Free Monster Madness by Dean Lorey Page A

There’s only one female Hydra in existence, and we don’t know where she is.”
    “So, to save the Guardian,” Violet said, “we’d have to find the only female Hydra in the Nether, get her milk, and get it back to the Guardian before it dies.”
    “Precisely. And, at the rate the Guardian is slipping away, you have less than a day.”
    “No way!” Theodore exclaimed. “That’s impossible!”
    “Impossible?” the Headmaster replied. “But how can that be? I thought you guaranteed that it could be done.”
    “Well, that was before I actually knew what the job was. I mean, this is way more challenging than I thought it was gonna be.”
    “Well, I should hope so. It has the potential to save our world, so I’d be distrustful if it were easy.”
    “We’ll do it,” Charlie said quietly.
    Everyone turned to him.
    “Charlie?” Brooke said. “Are you sure?”
    “Yeah. It needs to be done, that’s all. There’s no one else. The Headmaster has to stay here and protect the Guardian from other kids who might show up, and everyone in the Nightmare Division is hunting down Barakkas and Verminion. We’ll do it because we have to.”
    He smiled confidently at Brooke.
    “Wait a minute,” Violet said, glancing between them. “Are you saying we’ll do it because you want to impress her?”
    Charlie flushed with embarrassment. “What? No! How can you even suggest that…”
    “You are, aren’t you? You’re red as a beet!”
    “Stop it!”
    “Unbelievable. Seriously.”
    Charlie wished he could find a deep hole and bury himself in it. How could Violet accuse him of such a thing? There was no way he was doing this just to impress a girl!
    Was there?
    “Do you accept the task?” the Headmaster asked.
    “Yes,” Charlie said defiantly, then glanced at his friends. “Right?”
    “You’re the boss,” Theodore replied quickly. “If you need me, I’m there, mon frère—that’s French for ‘my brother.’”
    “Gotcha,” Charlie said, then turned to Brooke. “So, you in?”
    She gave him a quick smile. “Sure.”
    “Great!” He looked at Violet. “C’mon, Violet…please? I really need you. We all do.”
    She stared at him for a moment, then nodded grudgingly. “Okay.”
    “Good,” the Headmaster said. “I’ll walk you far enough away from the Anomaly so that you can portal out, and I’ll keep the monsters off you while you do.”
    She strode away through the graveyard of wrecked ships. Charlie took one last look at the Guardian—so small, so fragile, so needy—then followed.

    They walked in silence. The broken bodies of the ancient boats loomed around them like the ghosts of giants.
    “There are likely more children stranded in the Nether,” the Headmaster said after a time. “Keep an eye out for them. Rescue them if you can.”
    “We will,” Charlie replied.
    “But, above all, fulfill your mission. Nothing is as important. Nothing. Or I wouldn’t have asked you to risk your lives.”
    She seemed gravely serious.
    Soon, they left the protection of the Guardian’s aura and headed toward the forest of razor-sharp, mustard-colored crystals that made up the rest of the 5th Ring. There was movement in them—shadowy things, dark and deadly.
    “A few more yards, and you should be able to portal,” the Headmaster said. She glanced disdainfully at Charlie’s bent rapier and Violet’s pitted dagger. “When you get to the Academy, outfit yourselves with new equipment. Those are Noob weapons.”
    “Does that mean we’re Addys now?” Violet asked expectantly.
    “Of course you are. Do you really think I’d send mere Noobs on a mission this dangerous?”
    “Yes!” Theodore shouted, then turned to Charlie and raised his hand for a high-five. “Don’t leave me hanging.”
    “Never.” Charlie clapped him on the hand, all the while thinking that Pinch wasn’t going to like their promotion very much.
    “By the way,” the Headmaster said, “would you please give a message from me