Excerpts

Chapter One "Ladies and gentlemen, we are proud to present the greatest champion Skylands has ever known--Lightning Rod!" The crowd went wild as soon as Lightning Rod's name was announced. They cheered; they clapped; they threw their hats in the air. A couple of Rotting Robbies even threw their heads in the air . . . but the less said about that the better. Lightning Rod was the most popular participant in the annual Storm Titan Games. In fact, some said he was the most popular participant in the event's entire history. No one had won as many medals as he had, and no one else had had anywhere near as many statues carved in his or her image. They were everywhere you looked: Rod throwing a lightning bolt; Rod running a marathon; Rod lifting an entire herd of saber-tusked elephants stacked on top of each other. There was even a statue of Rod snoring his beard off. Even when asleep, Rod was the most impressive specimen for miles around. No one performed like Rod, no one flexed their muscles like Rod, and no one polished off as many eggs for breakfast as Rod. In the crowd, Pop Fizz bounced up and down in his seat as everyone's favorite Storm Titan made his way into the arena. "Hey, watch it!" said Cali, as the excitable alchemist slopped potion all over her. "You're spilling that stuff everywhere!" "Whoops, sorry," apologized Pop Fizz, before taking a slug from the bottle. There was a puff of smoke and the distinct whiff of brimstone, and Pop Fizz transformed into a hairy beast with more teeth than was healthy. "I'm just so pumped up to be here," he rumbled, suddenly taking up twice as much room as he had before his transformation. "Go Lightning! Go Lightning!" "Stop moving," snapped Drobot from the other side of Pop Fizz. "You are interfering with my visual circuits!" With a gurgle, Pop Fizz shrank back to his normal size. "Whoops again," he spluttered, his eyes spinning from the sudden metamorphosis. "This is exciting though, isn't it? I mean, look at this place." Drobot had to admit that the arena was spectacular. Over a billion games had been played here, and every year the Storm Titans added more seats. The stands stretched for miles and seated millions of spectators, all of whom were now looking expectantly at Lightning Rod. The amazing blue hero stood in the middle of the field, soaking up the applause, flexing his bulging muscles, and flashing a blinding smile. Cali was grinning, too. Rod was in his element here, surrounded by his adoring fans. Yes, Cali knew that Rod loved being a Skylander, protecting the magical realm of Skylands from the forces of Darkness, but he was also massively proud of his sporting accomplishments. They all were. "Do you think he's going to do it?" Pop Fizz asked, half-raising a soda bottle to his lips before being stopped by Drobot. "Do you think he's going to break the record?" "There is a ninety-nine-point-nine-nine-nine percent probability that Rod will triumph." "Eh?" said Pop Fizz, looking completely bewildered. "He said yes," whispered Cali as a hush fell over the crowd. In the royal box, the king of the Storm Titans had raised his hands. "My friends," he boomed, his voice like a thousand thunderstorms rolled into one. "Please be silent for our guest of honor." Beside the king stood a tall thin man, leaning heavily on a crystal-topped staff. It was Master Eon, Skylands' greatest Portal Master. Master Eon had been asked to open this year's games, but he looked so old and tired. Cali frowned. She knew the last few weeks had been tough for the ancient wizard, but she'd hoped the excitement of the games would revive him. Still, the Portal Master smiled as he drew himself up, his eyes resting on Lightning Rod far below. "People of Skylands," Master Eon said, his voice magically amplified around the stadium. "It is my pleasure to pronounce these games . . . open." A buzz of excitement rippled around the assembled throng. "And without further ado, we shall enjoy the first event--the five-hundred-ton hammer throw. And our first contender, Lightning Rod!" The crowd roared once again as Lightning Rod approached the massive metal ball and chain at the center of the field. It was twice the size of the Titan, and yet he grabbed the heavy chain without hesitation. Straining he began to spin the ball around, faster and faster, electricity crackling up and down the metal links. Cali couldn't help but be impressed. She often worked with the Skylanders, training them to use their powers, but she'd never seen Lightning Rod lift something this heavy, let alone spin it around. "He's gonna win," Pop Fizz was babbling, almost beside himself. "He's gonna get the gold. I just know it." But Drobot didn't say anything. Cali turned and saw he wasn't looking at Lightning Rod, but into the sky. "What's wrong?" she asked, the fur on the back of her neck bristling. "That is wrong," Drobot replied, pointing toward the clouds with a claw. Cali turned to see a solitary balloon drifting high above them. "If Lightning Rod lets go of the hammer . . ." Cali didn't need him to complete the sentence. Worst of all, she knew who owned the balloon. It was Flynn, the so-called "best pilot in all of Skylands," and someone who seemed to have a knack for flying into trouble. The guy had an ego the size of an entire island, but he'd helped the Skylanders time and time again. "We've got to warn them!" Cali cried out. "Too late," reported Drobot as the Storm Titan let go of the chain and flung the hammer into the air. It rocketed up, soaring over the heads of the crowd . . . straight for Flynn's balloon. Chapter Two Everything happened so fast. Before Cali could shout a warning, the hammer zoomed out of the stadium and hit the balloon's basket. There was a flash of blinding light and the craft went into a spin, its propeller snapping off. The balloon went one way and the propeller went another. The crowd gasped. Drobot calculated the trajectory of the rogue propeller. It was heading straight for one of the many statues of Rod. The balloon, meanwhile, was in free fall, plummeting toward where Master Eon was sitting. With a crash, the propeller bounced off the statue and ricocheted in the direction of the stands. The crowd screamed. There was no time to lose. Drobot shot into the air, shouting over his shoulder, "You deal with the propeller. I will stop the balloon!" The crowd scattered as the whirling blades spun toward them. Beside Cali, Pop Fizz downed an entire bottle of potion and transformed into his fuzzy beast form. "Let's play ball," he growled, grabbing an empty bench. Just as the propeller was about to plow into the fleeing spectators, Pop Fizz swung the bench like a baseball bat and whacked the blades out of harm's way. Meanwhile, on the playing field, Lightning Rod had raced over to the royal box. As the balloon came crashing down, the Storm Titan threw himself forward, stretching out his muscular arms to shield Master Eon and the king. Excerpted from Lightning Rod Faces the Cyclops Queen by Unknown All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.