The Adventures of Billy the Chimera Hunter

By D.Z. Mah

This collection contains the previously published stories:

Billy Chan and the Case of the Pengurtles
Billy Chan and the Little Lost Orcoose
Billy Chan and the Fronine Invasion
Billy Chan and the Walrar Bear Abduction
Billy Chan Goes Where the Sheelephants Roam
Billy Chan Chases a Burkey through Albuquerque
Billy Chan Rescues a Moark Named Mark
Billy Chan and the Stinky Goatopus
Billy Chan Goes to the World of the Felidavians
Billy Chan and the Clash of the Bungolins
Billy Chan and Operation Bager
Billy Chan and the Giraffigator Showdown

Penguins with turtle shells kidnapped my parents on our family vacation, and that's how I learned I'm a chimera hunter. Chimeras are mythical creatures who look like mixed up versions of regular animals, and they visit from other worlds sometimes. Only chimera hunters can follow them back into their worlds.

When you're a kid, that gets complicated.

Hi, my name is Billy Chan, and I'm the main character in this book. Sounds weird for a book character to say that, huh? Most of us have no idea that we aren't real, living, breathing people. So why do I know this, and why do I tell you that I know this?Because in this book you're going to help me make some big decisions. You can make safe or risky decisions and change the end of the story.

In life, you want to learn to make safe decisions, but in books, you should feel free to take risks. That's part of the fun.No matter what crazy decisions you ask me to make, I'll be just fine.

Come join me on my first ever adventure!

• Language: English
• Publisher: WorkHorse Productions, Inc.
• Release date: Nov 26, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393638667

Book preview

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Pippa Parvin and the Mystery of the Fork in the Garden

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which are followed by:

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Pippa Parvin and the Mystery of the Vanished Matchbox Car

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Billy the Chimera Hunter

The Adventures of Billy the Chimera Hunter

is a collection that contains all of the following Billy the Chimera Hunter stories:

Billy Chan and the Case of the Pengurtles

Billy Chan and the Little Lost Orcoose

Billy Chan and the Fronine Invasion

Billy Chan and the Walrar Bear Abduction

Billy Chan Goes Where the Sheelephants Roam

Billy Chan Chases a Burkey Through Albuquerque

Billy Chan Rescues a Moark Named Mark

Billy Chan and the Stinky Goatopus

Billy Chan Goes to the World of the Felidavians

Billy Chan and the Clash of the Bungolins

Billy Chan and Operation Bager

Billy Chan and the Giraffigator Showdown

Table of Contents

Title Page

Other Little Books of BIG Choices

Introduction

Billy Chan and the Case of the Pengurtles

Billy Chan and the Little Lost Orcoose

Billy Chan and the Fronine Invasion

Billy Chan and the Walrar Bear Abduction

Billy Chan Goes Where the Sheelephants Roam

Billy Chan Chases a Burkey Through Albuquerque

Billy Chan Rescues a Moark Named Mark

Billy Chan and the Stinky Goatopus

Billy Chan Goes to the World of the Felidavians

Billy Chan and the Clash of the Bungolins

Billy Chan and Operation Bager

Billy Chan and the Giraffigator Showdown

About the Author

Copyright Notice

Introduction

Hi, my name is Billy Chan, and I’m the main character in this book. Sounds weird for a book character to say that, huh? Most of us have no idea that we aren’t real, living, breathing people. So why do I know this, and why do I tell you that I know this?

Because in this book, you’re going to help me make some big decisions. You can make safe or risky decisions and change the end of the story.

In life, you want to learn to make safe decisions, but in books, you should feel free to take risks. That’s part of the fun.

No matter what crazy decisions you ask me to make, I’ll be just fine.

Come join me on my first ever adventure!

The Pirate Ride

We are in line for the pirate ride when disaster strikes.

For my parents, at least.

You have to be shorter than this to ride the ride, says the ride operator. He points to a sign that is taller than me, but way shorter than my parents. Kids ride this alone. It’s a kids’ ride. He sounds bored when he talks, like he doesn’t even remember that he controls who goes on an epic, pirate adventure.

And let’s be clear, I am going on this ride. It’s indoors, and the building has a giant pirate ship painted on the side. Right by the door is a big pile of gold coins. Well, they’re plastic coins that look like gold, except where the gold foil has peeled off. It doesn’t matter that they’re fake, though. They still look cool.

