighting to get to the surface, but the water resisted her, pushing her deeper and deeper from the light.

  The ocean was no longer beautiful but a trap, and Jessicana struggled to breathe as water filled her mouth and nose. Black spots danced before her eyes, and she could barely feel the sensation of motherly arms pulling her toward the surface.

  Strong arms pushed on her chest, and Jessicana’s eyes fluttered open. Coughing wildly, Jessicana realized she wasn’t on her family’s boat and sat up, panicked and scared. A pale hand—much like her own, only larger—touched her shoulder gently, and soon Jessicana was staring into a pair of blue eyes that strongly resembled hers.

  A beautiful woman was gazing at her, and Jessicana tilted her head in wonder. What was going on?

  “Are you all right?” the woman asked softly. Jessicana then noticed a girl with reddish-brown hair who looked to be about her age standing behind the woman. The woman was biting her lip but had the face of a leader.

  “Y-yes,” Jessicana stammered, but before she could say anything more, her family’s boat pulled up beside the woman’s. Her parents embraced her. Jessicana could hear them repeating over and over again, “Leader Danette, how can we thank you?” and “How can we ever repay you?”

  It was true. Danette had rescued Jessicana from drowning, and in the process, the blonde little girl had gained a new friend, Roseabelle. The two became close friends despite their differences. Roseabelle was brave, bold, and a deep thinker. Jessicana had a thirst for learning, some spunk, and much loyalty.

  JESSICANA BLINKED AS THE MEMORY FADED, AND SHE LOOKED at Astro and the dolphin that was pulling their boat. The craft suddenly stopped, and Roseabelle, dripping wet, pulled herself out of the water into the boat. Astro handed her a towel, and she squeezed her drenched hair, drying it only somewhat.

  “It’s beautiful out here,” Roseabelle said, and Jessicana wondered if her friend remembered the memory she had just relived.

  “Yes,” Jessicana replied softly.

  “Anyone got snacks?” Astro asked, and Roseabelle rolled her eyes, pulling out a mini lunch sack. Jessicana could have sworn she heard Roseabelle mutter, “Boys.”

  Roseabelle passed a banana to Jessicana and a thermos of hot soup to Astro. Jessicana ate her food slowly, while Astro drained the thermos in a few gulps. There was silence for a few moments as they all enjoyed the view, and then Astro stood up and suddenly gasped.

  “Did you see that?” he asked incredulously.

  Jessicana’s brow crinkled. “See what?” she asked.

  Astro pointed wildly out to sea. “There’s a huge black ship over there!”

  Jessicana squinted, and she could see Roseabelle doing the same. “I don’t see anything,” she replied.

  Astro kept pointing. “Keep looking,” he insisted.

  A cloud of mist Jessicana hadn’t noticed befor
e cleared away, and in its place stood a large black ship that was sailing toward them. Her breath caught. Benotripians didn’t have black ships.

  “Roseabelle,” Jessicana started nervously. “You don’t think—”

  “I do,” Roseabelle answered. “We have to check it out.”

  “What?” Jessicana yelped. Even Astro looked slightly uneasy.

  “But, Roseabelle,” Astro protested. “If it’s . . . well . . . the—”

  “It’s got to be the Darvonians,” Roseabelle confirmed, squinting even harder. “I can tell. Please, trust me on this one.”

  “Shouldn’t we be turning around then?” Jessicana squeaked. “I mean, if it is them?”

  Roseabelle shook her head. “No. We need to sneak up on them, make sure it really is them before we tell everyone that Benotripia is about to be invaded. Maybe the Darvonians are lost in the fog.”

  Astro snorted. “Yes, I’m sure they set out on a quest to find a friendly sea monster, but before they could, they got lost in some fog and ended up so near to Benotripia, they could be spotted. Yeah, no.”

  Roseabelle glared at him. “Thank you, Captain Sunshine, for clearing that up. Look, we need to go after that ship.” She turned back to the front and then squinted. “Where’d it go?”

  Jessicana surveyed the ocean. Where was the ship? Well, at least one thing was clear.

  It had disappeared.

