Kaps by Christina Bauer

Author:Christina Bauer [Bauer, Christina]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781945723537
Publisher: Monster House Books

35

Kaps

I step through a line of trees and into a small clearing. A few yards ahead, a lopsided structure stands before a towering cliff wall.

Found it. The L’Griffe cabin.

And it’s midnight on the nose. Go me.

The dwelling is a jumble of cockeyed wooden boards, janky nails and tar. Moonlight glints off the dirty windows. Stepping inside, I find a large and empty room that holds a massive fireplace. Dozens of boxes stand stacked against one wall. A few dusty chairs line the floor. The place looks totally deserted.

Distant thuds and grunts sound from far above me. Audax must still on the hunt. Guess killing that park ranger wasn’t enough for them. There’s no time to waste and a single question to ask.

Where’s that relic anyway?

I’ve been in situations like this one before. Sometimes people get fancy and hide things under floorboards or behind a loose fireplace brick. That’s rare. More often that not, folks just jam stuff in a box without knowing it has any value. So that’s where I start my search.

I yank open the nearest container. For some reason, it’s stuffed with cleaning supplies. Not sure why they need eight cans of Comet in a deserted cabin, but it seems they do. There’s also soap and a bunch of scrub brushes. Someone in L’Griffe must be a neatnik.

The next box is packed with do it yourself junk. There are rolls of duct tape. Cans of spray glue. And way too much string. What’s this all about? Are the L’Griffe doing arts and crafts in the woods? I’m about to move on to the next container when I see it.

A small manilla envelope sits at the bottom of the box.

Come to Kaps.

At last, here’s something interesting. I scoop up the envelope and my tail slices it open. Reaching inside, I pull out something that’s both unexpected and awesome.

No, it’s not a recipe for Essence.

But it is a comic book.

And not just any comic book, but the very first issue of El Dorado Adventures. As in the only thing missing from my collection. I grip the publication against my chest.

Issue number one, how I’ve dreamt of you!

With trembling fingers, I gingerly open the cover. Sure enough, there’s the Sentinel, a warrior who has taken upon himself to protect the magical city of El Dorado. The Sentinel wears brown body leathers and a perma-scowl on his tanned face. He trudges along a deserted beach. A thought bubble hovers above his head.

I have been summoned to protect El Dorado, thinks the Sentinel.

Suddenly, the words on the page change.

I squint.

Do a double take.

And pull the comic in for a closer look.

Sure enough, the text has completely transformed. The thought bubble no longer reads, I have been summoned to protect El Dorado.

Now the Sentinel thinks, I can lead you to the Halcyon’s den.

My eyes widen with shock. The creators of the El Dorado Adventures didn’t just catch some of the vibe from the Halcyon. They clearly caught some of the magic as well.

This is so cool, I can’t stand it.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.