 
#  Tell Me A Story:  
Amazing Tales to Captivate Your Kids

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The Tales of Big and Little – Part One

Doom of the Three Stones

Published By Josh Kilen at Smashwords

Copyright © 2011 Josh Kilen

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without permission in writing from the author.

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

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# Table of Contents

Introduction

Free Previews

Episode 1

Episode 2

Episode 3

Episode 4

Episode 5

Episode 6

Episode 7

Episode 8

Episode 9

Episode 10

Episode 11

Episode 12

Episode 13

Episode 14

Episode 15

Episode 16

Episode 17

Episode 18

Episode 19

Episode 20

Episode 21

###  Preview of Sean Ryanis & The Impossible Chase

###  Preview of The Superhero Chronicles: Birth of Moonlight

###  Preview of The Lost Princess in Winter's Grip

More Titles by Josh Kilen

# Introduction

There are moments in life that we cherish, small seconds of bliss spent snuggling with our precious children. "Mommy, tell me a story." "Daddy, can I have a bedtime story?" These requests offer time to pause from our hectic everyday routine, a chance to share an adventure together.

My wife and I have read to our son from the time he would listen and encouraged him to read from the moment he began recognizing letters. From "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" to "The Chronicles of Narnia" we have read one book or gone through a series of chapters each night.

However, we have discovered that most books are not designed or written for bedtime. Sometimes a chapter takes half an hour to read through. Sometimes one of us would fall asleep part way through, and not necessarily our son! Sometimes, a chapter was too short, or too boring, or so full of detail that it was difficult to get through.

I created this story as a brand new adventure, told in a serial fashion, so that your child is captivated throughout the entire tale. Each episode ends in a cliffhanger to help build excitement for the next installment. Whether you are reading before bed, during the day, on a long car trip, or while standing in the grocery checkout line, these stories are quick and customizable for your storytelling needs.

You, of course, are the storyteller and you know best what your audience will most enjoy. If you want to read two or three episodes at a time, then feel free to do so.

If at any point you become tired of simply reading the text as written, feel the need to add lib and insert your own characters or ideas.

Just remember, story time with your children is about having fun and making memories. You are well on your way to making some memories they'll never forget.

# More Bedtime Adventures

I really hope you enjoy Big and Little's first adventure! If you've tried to find fun and exciting stories to captivate your kids, check out some free previews of more adventures that are sure to entertain:

Preview Sean Ryanis & The Impossible Chase

Preview The Superhero Chronicles: Birth of Moonlight

Preview The Lost Princess in Winter's Grip

Also Available The Tales of Big and Little – Part Two: Shirlee's Revenge!

Just click on the links above for free previews of each story!

Happy storytelling!

Josh Kilen

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# The Tales of Big and Little – Part One:  
Doom of the Three Stones

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## Episode 1

Big and Little were like any other dogs; they loved to play and get into mischief. They barked and howled, and rough housed and cuddled. But these dogs were in love with one thing, something they wanted more than anything else in the whole world. Cheese.

Glorious, wonderful cheese. Cheese that melts all ooey-gooey in the mouth. Cheese that tastes like heaven itself. They loved cheese so much that they searched for it every day. But lately, cows had begun to disappear and cheese was harder to find. No one knew why the cows had gone, they just went away. And everyone knows that cows make the best cheese.

One day, they were walking around the neighborhood when they came to a fence. Through the fence they could smell that wonderful, delicious smell; the one that made their hearts leap. CHEESE! They got up close to the fence and looked through. What they saw was a wonder to their eyes.

Through the kitchen door of the house, was the largest platter of cheese they had ever seen!

Big looked down at Little, a small bit of drool escaping from his watering mouth, "Oh Little,", he whispered, "I want the cheese soooo bad."

Little nodded her head toward a hole in the fence, "Look over there, we could get in and take just a little cheese. No one would notice."

They both smiled. As soon as they got to the hole and started to poke their heads through, they heard a noise.

Suddenly, two huge, mean guard dogs came out of nowhere and snapped at Little's ear, almost taking a piece off. Big and Little scrambled back onto the sidewalk.

They were both breathing hard from fright, "Two guard dogs!" Big exclaimed, "How will we get in now, Little?"

But Little was clever, and usually able to think her way through these types of situations. She walked around the perimeter of the fence and surveyed all their options. The guard dogs followed them, watching through the fence and growling ferociously.

Then she looked up. Connecting the Cheese House to the building across the street was a thick bundle of power cords. If they could get up to the top of the building across the street...

Big tried not to look down. There they were, 50 feet above the street, on their way to the roof of the Cheese House. The cord swayed gently in the wind, but if you are ever suspended on a cord far above the ground, that sway sure doesn't feel gentle!

Big whimpered at Little, "Little, I don't know if this is worth the cheese."

Little looked back, "Not worth the cheese? Just think about how good it will taste! Trust me, we'll be okay."

Big always trusted Little. So they kept walking carefully, placing one paw in front of the other. Once they got to the roof they had to find a way into the house. Luckily, the owners had left a window open in the attic and they easily slipped through. They were almost there, they just needed to get down into the house and the cheese would be theirs!

Big and Little walked slowly over to the hatch that led from the attic to the main house, creeping softly so they didn't make too much noise. They carefully opened the hatch and looked down to see if the coast was clear.

"Grr...Ruff, Ruff!!!, Bark...grrr...Bark!!!!" The guard dogs were waiting for them, making such a noise. They couldn't get down that way!

Little looked around and spotted a small hole in the wall. It looked like the only other way to get down into the house. As they crept over to the mysterious hole, a voice called quietly from behind some old boxes, "I don't know if you want to go down that hole, you never know where it will lead."

Big and Little jumped back and watched curiously as a small Gnome stepped out from behind a large box. He was smartly dressed, with a red hat and a blue coat, carrying a cane that he spun in one hand. He wore a happy smile that made the dogs want to trust him.

"Let me guess," began the Gnome, with a jolly laugh, " You're both after that cheese downstairs?" The Dogs just nodded their heads. The Gnome nodded his in return. "Aye, it's the only thing worth braving those beasts to get. I'll tell you what, if you can help me with a little problem I've been having, I will help you get the cheese." He looked from Big to Little and raised an eyebrow. "Deal?"

Big looked over at Little with pleading eyes. Cheese. Little returned his look of longing. Cheese. With unspoken agreement the two smiled, looked over at the Gnome and said in unison, "Deal!"

The Gnome jumped in air and yelling "Huzzah!" And enjoyed a brief victory dance. Then with a smile he said, "Okay, now we can go down the hole!"

The dogs looked at him cautiously. "Where does it go?" Little asked.

"Where do any magical tunnels go?" The Gnome replied with a wink. "Wherever you need them to!" He looked seriously at Big and Little, "We're off to my home, and to help me with my problem. Come on!" The Gnome jumped through the hole and disappeared.

Big and Little called out for the Gnome, but no one answered back. With a long sigh, Big steeled himself and said " A promise is a promise," He looked once at Little and then jumped through the hole. Little, not wanting to be a coward, but not trusting the hole completely, hesitated. She told herself, "If Big can do it, then I can too."

Tentatively, she put one paw through the hole. Nothing happened. With a deep breathe she took the plunge into the dark tunnel, and began to fall faster and faster down into the darkness...

## Episode 2

Little flew from the tunnel onto a smooth, rather springy turf. The grass was the softest she had ever felt, like the silk blanket at home she was forbidden to lay on. Little wanted to roll around in it for a while, but then she looked up!

Little stared in wonder at the light pink sky which was, she thought, just like when you get to lick a candy cane and the colors run together. Next to a bright orange sun, spanning across the sky were seven moons, all different shapes and sizes. Little had never seen anything like it.

Big and the Gnome had already gotten to their feet and the Gnome was searching the horizon. Big was just standing, mouth hanging open, staring at the sky.

"They were right here when I left," The Gnome whispered to himself, but the Dogs could still hear him.

"Who are you looking for?" Asked Big.

The gnome looked at Big and said, "The Crusts."

Big and Little had no idea what that meant; they looked at each other in confusion. There was a low rumble and the ground began to shake beneath their paws.

On the horizon, marching over the hill, came an army of pizza crusts. The Gnome jumped into a battle stance, pulling out a fold-able battle ax. Big and Little looked at him in amazement. Big turned back to the advancing crusts. "What are...I don't...how did..." he managed to get out. "What do we do? Is this the favor you wanted?" Little asked.

The Gnome looked at the dogs and said, "I know that this is frightening, but I wouldn't have asked if I didn't think you were up to the challenge. I was sent to your world in search of help. Maybe you are the two of legend, the two who will save us all! We shall soon see." Pulling himself to his full, if insubstantial, height the Gnome looked from Big to Little. "Let's defeat some pizza crusts!" he roared. And the Gnome sprinted with surprising speed toward the crust army.

Big and Little, encouraged by the Gnomes words, began to charge as well, baring their teeth and growling. The attack was terrible. The Crusts were armed with clubs and sticks, though some had small knives. These weren't enough to do much damage, but they could still hurt badly.

The Dogs rushed into the crust army behind the Gnome and immediately started to bite and chew. Big took a bite of a Crust and tasted it's buttery goodness. "These Crusts are Yummy," he thought to himself and attacked with extra fervor. Dodging clubs and batting away knives with his paw, Big was starting to enjoy himself, but he was also getting very full. He looked back to see if Little was okay, just in time to see a crust jump from behind and land a heavy blow with his club. She let out a whimper and then crumpled to the ground.

"Noooo" Big cried out as he trampled through the remaining army to get to Little. He stood guard over her body, and devoured any crusts that dared come close.

The Crusts were quickly disappearing. Between strikes from the Gnome's battle ax and Big's ferocious appetite, they didn't stand a chance. Eventually the last of the Crusts ran back over the hill, shrieking in high pitched, annoying voices.

The Gnome yelled after the retreating crusts, "Go on, run you cowards! Good riddance!" and then went over to Big and Little. Big was licking Little's wounds and making sure that she was taken care of. The Gnome knelt down and laid his hands on her head. Sparks of light shot out from underneath his hands. All of the sudden Little's eyelids fluttered and she smiled up at the two. "Did we get 'em?" she asked.

"Oh yes, we got them," Big told her, and then moaned. "and I am so full."

The Gnome laughed, "Thank you my friends. I can't tell you what a treat this has been. I have a feeling this is just the beginning. Now, about your little cheese problem..."

"Wait just a minute!" Little said as she stood to her feet. "What. Just. Happened?!?" she demanded. "We were attacked by pizza crusts! How? Why?"

The gnome looked at her seriously, "I wish I could tell you the whole story, but you probably wouldn't believe me. I ask you to trust me. If you are meant to understand all of this, it will be revealed to you in due time. If you are not meant to understand, then you are probably better off not knowing. As for this little adventure, these Crusts chased me into the tunnel where I found you and I could not defeat them without help. So I thank you and ask you to trust me once again." The Gnome looked hopefully at Big and Little.

Little didn't want to believe him, but she couldn't help it. Something about him just seemed good and trustworthy. He had such a kind and wise face. She nodded her head, and Big did the same.

The Gnome jumped with joy, "That is fantastic news! Now, let's go get your delicious cheese!" And he threw himself back into the tunnel.

Big looked at Little and said, "After you".

With a last look back at the lovely grass, which still begged to be rolled in, Little smiled at Big and entered the tunnel. They were on their way back to the real world. But one thing was bothering Big: how were they going to get past the guard dogs?

## Episode 3

Back in the Cheese House attic, the Gnome took charge. "So!" he began, "The first thing we need to do is get past the guard dogs." Big and Little nodded their heads in agreement.

"I don't want to fight them, these are no pizza crusts after all. Our best bet is to distract them, then make our way to the cheese. Let's see what kind of distractions we can find in these boxes," the Gnome said as he began to rummage.

The dogs helped and together they found some sheets and old Halloween costumes. The Gnome looked quite pleased, "Yes, Yes, these will do quite nicely." he said. Then he looked from Big to Little and put his finger to his chin as though deep in thought. "There is nothing here that will distract the dogs for long enough....I'll have to do the job myself!"

The dogs looked at each other in surprise. Distract those dogs...and alone! "They'll eat you alive!" Big said with concern.