Beside the pile of coins is a rolled-up treasure map made out of thick plastic that is all worn at one end where people keep putting their hands through the fence and touching it. I don’t care about that either. It also looks cool!

Next to these is a big boulder.

It’s a weird-looking boulder. I don’t understand what it’s supposed to add. It doesn’t look like it belongs. Whoever put that decoration there wasn’t having the greatest day.

But I don’t care. I still want to go on the ride. Each car is a little pirate ship with a big plastic sail.

And the ships are small. My parents wouldn’t even fit in one of them.

Still, they stand there looking at me like maybe they won’t let me go.

Come on! I say. It’s a kids’ ride. Let me go. All the other parents are letting their kids go.

Mom is not happy with that argument. I see her ready to say, If all the other kids were jumping off a cliff, would you do that too?

Um... no. Obviously not. I don’t know why adults say ridiculous stuff like that. This isn’t a cliff, this is a ride. This is in a park my parents paid to get into today, probably because all their friends told them it was a good place to go.

Rather than fight, though, I give Mom my best, most hopeful smile.

Please? I say. It’s made for people my size.

The ride operator is starting to look annoyed, like my parents’ are being the unruly kids in class. The line needs to move forward, and they’re just standing there. I’m about to lose my shot.

Please? I beg.

You can pick him up at the exit, around the side of the building, says the ride operator.

Mom presses her lips together, then says, Okay. Have fun, Billy.

Yes!

We’ll see you on the other side, says Dad. You better tell us all about it. I’m jealous we can’t go.

That’s when I figure out this is Mom’s problem. She is looking at the little pirate ships like she wishes she could go.

I promise to tell you all about it, I say.

The ride operator points at my pirate ship and I climb in and pull down the safety bar.

Stay in the ride! Mom shouts.

You know, I wouldn’t have thought of getting out of the pirate ship. I wonder why Mom would even suggest that?

Cool air blows across my face as the pirate ship lurches forward into the dark. This is it! I’m on my way to the high seas and the hidden coves and caves full of treasure.

My ship pitches back and starts up a steep ramp. The lights go out and it is so dark I can barely tell if I have my eyes open or closed.

Up ahead I hear twangy music, like someone playing the banjo, and rough voices singing about stolen ships and treasure. I hear the splash and gurgle of water. The adventure is about to begin!

The music stops. My pirate ship stops. A door opens in the wall to my left, blinding me with light, and a girl leans out. You there, she says. Come with me right now. It’s about your parents. Something has happened to them.

The girl is wearing cutoff jeans and a filthy t-shirt, and I don’t know her. Meanwhile, on the other side of my pirate ship, I can see a set of stairs going down towards where I got on. That way, I know I can get out of the ride and find my parents.

What should I do?

Go with the girl.

Go out to look for my parents.

Okay, I’m back on the pirate ride, and this time I am not going with that girl who told me to get off. I’m making a different choice!

Looking for My Parents

You are smart; you know that? This is the safer decision. Never, ever go with a stranger who says something has happened to your parents. That’s a lie dangerous people sometimes tell kids. Also, just because the person trying to get me off the ride is also a kid, that doesn’t mean she’s safe. A stranger is a stranger.

The filthy clothes also make her not seem very nice, but that doesn’t really matter. Even if she had clean clothes, that doesn’t make her safe.

The girl walks through the door and starts towards me.

I push up the safety bar, jump out the other side of my pirate ship, and run down the stairs.

Hey! she shouts.

But I’m already near the bottom of the stairs and I can see the light up ahead.

When I reach the entrance of the ride, the ride operator looks at me in surprise.

A girl stopped the ride, I tell him. She told me to go with her and that something had happened to my parents.

He gets up from his seat and says, Okay, let me see what’s going on. Do you feel safe to go around to the exit where your parents are waiting?

There are a lot of people walking past the ride, and the way to the ride exit is wide open. Nobody can grab me without being seen, so if anyone tries to, I can yell. I can shout that the person is a stranger, and that way people will know I’m in danger.

Yes, I say.

All right. He pulls out his radio and starts to explain to someone, That girl’s in the ride again. She’s thrown the switch and tried to get this kid to go with her.

Again? says the voice on the radio. All right, let’s see if we can get her this time.

Wait, I say. This is a regular thing?

Out of the corner of my eye, I see a flash of black and white. I turn to look and—I swear I’m not lying—I see a penguin leaning out from behind a tree across the path. It waves a flipper at me and then disappears. I should also mention, this park is in the tropics. There are palm trees here, and the air is very hot and sticky.

