The red dirt of Valoria disappears. The ground becomes white and smooth. The air is no longer hot and smoky. It is cool and smells like old books and rain. The four friends walk through a forest of silver trees. The leaves are not green. They are clear like glass. They make a soft tinkling sound in the wind.
This is the Kingdom of Honoria. It is the land of wisdom.
Everett carries the Sword of Daring. The red crystal blade glows in the dim light. It feels warm against his side.
"Everything is so quiet here," Robbie whispers. He clutches the bag with the Blue Ball.
"Honoria is a place for thinking," Clara says. She walks in front. Her blue robes flow around her feet. "The people here do not fight with swords. They fight with ideas."
Suddenly, the path in front of them splits into three. Each path looks exactly the same.
"Which way do we go?" Audacia asks. she looks at the silver trees.
A voice comes from the air. It is not a scary voice. It is a voice that sounds like many people talking at once.
"Welcome, Chosens," the voice says. "To find the Mirror of Truth, you must see past the lie."
In front of the three paths, three statues appear. Each statue looks like Everett.
The first statue points to the left. "This path leads to gold and glory!" it says.
The second statue points to the right. "This path leads to a way home!" it says.
The third statue points to the middle. It does not speak. It holds a small, plain hand mirror.
"The statues look just like you, Everett!" Robbie says. "Which one is telling the truth?"
Everett looks at the first statue. It looks very proud. It wears a crown. He looks at the second statue. It looks very happy. It holds a plate of cookies from the neighborhood.
"Egomania is trying to trick us," Everett says. He remembers the dragon. "The dragon wants us to want things for ourselves. He wants us to be greedy."
Clara opens her Rulebook. The pages glow with a silver light.
"Rule Number Eleven!" Clara reads. "Rule Number Eleven says: The shiny thing is not always the prize."
Clara walks to the third statue. She looks at the plain hand mirror. She takes the Blue Ball from Robbie's bag and holds it near the glass.
The iridescent light of the marble hits the mirror. A beam of white light shoots out. It hits the middle path. The silver trees on that path turn into a beautiful garden of blue flowers. The other two paths turn into deep, dark holes.
"That is the way," Clara says.
They walk down the middle path. At the end of the garden, they find a giant lake. The water is as still as a mirror. In the center of the lake, a small island sits. On the island stands a tall silver frame.
This is the Mirror of Truth.
But as they step toward the water, a giant shadow covers the garden. The ground shakes. The silver trees shatter.
"You think you are wise?" a loud, booming voice roars.
It is Egomania. He does not show his body. He is just a giant, glowing eye in the sky. The eye is made of a thousand mirrors.
"You are just children playing a game!" the Dragon laughs. "You are weak! You are nothing without your toys!"
The wind knocks the kids down. Robbie drops the bag. The Blue Ball rolls toward the lake.
"The Ball!" Robbie screams.
Everett stands up. He grips the Sword of Daring. The red crystal flares bright.
"We are not just playing!" Everett shouts at the sky. "We are friends! And friends are real!"
He runs to the water. He grabs the Blue Ball just before it falls in. He hands it back to Robbie.
Clara reaches the island. She touches the Mirror of Truth. The glass becomes clear. She sees the four of them in the reflection. They do not look like knights. They look like the kids from the cul-de-sac. They are holding hands.
"The truth is," Clara whispers, "we are stronger together."
The Mirror of Truth glows. A white light explodes from the island. It hits the giant eye in the sky.
Egomania screams. The shadow vanishes. The sky turns clear again.
Clara picks up the Mirror of Truth. It is small enough to fit in her hand now.
"We have the second gift," she says.
They stand by the lake. They have the Sword and the Mirror. They feel stronger, but they know the Dragon is getting closer.