"I know it is dangerous," the Gnome said earnestly, "but you helped me out of a bind and I am fairly certain that I can handle these two mongrels!" With that he began to put on the most ridiculous costume that the dogs had ever seen, complete with feathers, brightly colored fruit, a princess tiara, and to cap it all off, a long sheet as a cape.

The Gnome looked sadly at the cape, "I don't hold much hope for the sheet, the dogs will probably tear it to pieces..." he looked at Big and Little with a broad smile, "But it will serve as a WONDERFUL distraction! Now, when I jump down, wait five seconds before you come after me. As soon as you hit the floor, head straight for the cheese. You won't have any time to loose. I'll distract the dogs as long as I can."

He moved over to the attic hatch while Big and Little flanked him side by side. The gnome looked at the dogs, "Are you two ready?" Big and Little nodded and tensed their muscles in anticipation as they said in whispered unison, "Yes!"

The Gnome quickly threw open the hatch and jumped down, hitting the floor in his war crouch. His head shot up and he scanned the new battlefield.

Two large guard dogs were staring at him, growling, and looking mighty hungry. The Gnome smiled mischievously and began to jump around singing at the top of his longs, "Stupid Dogs, Stupid Dogs, very very stupid dogs, never gonna catch me, never gonna catch me!"

Of course, nothing makes guard dogs angrier than singing insults. They immediately chased after the Gnome hurling ferocious barks and growled insults of their own.

The Gnome was surprisingly swift and the Guard Dogs couldn't quite catch him. As predicted, the sheet was the first to go. With a terrible snip-snap and riiiip, it was torn to pieces within seconds. The Gnome looked back and thought to himself, "Feet don't fail me now!"

After counting out 5 seconds, Big and Little dropped through the hatch, landed on the hallway floor, and immediately headed for the stairs. They ran, not looking at anything else but their goal. The kitchen. The Cheese.

As they rounded the corner, there it was, the largest plate of cheese either of them had ever seen. A tear formed in Big's eye, "Cheese!" He breathed out in reverence.

Big took a big leap at the cheese. His eyes gleaming with desire, mouth salivating, drool falling off his tongue. His paws were ready to receive their prize.

And just as he was about grab the cheese, it disappeared.

Big flew through air, straight through where the cheese used to be, into the stove. Womp! He stood up and shook his head in confusion. What happened?

Little skidded to a stop, looking above Big's head at a swishing, and very fuzzy, orange tail.

Sitting on top of the stove was an orange cat, smiling wickedly. His eyes were blacker than night and he wore a bright red jewel around his neck. He began to laugh, but it was a laugh that sent chills down the Dogs' spines.

"You must be the two who defeated my Crusts. Well done. But you won't defeat me I assure you." His voice was deep and menacing. "Where is the Gnome?" he demanded.

Just then the Gnome appeared in the kitchen. Capeless, and missing some fruit, but with all limbs intact.

"Shir!" the Gnome gasped, his mouth agape.

Shir smiled wider, "Yes," he purred, "you remember me. Good." Looking over at the dogs, he continued, "I must introduce myself, I am Shir of the Land of Lee. I will soon be your master."

Big looked confused. He looked up at the cat, and asked innocently, "So your name is Shirlee?" Little and the Gnome snickered. Shir was enraged.

"Shut up!" he yelled, then pointed at the Gnome, "You're finished and all who stand in my way will suffer your fate! Ninja Crusts, attack!"

Shir disappeared into thin air, replaced by ten Pizza Crusts dressed in Ninja Outfits. They were wielding dangerous Katana swords.

The Crusts attacked.

## Episode 4

Ninja Pizza Crusts! With Katana swords? Before our heroes had any time to think about how strange that was, they were being attacked. The lead crust jumped high in the air and came down with its sword slashing at the Gnomes head.

With a quick duck to the left, the Gnome sidestepped the attack. In the same swift motion he pulled his battle ax out of his pocket and unfolded it as he swung it in a high arc through the middle of the crust. The Pizza crust fell apart, its sword clattering to the ground.

The Gnome turned back to face the advancing Ninja crusts with a battle crazed look in his eyes.

Big and Little took their cue from the Gnome and began to attack as well. The crusts were flying everywhere! Bits of pizza sauce littered the kitchen. Dogs biting, crusts swinging, all of them fighting to the death.

It seemed the attack would never stop, but after a short time, all of the crusts but one were defeated. The lone remaining crust tried to limp away but Big bounded over and pinned it to the ground. The crust trembled in fear. It begged, "Please, don't kill me!"

The Dogs and Gnome agreed that it was a very strange thing to hear a pizza crust speak, but they decided to take this opportunity to question the remaining crust. The Gnome picked it up by the front of it's Shinobi Shozoku robe, hoisting it squirming into the air.

"Where is Shirlee going?" demanded the Gnome.

The crust trembled and pleaded, "I don't remember for certain...I, uh, he just said something about a factory and more cheese. I think it's nearby." He looked pleadingly at Big and Little. "Please let me go, I have a family."

Slowly the Gnome lowered the crust back to the floor. The Crust begged, "I won't bother you again, I promise." then it waited for a final blow. Little pushed the crust away and told him, "Okay, go on. But we don't want to see you making any more trouble."

The crust thanked them and went on its way. The only thing stranger than hearing a pizza crust talk is seeing a pizza crust run away. They don't have legs, you know.

The Gnome asked Big and Little if they knew anything about a factory. The Dogs looked at each other. If Shirlee was after cheese, there was only one place the crust could mean. And they definitely knew about the cheese factory, they had been trying to penetrate its defenses for years! They left the house and led the Gnome up the street toward the Factory.

As they arrived, they could see that the factory was engulfed in flames and people were running everywhere. Some were carrying buckets of water to throw at the flames, others were just trying to get away.

The Gnome, Big, and Little had a pretty good idea who was behind it all. They ran to the back of the building just in time to see a group of pizza crusts carrying out cheese making equipment. What seemed like hundreds of cheese wheels bobbed up and down as they were carried aloft by crusts.

Shirlee was standing above the crusts on a step, directing their movements. The heroes ran toward the mob of crusts. They must be stopped! Suddenly, everything seemed to disappear. It was like the crusts carrying the equipment and the cheese just vaporized in the same mysterious way that Shirlee had vanished earlier.

The Gnome, Big, and Little ran up to Shirlee. "What are you up to, Shirlee?" The Gnome yelled. He couldn't help but smile as he said it, because he knew that Shir hated that name now.

The Gnome's grin widened as Shirlee screamed, "STOP calling me that."

As he calmed himself, he gathered himself to his full cat height and said, "It doesn't matter, you can't stop me anyway, I have all the equipment I need and now the final preparations can be made. Soon you will all bow to me!" His voice still reverberated in the air as Shirlee disappeared, his image a waving mirage as it faded into nothingness.

The Gnome hung his head, looking defeated. Big and Little didn't know what to say. This day hadn't turned out at all how they thought it would. Ninja pizza crusts? Gnomes, killer guard dogs, cheese stealing orange cats.... What else was in store for them?

The Gnome looked over and said solemnly, "I know that you two have done more here than I could ask, and you have been great friends. I could never thank you enough for all of your help." He drew a deep breathe and looked at Big and Little before asking, "Would you go with me a little farther?"

Big and Little agreed to go back to the hole with him, but felt that they had to get back to their house because their People were probably worried about them. The Gnome thanked Big and Little for all their help again and they ventured off back to the hole that led to the Gnome's homeland. On the way, he told them stories of battles and other things that made their heads spin. What had they got themselves into?

They headed for the Cheese House, hoping to be done with adventures for the day.

## Episode 5

When they arrived at the Cheese House, all seemed quiet. Too quiet. There was no sign of people or the killer guard dogs. Carefully the dogs made their way over to the building across the street and showed the Gnome how to get across the wires onto the roof, and then into the attic.

The upper window was still unlocked, and partially open from the last time they went inside. The Gnome slipped in first, followed by Big, and then Little. The hole in the wall was visible through a narrow row of boxes.

The Gnome looked at Big and Little gratefully. "Thank you once more for your help my friends, you have done more than you know. There is no need to put yourselves in more danger, I can take it from here." he said, and with a touch of sadness he placed his hands on each of their heads in thanks.

As the Gnome made his way across the attic floor, he heard a low growl from behind the boxes. Before anyone had a chance to react the guard dogs jumped out and lunged at the Gnome. Their teeth snapped viciously and slobber flew through the air as they circled the Gnome.

Somehow, the Gnome had just barely dodged the first Guard Dog's attack and yelled to Big and Little, "Get out of here, you can't defeat these two. I'll hold them off!"

Big and Little knew they had to make a choice as they watched the guard dogs circling the Gnome, hair raised and bodies held low, just waiting to attack. They could run away and save themselves or they could help a friend in need.

Looking at each other, Big and Little knew that they had already chosen to help their friend.

Letting loose a mighty growl that he didn't know he had, Big leaped into the fight and bit down on the biggest guard dog's leg. The dog yelped in pain but shook Big off and sent him flying into a stack of boxes. The guard dog didn't notice that Little had come up behind him and as he turned Little jumped and scratched the guard dog in the eyes. This sent him in a frenzy and he began biting everything he could.

They fought bravely but the guard dogs were much bigger and stronger. Bruised, bitten, cut, and battered, Big, Little, and the Gnome prepared for a final onslaught. The Gnome took the guard dog on the right and Big and Little took the big dog on the left.

The dog on the left was dazed from all the fighting and could only focus on Little. He lunged for her throat, grabbing her with his massive teeth. Big saw an opening and jumped on the other dog's side, clamping down on his neck and cutting off his windpipe. The guard dog gasped for air! His eyes rolled back as fell, releasing Little. Within seconds the guard dog passed out, asleep, and was no longer a threat. Big and Little looked over at the Gnome and they cried out in unison.

The Gnome and the other guard dog had nearly finished each other off. The killer dog had the Gnome crushed in his jaws while the Gnome was hacking away at the dog with his ax. After the fourth blow to his neck, the guard dog could hold on no more and fell, limp, to the floor. The Gnome rolled from the dog's mouth and lay still.

Big and Little ran over to him, and began licking his wounds. "You'll be OK," they told him, "We'll make you better."

The Gnome looked at them with glassy eyes, but he seemed happy despite his obvious pain. "You two are more than I expected. You didn't have to come back, but you did. Thank you. You are true friends." The Gnome coughed and the Dogs could tell he wasn't going to make it. Little began to cry.

"Please, don't cry. I lived a long, good life... and I will receive my reward soon," the Gnome said. "I ask only one thing of you... return my body to my home..." the Gnome's breathing was becoming more erratic and let my uncle know... what... Shir is doing..."

"Of course we will," said Little through her sobs. Big nodded his agreement, looking like his tears were not far behind.

The Gnome smiled weakly, "Good... You two have... a destiny... something much... greater...than you... could ever imagine... Thank you... for...being... my... Friends..." and the Gnome breathed his last.

Big and Little lay beside the Gnome and cried. They realized that they did not even know his name. Carefully they wrapped his body in a sheet and pulled it slowly toward the entrance of the hole. With sad hearts and a deep breath, they took the Gnome back home for the last time.

## Episode 6

Deeply saddened by their friend's passing, Big and Little fell down the tube into the strange land. As before, they plopped out onto the soft, springy grass. The seven moons and the light pink sky were above them, but instead of being greeted by an army of Pizza Crusts intent on killing them, standing before their paws was a wizened, old gnome.

His clothing was similar to that of their old friend, but instead of red and blue he wore green and yellow. He had deep blue eyes and they looked as if they had seen many years.

The older gnome looked at Big and Little with questioning eyes, and then his gaze fell on the sheet.

"Is that my nephew?" He asked the dogs. They could only nod, they were still so upset. Once more, Little's eyes filled with tears.

The older gnome gently cried, tears falling down his wrinkled face. "Did he die a good death at least? Was it in battle?" he asked.

Again, neither Big nor Little could speak, they simply nodded.

The old gnome placed his hand on the sheet and smiled sadly. "At least he died honorably, I presume he was saving you two?"

Big spoke up, "Yes, we were ambushed. He told us to leave, but we couldn't let him fight the guard dogs alone. I'm sorry we couldn't save him."

The old gnome looked up from the sheet, "You fought for HIM then, now that is interesting. I'm glad he was with friends at the end." He took a deep breath and turned his attention back to the dogs.

