4 Into Sparr’s Realm

CHAPTER Four Into Sparr's Realm The iron gate towered high above the dunes, casting its dark shadow over the oasis. "Quickly! Quickly!" Khan shouted to the pilkas. The shaggy creatures nudged the black gate. Again and again they pushed against it. Max sat on Leep's head, urging her on. "Hurry, the water is drying! The gate will disappear!" Errr, errr! The giant door began to creak open. "Yes!" Eric gulped. "We've done it." Everyone slipped through. Klang! The gate closed loudly behind them.

Right away, the air was hotter. It was hazy and brown and bad-smelling. Not clear and pinkish-blue like over the rest of Droon. "We've entered Sparr's hidden empire," Max chirped. "This is the nasty land of Kano!" "Stinky," Khan mumbled to his fellow Lumpies. "As I expected." Galen nodded to himself and smiled as he looked around at the smoky brown air. "Yes, this is good. Very good!" Neal coughed. "Excuse me, sir, but what's so good? This place is so smelly I can hardly breathe!" "There are no Ninns at the gate," the wizard replied. "That means that Lord Sparr does not yet know we are here. But we must hurry." They climbed back on the pilkas and rode ahead. Before long the small band found itself standing on a steep ridge. A sudden wind swept across them. The dark air cleared for a second. They stood above a deep, black valley. The ground was dark and burnt for miles. It was easy to see the reason why. In the middle of the valley was a giant black cone. It looked like a tall mountain, except that its top was torn open. And a huge pool of lava splashed and spurted and bubbled in the middle.

"A volcano!" Julie gasped. "That is the heart of Kano, the black mountain home of Lord Sparr," Galen told them. "Come." The wizard galloped into the lead. Max clung to his pilka's mane, while Leep, with the children on her back, trotted alongside. Khan and his purple Lumpies rode close behind them all. They made their way quietly but quickly to the center of the valley. "Maybe Sparr's not home," Neal whispered. "That would be pretty good." "I hope Sparr is here," Keeah said as they rode closer. "I want to fight him as he fought my mother. Besides, wherever he is, the Eye is, too." Neal, Eric, and Julie knew Keeah blamed Sparr for the disappearance of her mother, Queen Relna. Two years before, the queen had fought Sparr in a fierce battle. She was never seen again. Galen spurred his pilka quickly to the mountain. "Khan and I will scout for the entrance to the volcano palace. In the meantime—beware of fire monsters!" Neal blinked and looked at Julie. "Did he say fire monsters?" Eric clambered up onto a long, crusted rock that lay in front of the mountain. "Maybe the entrance is behind these

big stones." "What do you see?" Keeah called out. "Not much," Eric said. "Wait, there is an opening! We can go in—hey! This rock just moved!" "Uh, I don't think it's a rock," Julie said, pointing to a big green eyeball flicking open just under Eric's foot. I think it's… it's… a monster!" Hrooosh! A column of fire spurted from the beast's mouth, burning the black ground blacker. "A fire monster!" Neal shouted. Suddenly, another stony-gray shape shook itself. A large green eye opened on it, too. It thrust its head up into the air. Hrooosh! "Two fire monsters!" Neal shouted. Galen charged over. "Get inside!" he yelled to the children. Then he leaped onto the back of one monster and began wrestling with it. "Lumpies, help the wizard!" Khan called out. Instantly his Lumpies jumped on the second monster. They pinched it and poked it with all their might.

"Max, Khan, lead the children through!" Galen shouted.

The stone-skinned monsters thrashed and twisted, but Galen and the Lumpies kept on fighting. "We can't leave you!" Keeah cried. "You must!" the wizard commanded. "Find the Eye! It is the only way to save—" The rest of what the wizard said was lost beneath the howling cries of the fire beasts. "Galen can take care of himself," Max chittered. Khan rushed up to the entrance. "Hurry, everyone! Into the mountain!" The four kids, with Max and Khan leading the way, charged between the raging fire monsters. They ran into the opening. They entered the world of the volcano.