16 Trouble in Perodia

CHAPTER 16 TROUBLE IN PERODIA Tag and Skyla fell onto the bottom of a hard staircase. Tag stared at the place where the portal had been. The Underland was gone. Bod was gone. Tag put his wing against the cold stone. "I'll come back for you," he whispered. "I promise."

There was a scuffling sound behind him. Tag turned to see a flash of red eyes glinting back at him. It was Skull! And he wasn't alone. He had ten rats with him. "You!" Skyla yelled. Skull grinned. "Never turn your back on the enemy!" he laughed as he ran. Tag and Skyla chased the rats up the staircase. But just like the mole, the rats were impossibly fast. As Tag turned the corner, the rats disappeared into thin air.

When they arrived back in Grey's study, Tag fell to the ground. "Skull!" he gasped. "He escaped!" Tag looked up at Grey, Claw, Blaze, and Talia. "We need to go back to the Underland! We have to go back for Bod," he said. "We're sorry, Tag," Talia said. "We had to close the portal for good. We can't let The Shadow find a way back here." Skyla's eyes went wide. "But Bod is all alone there!" she shouted.

"It is done," Talia said. She patted Tag's shoulder. "We will capture Skull and his small army," Grey said. "Once all is well in Perodia, we will find a way to help Bod." Later that night, Tag and Skyla sat quietly in their tree. "We'll find a way to get Bod back," Skyla said. "Maybe Blaze or Claw can help us." Tag nodded slowly. "Bod saved Talia," he said. "He rescued us from the cages. We couldn't have closed the portal without him." "He is a hero," Skyla said.

Tag looked up at the sky. Something seemed different. Then he realized what it was. "Skyla!" he said, standing up. "Look!" Skyla gasped. A very dark cloud swirled in the sky above. It blocked out the light of the moon and stars. Lightning flickered inside it. "The Shadow," Tag whispered. "It has returned to Perodia after all!"