aChapter 2
Many lands away, a young wizard challenged a superhero baby to a magic ball game in the air. The two boys swept majestically over sparkling water as they ducked and dived in battle for the elusive sphere. Without warning however, the magic ball seemed to lose flight power and plummeted towards the earth, whistling through the air before plunging into the emerald green of the ocean with a loud crash! It floated majestically, swaying to the sea bed before landing softly upon the lid of a partly submerged chest that lay illuminated gloomily by a swathe of light from a watching angler fish. The superhero baby and wizard swooped down to the shore of the ocean and pondered their next move. Beneath the waves, a shark swept regally past and noticed the shadows of the visitors on the shore, he surfaced and asked,
“Why are you gazing out to sea? For what do you look?”
The wizard and the baby glanced at each other in surprise, although this was an enchanted realm, they had never spoken with a shark before. The shark smiled, a smile altogether menacing, yet beautiful at the same time. Nervously, the wizard relayed their problem.
“I’ll help…” he grinned before he also disappeared beneath the surface.
The shark descended to the gloom and began his search for the ball. As he looked, he noticed the dim rays of an angler fish and approached warily. The angler fish thrashed at the shark to warn him to keep clear, but it was too late, the shark had already spotted the ball resting on the box on the sea bed. The shark gently grasped the box and the ball in his huge jaws before he began his rise to the surface.
The wizard and his baby friend gasped as the magnificent beast broke from the surface of the water; circles of waves flowed from his body as he glided to the shore and placed his find on the sandy ground. The wizard inched forward, wary of his seemingly nice new friend, cautious of his pearly white, startlingly bright smile. The wizard looked before turning to his companion,
“This is our ball alright, but I have no idea who this treasure chest belongs to!”
Superhero baby, who had a dislike of water, floated into the air and hovered above the find.
“Open it…but be careful, sometimes nothing good comes from stuff that has been so carefully hidden.”
The shark pondered on what had been said and bid his farewell,
“I have no liking for unpleasant surprises my friends, I wish you luck, but will return now to the depths…”
With a graceful swish and a flick of his sleek tail, the shark glided away, the echo of the friends’ thank you following him as he left.
The wizard swept years of silt, seaweed and barnacles from the chest, revealing ancient writing.
“What do you think it says?”
“I have no idea, there’s only one way to find out.”
