The Impossible Race: Cragbridge Hall, Volume 3 Page 16

  Derick stepped into the barrel of oil. “Go, Rafa,” he said, the oil up to his waist. “Hopefully I can get there soon to help him out.” Derick couldn’t imagine that the minotaur would be an easy challenge. “And that’s awesome that Abby has lasted this long.” He sank deeper into the oil.

  “Anjum didn’t give her much credit at first,” Piper said, “but you’ve got a pretty amazing sister.”

  Derick would have answered, but he had already taken a big gulp of air and descended all the way into the tub of slimy oil. It felt so wrong, so ineffective. He was taking a bath that got him so much dirtier than he was already. But Piper was right; Abby was amazing. The more he watched her work and try, the more he was impressed with her. He hadn’t always been. Perhaps time shows some of people’s greatest qualities.

  As he came up, he saw the bull.

  “All right. Let’s see if this oil stuff works.” Derick stepped out of the barrel of oil and walked toward the bull. It had begun its charge.

  Derick felt much more confident knowing he had the strength of Hercules as well. At least if he survived the fire, he would have a chance to beat the bull.

  Derick began to run at the monster. Crazy. He was charging the largest enemy he had ever faced, hoping to survive a blast of fire and defeat it with his super-strength—so many different levels of completely awesome.

  The bull let out a stream of fire, longer and larger than any before. Derick actually reached into it, to see if the oil would work. He didn’t feel the heat. No burn. Nothing.

  Oh, yeah!

  Derick slammed into the bull and, with his super-strength, throttled it off to the side. It hit the wall and fell to the ground. In moments, it was back up again, but completely confused.

  The two wrestled, smashed, and hit, all within clouds of fire the bull breathed out. In a few moments, the bull lay unconscious on the ground. It’s hard to wrestle with Hercules and win.

  Derick panted.

  “Great job, Derick,” Piper praised. “If it wasn’t for your singed hair and bald spot . . . and being covered in oil and dirt, that could totally be a movie highlight.”

  Derick touched his head again. It was still a bit sore. He knew it was a trick. His real hair was still there, but the virtual machine deceived his mind into thinking it wasn’t. “That was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever done,” Derick said. “If only my hair were still here to enjoy it with me.”

  He only took a moment to rest.

  “Tell Rafa I’m on my way.”

  • • •

  “Man, I don’t like these birds,” Carol said. “I guess they were the pets of Ares, the god of war. They eat people—and their little birdy bombs are toxic.”

  “Really?” Abby said, running away from the flapping.

  “Put that at the top of my list of ways that I don’t want to kick the bucket,” Carol said.

  “Just tell me how to get rid of it,” Abby called out.

  “Almost there,” Carol said, obviously reading over information. “The poison arrows. That’s how Hercules did it. And you’ve got some!”

  “I already tried that,” Abby said. “I’m a terrible shot.”

  “Try again,” Carol encouraged. “I’m pretty sure that’s the only way to get rid of them.”

  Abby slowed to a stop. She had a case of lightning bolts, but she was going to have to try to shoot poison arrows. That felt foolish.

  She pulled the bow off her shoulder and nocked an arrow, careful not to touch the tip.

  The bird came into view. She waited until the stymphalian came close enough that she thought she could actually hit it. The arrow shot straighter than she thought it would, true to its target. But the bird, taking lessons from the lightning bolt, was on guard and dodged to one side.

  “Try again,” Carol said.

  Abby did. She nocked another arrow, pulled back, and released. Again the bird evaded.

  After the third time, Abby had to do a little dodging of her own; the metallic feathers whizzed past her. She wanted to run, but by now it was too late. The bird was almost on her. She reached into her quiver and discovered one more arrow. This was it.

  She nocked the last arrow and pulled back, but had to elude another feather. As she stepped to one side, the arrow slipped and fell to the ground.

  Abby quickly scooped it up and tried to nock it again. The bird was dangerously close, but it wasn’t shooting any more feathers. Abby realized that the bird’s beak was made of metal. It opened once and then closed with a clank. It was coming to stab her.

  Abby only had a moment.

  The bird dove.

  Abby felt a sharp sting.

  And then she was out.

  The bird must have shot another feather at the last moment.

  “Oh, dumbfeathers!” Carol groaned. “You’re out. And you were doing so well, too.” Abby thought she heard Carol kick something. “Looks like you’ll have to follow the map out of the labyrinth.”

  Abby stood up slowly. She hadn’t really wanted to be in the labyrinth, but now that she had lost, she felt a tugging at her insides. She saw a map of the labyrinth and followed a dot that led her toward her exit.

  “Don’t feel bad,” Carol consoled. “I think we’re down to the last four, but Rafa is out. After a long fight, the minotaur got him. Derick’s our last chance.”

  “Wait a second,” Abby said. “How did Rafa try to kill it?”

  “With a sword,” Carol said. “That’s how he dies in the myth.”

  “That’s right, but I studied this one,” Abby said. “It’s not just any sword; it’s Theseus’s sword. His father hid it and his sandals under a rock so that when Theseus was old enough to move the rock, he would be strong enough to prove he was his son and face the challenges he needed to. Derick has to find the sword that is hidden under a large rock.”

