The Pillars of Ponderay (7 page)

A
s they climbed down the staircase and saw the glittering pool below them, the floating docks with old wooden tables and all of the Core people waiting below, Albert felt a thousand times lighter. They'd arrived at Lake Hall, where lunch was the biggest and best meal of the day.

This term, icicle lights hung from the cavernous ceiling like falling stars. The lights cast dancing shadows on the crowd below.

“You all right, Albert?” Birdie nudged him with her hip as they reached the bottom of the stairs.

“I'm good,” Albert said. “I still can't believe we lost today.”

“Things will get better,” Birdie promised.

Albert wanted to believe she was right. This was the Core, after all. Things changed every single day, and tomorrow, he hoped they'd beat Argon.

“I'm so hungry I could eat an entire Guildacker!” Leroy yelled. His voice echoed across the Hall.

There was a deafening roar from the companions' table, which was closest to the bottom of the staircase where the trio stood. Jadar had heard Leroy's joke, and by the look of his coiled talons and snapping beak, he wasn't happy.

“My bad!” Leroy said, holding his hands up. “Totally my bad!”

Birdie smirked and waved Jadar away. “Serves you right, Leroy Jones.”

“You guys are crazy,” Albert said, holding back a laugh.

The three of them stood by the water's edge, waiting as the turtles swam to greet them.

“Oh, I've missed these little guys!” Birdie knelt down and patted her turtle on the head. It winked an ancient, knowing eye at her, then let her hop on. Albert and Leroy followed suit.

The turtles seemed to know exactly where Hydra belonged today. The turtles floated past Albert's old table, where he and his friends used to sit. Today it was empty, reminding Albert that even though he was back in the Core, it wasn't reason to celebrate. He was only here
because of an emergency, and if Albert wanted to help set things right, and keep his family and everyone else in California safe, he needed to focus.

The turtles took a left, stopping at the edge of a black dock, where a few of the other students sat. Albert recognized some of them, especially Jack, an older Balance Keeper who had taken Albert and Leroy under his wing in Cedarfell. Albert didn't know Jack was a Pure. Some people, like Hoyt, flaunted it like a shiny new gadget, while others, like Petra, didn't think of it as something that needed to be said.

“'Sup, Hydra?” Jack waved from the dock.

“Hey, Jack! Nice to see you, man.” Albert waved and hopped off his turtle. He knelt down and patted it on its glittering shell. “Thanks for the ride!”

The turtle blinked at him, then disappeared beneath the surface of the dark water.

There were three empty seats at the table. Albert, Leroy, and Birdie sat down. Leroy tucked a napkin into the collar of his shirt, then grabbed his fork and knife. “Let's do this.”

“Albert Flynn,” someone said.

Albert looked to his left, and was surprised to see Tussy there.

“Shouldn't you be sitting with the Professors?” he asked her.

Tussy had a fresh cut on her left eyebrow.

“Shouldn't you be a little more . . . disappointed right now?”

“I'm confused,” Albert said.

“You lost today. The great Albert Flynn, the boy who wears the Master Tile around his neck. Part of the heroic team that saved Calderon. And today, you failed your first Pit exercise.”

Albert felt like Tussy had just slapped him across the face.

“We haven't been here in months. It's natural to be a little out of touch.”

Tussy clicked her teeth. “If you say so.”

Albert could feel his face grow hot. “My team and I work really well together. You'll see.”

“I'm expecting you to win in the Pit tomorrow,” Tussy said with a pointed glare. She nodded her head across the lake, where Hoyt and his cronies were making gross faces. “I'd hate to see the fate of the world land in their hands.”

“I can agree with you on that.” Albert nodded.

“One week.” Tussy took a gulp of her drink. “You'd better be ready.”

Then she raised a scabbed eyebrow, stood up, and walked away.

