

# James &

# The changing Red

# J.W Cotter

### With Thanks

### To my parents who gave me the support and stability to write this.

### To my sisters, without them I could not function and I promise the Red Sisters in the book are entirely fictional!

### To my four nephews whose wild imaginations flourished mine.

### And to Bernadette who always provided an eye to read and an ear to listen.

I sincerely thank you all and I hope you enjoy the finished product.

Chapter 1ne:

Blushed Cheeks and a Sausage Roll

Set somewhat in the shallow side of the deep end of the English rural countryside was a small little village, a hamlet if you will, that was ironically named Hamlet. Unfortunately the founders were not the most creative of people. The village was quaint and quiet with all the trappings of daily country life, from cockerel alarm calls to cow herd rush hour. Everyone knew everyone and everyone tried to know everyone's business but only a handful truly knew every one and every thing and normally that handful was found clustered at dawn by the church doors and by dusk at the local pub.

The sun was slowly beginning to rise over the large derelict castle in the midst of the roaming forest and its shadow almost tipped the edge of the village from whose roots it grew. Harlin's castle was the name it was christened with centuries ago and naturally one would have thought the village would have taken that name as well but by the time the few houses and a little shop could be considered a village, the Harlin family were long gone and the castle was a shell. So it remained derelict and abandoned, separated from the village by an overgrown forest and a river with its rapid currents and broken bridge.

So as the cockerel's call amplified through the quiet countryside lights slowly began to flicker on in the village. Not all the shops opened this early, only the café that wanted to catch the early commuters and the shop with its newspapers. The knowing handful suddenly appeared together huddled by the brown wooden doors of the church situated at the end of the one street. Each of them were wrapped warmly in their wools and faux furs while one had her miniature pooch under her arm against her chest for warmth and when a red hatchback car appeared at the gates she quickly tied the dog to a railing and patted the hairs off her coat.

"Morning Vicar" she called as the elderly man made his way to the entrance. Service wasn't due to start for another hour but the handful made it their business to be first in order to provide help, and to keep an eye on the happenings of the village. One of them would volunteer to climb the stairs to the bell tower and wait to peal, all the while having a three hundred and sixty degree view of the village and its inhabitant's morning movements. But not everyone who was from Hamlet lived directly in the village, in fact only a handful of people actually resided in the buildings as most them had been turned into little speciality shops. At the top of the road leading to the village there was a left and a right. The left would take you to another town further away, passing a new housing estate that was partially built. Phase one was completed and already had a couple of residents, phase two was delayed indefinitely due to the developer absconding. Right would take you on the road to Harlington, the closest city to Hamlet. But on the road to Harlington barely a couple of yards away from the entrance to the village there was a little road, almost more like an extra wide footpath that led directly to the fields, the forest and a handful of houses.

Moving past the cul-de-sac sign the road was littered with potholes, grass and cow manure and the ditches on either side were screaming for a good trimming but their screams were never loud enough. There were only a handful of houses up this way, four in fact and they were somewhat fancier than the others. These were adorned with large gardens, garages, sun-soaked conservatories and breath-taking views. Each of the homes had their own names, the first was "Daffodil Lawn", but unfortunately at this time of year the lawn was just plainly a lawn, barely green with a hint of yellow. The next was named "Tansy Trail", the trail was more a path and the Tansies were few and far between. "Clematis Arches" was the third houses, the biggest of all three and even though it had numerous arches over its paths they were overgrown with gnarled brown branches, the flowers long dead, for now.

The last house was the only one that could constantly claim its name was always constant; it was aptly named "Woodland Shadow". Something within the walls of Woodland Shadow was plainly amiss as raised voices could be heard and every so often a smash would shatter the morning still. Outside the house there was a young man standing on the ledge of one of the upstairs windows, his back to the road as he carefully edged his feet across towards a black drainpipe. This was the home of the Griffins, and the boy edging his way down to the ground was in fact James, the only child of the household. With great ease he managed to skim to the ground and land safely on the grass, it was clear this wasn't the first time he had to leave the house in this manner. Upon the cold hard ground already were his backpack and coat and so plucking them up the young fifteen year old carefully treaded along the edge of the grass to the gate and soon was on the road and thankfully just in time. Still within earshot of the house and its screams James could hear a window break. That sealed it; it was the worst fight he had ever heard between his parents. He knew they hadn't been getting along recently and his mother was increasingly on edge over something while his father was becoming more and more distant, it all added to a rather uncomfortable near-future.

The cold suddenly stopped James in the middle of the road and placing his backpack between his knees he put on his coat. It was fleece-lined with a faux fur hood, similar to the knowing trio, it kept him warm even on the coldest of mornings. Inside the pocket was his MP3 player, one of only a handful of things he would never leave the house without. Digging the buds deep into his ears he blasted the music, now he couldn't hear anything other than the beats and lyrics of the songs. People were the last thing James wanted to listen to. Now with his backpack on his back he licked the palm of his hand like a cat and flattened down his blonde fringe to cover most of his forehead so much in fact he could barely see, and others couldn't see him, well his eyes anyway. Hands firmly in the pockets of the coat, the music blaring loudly and his hair just the way he liked it James bowed his head to the ground and continued the walk to the end of the road and to the top of the village where the bus shelter was located. Just as he was nearing the end of his road he moaned a small grunt and let out a whimper of an expletive name of the thing he stepped in. Frustration was clear as he wiped and wiped his shoe in the grass, frustration owing to the fact that the shoes were newly purchased by his mother for a birthday still a couple of months away and he wanted to keep them as pristinely white as possible and delay the fading of the blue graffiti markings. The dew covered grass did manage to clean the shoe but now it was slightly wet and had a few pieces of grass embedded in the sole. It would have to do, the first bus was going to be arriving pretty soon and although normally he would be getting the second one which was forty minutes later, he wanted to get out of the village before his parents realised he was gone.

The bus shelter was in desperate need of repair, it was a little wooden shack that was only standing owing to the fact that the coats and coats of varnish had stiffened the wood to withstand almost any element, except fire. It was crowded by the time James arrived; seven people were stood within and about it, well crowded by rural standards. With his head still bowed and the music so loud that the other waiting passengers could almost sing along with the songs if they knew them James patiently waited in his own world for the bus. Luckily it wasn't a long wait and out of the corner of his partly covered eye James could see the lights of the bus coming down the road as did the others and everyone started to move a couple of inches toward the edge of the grass. Hamlet wasn't the first stop for the bus; it started the journey in another small village about ten miles away, a village named Parish. Creativity wasn't all that important in these villages and apparently neither were the people, in the eyes of the bus company anyway. They normally sent the most distressed vehicles on the route and as it came closer James could see it was the same bus that had broken down three times in the past fortnight. Before it even came to a stop the doors swung open and everyone slowly filed on one by one, each paying the usual busman before finding a seat that wasn't in need of stitching. James had a card with his picture on it that allowed him unlimited travel for a calendar month and as he flashed it to the bus driver he quickly made his way to the back of the bus and sat down in the corner, as far away from the other passengers as possible. Then as the doors squeaked shut the engine jittered a bit and they were off, leaving a cloud of blue smoke that was sure to kill any wildlife that would happen upon it.

The journey normally took just over half an hour until they arrived in the middle of Harlington but James' school was about a twenty minute walk from the stop and the slow pace he had mastered normally added another ten minutes. As the rolling green fields and protruding ditches slowly turned into railings and buildings James remained oblivious as his eyes never left the ground of the bus and the music never stopped blaring. It took the screeching brakes of the bus as it came to a halt for James to snap out of his almost trance like state and taking hold of his bag he hurried out throwing the straps over his shoulder as he went. Once outside he sauntered back the way the bus came and disappeared around a corner. His eyes still hadn't lifted from the ground yet James somehow managed not to bump into anyone or anything, mainly owing to the fact that he walked this path almost everyday for years and as the path was unusually wide there was only a slight chance of a collision. As he neared the school James' stomach let out a loud growl that even the music couldn't overshadow, it had not been fed since yesterday. A small newsagent, one where most of the older students who could leave the school on their lunch hour attended, was on the way and it served the most mouth-watering, crunchy sausage rolls.

A little bell rang out signalling James' entry into the shop. It was a small, cramped space that had very little browsing room but an aroma of freshly cooked food would cause anyone to forgive the navigation around towers of papers on the partly tiled floor. As he made his way to the back of the store, where the delicatessen counter was located, James passed a couple of business men who were picking up a newspaper from the bundles on the ground and were making their way to the counter. The counter James arrived at was different and as he placed his hands on the glass just below the "Caution Hot Surface" sign, he smiled a small smile as his fingers welcomed the warmth.

"Morning Luvie, what can I get you?" a woman asked as she squeezed her way out of a door off to the side. Without even taking out his headphones James just asked for a large sausage roll, almost whispering the order. As she slid the back of the counter door open a blast of heat hit her square in the face and as she wiped the beads of sweat off her forehead she stuck the same hand in and picked up a sausage roll and placed it in a foil bag and lobbed it on top of the counter with a snort. Taking the bag he was a bit sickened by what she had done but nevertheless James' nature did not call for confrontation. Not uttering a thank you was his way of showing his annoyance but the woman didn't even take notice, as soon as she flung the bag over to him she was gone back beyond the door, probably perspiring into the sandwiches and wraps she was preparing. Taking a can of soda from the refrigerator and a chocolate bar from the shelf James placed them on the counter for the other woman to clock in.

"Three pounds twenty-five" she said with no hint of a personality. James had no hint of hearing as the music was still blasting and so glanced at the screen and saw the amount to pay. He went to his pocket for his wallet and then his heart sank, it was not there. He tried his other pockets, the ones of the blazer and coat, not there either. Then the bell rang out in the shop, James didn't hear it but he saw the door open and a man and woman enter. They weren't getting anything other than the papers and within seconds they were behind him waiting to be served. Like the deli-assistant, James' forehead was moist and getting moister while his cheeks blushed to a magnificent shade of red. By now the shop assistant had retracted her hand and was looking at James with such disdain he could practically hear her screaming insults at him in her head. Careful not to knock anything over he took his bag from his back and started to rummage through it in the hope of finding his wallet, it was no good, it wasn't there either. Annoyance breeding around him the shop assistant had taken to serving people over him and at least six people witnessed his severe panicking and scarlet cheeks. Then he felt something in his coat pocket again and taking it out he realised it was only his bus-pass but as he was about to discard it he spotted something stashed in behind the identification card. A crisp ten pound note was nestled inside. Plucking it out he placed it on the counter and while the assistant counted out the change he packed everything into his bag and with change in hand he hurried for the door almost knocking over an elderly man. Outside he took a deep gasp of air and closed his eyes and felt utterly disappointed, it was at his own self-conscious hands that he crumbled and for that he hated himself.

Moving faster than he had been James made his way for the school and as he rounded one last corner there it stood across the road in front of him. Old, looming and overly superior the building had remained intact for the last three hundred odd years. Many numerous attacks were flung at is foundations and it withstood them all, including a bomb from World War II, a fragment of which was encased in the school reception area. Saint Boniface College was the only independent school in the city and even though James, along with his parents, was perfectly happy going to a public school his paternal grandmother actually shrieked at the thought. She was the one who was footing the bill for his attendance and more often than not James hated her for it. Even though the policing iron gates were unlocked and the doors open James preferred to stay out in the cold until the very last moment before he had to be inside its walls. The only good thing about the school was the park across the road, numerous acres to roam away from people and sit alone among the trees or down by the man-made lake with its ducks. James didn't like sitting among the trees so much as he liked sitting in them, that way there was very little chance of being disturbed by people living. This morning was no different and as he slipped through one of the many entrances he kept close to the perimeter and finding his usual tree he slowly climbed its trunk. It was tougher to find a concealing tree this time of year but luckily for James the park was littered with both deciduous and evergreen. Nestling into the largest branch he could find James steadied himself and looked out over the road. He could just about see the front door of the school, which meant that people could only just about see him but to be sure he skidded backward a bit until he was right up against the trunk. So surrounded by branches both naked and green he sat quietly listening to music and eating his slightly damp sausage roll.

Just as the path in front of the school was becoming alive with the feet of all the students, James could feel his phone vibrate in his pocket. It was a text message from Sebastian, a school chum and it simply stated that he wasn't going to be in school today. Apparently he was sick, it was nothing to do with the fact he had a science presentation today in front of the whole class and his severe lack of self-esteem would have surely led to a mortifying experience for him. James didn't believe him and replied with such. There was no reply from Sebastian but another message instead came through, one from another friend, William. Even before he opened the message on the phone James had a sinking feeling he knew how it was going to read. Another chum was sick. It turns out William had an allergic reaction to some new shampoo that caused his neck to swell and bits of hair to fall out, he even sent a quick Snapchat of the condition. It did appear pretty bad and he could be out for a while. Seething with jealousy he put his phone back into his pocket and let out a little grunt of annoyance, he would have liked to have been allergic to something or better still have a house that he need not escape from.

One by one the rows of luxury cars pulled up outside the school and let out only one student and as they slammed the door shut they looked to the school in a bid to find their friends. It was safest to steer school within a group, there was nothing more unsettling than have to wander the halls alone, or even worse, eat lunch alone. For James unfortunately he was going to have to do just that today, there was no chum for him within those walls.

The watch was a mere two minutes from striking nine O'clock and so James carefully descended from the tree and dusted his clothes free of twigs and small leaves. The students who had been gathered in clusters around the entrance of Saint Boniface had now gone in and the coast was clear. Leaving the park and running across the road James plucked the headphones from his ears and dug them into his pocket and just before he opened the large wooden framed door he took a deep breath and braced himself for the day, hopefully it would be bully free. Barely a foot over the threshold and the bell rang out across the building and James found himself in a bit of panic, his timing was normally better than this. He would normally have just found his seat when the bell rang out. Fearing the embarrassment of walking in to a class already in process he hurried along through the large foyer of the school with its large staircases, pretentious chandeliers and countless portraits. English was first today and the class was located thankfully on the ground floor of the school. The corridor was home to the literature department and so was decorated thusly. Entry was through a grand arch that had the Latin phrase "Silentium, animos ad opus" etched across in vibrant red. It was long and airy with large windows that allowed the sun to stream in and outside was the botanical garden that the science department used; it was a very inspiring view especially when the flowers were in full bloom. Against the walls were pews with soft cushions that students could sit on when they wanted to read or write or softly converse the day's lessons, and hanging on the walls were framed famous sayings that were to inspire the students. James didn't find them all that inspiring, more condescending, and as he stood outside the classroom door trying to regain his composure and catch his breath he glanced up at one that caused him to wince.

" _A little learning is a dangerous thing, but a lot of ignorance is just as bad"_

Once again as he took the handle of the door he closed his eyes, took a deep breath and braced himself but just as he was about to open it, someone else on the other side had the same idea and James found himself stumbling into the classroom and falling against the first table.

"Careful Jimmy we can't have you falling for these two, they are way out of your league" the boy who opened the door laughed and then so did all the rest of the class, including the two girls whose desk he had crashed into.

"Move along James, your wrinkles are giving me a headache" one of the girls said as her eyes wandered over the wrinkled shirt and blazer. It wasn't James' fault that his clothes were wrinkled, he had thought his other set would be ready this morning and perhaps they were but as the fighting intensified in the house he gathered the old uniform from a pile on the floor where he left it and put it on. At least it was only the wrinkles she commented on, he prayed it did not smell. He quickly made his way for the back of the class, as far away from the rest of the class, which meant a corner with one table and two chairs, one of which was broken

"Oh, oh the smell, it's lingering" the other girl shrieked and just as James was about to take his seat, her shriek startled him and he took the wrong seat, and found himself falling to the floor. The class erupted in laughter again as the girl sauntered back to him as he was getting back up from the floor. "Just being a good Samaritan, for the school" she quipped before spritzing James with perfume. A round of applause filled the room and James bowed his head to the table, cheeks burning, fingers and knees shaking. The morning was not starting great. Slowly the students began to calm down and take to their seats, still chattering and some still giggling but all of them facing front. Then almost as quiet as a fire she appeared at the door, a slip of a young woman whose tiny figure was engulfed by an oversized habit. Carrying a small black suitcase she placed it gently on the desk and uttered a practically inaudible good morning to the class,

"Good morning Sister Jude" the first two front rows replied, the only ones that heard her. She gave a warm smile before closing the door and adjusting her veil slightly, pushing in the loose strands of black hair beneath it.

"Everyone here?" she asked, but again her voice failed to carry through the whole room and so one of the boys in the front row simply spoke for all when he said yes.

"Thank you Thomas" she nodded gently before taking her seat and opening the briefcase. Sister Jude seemed born to be a nun, her timid behaviour and even her appearance screamed candidacy for a convent. Porcelain white skin with a hint of constant shyness her face was gentle and kind, not meant for the outside world which was why her life was spent either within the walls of Saint Boniface College, or the convent from which she commuted a mere five minute walk. The one thing that stood to her ability to teach was her age, she was no more than five or six years older than the students sat in front of her and so she was more able to connect to them on a personal level and most of them looked to her as more of a confidant than a teacher. But of course there were some who saw her as an easy target, but they normally retreated when they found themselves in the minority. Hamlet was on the agenda for today and as everyone took out their copy of the Shakespearean tragedy the sound of fluttering pages echoed through the class as they all looked for the spot they last visited. Somewhat alone and secluded, the way he liked to be, James followed the masses and thumbed through the pages, each scribbled with notes from his studies until he came to the page. James couldn't even see what she was doing as her petite figure was lost among the rows of students; he had no idea if she was reading or explaining or even talking. So James read it by himself and as he did he scribbled more notes in the margins, while every now and then his fellow classmates did the same, which meant Sister Jude obviously made an important point that he could not hear. He was going to fail English for certain, half the time he didn't even hand up the right homework as Sister Jude only called it out and not write it on the Whiteboard and as the bell rang out signalling the end of the lesson she quickly whispered the nights revisions and homework before packing up her little black suitcase and scurrying nervously out the door. He dared not ask anyone in the class for the homework she had just prescribed, he just once again bowed his head, gave a small sniff to his shirt and although there was a hint of a smell, it was nothing compared to some. Not wanting to hear what they were possibly saying about him, he popped in the headphones and blasted the music.

Luckily for James his next lesson was in the exact room he was in, unluckily for him, it was the same for most of the class bar a handful who quickly followed Sister Jude out the door after the bell. As a couple of new students filed in James could vision Adeline, the perfume bandit, telling them all about James' fall and the smell off him. His vision sadly came true as Adeline was seated upon her desk laughing with the others glancing down at James. Suddenly a missile hit him square on the head and as he looked up he could see them all laughing harder than what they had been while on the floor beside him was a can of men's deodorant. Ignoring it was the only thing James could do, it's what the internet said to do, and so he took out the book for the next class and began flicking through its pages all the while knowing the ridicule that was being expressed was at his expense. A deep breath, a pair of headphones, long bangs and a hand on his forehead, they were his coping mechanisms.

Saint Boniface was not a very religious school, perhaps it had been at one stage but over the centuries the religious side was somewhat edged out and it was now one of the most prestigious independent schools in the country. The only thing was that the school charter always called for at least one member of a religious order to be on staff at all times. At the moment however there were four and in walked another one to James' class and as he did the cluster of students around Adeline's table dispersed and found their own desks. A Dominican Friar humbly took his seat at the desk.

"Good morning, good morning, I hope I find you all well" he said loudly to the class as he slapped a small plastic shopping bag upon the table. Philosophy was the lesson and Friar Albert was one of the most interesting teachers that had wandered the halls of the college. A Black Friar for almost seventy years he travelled the world trice over and even though he was somewhat retired he still attempted at least one trip a year to continue his missionary work. Taking out a marker out of the plastic bag the old man got up and went to the whiteboard and wrote the subject of today's lesson. "Existentialism" he proclaimed with excitement in his voice. James was not excited and even though he had taken out his headphones, his head was still bowed and his attention was certainly not on the Friar. The class was normally one filled with passionate discussions and heated debates and today was no different, Adeline nearly had another girl in tears with her barking philosophical comments while Thomas in turn had a spirited conversation with the Friar who was in his element thrashing the various interpretations and viewpoints that Thomas was throwing at him in his limited worldly experience. Needless to say the Black Friar had Thomas on the ropes pretty quickly and a commiserate handshake ended the discussion and also the class. The bell once again rang out signalling the end of the lesson and as the students left each one of them smiled and thanked Albert for the lesson, all except James who with his head still bowed low quietly headed for the door.

"You know James, you're chin is so close to your chest one would think you're in training for my job" Albert joked as James neared the exit.

"Sorry Sir, I just" James didn't know what to say, he had no reply for why his head was bowed, well no reply that would suffice the Friar.

"Just be sure to lift it up occasionally, there is a marvellous world out there to see James, you don't want to miss it looking at your feet" Albert smiled and patted James on the back. Once he was the out the door his eyes found the floor and he didn't really care if the Friar saw, everything in the school irked James and the only way to cope was to try his best not to see it. The headphones were placed back in his ears and the music started to flow deeply within, drowning the laughs, the chats, the mocking. Keeping to the walls as he went so as to best avoid a collision, and peers, he made his way quickly for his next stop, business. It was a respected lesson that readied the students for a world of blossoming entrepreneurs and global corporations springing on every street. The only thing wrong with the lesson was the teacher, a horrid woman by the name of Miss Weeks who had her nose pushed so high in the air she believed almost everyone to be beneath her, especially students. She was kind of a peculiar person in the sense that she was so horrid despite being only a handful of years older than Sister Jude. Perhaps it was her experiences so far in life; Miss Weeks went out and conquered the world while Sister Jude hid from it. At the beginning of every school year she spent the first class arrogantly declaring her achievements and the reasons that found her teaching in Saint Boniface. The most prevailing revelation, the one that awed every student, was the one that she was most proud of. By the time she was twenty-two she had made her first million and by the time she had retired from the business world she had enough to last her many comfortable lifetimes. Her reason then for retiring was love, she married a man far wealthier than her but she took a teaching post to keep her active. Others in her circle preferred to be Philanthropic and give their time to worthy causes, Miss Weeks meanwhile felt that was merely an excuse for those women to dress up, drink wine all day and not really have any idea what charity they were supposed to be supporting. She of course kept that opinion to the confines of the classroom.

As James made his way along the school going up a flight of stairs, keeping as close to the wall as possible and upon landing on the landing he proceeded along a corridor lined with wooden lockers, each with a gold plated number on the door. Moving passed he could see the business wing in the distance. Like the literature corridor this was decorated in the vain of the business classes that were held within its walls. Economics, Marketing, Public Relations, Business, Accounting and Behavioural Science were all taught beyond the sliding doors. Yes, entry to the wing was through sliding door and above it, just like the literature corridor was a Latin phrase: "Coeat Negotium Negotium". The door could only be opened by a member of staff so the students would have to wait outside for the teacher to arrive. There were at least fifty students gathered around the entry waiting for someone to grant them entry, James waited by the lockers, out of sight. Head bowed and music blaring for a moment he forgot where he was and he was at ease, the floor was calming and the melodies soothing. Then James noticed it got slightly darker where he stood and he suddenly could feel every eye upon him and as he slowly turned his head he saw her. Miss Weeks was looming over him, towering in her six-inch heels and her perfectly manicured hand outstretched. She wanted one of his barriers and James had no other choice and so he unwillingly gave them to her, his little piece of white string that allowed him to drown out the laughter, the chats, the mocking.

"You know very well that these are not permitted during school hours Mr. Griffin" she said in a manufactured posh tone. "Now come along, I have valuable knowledge to divulge". James wanted to scream at her, he wanted to shout that she had already told him about her wonderful, wealthy life and he didn't care. He wanted to yell out loud that she was "new money", a phrase that "new money" people recoiled at, or so at least James' grandmother always said. James wanted to hurt her the way she hurt him, she stripped him of his barrier, one of the things that made Saint Boniface bearable. But he stood silent for a moment by the locker and watched as his classmates made their way through the sliding door and just as the last one slipped in he hurried before the door closed for good. It was no point running and sulking, if he didn't go to the class Miss Weeks would spend the day hunting him down and she always got her prey.

Once inside the business wing he was subjected to everything one would except to find in an office. There was a coffee machine in the corner along with a gurgling water cooler complete with paper-cone cups while rested upon shelves were the days' newspapers all neatly stacked. Three large television screens were on all the time, one hanging just over the entrance, another at the bottom of the corridor and one in the middle. Each showed different things but all relating to the world of business and every so often or not they would flash to a blank screen and then slowly, just like the literature corridor a well-meaning, famous saying would appear for a moment and then back to the channel. Just as James had caught up to the queue of students walking behind Ms. Weeks, his eye found one of the screens and sure enough a phrase was appearing.

" _The greatest risk is to risk nothing"_

Gibberish, James thought as the screened turned back to show the day's stock market. He turned away and followed the rest of the students in to the classroom. If the classroom was an ordinary looking classroom than it wouldn't have been Saint Boniface College. Seeing as it was a business lesson, than a lesson about business should be conducted in an environment resembling business. So instead of a desk for the teacher and numerous others for the students, there was simply one long table running almost the entire length of the room. At the head of course sat the teacher and as she took her seat all the others followed, placing their bags under the table as each place had a pad of yellow paper and a pencil waiting to be used. Bottles of water and numerous bowls of mints were also on the table for the students. As lunch was after business most of them were a little hungry and so the mints weren't long for the boardroom. James suddenly found one hurled toward him at great speed, not unlike the can of deodorant. Then his phone vibrated and it was a message from a number he did not recognise. "Might help with the smell" it was accompanied by numerous emojis that were as mean as the words. Fighting back the want to cry and to scream James bowed his head and lifted up the pencil and began to doodle.