I look around, but nobody else seems to have seen the penguin.

This day is getting really, really weird.

The ride operator unclips the chain so that I can go past the line of people waiting to get on the ride and walk around to the exit, a door that is painted to look like the mouth of a cave. It’s so cool.

I glance back at the pile of fake gold coins by the entrance and notice the boulder that was there before is gone. It looked too big and heavy for someone to pick up and carry off.

Well, there are enough other things going on that I shouldn’t worry about the park’s decorating decisions. I look around for my parents, but they don’t seem to be in the crowd waiting by the exit. Maybe they went to a gift shop or to get a drink while I was on the ride?

No... that doesn’t make sense. My parents were worried about me going on the ride by myself. I know them. They would have come straight here to wait for me.

Young man? says a woman walking up behind me. She has red hair pulled back in a ponytail and is wearing a park uniform, but she pulls something out of her pocket and shows it to me. I’m a CIA agent, she says. Agent Blue. Are your parents here?

I look at the badge carefully. It’s made out of metal, not plastic like the pile of fake coins, and it is very clean and shiny. There isn’t even a tiny scratch on it. It says CIA at the top and has numbers at the bottom.

What’s your name? she asks. If your parents are missing, I will help you find them. Also, have you seen any penguins in turtle shells running around? I can explain those, too. You were smart not to go with that girl in the ride.

I see another flash of black and white out of the corner of my eye. This time it disappears behind a trash can that is about a dozen feet away. Once more, I see a penguin peek out from behind the trash and wave at me.

Young man? asks the woman. What’s your name?

This is all really, really weird.

What should I do?

Trust that Agent Blue is a CIA agent.

Go chase after the penguin.

I’m back by the exit to the ride and have found my parents are missing. Agent Blue has walked up to me and shown me her badge. This time, though, I’m not going with her. I’m making a different choice.

Chase that Penguin-thing!

Don’t ever do this in real life. It’s definitely risky! I break away from the woman who says she’s a CIA agent and run after the penguin that has ducked behind the trash can.

Wait! shouts the woman.

But her voice sounds strange and distant. The world feels like it’s tilting, and the next thing I know, I’m not in the park anymore. Soft sand is under my feet and there is endless sky above. The sound of waves crashing let’s me know there’s a beach nearby, and I’m surrounded by palm trees.

And a boulder. There is a large boulder right next to me that looks the same as the one by the pile of gold coins.

Um... I say. You wouldn’t happen to be a penguin in a turtle shell, would you?

A penguin head pops out of the shell and looks at me with beady black eyes. I jump back, startled. Whoa.

Billy Chan? it asks as two flippers and two webbed feet also appear. It pushes itself upright.

How do you know my name?

We were listening. We followed you around in the park. We wanted to talk to you.

What are you? I ask.

I’m a pengurtle.

A what?

Before the pengurtle can answer, someone comes flying at us yelling, "Hiiiiyah!"

Whoever it is lands on the pengurtle, knocking him over. He withdraws into his shell, which starts rolling away across the sand.

The person responsible looks after it, nodding with satisfaction.

When she turns around, I see that it is the girl who stopped the pirate ride. She’s got jet black hair and hazel eyes and is a couple of years older than me, I would guess.

That, she says, pointing to the rolling shell, is a pengurtle. A type of chimera.

What’s a ky-mare-uh?

A mythical creature that looks like a combination of two other creatures, she says. Like a griffon is a mix of an eagle and a lion.

Are griffons real?

I don’t know, she says. I’ve never seen one. Most real chimeras are kind of goofy looking, like pengurtles. She holds out a hand to me. Cassie, she says. Like you, I’m a chimera hunter.

Whoa, what? I ask. I’m not a hunter.

Okay, so you don’t have to actually hunt to be a chimera hunter. We have the ability to follow chimeras into the places where they come from. She waves a hand at the sandy island around us. This is the pengurtle world. Most people can’t get here, but a few of us have the superpower. That’s why I tried to get you off the ride, silly.

Um, what does the ride have to do with anything?

The pengurtles were going to ambush you on the ride. I saved you, and what do you do? Go running off and let them ambush you again. Honestly... She rolls her eyes.

You said something happened to my parents, I say.

Yeah, the pengurtles kidnapped them. The pengurtles want you to take an oath to never hunt or hurt them.