Whimzies began to swoop down from overhead, carrying baskets full of steaming hot food. The smell alone made Albert's stomach rumble. As the rest of the table
started loading their plates, thoughts of Albert's conversation with Tussy faded away.

He ate spaghetti and meatballs until he felt like he was going to explode.

Leroy, as usual, filled his plate three times, and left not a scrap of food to spare.

“You're
such
a glutton,” Birdie said, shaking her head at Leroy. “It's really quite something.”

Leroy shrugged. “Wha—oo—uh—mean?” A noodle hung from his chin.

“She means,” Albert said, flicking the noodle away, “that you eat like a pig!”

Leroy swallowed, then laughed. “Pigs are usually fat and happy!”

As plates started to empty, Albert felt himself growing excited. Free time was next. And then, finally, a good night's sleep back in Cedarfell inside his warm tent.

But before anyone could stand up to leave, Tussy took the stage. A MegaHorn sat on a podium there, and she tapped it. A squeal reverberated throughout Lake Hall.

“As you may well know, we've brought several surface-dwelling Balance Keepers back to the Core, something we don't usually do on such short notice.”

Heads nodded. Companion creatures hooted and roared and hissed.

Tussy went on. “I'll let Professor Asante relay the
news, as she has just recently returned from the Ponderay Realm. Everyone, give her a warm welcome.”

Everyone clapped as Professor Asante took the stage. The sound was strangely weak compared to last summer, when Lake Hall was so packed with people that not a single dock or chair was left empty.

Professor Asante looked even larger today than she usually did. Albert had to crane his neck to look up at her.

“Sometimes I wonder if she's fully human,” Birdie whispered to Albert and Leroy.

The boys both nodded. “Half giant, maybe,” Albert said.

“Or half cyclops,” Leroy mused, pushing his glasses farther up his nose.

Birdie sighed. “She has two eyes, Memory Boy. Cyclopses have only one.”

Albert sighed and turned back to the stage. Professor Asante was covered in scars and cuts, just like Tussy. But she also had tattoos that wrapped around her neck and arms. There were
tons
of them, all a bunch of Core symbols. Albert knew some of the symbols; others he'd yet to study in the Black Book.

Professor Asante waved a large hand, and the room fell silent. “Welcome, Balance Keepers, especially those who were able to arrive so quickly. And greetings to everyone else in the Core, whose importance is not to be forgotten.”

She gave the crowd another moment to cheer before silencing them again. Her eyes glittered as she surveyed the room. “These are dark times. I won't hide that from any of you. Rumors spread quickly in the Core, and I will shed light on the most recent one. The Realm of Ponderay, a place very dear to my heart, is indeed facing a terrible Imbalance.”

The last time an Imbalance had been announced everyone gasped, but not today. Everyone had already sensed it. And with the reports coming in from California, Albert suspected he knew exactly how bad the Imbalance was. Soon, it would make things on the surface much worse. His stomach churned as he thought of his family.

“Let me assure you, this is something we Professors are taking very seriously. As you know, whenever a Realm has an Imbalance,
the Realm always provides the Means.
We are working around the clock both inside the Realm of Ponderay and through research efforts here in the Core to find the Means to Restore Balance.”

Professor Asante went on. “The Balance in Ponderay has not been off in hundreds of years. There is a system set in place, one that has been there since the beginning of time, that has always ensured this. I regret that we don't know much about the system—we've never needed to—but we do know it involves the Ten Pillars of Ponderay that stand in a ring in the middle of the Silver Sea.”

“I bet that's usually a gorgeous sight,” Birdie whispered.

Professor Asante continued. “But now, as some of you know, in an event never before documented in Core History, the Pillars have begun to rotate in their ring, moving in a clockwise circle. They are not moving
too
fast, but we believe it is this movement that is causing the massive tremors off the coast of Southern California.”

Several people did gasp this time, but Albert and his teammates just nodded solemnly; Professor Flynn had told them as much this morning. Albert suddenly wished he hadn't eaten so many meatballs. When he thought of his family in San Diego, his stomach started churning.

