Chapter 6

Chapter 6 Princess Pulverizer was thinking. And pacing. Back and forth. Back and forth. As she paced, she was aware of the griffin's eagle eyes. He was staring straight down at her —keeping track of her every move. Back and forth. Back and—ZZZ... ZZZZ... "What was that?" the princess asked nervously. "Shhh...," Lucas warned her. He pointed up toward the ledge outside the cave. Princess Pulverizer looked up. It was the griffin. He was almost asleep. "Griffins snore?!" Princess Pulverizer exclaimed. "That's a surprise!" The sound of her voice woke the griffin. His yellow eyes opened wide. He glared at her

angrily. "Oops," the princess said in a much quieter voice. She began thinking and pacing again. Back and forth. Back and forth. "He's getting sleepy," Lucas whispered as the princess paced. "His eyes are droopy. I wonder why." The princess shrugged. "No idea," she said, stopping her pacing long enough to wipe her brow. The light coming from the mouth of the cave reflected off the giant ruby on her finger.

The griffin's eyes shot open at the sight of the bright red light. "It's the ring!" Lucas whispered excitedly. He pointed to the princess's left hand. The light was reflecting off the big red ruby. "He's watching your ring while you move. It's hypnotizing him." Hypnotizing? Is it possible? "You know, one time a hypnotist came to our palace to put on a show," Princess Pulverizer told Lucas. "He hypnotized the Prince of Fergerberger. Every time a bell rang, the prince barked like a dog and tried to chase his tail." SQUAWROARK! Uh-oh. The griffin was wide awake now.

"Start pacing again," Lucas begged the princess. Princess Pulverizer did not like to be told what to do. She was the one who was supposed to give the orders. After all, she was the Royal Princess of Empiria and— SQUAWROARK! Okay, maybe I'll take orders this one time, Princess Pulverizer thought. That griffin is one dangerous creature. The princess began pacing again, making sure the light hit the ring as she swung her arms back and forth. "You are getting sleepy," Princess Pulverizer said in a soft, soothing voice. Well, at least as soft and soothing as she could manage. Princess Pulverizer was not a soft, soothing kind of girl. ZZZZZZZZ. ZZZZZZZ. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ. Princess Pulverizer smiled to herself. She had managed to outwit a griffin. The big lion-bird was sleeping like a baby. But for how long?

Princess Pulverizer wasn't about to wait around and find out. "Quick," she whispered, grabbing Lucas and pulling him out of the cave. "Now's our chance!"