Ms. Weeks loved almost nothing more than the sound of her own voice so as she rambled on about different managerial styles James continued to scribble on the pad all the while worrying about what was next. Lunch. Normally James had at least two people to have lunch with but today there were both absent, he was going to be alone and vulnerable for almost an hour. Being part of a group, be it popular or not, granted some bit of safety in social situations, perhaps even confidence, but being alone meant being defenceless. And nobody likes being defenceless, especially when there is already a target between your shoulders. Hunger was rampant in the class as one by one stomachs growled for nourishment and James' one was no different, the sausage roll earlier on, albeit tasty, wasn't exactly enough to sustain him and with no packed lunch and nothing in his bag only the bar of chocolate he feared his stomach would rumble for the rest of the day.

Finally the bell rang out and his heart stopped for what seemed like at least a minute. James was now without structure, without friends, without chaperones. He was alone surrounded by hyenas. As they all left the room James waited a few seconds before following so as not limit the chance of becoming a sponge for the bullies. Sauntering slowly behind the masses of students that had now all appeared and joined forces to create a walking, talking, laughing mob James suddenly found himself at the doors to the toilets and without even thinking he ducked inside. He smiled as he realised it was empty and the only sound was that of water dripping and rushing along pipes. Making his way to last cubicle, one that had only a neighbour on one side he went in and locked the door behind him. It was dark, quiet and solitary, just what he needed. Taking out his phone, a second pair of emergency headphones and the chocolate bar he had been craving ever since he remembered it in his bag he quickly devoured it while looking at the last message he received. He was tempted to text something back to the bully, something insulting and witty but more than likely it would backfire and he would find himself in a worse off situation, so he just deleted it. It was then he noticed a message from his mother, she was apologising for the morning and hoping he found the money she had placed in his travel pass. Hers also had emojis but they were far nicer than the other ones. A couple of games were the best way to countdown the time to the next class, to the next time James would be wholly safe in the school. With music blaring and the games entertaining he didn't notice the time go by and pretty soon the bell was soon to go again, signalling the beginning of the afternoon's lessons. Then there were shadows, at least two, moving around outside the cubicle. Turning off the music James could almost hear his heart beating through his blazer.

"Who's in there?" a voice demanded to know. James remained quiet and still, he knew who was demanding. "Who is it?" he asked again, this time banging on the door. Now, now James was trembling.

"It's the copper's son" another voice said from above and as he tilted his head to the ceiling James saw Ryan staring down at him with the smuggest of smiles. "Open up Jimmy" Ryan said as he started to spit down on him. He saw no other option but to oblige and seeing it as a possible escape he unlocked the door and rushed. Gavin, the demander, was not exactly the best person to rush. For someone the same age as James he was far more mature, in body, not mind. He was built like a brick outhouse and as James rushed Gavin pushed and knocked him back against toilet and down to the ground.

"What's your hurry Jimmy?" he asked entering the cubicle, Ryan all the while keeping a birds-eye view. James thought it best to say nothing and merely sat on the floor by the toilet keeping his eyes firmly fixed on the wall contemplating all the horrible ways this encounter could go. Gavin and Ryan were two brothers who, along with their varied click of friends, ruled the school. They were not really the breed of person who normally went to a private school, it was rumoured their father was a drug kingpin, and their expensive tuition, new cars and fancy holidays were financed by criminal deeds, needless to say they didn't take too kindly to the police-force, and their families. But their bullying activities were never brought to the attention of the school due to the repercussions and as long as their father paid their tuition and donated yearly, they counted themselves and their friends' untouchable.

"I like those runners" Gavin said as he bent down and grabbed James' foot, dragging his entire body causing his head to bang against the toilet. James kicked a little as Gavin pulled the second shoe off his foot; it was something he shouldn't have done for in a split second he found himself looking at his reflection in the toilet bowl. "You never try and kick me, do you understand?" Gavin snarled as he held a tight grip on James' blonde hair. He nodded his understanding and then his face was met with water, and lots of it, as the brute flushed the toilet a total of four times before he let go and shoved James back against the wall in the tiny cubicle. "Thanks for the runners Jimmy" he smirked and just as he and his brother were leaving James mumbled a remark he felt would somehow make him feel better,

"What goes around comes around", it didn't.

"You threatening me Jimmy, are you?" Gavin said leaning in close, his face mere inches from James. "You couldn't threaten a little girl" he grinned a stupid grin and just then, in a moment of complete anger and loss of reason, James spat on that grin. Smack!

When James woke up his head was pounding and there was a ferocious ringing in his ears, for a moment he thought it was the bell but the bell would eventually stop. Then with a jerk he instantly checked his pockets, he feared the worse but thankfully they were still there, his phone and his MP3 player. They obviously weren't important to the bullies, the trainers on the other hand; well all that was on James' feet were damp socks. He locked the cubicle door once again and remained cuddled in the corner by the toilet sore, alone and angry.

There was little chance of James actually leaving the cubicle to go to class and trying to leave in the middle of the day was virtually impossible without a valid excuse, James wasn't exactly brave enough to report the incident. Instead he remained sitting there on the toilet floor waiting for the last bell to ring and the dulling of voices as the school all but emptied. An hour finally passed after the final bell and even though a couple of students entered the bathroom before they headed for home, none bothered his cubicle. Deeming it somewhat safe to leave the toilet he slowly unlocked the door and with his bag on his back and his feet shoeless he made his way for the door, glancing at the mirror as he went. Staring back at him was a pitiful, red-eyed, swollen faced teenager he didn't want to recognise, so as he styled the wet hair into almost a mask he solemnly left. The school's lights were dimmed, a rather fortunate turn for James and as he skulked along the corridors as quiet as he could for fear a teacher would still be around. As he made his way along a row of lockers another fortunate turn came his way as he eyed a pair of shoes on top of one of the lockers. They were purple and green and clearly belonging to a girl as they were about three sizes too small but being a beggar and no other choices available James took out the laces and squeezed his feet into them as best as possible and continued sneaking his way to the exit.

Success, he somehow managed to avoid being seen by anyone and as he took a deep breath of the cold air he was struck with another problem, home. Tension and silence was what was inevitably waiting for him and as soon as they see his face and shoes questions, numerous intruding, embarrassing questions. The tree across the road was looking incredibly inviting again and even though it was starting to get dark he made his way to the park and climbed upwards in a bid to leave his problems on the ground. There in the midst of the twigs and branches he took out his headphones once more and blasted the music before relaxing into the trunk, nestling himself in such a way that he wouldn't fall. Widening his eyes and pinching his cheeks did no good, his lids were growing heavy and ever time he blinked he could feel the tiredness reaching for a hold. It eventually succeeded and James nodded off high in the tree, tittering on the verge of several broken limbs if he fell.

The sound of a car horn beeping woke him with a jerk. The music had stopped playing as the battery had run out and James looked at his watch confused, the player was fully charged. It was close to ten at night; he nearly vomited. Grounded, chores until he was thirty, no television, no phone, NO MP3 player. He nearly vomited again. Taking out his phone he was readying himself to plea for lenience when he noticed not one phone call or message from either of his parents. Five hours late and no word from them, that was very strange. With his Dad a detective he had a very strict policy of wanting to know James' movements at all times for safety reasons. James thought it best not to bother calling home and instead wait for the annihilation in person and if he wanted it in person tonight he would have to hurry, the last bus to Hamlet left in twenty minutes. He had never descended the tree in such a quick manner before, he was surprised how well his legs took the six foot leap from the trunk and once down he started to run. He started to run but then he had to stop again, the trainers he acquired were making it very difficult to build up any space so he took them off and held on to them and ran down the street and across the road and passed many people who gave quizzical looks as he rushed by. He didn't care, nobody here knew him and with his coat hiding his school blazer nobody could tie him to anywhere all he cared about was reaching the bus on time, otherwise he would have to call home for someone to collect him and even then he nearly preferred to spend a night in the tree. Somehow he did manage to make the bus just as it was about to close the doors and as he got on the bus driver eyed him with suspicion, he wasn't the same one from the morning, in fact James had never seen this driver before. He scrutinized the bus-pass, looking at it then at James then at the card again, humming and sighing to himself as if tossing a mental coin whether or not to let him on the bus. Finally he handed back the card and nodded his head toward the seats. There was only one other person on the bus, a young man only a couple of years older, and as James passed they said a simple hello. James walked on by pretending not to have heard him, pretending the music was still filling his ears. A seat with a broken light above it was perfect, he nestled in the darkness and with his bag on his lap he sunk his head into it as the bus chugged its way out of the parking bay and onto the road for Hamlet, and for James, a tribunal.

He wished for the tiredness to return like it did in the tree but there was no way his mind was going to slow down, it was racing through the different confrontations that he was going to be subjected to as soon as he crossed the threshold of home. The events of today would surely lure the support and compassion out of even the harshest of parents, if of course they were told, his Mom would be utterly understanding, his father on the other hand, well quite plainly he wouldn't be able to comprehend how his son is being bullied, after all he was Griffin, and Griffins were ones to be feared, not fear. Jack Griffin himself indeed was a bully, the most dangerous type, the one no-one suspects. So as the bus made its way into the soon-to-be sleeping Hamlet James could feel a shiver go down his spine as the brakes screeched to a halt. Departing the bus was one of the toughest things he had to do; it was like he had to will each leg forward step by step until he was standing on the grass verge watching as the bus drove away toward Parish.

"Goodnight" the young gentleman said as he made his way down to the pub where a handful of people were gathered by its door. The pub was the only thing opened right now in the small village and most would congregate there for an hour or two to unwind after the day, gossiping about the day's events. As he looked down at the small number, they were all looking back at him conferring with each other and shaking their heads before returning back inside the warmth of the pub.

"Bunch of yokels" James muttered to himself as he turned toward the dark road that led for home. James wasn't one for the country-side, he didn't like it, he preferred to be able to disappear among a crowd rather than stand out like a beacon for gossip. In some respects he was like his mother, she too longed for a life outside of the village. Most days she would venture outside the village to avoid the strangely ironic claustrophobic feeling she would get surrounded by vast emptiness littered with intrusive busy-bodies. James secretly wished that one morning she would wake him up with their bags packed, ready to start a new life far away from Hamlet but she dared not. Being an orphan and being shifted from house to house until she was eighteen he believed stopped her from uprooting her son; and abandoning her hard-sought stability. The pondering did him no favours, before he knew it he had walked up the entire road, in complete darkness, passing the other houses all with lights shining and smoke billowing from the chimneys, all except one. At the end in the ominous shadow of the forest stood his house, not a single light shining nor a sliver of smoke omitting. For a moment his heart stopped beating as fast, perhaps they were gone and didn't realise he was home so late. Perhaps both of them stormed out of the house following their arguments and neither wanted to be the first to return, James thought that once again a good fortune was his. Then as the entire house and the garden and the driveway came into view he could see his mother's car still parked in the exact spot it had been that morning. His father's car on the other hand wasn't there, he wasn't supposed to be working, there was no function he had been talking about attending, he should be at home, unless the fight this morning was the final one, it sure did sound like it.

Elated at the fact his father was somewhere else and fearful as to what exactly waited for him inside James made his way slowly up the drive and to the front door that was ever so slightly open. Pushing it open he could hear broken glass being dragged across the hall floor. Burglars were his first thought burglars who had taken his parents away in his father's car. His heart had no returned to beating uncontrollably fast as he placed one purple and green shoe over the threshold, stepped on and cracked more glass. Inside the dark house he could just about make out piles of ripped clothes strewn about the floor joined by numerous shredded photographs and smashed frames. A set of golf clubs were laying on the floor, some warped a tad after having been used to elevate stress and to thrash the house. Suddenly there was a movement from the kitchen and not knowing what to expect James picked up one of the clubs, with the hope by just its mere presence in his hand would deter the remaining intruders. Cautiously he put his hand inside the room and felt for the light switch and flicked it up and light flooded the room. A small shriek from behind the door and James turned to see his mom sitting on the ground upon her wedding dress that had red stains from the numerous bottles of wine that were scattered about it.

"Turn off the light" she begged as she shielded her eyes from the sudden brightness.

"Mom, Mom what's wrong?" James asked trying to mask his distress at seeing his mother in such a state.

"You're pig of a father, that's what's wrong!" she slurred a little as she took a sip of wine from a crystal wine-glass.

"I'm going to put on the kettle, we need some coffee"

"As long as its Irish, I need it to be Irish" she replied lifting her glass almost like in a toast-like fashion. "For tonight I'm celebrating, not the beginning of my marriage but the ending of a new life" she smiled. "Nope, no wait the other way around, marriage gone and now a new life". There it was, the words James knew were coming, words he longed to hear but somehow they didn't ring well with him. He expected to be grinning from ear to ear but a smile was just not coming, in fact if anything he just about nearly cried. "And he's welcome to his fancy tart" she added before knocking back what was left in the glass. Well there was the reason for the end, another woman. Suddenly James didn't want to so much cry then to punch his father, hard. But tonight his emotions would have to take a backseat, it was his mother who needed the comfort and so he boiled the kettle, spooned out the coffee into the mugs and measured out the whiskey. Once the steam cleared from the tip of the kettle he poured out the water and stirred fast, adding the whiskey as he did.

"You can a little one have too, for the shock" she said, her drunkenness muddling up the words, from the floor as she gazed up to her son. She looked a right mess, still in her pyjamas from the night before, her hair dishevelled, her face red and blotchy and her stomach growling for food. Shoving aside the recently ruined powder-blue China set that his paternal grandmother had given them along the counter he put on some bread in the toaster. The smell was nearly euphoric as it filled the kitchen and as soon as it popped the butter was piled on and it melted instantly, dripping over the crusty sides. Sitting back down on the floor he handed his Mom the mug and offered her a slice of toast, she took them both. For a few moments they sat in silence as she ate another piece of toast and then another until the plate was empty. As she took a sip of the "strong" coffee James placed a nurturing arm around her shoulders.

"Mom" he whispered softly.

"Yes baby?" she replied in a motherly dulcet tone.

"I want to stay with you"

"Of course my darling of course" she replied grasping his hand and giving it a tight squeeze before placing the mug on the floor and embracing her son in a loving hug. The future was for now uncertain but James did not care, it surely meant that it would not have Hamlet, nor his father and maybe Saint Boniface College and with that he closed his eyes and smiled a happy smile.

"James can I ask you a question?" his mom politely broke the silence. He emerged from her embrace and looked at her still smiling. "Where the hell did you get those shoes?"

Chapter 2wo:

Warm Coke and a Red Hatchback

James continued to stare up at the ceiling as the room slowly began to lighten; the morning creeping in through the dark curtains. He yawned a long yawn and turned his back to the approaching day and pulled the duvet over his tired body. Having put his mother to bed in the early hours of the morning James found himself too energised to sleep; his mind kept racing about the blissful future that was on the horizon. Soon there would be no more Hamlet, no more bullies and he wasn't even upset that there possibly could be no more Dad. The night had gotten away from James as he fantasised about places they could live, places they could visit and things they could do, things that his father would utterly disapprove of, for instance going to a music festival. His mother adored music festivals and longed to share the experience with her son but Jack never allowed it, he deemed it inappropriate for his son. But his deeming would soon be something of the past, a horrid past.

Finally his mind seemed to slow and his eyes began to gently close and sleep had come, albeit rather ill-timed. No sooner than had he closed his eyes could he hear the rummaging of the bathroom cabinet and the dropping of containers to the tiled floor, his mother was up and apparently now a klutz. Water ran loudly and then abruptly stopped, an aid to the swallowing of a pills. He kept his eyes closed and tried willing himself back to sleep but it was pointless, as his mother left the bathroom she softly knocked on his door.

"Time to get up for school" she whispered through the door. James' brow furrowed and suddenly he felt like kicking and pounding the mattress in frustration. How could she possibly expect him to go to school today? For a moment he thought of ignoring the call, pretending he hadn't heard it but every instinct in his body told him to get out of bed. Now was not the time to be upsetting his mother, he was certain she would never leave him behind when she goes but would she be willing to face a sure to be bloody battle against Jack over custody if James suddenly became difficult. It was best to play it safe and so James reluctantly pulled himself from the comfort of his bed and even though he was still in his uniform, it was best to change, even though the bullies would still find something else to mock. A cloud of deodorant lingered in the centre of the room and when he opened his curtains the mist of the strong smelling scent danced in the light before dissipating when the window was thrown open. With only a new shirt James had to make do with the same blazer and pair of trousers and hope there was no smell or stain on either and as he rummaged under his bed through piles of shoes anger swelled within as he remembered how his new runners walked away. Black boots that had had better days were the choice; well they were the only pair he could get his hands on and with the time creeping on he had to get going if he was going to make the bus. The toilet was the first stop and once finished gelling his hair and flattening it down so much that his eyes could barely be seen he unlocked the door and there stood his mother waiting. Still in her dressing gown and looking particularly worse for wear, the drinks last night clearly taking their toll and she had forgotten to wash off her make-up so her face reminded James of nothing else but a Panda.

"Sweetheart I really wished you'd stop doing that to your hair, you have such a handsome face it is a shame to hide it" she said parting his bangs and cupping his cheek.

"I like it this way, its better" he replied placing the hair back the way it was. "Why do I have to go to school, I want to stay here with you?"

"Sweetheart I need you to go to school, I need you not to be here today because today isn't going to be easy and some things are going to be said that are not for your ears" she explained pinching his ear.

"I could just go for a walk" he said.

"Honey I'm afraid there isn't a walk long enough" James rolled his eyes in annoyance, well he did, his mother couldn't really see them so he sighed as well. "How about this, you go to school and on your way home stop off at a travel agents and pick up some brochures, you and me will get away for a little while"

"We can just look on the internet"

"No, no, no lets get some brochures, some fancy ones that we can leave around the village, show them we're getting out of this little nightmare Hamlet" she replied. Her hatred for the place was obviously stemming from Jack and his mistress; she never had a huge problem with the place before.

"Okay Mom" he said and as he kissed her on the cheek she placed a crisp note in his hand.

"Get some breakfast in town, and maybe lunch and dinner too" she said smiling before turning and going back to her room and just before closing the door shut she whispered "I love you". James replied in kind and then headed down the stairs opening the palm of his hand as he went to reveal a crisp fifty-pound note. That would get him a lot of food. His backpack was still in the hall from the night before and so grabbing it and placing it on his back he headed out the door shouting goodbye as he went. Outside the morning was grey and cold and miserable, just like any other English morning and so pulling up his hood, nestling the ear-buds into his ears and lowering his head James walked down the road to the bus-stop. This morning, unlike yesterday, he would have to get the same bus as most the other students who lived in the country-side but only one or two went to his school, still though where there were students there were possible bullies and James had come to the understanding they had a sixth sense for vulnerable victims. Luckily however many older people were on the bus and so as James climbed on with the rest he managed to find a spot by a window and a large burly man sat next to him his large frame pushing James closer to the glass. Another barrier he thought to himself as he turned the music up louder so as to deter the fourth barrier from attempting to start a conversation. The bus rattled and shook as it started back on its journey to Harlington and James glanced out the window thinking about the places where they could go on holiday. Not even five minutes on the bus had passed when James spotted a familiar car making its way towards them, heading for Hamlet. It was his Dad and as it zoomed passed James stared in to see a stern Jack driving and a woman in the passenger seat. Immediately he wanted to stop the bus and get out and try and run back home to be with his mother, she was alone whereas Jack was not. But in order to do that he would have to cause somewhat of scene and even though he wanted nothing more than to go home, the self-esteem required was something he greatly lacked. A text message was the only thing to do; at least it would be a warning, so that his mother could prepare herself for battle. He knew she would never forgive herself if the other woman saw her looking like a Panda and smelling like a brewery. The text didn't send, and another one didn't send. He tired ringing but her phone was switched off, there was no way of warning her, no way of sending his support, no way of doing anything. The rest of the bus journey was filled with scenarios playing out in his over-active mind with his overly imaginative imagination. So many scenarios in fact he didn't even realise it when the bus came to a halt at his destination. For a moment he thought about staying on the bus and allowing it to bring him back to Hamlet but then he suddenly remembered what his mother had said, she wanted him to go to school, and she wanted him out of the way. Obeying his mother was something he always did but somehow today a part of him felt like being a little reckless, she wanted him to go to school and she wanted him out of the house. He could do one without doing the other, after all he may not be staying in the school and so a skipped day would matter very little to him now. So breathing a deep breath James made the decision not to go to school but instead spend what could be one of his last full days in Harlington wandering.

The first port of call was a small little café nestled in between tall multi-storey buildings that had more windows than people. The place was packed full, every seat and every table crammed with suits and briefcases while others queued at the counter for the take-away service. Forgetting that it was still half an hour to nine, everyone was getting their last morsels of food until lunch-time but James had no such rush so he turned on his heels and walked along the streets just going with the flow of people. Stopping at a pedestrian crossing James waited with everyone else for the little green man to appear and as he was waiting he spied an internet café over the road, it was opened and it looked empty, not surprising seeing as most people had the internet in the palm of their hand these days. James took a computer in the darkest corner of the café and relaxed into the large comfortable leather swirl seat.

"Morning hun what can I get you?" a young woman asked. James couldn't hear her as the music was still blaring in his ears and she wasn't one to be delicate so she kicked the chair and gestured to him to take out the headphones. "Great now that I have your attention, what can I get you?" she said again while chewing a piece of gum. Luminous red cheeks had made a rather unwelcome appearance on James face and he timidly said his order and with that she was gone and moments later the computer was unlocked and he was free to search the internet. By the time the waitress returned with his breakfast bap and cup of tea he had already visited Spain, Portugal, a couple of islands off Greece and even Norway for some strange reason. While hungrily devouring his breakfast he ventured further, Morocco, Egypt, Iran and even Iraq. These he knew his mother would love for the history and varied cultures, James loved them as they were places his father wouldn't. Reading all about the different places and scrolling through hundreds of photos James didn't realise the time go by, it wasn't until his stomach started to rumble again did he realise it was almost two in the afternoon. "Want lunch?" the young woman abruptly asked as this time she flicked one of the headphones out of James' ear. Again flushed and flustered James blurted ham and cheese sandwich. "Drink?" she asked.

"Coke" was the barely audible reply.

"I hope you have money for all this" she queried, rather lately. James just showed her the fifty-pound note before putting it back in his pocket. It seemed to satisfy her and she was gone again. A dreaded beeping sound interrupted the current song playing in his ears and it signalled the dying battery of his MP3 player. Luckily for him he carried the charger with him wherever he went and so discreetly he plugged it in and began to charge the device. The only problem was that he was unable to listen to it while it charged, but for fear of being without one of his barriers he left the headphones in and pretended the music was still flowing, he even nodded his head along with the "music" when the woman returned with his food, a rather uninspired looking sandwich with a few cheese and onion crisps placed on the side. The can of coke was warm and there was no glass or straw accompanying it, but James was not one to complain, in fact he was barely one to say anything so he opened the drink and took a sip and squirmed. The side of the can declared "best served ice cold" and it was right, room temperature did it no favours but it had its usefulness, washing down the almost stale bread and funny tasting cheese. Careful to keep an eye on the time, James did not want to miss the bus home to Hamlet and have to wait an agonising extra hour and a half for the next one. So as the minutes quickly ticked on James ticked out of the internet and picked up his bag and headed for the counter by the door. The girl was gone and in her place was a rather dishevelled young man. In his mid-twenties he had numerous piercings and a silly looking beard that unfortunately only wanted to appear in patches.

"Twenty-four pounds seventy pence" he said in a long drawn out droll. His manner was exactly like the girl; James presumed it must have been a necessary requirement to get a job here. Settling his bill and with a half an hour to spare before school finished and another quarter of an hour to get the bus James wandered along the streets of the town listening to his newly charged MP3 player while keeping his eyes firmly on the pavement until it came to an end and there was a pedestrian crossing. Pressing the button first and then lifting his eyes in anticipation for the green man to appear James' eyes landed on a shop window, one he completely forgot he should have visited. He had so much fun looking through the various places to go on holiday that he had forgotten to print anything to show his mother, a picture would always sway more than words. Ten minutes before school was finished and twenty-five minutes before the bus, he had time to pop inside and pick up a handful of brochures. With the green man flashing James and a few other people crossed the road and as they went about their business James came to a stop at the travel agent's window. There were a lot of posters on the window of last minute sun-holiday deals, most of them for a week and only one for a fortnight, not long enough James thought to himself as he glanced at another couple of posters higher up. Reading about a cruise leaving in three days James' felt a pair of eyes on him and as he looked in a small space of the window which was poster-free he saw a man in the reflection staring intently at him. A shiver suddenly ran down his back and then James became very, very cold. It was like his blood was turning to slush and his bones ice. The entire sensation lasted mere seconds and the cold started to subside but it was enough for James to lose concentration; and the person who was staring at him. Trying to shake off the event he decided not to venture into the travel agency and instead hurried for the bus, hoping the increased speed would give a little warmth to his still warming body.

Being a little early James thought it best not to ramble too far away from the bus stop and instead just waited patiently, leaning against a wall with all his barriers firmly in place. Students from his school eventually started to walk pass him, but they were students in different years, he was nothing to them. A little bit of happiness arrived when James saw the bus coming along the road before any students he knew happened upon him and so when the brakes screeched to a halt he climbed aboard waving his card and heading for the empty seats near the back he slumped in to one and buried his head in his schoolbag. It wasn't long until the bus was back in motion and there was another bit of happiness, no one from his school got on the bus, they obviously had better plans this evening than to go home. James didn't care, he was going home to his mother and they were going to spend the evening and possibly the night deciding where to travel to with no country off limits. He pulled his head out of his bag and looked at the town and smiled, this might be the last time he ever saw the place and its people because for all he knew his mother could have their bags packed and waiting for him with passports in hand. It was an utter fantasy but it could be true, he had heard that in times of great heartbreak people do the strangest things, running away was one of them and he would happily run anywhere with her.