“I've been to the Realm myself,” Professor Asante said. “Along with my Apprentice, Tussy, and we have yet to find the Means to Restore Balance. We don't yet know why the Pillars have begun to rotate. We will continue our search. What I ask now is that the Balance Keepers training for Ponderay step up their preparations.”

She took a deep breath, and even from here, Albert could sense the tension in her shoulders, the exhaustion in her voice. Her eyes fell right on Albert, and as she spoke, a shiver tiptoed down Albert's spine. He felt like she was talking only to him, that they were the only two in the room.

“The time may come, very soon, when you will be asked to serve the Core.”

Albert's heart skipped a beat. He thought of his family on the surface, and the desire to defeat the Imbalance burned like hot oil in his gut.

“Hydra and Argon should report to the Pit early tomorrow morning, for an emergency lesson on Ponderay before competition,” Professor Asante added.

The speech ended.

Tussy took over and led the Core song. Everyone joined in, even Albert, and somehow, the familiarity of the moment seemed to take a bit of the chill away.

The song faded, and Albert, Leroy, and Birdie headed back toward the Main Chamber. When they got there, the clock with its glaring red number caught Albert's eye once again.
Seven days.

“That was intense, dudes,” Leroy said.

“Yeah, after that announcement, I think I need a good night's sleep.” Birdie yawned and looked at Albert. “Do you guys mind if I head to Treefare early? I think I'll go hang out with Jadar and some of the girls for a while.”

“Yeah,” Albert said. “That sounds good. We'll need to be rested if we're going to beat Hoyt's team tomorrow.”

“And with your Tile, you'll need to study up, bro,” Leroy said, nudging Albert. “We can spend some time reading the Black Book.”

They turned a corner, passing the tunnel that led to the girls' dorm. “I'll see you guys bright and early,” Birdie said, waving. She patted Farnsworth on the head and disappeared down the dimly lit tunnel.

“She's crazy,” Leroy said. “Spending time with a Guildacker!”

“Sometimes I think Birdie's braver than anyone I've ever met.” Albert nodded.

They kept walking toward Cedarfell. There was a dip in the tunnel where a few of the blue torches had grown dim.

Albert felt a chill at the back of his neck as they walked. He thought he heard footsteps behind them, and when he turned, he was
sure
he saw someone quickly slink back into the shadows. But when he looked a little harder, there was no one there.

“Leroy,” Albert whispered, “I feel like someone's watching us.”

“Ohhhh, creepy,” Leroy said, casting a glance behind them. “Naw. Nothing but darkness, bro.”

“I'm just tired, I guess,” Albert said. But he
felt
it. They kept walking, their footsteps echoing across the tunnel. Albert thought he heard a third pair of steps again, clacking along behind them.

At the last second, before they reached the door to Cedarfell, he whirled around.

Was that a person's shadow, hanging on the edges of the darkness?

No, I guess not. Man, I need some sleep.

He blinked and looked a little closer, and there was no one there, just a bunch of flickering blue flames and
an empty tunnel. And the lingering scent of mint and cloves?

“Albert?” Leroy asked. “Are you all right?”

Albert blinked. “Yeah, yeah. I'm good.”

Leroy turned the handle and kicked open the door. The familiar sounds of Cedarfell came pouring out, and Albert's body relaxed. He shook off the feeling, and followed Leroy and Farnsworth inside.

C
edarfell was all dressed up for the holiday season. There were bright, twinkling lights wrapped around the trunks of every tree, twisting up to the tops of the branches far overhead. A light dusting of snow danced down upon Albert's nose, but it wasn't cold. It was more for looks than anything, and it gave the entire forest a comforting feel.

“I missed these things,” Leroy said, scooping up a giant acorn from the forest floor. He broke it open across his knee and slurped down the fizzy cream-soda drink that was inside.

