Chace Ogden and the Quest for Raven Read online

  Trevor Darby

  Copyrighted Material

  Copyright © 2019 by Trevor Darby

  Book design and layout copyright © 2019 by Trevor Darby

  This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any form, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from Trevor Darby.

  www.trevordarby.com

  1st Print Edition

  ISBN: 9781706433743

  Table of Contents

  Copyright Page

  Chace Ogden and the Quest for Raven (MYTH Squad, #2)

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  EXTRAS

  About the Author

  Also by Trevor Darby

  The Myth Squad

  Chace Ogden and the Golden Golem

  Chace Ogden and the Quest for Raven

  The Chronicles of Nesteryia

  Finneas Grey and the Vial of Nech

  Nyepsium Wars

  An Assassin’s Tool (a Novella)

  The Siren’s Note (coming soon)

  Kingdom of Oak

  The Black Oak Sword

  Mermaid Academy

  Beyond the Deep

  Non-Fiction

  The Beekeeper’s Guide

  STAY UP TO DATE

  Trevor regularly posts updates, previews, and other awesome stuff on his website. You can also follow him on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

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  To Ethan,

  your arrival made me a Dad

  and set me on this great adventure called fatherhood

  for which I am eternally grateful

  Chapter 1

  It was the beep beep beeping that finally pulled me from the clawing grips of darkness. My head felt muzzy and confused as I turned to see my mom sitting in a chair next to the hospital bed where I lay.

  “Chace,” she said, her weary face brightening, “How do you feel? You’ve been out for hours.”

  "What happened?" I asked, looking around at my sterile white surroundings, "I have a horrible headache."

  “I let you convince me that you didn’t need to see a doctor, that’s what happened,” she said, her brows caving into a frown. “They said it was dehydration and probably some sort of anxiety attack, but it’s my fault. I knew you were sick, I don’t know why I listened to you when you said you were fine. I hate seeing my baby boy like this. Are you hungry? I can go get you something from the cafeteria, they said it’s fine for you to eat,” she rambled, her fingers fidgeting as she fussed with my blankets.

  "Don't worry about it Mom, and no I'm not hungry, I'll eat a little later," I said distractedly as I tried to think past the throb in my temples and sort my memories of yesterday. The only part that truly mattered was that Raven had been badly hurt, and she was still stuck in the Magical Realm. I'd failed her.

  Pop's voice rumbled from the doorway, "How you feeling, kiddo? I heard you were out for a few hours." His wrinkled face was pulled taut with worry, but he winked at me as he sat down in the chair next to my mom.

  "My head hurts, but I feel okay for the most part," I said.

  “When does he get to leave?” Pop asked, turning to my mom.

  "I'm not sure. I'll go talk to the doctor. They told me to let them know if he woke up anyway." Mom replied, cutting short my brainstorming session of how to get her to leave Pop and me alone for a few minutes. I needed to figure out how to get Raven back, and if anyone could help me do that, it was Pop.

  Mom finally left the room, in search of the doctor.

  "I lost her," I said the second my Mom was out of earshot. I continued, unable to meet Pop's gaze, "It turned out that one of our teachers was a Sorcerer of Sumeria who wanted to take over the world. Raven showed me how to focus my magic a bit better, but when the Sorcerer got the bracelet, we had to go to the Magical Realm to beat him before the rise of the Heather Moon," I said in a rush. "I managed to imprison him using my magic while Raven held off an army of bronze golems, but she was hurt, and we needed to get her to a doctor. When I tried to bring us back to the Human Realm, I failed somehow, and when I got here, I was alone. She's still there, and even though Taz and I were trying all night, I can't seem to get back there. Even though I have the bracelet back—er, it's more like a ring, now—but I still can't do it," I put my hand up to show him the ring which now sat on the third finger of my right hand, "I've never felt this helpless before."

  Pop sighed and thought for a long time before speaking. “I’m so sorry, Chace. You’re still too inexperienced. Frankly, it’s a miracle that you managed to get yourself back to the Human Realm after all you had been through,” he said. “I know this isn’t what you want to hear, but you need time to rest up before you’re going to be able to go back.”

  “I don’t have time! Raven is still out there alone and scared. I can’t abandon her,” I said, furious, albeit more with myself than with Pop for his all-too-true words.

  "She's a capable girl. Think of all you've learned from her and how strong she is. Your job is to practice and find the best way to save her. Her job is to keep herself safe until you can bring her back. You're not going to be able to save anyone if you start trying to go back like this. Even if you managed it, you'd be so out of energy that you'd just end up getting yourself killed."

  I nodded, knowing he was right and hating it. "I'm useless, I wish it were the other way around. I wish she were the Hunter, and I was the Protector. She would definitely figure out a way to save me. Heck, she would've never lost me in the first place."