I don’t hunt.

Well, we don’t hunt to kill or anything, says Cassie. We trap dangerous chimeras sometimes if they’re going to hurt other people. Come with me, though. Let’s go meet the crew.

She starts walking off, and I do not want to be stuck here alone, so I run after her. The fact that she was both in the park and here makes me hope that there’s a way back to the park.

We reach an empty stretch of beach with the smoldering remains of a campfire in a firepit. Huh, says Cassie. I bet they’re in the pirate cave. You wanna go see that?

Pirate cave? I ask.

Yeah, come on.

She leads me along the beach a ways until we reach a big, rocky hill.

It’s high tide, she warns me as she wades out into the water. Can you swim?

How far? I ask.

Not far. You can hold on to the rocks the whole way. Come on. She pushes off into the water and swims around the hill and out of sight.

I quickly jump into the ice-cold water to follow her and soon see her black hair bobbing along.

We swim around to what turns out to be the mouth of a cave and then swim inside.

Inside, the hill is hollow and there’s an open space high above us that lets the sunlight in.

I barely notice that, though. What I notice is the giant pirate ship floating right ahead of me.

Yeah, cool, huh? says Cassie. We don’t know how it got here. If a pirate chimera hunter sailed here by accident or what, but it gets cooler.

She swims over to a little beach and climbs out of the water. Come on, she says.

I hear voices and laughter coming from the back of the cave. Hey guys! she shouts.

The voices go quiet.

Cassie beckons to me and walks into what proves to be a small passage that opens out into another, smaller cave which is lit by a fire. Given I’m soaking wet, the heat from the flames feels great. The smoke escapes out a little chimney hole in the ceiling. In this cave are a rough wooden table and chair and four other kids, all about Cassie’s age. They’re sitting on the floor or on outcroppings from the walls.

This is my crew, says Cassie. Everyone this is... what’s your name? she asks me.

Billy, I say.

Billy! she announces. Everyone say hi to Billy, the newest chimera hunter.

The other kids all say hello. Like Cassie, their clothing is dirty and torn.

Do you guys live here? I ask.

Yeah, says Cassie. For now. We move around. We gotta ask you to do something for us.

What’s that? I ask.

Don’t tell the CIA where we are, she says.

Wait, was that lady I met a real CIA agent?

Yes... says everyone in the room.

Agent Blue, says Cassie. We all avoid her. I mean, fine if you want to talk to her and help the CIA, but don’t ever help them find us. Can you promise us that?

Yeah, I say. I promise.

Cool, come get a coin, says a boy across the room from me. He points, and in the flickering firelight, I see a wooden chest full of gold coins.

When I go to take a closer look, I see that they’re real.

Pick one, the boy says. So you have something to remember us by.

I dig through the coins and choose one with a star on one side and a pengurtle on the other.

Cool, says Cassie.

Do you guys know how to find my parents? I ask.

The park workers or Agent Blue will have found them, says Cassie. You just need to go back to the park.

You do that, says the boy right next to me, by closing your eyes, picturing the park, and wishing yourself there.

You sure you don’t want to stay longer? asks another girl.

I look around at all of them. I really need to see that my parents are okay. But I’ll keep my promise. I won’t tell the CIA about you guys.

I take one last look at the cave in the flickering firelight, then shut my eyes and picture the park. I picture the pirate ship ride, and the next thing I know the world is tilting and someone shouts, Billy!

I open my eyes to see Mom running at me. It’s him! she says.

Dad is right on her heels, and with them is Agent Blue who takes one look at me and says, You went for a swim?

Um... yeah.

Well, I guess I don’t need to explain your powers to you, she says. Come on, Billy, Mr. Chan, Mrs. Chan. We all need to have a talk.

You made one safe and one risky decision to get to this ending. It was safe for me to go look for my parents, but running off after a pengurtle, that was crazy!

There are four different endings to this book, so if you haven’t seen them all, you can:

Go back one step and choose to Trust Agent Blue.

Go back two steps and go with the girl off the pirate ride.

Go back to the beginning (you will be able to re-read the first scene if you choose this.)

Or, if you’ve read all four endings, you can read the next book in the series: Billy Chan and the Little Lost Orcoose

I’m back at the exit to the ride, and I can see my parents aren’t here. Agent Blue is, though, and she’s just shown me her badge. I saw a penguin wave to me from behind a nearby garbage can, but this time, I’m ignoring him.