"He will be buried with honors on his family's estate. My name is Tiberius, and I am this gnome's uncle and the leader of the local Resistance against Shir. Now, tell me, this is very important, did he find what he was looking for?"

Big nodded and Little told Tiberius the whole story about the Guard Dogs, the Cheese, the burning factory, and especially about Shirlee and the Pizza Crusts.

Tiberius listened intently, and when Little was done, he nodded his head as if he understood even more than she had said. He laughed at the mention of "Shirlee". "Yes, that is also a girl's name in this land." With a smirk he continued, "We will have to let everyone know of this. It will be his name from now on."

"We have been aware of Shirlee's plans to take over for some time now. He has taken this land and many others. If he can travel to your world he must be very powerful indeed. I'm afraid that means he is planning to conquer your world as well as ours. I am truly sorry, but we will do everything we can..." Tiberius suddenly stopped talking.

Big and Little glanced at each other in confusion as Tiberius stared at a strange mark on Big's back leg. "Where did you get that?" he asked. Big didn't know what to say, he had never noticed the mark before. "He's always had it," said Little, "for as long as I can remember."

A smile formed on Tiberius' face, "I wonder..." he said as his voice trailed off. He looked as though he were were trying to remember something very old.

"Many, many years ago, a prophecy was revealed that a great evil would come against our land, bringing danger and ultimate destruction." He paused and looked at Big and Little with an appraising eye. "But the prophecy also said that two would come, great and small in stature, who would deliver us and bring light to our land once more. The Large One would have our symbol to prove he is chosen..." Tiberius pointed to the crescent shaped mark on Big's leg, "That is our symbol."

Big's eyes widened in shock and Little stared at the old Gnome in disbelief. Neither of them knew what to say! Tiberius went on, "I leave the choice to you, will you help us to defeat Shirlee, or will you go home and wait for the destruction he is sure to bring?"

## Episode 7

"I leave the choice to you, will you help us to defeat Shirlee, or will you go home and wait for the destruction he is sure to bring?"

Tiberius waited for their answer.

Little looked at Big as he tried to form the words to respond. He stuttered through different vowel sounds while he tried to make sense of everything the old Gnome had told them.

Before Big had a chance to answer, out of nowhere, a mad cow with raging red eyes charged the group. Big and Little tumbled out of the way while the old gnome sidestepped the attack calmly.

The enraged cow skidded to a stop, turned around, and stamped her feet, readying herself for another pass. As she charged once more, strait at Tiberius, the Dogs tried to push him out of the way, put he would not be moved.

Instead, he raised his hand and tilted it from side to side in a soothing manner, while making a sound not unlike a helicopter engine. The cow stopped in her tracks, uttering one last "Moooo", as she fell over.

Big and Little stared at Tiberious in shock.

"That trick doesn't work so well with the crusts," he said with a smile.

Big and Little laughed for joy, "That was amazing!" they said.

But Tiberius became very serious, "This is just a sample of what is happening. Our world and yours are colliding and turning into the worst versions of themselves. Will you help us?" He looked at the dogs intently.

Taking deep breaths, Big and Little looked at each other for a long time. They knew that this was a huge decision, but they remembered what the Gnome had said to them about having a real destiny. They didn't want to let the Gnome or anyone else down. Little nodded her head at Big, he looked at Tiberius and said, "We'll do it."

"Excellent" Tiberius said with pleasure. "And so the adventure begins." With that, he set out over the hill, moving much faster than you would expect, given the shortness of his legs. The dogs ran to keep up with him.

The new world was wonderful. Aside from the seven moons and light pink sky, the trees looked like they were drawn from a cartoon and the far off mountains looked taller than any the dogs had ever seen. The land seemed full of mysteries just waiting to be discovered.

"Where exactly are we going?" asked Little as they made their way down the hill.

"To the underground city to meet with The Elders," said Tiberius. Little asked many times what that was and who they were, but Tiberius would only respond, "All in good time."

They passed several villages as they walked, but everywhere they went, doors were shut tight and windows were shuttered. No one walked or played in the streets and it was eerily quiet. The villagers seemed afraid. Not afraid of Big or Little, but of a dark terror awaiting them. As Tiberius walked by, several peeked out of doorways and nodded solemnly in respect, but quickly retreated back into the safety of their homes.

After hours of walking, they came to an abandoned windmill with a boarded up door. Tiberius went around to the back and touched a single stone, which began to sink into the windmill itself. A hidden door opened and the heroes followed the old gnome through it.

The door opened to a set of stairs that seemed to go down forever. Tiberius descended, and while the dogs didn't question what was going on, they were very curious.

A light began to grow at the bottom of the stairs until it shown as a bright dull red. Finally at the bottom of the stairs, sprawling before Big and Little, was the biggest city they had ever seen.

The Underground City was huge and bustling with life. Animals, gnomes, and other small creatures were going this way and that, on what seemingly important errands. Big and Little stared in wonder.

Tiberius looked pleased with their reaction. "This is the great underground city," he told them, "It is our safe haven from Shirlee and his minions."

The old gnome walked toward a great draw bridge which spanned a deep, dark chasm. This must be for defense thought Little. Crossing over the bridge, they travelled through the city. Big and Little were encouraged to see so many were willing to fight against Shirlee.

The group came to a large building in the middle of the city, it had a great door and spires that seemed to touch the top of the cave. As they proceeded through the doors, they entered a grand hall with many pillars and lit torches on each pillar. At the end of the hall was a raised diaz with seven seats, and in those seats sat the Elders.

The Elders smiled widely as the Dogs approached and beckoned them to come closer. They seemed kind, but tired, as if they had lived many lives in their time. The Elder in the center seemed to be in charge, and he motioned for the dogs to stand in front of him.

"Let me see the mark," the Chief Elder said.

Big turned his leg toward the elders. Gasps emerged from the crowd and the Chief Elder's smile grew even wider.

"Finally," he said with a sigh, "The two who were prophesied have come to retrieve the magic stones from great danger."

## Episode 8

"Magic stones?" asked Big.

"You don't know about the magic stones?" responded the Chief Elder, as if such a thing were impossible.

Big and Little shook their heads.

The Chief Elder took a deep breath, "If you are to understand the evil that plagues our land, then you must understand the magic stones." he said.

"Long ago, in the beginning of our world, the land produced three magic stones of tremendous power. The very first King found the stones and discovered that each one granted special abilities to its owner. The first was a yellow stone that gives the bearer great courage, eliminating fear and strengthening hearts. The king gave this stone to his greatest champion to protect it from evil. The second was a green stone which bestows wisdom and understanding, so that anyone who wears it will know the right choices to make. The King wisely kept this stone for himself and his descendents.

"The third stone, a deep blood red color, gives great power and the ability to do any number of magical things. The first king also took this stone for himself and very quickly fell under its evil influence. He became corrupt with power and started to terrorize his subjects.

"The Champion of the Land, to whom the King had given the Stone of Courage, challenged the first King. Using his great strength and heart, the Champion was able to wrestle the Stones of Wisdom and Power away from the first King, but he died doing so.

"Having lost his power, the first King fled to the land of Lee to plot his revenge and teach his children to hate the people in his old kingdom.

"Meanwhile the King's brother ruled in his stead. Deciding that the stones were too powerful for one person to control, he divided them. The Stone of Wisdom was kept with the ruler, hidden in a ceremonial robe. The Stone of Courage was placed in a mighty staff and used only in great need.

"The Stone of Power was deemed too dangerous for anyone to use. It was placed in the deepest, darkest dungeon, never to be seen again.

"The Stones were lost to legend, known only in stories and fairy tales. They were forgotten by everyone except the first King who now ruled the Land of Lee. The true story of the Three Magic Stones lived on in the land of Lee, and each ruler after the old King dreamed of controlling all three stones.

"Many, many, many years later, the Land of Lee waged war on our peaceful Land. The battle was not going well and Princess Nezla, the new ruler of our land, welcomed any help she could find. Even help from an unknown orange cat with a wise tongue and a pleasant smile.

"Wisdom is not perfect, and the Princess did not see that this cat secretly craved power over all else. You see, that is the curse of the Stone of Power, to the one who wields it and all his descendents. They will always crave power.

"Shirlee was able to steal the stone of power and use it to escape. We gave the Stone of Courage to the Good Gnome, sending him after Shir, but he was betrayed and the stone taken from him by an evil traitor. The Good Gnome obviously soldiered on and tracked Shir to your world. That's where you come in.

"If we want any chance of defeating Shirlee, we must retrieve the stones. The Stone of Courage is held by an evil gnome in a dangerous castle surrounded by the Forest of Fear. The Princess and the Stone of Wisdom are hidden in a fortress that she cannot leave and is nearly impossible to reach.

"I must warn you, if Shirlee obtains all three stones, we are done for. He will be too powerful and there will be no stopping him. We must get those Stones back!" The Chief Elder looked at the Dogs.

Big tilted his head in curiosity, "What about the Cheese?" he asked, "Why is Shirlee taking all of our cheese?"

"We think that the cheese somehow makes the stone's powers even greater. With an endless supply of cheese and all three stones, Shirlee will conquer all the worlds." The chief looked gravely at the dogs, "Will you help us?" he asked.

"Of course we will, in memory of our friend, the Gnome. He wanted us to finish his work." Big said.

The Chief and the other Elders nodded, happy to hear this, "Now you must prepare. You will not survive without the proper training and there is no one better to train you than the Great Bjorn. He is waiting at his house. He is a strict master though, and you will either become great warriors or perish trying. Good luck to you, and our fates rest on your shoulders."

Big and Little looked nervously at each other. What had they gotten themselves into?!?

## Episode 9

Having accepted the quest to retrieve the Stones, the dogs were led to the House of the Great Bjorn to train for their journey.

The narrow path they walked led to a rundown hut. Their escort made them wait by the gate and called out, "Hallooo Bjorn. I have your new recruits here. Good luck with these ones." and with that the scout turned and left.

"That was incredibly rude," said Big. As he turned around, out of the house, came the biggest cat he had ever seen.

Bjorn came from a long line of Battle Cats, and he was the greatest of all warriors. His skill was unmatched in battle, and he was charged with training the best and brightest in the ways of battle.

As he looked at the two dogs he felt there was something special about them, although he could not put his finger on it. They looked like they could fight but they weren't very big, and they certainly were not ready for the serious trials ahead.

Bjorn strode forward and spoke in a booming voice, "Attack me. Now!"

The Dogs had never fought anything until today, much less something so large. Little didn't move and Big was hesitant. Bjorn growled, "It'll be worse for you if you don't, trust me."

Big and Little attacked at once. A blur of motion later, they found themselves on their backs staring up at the cave ceiling. They couldn't believe what just happened.

Bjorn looked stern but pleased, and gave them each a paw to help them up, "You are not ready, but you will be. When you can put me on the ground, then you will be ready."

The next week was the most intense the Dogs had ever experienced. From wake up to bedtime, all they did was train with Bjorn, and he rarely allowed breaks. Some training they understood like running long distances and lifting heavy rocks, these would make them faster and stronger. But some of the things he had them do were ridiculous, things like stalking skunks, chasing snails, and taking honey from a bee hive without disturbing the bees.

One morning the Dogs came to Bjorn's hut and the great cat walked out as he usually did. But instead of saying his customary "Let's get to work!" he looked at them and yelled, "Attack Me, Now!"

This time the Dogs do not hesitate and flew through the air. Bjorn dodged them easily but was impressed at their progress. Working as a team, Big and Little moved from side to side and eventually brought the big cat down. Bjorn looked very pleased indeed.

He patted each on the head and said, "You have done well, and are now ready to accompany me into ultimate danger. Tomorrow the real adventure begins."

## Episode 10

Bjorn and the Dogs left the city to loud cheers and praise. The entire city had come out to see them off, wishing them well and good success on the journey.

The Chief Elder gave them his blessings and said a prayer over them. Tiberius came over as well, patted the Dogs on their heads, and told them thank you again for returning his nephew. When all the fanfare was done, Bjorn, Big, and Little walked up the stairs into the wide open world.

They followed a wide, level path for quite some time when Bjorn abruptly changed course, leading the party toward the dark clouds on the horizon. They were heading to the Forest of Fear. The closer they came to the Forest and the Evil Castle where the Stone of Courage was held, the darker the clouds became. Even Bjorn seemed a little nervous.

"The weather sure is changing," Big said, his voice slightly wavering. Bjorn merely nodded and increased his pace toward the dark wood.