“Man,” Albert laughed, leaping over a fallen log. “You're a bottomless pit.”

Leroy shrugged, and they sat down at a campfire where a few other guys were gathered.

Albert recognized two boys his age, both Pures who were training for Belltroll last term. One was redheaded with freckles all over his pale face. The other was tall and thin with a mop of dark brown hair. They kind of reminded Albert of himself and Leroy.

“I'm Pete.” The redheaded boy smiled. There was a large gap in between his two front teeth.

“Does it always look this way when it isn't summer term?” Albert asked. He motioned to the lights in the trees.

Pete smiled. “Naw, this is just holiday stuff.” He scooped up a handful of the strange, noncold snow and let it fall through his fingers. “It's cool, though, that you guys get to be here to see it.”

The dark-haired boy nodded. “Even cooler that you guys could make it here on such short notice.”

Albert shrugged. “Hey, that's just what had to be done. Let's hope my team can figure out the Pit. Ponderay's training is tough.”

“I know you've heard this before,” said Pete with an encouraging look, “but it'll get better.”

“Thanks,” Albert said.

A few more boys joined them, and someone pulled out a bag of marshmallows they'd purchased in Lucinda's Core Canteen in the Library.

“Now
that
is what I call a good surprise,” Leroy said, stuffing his face.

They made s'mores, had a snowball fight, and when
the red birds overhead started to sing their evening song, Albert knew it was time to retire for the night.

At first, his sleep was peaceful. But it didn't last long. Soon, Albert was tossing and turning in his bed, not able to get comfortable, not able to shut down his mind. He wished it had an off switch like a video game console. Instead, he had more of his crazy dreams.

Albert and his team were failing in the Pit.

Birdie was on the floor, clutching a broken arm. Across from him, Leroy was busy battling a creature that looked like it was half shark, half monkey. The creature gnashed sharp, lethal jaws at Leroy's head. He was barely able to fight him off.

“Albert!” Birdie cried out. “Help me!”

“No, Albert!” Leroy shouted. “Help ME!”

Albert didn't know what to do.

Argon was crushing Hydra. Hoyt stood on top of a pillar, snickering as he held an armload of Tiles. And in the background, sitting on the stands, Professor Flynn shook his head in disapproval at Albert. “You're just not cut out for the Core this year, kiddo. Better luck next time.”

“No!” Albert shouted. “Give me a chance!”

He could do this, he could fix things and help Hydra win. He reached down, ready to use his Master Tile.

But his fingers clutched at an empty cord.

In the morning, after a full meal in Cedarfell (two full meals for Leroy), Albert and Leroy met Birdie at the entrance to the Pit.

Her hair was up in a messy bun today, the streaks of pink showing through like yarn in a blond bird's nest. She had a huge grin on her face.

“We got new beds in Treefare,” she said, holding open the door for the boys. Farnsworth scurried through and raced up the jagged path to the Pit. “I slept ah-mazingly. How 'bout you guys?”

“Like a newborn baby.” Leroy yawned, stretching his long arms over his head.

Albert yawned, too, but it wasn't because he felt rested.

“We have to win today, guys,” he said over his shoulder as he jogged up the path. “I was awake all night thinking about it.”

“We'll win,” Birdie said from behind him. “Right, Leroy?”

“The odds are actually pretty even, bros,” Leroy shouted from the rear.

That made Albert feel a little bit better.

They rode the platform up, wind whipping them in the face. Birdie chatted on and on about the Pure girls in Treefare, how she felt like they were all incredibly talented.

When they reached the top, the doors swung open.

Professor Flynn stood on the other side.

“Dad?” Albert's voice squeaked like one of Farnsworth's chew toys. “What are you doing here?”

Professor Flynn waved them in, then escorted them to the edge of the Pit. “I'm here to give you a quick lesson on Ponderay, as a favor to Professor Asante. You'll get more info in a classroom session later, but for now, this will have to do. Professor Asante would do it herself, of course, but she's in the Realm searching for the Means to Restore Balance.”