  • • •

  “I think I might know where it is,” Derick said and moved back through the maze. He had dodged the fire-breathing bull beside a boulder. Maybe that was the large rock he was looking for.

  After a few minutes and several wrong turns, he found it. Derick used Herculean strength to lift the giant rock. It felt no heavier than a jug of milk. He was sure Theseus had to work harder at it.

  Sure enough, a bright sword and some sandals lay on the ground underneath. “Do I have to wear the sandals?” Derick asked.

  “I don’t think so,” Piper answered, “but I’d put them on just to be safe.”

  “Hardly my footwear of choice when having to fight a legendary beast,” Derick said, but he took off his shoes and put on the sandals. He couldn’t tell if they were real sandals or if his mind was tricking him, but he couldn’t feel the ground beneath his feet.

  Another loud roar rang out through the labyrinth.

  “Only three left,” Piper said.

  Just then a girl turned the corner. Another student. She wore a tunic like in ancient Greece. Derick was sure that was only through his visor. She looked at him for a moment and then his sword. The girl lifted a large trident in one hand and smashed it against the ground.

  The earth shook and Derick fell against the boulder.

  “No offense, kid,” she said, “but I need that sword.”

  “None taken,” Derick responded, regaining his balance and picking up the boulder. With his Herculean strength, he hurled it in her direction. It felt like he was tossing a basketball.

  The boulder shattered into a million pebbles and fell to the ground. When the dust cleared, the girl in the tunic stood with her trident where the boulder had last been.

  Great. Now he had to fight another student who had a trident that could cause earthquakes and shatter giant boulders.

  “Poseidon’s trident,” Piper whispered. “This is going to be a challenge.”

  The girl reached into a pouch and pulled out some sort of cap.

  “If I had to guess,” Piper said. “That’s Hades’ cap. Get out of there.”

  “Why?” De
rick asked.

  The moment she put the cap on her head, the girl disappeared. He now had an invisible enemy.

  Derick turned and ran. He moved through the maze as fast as he could, racing around corners and up stairs. Three times he felt earthquakes, but the last was more faint than before. He was gaining some distance.

  “I think the best thing we can do is try to beat her to the minotaur,” Piper advised.

  Derick agreed and tried to weave through the maze toward the roaring, never knowing when he might be struck from behind. It was at least another five minutes spent in the darkness, including backtracking from two dead ends, before Derick stepped into a large dark space. He could hear the deep breathing of the minotaur.

  The Final Blow

  You and the girl with the trident are the only ones left,” Piper said. “We have a guaranteed second place, but if you really want to get that key and protect that secret, you have to win.”

  Derick stepped into the darkness, his sword out in front of him. He had seen scenes like this in the movies over and over again, the hero gradually working his way into the dark room until the monster leaped out and surprised him.

  But it didn’t happen that way at all.

  The moment Derick entered the room, the minotaur roared and came storming out of the black. It was much larger than he had anticipated—at least eight feet tall.

  The monster was on him before he knew what to do. Derick went with his first reaction and swiped the sword at the beast, but the minotaur hit Derick’s arm enough to deflect it. Derick punched with his other hand and caught the beast in the shoulder, smacking it to the side. Hercules was definitely Derick’s favorite. The minotaur recovered and charged again, but more cautiously this time. When Derick readied to jab again with the sword, the minotaur grabbed him by the wrist and squeezed. Derick dropped the sword and cringed in pain. The beast grabbed his other wrist and did the same. Derick felt the pressure—but worse, he felt the wristbands snap and fall to the ground. His Herculean strength was gone and his sword lay on the ground.

  In desperation, Derick pulled down hard, hoping to slip out of the monster’s grip. Because of the oil that still covered his skin, it worked. But the minotaur was in quick pursuit, swiping at him with its horns. That would have been the end for Derick if the earth had not shaken. Both Derick and the minotaur lost their balance and fell to the ground.

  The girl was here.

  As Derick got to his feet, he saw Theseus’s sword raise from the ground and float in the air. It moved quickly toward the minotaur. The girl was about to win.

  But the beast sniffed, apparently catching her scent, and turned in time. It lashed out where the arm holding the sword would be. The girl cried out in pain and the minotaur kicked with one of its bulky legs. Derick heard more grunts and then the girl appeared, unconscious against the wall, the Hades cap fallen from her head and her trident beside her.

  The minotaur shifted his position and turned. Derick had no weapons and was facing one of the fiercest beasts in Greek mythology.

  “He’s between you and the sword,” Piper pointed out. “Circle around.”

  Derick tried, but as he moved one way, the minotaur jumped in that direction. Derick ran the other way, but the minotaur corrected himself enough to block Derick’s path to the sword. After a fake and circling more, Derick realized he was coming close to the girl. Her body lay unconscious against the wall, but that was probably a virtual trick. She had lost; the real girl was probably finding her way out of the maze. After a few quick steps, he picked up the trident and slammed it into the ground.

  The earth shook and the minotaur fell. Derick put on the cap. He knew the beast could still smell him, but he thought he’d give it a try.