Eventually James saw the oh too familiar green fields and hedges that led to Hamlet and soon the bus came to a rattling stop at the wobbly wooden bus shelter and he along with a handful of others disembarked. Not one to hang around he made a beeline for home and as he walked up the narrow lane toward the looming large forest he smiled as he thought this could be one of the last times he would walk up this lane and see that forest. Lifting his head for only a few seconds he took in a deep breath and then lowering it again he continued on his journey and then his house came into view. Immediately he stopped, there was something wrong. The driveway had one car, his father's. Quickly muting the music he took out his phone he tried calling his Mom, there was no answer. He tried again, and again and again but still nothing. He tried to text a message but his hands would not allow it, they kept trembling. Entering the house without his mother inside was something James could not comprehend. He loved his father as any son was supposed to but now that love was waning and hatred simmered. He decided it best to return the way he came and take the next bus back into town, there he would wait for his mother to call, to call and tell him to come home. Just as he was turning he could hear the rumble of an engine so lifting his eyes once more he saw coming up the lane toward him was a red hatchback car. Shock rifled James to the very core.

The stomach was the first to react, it churned for a few seconds and then it voiced its anguish, vomit filled the boy's mouth and with nowhere else to go he turned to the ditch and liberated it, the greenery got a quite generous soaking. Others followed in their expression of woe. In the throws of the sudden sorrow the lungs struck second, refusing to expand and retract and the breathing slowed before eventually stopping. Showing the utmost solidarity, the eyes and the ears ceased to operate, and so James was left in a dark silent world and as his head lightened his knees weakened and he found himself falling to the ground and into unconsciousness.

He woke in the living room alone and disorientated and for a brief wonderful second he had no idea how he had come to be there. Then the Vicar entered the room with a cup of tea and a plate of biscuits and James could feel his body begin to let go again.

"Drink the tea James, it will be good for the shock" he said placing the hot cup in his trembling hands. "Go on take a quick sip". James did as he was told and just about managed to get the cup to his lips without all of its contents spilling out on to the carpet. The Vicar was right, the tea with its copious amounts of sugar, did seem to quell his body's desire to breakdown. "Eat a biscuit, the chocolate ones would be best" he added lifting the plate to ease the retrieval. Again doing as he was told he took the biscuit and again the Vicar was right, the crunching drowned out the shouts of sorrow for albeit a brief moment. As he swallowed the last part of the biscuit James suddenly remembered that nobody told him what had happened, yes his Dad's car was in the drive but he couldn't see him in the living room, he couldn't hear him and his Dad was always heard. Being in the police force there was greater chance he was the one. For a couple of moments hope, then just as quickly as it emerged it was quashed when James heard the undeniable voice of his father coming from the kitchen. "James you know why I'm here, your mother is dead" the Vicar bluntly announced. It was official. He knew, then for a few brief fleeting moments he was hopeful, and finally confirmation. Life would never be the same again and with that harrowing thought James calmly placed the cup on the table and with the blankest of expressions climbed the stairs softly to his room and closed the door.

He was not aware of it but two days passed and he didn't even know if he had slept or not, the crying was tiring but then the constant grief confused him. The room was stuffy and smelt of sweat, tears, urine and rotting food that was left on the tray the night it happened. That night his father tried to talk to him to offer some sort of condolence but James refused to listen, he refused to look at him and once he left the room he summoned all the strength his unnourished and exhausted body could muster and pushed everything that could be pushed in front of the door. His bathroom had become a bin although his body had little to waste, it was holding on to every piece of nutrient remaining as James continued his aversion to food and water. Turning over in his bed he flipped the pillow for the cooler side underneath and rested his face, a terrible red from all the crying, sleep was nearing.

The fourth day brought with it a refreshing sleep, one that lasted well into the fifth day and James woke to the sound of car doors banging. There had been many visitors to the house, none of course he cared enough to leave the confines of his room and interact with his father but today he found his feet falling to the floor and making their way to the closed window. Peering outside his eyes squinted at first as the sun was shining brightly but when they came back to focus he saw a large luxurious expensive black car in the driveway. Finally she had arrived, the one person left in his world that James could actually talk to. Seconds later she was at his door softly rapping her elderly knuckles on the wood.

"My darling James" she whispered through the door. "How about you come out of there and let me take care of you?" For a moment James thought of nothing more than yanking everything away from the door and embracing the woman on the other side and never letting her go, but the moment passed and leaving his room meant returning to the real world, a world where his mother did not belong to anymore. So to his bed he did return to again and pulling the duvet over his head he began to sob again, wetting the nearly dry pillow.

Finally the day arrived that he had to get out of his bed, out of his room and out into the world, the world without his mother. Slowly and with great difficultly his fragile arms dragged the barriers from the door and just as the last one made entry possible she was the first one through. Tall and statuesque like she immediately embraced James, wrapping her wide sleeved arms around him and reassuring him everything would be okay.

"First things first my little angel, you need to have a shower" she said leading him to the bathroom and leaving him alone inside she closed the door. "I've left some new clothes on the toilet for you, some new trainers as well, you're still a size ten yes" she asked. There was a murmur of a yes. "Come to the kitchen when you're finished, I'll have something hot and tasty ready" she added before making her way down the stairs. James unexpectedly smiled; she never cooked anything in her life. Downstairs the woman had a number of people waiting, one was to sort the bedroom, basically do everything short of burning it in a bid to clean it. Another was sent to the kitchen to whip up a tasty healthy lunch for the boy who had not eaten in days and days. The third had just returned to the house with two hangers containing newly tailored suits and bags with accessories. "I do hope he hasn't grown too much from the previous measurements" she said taking the hangers from the girl and directing her to place the bags in the living room.

James finished his shower and put on the fresh new clothes she had bought for him and he actually walked passed his closed bedroom door and even though he heard sounds coming from beyond the door he did not care, suddenly he was hungry, starving actually. The kitchen was where she was waiting, alone and standing by the stove pretending to be actually preparing a meal.

"Soup first James, something easy to digest" she said ladling the thick homemade vegetable soup into a bowl and placing it in front of James along with freshly bought brown bread that had been smothered in butter. She watched as the young boy devoured the brown bread dropping little crumbles to the table and floor and she actually smiled as he slurped the soup off the spoon, a noise that normally irritated her to the point of screaming. "Was it okay?" she asked taking the empty bowl and plate away and returning to the stove, "Shall I pour another bowl?" There was no reply and when she turned James was simply sitting at the table making his way through a Madeira cake that had been dropped in by one of the neighbours. She was going to give him some more hot food but she was happy he was eating and instead set a teapot on the table and joined him. Pouring a cup for herself and James they sat quietly, him eating intently and her trying to comprehend the boy's thoughts. Finally a moment came when there was no food in his mouth and she seized the opportunity, delicately she broached the most harrowing topic, the funeral. "So James I have a new suit for you to wear today" carefully she started. For a second there was no reaction, the boy just stared into the cup of tea, his face free of any emotion. She started to worry afraid that she pushed too soon, that he would retreat to his room again and miss the chance to say a final goodbye.

"I'm going to wear the suit Mom bought for me last year, I think it still fits" he finally said. For the last couple of days he had been griping at the ceiling, blaming it for what had happened but these were the first words he had spoken to someone since his mother died.

"Okay, I'll get that out and ready" she said in her normal upper-class tone, trying her best to hide the relief in her voice. James thanked her and then picked up another piece of cake and started to eat it, and then a rumble by the front door and his Dad walked in followed closely by her. Impossible to count the range of emotions suddenly surging through his adolescent body James tried his best to hide them but sadly the cake bore the brunt of it and as it squashed within his fist he dropped it to the table. "Stay here James" the woman said springing from her chair and heading to the hallway. "What are you doing bringing that woman here?" she sniped.

"I have a name" the woman said.

"I'm sure you do, and I have a couple more for you" the retort came quick and biting.

"Mum stop it, you cannot speak to her like that" Jack stepped in voicing his annoyance with his mother.

"I'll speak to whomever I wish in whatever way I wish, especially the likes of her"

"Are you not ashamed, parading that thing around the house on the day of your wife's funeral? I thought I raised you better than that"

"Vic and I were finished Mum, I have been with Miriam for almost a year now" Jack explained.

"Who do you think you are some sort of Casanova? You're father was the philandering type but I quenched those embers and so help me Jesus if I knew I would have put a stop to this" she said poking Miriam hard in the shoulder. She let out an annoying lingering whine and rubbed the spot where she was poked by the elderly woman before giving Jack a look, a look as in to do something.

"Mum apologise now" A single laugh of derision was what he got from his mother.

"You spiteful old cow" Miriam muttered under her breath and although the hall was long it was rather narrow and Mrs. Griffin's hearing was perfect as were her movements and with one swift swipe she slapped Miriam across the face.

"If you do not get her out of here right now, you'll get one as well" before whispering "your son is in the kitchen, today is his mother's funeral show some bit of respect and tell your tart to go". Jack was never the type to take orders or to back down or show weakness and so taking hold of Miriam's hand he declared his love loudly for her and that soon they would be married. As soon as the words tumbled from his mouth he regretted them but it was too late, the damage was done and with the screeching of chair-legs across tiles James rushed from the kitchen and seeing as his path to the bedroom was a minefield he disappeared out the back door and ran straight into the forest. "You ignorant, pig-headed oaf" his mother seethed rolling her eyes and turning her back to them and heading for the backdoor. Jack found her pulling on a pair of wellingtons, ones that belonged to Victoria.

"I'll go get him" he said.

"You'll do no such thing, you get ready for the funeral and get that woman out of the house" she said picking up a tall blackthorn walking stick and fighting the urge to belt her son with it she headed out into the back garden and through the small opening in the fence she too disappeared into the forest.

Panting and coughing James came to a stop close to the river, he had ran long enough now, he was a least two miles from the house. Sitting down on the bank James looked into the deep waters of the river as its extremely fast current rushed by and waited for his heart to return to a regular beat. Inhaling deeply he lay back on the cold ground and closing his eyes he let the sounds of the forest fill his mind, hoping it would stop other more tragic thoughts.

"Hello there!" a voice startled him and he immediately sat up and opening his eyes he spied a girl standing only a few feet from where he lay. Barefoot and smiling she moved a little closer, her feet not making a whisper, and greeted him again.

"Hi, am Hi" he replied quite unsure of the situation he found himself in.

"What are you doing all the way out here?" she asked, taking a seat on a pile of leaves by him. James thought that question was better suited for her, especially seeing as she was wearing no shoes and the ground was cold and dangerous. "Are you not sure why you are out here?" she asked looking him directly in the eye. Looking back at her for barely a second before blushing and glancing away James saw enough, she was plain yet intriguing. Red hair that curled and frizzled down her back and cheeks so pale that they only intensified her light blue eyes James felt somewhat anxious as she posed the two questions again.

"Am, am well I'm just out for a walk with my dog" he lied. He wasn't sure why he lied, but it just happened.

"Oh I love dogs, where is it?"

"I think its gone home, it normally runs home before me, like a race" he wasn't sure how much longer he could lie; he was never very good at it.

"Oh, oh okay. Why are your eyes puffy and red? Were you crying?" For someone about the same age as James her outspokenness reminded him of nothing more than a five-year old. "Well were you crying, what were you crying about?" James continued to look into the river, ignoring her as if she were not there, but she was proving very hard to ignore. "Hello, I know you can hear me" she poked his arm and her finger left a rather sore sensation. "Hey, why were you crying? Are you going to jump in the river, is that why you're crying? I wouldn't want to go in there, it's a bit chilly! Oh no don't say the dog is gone in the river, oh the poor dog, no dog could swim in that current, we should try and rescue him"

"There's no bloody dog okay! MY MOM DIED My Mom died and that's why I was crying" he shouted. James didn't mean to shout, but it actually felt like a release and he shouted it a couple of more times, "My Mom died, my Mom died".

"You done? I think you've scared most of the animals in here!" James smiled at her and nodded, he was done and more to the point he felt like himself again and strangely closer to his mother. "Congratulations, acceptance!" she said giving him a little wildflower. For a few glorious minutes there was nothing but wind rustling the branches of the trees and water moving quickly down the river filling his ears, it reminded him of times spent here with his mother. Closing his eyes he could finally see her face again and he smiled, then the moment was gone. "So what are you doing now? Why are you smiling like that?" Fortunately for the girl, James' patience was running low, another voice caught his attention.

"James, James" they called as the person walked through the dense forest. It was his grandmother and when he turned back to where the girl was seated, she was gone; all that remained were a bunch of beautiful wild flowers. "James please come out". Picking up the bunch of flowers James called out to his grandmother and walked slowly toward her. "Ah my boy there you bloody are, been walking for ages!" she said stopping and resting on the large stick.

"Sorry Gran, I got some flowers for the funeral" he apologised, showing her the array of blue, white and purple flowers left by the girl.

"They're lovely" Gran declared as she took a deep smell before linking arms with her grandson and heading for home. "You know......if I had my shotgun I could have gotten dinner while out here....I thought I spied a deer in the bushes on my way, would have made a nice dinner" she sighed, utterly serious.

There was little time to dawdle once they returned to a thankfully empty home. Just over an hour before the funeral was to start and checking on the newly purchased suits the grandmother noticed her son's one was gone which meant he was obviously after making his way to the church, no doubt stopping for some Dutch courage along the way to aid his brazenness. James didn't take long to ready himself and all Gran had to do was take off the wellingtons, dabble a bit of perfume and throw on a long black fur coat complete with a gold and diamond brooch, no matter where she was going, her jewellery was at the forefront of her attire. The luxurious black car that had brought Gran all the way to Hamlet brought them to the church where a handful of people congregated outside, inside were many more, along with a wooden box upon which a photograph of his mother stood. He took a seat at the front of the little church, keeping his head bowed low as he made his way up the aisle so as to avoid the gaze and outstretched hands of the village. Moments later the vicar started,

"Ladies and gentleman, we are gathered here today to celebrate the life of Victoria Griffin, an only child of only children parents whom she now joins in eternal life"

The service dragged on and dragged on and James sat there quietly looking at his shoes, afraid to look at the box or the photo for fear of falling apart in front of the entire village, he knew his father wouldn't appreciate it. However at one stage a burning desire to either scream or run from the church stormed his body when his father made his way to the pulpit and started talking about his mother, a speech so blatantly fabricated James wondered did anyone in the congregation believe it. But he made it through the service and now found himself under the arm of his grandmother standing in the village cemetery where the Vicar was uttering more words that were lost on James. Then came the hardest part and James fought valiantly to keep the tears back as the box was lowered into the freshly dug hole in the ground. His Gran squeezed his shoulder, there was at least someone left in his world he could rely on but her visit would not last forever and as little clumps of earth were thrown down by "friends" James tossed one of the wildflowers down, a purple one. The Vicar announced that there would be refreshments the pub and so everyone turned on their heels and headed for the free food and drink. "Come along dear" his Gran said trying to turn him away from the grave.

"Just a few minutes" he replied, his voice cracking under the weight of emotion. She left him there, it was what he wanted and today she felt he should get anything he wanted. A few minutes was all he stayed because as soon as the graveyard emptied a rather brawny, ugly man with a hint of a learning disability approached the grave with a large shovel and insensitively began shovelling the earth back in. Walking away James stopped by the gate and took one last look down to where the man with the shovel was still tossing dirt into the hole and then a sad truth came to mind. He knew now that the home he lived in had become a house, and the only home he had was in front of him, where a sporadically-toothed man with a ghoulish job stood sweating.

Chapter 3hree:

Blackberries and a Storm

The best way to describe it was strange, the way time went by so quickly yet so slowly after his Mom's funeral. Some times James felt that it was only yesterday he was looking through watery eyes as a man poured dirt into a hole where his mother was placed. In truth it was almost an entire six months since that horrible, dreadful, outrageously cruel day. Time really did ease most of the pain of his mother's passing but every so often James would find himself suddenly and uncontrollably bursting out in floods of tears. It was for that reason, well mainly that reason, that he had become even more withdrawn from the world since the tragedy. The compassionate leave that James was granted from the school lasted only a fortnight; he thought the limit most uncompassionate, as if there was a clock on his grief. But as his father kept drilling into him, loudly and aggressively, life would have to go on and that no good could come of moping about the house.

Reluctantly James returned to the halls of Saint Boniface college and mainly just to the halls, roaming them quietly avoiding as many classes as he could, sneaking out when roll-call was done and spending his time in the tree across the road or wandering the streets with his barriers in place. Most of the teachers gave James a wide berth and for a few weeks the bullies relaxed and found a proxy. Oddly it would have been better for them to continue their hounding, because without the fear of an attack James found less and less reasons to join forces with William and Sebastian and before long they were, somewhat like his happiness, becoming a fading memory.

Another day was done and sadly for James it was the last day where many a blind eye would be turned. Sitting on the bus home as darkness fell all around he held tightly a letter in his hand debating whether or not to hand it over to his father. The contents he knew relayed his behaviour, or lack of it, and his numerous early exits from the school. In fact the only reason he had the letter was when he attempted an early exit today, the Black Friar was waiting for him. He attempted to start a conversation but James was having none of it, he could barely remember the last time he had a proper conversation with anyone and for some reason he certainly didn't want to have one with him. So he took the letter and promptly left the school, early. The lateness of the hour of course wasn't down to school but the fact that James nestled in the tree across the road for many an hour before boarding the bus. Folding the letter and unfolding it again, he tucked it in to the back of the bus-seat and pulled it out just as fast. It was no use, he would have to give the letter, a phone-call would be made either way. So James decided it was better just to get it over with, so when the bus came to a screeching halt he disembarked and braced himself for a screeching match. But not yet!

Night had followed him to Hamlet and in the cover of darkness and with his barriers in place he headed not for home but for the village. Most of the businesses were closed and most of the lights turned off except of course for the pub. That horrid pub with that horrid landlady and just by walking pass and not even looking James could feel a deep hatred longing for the place and its proprietor. She had moved in now as well to the house, she was living where his mother lived. She sleeps now where his mother slept, she cooks where his mother cooked, she annoyingly laughs where his mother laughed and worse of all she tries to mother where his mother never did. There was no doubt about it, he hated her and he hated his father for bringing her in to his life and his home and he was not subtle about his feelings towards either of them which was why he rarely spoke to them and luckily rarely saw them.

A handful of people were standing outside the doors of the pub smoking and chatting loudly but with his eyes to the ground and the music blaring James kept moving, not even attempting to return the salute from one of the older gentleman he narrowly saw out of the corner of his eye. The further down he went the darker it got as the buildings stopped and only an empty green space that housed a little playground and a park with a few picnic benches was left and there were no lights there. Finally he reached his destination and as the familiar creak was carried off in the light breeze he made his way around the various standing stones until he came to the only home he had now. Taking out the headphones he was greeted with the strongest of sounds, silence. Kneeling down and brushing back his hair he greeted the only person he ever truly loved.

"Hi Mom" he whispered softly as he ran his fingers across the scribe on the headstone. A couple of weeds had sprung up since the last time he was there and plucking them from the ground he rather insensitively tossed them upon another grave. For hours James sat on the grave of his mother and just spoke to her, telling her about how the Black Friar had cornered him at school and how Miriam was getting increasingly on his nerves and how he begged for a life elsewhere. He explained how he felt his life was ripping apart and there was no stitch to save it, it was then he started to sob quietly and stopped talking. The tears would not cease to fall and his sleeve was soaking wet from his runny nose and so James thought it best to say goodnight and with a lovingly kiss to the top of the headstone he placed the headphones back in and made his way for the exit.

As he closed the gate behind him James suddenly felt a sudden rush of cold, almost terror-induced, run through him and after a glance around proved nothing there, James shrugged it off as tiredness and carried on for the village. Unfortunately he had to pass the pub again and so stepping up the pace continued but not without noticing that Miriam's car was parked along side the building. She was working, and he remembered that so was his Dad which meant the house was empty and the screech-inducing letter wouldn't be opened until tomorrow. Not exactly happy and not exactly smiling James still was grateful of the good fortune and was somewhat at ease at going to the house. With his hood up, his fringe down and the music blaring James made his way along the dark small road before taking the swift turn for the darker smaller road that led to home. As he walked he suddenly felt very cold, and the night got darker. The moon that had so generously been providing the light home had been inconsiderately engulfed by dark clouds. And with those dark clouds came rain, lots and lots of rain that seemed to not just fall from the sky but plummet, forcing James to take shelter among the blackberry brambles and thorns of the ditches. Tying his hood tighter and turning off the music James listened as the rain, almost white in its intensity, slap off the ground and soak everything within seconds of appearing. His shelter was doing a fine job of keeping him dry and when he thought of the many people who wanted them trimmed to near nothing he was glad none of them had the follow-through to do it. A massive bang of thunder rolled from beyond the forest, and then there was the lightning, a dazzling display of blue and white patterns that filled the sky almost like fireworks. He started to count, something his mother taught him as a young child whenever a bad storm would descend over the countryside. Another flash of lightning and he started to count,

"One one thousand, two one thousa" before he could finish the thunder yelled and James was fearful, it was close, very close. Now he was worried as he didn't know what to do, stay in the midst of the brambles and hopefully not get struck by lightning or instead run for home where he surely wouldn't get struck by lightning but the run was the risk. A moving target was still a target. Another flash and another bang of thunder and James' mind was made, he would have to make a dash for home. Bracing himself for the heavy onslaught of rain and wind he closed his eyes and took a deep breath letting the sounds of the wind and rain fill his ears. Then there was a sound that did not belong, a low snarling sound. James opened his eyes and although shrouded in darkness he could sense something close by, he could feel a presence. Another snarl, louder than the first but James wasn't entirely certain it was a snarl, or if it was anything, the wind was getting louder and the rain harder. Perhaps his imagination was getting the better of him. Fisting his hands and taking a small step forward he definitely heard something, something moving along the field side of the ditch. A neighbour's dog caught out in the rain, or a fox or badger desperately seeking refuge from the deluge, James was sure that was all it was and so he took another step further, away from the ditch. Only a step or two away from being on the small road that led to home something long and scaly coiled itself around James' waist and yanked him backwards violently through the brambles and thorns, ripping cuts into both his clothes and skin. It released him and he found himself lying face down on the soaking wet grass and as he tried to garner his bearings, the rain ceased to fall, the wind fell flat and the lighting struck no more. Picking his head up he noticed that the clouds had quickly parted and once again the moon made some vision possible. James wished it hadn't as when he turned over he saw a sight that belonged more in a nightmare than a field in the English countryside.

Not sure of the colour, it was either a vibrantly dark blue or a terrifying black, either way it was real. Standing over eight feet tall the only thing it reminded James of was a gargoyle from a cartoon programme he used to enjoy years ago. The thing was not unlike a man, albeit a tall man with wings and ears that perked up like a fox. A nose like any other person's was opening and closing; it was the only part of him that was moving. Sniffing the night air, or possibly James' terror, its amber eyes remained focused entirely on James and James met him stare for stare. What felt like a decade passed and James was waiting for his body to stop trembling so that he could attempt to run, if he was going to die tonight he at least would like to have experienced some fragment of bravery in his life before he did. Finally a chance came for him to run when the thing's attention was drawn elsewhere and like the lightning that was flashing minutes earlier James jumped to his feet in a flash and ran, ran as fast as he could along the ditch looking for the part that had the thinning gap. The wet grass made the run far more difficult and the barriers that were so important to him were turning on him, his fringe made it very difficult to see and the hood was starting to choke him, digging mercilessly into his neck. Thankfully at last they didn't matter and with one swift athletic moment he leapt through the ditch and was on the road to home and his feet were moving faster than they ever had before. It was a wonder what adrenaline did for the body. Cries for help went seemingly unheard as none of his neighbours ventured outside their doors to see what was afoot, so James continued running until he eventually was at his house and running up the gravelled drive he stopped dead in his tracks. Looking up at the house just over the front door was the thing, crouched quietly watching him again. Panicked and gasping for breath, his heart was beating so fast he could nearly feel it protruding out his chest; he put his hand in his pocket for his keys. It was only one more sprint to the door and once inside he might have some chance of survival, he was sure his Dad's gun was in its usual place. Once the keys were in hand he faked a fast move and the thing jerked, just about to soar down from its perch and attack. He faked another fast move and the thing jerked once more and then the next one wasn't fake and the jerk was more of a spectacular bound and with great force James was knocked to the ground, subdued beneath the weight of the beast. Lying on the ground helpless James could barely breathe with the pressure that thing was plying on him and his lungs were emptying rapidly when eventually the thing moved ever so slightly as it lowered its head over James and with its flaring nostrils inhaled a deep smell of James. Unfortunately James too took in a deep breath and with it came the putrid smell of rotten flesh from the thing's mouth. A flicker of a long tongue, quite like a snake, across his face and he closed his eyes not wanting to witness the terror on top of him, it was tasting him.

A roar of agony erupted from the trapped boy as one of the razor claws that adorned the beast's hands sliced a sliver of skin from his neck. Even without opening his eyes he knew exactly what was happening, the sound of chewing was familiar when anything did it. If the first roar went unheard then the second and third certainly did as the thunder slowly rolled back into Hamlet, oddly coinciding with every new slice shaved. Upon swallowing the fourth piece the thing bent down closer to the neck and then James could feel its cold hard lips on the wound sucking the trickles of blood that he caused. It was now or never. Even if the thoughts of wanting to be reunited with his mother were so inviting, the thought of being slowly and painfully devoured was not. Sorting through the keys in search of the one for the garage padlock, the one that was long and old and most importantly sharp, he finally had it wrapped tightly in his fist and without even flinching he stabbed furiously and manically at the thing. Screeches were so loud it was doubtful that the thunder could drown them out and so much blood poured over James and the gravel that it was equally doubtful the returned heavy rain would wash away. It turned over and lay out on the ground its wings outstretched and his hands trying to block the holes that James had caused, but there were too many. On his feet as fast as he could James stood still for a moment staring at the bizarre thing lying in his driveway when all of a sudden it looked like it was getting up so James sprinted for the front door and somehow with his trembling hands managed to unlock it and once inside bang it shut. He slumped to the hall floor and started to cry and cry and cry and it was the first time he had done so that didn't relate to his mother's passing and continued to do so until he heard the parting of gravel. It wasn't over. Darting to the sitting room he fell over the coffee table in the rush.