When the individual trees were in sight, Bjorn stopped, turned around, and looked gravely at the dogs. "This is the Forest of Fear and it's one of the most dreaded places in all our land. It makes even the most courageous run away, and many fine warriors have done just that. In fact no one has ever made it through the Forest in one piece," Bjorn said ominously.

Big and Little listened intently.

"Follow one rule, and we might make it through this alive. Keep your courage no matter what. Courage is the only way to defeat fear and we must succeed today. Now, follow me." And Bjorn walked into the Forest of Fear.

Once inside, the darkness hugged them warmly. It was thick and heavy, like a giant wet blanket pressing on them. The trees creaked and croaked, swaying in an unfelt wind. When little bits of sunshine found their way through, the trees were the scariest trees they had ever seen. Jagged and gnarled all over, they looked older than the earth.

Luckily the path they traveled was fairly smooth. While the path was easy, staying in the Forest was not. A deep dense of danger was growing in their hearts. The Fear came upon each of them, yelling and screaming at them to go back. Bjorn led the way and held his course, the Dogs did the same.

The path began to wind a little, up small hills, and through little dells. Suddenly, a large chasm appeared right before them, blocking their path. There was no crossing, they had to go back.

At that moment the forest decided to attack.

## Episode 11

Bjorn, Big, and Little were daring the Forest of Fear in order to get to the castle that held the Stone of Courage.

The forest led them to a deep crevasse and as they turned around it began to attack.

A large branch swung through the group, Bjorn and the Dogs jumped nimbly out of its way. Big landed near an old elm tree only to be swatted from the side by a strong thorny branch. He tumbled head over heals, but regained his feet quickly. The Dogs were able to dodge effectively thanks to Bjorn's training.

"How do you defeat a whole forest?" Big thought as he batted away a particularly gnarled old branch.

Bjorn spotted a small opening between two trees, "There! Follow me, quick!" and he sprinted away. Big and Little were not far behind.

Suddenly Bjorn and Big heard loud yelp. A group of three trees had caught Little and were dragging her into their trunks. The gnarled, diseased bark snapped open and shut like the jaws of some ancient beast, hoping to devour the small one.

"Bjorn! I'm going after Little!" and Big sprinted off toward the group of trees. He leaped through the air and latched on to the largest branch holding his friend. Gnawing into the soft wood, he broke through the bark into the white of the branch. The branch swung wildly, throwing Big through the air.

All of the sudden an ax came flying and sliced through the tree's remaining branches. Bjorn retrieved his ax and fought off the branches coming after him.

Little was able to wiggle away and her, Big, and Bjorn ran down the path. Faintly through the trees, they could see the lights in the castle and ran even faster toward their goal. The trees grew thicker and thicker, like they were moving in, more and more branches swung at them, hitting, scratching, beating. The castle was disappearing through the ever increasing trees.

They saw a clearing ahead of them and sprinted as fast as their winded bodies would allow. They broke through the trees and tumbled onto hard, scratchy grass. Immediately they felt a deep and complete fear, like the kind you get when the scariest thing in the world comes to life right before you.

The Castle of Fear stood before them, taunting them. They now had to face their greatest fears, or perish tying.

## Episode 12

Bjorn, Big, and Little escaped from the Forest of Fear mostly unharmed. They were lucky to escape with only a few bruises and cuts. Now they had to find a way into the Castle of Fear to rescue the Stone of Courage from an evil gnome.

The deep fear became more real as they approached the castle. The hair was standing up on the Dogs' and Bjorn's backs, and they all just wanted to run back to the underground city. But the Dog's remembered Bjorn's words about courage and kept moving toward the castle.

Sneaking up to the front gate, they saw that it was guarded by a grove of sinister looking trees, and two large statues.

"Those statues are the Watchers. They will sound an alarm if we try to go through. Luckily I brought a back up plan," Bjorn pulled out a large crossbow from his satchel.

Taking the crossbow, Bjorn aimed it at the top of the castle wall. Steadying his hand, he shot a large arrow with a rope attached to the end. The arrow found it's mark and the heroes began to slowly climb up the side of the castle wall.

As they swung over the side onto the top floor, a living darkness swirled around them. It's dark tentacles reached out and enveloped each with the greatest fears they had ever known.

Little immediately saw Big being taken away to the pound by some angry men in uniforms. Little was all alone, and the darkness told her that she would never see Big again, that she would always be alone. Little started to shake and cry.

Big saw Little being taken into the trees again but this time the trees were holding him back. He had to watch as Little was taken into the tree trunks, yelling for him to help. Big was unable to move and his heart was breaking.

Bjorn saw his Princess surrounded by crusts, with Shirlee standing over her, ready to take the Stone of Wisdom, but Bjorn was caught in quicksand. He was unable to help, he couldn't save her.

As he sank slowly into the sand, it dawned on Bjorn that this was not real, that he just needed courage to defeat the fear. With new-found energy, he pulled himself from quicksand, sliced up the crusts, and saved the Princess. As he did, the darkness faded from his eyes and he saw Big and Little locked in a trance, darkness swirling all around them.

Bjorn ran up to the dogs and shook them, to no effect. He began yelling at them, "It's all a dream. Remember, courage, all you need is great courage to defeat the fear."

Through the dream Big and Little heard Bjorn's voice faintly. Big saw himself breaking free from the branches and Little saw herself running faster than than the car taking Big away, almost catching up with the car. Both Dogs woke up from the trance.

Shaking off the dark haze, they collected their wits and headed up to the top room of the castle.

As they reached the inner chamber, the room glowed brightly and the Stone of Courage hung in the middle of the room , suspended in the air. As they moved to grab it, the stone disappeared and an old, evil looking gnome replaced it.

An nasty smile twisted his face, "Congratulations for making it this far, but I'm afraid that this is the end for all of you."

## Episode 13

The old evil Gnome flipped through the air, right over the heroes. He moved faster than normal and was obviously well trained in combat. Whatever made him so quick and agile also improved his fighting skills, as he beat up Bjorn and sent him flying across the room.

Bjorn landed on his feet but he wasn't sure what he should do next. Big and Little tried to attack the Evil Gnome from both sides but he easily dodged and the Dogs collided into each other. The evil Gnome kicked both of the Dogs into the wall.

The evil gnome grinned a deep, disturbing smile, "I told you that you couldn't win, with the Stone of Courage powering me, I am too strong for all of you." The evil Gnome began to laugh menacingly

Bjorn looked over at the Dogs as they slowly rose to their feet. They were limping but still looked ready to fight. He gave them a nod in the direction of the gnome and all three attacked at once. Little went for the evil gnome's feet and latched on to his left one. Big went for his left arm and bit into the the gnome's bicep. Bjorn sent a swift kick to his chest that would have sent a normal person flying.

But the evil gnome gracefully spun, once again making our heroes good friends with the wall. They began to lose hope. The evil Gnome raised his glowing staff to end them all for good.

Little was panting hard and everything hurt. But as she looked at the gnome's face, it became familiar somehow, like she had seen it many times before.

"We used to know a very good, courageous gnome. He looked like you but he would never do something like this," Little said.

The old, evil gnome snorted and lowered his staff slightly, "Obviously you met my brother, the one everyone loved, the one everybody wanted to be around. It seems like you were not immune to his charms either. Tell me, how is my goody-goody brother these days? Still on his quest to stop Shir?"

Little looked down sadly, "No, he died in battle, saving us. We tried to bring him back but it was too late."

The evil gnome's smile fell and he looked stricken as he stared at the floor.

Little took a deep breath and continued, "All your brother wanted was the best in others, do you think he would want this for you? Is this how you honor his memory? By killing the people he died to save?"

The old, evil gnome looked at Little with tears in his eyes. "You don't know what it's like to grow up and always be compared to someone like Him. He was always doing things like that, saving people, being the hero." The Evil Gnome dropped his staff and he suddenly seemed much less powerful. "You're right," he said, "This is not the way to honor his memory. He always wanted better for me, for everyone. I will honor his sacrifice." The gnome turned away, "You obviously came for the Stone of Courage. It's embedded in the staff. Please, take it and go."

Bjorn walked over and picked up the staff, it felt very heavy yet light all at the same time. As soon as he touched it, Bjorn felt stronger and more courageous than he had ever thought was possible. He looked over at the Old Gnome, "Come with us, you are not a lost cause yet. You can honor your brother's memory and take up his fight against Shir."

The gnome laughed sadly, "Who do you think gave me this castle? No, Shir is too powerful and I am too old now. That's the problem with the stone. If you don't use it for good it takes life away from you, makes you much older than you are. And I have been using it for evil for some time now." The old gnome began walking away.

Little limped over in front of him. "Please come with us?" Her big eyes were pleading, "It's what your brother would have wanted."

The old gnome's heart broke and he touched Little's head gently. "You don't give up, do you? Even after I tried to hurt you, you still see the best in me. That's very much like my brother." he said.

Little looked up at him, "He said that Big and I have a destiny, I'm sure he would say the same about you. Come with us!"

The old gnome looked at all of them and smiled weakly, "I don't know about a destiny, but I will come with you if you insist. Maybe there is some good I can do yet."

With the formerly evil gnome, they took the Stone of Courage back to the Underground City.

## Episode 14

As they walked through the Forest of Fear, they noticed that the forest did not seem to be as scary as it once was. The power of the Stone of Courage made their steps lighter and the forest retreated from the Stone's power.

Once they left the forest, they traveled across the plains back to the Underground City. Along the way, Bjorn and the Dogs learned much of their new companion. It turned out that he didn't start out being evil or trying to hurt people, but he was so jealous of his older brother that he turned to Shirlee for more power. And more power always corrupts the heart of the one who seeks it.

Eventually they reached the old windmill and went down the long stairs into the city. As soon as the bridge guards saw the old, formerly evil gnome, they sounded the alarm. Soldiers assumed the Old Gnome was a captive and moved in to take hold of him so they could drag him to the dungeon. The guards and they were just trying to keep the city safe.

Bjorn stepped in front of the gnome, between him and the soldiers. "This Gnome is no longer evil, he has repented of his ways and I vouch for his entry into the city." Bjorn declared.

The guards and soldiers looked uncertain. "We respect you Bjorn, and we don't want to question your word, but we have orders from the Chief Elder himself to arrest and lock him up if we should ever see him."

"Then we will all escort him to the Chief Elder and I will explain the situation myself," said Bjorn, and he marched into the city. The soldiers followed closely, never letting the Old Gnome out of their sight.

They made their way through the city to the Great Hall of the Elders, where they were announced and let in. Once inside Bjorn told the Elders of their journey thus far; of the forest, the castle, the battle with the Old Gnome and his change of heart. Then he showed them the Stone of Courage, embedded in the staff he carried. The Elders were impressed, but they did not know if they could trust the Formerly Evil Gnome.

They called in Tiberius to hear his advice. Tiberius walked over his nephew and looked him over, "I see you have been through much," he said.

The formerly evil Gnome looked up at Tiberius, "Yes uncle, I've done so many terrible things. If you feel it is just and right to throw me in the dungeon then I accept my fate." He then hung his head low. Tiberius was surprised, then overjoyed, and gave his nephew a great big hug.

"My nephew would have never answered like that if he was not changed. Based on his humility and Bjorn's testimony, I believe the Elders should let this Gnome walk free," Tiberius declared.

The Elders conferred amongst themselves. Finally the Chief Elder spoke, "We will allow this Gnome to walk free in the city, under supervision, but he is not allowed to leave. This is our ruling."

The gnome said thankfully, "That is more than I deserve." He told his new friends goodbye and left with his Uncle to catch up.

The Chief Elder looked solemnly at the heroes, "You had many close calls in the forest and at the castle, but greater dangers are ahead. When Shir began attacking this land, the Princess knew that he wanted the Stone of Wisdom for himself, so she hid away in our most well guarded fortress. There she remains and will forever remain unless we can reach her. However, the path is fraught with danger. You must pass through the Land of Giants, and as Bjorn knows, they do not allow anyone to pass through easily. A great many warriors have never come back from that place. If you make it through the Giants, the fortress is in the middle of a treacherous swamp that is said to be more dangerous than the Forest of Fear. It is good that you have the Stone of Courage, you will need it.

"I can't stress to you enough how much we need the Princess and the Stone she bears. Without them, I don't see much hope in defeating Shirlee or his armies. Good luck."

