#10: Thunder Orca

I woke up slowly, Jon waving a Chinese fan in front of my face. “Agh!” I groaned, rubbing my head. “What happened?”

“You just found out you’re going to slowly die,” Mitch told me, “unless you hand over the Theoretical Physicists’ Stone.”

Yeah, that sounded just about right. Still, I paled considerably at the thought. Die or betray the world? That was a harsh ultimatum. My head whirled and I fainted again.

This time they woke me with a bucket of water. I jerked upright and spit a fountain of water from my mouth, coughing slightly. I realized that the bucket hadn’t been needed (Jon was a water/firebender). No one had moved since I had passed out. Slowly, I regained my feet, though still a little woozy.

“You’re not going to faint again are you?” Gizmo asked exasperatedly. “You’re worse than Frodo was in the first book!”

“I think I’m good,” I assured her.

“All right. It’s decision time. Hand over the stone or die a slow painful death.”

As much as I didn’t want the praying mantis babies to take over the world, dying slowly and painfully sounded even worse. I opened my mouth to give my answer but at that moment, the great stone ceiling above us collapsed in a flood of water. Jon quickly bent a bubble of air around us to prevent us from drowning. Thunder Orca burst in from the ceiling and gave a great wail:

“WOOOSHFLSADFGBNCVNOOAERFJRJGUHASNDPICYA#%W*)#)T&Q@jng!”

“He says he’s going to electrocute them!” Mitch cried.

“You speak whale?”

“Anyone can speak Thunder Orca!”

Thunder Orca gave another wail, emitting an immense electrical shock. One great bolt came zigzagging our way. Before it could hit us, I jumped, holding out two fingers. In slow motion, I took in the electricity and, using my firebending, shot it toward Gizmo.

“There’s my answer!” I shouted as Thunder Orca took us out of the castle and into the Black Lake.