  * * * * *

  AS SOON AS THE BOAT DOCKED, THE THREE FRIENDS leaped out and headed their separate ways with plenty to think about. Astro headed north, Jessicana east, and Roseabelle west, each toward their own homes.

  The truth was, the ship was the least of Astro’s worries. Astro had another problem, something that he feared was much worse. Every time he shot a lightning bolt, something felt wrong. It wasn’t the same; it was almost too powerful. One time he was aiming at the sky, and after a few minutes, the bolt came sailing back down and struck him.

  Of course Astro had just absorbed the charge, but it still bothered him. Even worse, it now took effort to shoot a lightning bolt. He just didn’t know what to do.

  Astro had thought of talking to his dad about it and asking if maybe this was a traditional thing that happened to their family, but for some reason he felt compelled to stay quiet. For one thing, Mr. Jagged-Bolt was almost never around, and their father-son relationship had never been too strong. And as for his mother . . . well, as much as Astro loved her dearly, she wasn’t the kind to believe his story.

  He’d been tempted many times to tell his friends, but how exactly could he? There’d been countless opportunities, yet Astro didn’t know why he’d resisted. His thoughts drifted back to the day he had figured out what his power was.

  HE WAS ONLY SEVEN YEARS OLD, ABOUT TO START SCHOOL AT the Central Power Training Academy. Astro sighed. He still hadn’t gained his power and he knew no one who would be attending with him. His parents told him every day that his power was sure to appear any day now.

  But it still hadn’t come.

  Those days, Astro was pretty much a loner. Most mornings, he’d wake up, get dressed, have a quick breakfast, and rush to the forest to try to find his power. He’d tried lifting weights, but he didn’t get far, so obviously he wasn’t super strong. He’d jumped off a high boulder into a pool of water, scraping his knee in the process. It soon was clear he couldn’t fly. Astro had tried practically everything.

  As Astro struggled to turn invisible, a dark cloud overshadowed him. Unsettled, he looked up. Large storm clouds were crowding up above, and Astro blinked. A huge storm was brewing, which was unlikely for Benotripia. Sure, they often had light drizzles, but they hadn’t had a nasty storm in years.

  Thunder rumbled across the sky and, panicked, Astro ran. Sheets of rain came showering down, blinding him, and Astro fought to see through the torrent of water. Where could he run? Which direction was his home? With a sickening jolt, Astro realized he couldn’t tell.

  He bit his lip and sat down on a large wet rock, underneath the protection of a tall bush, and decided to wait the storm out, even though his parents would be worried sick. Astro had just settled into a stupor when a small cry echoed out in the opening.

  Astro immediately sat up, alert with his ears and eyes. The sound was coming closer and closer now. “Help!” a young girl’s voice called out.

  “Jessicana, I hate to say it, but I don’t think anyone can hear us,” another girl’s voice responded.

  “But I can’t see anything! I want to go home.”

  “It’ll be all right. We’ll just have to wait the storm out.”

  Astro pushed through some soaked leaves and burst into the wide clearing that revealed two girls huddling under a clump of bushes. One had auburn ringlets cascading down her back, and the other had blonde hair pulled into a ponytail.

  “Hello?” he called out, and the two girls spotted him. “Hi, I’m Astro,” he said nervously. He’d never really spoken to kids his age. “I’m stuck in the storm too. Do you want to find our way home together?”

  The auburn-haired girl stood up, a confident expression on her face. He could tell instantly that she had been the one soothing the other girl, Jessicana. She eyed Astro warily and finally extended her hand. “I’m Roseabelle. My mom is Leader Danette, the ruler of Benotripia.”

  Astro accepted her hand and shook it. “Wait. Your mom’s the ruler of Benotripia?”

  Roseabelle nodded like it was no big deal. “Yeah. This is my friend Jessicana.” Roseabelle turned to the blonde. “Do you think you could see better if you transformed?”

  Jessicana shook her head, watching Astro with piqued interest. “I’m not sure.”

  Astro’s interest suddenly climbed. “Transform into what?”

