A few minutes later, the kids were in the main room facing the adults.
Venna glared at the stowaways. "This is outrageous!
The expedition is supposed to be top secret."
"Does that mean we have to turn back?" Gliss sounded almost hopeful.
"If so, the furies will have to rest for a few days before departing again," Tok warned.
"Impossible." Venna frowned. "The king and queen won't appreciate any delay.
Besides, there's no need to turn back. These kids can zap themselves home.
We aren't close enough to the Cave yet to interfere with their magic."
"No zapping," Tok said. "The furies will sense that level of magic. They'll get distracted and crash."
Zann gulped. Tok had warned them earlier about not using any major magic during the journey. Now he understood why.
"Perda and Darb will have to come with us then." Teplo glanced at Tok.
"Is it safe to summon a message moth?
We should let their parents know they're with us."
"Yes, that minor sort of magic should be okay," Tok said.
"We can't use magic?" Perda whispered to Zann. "It's like Morb is back again!"
"Don't say that." Zann shuddered. "Let's explore the rest of the ship."
"Prepare for landing!" Tok called out.
Zann peered out the window. It was the next morning, and the sky was streaked with the remnants of sunrise.
Below lay a vast desert littered with rocks and blowing red sand.
Swirls of energy spurted out of a jagged opening, which looked like a mouth full of teeth.
"The Cave of the Unknown," Zann whispered.
After hearing his parents talk about the place all his life, he was really here!
As the group exited the aircraft, Tok warned everyone not to use magic in or around the Cave.
"We've got something to help you. I'll fetch it now."
"This place is amazing!" Perda said, staring at the cave opening in front of them.
"Maybe we'll see some of the famous relics we learned about in school.
Like the Mask of Zanta, or even the Horn of the Otherworld."
Gliss shivered. "I'm not going in there. What if we get lost?
We won't be able to use magic to find our way out."
Teplo heard her. "Don't worry, that's what cave crawlers are for."
"Cave crawlers?" Perda echoed.
"Yes. Here they are." Tok had just returned, carrying a wire cage.
Inside were a dozen large rodents with pale fur, long tails, and huge, glowing eyes.
"Yuck!" Gliss said. "They look like swamp rats!"
"You'll each get one," Tok said. "They're native to this area, so they know how to avoid the Cave's energy bursts.
The glowworms they eat give their bodies a natural glow you can use as a light.
And no matter how lost you get, your crawler can find the way out of the Cave."
He set down the cage. Zing lunged toward it, shooting flames.
"Zing, no!" said Zann, grabbing the dragon. He looked at Tok.
"Sorry, I guess he thinks they're food. I hope he didn't scare them."
"Once your crawler bonds to you, nothing will scare it off," Tok said.
"Be careful not to let Zing actually catch one though."
Tok placed a crawler on Zann's shoulder and muttered a quick spell.
Even that little bit of magic made the energy storms intensify.
"There," said Tok. "This crawler is bonded to you now."
The crawler dug its claws into Zann's shoulder and chirped nervously at Zing, who was watching it intently.
Meanwhile Tok bonded crawlers to each of the other members of the group.
"All right, everyone," Venna called out. "We'll begin by locating and cataloging each relic.
I've drawn a diagram of the Cave based on the ancient texts and divided it into several sections."
Venna continued to talk, but Zann stopped listening.
"How can she make something as exciting as exploring the Cave of the Unknown sound so boring?" he whispered to his friends.
He wondered what his parents' last journey to the Cave had been like.
He stuck his hand into his pocket and touched the stone. To his surprise, it felt warm.
"Weird," he muttered.
"What?" Perda asked.
"Nothing." Zann shivered as he took a step toward the gaping cave mouth. "Let's go in."
The kids spent the next hour exploring the Cave.
Sounds echoed off the cold rock walls.
Tiny, strange creatures scurried through the shadows.
"Oops!" Perda blurted out as they crossed a large, shadowy chamber.
"What's wrong?" Zann asked.
"I tripped over a rock or something." Perda leaned down. "Actually, it looks like another relic."
Gliss gasped. "Not just any relic. I think it's the Horn of the Otherworld!"
"Careful!" Darb said. "Don't touch—whoa!" He skidded on some loose stones and fell.
"Darb! Are you okay?" Gliss cried.
"Sure. I just skinned my knee."
Gliss hurried over. "Let me see." She rubbed her fingers to do a Healing spell.
"No magic!" Zann shouted.
It was too late. Energy crackled from Gliss' fingertips, and the Horn lit up. Zann felt the air sizzle.
Zap!
"Ow!" he exclaimed, landing hard in a different tunnel.
A second later his friends landed beside him.
"What happened?" Gliss cried.
"You used magic," Perda said. "The Horn must have zapped us away!"
"Where are we?" Gliss sounded panicky.
"Don't worry," Darb said. "Our crawlers can find the way out."
Zann cocked his head. "Maybe they won't have to.
I hear someone talking. We must have landed near the entrance."
He hurried in the direction of the voice.
It was coming from the next chamber.
"Hello," Zann called as he entered the chamber. "We—"
Zann took one look at the speaker and gasped.
It was Morb!