“Well, that's cool with me,” Albert said.

Professor Flynn chuckled. “And afterward, can't a father watch his son kick some tail in the training Pit?”

Albert laughed. “I don't think people say
kick some tail
anymore, Dad.”

Professor Flynn straightened his emerald jacket. “In that case, go team!”

Birdie muffled a laugh as Professor Flynn marched off and took his place in front of the stands. Trey was on the top row, scribbling furiously into a notebook, his hair messier than usual, his clothing a little rumpled. What was up with that guy lately? Team Argon marched in late, as always, and sat on the far left of the stands, while Albert, Birdie, and Leroy sat on the far right.

“Professor Asante wanted me to fill you in on how Ponderay would act during a typical day, without an Imbalance,” Professor Flynn said.

He paced back and forth, totally in his element. Albert
smiled. How had he not known, all these years, that his dad was a part of something bigger and better than delivering mail in Herman, Wyoming?

Professor Flynn began his lesson. “In Balance, Ponderay is an incredible Realm. As you already know, the Ten Pillars stand in the middle of what we call the Silver Sea, a massive expanse of water in the center of the Realm. Usually, those Pillars stand steady and strong. From our Core records, we also know that each Pillar has a Tile on top. We're assuming those Tiles have something to do with maintaining Balance—hence all the climbing and grabbing of Tiles you've been doing. Last night, during a journey to the Silver Sea, Professor Asante also learned that there are slots on top of the Pillars that hold the Tiles. Today, you'll be collecting Tiles from slots as well as putting Tiles into slots.”

Birdie raised her hand and spoke. “Professor, you've been to Ponderay?”

Professor Flynn laughed. “I have, a few times. Every Professor must enter and complete a small task in
all
of the Realms, before they are chosen to lead one. But that's another story for another time.”

Albert wanted to know that story
now.
But he had to focus on learning about Ponderay, if he and his team were going to end up going into the Realm at the end of the six days they now had left.

Professor Flynn went on. “The Realm has its own
magnificent creatures, ones that you'll soon encounter in class under the supervision of Professor Asante. Those creatures work in perfect harmony with one another, each creature doing its own job to help keep the Realm in Balance. Typically, they're peaceful creatures. But when the Balance is off and they can't do their jobs, they might not be so peaceful,” Professor Flynn said, with a serious tone sliding into his voice. “And I'm afraid that's where we're at now, because as of last night, the Imbalance has progressed to what we're calling Phase Two.”

Albert put his head in his hands. Across the bleachers, Argon stopped their whispering.

Professor Flynn continued. “The Pillars have begun to rotate at breakneck speeds. The creatures have become predictably hostile.”

Albert exchanged a look with Leroy—he didn't know what creatures lived in Ponderay, but he definitely didn't like the word
hostile.

“Unfortunately,” Professor Flynn went on, “if the Pillars continue spinning like this, the tremors off the coast of California will get worse.” His eyes met Albert's, and he swallowed hard before continuing. “The Core Watchers—the people responsible for monitoring Imbalances—believe that this will soon lead to tidal waves on the surface. Hurricanes, strong winds, raging storms.”

“That sounds terrible,” Birdie whispered.

“But what about my family?” Albert asked. His voice cracked as he spoke the words, and he couldn't help but picture his mom and siblings, caught in the middle of an angry, roiling sea. What were they doing right now? Albert's great-aunt Suze lived about thirty minutes from the coast, but from what Albert knew about hurricanes, half an hour was nothing in terms of safety.

Professor Flynn seemed to notice the look on Albert's face. “We have to trust the process, Balance Keepers, and train hard. Professor Asante and the Core Watchers are working around the clock to discover the Means to Restore Balance. I have faith that we may still be able to solve this. But in case, we must be ready. Should we come upon a Phase Three, the Core will be facing one of the worst Imbalances in history.”