Trust Agent Blue

Okay, you’re really smart, you know that? Agent Blue is a CIA agent, and I know that because of her badge. This was the safe decision. You shouldn’t necessarily trust any adult who shows you a badge, but here is how you tell if the badge is real:

It is made out of metal, not plastic.

It does not have any major damage. Small scratches are fine, but big scratches and dents are not. Real police and federal agents get their badges fixed or replaced when they are damaged.

Often the name of the police department or federal agency (in this case the CIA) is written at the top. Some badges have numbers at the bottom.

Do you know what your local police officers’ badges look like? If not, you can find out. You can always ask a police officer to show you his or her badge, and you can ask your parents to take you to the police station so you can do that. Real police officers are happy to show you their badges and explain to you how to tell that they’re real. It also helps to know the names of the police officers who work in your area, so you recognize them if you’re ever in trouble.

Not all police wear uniforms, and not all of them drive police cars. Also, some people who aren’t police wear uniforms that look like police uniforms. The way to tell that someone is a police officer is from their badge.

Or in this case, Agent Blue is a CIA agent. The CIA are like police, but they work for the federal government. They also, usually, work outside the USA.

How come you’re at this amusement park? I ask Agent Blue. I thought the CIA works outside the country.

Yes, well, she says, this park is connected to a place that is far outside the US. I’ll explain everything, but first I need to know your name.

It’s okay to give a police officer or CIA agent your name and any other information they ask for. I’m Billy Chan, I say.

And did a girl try to get you off the pirate ride? Did she stop the ride and tell you to go with her?

Yes.

And have you seen any penguins in turtle shells running around?

Um... I know I should tell her the truth, but the truth is so strange. Penguins, I say. I’ve seen penguins running around. One just went behind there. I point to the garbage can nearby. Then I remember the boulder that was by the pile of coins. Could that have been a giant turtle shell? I explain this to Agent Blue, who nods.

Pengurtles, she says. They’re called pengurtles. They’re a type of chimera.

What’s a ky-mare-uh? I ask.

A mythical creature that looks like a combination of other animals, she says. Like a centaur is part human, part horse. A pengurtle looks like a penguin in a turtle shell. They’re all over the park. They like it here.

I’ve never heard of any animal like that, I say.

Well, they’re not from our world, she says. They have a way of traveling from their world to this park and back again. They are showing up a lot today because you are here. Billy, you’re a chimera hunter.

What? I say. I don’t hunt. I don’t even know how to hunt.

You have a superpower, Agent Blue explains. If you follow a pengurtle, you can follow it back to its world.

What does that even mean?

It means you would not be here in the park. You’d be where the pengurtles come from. It’s a place that nobody can go to unless they are a chimera hunter. The pengurtles always try to get chimera hunters to go with them, and Billy, we think they’ve kidnapped your parents.

Again, I can trust her when she says this, because she’s a CIA agent. They’ve taken my parents back to their world? I ask.

Agent Blue shakes her head. No, your parents can’t go to the pengurtles’ world because they aren’t chimera hunters. Your parents are somewhere here in the park, and I’ve got agents looking all over for them. We’ll find them, okay? I’m glad you were safe and didn’t go with that strange girl, or follow any pengurtles running around.

The radio on her belt crackles to life, and a voice says, Agent Blue? We’ve found Mr. and Mrs. Chan. They were tied up and put in a service tunnel.

My parents were tied up? I say.

They’re fine, says the voice on the radio.

Yes, says Agent Blue, they’re fine. Meanwhile, I want to talk to you about being a chimera hunter. There aren’t many people like you. Someday, when you’re older, the CIA may need your help. There are a lot of different kinds of chimeras, and some of them can be dangerous. You’re one of the only people who can help trap them so that people don’t get hurt.

What about people getting kidnapped and tied up? I demand.

Yes, well... that turned out okay. We need to talk to your parents about what you are. Once they know, they’ll know not to follow strange-looking penguins behind buildings. Really, they should have known better anyway, right? Maybe they should get a lecture.

She starts walking towards the front gates of the park and motions for me to follow her. Everyone’s safe, she says, and that’s what matters, right?

Congratulations, you made all the safest choices! It’s important to know how to make safe choices in your life. You also learned how to recognize a police officer, which is an important skill.

There are four different endings to this story, though, and if you haven’t read them yet, there’s more of the world to explore and more characters to meet!

You can: