Sparrow Stone is your average teenage kid. Has a life at school, helps his mother with things around the house, and swings around the city of New York as a crime-fighting spider.
Ever since his powers surfaced just a few weeks ago, he vowed to use t...
We flew over the forest for what felt like hours. My time and direction was all turned around, so I had absolutely no idea what to think. Phantom wasn't much help either. He kept on moaning, Ohhh, no. Riptide's taking us to his house. He's going to barbecue us. "Seriously? I don't even think dragons know how to do that." I said. They have fire breath! They're the masters of barbecues! Maybe we should fully bind ourselves and take down the monster. He yelled. I sighed, "Look, I told you I don't want to do the fully-bind whatever thing. It sounds dangerous. And another thing, Riptide saved us!" Riptide flapped his wings and looked back at me. He gave a toothy grin and kept flying. The trees passed below us, and I got the strangest feeling that the branches were moving. Most of the time we were flying, I watched the scenery below, thinking where the heck could the others be. Riptide finally landed in a small clearing. He yawned and plopped down in the middle of the walkway. "Yeah, you deserve some rest," I said, patting the dragon's head. Phantom sighed, I still can't sense anything. You have to rely on your spider senses now. "Okay, doesn't sound so bad." I said, looking into the woods. I was right about the branches moving; the wind rustled across the tips of them, swinging them in all directions. I thought it was a little unnerving being in a dark forest, but I did have a dragon on my side. Although he was sound asleep. I stepped over a rock and quickly tapped my symbol. Light flooded across the ground, giving me a little more vision into the forest. It was scary, no doubt. Trees loomed above me, creating a huge canopy where I couldn't even see the sky. Giant webs were attached to the trunks of the trees, which I felt very uncomfortable about. The ground was probably the most messed up of the place. It looked normal enough until you got closer. The ground was littered with tiny crystals. Some glowed blue, green, red, purple, even gold and silver. They stuck up in clumps like mushrooms around the bottom of the trees, some were just scattered around the forest floor. "This is so weird," I muttered. I kneeled down and touched a red crystal. A warm feeling shot up my arm and spread throughout my body. Whatever it was, it was a nice way to warm up. Reaching towards a bright blue one, Phantom snickered, I wouldn't do that if I were you. "I'm not you," I said. I set my finger cautiously on the tip. A jolt of electricity sparked across the surface and shocked my entire body. I jumped backwards, "Ow! Jeez, that hurts!" Told you, brainless. Phantom howled with laughter. "Shh," I suddenly straitened up, "Do you hear that?" A slow scuffling sound scraped towards our clearing. The crystals dimmed, like they sensed danger. I backed up, "What kind of monsters are on your world again?" Phantom thought for a second, Serpents. This place is like a dragon's horde. "Oh great," I sighed. I turned the light off and went over to Riptide, "Uh, Riptide? I think you should get up now." Snore. That's when I saw it.
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It reminded me of one of those lizards you'd find in a desert. Only this guy had wings and lava incrusted scales. "How many dragons am I gonna run into?!" I yelled, hopping back. Unlike Riptide, the dragon had a fierce demeanor. His expression was like, You're on my property. I have to eat you now. "Riptide, wake up!" I yelped as the boulder dragon lumbered forward. All I wanted to do was just run away and go home. I hated to admit it, but I was a lost kid that had no idea what he was doing. The dragon opened its mouth and roared, black spit spraying across the ground. Where the spit had hit, the ground sizzled and fried the crystals into misshaped lumps of goop. Let's not let him spit on us, Phantom gulped. The dragon stepped around Riptide, who was snoring peacefully. It bared its fangs and belched a cloud of toxic gas. I jumped out of the way just in time as the tree behind me groaned and melted. "You're just all poison aren't you?" I looked up at the smoldering eyes. DON'T LOOK AT IT! Phantom shouted. My eyes burned, "I-I can't . . . " The dragon stared me down, growling. If you've ever looked at the sun for too long, you're eyes start to burn and feel like someone's poking them out, right? So multiply that by five, and you're pretty close to where I am. Finally, a loud scream made the dragon look away. I fell backwards, my eyes squeezed shut, my brain feeling like mush. Something was going on around me, but I didn't open my eyes. My head hurt too much. Oh great. Just great. Phantom sighed, You're saved. A voice above me sounded, "Hey, Sparrow? You okay?" "Peter?" I asked, still not opening my eyes. "He'sss alive." a familiar second voice hissed. "Don't talk so loud," I grumbled, sitting up and opening my eyes a little. Anti-Venom and the gang leaned over me, smiling. Or at least they looked like it. It was hard to tell with their sharp teeth and big mouths. "Can you- ow, get- give me some space!" I rolled away from them and got up unsteadily. "Woah, man you okay?" Spidey asked. "Fine," I took off my mask and rubbed my eyes, "Felt like my brain was getting grilled, but fine now." Riptide yawned and kept on sleeping. "What about this River Guardian?" Anti-Venmo asked, "Is he protecting you?" "River guardian? I- yeah I guess." I looked over at him, but my eyes could only make out blobs at the moment. "We should camp here for now," Spidey said, sitting down beside Riptide, "Tomorrow we gotta find a way home. And maybe take down Kaine on the way." "I hope so." I growled, plopping next to them, "Might as well hunt the Hunter."