"Stupid Miriam" he groaned in the darkness at Miriam's constant rearrangement of the furniture. The fireplace was where his father hid the emergency gun and luckily James was taught how to use it and the combination for the lock and so kneeling down and reaching up in to the chimney he felt around for the metal box and sure enough it was there. He fumbled in the dark to turn the numbers but he somehow managed it but the sound of a lock unlocking did not come. The combination had been changed and James realised he was doomed; it was only a matter of time before the thing would get into the house. So he put the box back where he found it and sat down on the couch ripping off a cushion-cover and pressing it to his neck in a bid to stop the bleeding. And then he waited, and waited, and waited until unexpectedly he fell fast asleep.

A churning motion deep within awoke him quickly and he found himself vomiting on to the living room carpet. It wasn't just vomit, there was blood there too and when he made an attempt to move, he couldn't. Paralysis. Luckily he had fallen asleep on his side so the vomit did not choke him but now he had no idea what to do. The lights had come back on and they were utterly blinding, either they were or he was slowly going blind. Everything seemed to have a hazy frame as his eyes shot from the television to the fireplace to the door. He was helpless and he was alone, his Dad was working a night-shift and Miriam had obviously decided to spend the night in the pub due to the bad weather. The fight he put up against the beast was pointless, the bite was venomous and the truth of it was that he just put off death by a couple of hours. James took some comfort in the fact that he wasn't going to die by leisurely ingestion. He took a deep breath while he still could and waited, not for the beast but for death.

Unless death sounded like someone tapping on a window and footsteps rushing around on the pavement, it wasn't it outside.

"I can see him on the couch, check the doors" called a young female voice. "He doesn't look too healthy" she added as her voice faded away. James opened his eyes but by now the blindness had all but engulfed his vision. A thick white fog was the best way to describe what his eyes could see. His ears meanwhile must have actually pricked up like a dog; he could hear everything and more. The ticking of the clock was far louder than he recalled, the sounds of branches rustling outside told him the weather still had not died down and the turning of a lock indicated that whoever was outside, well they wouldn't be so for much longer.

"Do you think we're too late?" the female voiced asked as James made out a blur of redness by the fireplace. It was either her or the venom was worsening his vision.

"He's still breathing, so no, no we're not" another voice, a male one, answered.

"Well give him the antidote then, be quick about it" And he was just that, James was aware of something being pressed against his lips, something cold and hard, metal he guessed. He tried to open his mouth but he was unable, the paralysis would not allow it. "Open his mouth and pour it in, gees do you need instructions for everything" she shrieked in seemingly both anticipation and trepidation and then there were fingers prying his mouth open, a trickle of liquid followed by a lot and since swallowing was difficult, the person massaged his neck careful as to not aggravate the wounds. "Did he take it all, make sure he's taken it all?" she said. There was no doubt about the duo who was the boss, ever since James first heard her she'd been barking orders yet still there was something about the way she barked that made the orders less orderly.

"He's taken it all, the paralysis should start subsiding soon" he said.

"Two mouthfuls" she quipped with a giggle, referring to the man's alliteration and James medicine. James lay perfectly still on the couch, his eyes were closed and his body still not his own and he had no idea what agenda the two strangers in his living room had. So he remained silent and still in the hope they would divulge some nugget of an explanation and fortunately they did.

"He was very lucky" the man suddenly said.

"Luck has nothing to do with it, we were charged with his welfare and look what happened, it's a bloody miracle he's breathing. If he doesn't wake up I'm changing my name to Kathleen and moving to Venezuela" she replied.

"You don't look like a Kathleen, maybe more a Rita"

"I could live with Rita" and then there was silence once more and James felt their eyes on him, waiting for a sign their interjection was successful. Moving an arm slightly and then blinking in rapid succession caused the girl to clap her hands.

"Oh thank the heavens, I really didn't want to go to South America, the humidity would wreck my hair" she sighed with relief. "Take him up to his room; I'll sort the mess out down here" and with that order James was hoisted in to the arms of the man and carried slowly out of the living room and as they ascended the stairs he heard the girl empty-retching and complaining of how she hates the sight of vomit. Gently he was placed on his unmade bed and keeping his eyes closed he tried to give the impression he had fallen asleep, although it soon would no longer be an impression as he could feel the tiredness begin to clamber through his healing body. The carrier left and he was once again alone in a dark room and opening his still partially blinded eyes he glanced to the closed door. He wanted it open; he wanted to hear what, if anything, the two were saying. Alas he still did not have total control of his body but he could move slightly and rather aimlessly and so edging to the edge of the bed he reached out his numb arm and attempted to open the door. With mere inches to go from actually managing to pull the thing quietly open the predictable happened and with a crash he fell to the floor. Thankfully it didn't hurt, the numbness and paralysis had its advantages, albeit rather limited ones. Expectedly he heard the feet upon the steps and once again he was no longer alone and in darkness.

"I thought he should be asleep by now!" the woman queried as she entered the room behind her companion.

"He should, I don't know what's taking so long" James knew what was taking so long, his fighting the sleep.

"I know what's wrong. Someone is a little curious and too nosey to fall asleep" she said as if she were talking to a toddler, and then she pinched James' nose which caused him to open his eyes in fright. It was no good, her face was a blur and the bright ceiling light was more of a hindrance.

"All will be explained soon darling, just get some sleep" she said lifting the blanket over James and turning off the light. "Are you sure that concoction of yours is working? He still cannot see"

"It's working, he's breathing isn't he" the man snarled. The two were like an old married couple.

"I still cannot believe there is one here" she said softly as he closed the door.

"One? Who knows how many Neseedjas are around, there's a battle coming and we have no idea who the enemy is" he replied, his voice trying to hide remnants of fear.

"Calm down, calm down, he still might be awake. Come on lets go back, she'll be waiting for news" the woman said and she was right. James was still awake but unable to fight the sleep anymore, he succumbed but not before fearing his sleep was going to be decorated with nightmares of wars, battles and that thing that almost killed him.

The contrary happened, it was one of the best nights sleep he ever had and waking up utterly refreshed and rejuvenated he felt his neck and still the skin was flayed but thankfully it didn't hurt as much. Then he noticed the room was still dark and it wasn't his eyes, they were working again, it was outside. Night had failed to go away, or so he childishly thought. Checking his mobile that was still in his pocket, morning was still another couple of hours away. Sitting up and switching on the lamp on his bedside locker his stomach rumbled, he hadn't eaten in a long time and the events of the night had only made him more ravenous. Moving his legs, the paralysis finally gone, he sat on the edge of the bed when he noticed something on his locker that did not belong. There was a bracelet wrapped around a smooth slate coloured stone. Naturally assuming that it was left by the two who broke into the house he picked them up and examined them. The stone was just like any other, plain, hard and to him pointless. The bracelet was made of vines and stems and what felt like hair, it seemed very weak, but nevertheless he slowly rolled it down over his hand and onto his wrist. It was stupid, he didn't like it, he didn't really like any sort of jewellery and so he took it off, or at least he tried to take it off. As he pulled it back toward his hand the thing began to warm, and then boil and finally sear until James yelled in agony as a little flame danced around his wrist. Then the burning was gone, the smell of burning lingered but the flame and pain were gone and in their place, a tattoo. An exact replica of the bracelet. James' immediate thought was how he was going to hide it from his Dad; he would kill him if he found he had a tattoo. Scratching scrapped that thought and James' attention was drawn to the stone on the locker; letters were steadily etching themselves upon the stone's surface. Words followed letters until finally he was looking at a message.

"Greetings Malyn, you have been awoken. Come tonight to where the lights burn brightest"

Chapter 4our:

Chains and a Cup of Tea

The morning light brought with it a chance to examine the damage that had occurred during the massive, unnaturally natural storm last night. People in the village found themselves still without power while some were completely isolated having been forced back into their homes by flooded roads and fallen debris. For James the morning sun gave him the chance to understand or at least pretend to comprehend what had happened last night. Standing in front of the mirror in the bathroom he deduced that by no means was it a nightmare as he tried his best to somehow disguise the striking piece of white hair that had unsurprisingly cropped up. Placed on the sink beneath the mirror was the stone, the message still blatantly obvious scratched across the surface. For a brief moment of madness last night James thought about searching for the place "where lights burn brightest" but he opted to leave the window pane and return to bed. The image of the horrid creature that had attacked him was still bombarding his mind every time he closed his eyes and by no means was he going to willingly venture out in the midst of darkness to become an appetizer. A psych patient wouldn't have attempted the trek so James believed it best to stay put.

Staring into the mirror he smiled, he quite liked the streak of whiteness, even if he acquired it mere moments from death. His father on the other hand wouldn't exactly appreciate the "abnormal" hairstyle and being a policeman was bound to notice it sooner or later. Gel was the best option as it seemed to darken all his hair and he pushed the white streak beneath the rest of his hair the best he could. Around his wrist now was a large leather strap, one that he forgot he had, one that he purchased on a holiday a few years back. It came in quite useful in disguising the tattoo beneath because if Mr. Griffin didn't notice the streak of white hair he sure as hell would notice the tattoo. The sounds of gravel being disrupted caught his attention and rushing back to his room he saw the cars of both his father and Miriam pull into the driveway. Not in the mood to be dealing with them he closed the drapes tight plunging the room into darkness and immersed himself in blankets with the hope that his father would pay no attention to his room.

Downstairs he could hear them talk perfectly even with the bed linen acting as a buffer the entire conversation was mostly about the weather, he was sure that was all the village folk were going to be talking about for a few weeks, they liked to milk things! Pleading with the pillows that his father wouldn't notice his still being at home (it was a school day after all) James kept as still as possible while feet journeyed up the wooden stairs. The gods of pillows and sheets were definitely out when Mr. Griffin burst through the door and spying James in bed launched in to a series of questions as if he was interrogating a criminal.

"Why aren't you at school?"

The room remained silent as James refused to answer the man that was standing in the middle of the floor about to enter the start of an argument.

"I asked you a question!"

Only silence was omitting from the heap of blankets and Mr. Griffin not being of the patient kind, grabbed hold of them and yanked them to the ground. Infuriated James turned his back on his father and faced the wall; his eyes closed and anger bubbling.

"James, answer me now, why haven't you gone to school?"

With no response from the grieving teenager and both of them getting increasingly furious Mr. Griffin finally snapped and took hold of James' arm and squeezed. There was no pain; none what so ever as his father's shovel hand tightened its grip. It was strange, normally once his father placed a hand on him he would cry in agony and bruise nearly immediately but not now. Annoyance was searing in the confines of the bedroom and once again for the last time, so he said anyway, Mr. Griffin asked the simplest of questions.

"Why aren't you at school?"

The "last time" question was accompanied with a little tug on the arm of his son in a bid to pull him from the bed. It was the wrong time to bid as his son's annoyance level just past red and with one swift movement jerked his arm free from his father and in the process knocked him back on to the ground. A spectacular sight was to be found as the six foot four policeman with hands that could crack cement was sprawled over the bedroom floor having been put there by his son. Cries of "Jack" from below caused James' eyes to roll toward heaven as they only led to Miriam bursting in to the room in hysterics. She thought the man had a heart attack and as she helped him up he informed her he merely fell over some clothes, prompting her to tell James to tidy up his room. Miriam didn't know how lucky she was that his temper was cooling, she was like a red flag to a bull at the moment and the antagonising wasn't helping her. They promptly left the room and James could hear them in the next room opening and closing wardrobe doors and pulling open drawers and one of them made their way to the bathroom and James could hear the clinking of beauty products being thrown into a small bag. A smile edged its way across his face as he realised they were going away for the night, a usual occurrence when his father finished night shifts.

Miriam poked her head in to the bedroom and in her ear-grating voice informed James of revelations he had already deduced.

"We're going away; we'll be back tomorrow evening"

That was all, no goodbye no there is dinner in the oven or money to get takeaway, just a kind of screw you we're off to enjoy a romantic night away. James didn't care; the further those two were from him the better. With the slamming of the door he breathed a sigh of relief, no arguments or uncomfortable silences or awkward death-stares.

Lying on the bed as the hours slowly passed by James couldn't get his head around the fact that his little nudge to his father caused him to fall to the ground. This was a man who, as legend had it, managed to knock to the ground and arrest three supposed domestic terrorists, so how could a slim framed, docile sixteen year old force him to the ground. The word warrior, that was what Wikipedia had translated the word Malyn to, jumped straight to the front of his mind and he pondered the idea of being this said warrior. It would certainly explain the increase in strength and of course the other things that had been happening through the day. James had noticed a dramatic increase in his senses and a remarkable healing ability, the bruises he had acquired in last night's events had diminished and only a handful of small coloured ones were left on his torso. They had been spread across almost his entire chest and arms, now it was as if he was pinched by a child. With this tiring train of thought it was no wonder that James fell fast asleep mid-afternoon and by the time he woke it was normally his bed-time. Hunger rattled his stomach and he made his way to the kitchen with the deep hope that some bit of edible food was left. Sadly upon opening the refrigerator his hopes were dashed as all that was inside there was a jar of mayonnaise, rotting tomatoes, a few slices of browning lettuce in the crisper and eggs whose expiration date had become faded. There was nothing from there anyway to eat. He turned his attentions to the cupboards and thankfully his luck was in when he found some mould free brown bread and jam. A small pot of raspberry jam was found nestled behind the bowl of sugar and James began spreading massive amounts of it across the bread, salivating at the thoughts of eating it. Water was going to have to be the drink of choice as all the juice cartons were in the recycling bin while tea was out of the question as the milk carton was keeping the others company. Ready to eat his "dinner" he sat at the kitchen table and listened to the radio, some local station that played a rather eclectic choice of music. Eleven O' clock at night and the news suddenly came on the radio and James had this horrible thought that he was not so shocked he had. For a brief moment he had hoped that his father had been in a car crash, both of them being killed in the collision and he was going to have to gladly look after himself. No such luck as the news only told of some burglaries in the area and that there were still numerous roads that were blocked by fallen branches and large rain puddles.

With a want for more food but with no means to satisfy it James thought it best to just return to his bed and sleep till morning when he could go to the shop for food. Switching off the lights first was the silliest thing, but James always did it and he moved with ease around the house with only the light of the moon shining in through the windows. Lastly he turned off the radio and the dark house was plunged into silence. Closing the kitchen door James made his way down the hallway when he spied two silhouettes outside the front. Suddenly his wrist flared up and the burning sensation returned, stronger than last night and he found himself lying on the hall floor writhing in pain as the leather band began to melt to give way to the red searing light. Beads of sweat dripped from his hair as the heat intensified around his wrist, he was almost certain he could smell his flesh beginning to burn. The fact that there were two people sneaking around outside dropped from his memory as soon as the tattoo erupted although they quickly waltzed back in again when James noticed the handle of the front door starting to turn. With every ounce of strength he started to pull himself away from the hall, away from sight as the glaring redness was like a beacon. Half inside the kitchen half inside the hall he almost made it but the door slowly creaked open and even in the darkness of the house he could make out the hand of one person entering. They were whispering as they entered, just like the two last night, the two that saved James. Perhaps they were friendly strangers, ones that could stop the searing pain that was sure to be incinerating what flesh he had left around his wrist. They were not the ones from last night.

A rush of horror entered the house as the two figures became more apparent. Dressed in flowing brown robes with a white sash around the waist and hoods covering their entire heads, the duo entered the hallway and both of them turned their hidden faces to the red light omitting at the bottom of the hallway. James' eyes widened and he capsized into the kitchen and with his feet banged the door shut, keeping them there as the two pushed hard for entry. Hearts all a flutter and what was sure to be another nightmarish night for James he looked around for something to hold the door, there was nothing handy, nothing even to threaten as a weapon. With his feet still firmly on it, the door stopped rustling as the two on the other side ceased their intentions. Taking a deep breath James held it and closed his eyes and tried to listen to what they were whispering. He couldn't decipher the language, he could make out the odd word but there were clicks and pops and giggles, not very helpful in the instance. They stopped "conversing" and James returned to inhaling oxygen and exhaling carbon dioxide, quietly. He wasn't sure what to do, keep his feet firmly on the door and try his best not to lose focus, which was hard as he felt his wrist was soon going to fall off his arm from the antagonising heat circling it. He wasn't quite sure what in his short life he had done to deserve all this attention over the past two nights but whatever it was he would have gladly skipped over it if given half the chance. A cooling sensation suddenly calmed his pain and his wrist was like normal, some burn marks but they were already beginning to heal. One thing over with! Resting his head on the cold tiles of the kitchen floor he closed his eyes for a mere moment and unfortunately when he opened them he spied something he wished he hadn't. Standing at the kitchen window was one of the hooded figures he had been trying to keep out. Not sure whether this was a divide and conquer mission James remained on the ground, his feet pressed against the door almost certain the other was still on the opposite side. He was certain but not right. Keeping his eyes on the one at the window and his feet on the one he thought was still in the hall James felt a shiver down his spine when he heard a rattle come from the backdoor. Before he even knew what he was doing James had leapt from the floor in quite acrobatic fashion and was searching for a knife, spatula or even a rolling pin, something to use as weapon but it was too late, the two had swooped into the kitchen and in an instant it was over, he was once again on the floor this time fast asleep.

A nauseating smell of kerosene filled James' nostrils and he slowly came to, finding himself hanging from chains against a cold stone wall. An unnerving feeling naturally came over the boy as his eyes tried to adjust to the immense darkness of the room best described only as a medieval dungeon. He could hear the scurrying of rats around the floor and even felt one brush against his bare feet causing him to tremble in disgust. Roars for help went unanswered as his voice merely echoed and found its way back to him; the dungeon was big, very big. Spasms in his arms gave James the idea to pull at the iron chains that bound him to the stone and he yanked as hard as he could to try and free himself and as he pulled his wrists further away he could hear the loosening of rocks while dust slowly replaced the wafting smell of kerosene. Almost free as the wall that held him was centuries old and no match for what he assumed was his warrior strength James smiled as one by one the chains fell loose from the wall and he found himself standing in the dark room with only rats for company. Straight away the sounds of footsteps swarmed his ears as he realised he was no longer on his own and he slid back up against the wall and held his breath in a bid to concentrate on the stranger's exact location. He couldn't. The footsteps had stopped and no matter how hard he tried to listen for a breath or even a heartbeat, neither was forthcoming.

"Didn't take you very long to break free"

"Who's there?" James asked wrapping the chains around the palms of his hands ready to use them as weapons.

"My I haven't laid eyes on a warrior in quite some time; you're a lot smaller than what the rest looked like"

James didn't respond, he needed to focus as the sound of a heavy blade being pulled from its scabbard took his attention away from the numerous questions filling his mind. He watched with dread as the blade, almost independent like, floated through the air and lunging to the ground with extreme force circled back up and around again, it could have been quite hypnotic if James wasn't certain the tip was meant for him. Then in the flash of an instant the sword suddenly struck for him and without even thinking he raised one of the chains around his hand and somehow managed to entangle the sword within it. There unexpectedly James was mere millimetres from the attacker. Taller than him and a lot broader the figure wore clothes that could only best be described as a Ninja costume, only their gleaming emerald green eyes were visible.

"Not bad, not bad" he whispered before punching James in the stomach and freeing his weapon from the grasp of the chain used it in one swift movement to swipe at James' back causing him to roar in agony as the cold steel of the blade ripped through his shirt and skin. Lying on the ground winded and wounded James could no longer hear the movements of the Ninja's feet, he had no idea where he was and when he cropped up from behind and grabbed hold of James' hair a shock riffled his body. A familiar feeling of cold brushed against the back of his neck and he could feel the sword sift through his hair slicing bits off as it went with an edge so sharp it had an ability to split a blade of grass. Not fond of his chances of escaping the clutches of death a second time in the space of about twenty four hours and using what he came to now understand were warrior powers he lashed out knocking the aggressor into the darkness. Like in the kitchen, what he hoped was only a few hours ago, James sprung from the ground in acrobatic fashion and began swirling the chains in circles enforcing a pretty savage perimeter. Too bad that the man who was attacking him wasn't exactly experiencing his first outing and timing it to the nanosecond managed to strike James in the face with the handle of the sword knocking him again to the floor.

"You should have been able to hear me coming just there" he said from the darkness. James pushed himself up from the ground and spat out a mixture of saliva and blood onto the already moist floor and readied himself somewhat again for battle, the swirling of the chains and a slight crouched position was his readied state. Closing his eyes and holding his breath he concentrated hard to pinpoint the position of the man and without either of them moving he knew his location. With one quick drop to the ground and whip of the chain James managed to knock the Ninja clad man to the floor. Seizing possibly the only opportunity to win his escape he jumped onto the fallen fighter and wrapped one of the chains around the covered neck.

"Who are you?"

There was no answer and the man just did not move from the spot, he didn't even try and loosen the restraints around his neck.

"I asked you a question" James said again, this time squeezing ever so gently on the shackles. Moving slightly to squeeze the shackles allowed the disguised man a chance to free himself from James' grip and once again escape into the darkness of the dungeon.

"That was pretty impressive how you managed to knock me to the ground! How did you know where I was?"

James wasn't really in the mood to answer the question, seeing as his question went unanswered first and continued to circle the chains in a bid to improve his perimeter. Minutes passed with nothing happening and the voice stopped asking questions, he stopped talking and James came to the realisation that he was once again alone in the dungeon, apart from of course the rats.

Lighting was the major issue, there was none in the damp squalor and he was forced to feel his way along the wall for an exit, dragging the chains with him as he did. A loose stone was about the only remotely strange thing he found and pushing at it was, as he was going to discover, a mistake as the concrete beneath his bare feet slid apart and he fell into another, dark, damp, rat infested square. A rat fell on top of his head and grabbing it he hurled it unknowingly against the wall which was only about four feet in front of him. The roof closed in and outstretching his arms he could touch all four walls of the square and a horrible feeling of impending terror came over him as the chains rustled against what James hoped were the bones and skeletons of the various creatures in the dungeon although one felt a lot larger than the average rat. Screaming wasn't the answer as James realised it only brought with it a fear-inducing man dressed like a Ninja with a sword that could only best be described as a weapon of mass destruction. A sudden shaking sensation rippled the square and the walls started moving in, inch by inch they closed in on the boy. Eyes wide and heart pulsating James decided screaming could be a good option but it was no help, no one was listening, or perhaps they were and just didn't care that he was about to be squashed like an insect. Instincts that he never had before came to the front and James soon found himself with his back against one wall and his feet against the other and he pushed, he pushed really hard to try and stop the walls from further closing in. Terror filled the diminishing room as James' knees came ever so closer to his chin, the force of the walls starting to really outmatch whatever warrior strength was within. Sweat dripped from every pore as he mustered every ounce of strength in one last ditch attempt to stop the walls from compressing him into a nice placemat. An agonising scream bounced around the dark, tiny space as James' final effort slowly paid off and the walls started to crumble, well at least one. Suddenly he felt his back support give way and found himself falling, more like sliding, down a chute.

Plummeting head first down an unfamiliar chute wasn't the best of ideas especially when the speed is being increased with every passing swerve. Unfortunately for James he didn't exactly have the option of choosing which way to escape the clutches of almost certain death, luckily however the chains somehow fell loose in the slide down. Light appeared in the ever shortening chute and although he tried to slow himself down it was no good and James slapped his head off the hard timber floors he just caught a glimpse of as he shot from the shaft. A few moments of unconsciousness followed and James started to come around, groggy and in pain. The lights, numerous candles, were extremely strong and caused him to cover his eyes as the time in complete darkness left some temporary sensitiveness. With a hand over his eyes he suddenly could feel a liquid oozing down through his hair.

"Oh no he's bleeding!" a voice shouted and immediately, quite obviously, James realised he was no longer alone. The notion of asking who was there seemed lost on the poor boy as his questions seemed unimportant or fell on less than cooperative ears. Instead he decided it best to try and get over his little tumble. Massive red spots that he had been witnessing everywhere he looked had begun to disappear and James was finally able to see around him, somehow he wished he wasn't. Breathing heavily and trying to take the whole situation in was the logical thing to do and surprisingly it was exactly what James was doing, even though there were numerous, possibly dozens of eyes upon him. They were strange, the people that the eyes belonged to, very strange. Glancing around the large somewhat stately room James took in as much as he possibly could before they launched an attack and surely murder him where he stood. A group of four young women stood by what could be only described as an overzealous potted plant, its leaves and branches climbing the walls and its roots had taken to beneath the floorboards. Each of them was dressed in green, green dresses, skirts, shirts and shorts and their feet were bare and grossly dirty. Remarkably all four of the young women had red hair, different styles of course but nevertheless strikingly red. Moving away from the Hippies, as James so eloquently had nicknamed them (in his mind of course), there was another bunch of four people. A vibrant red fainting couch that had undoubtedly seen better days was from where the four were watching James' every move. Mixed gender this time, two men were sitting down on the couch while two women stood behind them, their hands on the men's shoulders. If green was the colour for the "Hippies" then red was definitely this group's signature colour as both genders rocked the red look. The two women wore revealing red tops and hot pants and James couldn't see their feet so wasn't sure if they too were barefoot. Make-up was a big thing for these girls as their lips were lusciously large and naturally, possibly artificially, red while their lashes seemed to be longer than any James had ever seen. One's hair was a breath-stealing blonde while the other's was an equally jaw-dropping auburn, both long and incredibly straight. Their male counterparts were more subdued in their use of make-up but their chosen attire was not something one would normally find walking into the church in Hamlet. Skin tight red leather pants was where the eyes first wandered when observing the two men and as they wandered upwards, white shirts that had the top few buttons missing, allowed the lipstick stained kisses on the collar to be clearly visible. Their hair seemed to be parallel to the women, although only the blonde haired man kept his somewhat long, the darker one had it cropped short. For some reason a sense of awkwardness came over James and he found himself blushing and looking away from the quartet.

In the corner of the large room by one of the bay windows was a piano, gloss black and undoubtedly an antique. Its cover was down and it came complete with a stool and six beautiful women fawning over it. James again found himself locking stares with people he would cross the street to avoid. These ones appeared a lot more coy and subdued than the others James had just witnessed for every time he glanced at one of them they would avert their gaze. Sky blue and white were the "team" colours for the six and all had blonde, almost silver hair. A pianist was among them as the piano started to sing and the remaining five closed their eyes and smiled the creepiest of smiles. The rattle of chains joined the sweet music as James lifted his arms in defence when he spotted movement out of the corner of his eye. There was no need to apparently be afraid at that particular moment as the movement was only the red quartet slow-dancing around the red fainting couch. For once in a long time James felt peaceful, content, in the middle of a group of people he had never met, ones that kidnapped him and possibly could bring about his demise. It said a lot for his current home life.

Tingling sensations ringing in his ears drowned out the music and focused James' attention beyond the piano and the groups of eccentric people happily blissful. Pounding of feet on stone grew louder and James heart began to beat faster in his chest. Almost afraid to look he forced himself to the corner of the room and watched as the doors swung open. The ninja that he had been tackling mere moments ago first walked over the threshold, his sword nestled in its scabbard on his waist. Butterflies became bats as the ninja removed his hood and a tanned man, no more than thirty stood before him. He looked almost normal, his green eyes surveying the large formal room, resting on James. The unexpected clapping of his hands frightened James to the core but obviously not as much as it did the others and right before his eyes the women by the piano began to disappear, fading from sight in a glowing gold shine. The red ones too departed in clouds of red dust. Finally the Hippies left in the most bizarre way imaginable. Leaves greater than James had ever witnessed in books or real life, or even in doctored internet photos, emerged from the stem of the plant and engulfed the girls, within seconds they were gone. In a room where they were so many people that James felt somewhat safe in the fact that there were other possible targets he alone remained with what could be described as a bulls-eye on his chest.

Others quickly emerged from behind the double doors and his knees knocked together when figures dressed in brown robes with white sashes around their waists entered the room. The hoods were still up and James wasn't sure he wanted them, like the ninja, to remove them. Sure enough that was exactly what they did and for a brief moment James wasn't sure what to expect, a demonic face with features beyond imagination or worse still a faceless face, something that always found its way to his darkest nightmares. Squinting in a bid to lessen the sight, what stood before was something that he did not expect to see. Beneath one of the hoods stood an old woman, older than his grandmother with hair so white it was as if she just stepped in from a snowstorm. Her face was gentle and kind and full of years. Another hood was pulled down and a young man, extremely tall and somewhat dim looking was to be found. It was very hard to be frightened of such a simple-looking individual. There was a total of eight sporting the brown robes and each any every one of them were people, with the exact same features and characteristics James came across everyday in life. In plain view being afraid of them seemed pointless but when the hoods went up and the incoherent language James had heard, it was easy to see why one would be frightened. They all stood around the door looking at him as if he were some prize pig won at a fair. James could feel them gawping at every limb and strand of hair and that language of clicks and pops suddenly erupted in the room. Tapping on the floor focused the room back to the double doors and James spied an elderly woman with a marble cane walking, quite slowly, over the threshold. A hush fell over the room and the eight bowed their heads and formed almost a path to James. Unable to look away he observed the woman. Definitely old, older than possibly anyone he had ever met, but still pretty, her pale blue eyes omitted the slightest sparkle.

"Ah my boy, we've been expecting you" she spoke, the first person bar the attacking ninja to speak to him since he was brought to this place. She came to his side, shorter than he was. She used her cane to poke at him. A few "tuts", "hmms" and "ahs", were said then she wrapped her hand around his arm for support.

"Expecting you last night!" she smiled showing teeth aged and yellow. Using him for leverage she guided him through the double doors. They closed with a clatter behind them and for a moment they were in complete darkness. The familiar sound of her cane on the ground tapped again and lights started to flicker on the walls and soon enough the entire room was visible. A grand library with shelves reaching from floor to ceiling covering almost every wall were lined with books, their spines varying in colours and width. On one wall in the midst of all the shelves was a shield with two swords attached, the shield was adorned with a simple "V". James gazed in amazement as he took the beauty of the room in. Ladders offered a helping step in retrieving the ones high above while a spiral staircase led to a little balcony area where sure enough there were more books and comfortable seating. Letting go of his arm the old woman hobbled across the room to where the fireplace, open and blazing, waited. She pushed a loose black tile and suddenly the floor parted to give way to a staircase, a downward staircase.

"We're going down here" she smiled beckoning the rather reluctant boy. Going anywhere dark and underground wasn't exactly at the top of James' to do list seeing as he had just broken free from a dungeon and enclosing cell.

"After you" he replied. There. He realised that was the first time he had spoken since he came out of the crushing room. It seemed strange hearing his own voice for a moment, hearing at a low level following the screams earlier on. The woman, unlike the green-eyed ninja, obviously listened because she gave him a soft smile and descended. Glancing around not entirely sure what he was looking for, perhaps an escape while he was not being watched, but something wanted to follow the woman, something that he was listening to.

The steps down were cold and the moisture soaked in to James' bare feet sending a little shiver up his spine beneath the torn shirt. Only the tapping of the cane on concrete assured him that the woman was still in front, the light only reaching the first couple of steps. And then there were no more, a corridor greeted him, at the end stood the woman beneath an exposed light bulb with the handle of a door clasped around her palm. She twisted it clockwise and vanished from sight. With no other option James followed.

For all he knew he could have been walking into a trap, a murderer could have been waiting on the opposite side of the door or worse still his father. It could be some new reality show and some overzealous television presenter would shout "gotcha" as soon as his feet crossed the threshold. Unfortunately it was none of the above, and from the sight he witnessed he wished it was any of the options that ran through his mind. Behind the door was an office, somewhat resembling a doctor's office and in the corner was a bed, one that resembled a hospital bed. Around the bed stood the "Hippies" that James had watched disappear from sight mere moments ago.

"Come, come" the woman said as she herded away the girls with her cane. Again feeling ever so reluctant as he was sure whatever was in the bed was something he didn't want to see, James gave in to the same thing that made him come down the stairs. Lying in the bed was another "Hippie". Unnaturally pale and with her red hair only taking away more colour from her face the girl appeared dead, if it wasn't for her slow breathing the coroner would have been called. James knew there was something familiar about the "Hippies", the girl in the bed was the one from the forest, the one who wouldn't stop talking. He wished she would talk now. The girl had bruises all over her face, cuts along her neck and James could just make out two puncture wounds above her collar bone. Black vein-like lines were spreading in every direction. He wasn't the only victim of the strange beast.

"Can't she be cured, can't she be given the same thing I got?" he asked as the heat radiating from her feverish body reached his hand. A shaking head was all that responded and again the woman left with James quickly following while the "Hippies" returned to their bedside vigil. Already at the base of the stairs James could hear the tapping of the cane and it wasn't ascending like he had hoped, it was heading beyond the stairs. He followed and there was the old woman waiting by what appeared to be an elevator.

"Stairs are bloody murder on the knees" she chuckled whilst tapping the cane on both. A little bell rang and the door opened to a small elevator with a bright light and soft music. It was like he had been transported to a hotel. Again using the cane, it was apparent it had become almost like another limb, she hit the button marked "T" and the doors swiftly closed and with a slight tug they were off, upwards.

"Why can't she get the same thing I got?" he asked again hoping to get a better response than just a headshake.

"Because. She is not like you or me". Finally he was getting somewhere; he felt like clapping his hands for at last a question he had posed had been answered, verbally.

"Then what is she?" feeling on a roll he continued with the questions, that had been building up. A little jerk and the elevator came to a stop and its doors opened out into a large circular room. It had windows all around and its floor was covered in the softest of carpets while the furnishings seemed hard and uninviting.

"I'm surprised you haven't figured it out yet" she teased while stepping out of the elevator and walking rather slowly towards yet another fireplace where a number of flames danced upon burning blocks of wood. Easing herself into an armchair whose back was straighter than that sword James was faced with earlier on she beckoned him to join her. He sat opposite in an exact armchair and could feel his posture enhancing.

"There's trouble coming my boy, and you've seen both first hand and second the effects of an attack" she said licking her lips to try and accumulate more saliva.

"But what's that to do with me?"

"You're the Malyn my boy, a mighty Malyn that has been anointed to fight whatever threatens"

"Malyn?" James had to ask even though Wikipedia had given him the answer already.

"Different cultures, different generations called you and your kind by many names, Khalon, Fengyang, Lokela, Alvar but my favourite has always been Malyn. Do you know what it means?" A shake of the head deemed necessary, they weren't very forthcoming so why should he.

"It means little warrior, and you're the second one that I've come across" she smiled as she once again tapped her cane on a copper bell.

"So I'm this Malyn sent to fight those things that..." he didn't get a chance to finish.

"Yes you're the Malyn and yes we need you to fight those horrid creatures but they're just the battle, the war is building and building fast". Before James could respond another interruption burst through the door that he only just noticed. In walked one of the blonde girls carrying a rather heavy looking tray that was laden down with a large China teapot, two cups and saucers, a milk jug, sugar bowl and a little stand containing what he hoped was edible food. He had forgotten how hungry he was in the chaos of the night. Once she had placed the tray on a nearby table she left and with the closing of the door a sudden realisation fell over James.

"She's a muse" he blurted. The woman smiled and with the aid of the cane got to her feet once again. "The others, cupids, wood nymphs?" he questioned. Again she smiled. "I'm not sure what the other ones were the ones in brown with the creepy hoods". She was fiddling around with the teapot before she turned to him not with an answer but a question.

"Shall I play mum?" James gave the old woman a look of bewilderment. "Tea James, how do you take your tea?"

Chapter 5ive:

Nettles and a Bank Vault

"Without poison!" That was the reply James thought of as he woke with a head swirling and no possible idea of what had happened and more alarmingly no idea where he was.

"Milk and two sugars" he stupidly grinned to the old woman last night and she deviously poured the contents into the most delicate of cups and handed it to him; he hoped he had dropped it to the floor smashing it as he succumbed to unconsciousness. Nevertheless what was done was done and there was no point straining his already fragile head on the past seeing as he was unsure where he was in the present.

Looking around was the wrong thing to do as the sun, blindingly high in the sky, met him directly causing his eyes to further blur. Trying to shake off the effects of the poison he took a few steps and felt the sharpest of pain brimming from his left foot and glancing down he noticed he still had no shoes and upon lifting his foot he spied a shard of glass forcing its way past the skin. It must have been carried on the ferocious wind that the tiny village experienced.

"Could have at least given me back my shoes!" Yanking it out was the best course of action and he stared at the bottom of the foot in awe as the skin began to pull itself back together and within moments the wound that had been bleeding had all but vanished. With his mind clearing with every breath of fresh air taken James walked, carefully, in a direction. A field was where he woke, one with high hedges all around that blocked his view so he continued to the edge in the hope of finding out where he was.

A smile crept across his face as he peered out through a hole in the green mounds and spied the village below. He was still in Hamlet, and better still he was on the side where his house was. Surprised that he was unable to recognise the field that he spent many an hour running and playing and cycling his bike, he just put it down to the effects of whatever they placed in his tea. Looking behind and up to the left he spied the gate, but that was always the slow way from his house to the field so in a throwback to his youth he slowly climbed through the ditch. Sadly for him he either blocked out the fact that nettles and brambles were rampant or that they simply weren't there the last time he had made his way though. Numerous scrapes and cuts later he finally emerged from the three foot thick ditch on the small tarmac road that led to the village and his house. James made it to the other side but unfortunately his shirt did not. Attached firmly to thorns was the already half shredded shirt, now almost nothing more than a few reels of thread barely clinging together. He took hold of it, leaving a sleeve behind and threw it over his shoulder and began the small walk to the house.

Four houses were built in the cul-de-sac and seeing as it was a Friday James hoped that most of them would be empty, people at work and children gone to school. He didn't fancy wanting to explain to his father why he was walking past his neighbour's houses barefoot and bare-chested. The first house, home to a new couple who had only recently moved to the country-side, seemed quiet. Both cars were gone and all the windows were closed. Continuing on up the road he wished his house was the first one, it would have been ever so convenient in his current predicament. The next house belonged to an elderly widower who since James could remember would be up at the crack of dawn and on the first bus into the town every morning. His mother had once told him that the old man never wanted to spend the day in the house he shared with his wife for over half a century so he would wander around the streets returning home just before dark where upon he would simply turn in with the radio soothing him to sleep. James had always thought it was terribly sad existence but today he was utterly delighted with the man as he seemed to be staying true to his routine and his house also was deserted.

Smiling, yet not getting over confident, he quickened his pace for his house trying to avoid the small stones and gravel as his bare feet were already aching from the strain of the hard road. A corner was next to be rounded and his house was to be found at the end, the last house of five followed only by a battered gate that led to the forest. Just before he reached the bend in the narrow road the sound of a car engine suddenly roared in to his ears. Panicking he didn't know what to do and as the gravel-disrupting tyres got closer he found no option other than to throw himself into the ditches. More scrapes and cuts covered his chest and back, replacing the ones that had healed only minutes prior. Keeping still and praying that the thick green leaves and high nettles would conceal him from the oncoming neighbour he watched as the car crawled past. Driving the incredibly expensive car was his next door neighbour, someone he had never spoken to as she only moved in the week following his mother's death. An elderly woman but seemingly deceptive, she looked like she could take a thump, and give one. James had very little dealings with her and never actually saw her for more than a few seconds nor she him. Her arrival to the village was a mere week following his mother's funeral and in the midst of the darkest of glooms James barely took note of the new neighbour. Just when he thought the danger had passed he could see the bright red lights of the back of the car and it came to a stop, the handbrake was pulled up and the driver's door opened. The woman slowly got out and stood by the opened door. Dressed in a beige suit and with a horrible scarf covering almost her entire upper body her auburn dyed hair was well sheltered from the slight wind. Like a professional P.I she searched up and down the quiet road her eyes darting from corner to corner. James kept as still as possible, which was proving ever so difficult with a heartless thorn pressing into his neck. Almost as if she could read James' thoughts the woman started to get back into the car when the scarf started to dance uncontrollably and nearly independently as the light wind that was present would not have caused mere ripples in the scarf let alone the full on attempted escapism. Suddenly it was loose and floating its way towards the ditch that sheltered James, and the woman quickly followed.

Holding his breath and closing his eyes James wished that she would not notice him. It was a horrible thought having to explain to his father why he was barefoot, bare-chested, and hiding in a ditch covered in cuts and scratches when he should have been in school. He could feel part of the scarf brushing against his chest; it was almost as if it was trying to catch him. Exhaling slowly and hopefully quietly he pulled in his stomach, just beyond the grasp of the scarf. It felt like hours had passed and with his eyes still closed and his neck now red with blood from the thorn's attack he suddenly heard the closing of a car door. She was gone. Cautiously he opened one eye and then the other and sure enough the car was gone and he was once again alone on the country road. Freeing himself from the clutches of the sharp thorn was the first thing he did as the blood continued to seep from the deep cut. Out on the road he must have seemed the most strangest of sights, something quite possibly out of a horror story. Wearing only the trousers he was captured in, most of his shirt was floating in the wind in a ditch while his shoes probably on the feet of one of those "creatures", all the while blood poured from his neck in the style of a vampire attack. Keeping pressure on the wound James hurried for home before anybody else would force him back into the uncomfortable safety of the ditches.

The house was abandoned, like he had expected. Only Miriam's car was in the driveway where of course the gates were padlocked shut with a long heavy chain, his father was the more paranoid of types when it came to priceless possessions, and James wasn't a possession. Using the smaller gate, that wasn't manically locked; he made his way to the front door where the realisation fell upon him that in the dramatic kidnapping of last night his keys were left upon the hall table. Not exactly sure what the do, circling the house seemed like the best of ideas. On his third lap he came to the conclusion that he was going to have to break a window, something that his father would almost suffer a stroke over but he had no other way of getting in. Picking up a rock he felt almost euphoric as he turned over in his hand feeling the roughness of its surface. One throw and the sound of glass smashing filled the countryside. An instant panic erupted within as he suddenly realised what he had done and the fact that his father could return at any moment made him want to vomit. A train of excuses started driving through his mind as he pushed a hand carefully around the broken glass and opened a window, even if he could heal at a superfast rate it was no excuse to be careless, especially when the injury still pained. Barefoot and being utterly cautious did no good as he endured numerous more cuts and scrapes as he tumbled in to the kitchen. All that mattered was that he was inside, and the broken window would just have to be fixed.

James made his way to the bathroom and washed the blood from his body and hair as the wounds again started to heal quickly. The band that had been around his wrist had melted away and the tattoo was once again clear for all to see. Finding nothing else but bandages he covered the graffiti stain and hoped these wouldn't simmer into nothingness like the other. Not in the slightest bit interested in going to school James put on a pair of jeans and a grey hoodie and prepared himself for a relaxing day with the wish that his father would be delayed at wherever they went. Alas nothing was going to plan at all over the past couple of days and why should today have been any different. In his room he could hear the rustling of gravel on the driveway and it was apparent someone was making their way to the front door. Unsure whether it was friend or foe, well he didn't exactly have many friends so the safe assumption would have been foe, but he waited. Seconds passed, and then minutes and eventually a quarter of an hour had gone by with no sounds coming from the garden or front door. Nervous he decided to investigate and moving out on to the landing and looking down to the hall he spied an envelope, a large brown envelope. He found himself descending to the hall floor where the item lay. It had no postmark, no address, just his name, James Griffin. Ripping it he found two things, a note with barely a few letters scratched upon it and another smaller envelope. Both of them were written by his mother's hand and his eyes widened while his stomach tightened.

James,

All your life I tried to shield you from what was always going to find you and if you are reading this then the unthinkable has happened. For fear of this being intercepted (I hope your father isn't around!) everything I need to tell you shall be found in the envelope.

Be careful my child, my words shall greet you again soon.

Mom XOXO

Taking a deep breath James took greater care opening the smaller envelope with trembling fingers and in such eagerness to know its contents he didn't even realise the paper cuts that sliced his fingers and quickly healed again. A key complete with a key-ring fell out on to the palm of his hand. The local bank's logo adorned the key-ring while an account number was on the back, another three digit number engraved into the key itself. For a moment James stood in the hall not moving, barely breathing as he stared at the key in one hand and the note from his dead mother in the other. Paranoia swam his thoughts. His mother wasn't the type of person to have secret bank accounts, leave messages in the case of her death she barely could use her mobile phone. It must be some cruel sick joke, a prank that one of those students from school. He had to hand it to them, it was an elaborate joke, and the penmanship was perfect. Although he couldn't be sure, there were still times he could for a moment not remember what his mother looked like, let alone how her writing formed. Just as quickly as the sea of paranoia ebbed at his mind it slowly receded. Everything that had happened so far was almost unimaginable, what if the key he was holding did indeed lead to a treasure trove of his mother's thoughts, plans and this secret life that required her to create secret bank accounts and write ominous messages. There was only one thing to do, go to the bank.

Dressed in his school attire to avoid suspicion James travelled to the town on the usual bus. He explained to the driver, who was extremely inquisitive today, that he had felt ill in the morning and was now somewhat recovered. In turn the bus driver quite pointedly informed him that he still appeared somewhat "peaky"! Town was quieter this time of the day, a large clock that hung over the entrance of a major department store showed it a little past midday. James was to hurry, the bank he was destined for nearly across the road from his school and with the minutes counting down to lunch the streets would soon be swarmed with his classmates. With his barriers in place he only lifted his head when he noticed the familiar pavement and tilting his chin upwards he saw the logo over the door and on the windows and even on a board outside, the same logo on the key. He had never been inside this bank before, in fact he rarely visited banks of any sort, and it wasn't exactly as if he had any money to deposit. Pressing a button James opened the door and it quickly shut behind him, where upon he had to press another button to gain entry into the bank. Security was of the utmost importance but surely it needn't have been so intense, James could feel the eyes of big brother on him as soon as he stepped over the threshold.

As he walked in no general direction his school shoes clinked on the hard black tiles of the floor. Tellers sat behind glass cages while numerous little seats and even smaller tables littered the centre of the old, old bank. Green plants seemed to have been dropped in every corner and empty space in some attempt to humanise the business. Coming to a halt just by the customer service desk James spotted a young mother, tall and lean with golden hair, like his own, experiencing a bit of difficulty. It appeared her daughter was no more a fan of the bank as any other and she screamed bloody murder while banging her shining black shoes on the shining black floor. As her mother took her arm the girl, who was no more than four years old, purposely fell to the floor and now her hands joined her feet in the percussion. Almost entirely across the bank from her James could make out the patches of red filling the mother's cheeks as she tried to lift the screaming toddler while alternating whispers of threats and bribes.

"Excuse me Sir are you okay?" James hadn't realised that someone had appeared at the information desk. He didn't reply but merely handed the woman his key complete with key-ring. Examining it, she looked the young boy up and down. While she looked at him, he looked at her. Old, most definitely old, she shouldn't have much longer. To work, not to live, retirement was surely coming close. Her hair was brown twinge with grey while her face seemed soft. Red framed glasses slipped down to the tip of her nose as she spoke.

"And your name is?"

"James Griffin"

"Very good, if you would follow me please" With that she was leading James away from the screaming toddler, the old man who just appeared to be reading a newspaper and few others waiting in line to deal with the tellers in the glass cages.

"The security deposit boxes are kept down here"

Underground was what she meant and James began to wish his uniform was more insulated. The coldness beneath the marble floors was almost unbearable and with every further foot he took he could see his breath guiding the way. This part of the bank must not have been regularly visited by customers; in fact it seemed that it wasn't visited that much at all. Once one flight of stairs was accomplished, another more dilapidated set awaited.

"Just another few steps and we're there, good thing too this cold is giving me terrible Goosebumps! You had to come in when I was working." She carried on another few steps in front of James, flipping switches as she went. Finally they arrived at a long corridor, home to six wooden doors and at the end were boxes, hundreds of boxes all built into the old stone wall. "Yours is here, if you would just put in the key in and, well you know what to do!" James did as he was told and slowly began to pull out the metal container to the amusement of the woman. It seemed she was as eager as the boy.

"Yours is the last, we haven't had a customer with a security box in years. Our new customers bring their valuables to a new branch." One of the wooden doors was opened for him and inside was a table, basic in stature and a chair, one that seemed wouldn't bear the weight of a squirrel let alone James. At least the table was able to accommodate the box, and before James slid the cover back he glanced at the doorway, the woman was still there eagerly staring at the table. Not quite sure what the etiquette was in this situation and with anticipation building he opened the box. Well it wasn't a hoax or a school prank; there were things here, proper things. First on the top was a book, a strange black leather covered book with the title,

"A Definitive Guide to the Five Forests of Nuvarin"

Not quite sure what to make of it he tossed it aside in favour of a hardback notebook with a spiral design cover. Turning the first page he saw his mother's name etched on the back of the front cover, it was her journal. Preferring to take the books home to examine them in private he took out another two, both of them her journals and placed them with the others. A piece of paper on its own drew his attention, mainly because his name was on the top. Along with his name was his address, date of birth, names of both parents and social security number. It was a certificate of funds that were belonging to James and as he glanced down the page to the bottom he eyed the figure. He had never seen so many numbers on a page, except when he was bored in Maths class and would just write endless lines of meaningless digits. Searching for a decimal point he traced along the numbers and eventually found it, a long distance from where he expected it should be. Glancing up from the sheet of paper he spotted the woman beaming a silly grin from ear to ear, so much in fact her red framed glasses were now resting on her cheeks.

"Unfortunately you don't receive that until you're twenty-one" Literally from nowhere another figure appeared behind the woman, taller than her and unfortunately utterly intimidating looking. He gave an ominous warning "If he see's twenty-one" and then one thick arm encircled the woman's neck. James couldn't really comprehend what happened next because it all happened so fast. He found himself being smashed against the wall, his head splitting open ever so slightly and just as he found his feet the woman was hurled at him, knocking him to the ground again. Fear erupted in every fibre of his body as the man entered the small room. Tall, years taller than James he was undoubtedly strong and had a neck so wide it could almost be described as a waist. Eyes of piercing coal and sallow skin he was easily of Eastern European descent. As he watched in fear he tried to help the woman. She unfortunately was beyond help, her neck was broken and her body limp. Death had come for her. James' stomach tightened and he could almost feel the liquid boil and hurriedly rush to his mouth but it didn't, he swallowed it and his fear and rose to his feet. A smile, well more of a smirk the man bore as James cautiously moved inch by inch closer.

"Warrior strength, warrior strength and the healing" he muttered to himself. One swift movement of the brute's big hand and he was forced back against the wall slumping down to the old floor. He had never felt a punch like it in his entire life, and he had been on the receiving end of many. For a moment he thought the fist had broken his chest, belting past the skin and bones and everything else and forcing its way out his back. Glancing up James expected to see his spine grasped tightly in the man's fist.