  "A smart girl like her wouldn't just charge in headfirst without any energy. You'll find a way to save her, but you need to build up your strength before you do. Magic is a lot like physical exercise. When you use too much of it, your body needs nutrients. When your mom called me and told me what happened, I had a feeling you had overused your magic. I stopped at the candy store on my way here. I never thought I'd say this but, you need to get some chocolate in you, stat," he said, producing nearly a dozen candy bars from the pockets of his windbreaker. "From personal experience, I can tell you that nothing will get you up and running faster than chocolate. Fat and calorie-rich with sugar for quick energy. It's pretty much the perfect food for this kind of thing. Don't tell your mother."

  The sight of the chocolate bars almost brought a smile to my face. It reminded me of the cookie jar shaped like a teddy bear where Pop used to leave cookies, candy, and other treats for me to eat when mom wasn't around. She had put the kibosh on that a few years back when she found out about it saying something about it "spoiling my appetite" and me being "a growing boy."

  While I was chewing the first bite of my third chocolate bar, I heard the shuffle of footsteps in the hallway. I quickly pulled the wrapper over the uneaten part an
d shoved it under my leg and then passed the remaining bars back to Pop. When my mom stepped back in the room, I waved nonchalantly, hoping she wouldn't notice my bulging cheeks.

  "They said we can take you home tomorrow, but they want to keep you here overnight to make sure it doesn't happen again," she said as she stepped through the door.

  "Hey mom, I'm starving, could you grab me a bowl of soup or something at the cafeteria?" I asked, desperate to get her to leave for a bit longer so I could scarf down a few more chocolate bars. I was already feeling a little more energetic.

  “You just said you weren’t hungry,” she said, crossing her arms, “but sure, I’ll be back in a few. Do you need anything else, sweetie? I can see if we can get you another pillow or something, maybe see about a movie you’d like to watch?”

  “I’d love to watch the new Spiderman movie,” I said, thinking of other ways to stall her.

  "Sure, honey," she said with a smile, turning towards the door and beginning to walk out, "I'll drop your soup off in a minute, then I'll find out from the nurse how to get the movie."

  A few more minutes and two candy bars later, she dropped off a big steaming bowl of what appeared to be dirty dishwater with some carrots and celery floating in it before leaving to speak to the nurse about a movie that was still in theaters.

  “I’ll stay with you for another hour or so, but you should try to get to bed pretty early so you can get back some more energy. Sleep and food. You’ll be right as rain soon enough,” Pop said as I opened a new chocolate bar, “By the way, how did you manage to shrink the bracelet down like that?”

  "When I was fighting the Sorcerer, I put my hand out and focused my magic on weakening and imprisoning him, and he just started to shrink."

  He glanced at the ring on my hand in wonder as he pocketed another of the wrappers from my chocolate bars to hide the evidence from my mom. “You should know that doing something like that is very impressive. If the legends about the Sorcerers of Sumeria are anywhere near true, I can’t even imagine how powerful you’d have to be to defeat one when they had the bracelet.”

  “I still wasn’t strong enough to save Raven,” I said, looking down in shame.

  “You will save Raven,” he said, gripping my shoulder, “I’m sure of it.”

  When I heard my mom's steps in the hallway, I held my nose and ate a few quick spoonfuls of the soup's broth. It seemed like the kitchen had run out of chicken broth and opted to use toilet water instead. Grimacing with disgust, I tried to smile as she entered the room.

  “Is that really all you’re going to eat?” she asked, glancing at the three-quarters full bowl of soup.

  “I am still chipping away at it,” I said, grabbing the spoon and holding back a gag as I shoved a piece of mushy chicken into my mouth.

  She stepped up to the TV and pressed a button before handing me the remote. “I paid for the premium channels, but they said there’s no Spiderman. You poke around and get what you like.”

  “I’ll stay here with him and watch for a while. Why don’t you head home, pick up Max from the sitter, and get yourself some sleep. You have work tomorrow,” Pop said.

  "Thanks, Dad. Is there anything else you need, sweetie?" she asked, glancing at me. She looked down at my legs, and her eyes widened. She whispered, "Oh, honey, did you have an accident?"

  I looked down at the bed and saw that the chocolate bar I had left under my leg earlier was melting, leaving a dark brown stain on the bed beneath me. “Uhh, no, it’s just, I, uh,” I stuttered.

  “It’s okay, Chace, the jig is up. I snuck him in a few chocolate bars, figured they’d help him feel better,” Pop said, laughing.

  "Old habits die hard, I guess," she said, rolling her eyes and playfully swatting him in the shoulder, "now let's get you cleaned up."

  When my mom finally left, Pop and I did find a movie, but it did little to take my mind off Raven. All I could think about was how I was going to get her back. It was a problem that kept me awake long after Pop had left.

  By the time the nurse left after checking my vitals and promising to give me a few hours to sleep before poking and prodding me again, I was feeling more myself and decided I could wait no longer. I gently tugged the IV out of the little catheter in my arm and pulled myself to my feet shakily. Quiet as a mouse, I slipped off the thin hospital coat they'd dressed me in and pulled my shirt and on. I slipped on my shoes and stood up.