Just then, the door to the Pit sprang open. Tussy marched inside with a look of pure determination on her face. As always, she had fresh cuts, and she looked like she'd just gotten done rolling in the dirt. Albert knew she'd been going into the Realm with Professor Asante. Apprentices were bound to the Core, which meant that if they did enter the Realms, it sapped their strength twice as fast as it would a normal Balance Keeper's. No wonder Tussy always looked so ragged.

“A quick word, Professor Flynn?” Tussy asked.

Professor Flynn nodded, and the two of them stepped to the side of the bleachers to speak in hushed voices.
Albert leaned in, wishing he knew of a symbol that could give him super hearing.

“You scared, Hydra?” Hoyt hissed from across the bleachers. “I can smell your fear from here!”

“Ignore him,” Birdie said.

“He's just trying to rile us up before competition,” Leroy added.

Albert sighed and focused on his dad and Tussy.

As Tussy spoke, Professor Flynn's smile slipped away. He nodded once, put a hand on Tussy's shoulder, and whispered something into her ear. She sighed and shook her head before she turned back to the stands to go sit with Trey.

“What are you six doing, just sitting there?” Tussy shouted suddenly. She motioned to a stack of fresh Pit clothing that was piled on the lowest bleacher. “Get dressed and ready! This isn't playtime, Balance Keepers!”

Albert wanted to ask his dad what was going on. Instead, he grabbed a stack of clothes and headed to the dressing area to prepare for competition.

“All right, teams!” Tussy called out. She was already standing on the edge of the Pit, MegaHorn in hand. She also had a camera set up on a tripod, ready to record the day's events. “Let's get moving! Today, we've got an exciting challenge set up for you. And Professor Asante will be watching the recording when she gets back from Ponderay tonight.” She chewed on her bottom lip and
glanced sideways at Professor Flynn in the stands.

“They know something we don't,” Albert whispered to his friends. “What do you think is going on?”

“No idea,” Leroy groaned. “But I'm not good with cameras. No pressure, right dudes?”

Birdie shouldered him. “Suck it up, Memory Boy. I
love
being on camera. Makes me feel like a movie star!”

“Yeah, it'll be good,” Albert said. “Maybe we can watch it later and see what we can improve on.”

Leroy nodded as Hydra and Argon lined up on their platforms. They sank to the bottom. Just like yesterday, the Pit was empty.

“Today's goal is similar to what we've already done,” Tussy shouted from above. “But there will be some added dangers. As you know, in Ponderay, you'll be dealing with the Silver Sea. It's no summer vacation. There are strange creatures in the water, and with an Imbalance, they'll turn against whoever enters their domain. They'll try to stop you from reaching the top.” She grinned, like she knew some sort of evil secret. “Watch your backs. Work as a team,
not
as individuals. And for the love of Ponderay,
don't
drown.”

She blew her whistle, and in an instant, water started to pour from the sides of the Pit, rushing out of four giant holes like waterfalls.

“YES!” Birdie clapped her hands. “My Tile will help us win today for
sure.
”

Leroy nodded. “It increases our odds by 76.7 percent.
But Slink has a Water Tile, too. Don't forget that, guys.”

Albert smiled. Water was always good news for Hydra, with Birdie on their side.

Tussy blew the whistle again, and the same pillars as the day before rose from the ground, rushing high into the air as tall as the trees in Cedarfell. Water was already pooling around Albert's knees. It was
cold.
So cold his teeth chattered and his body started to shake.

“There are ten Tiles on the pillars again, but this time they are tucked into slots as they are in the Realm. The first team to collect the most will win this round,” Tussy shouted. “There's no time limit! We'll compete until all Tiles are collected. Then we'll start Round Two. I don't care how tired you get. Balance Keepers, are you ready?”

Albert, Birdie, and Leroy exchanged glances. “READY!”

Across from them, Hoyt, Slink, and Mo shouted their answer, too.