"STAY THERE"

He actually didn't need to give any instruction, the pain from the punch was unrelenting and even if James wanted to get up it was doubtful he could. Confident that the boy wasn't going to try any heroics the brute moved closer to the table, his eyes finding the journals and the book. He picked up the piece of paper and glancing at it he balled it up and flung it at James. Either he couldn't read and didn't know what it was or he simply had no interest in the contents. The journals on the other hand seemed to appear more valuable to him as he bore a wide smile as he ran his finger across one. He took them, all of them and held them in one of his plate-sized palms and winked at James. Relief eased through his body as he watched the brute turn to walk out the door. Dressed in army combats and a black hoodie he hoped he would never have to see him again. Unfortunately he was going to see him again, he hadn't even left the room when a roar of agony was carried out into the corridor and possibly echoed throughout the bank. The brute turned, the palm of his hand burning in immense red flames. Melting flesh, a scent James sadly had the pleasure of only days ago once again filled his nostrils. Shaking his hand in an attempt to quench the flames seemed to have the opposite effect. They danced brighter and burned hotter. Then they were gone. And so were the journals and book. In the palm of his hand were ash and under the ash, red. Not skin, just red.

"YOU"

Although he felt quite proud that someone could think he was capable of causing such immense pain to someone so much greater than him, James couldn't take the credit. Regrettably the brute didn't seem to care that he was denying the attack.

"YOU MAGIC"

That message was almost incoherent. It was remarkable James could understand it what with the amount of saliva that accompanied the two words. Denying it was getting him nowhere and the brute closer. Too close. One hand quickly wrapped itself around James' neck and he could feel the squeeze.

"YOU DESTROY BOOKS"

James couldn't reply to that one, he could barely breathe. Suddenly he could totally relate to the poor rodents in the nature shows when the large boa caught hold of them. Strength to hit was gone, as was the strength to kick. He couldn't even speak, the fingers crushing in ever closer to reach around his neck. With nowhere else to look James glanced at the man and suddenly his eyes wandered to the hand that had been holding the books. A pile of ash had fallen to the floor and the skin, it was healing itself. In fact new skin was growing across the palm of his hand. Fingers went from black to new once more.

"He's a warrior" James said to himself. If only he could tell him that so was he, they were both on the same side. Then he smiled and it dawned on James that this person didn't have sides.

"YOU DIE NOW"

And he could have easily done so. He felt the last of the air leave his body and with no other way of bringing any in he felt his head lighten and his body wilt. Unconsciousness was mere seconds away when James heard a voice, a woman's voice, elderly and posh.

"Warren let him down, everything in good time"

That was it, with those few words the grip weakened and he could breathe again, although standing was going to have to wait. As he left James glimpsed the woman who "saved" him. He couldn't make out much with his blurry vision but the one thing he saw was enough, a horrid floral scarf.

The Fifth Forest:

Mother

It was alive. With every bump on the ground and every thorn it was dragged over, a little whimper of pain spilled out. Unfortunately that wasn't enough for the dragger to stop, they continued onwards through the forest. Lying on the ground with one eye swollen closed and the other badly grazed they were just about able to look up, the sky was partially visible through the thousands of branches and millions of leaves. Then another bigger harder bump, definitely a rock, closed the eye again.

Once again the grazed eye slowly opened and once again it spied the branches and the trees and now houses, hundreds of little wooden houses built among the branches, sheltered and almost camouflaged. They let out a loud moan; they knew where they were and how close the destination was. Suddenly the dragging stopped and the cold mud was a welcome for the many sores and ripped skin, they closed the eye and smiled a small smile. Then it became darker, not that the trees allowed much of the two sun's light to filter through but it was darker than it was a second ago. They prayed for an eclipse but that was an impossible scenario and slowly the grazed eye opened again. Standing over them was a giant. Not an adult one, it was only about fourteen feet high and not as wide as some that they had seen before. It looked angry, its hands curled into fists and the sound of gritting teeth sent birds fluttering from their nests.

"Please, please let me go. You can tell her you couldn't find me" the young boy pleaded. He was almost thirteen years and his innocence shone through as he begged the giant for freedom. It was no good however as giants were loyal to only one master, or mistress in this particular giant's case. A grunt was the only reply the boy received and then he was swooped from the ground and thrown over an impressively large shoulder and once again they were off. The next part of the trek covered a lot of stones and boulders and thorns and brambles, the young boy couldn't help but smile as the giant seemed to have been kind enough to avoid dragging him through the torturous path. With the gentle swaying of being carried he couldn't help but find himself falling asleep and pretty soon he was sleeping.

"Traitor!" a voice shouted. "Mother-hater!" another added. Then a rock was thrown and he was awoken with a smack. Blood was now tripling down his face from the gash that the rock left upon his left temple. Again with only the grazed eye to see he found himself and the giant being followed by hundreds of people. How long was I asleep? There were mothers throwing rotten food with their babies wrapped around their bodies. Fathers had torches with flames burning three, four feet into the air all of them shouting angry words. The children were worse, far worse. Some had taken to climbing the giant as he slowly walked through the village and while the mothers and fathers didn't pass beyond the gates the children followed for what seemed like miles throwing rocks and sticks and just about anything they could find along the path. Some poked the giant with steel pointed clubs to hear him bellow in anger and swipe his long arm in defence. When he dropped the young prisoner in one of the attacks the children poked harder so when the young boy was dropped for a second time a swarm of children surrounded him and pretty soon he was unable to see out of both eyes. Eventually the giant was successful in his attempts to swat one of the children and when the others saw the little robust tyrant being hurled a great distance into the woods they fell back still booing and chanting "Traitor, Traitor, mother, hater" as they scurried back to their village.

The giant continued on his quest, carrying the "traitor" over his shoulder as he delved back into the thick forest, leaving behind one of only a handful of "open" villages. Unable to see from both eyes and the pain that ached through his entire body coupled with the gentle rocking motion of the giant, the young boy found himself slowing drifting back to sleep.

"You big useless lump! Look at the state of him. You were ordered to bring him back unharmed" The shouting immediately woke the boy but he was still unable to see, so all he could do was listen. "She is not going to be happy with this" the voice shouted again and slowly the giant laid the boy down on the ground. It was sandy, soft and warm against his skin. The giant exhaled a sorrowful sigh and slowly slumped away down the beach before disappearing back behind the green.

"You alright Alyn?" the man asked as he nudged the fallen boy on the sand. "Sorry about the giant but they do get the job done, it's just they're not the gentlest creatures around" he added as he tried to help him up.

"Thom, Thom is that you?" he asked unable to see.

"It's me"

"No, no what are you doing here, you cannot be here you must leave" Alyn insisted as he tried his best to wipe the blood from his face. Thom left and brought a pale of warm water and a cloth and handed it to Alyn, cleaning off his face he was somewhat able to see out of one eye.

"Trust me I don't want to be here but when your best friend is accused of treason you're suddenly the onion in the same stew" he said sitting back down on the sand opposite his friend and handing him an apple. "I guess you haven't eaten in a while" he added and he was right, Alyn took the fruit and greedily chomped to the core. Thom had been best friends with him ever since he arrived in the fifth forest, and he became the older brother that Alyn had lost. Thom was tall and strong and brave and gentle always there with a sword to defend you or a shoulder to lean on but Alyn wondered what he would give today? "So did you do what they're saying you did, were you in cahoots with the Pastorians to topple the Mother?" he asked as Alyn discarded the eaten apple into the sea. He remained silent, staring beyond Thom and out into the horizon, the waves getting bigger as they came closer. "You know we have to go out there? I guess if you don't want to talk to me we should be making a move" he said leaving Alyn on the beach and walking over to a woven basket. "Last chance" he glanced down at the traitor. Alyn didn't respond and continued looking over the water. Thom lifted the basket gently and ten magpies flew upwards into the sky making a horrid riiik-rak-rak sound as they soared upwards before turning for the trees and disappearing from sight. Thom returned and sat next to Alyn and looked out towards the cliffs where they jutted out of the bay. Suddenly a long boat came into view and slowly it rowed towards the beach, the booming sound of a man shouting "row row row" becoming clearer as it neared them.

"Didn't take them long to make a move" Thom said as he watched the boat navigate the ever heightening waves.

"I didn't mean to drag you into this and all I can beg of you now is to stay on the beach, let me go on my own, do not get on that boat"

"No can do! They have my family and in order to prove I'm not a traitor I have to bring you personally to the Mother, don't worry, she's not going to do anything to you, I'm certain of it" he replied confidently.

"It's not me I'm worried about" Alyn mumbled words that were lost when two broad soldiers waded through four feet of water and stormed the beach.

"Traitor" one of them said as he took Alyn by the hair and lifted him from the sand like a doll. As he dangled there in the air he saw the strangest of things, a cow on the boat tied up and mooing.

"Be careful with him, he is for the mother and only her" Thom explained as the soldier delivered a punch to the stomach that knocked the wind clean out of the boy.

"Traitors deserve more than a punch to the stomach, even if he is for the mother" the solider retorted before he plunged Alyn's head under the water and held it there. Alyn didn't struggle, he closed his eyes and allowed the water to fill his nose and ears and mouth. It was cool and warm at the same time and for once since he was declared a traitor he felt at peace. The serenity didn't last long as he was yanked up again and was thrown back onto the beach. He lied there shaking slightly and coughing up water as Thom shouted abuse at the soldiers.

"He should have died, that long under water he should have drowned" he said to his comrade who was looking at the beach confused.

"Maybe he's just lucky, a traitor's luck is known to the strong" the comrade, who was missing an eye, replied.

"Until the luck runs out" he said taking a blade from his belt and heading to the beach once again.

"Stop it, stop it he cannot be killed!" Thom shouted as he rushed toward the one wielding the knife.

"Shut up you fool, everyone can be killed" the one-eyed man said as he took hold of Thom's arm and squeezed it extremely tight.

"Not when they have the mark of the mother" Thom declared. The two soldiers looked at each other and putting the knife away he lifted Alyn from the sand once more and flicking through his hair he found a single platinum strand.

"An immortal traitor, now I've seen everything" he said loudly before delivering a kick to the chest and storming back into the water, clearly irate. "Bring him" he barked as he waded toward the mooing cow. The one-eyed solider took Alyn from the sand and throwing him over his shoulder he followed his comrade. Thom joined them watching as Alyn swung gently over the shoulder of a bigger man.

The boat was long and narrow with barely enough room to sit three abreast. The cow was at the bow and Alyn was seated at the stern with Thom. Chains were placed around his wrists and ankles, just like those of the ten men who were between them and the cow, the rowers of the boat.

"Let's get going you rats" a man shouted from behind Alyn and all of a sudden the sound of whip cracking filled his ears. In unison the men started twisting their oars and the boat was in motion heading back out of the bay against the incoming waves. As they were almost halfway out a strange thumping sound hit the port side of the boat and it was not made by any wave.

"Release the cow" the man with the whip suddenly shouted, his voice tainted with a hint of fear. A figure dressed entirely in a brown robe with a hood that was firmly attached to their head got up and headed for the front. Alyn didn't even notice him there; it was like they had blended in to the wood of the boat, although his eyes weren't the best after all the bashing. The cow wasn't exactly eager to go overboard but after a couple of thumps to the rear and relentless mooing the robed figure managed to get the bovine into the water. A huge splash sent water into the boat, not enough to sink it unfortunately. The cow took to the water like a duck, the waves making no impact on its ability to swim, although it seemed the poor creature had no idea where to swim to. That wasn't really a concern as it wasn't in the water alone. Alyn and Thom watched intently as the cow swam away from the boat only to be followed by a lurking grey shadow beneath the surface. A terrifying scream nobody knew a cow could make was almost drowned out by the waves as for a brief moment it sunk beneath the surface. When it came up again it had some scaly black tail wrapped around its neck, and then another head appeared. It was of a giant reptile, it had the head of giant lizard, and it rose out of the water with great ease, using the tail for balance. Majestically horrendous wings outstretched and engulfed the entire boat in their shadow, four claw adorned limbs scratched at the air and then the eyes, yellow slit eyes like a snake suddenly looked at Alyn. It stared right at him, and for what seemed like hours the two stared at each other but then it opened its mouth to reveal rows of yellow fangs. Then it plunged downwards and cow and beast disappeared from view. Moments later the water changed to a slight darker colour, the cow was no more.

"Wow that was intense, I mean I've heard of those things but wow that was unreal" Thom whispered as he took a firmer hold of the seat for fear of accidently following the cow.

"Spectacle over, unless you want to be next you better get rowing" the man said as he once again cracked his whip. The rowers didn't dawdle and within seconds the boat was moving forward again, and to its starboard were the Sotonic Cliffs. Thousands of birds screeched and roared as they flew around the faces while stronger, bigger waves crashed at their base.

"We're nearly there" the robed figure said as they made their way through the rowers and down to Alyn and Thom. Standing in front of the two they took down their hood to reveal an old face.

"Errol" Alyn said immediately. Errol was the right-hand of the Mother; he was her most trusted advisor and the cruellest when it came to punishment.

"Too bad we couldn't have thrown you into the water" he snarled as he looked back to where a few bones were being tossed around by the waves. Alyn didn't reply he just glanced away as they emerged out of the bay and the boat turned for starboard. Suddenly Errol had caught Alyn by the hair and was rooting through it and found the strand that had enraged the soldier earlier. "I cannot wait to see the Empress pluck this from your head and I will happily drive a dagger through your heart" he smiled showing hundreds of wrinkles and bloodied gums where only a couple of teeth remained.

"Well at least she gave it to me, where's yours?" he retorted looking at Errol's completely bald head. He had hit a nerve as his eyes narrowed and Alyn could almost feel the hatred burning from them. He spat squarely in Alyn's face, it was absolutely disgusting and with no hesitation he jerked his chains and with his head thumped Errol in the chest. He rocked slightly and stumbled over his robe and as he tittered at the edge of the boat his face became a terrible shade of grey and his eyes were genuinely scared. Then.... another splash! He surfaced seconds later, a few feet from the boat, his old arms waving for help and as they came to a halt in the midst of the incoming tide the soldiers threw out a rope. The waves were bigger in the open water and Errol kept disappearing just as he was about to grab hold. Finally he managed to wrap his bony fingers around the rope and the soldiers started to pull him back in, but then they suddenly stopped. Looking out beyond Errol their faces paled and their hands let go.

"Row, row now" one of them shouted and the whip cracked and the rowers started.

"Stop, stop" Errol shouted before being engulfed by a wave. "In the name of the mot.." he disappeared again beneath the surface. "Mother I demand you to stop" he shouted again but the boat was getting further and further away with the eyes of the soldiers, the flogger, Thom and Alyn still watching, but they weren't watching him, they were watching something behind him and slowly Errol turned. He shouldn't have. The shriek of absolute horror drowned out even the screeching birds. The beast obviously wasn't satisfied with the cow.

The boat continued to move on and the soldiers sat down, one of them visibly shaking. Alyn was smiling, Thom wasn't, and he had vomited on the deck and was feeling quite queasy.

"Here you go, take some of this" the flogger said handing Thom some sort of a root. "Chew away, it will clear up the sea-sickness. Had to use it on a couple of them every now and then" he added as he cracked the whip. "Faster, faster" he bellowed. The rowers obeyed and their arms were almost blurry as the oars went spinning and the boat's speed increased. Alyn looked at the cliffs as they turned to face them. One of them had a large cave; it looked almost exactly like a woman's face. It had soft features and a kind of button nose with eyes that appeared closed. Its mouth however, the opening of the cave, had two long sharp fangs protruding downwards while another three were jutting up from the bottom. That's where they were going and as the boat was mere feet from the entrance the rowers stopped rowing and the boat swayed momentarily.

"Right, wait for it, wait for it" the flogger said as he kept an eye on the waves coming towards them. "Not this one, not this one" he added as a little wave caused the boat to go up and down slightly. "This one, this one, right lads grab on to something" he said as he himself took hold of the steer and as the wave took hold of the boat he guided it safely through the mouth and into the darkness. "Well done lads well done, now row" he said and the rowers rowed once more through the dark cave with its darker waters. As the boat turned a corner inside lights came in to view, small oil-filled lamps stationed on a ledge. A woman was waiting for them. Alyn and Thom were forced out of the boat and into the custody of the tall muscular woman.

"Where's Errol?" she queried as she looked to the soldiers.

"The traitor pushed him into the water, the beast got him" the one-eyed soldier said.

"We tried to save him but it was no good" the flogger added. She didn't seem to mind too much and just waved her hand and turned her back to the boat. "Right row" and with the sound of the whip again the rowers rowed deeper into the cave.

"Right let's go, someone has been patiently waiting to see you Alyn" she said pointing the way. Alyn went first and from the way he walked, it was obvious he was here before as he took the right turns and knew where the path had eroded to such an extent that it would crumble if a foot was placed upon it. Then they came to a large wooden door, well two doors in fact with symbols burned onto them. Large wings, three pairs in fact, along with a serpent, the outline of a fox's face and what seemed to be the snout of a badger. Alyn's stomach became a flurry of knots. "Come along lads, the party is inside" she said and pushed the doors open with her strong muscular arms. The door wasn't lying and Alyn's stomach was right to have knotted.

Beyond the door was a place that resembled nothing like a cave. The walls were draped in silks depicting scenes of nature, a snake swallowing a mouse, a bird building a nest, a mountain and a river, those sorts of things. Fires burned in large iron grates that kept the cold from entering and the damp from rising. At the far end of the large room there was a raised dais carved into the wall of the cave and in it's centre was a throne made entirely of pearls, hundreds of thousands of them fused together to make the seat. To its left was an arch that seemed to lead to a staircase, that's where the Mother would descend from. Suddenly the doors banged shut behind them along with Alyn's eyes, it was too late for anything now, he had tried his best so he took a deep breath and opened them.

"My darling Alyn, you finally came" she said staring intently at him from her pearl throne. He couldn't move, he was paralysed but not at her hand. The doors didn't lie and his stomach had every reason to bind itself in knots. Staring directly back to the dais Alyn realised she had succeeded in doing something she had been trying to do ever since he had come to the Fifth Forest. Sitting on a small rock was a young woman, beautifully pale with a white dress with flowing sleeves that seemed soaking wet. Large white feathers were placed almost like a tiara upon her black hair and her lips were a severe red. She looked like a drowned ghost but she was very much real. On either side of the Mother were two men, a little older than Thom. One was tall and bronzed skinned with rather narrow beady eyes that never left Alyn while the other was more short and stout with fierce muscles that protruded from his black and white woollen cloak.

"Your Sssupreme Empresssss addresssssed you boy" the bronzed one said. He had an extremely prominent lisp. Alyn raised an eyebrow and continued to just watch the dais his heart racing. "That's three" he thought to himself.

"Poor lad's heart is thumping, the blood is flowing faster than the tide outside" another voice said and out of the darkness of the shadows walked a dark figure. He was tall and lean with black hairless skin. He adorned himself with leathers that squeaked slightly as he walked. "Four" Alyn hoped she had only managed to conjure four. The look of shock was clear on his face as his eyes darted from the girl dressed in white to the two men standing by the mother and over to the black man in leathers.

"Alyn what's wrong? The Mother has spoken to you" Thom whispered in to his friend's ear.

"Well at least one of them speaks" the Mother announced as she smiled down to Thom who immediately fell to one knee.

"I plead eternal allegiance to the Rightful Immortal Empress, Mother of the Original, Bringer of Peace and First Daughter of Nuvarin. My will is yours to command, my body is your weapon to wield. Disloyalty shall lead to a traitor's death" Thom shouted loudly through the entire cave, his eyes still firmly on the floor.

"Well I'm glad someone remembers their pledge, it's just a shame others were not so faithful" she said as she stepped down from the dais lifting her hand stopping the others from following. She was something rather spectacular to behold, her beauty was renowned the world over. Her hair was thick and wavy and as the fire caught the platinum colour it mirrored perfectly and for a moment it looked almost as if it were ablaze. "Do you like what I did?" she asked Alyn, her voice low and soft. His eyes were fixed on her but he wasn't looking at her, it was like he was looking through her. "It's happening isn't it?" she said putting her face closer to Alyn's, she even waved her hand in front of his face and he didn't respond, not even a blink.

"A hundred pardons Supreme Empress but what is happening?" Thom asked nervously, his eyes still fixed on the cold wet floor.

"Arise good boy, let me look at you" Thom rose from the floor and stood proud in front of her, ready for inspection. Stepping back to get a good look of the young man she had sent to find her traitor she looked him up and down and smiled. "You're a strong one, both of character and body" she announced.

"Thank you your Magnificence" Thom replied bowing his head.

"Tell me Thom, how long have you known Alyn" she asked tilting her head sideways to peer at the still paralysed teenager.

"Since he first arrived in our village, he was taken by our neighbours and we became friends almost straight away" he answered, too looking at Alyn.

"How wonderful he found a true friend so quickly. Tell me Thom did he ever tell you how he came to live in the village?"

"No Ma'am, he didn't. He kept a lot of things to himself" The Mother just smiled and nodded before heading back to the dais and taking a seat on the pearl throne. Once she had settled on the seat and was comfortable, she was wearing a dress completely made of wet seaweed; the ghostly girl retrieved an item from a chest and walked to the throne. It was a crown, large and somewhat strange of colour. Purple coral cut to the shape of a four pronged crown with each of the prongs home to an array of precious stones it nestled itself amongst her strands of hair. Thom stared at the dais; if she was beautiful before hand she was even more so now, the crown seemed to emulate her beauty. She raised two fingers and beckoned him closer, Thom obeyed.

"Now boy let me tell you how Alyn came to live in this forest and in your village. It's rather an interesting story because his appearance will spark a revolution that will see Nuvarin change forever" she started but suddenly a roar filled the room. He had finally moved and spoken since crossing the threshold.

"How dare you do this? You are going to regret this" Alyn shouted as he pounded forwards towards the dais. The bronzed man, the broad man and the ghostly girl all moved closer to the mother circling her in protection while the black man headed for Alyn when suddenly another woman, dressed entirely in black complete with a cloak swooped down from some perch high in the ceiling and wrapped her arms around the charging boy. "Five" "Let go of me Raven" he screamed while fighting against her hold.

"It's alright, it's alright, he means me no harm, he can't do me harm" the mother laughed loudly as she glanced at Alyn. "Just keep him quiet for a moment, I want to continue my conversation with Thom, he's dying to know about you Alyn" she said mockingly. A woollen black sleeve clasped over his mouth kept his tongue in check and the Mother spoke.

"Where was I? Oh yes, the revolution! You see Thom centuries ago magic was commonplace and those who could practice it revered. But then the Princely sons of Pastorious started a war that escalated from the battlefield to the dark forces. Somewhere along the way the King's wife was caught in the battle and died, blah blah blah and so in his grieving revenge he purged Nuvarin of all those known to have practiced magic. Pretty soon Nuvarin was a different world, witches and sorcerers were burned or drowned or hung, always with a crowd, just to frighten everyone away from magic. There were many types of magical beings that were hunted and most of them were captured, those that got away stayed away. They say that the mountains have been home to them for centuries but nobody knows for sure!" she said winking at Thom. "I of course survived" she said getting up from the pearl throne and walking to the edge of the dais where Thom stood mesmerised. "Thank the gods for my mother who in her forward thinking had moved us away from Pastorious and away from the SAFETY (she pronounced loudly and sarcastically) of Pastorious' walls and soldiers. We settled here and slowly our little village grew and grew and soon the village became a town and the forest became a new home. But of course there is no such thing as a happy ending and the good King in his blind grief burnt everything he could see so those that survived took to the trees to live and only recently have begun making homes on the ground" she stopped for a moment and glanced over at Alyn. He was still fighting with the Raven to break free but her strength was far greater than his. "Now let me get to the good part of the story. My mother, may the gods have mercy on her spirit, was a powerful witch whom the good King blamed for not being able to save the Queen. She knew that her name was on the top of the magical kill list and so was mine. One night in the middle of the forest as the cries of the soldier's dogs came closer she harnessed the power of the moon and made me immortal, but not only that, she gave me a womb that would forever keep me safe" she said rubbing her stomach. A glimmer of a tear ran down her cheek as she placed one hand on the back of the pearl throne to steady herself.

"She made you immortal to keep you safe, not to destroy Nuvarin" Alyn shouted as for a brief moment he managed to free his tongue.

"Revenge Alyn, that is what this is all about and I have waited centuries for it" There was a pause, no one spoke and the only noise that they could hear was the sounds of waves crashing against the cliff as the tide came roaring in from the sea. Alyn stopped trying to wrestle himself free as the realisation of what he was hearing dawned on him; he was not going to be able to get away tonight. The tide was rushing in, a rowboat wouldn't be able to tackle the waves.

"Ma'am, a thousand apologies for being so rude but what was you going to say about Alyn?" Thom said breaking the silence.

"How dare you, no one sssspeakssss to the Empresssss without firssst being sssspoken to" the bronzed man spat at Thom.

"No no, he is right I did mean to enlighten him about our illustrious guest. So Thom hundreds of years have passed with not a glimmer of magic witnessed. Then along came your friend Alyn about five years ago. Am I right, has it been five years already, boy it didn't take you long to betray me" she said looking directly at Alyn. The two locked eyes and again a silence filled the room before she snapped out of the almost trance-like state the two were in. "I'm so sorry Thom I got a little distracted by those eyes of his, those all seeing eyes. That's where he comes into the story. Now of course there was one incident of magic in Pastorious a few years before little Alyn but that's a story that get's me a little, let's say irritated. So a few years ago my spies heard of a young child who seemed to be able to foresee things, bad things but only things that happen to those around him, he could never see his own future. Isn't that right?" she asked Alyn. The Raven lessened her grip and the black sleeve fell away from his mouth and after he spat some wool out on to the floor he spoke.

"Thom I'm so sorry I should have told you but I was afraid of what.."

"Enough" the Mother said lifting her hand and immediately the sleeve had returned.