The heroes set out once more into the wild lands, over hills and mountains, across rivers and through deep valleys. One day the weather changed for the worse and a thick fog surrounded them. It was so thick that they had difficulty even seeing the ground.

The ground began to shake and large boulders fell all around them.

They had entered the Valley of the Giants.

## Episode 15

It is a very well known fact, to those who know such things, that Giants are very, Very, VERY, VERY ugly. In fact, no one actually wants to be around Giants because they are so hideous to look at.

Of course, this makes Giants very angry. If people were always calling you ugly and never wanted to be around you, you would probably be upset too. To show that they were mad, Giants decided to throw large boulders toward the lands that don't want them around. Of course they never hit those places, but the throwing makes them feel better and it also keeps people from needlessly walking all over their home.

Because if there is one thing that Giants can not stand, it's trespassers. They even made a sign at the entrance to their valley, "Trespassers will be crushed, survivors will be crushed again."

Knowing these facts, Bjorn and the Dogs had to be extremely careful as they dodged boulders and made their way through Giant Valley. It was tricky work. The fog had lifted slightly, but just enough so that they could see a few feet in front of them. The boulders lessened as they got farther into the valley, but the going was still slow.

Slightly less well known, is the fact that Giants can hear extremely well. Because they hear so much, the world is a very noisy place for them, which also makes them very upset. They can hear a footstep from a football field away, and they can hear a sneeze from much farther. The sneeze is what got Big in trouble, because he in fact did sneeze in the Valley of the Giants. This is not ever a good idea.

"AAHHH, AAHHH, AAAHHHHH, aaaaaa, chooooooooo!" Big sneezed.

Bjorn, Little and Big froze, listening for any Giants that might have heard them. Unfortunately, one did.

The ground shook like an earthquake beneath their feet, the heroes could barely keep their feet. Everything around them shook.

A Giant came striding over to Big, and snatched him up into the air. Big let out a loud yelp and a howl. Bjorn tried to follow close behind.

The giant put Big in front of his face and began to lick his lips, a wholly disagreeable sight to anyone normal. But Big was anything but normal. You see, Big saw the best in everyone, and when he heard that the Giants were so indescribably, hideously ugly, he did not believe it. "No one could be that bad," he thought. That's just the way his mind works.

But that wonderful personality didn't really matter if he was about to be the Giant's noon-day snack.

The Giant looked at Big saying, "MMMM, yum yum, you do look tasty!" and he raised Big over his mouth to drop him in. When the Giant paused to talk, it was just enough time for Bjorn to run up from behind and use the magical power of the staff to put the Giant to sleep. The Giant closed his mouth, flung Big to one side, and then came crashing down. The sound was deafening at first, but then it kept getting louder. Much louder, like the sides of the valley were avalanching in on them.

"How can it be getting louder...?" Bjorn asked himself. Then it dawned on him, "Quick! The other Giants heard and they're coming, follow me. Now!" and with a quick look at the sun peeking through the fog, Bjorn headed south. The thunderous noise grew louder behind them, and they ran as hard as they could. But the ground was shaking harder, and running was becoming nearly impossible.

The fog cleared just a little more and before them stood an impossibly high cliff face. They ran right into a dead end. The rumbling was at it's worst, but suddenly came to a stop. As the fog cleared further, the heroes saw 50 giants holding large boulders and trees in their hands, just waiting for a command from their leader to throw. The extra large giant in the middle must have been the King Giant, and he was grinning a sloppy ugly grin.

The king yelled out a command and the other giants raised their boulders and their tree trunks. They were getting ready to throw and neither Bjorn, Big, nor Little could see a way out of this mess.

## Episode 16

The Giants raised their boulders and tree trunks, just waiting for the command from their King to demolish the intruders. The king smiled his ugly smile as he held his hand in the air, as soon as it dropped, the giants would throw and the quest would be over. Hope looked far away.

Big thought this was all too silly. He walked up to the Giants, which made them pause. He looked the King in the eyes and said, "You know, I don't think you look funny, in fact, you look cool if you ask me."

The King Giant was taken aback, "You aren't afraid of us?" he asked.

"Oh no, I'm afraid of being crushed to death, but other than that, why would I be afraid of you?" Big asked.

The King wasn't sure what to do, this creature was not afraid and actually complimented them, this had never happened before.

Big spoke again, "In fact, if you put down your boulders and trees, I'm sure that we could be great friends."

The giants weren't sure what to make of this. Friends? With an outsider? That never happens. The King waved his hands and the other giants put down their weapons, but none moved out of the way.

Big smiled, "We have to go save a Princess from the fortress across the swamp. But once we do, on our way back we can stop by and I will show you how to play fetch."

The King was astounded, "Everyone treats us badly, everyone runs away from us. So we treat everyone else badly too. I just don't understand how you can be so nice." he said.

Little joined Big and together they went over and licked the Kings toes. The big Giant laughed and jumped in the air, almost coming down on the top of the Dogs. The other Giants started to laugh too, the sound was deafening but a welcome alternative to being crushed. It had been so long since they laughed that they forgot how good it could feel.

The King bent down to look at the Dogs and Bjorn, "You may go save your Princess and you are welcome to our valley anytime as honored guests. When you come back you must stay and teach us this "fetch", it sounds fun," the king said with a laugh. "Just no more of that toe licking, okay?" the King added.

Big and Little smiled back, "Deal, thank you your highness." And they bowed low to the ground. The King and Giants bowed back.

"Go, save your Princess," The King said, "But beware the Swamp and the dangers within, not even our bravest Giants dare go in there."

After thanking The King and rest of the Giants, Bjorn and the Dogs headed into the swamp.

The Swamp was dark and desolate, a wasteland, and any joy or happiness that the Dogs or Bjorn had from being free from the clutches of the Giants was swallowed up by the swamp. It sucked away all good things.

Their every step was labored, the murky bog was like thick sand holding down their legs as they walked. The smells that came from the swamp made Big and Little want to throw up. But they forced themselves to keep going.

Finally after what seemed like days of hard walking, they saw the Fortress. As they got closer the ground began to move like waves on the ocean.

A humungous garbage monster rose from the swamp, swinging it huge garbage fists at Bjorn and the Dogs.

## Episode 17

The Ancient Garbage Monster swung it's massive arms, swatting at our heroes. Bjorn and the Dogs could barely move their feet in the thick sand and mud, but they did their best to ward off the attacks. It wasn't nearly enough, they were getting pummeled.

Bjorn took out the magic staff with the Stone of Courage. He instantly felt his fear slipping away, hope spreading through his body. Bjorn leveled the staff at the monster and said, "Take that!" A blast of energy shot out the tip of the staff and hit the monster's head, or what looked like his head. The garbage beast staggered backwards. But it wasn't out for long. It quickly recovering and resumed its attack.

Bjorn tried to blast the monster once more but nothing happened, the beast kept coming. It began to soak up the water from the swamp and use the foul liquid to blast Bjorn and the Dogs. The stench was unbearable.

Luckily, the ground became easier to stand on and they were able to dodge the attacks a little better. Bjorn tried more attacks with the staff, but nothing was working. Big and Little tried biting the monster but nothing worked, all they got was a mouthful of garbage. They tried to get around the beast but it stopped them at every turn.

Their situation looked hopeless.

Bjorn took a powerful blow that sent him flying back several feet, he dropped the staff as he flew through the air. Little was close enough to swiftly retrieve the staff, grabbing it in her mouth. With the staff in her mouth she had to breath through her nose. The stench was almost too much.

Little thought to herself, "This is so stinky, I really wish we could have some fresh air."

The staff began to glow brighter, until it was blazing white. Then a miraculous thing happened. Wind came down from the sky, blowing away the stench and fog. The air smelled so clean, like laundry and fresh cut flowers. The Dogs and Bjorn breathed in deep gulps.

The new air swirled around the monster like a cyclone, winding tighter and tighter, forming a tornado. The Garbage monster was being suffocated. As it coughed and gagged, pieces of garbage fell off to the ground all around the Dogs.

Bjorn took the staff from Little and raised it one more time to send a blast straight into the Garbage Monster's heart. Garbage exploded everywhere, covering everyone up passed their heads.

Bjorn and the Dogs climbed out of the pile of refuse and Little shook a piece of something really gross from her foot. "Ewww, yuck!" she said.

"I can't believe we did it! Thank you Little, that was amazing." Bjorn said.

Little smiled, "It was the staff really, I just thought that I wanted to some fresh air. It did the rest."

Bjorn nodded,"Let's just be thankful we had it with us. Now, we have to get to the fortress. The Princess is waiting."

They ran to the fortress and the draw bridge across the moat surrounding the castle lowered down for them. Sprinting across the bridge they entered the castle and there stood Princess Nezla with the Stone of Wisdom around her neck.

The Princess bowed to the Heroes, "You have come, I knew you would. Thank you. I've been held prisoner here for sometime, but thanks to you we can combine the power of the Stones and defeat Shir." she said.

Then she went over and placed a gentle hand on each dog's head, and Bjorn shoulder and said thank you to each one. The Dogs couldn't have been happier.

The Princess grew very serious, "But now we must go, there is much work to be done if we are to win this battle. And maybe," she said with a smile," a bath as well." The Dogs and Bjorn smiled back. They couldn't smell themselves anymore but when you fight with a Garbage Monster, a bath is definitely in order.

They made their way back and Nezla used the stone of wisdom to find the fastest way through the swamp. Passing through the Valley of Giants, they met with the King Giant. Although there was no time for a game of "fetch" the King agreed to help defeat Shirlee if the Princess promised no one would laugh at or make fun of them.

"I promise you," she said,"No one will run away from you except for your enemies." The King let out a thunderous battle call and agreed to come with them.

When they returned to the Underground City, there was much rejoicing. A large party was held in honor of the Princess' return and everyone was in good spirits. Two of the magic stones were in their possession, the giants were on their side, the Princess was back to lead them, and they had two great warriors from another world. Everyone came up to Big and Little to thank them.

At the height of the party, they heard a scream from deep in the Great Hall.

Bjorn ran toward the noise, quickly followed by the Dogs. They found Nezla on the ground, clutching her chest and breathing heavily. Bjorn ran over and helped her to her feet. But something was wrong.

The Stone of Wisdom was missing.

"The Old Evil Gnome stole my stone. He overcame me and just took it." she said.

At that moment Bjorn had a sinking feeling, and checked his satchel. The staff was missing as well.

"That Cursed Gnome has both stones, and I bet I know where he's going." Bjorn seethed.

Just then, a scout came in and said, "I saw the Old Evil Gnome heading east, but he was too fast. I couldn't catch up to him."

"East?" Bjorn said worriedly, "That means he's heading for Lee and the Castle of Doom. Shirlee will soon have all three stones."

## Episode 18

No one knew what to do. With the Magic Stones gone, they couldn't see a way to defeat Shirlee. Many spoke of surrender or simply hiding away, hoping that Shirlee wouldn't take notice of their Underground City.

Even Bjorn didn't have any ideas. He sat moping around his hut all day.

The Dogs couldn't believe such courageous people would give up so quickly. After all that they had seen and done, neither Big nor Little were willing to give in. They wanted to stop Shirlee no matter what, so they came up with a plan and went to tell the Princess.

She was in the Great Hall, conferring with the Elders. The Chief Elder was at her side and they seemed deep in conversation. The Dogs walked up and Big cleared his throat, "Mhmmm."

The Princess and Elders looked up at them, "Yes my Rescuers, did you need something?" she asked.

Big wasn't used to speaking to royalty and didn't know how to say what he wanted to say, "Well, if it pleases your majesty, we have a plan to get the Stones back and defeat Shirlee."

The Elders looked amused, but the Princess took them seriously, "Please tell us, so far we have nothing."

Little started, "Tiberius told us of a prophecy that spoke of dark times and two who would come and save the land. We want to fulfill the prophecy and get the stones back." Big continued, "When we entered the Castle of Fear, Bjorn used his crossbow to sneak into the castle from the top. I think we could do something like that for the Castle of Doom."

The Princess was thoughtful, "Yes, that might be possible, but the castle is well defended. You wouldn't be able to defeat all of Shirlee's minions by yourselves."

Big nodded in agreement and Little continued, "That's true, which is why we would need a diversion." She didn't know how to ask what needed to be asked.