  The minotaur hazarded a few moments with his back turned to Derick to pick up the sword. Derick wasn’t quick enough to take advantage of the circumstance.

  Derick began to circle and picked up any weapon he could find from those who failed before him. He hurled spears and shot arrows. They found their mark, but the minotaur did not fall. It had to be defeated with the sword.

  Then Derick picked up a pair of sandals. Unlike his, they had little wings on them.

  “Great,” Piper said. “From Hermes—but I doubt they can make you actually fly; you’re literally moving through a physical maze.”

  Derick replaced the sandals he was wearing with those of Hermes. He’d had no idea the challenge would require him to change shoes a few times. But as Derick moved, he felt a difference. He wasn’t flying and he wasn’t actually moving faster, but the minotaur moved slower. The sandals gave Derick the illusion of great speed. He moved in closer to the minotaur and dodged a swipe with the sword. When it followed up, trying to gore him with its horns, Derick struck one with Poseidon’s trident. The horn shattered. The minotaur roared. Then Derick hit the ground with the trident, causing the beast to fall and drop the sword.

  With his great speed, Derick raced around the creature, picked up the sword and delivered a final blow.

  The minotaur disintegrated into nothing.

  “You did it! You did it!” Piper screamed. “We won! We won!”

  • • •

  “And now to announce the winners,” Landon called out, flashing a big smile. He stood on the same stage as before, now under the lights. It had taken all of the afternoon and well into evening for all the heats to finish. The Spartans had won their heat, which guaranteed they would move on, but they still didn’t know how well they had scored in the overall competition. “In third place . . .” he said, pausing for effect as always, “the Revolution!” He waved a team up onto the stage. Abby didn’t really know any of them and they all looked several years older than her. She had heard that the girl who led them was a certified genius.

  “In second place . . .” Sarah announced, waiting longer before divulging any information, “the Argonauts!” Abby watched as the team took the stage and bowed. Jacqueline smiled and waved like she had done it all herself. She gulped up the attention. But she hadn’t even entered the maze.

  “And in first place . . .” Landon said, priming the crowd. Each winner so far had won their heat. There were two other teams who had won theirs. This could be them. Landon looked over at Sarah. “Do you want to announce it, or should I?”

  “Go ahead.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Announce it already,” someone yelled from the crowd, earning some laughs and cheers.

  “I’m not sure,” Landon joked. “Maybe we should just wait until tomorrow.”

  “You’ve played with them enough,” Sarah said, slapping him on the shoulder.

  “In first place,” Landon continued, “the Gladiators!” Another team of older students took the stand.

  “That’s not fair,” Piper complained. “By the time the other heats went they knew it was the labyrinth. Word got around that they had to kill the monsters the same way they were killed in myth. They didn’t have to discover it like we did. They racked up more points.”

  “Rigged,” Malcolm said. Obviously the team was frustrated.

  “Don’t you dare blame your circumstances,” Anjum chided in all their ears. “If we want it bad enough, if we try hard enough, no one can take a victory away from us. Any blame outside of ourselves hurts us. It’s up to us. Nobody else.”

  “But . . .” Carol began.

  “No,” Anjum cut her off. “No excuses. We have to want it more.”

  It was probably true, but Abby didn’t want to hear it. They were a step farther from protecting the secret. She watched as the overall results scrolled on the screen. They were in fourth place for the event, and tied for third overall.

  “One more round of applause for our winners!” Sarah called out, and raised her hand to her ear.

  They excused the teams to return to their places off stage. Landon calmed the crowd. “We think that you would probably like a clue about the third challenge. Well, we are going to give you more than that. We will
give you detailed plans. You’re going to need time to prepare.”

  “You see,” Sarah said, “for the third challenge, you will need to build virtual robots that can do a specific task.”

  Everyone on the team glanced over at Jess. She looked away shyly, but with her lips tilting up in the corners.

  “You have three days to prepare,” Landon said.

  And then the lights went out.

  A Thief in the Darkness

  To the robotics lab. Now!

  It was from the Messenger.

  “Abby, Carol, Rafa, let’s go, now!” Derick called out and turned on a flashlight extension he had on his rings. He had installed it before he left his room, just in case.

  They wove through the crowd in the dark. It was tricky; people were shifting, uneasy without the lights. Eventually they made it out and into the main building. Soon they were jogging through the halls. Derick wanted to run, but couldn’t see far enough ahead of him.

  He had no idea what he was about to find. The last time the Messenger had led them to discover what Mr. Silverton had stolen. Had someone stolen something from the robotics lab?

  “Where are you going?” Malcolm called out, obviously running behind them.

  Derick didn’t answer.

  “I’m coming with you,” he said.

  “Me too,” he heard Nia and Maria call out in unison.

  Derick didn’t know what to do. He hadn’t thought the others would follow, and now his chances of persuading them to leave this alone were probably nil. He also couldn’t stop. He had to find out what awaited in the robotics lab.

  In the moving light from his rings, Derick caught a glimpse of a figure in a security uniform. He made a split-second decision. “Come with us,” he said. “Something’s wrong in the robotics lab.”