  I didn’t want to wait until I was in the Magical Realm to find out whether I could actually stand on my own two feet or not, so I took a few circles around the room, growing more comfortable with each step. Pop was right, the chocolate feast had been just what the doctor ordered.

  All I had to do was grab Raven and get back before they came to recheck my vitals. As a final precaution, I went into the bathroom, turned on the light, and locked the door, sitting on the toilet as I prepared for my journey. It would hold the nurses off for a bit if they came to check on me before I returned.

  I closed my eyes and tried to remember how I felt when I brought Raven and me to the Magical Realm last time and channeled the same energy. A moment later, the world seemed to spin around me, and a familiar feeling of nausea overcame me.

  I’m coming, Raven!

  Chapter 2

  When the spinning finally stopped, I pulled myself to my feet. I immediately vomited, but it was a vomit of victory.

  I had made it to the Magical Realm!

  The field of golem parts scattered around me was a testament to Raven’s skill as a Protector. Less than a dozen of the golems were left whole, presumably having deactivated when I imprisoned the Sorcerer. I walked over to the place where I last saw Raven and cringed as I saw a thin trail of dried blood leading away from the area.

  I felt somewhat relieved when I noticed that it looked like she was moving toward the clearing where we had first met the fairies; Gwynth and Fife. Surely they would help her if she made it there. We did save their whole realm, after all. There was a genuine chance Raven was with them and safe, just waiting for me to get to her and take her back home. The relief at that thought had my body shaking. I took a second to get a grip on my emotions.

  I slowly made my way away from the cave, stumbling as I followed the fading trail of blood around the small mountain and towards the home of the fairies. When I passed the last of the golem pieces, I made a mental note to circle back once I had Raven and grab an arm of one before returning to the Human Realm. I owed it to Twee Twyla in exchange for her help, and I was a boy of my word.

  I had only moved a few hundred painstaking feet when the trail grew more sporadic and then disappeared entirely. Maybe her wound had finally stopped bleeding?

  I gathered my flagging strength and pushed on, working off the assumption that Raven had been thinking the same thing as me and had gone in search of Gywnth and Fife. The night time here in the Magical Realm wasn't absolutely dark tonight as the stars and moon seemed to burn brighter. As I crept through the forest, I realized it was still bustling with activity. Gryphons and even a Pegasus soared overhead as smaller creatures crackled and crunched below me as they scurried through leaves. It was like the whole forest was alive with them croaking and singing their songs as I moved closer and closer to where the fairies lived.

  I was running on pure adrenaline as I pushed on, not even seeing a huge dip in the dirt beneath my feet until I stumbled into it.

  “What the—?” I said as I fell to my hands and knees.

  I stood back up to stand and glanced around, my heart sinking when the realization hit me. That wasn’t some random shallow spot in the earth. It was a footprint. I was standing in a massive, humanoid indent, the size of my mother’s station wagon.

  For the first time tonight, I questioned my own sanity. I was already dizzy with weakness. What could I do against a creature with feet that big? Or against almost any other creature in this realm right now...

  I swallowed hard and scanned the ground around me, noting the line of print
s that led from the woods. Pressing my fingers to the tracks, I realized they were dry. I was no expert, but I imagined that meant they’d been there for a while, which gave me some measure of comfort.

  I pressed on until an annoying buzzing sound caught my attention. Around and around my head, droning like a giant mosquito. I waved wildly in the air. “Shoo!”

  The motion only made it circle faster. I was inches from swatting whatever it was until it hovered right in front of my nose. I squinted and realized it was a tiny pixie, no bigger than a fly, wearing a purple dress. Though it was less than a tenth of the size of a fairy, now that she was still, I could feel magical energy oozing out of the tiny creature. A second later, she was gone. I felt a strange tickle in my ear.

  "It's insulting for you to just keep walking while I'm trying to talk to you. Not proper etiquette a‘tall. Everyone knows that if a pixie is circling you, you should let it into your ear," she said in an annoyed voice. "How else am I supposed to speak with you, child?"

  “Sorry, I didn’t know, I’m not from this realm,” I stammered, trying to resist the urge to stick my finger in my ear and wriggle it to make the itching tickle stop.

  "Now you're shouting at me?! You do realize how loud that makes it in here, right? Always whisper when there's a pixie in your ear, numbskull."

  “I’m very sorry,” I said, dropping my voice to a murmur. “Please forgive me.”

  She let out a sniff and then sighed. “Well, I suppose, since you sound sincere, I will tell you what I’d come to say. You really need to get out of here, child. There is a Cerberus up ahead that has been hunting unicorns and fauns all day. You’d be a lovely snack for him.”

  As if on cue, a wild-eyed unicorn sprinted from the thatch of bushes ahead and went cantering past.

  “A Cerberus?” I breathed, pulse hammering. Ugh, why didn’t I pay more attention in class? Was that the half-goat, half-man thing or the—

  Three-headed hellhound.

  My pounding heart came screeching to a halt as the monster roared from the trees twenty yards away, the ground shaking beneath its massive paws.