08 The Portal

CHAPTER 8 THE PORTAL Grey looked at Tag, Skyla, Blaze, Bod, and Claw. His eyes crinkled with worry. "Whatever is happening, it must be coming from the Underland," Grey said. "I am sending you on a new mission. You must find Talia and discover who The Shadow is working with."

Tag took a deep breath. This is my scariest mission so far, he thought. But I have to help Blaze's mom and stop The Shadow. "The Underland is a bad place. If The Shadow is there, you will be surrounded by enemies," Grey warned. He opened a wide wooden chest carved with images of the Owls of Valor. Then he pulled out a glass globe hanging on a twisted wire. A light inside the globe glowed green.

"This is a magical lantern," Grey told them. "There is no light at all in the Underland: no sun, no moon, no stars. The lantern will help guide your way. It will always stay lit." Skyla's eyes glowed as she took the lantern. "Wow!" Grey reached into the chest again and pulled out something else. He handed it to Bod. It was a long sword made of shiny silver with an engraved wooden handle.

Bod stared at the sword, his eyes wide and gleaming. "You will need a weapon when you go into the Underland," Grey told Bod. Tag groaned. "We don't need Bod's help!" Grey put a wing on Tag's shoulder. "I remember when I sent another young owl and squirrel on an important mission," he said. He looked at Tag and Skyla. "They proved themselves to be brave warriors. I think Bod deserves a chance, too."

Tag looked at the ground. Grey was right. He should give Bod a chance. "Are you ready, Blaze?" Tag asked. Blaze nodded. "This is a powerful magical object," she said, holding Talia's magical tail feather. The feather began to glow, brighter and brighter, but the room around them grew dark. A swirling hole appeared in the floor. It was silvery black.

"Good luck!" Claw called out as Skyla, Blaze, and Bod jumped into the portal one by one. Tag stepped forward and waited to fall. But instead, his foot landed on a cold, damp step. He looked back—Grey and Claw had disappeared. All he could see was the swirling light of the portal. He took another step forward, into the darkness.