The Princess, however, understood what they needed and bowed her head in consideration. "So, you want us to draw the army out to give you time to retrieve the Stones and stop Shirlee on the inside. Is that it?" she asked.

Big and Little were not sure the Princess liked the plan, and nodded meekly. The Princess started to laugh.

"Of all the crazy plans, that's the craziest I have heard yet. But it's also the one that just might work. Very good my Friends." she congratulated them.

Big and Little smiled from ear to ear.

The preparations were swift. The Princess, the Elders, and Bjorn swept through the City to rally the people. The battle would be difficult, and they had little chance of defeating Shirlee's army without any Stones, but it was their best chance to stop the evil cat.

The entire City mobilized and marched onto the plain, ready for battle. All together, they set off for the land of Lee to storm the Castle of Doom. The Giants marching in the back, the Princess and the Elders leading the way with Bjorn, Big, and Little. They trudged along for days.

Finally, the dark Castle came into view. Storm clouds gathered around the highest spire, swirling up into the sky. Fear filled their Army of Light and some thought about running back to the Underground City.

It was then that Bjorn turned and faced his Army. He raised his hands in the air to address them.

"My friends and brothers, today we do battle with the greatest evil we have ever known. Shirlee seeks to rule all the worlds, to destroy our Land, and to enslave us all. We stand against him today! We will fight against this darkness, we will bring light to our Land once more! Now grab your weapons, lift your hearts, and join me. To Glory and HONOR!!!" As Bjorn lifted his Battle ax in the air, the army did the same with their weapons. The Army charged toward the castle and shouting a fearsome battle cry, one that would put fear in all but the most battle hardened pizza crust.

The Princess turned to Big and Little, "Our fate, and the fate of all the worlds is in your hands now, we trust that you will not let us down. Now go, and good luck."

Big bowed low to the ground, "We won't fail you your Highness." And he and Little made their way to the back of the Castle to find a way inside.

As the Good Army charged ahead, the gates of the castle opened. Out of its massive entrance poured thousands of pizza crusts, followed by an army of garbage monsters, bouncing apple cores, and slithering banana peels. Shirlee used the power of the Stone to animate objects that our world takes for granted. Do you ever see those peels again, or pizza crusts? Now you know where they go.

The armies clashed in the field before the castle. Bjorn wielded his ax and began cutting down crust after crust. The army held their own, until the garbage monsters attacked. The Army of Light wouldn't last long against them.

At the back of the Castle, Big took out Bjorn's crossbow and with Little's help shot the arrow to the top spire. The attached rope hung down on the wall and the Dogs slowly climbed up the side. Once they made it to the top, the tall spire was directly above them.

They found the door up to the top of the spire and ran up the stairs. Once there they opened the door to see Shirlee working the controls on a huge machine with the Evil Gnome standing next to him, looking dazed like he was in a trance. Power cords cris-crossed the whole room, all connecting to the largest pile of cheese that either of the Dogs had ever seen. Embedded in the cheese were the three magic stones, glowing brightly.

Shirlee heard the door open and looked over at the Dogs, his eyes grew wide. "YOU!!!" he screamed.

## Episode 19

Big and Little broke into the tallest spire of the Castle of Doom and interrupted Shirlee's final take over of the worlds. Shirlee looked over in disbelief when he saw the Dogs. "YOU!!!" he cried out.

Shirlee ordered the Evil Gnome to attack. The Gnome, with the same entranced expression jumped over to destroy the dogs. Shirlee attacked as well, claws bared, trying to swipe at the Dogs and take them out.

But Big and Little had been trained by the best and they dodged the Gnome and Shirlee's attacks. Even so, Shirlee had nothing to lose and attacked with all the viciousness he was capable of.

Around the room they went, swiping and biting, moving and weaving, they danced about. For every cut that Shir made with his claws, Big or Little made one of their own with their teeth and paws.

Shirlee retreated to the other side of the room with a well executed jump. Chest heaving from exertion, he said, "I see that you've been trained. Let me guess, Bjorn. I can tell his moves anywhere. Who do you think trained me? And who do you think trained my crust army? Ninja Crusts, ATTACK!"

Out of the shadows ten pizza crust ninjas leaped out with swords ready and came after the Dogs. It was a furious battle, one that Big and Little didn't know if they could win. Little looked over at the Evil Gnome, pleading with him, "Please, I know that you didn't mean to take the Stones. This isn't really you! Remember your Brother. Remember what he always wanted for you!" Little dodged two swords and yelled to the gnome. "Please! Help us!"

The evil gnome shook his head slightly, finally coming to. He looked up at the battle and saw his new friends losing against Shirlee and the Ninja Crusts.

Big tried to take on 3 crusts at once, biting and swallowing where he could but the crusts cut and slashed into his arms and legs. Little ducked two crusts that made a diving thrust, then kicked two more that tried to advance. Flying into the wall, Big was there to dispatch them and fill his hungry belly. Shirlee joined the battle as well, cutting and scratching, but his wounds were many and he was getting tired. Unfortunately, so were Big and Little.

The formerly Evil Gnome jumped in and ripped apart several more crusts, to cheers from Big and Little. Shirlee was outraged, "How did you override my mind-control?" he asked. "You have betrayed me," Shirlee said to the Gnome, "and now you will pay." Shirlee attacked the Gnome, tapping into the power of the Stones. He sent a dark cloud all around the Gnome and the cloud became black as night. Big ran over to save the Gnome but it was too late, the cloud collapsed in on itself and disappeared. "Noooo," screamed Big as he skidded to a halt.

Two crusts remained, standing to either side of Shirlee. He was almost finished, the cuts and bite marks on his body were red and sore. He was limping badly and he had trouble moving. Big gave Little an encouraging look and they drew strength form each other. They had to finish this.

Shirlee and the crusts attacked once more. Big blocked a crust sword meant for Little's head with his front paw and yelped out loud, but twisted his head around and bit the top of the crust off, the bottom falling uselessly to the ground. Little kicked the last crust into the machine, accidentally resetting the controls. Shirlee jumped on top of Little, giving her access to his soft underbelly. She bit down hard. Shirlee screeched in pain and batted Little away. He retreated once more.

The Energy crackled all around them, the power of the stones made more intense by the cheese. Shirlee rested in one corner, Big and Little in the other, the cheese in between. No one could take much more.

Shirlee summoned his strength and jumped for the closest stone, the Stone of Power. Big saw what Shirlee was doing and went for the Stone of Courage, Little following, snatching away the Stone of Wisdom. Without the Stones to power it, the machine shut down with a loud whirl, and the energy dissipated. Everything got very quiet, except for the sounds of battle from outside.

Shirlee looked derisively at the Dogs and laughed weakly, his eyes turning black like the darkest night. "Three stones, and I will have them all. You cannot defeat me!" he declared and lifted the stone to his mouth. In one motion he swallowed the power stone. Immediately he grew to three times his size and all his wounds and bruises began to heal.

Big looked over at Little and swallowed his stone, she following his lead. The Dogs could feel the magic begin to change them from the inside. The final battle had begun.

## Episode 20

Big, Little, and Shirlee had each swallowed a magic stone. Shirlee the Power Stone, Big the Stone of Courage, Little the Stone of Wisdom. Shirlee began to grow to a monstrous size and all this wounds were healed. His claws and fangs became fearsome and terrible. He turned into the power hungry monster he had always been on the inside.

Big saw Shirlee growing into a giant beast, but he wasn't afraid. His heart was bigger than any creature's before and nothing could make him turn away. His body was healing as well and he felt stronger and faster. He started to smile despite the danger.

Little's change was more subtle, she didn't become bigger or stronger. Her body still hurt but she also knew exactly why it hurt and how to move to avoid the worst pain. She was growing smarter and wiser. Her mind was sharper than anyone's and she quickly understood what was happening.

Shirlee attacked with a thunderous roar, swiping at Big. With his extra speed, Big was able to move quickly out of the way. Shirlee skidded into the wall, pieces of stone and timber flew everywhere. He swiped again at Big but only managed to gouge part of the floor. Big turned and jumped directly at Shirlee, headbutting him into the wall again. The spire tower shook from side to side.

Little looked around for something to help. Her eyes settled on the cheese. Something inside said the cheese was the key. Then she figured it out. It was all so simple.

"Big! It's way past lunch time. EAT THE CHEESE!" she shouted. Big didn't need to be told to eat cheese more than once.

He immediately leaped over and scarfed down more cheese than he thought possible. Little did too. As they ate, their bodies grew larger, making them able to eat even more cheese. Before Shirlee knew what was happening, the Dogs had grown larger than him. They stopped eating and turned to look at the evil cat. He spit at them, "I will still defeat you, no matter what size you are!"

But something strange happened instead. The Stone of Power, lodged firmly in Shirlee's gullet, was attracted to the cheese in the Dogs. Shirlee began to make a choking sound and the Stone flew out of his mouth and hovered between the dogs.

Shirlee immediately returned to his former size and he cowered before them. "Please, please, don't hurt me. I'll do anything you want. I'm not a bad kitty, it wasn't my fault. It was my father! He told me to!"

Big and Little took pity on him.

Once again, Little knew what to do. She spit the Stone of Wisdom out towards the Stone of Power. Enhanced by the energy of the cheese, the two Stones began to crackle with energy. Little told Big to do the same. Big spit the Stone of Courage into the group.

Fireworks. Brightness. Brighter than a hundred suns all around them. The Stones were coming together and they shot into the air like a rocket, leaving a rainbow trail behind them.

Outside, the Army of Light was almost finished. Bjorn, The Princess, and a few of their best warriors defended themselves against an onslaught of garbage monsters but the outlook wasn't good. This seemed to be their last stand.

A garbage monster lifted its fist for the final blow when the rainbow shot high into the sky, sucking up all the crusts, apple, peals, and garbage. They all flew through the air, into the rainbow, never to be seen again. When all the evil creatures made by the Stone's power were gone, the rainbow collapsed in on itself with a deafening CRACK!

The evil was gone.

The pink haze shown all around them, turning from purple, into a blue sky. The sun shined bright and the seven moons were glowing.

Big and Little blinked at the bright sun and the blue sky. Then Big looked over at the corner.

Shirlee was nowhere to be found.

## Episode 21

Both Big and Little looked around the room, but there was no sign of Shirlee. Had he been sucked up into the rainbow? Did he escape in all the commotion? There was no way to know for sure.

Big and Little limped down to the battle field. The soft grass was trodden and beaten down. Many warriors found their final resting places here on this field, and the remaining soldiers were taking them to be buried. Even if you defeat evil, there is always a cost when you choose to fight. This was a lesson Big and Little would never forget.

They walked carefully over to Bjorn and the Princess. The remaining Elders were with them as well, but Bjorn stood in their middle. He had been elected as Chief Elder.

"Thank you my friends. You have saved us. Whatever you wish, it is yours." said the Princess.

Big looked over at Little, she spoke for them because she knew they wanted the same thing. "It was our honor to help, we will never forget this. But we have People who must miss us at home, we need to go back." Big nodded his head in agreement.

The Princess smiled, "Of course Dear Ones, as I said, whatever you wish. In fact we will escort you there ourselves. Come," and off they went, back to the tube.

Once there, the Princess placed her hand on each of the Dogs heads and said a blessing. "If you can, please find a way to come back. We will guard this portal into your world now at all times, but you are honorary citizens and may come and go as you please. I hope that you return soon so that we may feast in your honor."

After many tearful good byes and the game of fetch with the Giant King that Big promised, the Dogs entered the tube and went back to the real world.

As they arrived in the attic once more, they didn't see the guard dogs anywhere. They were wary but the attic seemed to be empty. As they crawled out of the window, it seemed as if their adventures were finally over.

"I hope our people have some cheese waiting for us," said Big.

Little was shocked, "Are you serious!?! Didn't you get enough cheese back at the tower..." Their voices trailed off in the distance.

Meanwhile, in a back corner of the attic, two vicious guard dogs were bowing before a fluffy orange tail...

Want to see what happens next? Buy The Tales of Big and Little – Part Two: Shirlee's Revenge. Available at most major online retailers.

# Preview of Sean Ryanis & The Impossible Chase

## Episode 1

A lone spaceship blasted through hyperspace, intent on its destination. Its captain, Sean Ryanis, stared at the view screen, tapping the console impatiently. Worry lines creased his face and his mouth was turned down into a terse frown. His co-pilot Shaker glanced over at his partner and told him to chill out.