"He kept crying to his father about his younger sister being strangled by snakes; his father hit him and told him not to imagine such horrid things. Your sister did die but she was strangled by the reins of a horse. Then what was your second vision, your neighbour being swept from the ground by a giant bird and eaten. Now that one was closer to the reality. He was found hanging in his house being eaten by just about every hungry creature around" she said looking from Alyn to Thom. "That was the last vision you spoke about, but it was too late, King Vance heard about you and soon you were destined to die, but you didn't see that, I did. You see Thom that's when I rescued him from death while his mother and father were gladly handing him to the King" Thom looked back to Alyn and from his face he could see that what the Mother was saying was true.

"You see the future?" Thom asked Alyn and reluctantly he nodded.

"He's an Oracle my boy, the first one born in Nuvarin in centuries, even in my mother's time they were rare, I only ever met one and she wasn't half as accurate as my dear Alyn" the Mother proclaimed as she slowly descended from the dais and stood next to Thom. "I think our little friend saw something when he came in, but I doubt he's going to tell us anything. Do you?" she asked Thom, placing her arm around his shoulders.

"He will Ma'am, Alyn may be a lot of things but he's not stupid"

"STUPID! Good heavens the boy is far from stupid, why do you think he killed poor Errol? Raven let him speak" she ordered. Finally the constraints of the female left him and he was free to do whatever he wished with his limbs, although there was little he could do without the possibility of them being severed. He stood a few feet in front of the Mother and Thom and again only the sounds of the waves crashing against the cliffs walls was all that could be heard.

"Raven got your tongue?" the Mother teased as the young boy continued to stare at her with utter disdain.

"No, I still have it" he replied moving a step closer to the pair. The bronzed man stepped forward with a little hiss and the black man from the shadows moved closer as well. "Don't worry; nothing bad is going to happen to your precious Empress, not at my hands anyway". The Mother left out a loud cackle of derision,

"You're bluffing, I'm immortal dear boy or have you forgotten that strand of hair in your head?" Alyn took a finger to his hair and started twisting part of it into a curl until there was a sliver of platinum hair visible to all.

"It's true what you said, I see only the bad that happens to others, I cannot see what is in store for me and I swear your demise will occur if you continue down this path with those people". Swiftly she turned the seaweed dress releasing a spray of water as it swirled in front of Alyn. She climbed back upon the dais and all of a sudden Alyn was frightened, truly frightened as he had no idea what was going to happen. He had never seen her like this before, her eyes burned with anger but her lips quivered with trepidation and while she paced the dais she muttered continuously to herself. Suddenly she stopped and with an arched eyebrow she stared at Alyn.

"No, no it will not happen, these people are my sworn guardians, and no harm will come to me at their hand" she laughed nervously. Alyn took a deep breath and with a face free of emotion chipped another piece away from the Mother's revenge.

"Not them, the Red ones". With those words the Mother collapsed onto the pearl throne, tears beginning to well up in her eyes and her hands shaking.

"He's lying Ma'am" the Swan smiled as she placed a hand on the Mother's shoulder which she quickly slapped away.

"ORACLE'S CANNOT LIE" she screamed so loudly that for a moment the thunderous waves were inaudible. Her shaking and tears didn't last long as her volatile nature proved true. Within moments of her sitting down she was standing again, fierce and vicious. The coral crown which made her seem eight feet tall made her looming presence all the more intimidating. "I know why you killed Errol dear boy" she snarled, her hands still shaking but Alyn wasn't sure whether it was temper or fear. "You saw him kill your dear friend for your treachery didn't you?" she asked her eyes widening in anger. Thom turned from the dais and looked at his best friend, the boy who had been like a younger brother to him.

"You did that for me?" he asked.

"I'd do anything to protect you" Alyn replied.

"Oh how sweet, you'd do anything to protect him but as soon as your Mommy comes sniffing around you happily place a dagger in my back. Well two can play that game" she said before nodding to the Swan and within seconds it had happened. Completely white, when they first laid eyes on her she seemed so frail and fragile but standing there in front of the dais she was far from frail. As she wiped the blood from her blade she smiled at Alyn as he knelt to the ground, pain ripping through his body. Red blood began to pool in front of the dais and the Mother laughed as she turned away from the scene.

"You should have killed me, you monster you should have killed me" Alyn wailed as Thom's body already started to turn cold.

"Now why would I want to do such a thing dear boy? You are my Oracle and you are never leaving, it's useful to keep someone of your particular talent around" she laughed before disappearing up the stairs followed by all five of her flunkies.

******************************

Wind rushed in through the gaping hole on one side of the cave that caused the mother's seaweed dress to ripple slightly and her Coral Crown to almost detach itself from her curls.

"Blasted wind, Oh how I wish I could return to the comforts of my palace" she whined as the Swan wrapped a woollen cloak around her shoulders. "I miss the furs, they would keep me warm here" she moaned as Goosebumps popped up along her arms.

"They would become ever so damp and unfit to wear, it would ruin them" the Swan replied, tying the cloak with an emerald clasp.

"You're right, you're right! I must suffer for my cause" she said waltzing over to a little table that was adorned with seafood. Picking up a rather unpleasantly smelling shrimp her face tightened and closing her eyes she swallowed it down, her throat quivering slightly. With her back to the five guards the Mother made her way to the large gaping hole and as the wind whipped her hair and the rain and seawater washed her face she closed her eyes and smiled. Suddenly she put out her hand and called forth the two other women, the Raven and the murderous Swan.

"My feathered guardians" she said placing a hand on each of their cheeks. "I have a task for both of you" she added before pulling them close and whispering into their ears. Each bowed to the ground and she raised them up with a smile, "I thank you my children" she said before taking their hands and turning to the other three. "Your allegiance is unwavering and your love is undying" she started and the three men knelt to the cold wet ground. "I feel our journey is coming to a crossroads and the road we take will depend on our strength, our courage and our passion to see the rightful person in the Veiled Throne" she smiled a shrew smile. All five of her guards shouted "Queen of the Veiled Throne" in unison. "And if that means a certain King will have to die then I guess that's what Nuvarin needs" she softly laughed. Once again she turned to the wide view of the ocean and glanced out over it to the left where her vast forest stood, the dull sunshine barely reaching the tops of the trees. She let go of the other's hands and they stepped to the edge of the hole and looking down it was a drop of at least a hundred feet to roaring waves and jagged rocks.

"May the magic of true Nuvarin be with you my children" the Mother said and the two women leapt out into the wind and rain. As they jumped their white and black clothes fell to the ocean and soaring into the sky were a dozen ravens and six white swans that blended quickly into the clouds. "Go forth and bring news of the land" she whispered softly before turning away from the wind and took her Coral Crown off.

Chapter 6IX:

Broken Fingers and Roast Chicken

With his barriers firmly in place James sat on the bus that he had been wishing and yearning for since Sunday evening, a valid reason to get away from the house for a number of hours. Monday morning had arrived and brought with it school and the leaving behind of the arrival of Dad and Miriam who had returned home from their weekend away late, really late. James hadn't minded as he had more things to worry about. Seeing as his father and the woman were away until Sunday night James had most of the weekend to try and figure out exactly what happened in the bank. After the woman with the floral scarf called off the brute James could only barely remember what happened next. Taking his mobile phone and attempting to call for the emergency services was the first thing he remembered however before he could even dial the number a man stood stooped before him. The lobby was where he had noticed him before, dressed in a black suit with a bowler hat and briefcase to finish. He had a beard like a raincloud and his face was wrinkled, but the eyes, there was something about the eyes. Unfortunately that was where his memory of the bank ceased, before he knew it he was on the bus home utterly confused, frightened and still rather sore.

Sitting on the bus as he travelled back in to the city for school he glanced around to spy numerous other students laughing and joking with each other. A twinge of jealousy erupted in his body about the weekends they probably had. Spending time with their loving families, trips to town with their good friends even a movie to relax with some food and treats. James had none of the above. The only friends he had, well they never wanted to meet outside of school, preferring to remain within the confines of their home to either watch television or play videogames and on rare occasions when the eyes started to blur, read. And as far as family went, well James was pretty sure he was the only family he had right now. The option to relax and watch a movie was there but the food was not and unfortunately he had no money to purchase any. It was then, after the entire weekend, did he recall the piece of paper with the large number on it. As quickly as that memory came so did the horrendous sound of the muscular man, his voice mockingly teasing whether James would see twenty-one? Shaking his head in a bid to rid the voice he turned up the music on his MP3 player and looked out the window.

The bus was just travelling past the road he walked down, the one which led to the few houses and a gate to the forest. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. The car, the expensive one belonging to the lady with the floral scarf, was driving down towards them. Saturday day and night was spent walking around the outside of the woman's house and on occasion ringing and knocking on the door and peeping in windows. Sunday day was the same and he only abandoned his stalking when his father arrived home, the fear of his father wasn't there, it was more that he didn't want the annoyance of having to deal with him as Miriam glared on. His questions had questions over the weekend and each one seemed to have multiplied by the hour since last night. He stood to his feet and banged on the window of the bus and as it continued to slowly drive passed, he shouted for it to stop. The driver wasn't in the mood for taking orders from young teenagers and the look James received was enough for him to sit back down on the ripped fabric seat and recoil. For a brief moment he had forgotten where he was, where he was going and more importantly who were around him. Students, many from his school had just witnessed his inexplicable momentary outburst and as sure as the moon was going to appear tonight the story would be rampant in the corridors before he even stepped foot off the bus. Blood rushed his cheeks like rising flood waters and he found it hard to breathe as if the joy of an anxiety attack was mere seconds away. Luckily it wasn't and James sat silently on the bus turning his attention away from the students who were undoubtedly still staring and talking about him. Many more questions sprawled across his mind as he wondered about the woman.

Sadly those questions were going to remain such for the foreseeable future as the bus came to a screeching halt near his school. Thanks now to the invention of social media and instant messaging he was almost certain that his outburst was now common knowledge, he was just afraid if anyone had the promptness to hit record on their phone. His hood up, blonde fringe covering most of his eyes (the white streak easily hidden) and music blaring in to his ears he took a deep breath and braced himself. Sure enough he had barely reached the steps of the school when he noticed a group of boys, younger than him, teasingly banging on the school window shouting "Stop" Stop". The best course of action was to ignore, and that was exactly what he did. They just laughed, harder and pointed. There was no sense in laughing if they didn't emphasise who the laughter was directed at. Inside the school James continued quickly to his first class, wanting to avoid as many people as possible. One teacher on the other hand wasn't quite happy with James as he rushed passed her, so much in fact she grabbed his hood and yanked it backwards pulling fiercely at the warrior's neck. When she had him in front of her she yanked out the headphones that had been so easily blocking out the nasty words and sometimes thoughts that were so easily hurled and readily available. It was Ms. Taylor, the physical education teacher.

"James isn't it?" A nod was all she received. James wasn't exactly in the mood to chat to anyone other than the woman from the bank, or the woman who gave him the poison tea but with the former being a neighbour she was going to be easier to find, or so he thought! Nodding, as Ms. Taylor so eloquently informed James, wasn't an appropriate response to an elder's question. One could almost sense venom as she spoke to her students with such disdain. It was easy to see that she was unhappy in her work; after all she was an Olympian, well almost. Six months before she was due to take part in the London Games she tripped on a schoolbag that had been left unattended in the main social area and twisted her ankle. Her dreams of a medal were tarnished and her dreams now were to be every student's nightmare. One poor girl last year, a bit on the heavy side was forced to eat all her classmate's lunches and then run laps around the gym until she collapsed and vomited. The story made the rounds of the locality but nothing ever came of it, it wasn't as if anyone would actually attempt to fire Ms. Taylor!

"How come you're not in any of my gym classes?" she asked while ripping the headphones up through the jumper, freeing them from the MP3 player. He was slightly shocked, the move was so fast for a second he wasn't sure what she was doing but the whip of the cord against his chin brought him back around and he watched as she stuffed the white cord into her pocket.

"I am" James finally answered her.

"You're obviously not very good seeing as I don't remember you". Not her most vicious of insults but nevertheless it was still delivered with the usual venomous tongue and smirk. The one small saving grace that James had found in the current predicament was that they were practically alone, bar the odd student or teacher walking past. He couldn't bear the thought of having another "incident" being talked about throughout the school.

"Go on get to class" she snarled as she retreated slightly from his personal space. James tried to get his headphones back but she just laughed an evil laugh.

"Come to the gym after school and if you do something that makes me remember you, I'll give them back". She took out her phone and plugged in the pristine white cord and played some music.

"The quality is great" Once again she laughed as she turned her back to James and headed towards the office area.

"Could show her something now that would have her remembering me until the day she dies!" James muttered quietly to himself. Alas he deemed it best not to attempt something warrior like, especially seeing as he wasn't sure what exactly he could do. All he did know for certain was that he was stronger and faster with enhanced senses and of course the healing, the cherry if you will on top of the new abilities. Other than that he didn't know. Well there was also the known fact that he was a walking target for large monstrous other-worldly creatures and giant-like brutes, although most of them he had already experienced in the form of the numerous school bullies.

With one of his barriers down James wasn't exactly sure how to cope, he always liked not being able to hear what others were saying. Paranoia normally struck at some stage during his days in school but with music blaring in his ears the ability to drown it out helped, today how was he going to do that? An unwelcome voice, that of the Headmaster, suddenly boomed through the various speakers situated around the school. "Good morning students" he started. If one didn't know any better they would think the voice was enhanced by some bass technology as it boomed over the airways but alas no, it was his voice. A whisper normally could be heard across the classroom and a roar across the town. The message was as abrupt as he was; assembly in the gym now! James frowned. There was nothing worse than being herded like sheep into the gym which doubled as the schools "theatre" for whenever they put on a production to raise funds for the football team or rugby team. With his head low and his mood lower he made his way for the gym following the other students as they moped along the corridors.

"Surprise, surprise they didn't even open the seats!" a girl who obviously wasn't in the mood to stand announced loudly. Electronically controlled seating folded against the back wall and was opened for the paying audience whenever a "Grease" or "West Side Story" was performed by the over-confident and under-talented popular students. It was almost full, students ranging from first year to last year and some who just seemed to be forever within the walls stood aimlessly in lines of bodies all conversing with each other over the undoubtedly mundane events of their weekends. Some younger students had taken to sitting on the ground, their little legs unable to bear the weight any longer. Not one for the limelight, or most types of lighting, James made his way for the back where he hoped the forty-foot high wall of seats would offer some shadows to lurk. He was already able to hear their words; he hoped that once out of sight he would be out of mind. Sadly no. Assembly rules stated that one must be with their peers, the ones in their year, their classes, their bullies. Attempting to stay away from the crowd was no good as the mean one-eyed janitor that most of the students referred to as Cyclops herded him away from the seats and into a line of students.

Snipes of "watch it weirdo" and "loser" were whispered at him as Cyclops knocked him straight in to two girls, well honestly bitches, from his class. Then someone from behind wrapped their arm around his neck and squeezed.

"Hey Jimmy!" the arm spoke. It was none other than Gavin, the shoe-stealing ogre that almost broke James' nose.

"So Jimmy, like my runners?" James could feel the pressure of fat enclosing on his windpipe and although he tried to look at the runners and indeed reply he couldn't. Air was beginning to become harder to come by and he could feel his face redden as the arm showed no sign of letting up.

"Sorry to hear about your Ma, she couldn't stick you either huh?" he chuckled as did the other few who gathered to watch the latest James Griffin mortification scene. Sadly for them the comment turned to be the final straw for James, and with his newly acquired "abilities" he wasn't going to give them a scene, he was going to give them a musical, their screams of agony the score. With anger flaring he took hold of Gavin's fingers and easily pulled back, as if he were peeling plastic off some cheese. Four snaps echoed throughout the little circle and then the main performance, Gavin reached notes no soprano could possibly dream of. The entire student population and every staff member turned to the corner but luckily James had retreated out of sight and no one other than Gavin was making a sound. "My fingers" he cried, "MY FINGERS". It would have been so upsetting if it hadn't been so hilarious. The giant brute's eyes had swelled with tears and had become bright red, his sobs filled the gym and he even called out for his mother. For an instant James envied him. He had experienced pain greater than that and he had called for his mother, begged for her, but he knew she couldn't possibly come; Gavin's was probably on the way right now. A teacher took him away from the gym his fingers dangling like worms, each one of them broken. A smile of satisfaction reached its way across James' face; he hoped that the runners were worth four broken fingers. The rest of the bullies just looked at him, some frightened some angry but all of them seemingly too cowardly to say anything. James wasn't surprised; they were verbal spectators and didn't have a spine between them.

A few moments of hushed conversation and the odd outburst of manic laughter passed and the Headmaster walked out on to the stage in front of a large dark red curtain. To describe the man in one word was simple, repulsive. He hated the students and teachers alike and the feeling went both ways. His head was big, very big and reminded everyone of an egg, a giant egg with numerous liver spots. His third chin always had a little stubble on it, most people assumed it was because the Headmaster got lazy by the time he was to shave there and his ears stuck out. Not normally stick out but really stick out, with a good gale force wind he could take flight. Stopped at the microphone he yawned, opening his mouth so wide the students in the front row could count how many cavities he had. Then he belched, like his voice his bodily functions were loud too and with the added volume of the microphone the burp filled the gym and possibly the school. Some female students gagged while the teachers simply rolled their eyes in disgust.

"Shut up now, shut up now" he barked although there was no need as nobody was talking, the burp had unified the gym in joint silence. "This years entrants to the....am....the music....am" he fumbled on stage. Any normal person would feel embarrassed or at least apologise for forgetting, not the Headmaster. "Bloody hell I give up...here.." he said and swaggered off the stage, clearly drunk or at least savagely hungover. A nervous laugh rippled through the crowd as the Headmaster kicked something out of his way as he left the stage. Then the lights dimmed and the curtain rose.

On the stage sat four students, their faces partly obscured by the metal holders of the note sheets. All were dressed in the school uniform with the shirts and blouses tied to the top bottom.

"Why aren't they ever bullied?" The thought was mean he knew but he couldn't help it, James truly believed he was the school's only victim of bullying, but of course there were others, the fact was just well concealed . The three girls and the boy exchanged glances and he started, the large cello between his legs began to fill the gym with its music. The violin was next; actually the two violins and they seemed to be in competition with each other, their bows striking at the strings in aggressive fashion. Finally the youngest looking girl started. Plucking at the strings she smiled widely out into the audience who were less than impressed with the display. The boy was sweating by now and his hands were visibly trembling which of course effected his playing. Aggressive bows or no the violins were following the cello's lead and squeaks and missed notes caused slight jeering from the students. "These are the ones representing us" his opinions stayed within the confines of his mind, mainly, unlike others. Only the mandolin was seemingly playing perfectly, the young girl's smile never fading as her comrades talents floundered. A shout came from the body of standing teenagers of "get off the stage, you suck" followed by a more audible jeering. That was enough for the cellist who dropped his bow and instead of picking it up his cheeks flushed red and he stormed off the stage, the endpin of the instrument snapping as he let go. Not sure what to do the two violinists exchanged looks and, as in playing, the two in unison quickly got up and left the stage, their instruments coming along. All that was left was the plucking young girl in front of hundreds of students and her teachers. She continued plucking the strings of the mandolin, closing her eyes in a bid to distance herself from the disapproving looks. The jeering stopped and the giggles stopped and she kept plucking. The sound was soothing, unusual and strangely comforting. James, like most of the other people in the gym was enjoying the music and the girl's undeniable courage. For a moment he closed his eyes and imagined he was anywhere else listening to the music but school.

Booms echoed from outside and rain lashed against the windows while cracks of lightening sent blue colours raging throughout the gym. He opened his eyes and glanced at the window. The clouds outside were dark, really dark and the wind was beginning to pick up, its cries getting louder with every heartbeat. Glancing to the stage where the girl was still playing her mandolin he spied her, not the girl but someone else. Blonde and beautiful and wearing a blue and white robe she stood smiling next to the girl. Rolling thunder snapped his mind straight back to the present and in an instant he knew exactly what was happening, unfortunately. "It came in a storm, a random storm" he muttered to himself. Suddenly pale and his knees knocking James wanted to run, run far away. Smoke filled his nostrils and as he turned he felt an arm wrap itself around his neck. Another student one that he had never seen before in his life was standing next to him, his arm still wrapped around his neck.

"Well Jimmy, this is going to be interesting" the over familiar stranger smirked as he showed James a lighter.

"FIRE" he shouted again and again and again until the entire gym heard him and there was a slight ringing in James' ears. Normally people wouldn't budge when they heard a student shouting fire but the fact that smoke was starting to billow out from the doors leading to the bathrooms and janitor's storeroom they took notice. The poor sheep, it was as if someone had let a wolf loose as they all panicked and any training on health and safety went out the window, along with a couple of students who were near them. It was a small wonder that nobody was trampled as the sheep swarmed every available door out of the place while others followed the window hoppers and slipped out into the welcome rain. It took only seconds for the entire gym to clear and all that were left were James, the mystery pyromaniac and the silvery blonde haired woman.

"Okay Jimmy I'll take her out of here, you deal with that!" he said looking straight in James' eyes. It was then, the eyes. Large emerald pearls staring intently at him. A slap brought James back to the reality of the situation and the "student" pointed James' head in the direction of one of the unopened windows. His heart began to pound faster and his palms filled with moisture as the beast smashed the glass and slowly crept in, shards not bothering it in the slightest. A heart-stopping fear rushed through James' veins as he looked upon the monster. That night he remembered only a glances of the winged thing was available to him when the lightning struck, now it was day and that didn't help. Dark storm clouds almost immediately turned night to day and the lightening that enabled him on that night had knocked out the power of the school and possibly the town. Never the less James couldn't help but look at it, its scaly black skin, the grotesque wings, the many stab wounds still visible. Lifting its head it sniffed the air its nostrils opening and closing as the wings slightly shuddered. Whatever sound the thing made then it filled James' ears with a force that he could almost feel the blood dripping down the lobes. It turned its eyes to James, frozen in the gym, and it blinked. In an instant its tail struck like the head of a Cobra and James barely got of the way. Run was his only option as he realised the student and the silvery blonde woman were no where to be seen. Luck, which James had firmly believed was never his friend, showed him the exit mere yards from where he landed. Luck still wasn't his friend. Outside, another black scaled nightmare stalked the corridor its tongue licking the air. It seemed bigger than the one in the gym and so James was caught between a monster and well a bigger monster. A shadow engulfed James as he stood looking out the door into the corridor and terror had filled his very soul he couldn't bare to turn around. Wings, black as night swopped out and their shadows filled the walls. It was done, he had escaped ones clutches before, this very one and that was sheer dumb luck which was abandoning him today. Closing his eyes James prepared for what was to come, the bone-crushing strength, the venomous bite, and then death. Something came alright and it wasn't death, nor the venom or the dismantlement of bones. It was the endpin of the broken cello, it rolled right to James' feet, the sound of the spinning metal opening his eyes. Almost as quick as the beast's tail strike James picked up the small weapon and lodged it deep in the belly of the monster, retracting it and pushing it back in numerous times until it fell into a heap on the hard cold gym floor.

The bus home was full of students complaining about the rain that had soaked their uniforms and schoolbags and jackets and damaged their smart this and kindle that. James was grateful he was able to sit on the bus in one piece, although he would have preferred not having to listen to them. He was going to place the headphones in but the encounter with Ms. Taylor suddenly jumped to the forefront of his mind. He almost felt glad she took them as part of him wanted to know exactly what they were saying about the events earlier in the day at the school. They commented on the events of the assembly and the fire that had started when the janitor dropped a cigarette into a bottle of chemicals. Not one of them seemed to be aware of the woman or the beasts and they never would, James hoped. After he had stabbed the thing it slowly dissolved in front of him until there was nothing left. Also he didn't give a second glance outside the exit door; he just headed for the nearest bus stop. Even as they whispered some comments James was able to hear them from the top of the bus, he naturally put it down to the enhanced senses that he supposedly had. The girls whispered about how stupid the two violins were, and then they giggled. They laughed harder at the young girl who courageously plucked her mandolin when the other three abandoned her. "Wasn't she pathetic, her nails were awful" and then the two erupted in laughter again. Obviously they weren't nice girls, but James continued to listen as there was nothing else to do on the journey home other than watch as the town melted away to give birth to rolling green fields and vast woodland. Eventually they reached the little village that James called home, Hamlet.

Most of the village's buildings were old, and the people that dwelled within them older. Their stone faces, the buildings not the people, were brought from the closed quarry about a mile away many years ago and it gave them a certain beauty and maturity. A few people pottered around the cobbled paths of the Hamlet, most of them old and all of them looking for news. With little else to occupy one's mind in a quiet rural village the best way to keep entertained was to talk about others and just pray that your day never came. Normally James would pay a visit to his mother before going home to the lion's den but today he was tired, sore and just plainly confounded. He wanted nothing more than to drop his schoolbag and collapse in his bed, never having to interact with the outside world again. Hood up and fringe down he struck for the small road home when he heard the two girls cry out "Bye Jaames" in one the most sarcastic tones his ears ever had the pleasure of hearing. One barrier missing made all the difference. Chilly was the wind and clear was the sky but there was the hint of a storm still brewing and James couldn't shake the feeling that the incident in the school wasn't the end of it, deep down he knew that it was the beginning of something that would be the end of him.

Smoke was coming from the chimney of his house and two cars were parked in the driveway, one for Miriam and one for Dad. The option of collapsing onto his bed and drowning out the entire world was fading as he eyed his father standing outside the front door watching him as he walked slowly up the road. Glancing at his watch and shaking his head the policeman James was forced to call Dad walked to the gate to meet him.

"I heard there was a bit of trouble in school" No hello, or how are you, straight to the point of why he was waiting for him. James barely answered; he could barely talk to him and only mumbled the words small fire before brushing past his father and heading for the front door.

