About the Author
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Onk Beakman has devoted his life to chronicling the
greatest adventures of the Skylanders. Though he was hatched on
the icy wastes of Skylands’s Frozen Desert, this book-loving
penguin now lives in a shack on the beautiful sands of Blistering
Beach with his two pet cucumbers.
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Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
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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 a, 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 y. “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 ped.
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 c, the propeller bounced off the statue and ricocheted
in the direction of the stands.
The crowd screamed.
There was no time to lose. Drobot 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 cing down, the Storm Titan
threw himself forward, stretching out his muscular arms to shield
Master Eon and the king.
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