  “Jessicana can turn into a parrot. It’s her power.”

  “What’s yours?” Astro pressed, excited to meet someone his age who had powers.

  Roseabelle grinned broadly. “My mom suspects that I might be a Meta-Mord, someone who has many different unique abilities. The only power I know how to do right now is to move things with my mind, but I’m not very good at it. What’s your power, Astro?”

  Astro gulped. “I don’t know yet.”

  Roseabelle shrugged. “That’s okay. You’ll surely find out at the Academy.”

  Jessicana stood up. “Let’s find our homes together. Can we try and find mine first? I live in a tree, kind of next to Juniper Jungle.”

  Above them, lightning flashed, and Jessicana flinched. It was extremely close.

  Astro figured she was getting more scared by the minute, so he gestured forward. “I think I can find that jungle. Come this way.” He set out underneath a large tree, the girls in front of him, when a flash of white and yellow snaked toward him. “Watch out!” he yelled and plowed into Roseabelle and Jessicana, knocking them aside just in time.

  The girls screamed as lightning struck Astro, but he didn’t even cry out. There was no pain. He felt as though he was getting stronger. But that was impossible.

  And then it dawned on him: he had his father’s power. He could shoot lightning bolts out of his fingertips.

  Astro stood and brushed himself off, ready to meet the surprised stares of his newfound friends. He managed a small smile. “I think I know what my power is,” he offered, and they slowly began to grin as well.

  ASTRO SHOOK HIMSELF OUT OF THE MEMORY AS HE TRUDGED along in the sand. That day had been truly memorable because that had been the day he’d met his two best friends and gained his power—the very thing Astro had been worried about.

  CHAPTER 3

  Ribbon of Passageways

  JESSICANA KNOCKED ON ROSEABELLE’S DOOR WITH HER knuckles, hoping that her friend would answer. Her mother had warned that she needed Jessicana to be quick and back before noon—not a minute less—which meant that Jessicana had only an hour to perform her errand.

  The bronze door swung open, and Jessicana sighed in relief to see that her auburn-haired friend was standing in the doorw
ay. “Hey, Roseabelle,” Jessicana greeted breathlessly. “Is it all right if I go up to the tower room? Mom needs this specific book and she sent me to borrow it.”

  “Sure, go on up,” Roseabelle said. “Do you want to have lunch with me?”

  Jessicana shook her head. “That’d be great, but Mom wants me back right away. Sorry to bother you.”

  Roseabelle laughed. “You’re fine, Jessicana. What are friends for?”

  Jessicana whispered a “thank you” and then ran up Roseabelle’s staircase and into her library. It looked just as it always did—thick books stacked in neat rows on the wall, and scrolls stacked on the bookshelves in the corner. The odor of fresh ink and paper filled the room.

  Jessicana always felt light-headed when she entered the tower room because it was filled with what she loved most—books. Some days, Jessicana went to Roseabelle’s and spent the entire time devouring book after book, delighting in every moment. But right now Jessicana needed to find Ten Ways to Clean a Fireplace for her mother.

  The blonde scoured the shelves, frantically searching, but found nothing. Jessicana continued to fight the urges to borrow books for herself. She needed to get out of the tower room fast because Jessicana was guessing she only had a few minutes left until her mother was expecting her back.

  A golden twinkle suddenly caught her eye, but Jessicana ignored it and bent down to the lowest shelf. And, of course, there it was. She gently pulled out the book. Just as she was about to leave, the golden twinkle caught her eye again.

  It was a book sticking halfway out of its shelf. It had a drab black cover but shiny golden lettering. When Jessicana leaned closer, she could see a handprint against the dusty surface. As she bent closer to examine it, she realized with an unsettling feeling that the handprint was much too large and bulky to have come from Roseabelle or Danette’s hand.

  It’s fine, Jessicana thought. Someone probably wanted to borrow it or something, just like I’m doing now. Nevertheless, Jessicana pulled it out and placed it on her knee.

  The fancy lettering read Fables & Myths. Jessicana cautiously flipped through the pages, skimming some of the words, not really paying attention to any particular headings or chapters.