Ryanis grumbled, "If we miss this job, I don't know when another's gonna come around. Can't we push engines any faster?"

Shaker looked doubtful, "Their already at maximum. If we push 'em harder and they break, we don't have the parts to fix them. Don't know 'bout you but I don't want to be stranded in dead space. Like I said, chill. We'll get there in plenty of time."

Ryanis fell silent, he knew Shaker was right. Their ship, the Tiberius, started out as an old junky transport until he and Shaker got their hands on it. Over the years they turned it into the best independent frigate in the galaxy. But it still wasn't a good idea to push it too far.

It had been 4 weeks since their last job and supplies were running low. They were heading to the Firnote Quadrant because they heard the local magistrate needed of a couple of ships to transport goods into dangerous territory. The Tiberius had just enough fuel to get there, so this trip was a big gamble.

Ryanis closed his eyes, leaned back, smiling to himself as he thought about the 'dangerous' situation that lay ahead of them. He didn't know what the magistrate's idea of dangerous was, but Ryanis and Shaker had probably seen worse.

The loud blaring of the Tiberius' alarm shook him out of his daydream. The paticular noise let them know that it was a local planetary distress call.

Without opening his eyes, Ryanis said, "Shaker, turn on the coms, let's see what it is."

Shaker rolled his eyes, "Need I remind you that we only have enough fuel to get to Firnote and that's it. If we take a detour, there's no more payday. And remember what happened the last time we took a detour? I believe the Duke and Dutchess on Kloxon 9 still have a warrant out for your arrest."

Ryanis smiled wider at that thought, "I know, I'll be good. Can't hurt to listen, right?"

Shaker muttered sarcastically, "Can't hurt to listen..." as he flipped on the comm switch.

The speaker crackled and a pretty voice filled the ship's cabin, "All available fighting ships, the planet Martosis is under attack by a Malogan strike force. We are taking heavy losses. More enemy ships are arriving by the second. Bounty will paid to all independents able to destroy at least 5 enemy ships. Please, help us... All available fighting ships..." The message repeated.

"Hear that? Bounty!" Ryanis began to adjust the controls and set a course for Martosis. Shaker knew better than to get in his way, especially when it came to his instinct for money. Somehow Ryanis always knew the right angle to play and they usually ended up on top.

Despite his faith in his partner, Shaker was still a little nervous, "Fighting Malogans isn't my idea of an easy bounty. In fact, it's downright dangerous." But as he spoke, Ryanis' eyes sparkled.

Ryanis reached over and slapped Shaker on the shoulder, "Don't worry old buddy, I won't let anything happen to you," he said. He punched the hyperjump control and the Tiberius entered hyperspace on route to Martosis.

The ship jumped right in the middle of a full fledged war zone. Hundreds of ships shot across the sky, laser beams shooting everywhere. Explosions lit up space like a fireworks display. This wasn't exactly what they signed up for.

Just then, two Malogan fighters locked onto the Tiberius.

## Episode 2

The black Malogan bubble fighters closed in on the Tiberius.

Ryanis told Shaker to buckle up as he swung the ship wildly to the left. The Malogan fighters tried to keep up, but their engines weren't nearly as powerful. Ryanis looped down and back around to come in behind the fighters and Shaker took them out with the quantum cannons.

With no more ships nearby, they were able to survey the battle. Shaker studied the monitors, "Looks like the Martosis forces know what they're doing. They're focusing all of their fire power on the main Malogan Command cruiser. If a Malogan flagship goes down, the rest of their forces usually retreat."

Ryanis smiled at Shaker, "See, isn't this more fun than hauling cargo?"

Shaker sighed as Ryanis pushed the engines to maximum, streaking into battle.

Malogans are the most feared species in the known galaxy but from everything that Ryanis had heard they weren't this powerful. At least not powerful enough to assault such an advanced world. It seemed his information was incorrect.

As Ryanis sped through the battle zone, Shaker fended off the bubble fighters. The ship bolted toward the Malogan command cruiser, a huge black cylinder hanging in space. The skin of the enemy ship looked smooth, only interrupted by the intermittent launch of more fighters.

Ryanis positioned the Tiberius for firing and Shaker set the Quantum cannon for maximum power. The light blue blast pierced the command ship's hull and they saw a small explosion as they raced across the length of the cruiser.

Ryanis laughed, "That got their attention."

"Bubble fighters right behind us," Shaker growled, "And they're gaining."

Ryanis banked hard and skimmed the very surface of the command carrier, hovering inches above the smooth black surface. The bubble fighters struggled to keep up and several crashed into the cruiser's hull.

The Tiberius pulled away and prepared to make another attack run. Ryanis looked off to the side toward the planet, "Looks like more ships are landing, it's all out invasion. Never seen the Malogans quite this aggressive. Must be something down there they really want."

Shaker nodded but kept his eyes on the monitors, "Ryanis, there are too many fighters in the attack path. We'll have to circle around."

"Nonsense," Ryanis said with smirk, and gunned the engine while performing a high speed loop maneuver. The Tiberius went up and around, then swooped underneath the cruiser rocketing towards the unprotected belly. Shaker fired at maximum strength again.

The blast was blindingly bright as a fire ball erupted from the hull. The Tiberius headed strait for the cruiser, but Ryanis pulled away just in time, barely touching the hull. The loud scraping sound and Shaker's worried look reminded Ryanis to be more careful next time.

The alarms went off again, this time it was a constant ringing. Shaker quickly went to the scanners, "Two frigates on either side of us, they're locked on!" he said.

The scanners showed two red dots moving closer, then two yellow dots appeared moving even faster. The alarm turned into a screech.

"Two Ship-Ripper missiles coming right at us, from both sides." Shaker said as he stared in horror at the monitor.

Do Sean Ryanis and Shaker survive? Find Out! Buy Sean Ryanis & The Impossible Chase

# Preview of The Superhero Chronicles: Birth of Moonlight

## Episode 1

Billy watched as the fist quickly approached his face. The impact knocked his head back and he heard the sickening crunch of bone from the bully's fist against his jaw. After that, everything went completely dark. When he came to, Billy was on the floor staring up at the Vice Principal, Mr. Davis.

Mr. Davis did not look happy.

Reaching down to help Billy up, Mr. Davis shook his head. "Getting into more trouble I see." Billy's head felt woozy and he had a hard time standing up straight as the school hallway spun all around him.

"No Mr. Davis, I was trying to stop Rick from picking on Jasper, the new kid."

Mr. Davis looked at Billy sternly, "That's not what I heard, in fact no one was willing to say that you didn't start the fight. You'll have to come with me. We need to call your parents." Mr. Davis supported Billy as they walked to the main office.

"Not again," Billy said to himself. He looked up at Mr. Davis and said aloud, "Honestly, I was just trying to help. Rick and his friends were going to pummel him."

But Mr. Davis didn't say anything else as they made their way slowly through the hallway.

Safely in Mr. Davis' office, Billy slumped down in the chair across from the large desk as the Vice Principal calmly sat down behind it. He considered Billy carefully, "Billy, I want to believe you, but this is the third time in three months. I think that you should consider backing off. If there is any bullying going on in this school, the administration will take care of it. You need to let us do our job."

Billy wanted to laugh at that, but he knew it would only make matters worse. Every kid knew that Rick and his gang of bullies ran the school, but the Principal and his staff didn't do anything to stop them. No one was willing to say anything against them. No one except Billy that is.

"I'm sorry Mr. Davis, I know it's your job but if I see someone in trouble I can't help it, I have to help." Billy stared down at his feet dangling off the tall chair he sat on.

Pity crossed Mr. Davis' eyes and he glanced over at the phone, "Maybe we don't need to call you parents, this time. But if I see or hear of you getting into any more fights, I'll have no choice but to suspend you. Got it?" Billy nodded his head.

A simple nod wasn't good enough for Mr. Davis, "Billy, do you understand me?"

"Yes Mr. Davis, I understand."

Mr. Davis looked happy and began writing on the small white tablet next to his phone, "Excellent. Here's a hall pass to get back to class. Now, I don't want to see you in my office again, Okay?"

Billy took the note and shoved it in his pocket. "Yes Sir, thank you Mr. Davis." And he headed back to class.

He knew he was going to have a nasty bruise later, so Billy was thankful that the fight had only been one punch. But no matter what Mr. Davis said, Billy felt good that he stood up to the bully squad. Rick and his thug friends couldn't intimidate him, even if they had the rest of school running scared.

As he walked through the hall to his next class, English, Billy took a deep breath. Rick and all his goons were in the class too. He opened the door and the teacher was sitting at his desk while the rest of the class was busy writing. "Oh no," he thought, "I hope it's not a quiz or something."

His English teacher, Mr. Marconni looked up and Billy immediately saw disapproval on the teacher's face. He walked up and silently handed the hall pass to Mr. Marconni. The teacher looked at the note and then back up at Billy, saying out loud, "I see you've been fighting again." All the kids heads popped up and Rick smiled wickedly.

"Billy, I don't care if Mr. Davis gave you a pass, I won't condone this sort of behavior from my students. You get a zero on the quiz today, and I want you to think about how to improve your behavior. Now go sit down." Mr. Marconni pointed to the open seat in the back of the class. Billy walked past all the other kids, some snickering, some whispering, and he slumped down in his seat. Unfortunately it was just behind Rick and his posse.

Billy heard Rick whisper to him. "You're not gonna get away with what you did today. Me and the guys are comin' for you next." and Rick turned to give him an evil smile.

Billy laid his head on the desk. How could this day get any worse?

## Episode 2

The class bell rang and Billy left the classroom, his head drooping low. He walked to his locker slowly. He was dreading the last period because he knew that right after school got out he was done for.

Waiting at his locker, as always during this time of day, was his best friend Grace. She and Billy had been best friends since they were little kids and she was the kind of girl that would rather punch you in the arm then act all weird and girly. He knew Grace would be able to get him out of this predicament; she was pretty smart.

When Billy came to the locker Grace was staring at his bruised eye, "I heard something about a kid getting picked on in the halls, shoulda figured you were involved somehow." Billy saw that she was worried about him.

"I'm fine, just Rick and his goons, the were picking on Jasper and, well, you know me..." Grace just nodded her head, she knew Billy very well. In fact, his willingness to stand up for people in need was what she liked most about him.

Billy continued, "Now, they want to beat me up after school. I don't know what to do."

Grace looked up to the ceiling, thinking really hard. Then she snapped her fingers, as a huge smile came to her face. She told Billy, "I got it, meet me in the girls bathroom five minutes before the last bell. See ya there," and she ran away as the bell rang.

Billy hurried to his science class, but for the rest of class couldn't pay attention to anything the teacher said. He was distracted by thoughts of being beaten to a pulp, but he was also curious to see what Grace had in mind.

The last bell couldn't come fast enough. With ten minutes to go, Billy raised his hand and asked to go to the bathroom.

The Teacher looked surprised, "I think you can wait 10 minutes Billy, put your hand down."

Billy made his best 'I have to pee REALLY bad' face, "I'm sorry but I have to go really bad, like REALLY bad." Billy figured that no teacher wanted to a student to pee in their class.

He was right.

His science teacher sighed, "Fine, go, just be quick." Billy grabbed his books and raced out of the class. After a quick stop at his locker to get his bag, he made his way to the girl's bathroom. He knocked on the door softly, but didn't hear anything. Suddenly a deep voice behind him said, "What do you think you're doing?" Billy's heart sank as he turned around.

Grace giggled at his shocked expression. "I do a pretty good Mr. Davis huh?" Billy blew out a deep breath and lightly punched her in the arm, which she returned. Billy noticed that she had a pile of clothes in her arms.

"Come on in," she told him as she pushed her way into the bathroom. Stiffly, Billy walked into the girl's bathroom for the first time ever. Once inside, he noticed right away that it smelled better and was a lot cleaner than the boys bathroom. He thought it was pretty unfair that the janitors would clean the girl's bathroom but not the boys.

Grace shoved the clothes at Billy, "Here you go, put these on." Billy took the clothes and looked at them. They were kind of ratty, but clean and they didn't have stains. "What are these for?" he asked.

Grace rolled her eyes, "Disguise, duh? You gotta sneak by Rick somehow." Billy put on the pants and a hoody over his regular clothes. When he saw himself in the mirror, he looked a lot different.

