02 Return to Fire Island

CHAPTER 2 RETURN TO FIRE ISLAND Tag and Blaze flew over the trees of Valor Wood. Skyla was on Blaze's back. Below they could see Blue Bay, and across the choppy waves was Fire Island. They flew and flew, then landed on the beach at last.

Tag looked around and gasped. "Fire Island is so different!" he said. The last time they had visited, the trees were dying and there was no food to eat. But now... "Look at the trees!" Skyla cried. They were covered with plump fruit hanging from every branch.

"And the flowers!" Blaze said. Tag breathed in the wonderful smell. "It's amazing!" he said. "Everything Thorn and The Shadow destroyed has come back to life!"

The friends sat in a grassy clearing. Tag listened as the breeze gently rustled the leaves. He ate some berries, then paused. His feathers tingled. He stood up. "What's wrong?" Skyla asked. "I think someone is watching us," Tag said. Skyla pulled out her slingshot. There was a sudden blur as something swung through the trees above them. "There!" Tag yelled. The friends chased after the creatures. Skyla shouted, "Stop right there!"

Two small spider monkeys stood in the clearing. They had brown fur, long bushy tails, and white faces. Tag remembered these monkeys from his first visit to the island. They had stolen berries from him. Tag glared at them. "You again! Were you trying to steal our food?" he asked. The monkeys shook their heads. "No," said one of the monkeys. "We have plenty of our own food. We're sorry about stealing from you before."

"We were only watching you," said the other monkey. "Why?" Tag asked. He still felt uneasy. The spider monkeys looked at the ground. "We were just curious. We don't get many visitors on Fire Island," the monkey continued. The monkeys smiled and stepped forward. "I'm Miko, and this is Molly." Blaze nudged Tag, and said, "Maybe they know something about the portal!" "What's a portal?" Molly asked. "A portal is a magical door," Blaze explained. "Have you seen one here on the island?" Skyla asked. The monkeys thought for a while. "What does a portal look like?" Mika asked.