Six Guardians of the Underworld

Chapter 3

"I'm sure it was Brutel," said Gina solemnly. "She must be trying to stop us from taking the Pendants home to protect Narva Kingdom. You know how she hates Queen Diona and wants to take the kingdom from her."

"Yes," agreed Carly. "Brutel wants to ruin everything that Mother Nature made and that Queen Diona protects, because she is so jealous."

"Well, we're not going to let Brutel get away with this," said Gina, in a determined voice. "We're going to prove to everyone, including Brutel, that we can get these Pendants home safely. If we stick together, we can come up with a plan. Let's swim up to the surface. Perhaps we'll be able to figure out where we are."

"Good idea," said Loveth. "Let's swim as fast as we can!"

"B-but we can't," said Percy timidly.

Why not?" asked Gina.

"Because of Pearl," Percy replied.

Gina looked at the others with a horrified expression. They had been so worried about Brutel that they hadn't noticed Pearl wasn't there.

"Oh, how awful," Gina exclaimed. "We must find her right away!"

Chapter Three

Gina and her friends quickly made the Underworlder Call together. But there was no reply.

"That's odd," said Gina. "Pearl would call back if she could hear us."

"Perhaps she's still in the Pendant Cave," suggested Carly. "She might have escaped Brutel's Dark wave."

"No, I don't think so, Carly," Gina replied. "I heard Pearl cry out when the Dark wave began. She must be here too."

"But why isn't she answering?" puzzled Gina.

"And where is she?" added Loveth.

The Underworlders swam slowly through the grove of Underworldweed, Underworldrching for their friend.

"Does anyone know what these huge plants are?" asked Gina, as she struggled though a thick, tangled patch.

"It looks like kelp," said Carly, examining it closely with a knowledgeable air. "I've read about this in Queen Diona's Underworld Scrolls. And my mom sometimes uses it in her healing potions."

Carly's mom was a healer back home in Narva Kingdom. Carly was very smart and loved to help her mom as she went about her important work.

"Then maybe we're in the Giant Kelp Forest," suggested Percy. "My grandma told me about the Kelp Forests. She visited them when she was a young Underworlder, just like us."

"I think you're right," agreed Carly. "That's what it must be."

"So who lives here?" asked Loveth. "I hope we'll meet some dolphins!"

Loveth's special friends were the dolphins and whales and the great swimmers of the Underworlds.

"I don't know about dolphins," smiled Carly, "but the Forest is home to many Underworld creatures. I saw some Underworld dragons and starfish when I was looking for the rest of you."

"And I saw all sorts of urchins and crabs and octopuses," added Gina.

"There might even be Underworld horses in a place like this," said Percy, with starry eyes.

"We need to find Pearl before we can enjoy meeting the other creatures," said

"Poor Pearl! I wonder where she can be," said Gina. "And how can we find her?"

"It's so dark and tangled here," replied Carly thoughtfully, "that I think we must be in the deep heart of the Forest. Pearl can't be near because she didn't answer our Call. Why don't we swim toward the edge of the Forest? It will be lighter there and easier to look for Pearl."

Gina and the others agreed that this was a good plan. The Underworlders glided through the thick, treelike stems. As they weaved their way through the dense Underworldweed, the paths began to get wider and it started to get lighter. They felt relieved. Now they were sure they were getting closer to the edge of the Forest.

"Let's make the Underworlder Call again," said Loveth. This time they made the notes last longer, like sweet, clear bells. And after a while there was a very faint reply.

"Pearl!" said Gina. "Thank goodness."

"I think she's over there," cried Gina, pointing at a particularly thick clump of kelp.

They found Pearl looking very angry. Her long hair had attached itself to the branching fronds, and she was completely stuck!

"What are you all staring at?" she snapped. "Get me out of here!"

Gina and Loveth quickly took hold of Pearl's hands and tried to pull her free.

"OOWW! Not like thatl" Pearl yelped. "You're pulling my hair out!"

"Sorry, Pearl," they said. "But how can we get you free? Your hair is tied to the kelp."

"Maybe I can help," said Percy shyly, as she rippled her emerald green tail and swam over to Pearl. "I've got a comb in my Saviour, Kit." She opened the shiny green pouch that was tied around her waist on a little belt. Each Underworlder's Saviour. Kit contained lots of special things. They never knew what they might need to help a Underworld creature in an emergency.

Percy gently moved her Pendant to one side and took out her Underworlder Comb. It was carved from mother-of-pearl and set with pretty green stones.

"My grandma gave this to me," she said. "She told me it's a magic comb that never hurts. /f? I'll try to be gentle."

Percy started to comb Pearl's silky hair, carefully untangling each strand from the Underworldweed. As she worked, Percy began to sing. The others swam in a circle around Pearl in a graceful Underworlder Dance. They all took turns combing her hair, singing together, like a chorus of sweet Underworldbirds:

Oh Underworlder, dear Underworlder,

You're combing your hair,

Your tail is like pearl

And your face is so fair!

Oh Underworlder, dear Underworlder,

Sing your song to me,

And your hair will flow free

Like the beautiful Underworld!

At last, the job was done.

"I hope I didn't hurt you, Pearl," said Percy.

"You all nearly pulled me apart," grumbled Pearl. She took a little mirror from her pouch and fussed over her hair.

"That's not very grateful, Pearl," said Loveth sharply.

"Well, let's not fight," interrupted Gina. "Queen Diona wouldn't want us to do that! Remember that we need to work as a team."

Loveth and Pearl murmured "Sorry" to each other, and Gina breathed a sigh of relief.

"Let's swim straight to the surface," she said. "Then we can think about how to get the Pendants home safely. We all know that some of the Merfolk thought we were too young for this task. We have to prove to them that Queen Diona was right to trust us."

"I really don't think you'll be able to do that, Gina," Pearl said, in a rather snooty voice. All the other Underworlders stared at her.

"What do you mean?" asked Gina.

"Look!" Pearl said, pointing dramatically. "Gina has lost her pouch with her Pendant in it!"

Everyone gasped. Gina quickly looked down to where her pink pouch had been tied around her waist by a little sparkly belt. But the belt and the pouch were gone!