"Do you think it will work?" he asked. Grace just shrugged her shoulders, "Don't know, but it's better than nothing. Don't worry, you don't look anything like yourself." Just then the last bell rang; it was time to leave school.

Both Billy and Grace took a deep breath and Billy pulled the hood over his head. As they walked out of the bathroom, they made sure no one was looking in their direction. They made it to the front door of the school and Grace tugged on Billy's arm, "OK, you walk ahead and I'll be behind you, if I whistle then it means they spotted you somehow and you need to run." Billy just nodded.

They walked casually onto the main street and Grace noticed that Billy was taking a different route home than usual. "Good job," she thought to herself. She put some distance between Billy and herself so it wouldn't be too obvious that she was following.

Minutes later she heard footsteps behind her. Rick and his goons passed right by Grace, and she started to whistle loudly. She just hoped Billy could hear her. He did, and turned to look. When he saw Rick, Billy took off in a sprint. Rick and his buddies were not far behind. Grace yelled out, "Run Billy! Faster!" as she tried to follow. "How did Rick know where Billy was?" she thought to herself.

The Bullies were starting to gain on Billy, who was moving as quickly as he could. He knew it was only a matter of time before they caught him so he tried to lose his pursuers. At an intersection, Billy ran into the road, right in the middle of traffic. A red pick up truck came to a screeching halt right in front of Billy as the driver leaned out shouting, "What do you think you're doing?!"

Rick and his bully friends stopped on the corner and smiled at Billy, there was no where to run now.

Just then, the red truck shot forward, as a much larger freight truck slammed into the back of it. The freight truck tipped to the side, and barrels of steaming, bubbling liquid tipped over onto the road.

Right on top of Billy.

What happens to Billy? Find out! Buy The Superhero Chronicles: Birth of Moonlight

# Preview of The Lost Princess in Winter's Grip

## Episode 1

The birds were chirping, the sun was shining, and everything was right with the world. Annabeth strolled across the village square with a slight skip in her step, swinging a basket at her side. The smile on her face said that she loved her life and she was very content.

Her family was not the wealthiest in the village, in fact they didn't have much money at all. But they were well well respected and what they lacked in money they made up for in love.

Annabeth's mother sent her out for the weekly groceries. The day was beautiful and Annabeth was happy to help.

Annabeth lived in a small cottage at the edge of town. Her father made a living as a handyman, doing odd jobs around town. If anyone in the village needed something fixed, they went to her father. Unfortunately he was a little too good at his job, because when he fixed something it always stayed fixed.

Once someone came to him and told him that he would get more business if he just didn't do such a good job. But Annabeth's father would not compromise his values, "If I don't do my best," he would say, "then how can I look my daughter in the eye?"

He made enough to feed the family, but while they couldn't afford to go to the theaters or eat at the fancy restaurants, her family was happy to have each other. They made up plays and songs, acting them out by candle light after dinner. They played games and read the few books they were lucky enough to own. All in all, they were very happy.

Annabeth skipped up to the small, yellow front door of her cottage, "Mom I'm home," she sang as she opened the front door.

Her Mother looked up from the dishes she was washing, "Any trouble sweetie?"

Annabeth smiled, "Not a bit. Today was a beautiful day for a stroll. Where is father?"

Her mother sighed, "Out looking for new projects. God bless that man, he just works so hard."

A loud voice came from the door, "Did I hear someone talking about me?" Annabeth's father came in with a grin from ear to ear, "My two beautiful ladies. Look at you Annabeth, you're positively radiant."

Annabeth blushed and did a twirl for her father. He gave her a big hug and then went over to her mother for a big kiss. She giggled like a school girl as he tickled her a little bit. "Now you stop it," she said with a laugh,"Annabeth, help me with these dishes."

And that was Annabeth's life. Not very exciting but it was nice and usually very happy.

Later that day, just as Annabeth was finishing with her chores, there was a loud banging on the door.

"Mom, there's somebody at the door." Annabeth said.

"Well, go see who it is." Her mom shouted back.

Annabeth went to the door and looked out the peephole. She saw a smallish man standing there in fancy, regal clothes, looking rather impatient. Behind him was a large group of similarly dressed people. Annabeth backed up from the door and straightened out her handmade dress. When she thought she looked presentable enough, she opened the door.

The regal looking man smiled when he saw her, "Ah, yes, you must be Annabeth. Am I correct?"

"I am she. How may I be of service to you Sir?"

The regal man looked confused, "No, not at such. My name is Parcell, and I represent their Royal Majesties, the King and Queen. They wish to speak with you."

Annabeth was astonished, "Me? Why would they wish to speak with me? I am but one of your Majesties' humble subjects."

Parcell smiled, "Be that as it may, my masters have graced your home with their presence. Would you leave them standing out on the door like beggars?"

Annabeth noticed that in the large group behind Parcell stood two figures, taller and more beautiful than the rest.

Annabeth bowed, "Please forgive me your Highnesses, I had no idea you would be here. Our humble home is yours."

The Queen spoke with practiced grace and a honey tongue, "My dear child, of course you did not expect us. Please fetch your parents, we have much to discuss with them, and you." She and the King strode through the open door.

Annabeth's mother came into the room, "What is all this racket. Annabeth, who was at the door?" When she saw the Royal couple, she kneeled gracefully, "My apologies your royal Highnesses, I did not know you had come."

The King bellowed a deep and rich laugh, "Of course, but here we are. Please, stand. Where is your husband? The Queen and I must speak with you both."

Annabeth's mother looked over at her, "Dear, please fetch your father as quickly as you can. He's off in the woods working on one of his projects." Annabeth left without a word.

When they returned, the King and Queen and Annabeth's mother were silently standing in the living room. Her father bowed and said, "My Lords, you grace us with your presence. What can a humble tinkerer do to assist you today?"

The King looked grave, "You must have seen this day coming. You see, Annabeth is not your child. In fact, she is ours."

## Episode 2

Annabeth's father briefly lost his composure, "What? How can that be? There must be some mistake!"

The King's eyes flashed, glowing with a ferocious intensity, "You dare to question the King? If I say this is so, then it is so. You are no one to question me."

Annabeth's father regained his bearing, "Of course your Highness, my deepest apologies. It was merely a shock. Everyone in the village knows my wife can't conceive a child so we thought it was a blessing Annabeth was left on our door step. We couldn't have known she was of such noble birth. If we had known, we would have returned her to you immediately of course."

The King's face brightened up, "I believe you would have. At the time, we were so embarrassed at the loss that we decided not to make it public. I'm sure you understand."

The Queen spoke up, "We have missed her so much these many years, and now we have found you Annabeth. You must come with us now."

Annabeth's parents both began to protest but the King held out his hand, "Please my good people, this must be done. Parcell, show them the documents."

Parcell came into the room holding a stack of scrolls in his hands, "I think that if you read these, everything will make sense."

Annabeth's parents could not read well, but they had made sure that Annabeth learned how to read and write. She went over the assembled documents and realized that they were royal birth certificates and decrees stating that she was born 16 years ago.

Annabeth looked up at the Royal couple, "It looks to me as if these records are correct, but please, my Lords, I ask you to let me stay here. This man and woman, your loyal subjects, have served you well in caring for me. I beseech you, let them continue this charge."

The King and Queen looked surprised, "Well said my Dear," said the Queen, "You will do well in the royal court with a tongue such as that. I'm afraid that you must come with us. I know it will be hard but it's for the best." The Queen looked like she was trying to make her face seem motherly, but it was such a foreign practice to her that she failed immediately.

Annabeth looked to her adoptive parents for help, but they both stared at the ground. Her father glanced over at her and sadly shook his head. She knew that there was nothing he could do.

The King smiled as he saw this, "Well, excellent. It's all settled then. Annabeth, Parcell will help you pack your things. Hurry along now."

Annabeth looked at him sullenly, "Yes...Father."

The King quickly became angry once again, "You will address me as is proper. I won't remind you again. Now be off with you." The Queen looked equally enraged.

Annabeth went with Purcell to collect her things from her room. There wasn't much, so it did not take long.

"Just think," said Parcell as he held up one of the few dresses Annabeth owned, "Soon you will have all the clothes and jewelry you could ever want. You won't have to wear these dirty rags anymore."

Annabeth snatched her worn dress from his hands and put it in the sack. Her mother made that dress especially for her, and she would keep it always to be a reminder of how much her parents loved her. Her new parents did not seem as loving.

When they returned to the living room, Annabeth's mother was sobbing into her father's shoulder. It was all Annabeth could do to keep from crying herself.

The King nodded toward her parents, "You may hug them good-bye if you wish."

Annabeth wrapped her arms around both her parents, she did not want to let go. It seemed so cruel to be ripped away so suddenly.

The Queen's face tightened and became very stern, "Come now Annabeth, we're going."

Annabeth reluctantly let go, "Yes Moth... I mean Your Highness." she said and trudged out the door. As she glanced back, she saw Purcell hand her father a rather large bag. She could only assume it contained some kind of payment. "At least they would have something," she thought to herself. But just then she saw her father refuse to take reward. She smiled to herself, she could her him saying, "If I take this, how can I look my daughter in the eye?" She hoped against hope that she could see them again one day.

They entered the Royal coach, a magnificently ornate carriage. The doors were trimmed with gold and inside there were soft cushions and silky fabrics. Maybe this wouldn't be as bad as she thought.

While the cushions were soft, her new parents were anything but. They sat across from herself and Purcell, saying nothing and keeping to themselves. Purcell on the other hand was full of information and talked the whole way to the castle, filling Annabeth in on the various coming and goings of the kingdom. She politely listened but her mind was otherwise occupied.

A cold wind blew through the carriage. The sun was shining brightly but the cold was everywhere, it seemed that in the past few years it was always a little colder than the year before.

After many hours of travel they came to the Royal castle. The castle was surrounded by a large town, bigger than any Annabeth had seen before. It was teeming with activity, hustle and bustle filled the streets. Annabeth was fascinated by all the people.

"Close the shades, I don't want anyone seeing us," the King commanded. It was the first time he spoke the whole journey. Purcell complied and Annabeth saw no more until they reached the castle.

Once the carriage stopped, Annabeth and Purcell stepped out followed by the King and Queen. There was a large, bowing group of people waiting for them. Annabeth assumed they were the castle's servants by the way they were dressed. In front were several large men with sharp looking spears. These must be the Royal guard Annabeth thought to herself.

The King turned to face Annabeth, "Come with me. You will now be taken to your room." He motioned for the Royal Guard to follow. The Royal couple led the way into the castle, followed by Annabeth and Purcell, and the royal guard marching closely behind them. "So much security," Annabeth thought.

Once inside they climbed up a long stairwell in the corner of the castle. It felt like they were going up a tower, but Annabeth couldn't be certain. Once at the top, they stopped in front of a large, solid looking door with two small metal slots.

"Open the door Purcell," the Queen said. Purcell pulled out his keys, unlocked the door, and opened it with great effort. The door seemed very heavy.

The Queen pointed to Annabeth, "In you go."

Annabeth hesitated, this didn't look like a room for a princess. This looked like a prison tower!

The Queen became impatient, "Guards, escort this girl to her room." The royal guards roughly pushed Annabeth through the door, causing her to stumble. Before she could turn around, the door slammed closed and the top slot slid open.

Annabeth heard the Queen's voice, "Welcome to your new home, Daughter. I do hope you will find it to your liking." The Queen spoke to the guards, "Make sure she doesn't make too much noise and feed her once a day, understood?"

The guards spoke loudly, "Yes your Highness, it will be done as you say."

Annabeth cried out, "Why are you doing this? What have I done?"

The Queen looked through the slot, "Why? You were born my Dear, isn't that enough?" and the slot closed with a snap.

Annabeth was alone, trapped in the prison tower, all alone.

Find out what happens to Annabeth! Buy The Lost Princess: In the Beginning

# Copyright Information

Tell Me A Story: Amazing Tales to Captivate Your Kids

The Tales of Big and Little #1 – Doom of the Three Stones

Published By Josh and Megan Kilen at Smashwords

Copyright © 2011 Josh Kilen

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without permission in writing from the author.

# More Titles By Josh Kilen

Sean Ryanis & The Impossible Chase

The Superhero Chronicles: Birth of Moonlight

The Lost Princess: In the Beginning

Or get all 4 stories in one book!