"We were worried about you; the school called and said you weren't there for roll call after the evacuation, what happened to you?" That's a lie!. Neither of them cared enough about him to worry. Looking in Jack's eyes genuinely for the first time in many weeks James felt his father wished he had perished in the fire or perhaps better still been shredded to death or poisoned by the beast. In that instant James begged for the thunder to cry, the wind to howl, the lightning to streak and the beast to appear. He would leave it to his father and Miriam while he collapsed onto his bed and drowned out the world. Alas the wind didn't pick up nor did the thunder answer his call and the lightning showed no sign of streaking.

"I got out, and I answered when my name was called. They obviously didn't hear me" A lie in return was what he gave his father, he deemed it only fair.

"I'm glad you're alright" his father said placing a hand on his shoulder and walking him to the front door. James smiled, another lie, they were getting good at it and even the hand on the shoulder, physical lies.

Inside the hall James placed his schoolbag on the floor and suddenly his stomach grumbled uncontrollably. The immense smell of roasting chicken and boiling turnips with butter and thyme filled his nostrils and caused a wave of saliva to accumulate in his mouth. He had forgotten how hungry he was.

"Dinner will be ready in a few minutes" she shouted from the kitchen. Rolling his eyes without his father seeing James suddenly wasn't hungry and made his way for the stairs when his father gently tugged him back.

"Be a good boy and lay the table, we'll have a nice family dinner tonight" he smiled a gritted smile. For the sake of peace and due to the fact that the beast didn't answer his wishes James made his way for the kitchen and pushing open the door he realised Miriam wasn't alone, but she didn't. Dressed in a provocative red top and short, very short, red hot pants the blonde beauty got up from her chair and held out her arms. "Hello Darling" she said loudly.

The Third Forest:

The Bleeding Prince

"What are they doing to her?" The question was simple, or so the young girl thought. For the elderly one it was more complex, how was she to answer something she didn't fully understand herself. Legends had been passed down from generation to generation but with each passing more words were added and even more taken away leaving only remnants of the original. Closing the shutters and making her way slowly to the fire, her cane tapping on the hard floor she beckoned the children to follow and all seven of them did.

Flames burning a bright red and kindling sparking every few moments she smiled and closed her tired old eyes and thought. She was thinking so hard that for a moment the children thought she were asleep, or possibly dead. A shriek from outside the window brought the old woman back to the room and comforting the youngest boy who started to cry she licked her dry cracked lips and begun;

"After almost a hundred years on this very ground my aging eyes have seen just about everything and these old wrinkled ears have heard things that they had no business hearing" She winked at the girl who asked the question. "But fortunately my eyes and ears were lucky never to have to bear witness to what your sweet innocent senses have been exposed to." Another cry came reaching through the shuttered window followed by a plea for help. Paying no heed the old woman continued. "My great-great grandmother told me this story when I was a little girl barely passed the height of that" she pointed at an old stool that was no more than three feet off the hide covered ground. "What she told me could have been a story to keep me awake at night, or to make sure I was a good girl for my mother but with this troublesome business outside I fear that it might have been more true than I care to believe and I give this story to you children as a warning" A pat on the head for each of the seven took her a while, she even beckoned one of them to bring her a cup of wine, sweetened with honey to wet her throat. "If that doesn't loosen the tongue than nothing will" The children all giggled when the old woman belched loudly and wiped her toothless mouth with the back of her hand. "So the legend goes that years and years ago, centuries in fact when the tallest trees were still under the ground and the giant lake was a mere puddle there lived a man, the Red King he was called"

"The one who lived in the old town?" a boy, the oldest of the little group interrupted. "Who's telling this story, you or me?" The boy blushed and looked to his hands. "May I continue, or do you want to tell us the rest?" He gave no answer and the others begged the woman to continue. "Well, as it happens young man you're right, they're one in the same man, the Red King, or Qajues to his family and close friends. For almost fifty years the man ruled this very forest, from when he took the red chair at the ripe age of nineteen he saw the people and the town flourish. Does anyone know what this forest is called, how about you boy?" He looked at his hands and then to other children who were all looking at him smiling. "If you know boy there's no point holding your tongue, my mind isn't what it was and these things slip me by" she said with another wink of her aged eye. His mouth opened and words fell free, but too freely as they mumbled together and the answer was lost. "Again boy, louder this time" Another shout from outside, this time it was a man's voice that echoed through the small fire lit room. The children moved closer to the old woman as if she would protect them from whatever happened. Well her large barbed walking stick was nearby so perhaps she could give a wallop or two with that to any intruder. "Come along now there's no need to be scared, boy do you have an answer for me" she asked once again while gently nudging a bit of wood into the back of the fire.

"It's called the Farmer's forest" he said grudgingly. "It is. But for a time it became the Bleeding Forest, so called because of the Red King. Truly the forest is best companion to any farmer. In my years I've seen my father, brothers, uncles, husband, sons, sons-in-laws and from time to time my own daughters out in the large fields reaping what the forest has so generously given us. So much grows in the Farmer's Forest that no one ever feared go hungry nor cold nor poor." –"Did you not go into the fields?" a little girl asked the old woman. "Goodness no, these hands were never meant for the fields, they were made for my children. To hold them, dress them, protect them and guide them. How could they ever have done all that important work if they were milking the cows or pulling the turnips from the earth?" The old woman stopped for a moment, closing her eyes she thought of her children, and their children's children and then their children's children. All of them, living and dead, she recalled their faces; their names on the other hand weren't so forthcoming. "Stop please, don't" the scream grasped hold of the old woman and she opened her eyes with a start. For a woman having gone through ten decades and countless lives she couldn't help but shed a tear for the young woman outside who will never see a score.

"Why was it called the bleeding forest?" a girl asked as she scurried along the floor closer to the fire, further away from the windows and door. "Well I didn't think this storytelling would be such thirsty work, another bit of wine should loosen my tongue". None of the children moved an inch and their eyes stayed fixed on the floor, the glass jar of wine was on the table, and right in front of the table was the window and right outside the window was something even the old woman was afraid to think about. "Right right right, get out of the bloody way then! Go on shift yourself" she said getting up from the chair and with her knees cracking and her back stooped the table seemed a long way away. Of course the barbed cane gave the woman a third leg. She didn't use a cup, or a glass she simply swigged it from the jar and some missed her mouth and dribbled down her chin to make a small little puddle on the floor. "The cat will be happy tonight" she grinned her toothless grin and took a cushioned seat by the door. "These legs won't bring me back over there I'm afraid. And anyway the fire is too hot." A long yawn followed her descent into the new seat and she rubbed her eyes, they were tired and dry. The children on the other hand didn't move from their spots in front of the fire, with the closest one sweating profusely but still refusing to move. He was perhaps the cleverest of the bunch as he was the furthest from both the door and windows and whoever was screaming outside, or causing the screams, they would have to get through the old woman and six others before him. Beads continued to roll from his shiny forehead as the older girl pressed for the story to be continued. With her cane the woman was parting the lower end of the shutter and peering out into the main square of the new town. There surrounded by the most important farming males was the prettiest maiden of the town, no older than fifteen she was dressed entirely in white. "Can I see?" the girl who pressed the woman had moved closer, her bare feet silencing her steps. "Goodness perhaps the cat has been here all along" The shutter snapped closed and the woman, squinting, looked at the girl. "There's nothing out there for you Cat, go and sit with the others and I'll continue the story" The girl did as she was told and the story continued albeit grudgingly. "So the bleeding forest. Well unfortunately I'm getting tired so maybe I shall continue it another time" she said nodding her head and closing her eyes. A few snores were made soon after and the children slowly began to move away from the fire and closer to the window. "Hey, gotcha" the woman jerked as she shook her cane playfully at the children. "See now, if an old woman like me can frighten you to colours that should never be on your face you have no business looking out the window" she laughed an old laugh and licked her lips. The children quickly returned to their places by the fire but a faint smell of urine slowly filled the room, all of them politely ignored it. "The bleeding forest eh! Well I'm going to tell you the quick story as I truly am getting tired, the suns are fading fast and the smell of wee is giving me a headache!" Well not all of them were polite enough to ignore it; at least she didn't use her cane to point at the culprit.

The children once again edged closer to the fire and the old woman. "Love. A stupid little thing that can drive even the sanest of men bat-poop crazy" she started to a ripple of nervous giggles from the children. "Two brothers thousands of years ago fought the fiercest of battles over a young woman. They screamed at each other, plotted with their friends and on one glorious day, when the tension had come to a boil, the people of Pastorious rushed the palace's walls and watched with eager eyes as they fought blade on blade for the affection of the young maiden." Her throat had dried quickly and the saliva took its time returning, she closed her eyes as if she were trying to remember. A few moments passed before she continued, her eyes remaining closed. "There they fought in front of friends and families, enemies and enemies all for the love of the young girl who seemed most eager to allow the brothers to duel for her. A treacherous little madam who some say caused the creation of the new Nuvarin we live in now" Another little madam voiced a question, forcing the woman to open her eyes and scowl, which did nothing to stop the dulcet voice. "What was the old Nuvarin like?" Simple question, although the old woman didn't think so. "Do I look so old as to have lived in old Nuvarin? The main difference was that Pastorious was the only city and the only place where people lived, or so they thought but that's a story for another time" She was about to trail away on a new tangent created by the toddler but the old woman stopped herself. "Will you please allow me to finish the story with no more questions; you may each have one question when I'm done. Is that fair?" she asked with her mouth but her eyes demanded it, they were not looking for a response. "On that faithful day the brothers fought and in the heat of battle a stray blade struck a woman, a fair woman, a Queen, a mother. Their mother. The fighting stopped, the crowds dispersed and the Queen was taken to her chambers. As her wound was tended to the brothers met again in the corridor, this time their father was there. The brother that struck his mother was in tears, he pleaded for his father's mercy but it had run dry over the years" she paused for a moment before continuing.

"Banishment was his punishment; he had to leave the walled city of Pastorious. Now some may call it luck, others misfortune, but that night as the younger brother gathered up as much of his belongings that could fit on his back the Queen's wound ripped open and as the entire palace rushed to her chambers the boy slipped out of the palace with his pockets spilling of golden coins, along with jewels so precious he could buy another palace. No one stopped him as he gathered his friends, each gathering their friends, all of them gathering what they needed to survive outside Pastorious. So that night, as the young Prince rode out through the gates of the city into the wilderness of Nuvarin, almost a thousand citizens accompanied him. They say his mother's heart bled for him when she heard of his banishment and that was what killed her" Taking a deep breath the old woman wiped a tear from her eye, that story always made her think of the power of the bond between mother and child. "What happened then?" a boy squeaked. A snap of "I said no questions" was his response along with a slight tap on the head with her cane. "Well most of you aren't as dumb as you look surely, can anyone tell me what happened next?" A flurry of hands swarmed towards the low ceiling. The cane landed on the older girl, the freckled faced one. "The young Prince took the Farmer's forest for his own" she finished with a smile. "That he did, and pretty soon the Prince was his own King. His people were richer than they ever had been, selling the ripe crops to Pastorious along with the stranger catches from the river and the fields. People saw a better life in the Farmer's forest than they did in Pastorious where almost a million people were crammed behind the tall walls and so they followed, slowly at first but within ten years the King had a palace of his own, a city growing from the dirt of his mother's death and citizens nearing thirty-thousand and growing steadily. Kingsbirth he named the city, while towns took up the tradition and called themselves Maidenstrap and Brothersblade." "That's where we are!" a girl exclaimed as she smiled at the old woman who wasn't smiling back at her. She simply shook her head and gave the queerest of looks before resuming her story. Another scream, louder than the previous but sadder filled the room and brought the children scurrying slightly closer to the old woman and her dangerous cane. "I fear our time together is coming to an end, so I best finish the story so I can get some sleep" She took one final drink and licked her lips. "So the brother left behind wasn't happy with his younger brother, the newly styled 'Red King', and so going against his aging father's wishes set about claiming the Farmer's Forest as territory of Pastorious along with its many resources and riches."

"The 'Red Battle' took place over two years. Thousands of people died, countless homesteads and cities perished and burned. The older brother, having the greater number of soldiers and weapons and years of training of course won the battle and now Brothersblade and Maidenstrap along with the small villages belong to Pastorious and pay her taxes, while Kingsbirth was put to the torch and allowed crumble to ash" Covering his head to avoid the full force of the cane the boy spoke up. "It's not all ash, the palace is still there" A disapproving look was what he received, like the girl before him and luckily it seemed the old woman was getting too tired to lift her head let alone her cane anymore so his crown was spared the brunt of it. "Yes, yes, yes the palace remains but there are many reasons on why it is still there and who lives within it" A loud bell began ringing outside on the streets of Brothersblade and the light was starting to dim. "I fear our time is running short" Almost in sync the young group of children begged the woman to quickly finish her story, who lived in the palace now and how come it wasn't burned to the ground. "Well I don't know all the answers to the questions but from what I learned as a young girl from my grandmother was this. The younger brother kept a woman with him at all times, elderly like me put less crabby." That little admission allowed the children slight laughter. "According to legend she was supposed to have lived in the forest with her family and others and she was known to have meddled with things she shouldn't have been meddling with. The battle had ended with younger brother being poisoned by his Queen, who it seemed was the young fair woman who started the brother's duel. So the young Red King was dead and the war stopped. Or was he? Fearing for his life the Red King had asked the old woman from the forest for help which she provided in the form of a potion, one that welcomes death as the beginning of a new life. On the next moon as legend had it, the Red King awoke, the same man but different. People wrote that his skin was paler, his eyes redder than they should be and his skin was cold to touch. He was stronger than any man had any right to be and he was fast, as fast as the wind. This potion that the forest woman gave him was a more of a curse than a cure. He was trapped within his palace, the sun burning his flesh whenever he gazed upon it. Food lost all taste for him and it was said that only blood could satisfy him. Blood and battle. So he took it upon himself to rid the world of his murdering Queen and his brother who forced her to do it. Unfortunately the older brother was the wiser one, he had known about the woman from the forest and knew the type of monster that his brother had become and although he couldn't be killed he used the woman's talent to confine and bury his brother far away deep in the Spiralling Sands of Nuvarin where the sun never sets." All of the children were pale and afraid, their little faces not sure what to make of the story that could be either fact or fiction. "So the Red King is gone forever?" a little girl asked, hoping against hope that the answer was yes. "Well he is, but according to the stories the potion that cursed the younger brother was a strong one, one that could carry on to further generations. Alas his family was slaughtered but no one knows if a child of his escaped, an illegitimate child perhaps. All this old woman knows is that the towns are scared; the palace has light once again and the folk outside are trying to bait something they aren't sure exists or even if they want to catch it." With that the fire went out, the door opened to a group of younger women and the children scurried for the protection of their skirts. It wasn't until a few moments later that the women realised the life had gone out of the old storyteller as well as the fire.

Chapter 7even:

Candy-Floss and Dungeons

They continued walking up the lane, away from the village and away from the house. James' heart had just about begun to beat again as they passed one of his neighbour's house. Her arm was intertwined with his and she smelled like, well like love.

"Looks like your colour is coming back!" James wasn't quite sure how she could possibly tell how his colour appeared as the night was black dark and there were no lights on this road with its little patches of grass sprouting from the middle.

"Just about, I think my heart is still a little fragile though" he whispered, the words frosting the air around them. It was cold, colder than earlier and after storming out of the house in a rage of pretend anger he had forgotten his coat, his hood. His Dad put up little argument when James left the house snarling that he wanted some air and hoping that the young woman followed him and more importantly that she wasn't seen.

"Your face was priceless when you walked into the kitchen, I mean I've never seen someone's jaw actually drop" she laughed, her perfectly white teeth shining through the darkness.

"Well you might have thought it funny, I thought they could see you and was wondering what you told them in order for you to call me 'darling'". She just laughed again and squeezed his arm a little tighter and glanced behind. When she had finally caught up with him by the gates of the house she told him that Ida wanted to speak with him, that it was important. He never knew the old woman's name, the one that had poisoned him the first time they met. Apparently the poison was for his own good, she didn't want him to know their location, not right then.

"Come on" she whispered pulling James through an opening in the ditch and soon they were within the large woods that sprawled for miles along the countryside. Whatever light the moon and stars were supplying waned as the tops of the trees melted together to ensure darkness reigned. Suddenly it was him who was squeezing her arm.

"Are you afraid?" She pressed herself up against him, there was immense heat radiating from her and her eyes seemed to flicker like little flames.

"Its night, we're in a forest and I've been hunted by monstrous beasts twice already, I don't want a hat-trick". A laugh was all he got, a loud one that seemed to carry on the wind and rustle the leaves. "I'm glad you find my peril funny!" She kissed him on the cheek, a lingering kiss, one that seemed to weaken his knees and eradicate the butterflies.

"Come on, I'll protect you" she laughed again as she pressed further into the forest, never once letting go of his hand.

What seemed like miles of walking James wasn't quite sure what exactly he was doing following this "cupid" into the dark woods to meet a woman who personally poisoned him and left him in a field to find his own way home. He was sure it was better than the alternative of having to spend a dreadful evening with his father and her but still he was nervous and so he abruptly stopped.

"What's wrong?" the cupid asked. She was mere inches from him and James could feel her breathing, it was warm and calm like her.

"Where are we going?"

"I told you, to see Ida"

"Why should I?"

"James" The cupid placed a hand on his cheek, it was soft and warm against the cold that had left its mark. "We're going to see Ida because she wants to thank you for saving Belle. Please, it's very important to her"

For a moment he did nothing, said nothing and looked into nothing. Then she placed her other hand on his other cheek to drive away the cold and force his eyes to meet hers.

"What's your name?" he asked, seeing that it was only fair that if he be dragged through the countryside by a woman in the dark of night he should know her name. Leaning in close, tipping on her toes, she whispered in his ear. "Maylue....but my friends call me Lue"

The two of them took up where they left off and with Lue guiding the forest seemed to thicken around them. A little wind rattled the leaves on the trees once again and caused a little flurry of bushes to shiver on the ground as James walked by. Darkness had filled James' eyes and only the severe rushing of water brought back a memory to him from his childhood, he had an idea of where he was. Still holding Lue's hand he suddenly stopped and glancing to his left he could see a small light in the distance.

"Harlin's Castle?" he asked, peering through the trees for a better look. The castle was old, very old. From what James could remember the castle had been built seven hundred years ago, destroyed and rebuilt five hundred years ago and then destroyed once more only never to be fully rebuilt. A bridge that had once served as a gateway to the castle and its overgrown grounds had washed away when he was still in primary school and there was no way across anymore. The local council deemed it the best as the castle was seen as a stomping ground for bored teenagers to dabble in things they had no business to be dabbling in.

"Well, it's not really called Harlin's castle. The Veiled Castle was its original name" Lue said as she left go of James' hand and once again intertwined her arm with his. James looked at the castle in the distance and then to Lue.

"The Veiled Castle?"

"I'll let Ida explain to you" Lue said as she patted his chest and smiled. For some reason the two of them remained standing there staring at the dancing minute light in the distance as the current rushed along the banks. A snapping twig from behind shook them from their little trance and both of them turned with James feeling the need to push Lue behind him, to protect her. There was no need. Out of nowhere a long red bow appeared in her hand complete with a little black quiver on her back. An arrow was swiftly loaded, completely silver with a red pointed tip and red feathers at the base. Within seconds of them turning she had loaded and loosened the arrow and as James strained to watch the silver glimmer as it shot through the dark it burst into three separate arrows, each as dangerous as the original. They landed on two trees and an arm.

"Bloody hell there was no need for that!" a voice moaned from the night. James stayed perfectly still while Lue dashed after her arrows and towards the injured voice. Calling after her was no good as she wasn't a dog and the feeling to protect her was gone and in its place, fear. Moments of silence that seemed to stretch for hours passed and eventually he could hear the sounds of footsteps coming. A tall, handsome man with cropped dark hair and striking red leather pants was leaning on Lue's shoulder. Around his arm was a make-shift bandage where a small smudge of blood could be seen.

"I was only coming to see what was taking you so long; there was no need to bloody shoot me"

"Yes there was when you were hiding in the bushes like some garden variety weirdo" The two of them came to a stop by James, their nagging reminiscent of an old married couple.

"James, I'd like to introduce August, the creeping cupid" Lue laughed as she freed herself from his thick shoulder and returned to James' side.

"Gust, I go by Gust" he said shaking James' hand. Two feet taller and about three foot wider than James, he was suddenly reminded of the beast of a man who had attacked him in the bank vault and his body suddenly trembled. Shaking he fell to the cold earth and cried in pain as his body seemingly tried to rip itself into two.

"What did you do?" Lue screamed as she knelt by James' trembling head and rubbed his forehead.

"Nothing, I just shook his hand. Didn't shoot him with an arrow that's for sure" Gust replied with a hint of sarcasm to hide his sudden panic. The panic didn't fade when James passed out on the ground, his body not moving and his breathing utterly shallow.

He woke with a start, still on the ground although this one was harder. Getting up was harder to do and so first he sat rubbing his eyes as they remained blurred and unable to focus. A few moments passed before his sight was as it was and so he stood, wobbling slightly, not unlike a newly born calf. The forest wasn't around him anymore; he was somewhere else, somewhere warmer. Taking a few steps he moved toward a gate, its padlocked chain hanging from a handle, broken. Dreaming? Not sure what else to do he moved closer to the gate and slipped inside. Around him was an unsettling place, the creepiest of places. To his left stood a once colourful building that had two entrances and a long balcony, not unlike the funhouses that he'd visited when the funfair arrived in Hamlet. This one though had clearly seen better days, the doors were broken, some signs with foreign words hung broken like the chain on the gate and there were at least two holes in the balcony floor. Beside it was a van, with a picture of candy-floss on it, James remembered the candy-floss his mother gave him at the fair, sticky and sugary. A warm wind caught hold of a couple of giant tea-cups and they slowly creaked, almost crying out for some oil. The sound they made startled him and caused a shiver.

"I'm dreaming, I was just in Hamlet". Smoke caught his nose and turned his glance away from the crying tea-cups and to the rollercoaster, the extremely dangerous, hazardous looking rollercoaster. From the distance James could just about make out someone standing under the rollercoaster, a small fire dwindling by their back. "What are they looking at?" Moving closer James could see that it was a girl, she was staring into the fire the flames dancing in her eyes then out of the shadows of the rollercoaster another person emerged, small and stout hobbling with cane and hump. "Looks like Ida!" As he continued to watch them the old woman pulled something from her sleeve and tossed it into the flames. They leapt ten feet high into the night (the flames not the women) and then turned an entrancing green and then they were gone. All of a sudden it was as if the old woman could sense James' presence, her eyes peered through the dark directly to him and her cane pointed in his direction.

"Help us!" the girl cried from the rim of the fire. James came out of the shadows and smiled at them as he slowly made his way around some chains on the ground and broken bumper-cars. Closer he could make out the two; both of them had dark complexions, although their skin was separated by decades. The younger woman was closer, both to the fire and to James' age. Her beauty stopped James still, her curled hair tumbling down beyond her shoulders as it gently swayed in the soft wind froze his heart for a moment. Near enough to talk, not shout, James was about to introduce himself when a tall lean man not unlike the young woman in appearance pounced from behind a gaming stall a long knife firmly in his hand.

"No, no don't!" the girl begged but it was too late, the man had thrust the knife into James' chest. Just as James tried to free himself from the attack he fell backwards and woke once more, this time in familiar surroundings. Ida's little study, familiar surroundings, not exactly welcomed ones.

"He's awake, he's awake!" was the sound that rang through his ears as James slowly came around. "He's bleeding, he's bleeding" the same voice cried as she spied the blood pooling around the centre of his shirt. All of a sudden the small room where James had once been poisoned swelled with people, some of them he had seen the first night he arrived in the castle, others (one or two) he had never seen before.

"Good heavens I was right" an old man announced as he stood in the door frame leaning on a long slender stick.

"Well there's always a first time for everything" Ida replied making her way to James who was still lying on her appropriate fainting couch. She seemed worried watching as the blood still began to slowly trickle out from his shirt and down onto the couch. Licking a piece of cloth she started to wipe the delicate canary yellow fabric. "Damn that's going to leave a stain" she sighed as the blood began to dry. Waving her hand the room started to quickly empty, the cupids, muses and hippies all vanished from sight as did all but one of the brown robed things. All that remained were Ida, Mikel, the old man standing by the door frame and a brown robe.

"So old man what was is that you were right about?" the brown robe asked and as soon as he was about to answer Ida snapped like only an old woman could and the room fell silent. She glanced at both Mikel and the brown robe and curtly said "you're dismissed" and the two of them left, although Mikel seemed a bit miffed he joined hands with the brown robe and fizzled away in a gust of sand. That just left James with the old woman and the even older man. A twinge of pain rippled his chest and James could feel the skin pulling itself together stretching over the gash and mending itself. Sitting up he opened the shirt to see the faintest of scars left in its place.

"Oh to have a warrior's gifts" Ida said as she got up from the couch and went to the large desk that was placed in front of the bay window. The old man still stood quiet by the door and James tried to get a better look at him, it was hard as he was almost entirely engulfed by the shadows. She returned from the desk with a T-shirt, one with a large cartoon character on the front, and small bottle containing a clear liquid. A sudden horrible realisation came over James as he watched her approach, if she was going to try and make him drink whatever was in that bottle he would have no problem punching her, old or not. Luckily for both of them she just tossed the T-shirt at him and apologised for not having anything more in his style. The liquid in the bottle turned out to be "White Spirits" and she dabbed the stains on the couch with it in a bid to curb the permanent setting of the marks. Feeling suddenly in the way James stood up while Ida continued dabbing the blood with the white spirits, every few dabs she would empty another dose of liquid onto the cloth so much so that the air in the small room was replaced with fumes. James quickly changed into the shirt that she had thrown at him and he was getting ever more curios about the man that was still somewhat hidden by the shadows. His outline was clear, a tall man but old, he was slightly stooped and his hair was white; not very easy to hide in the shadows. The long stick in his hand seemed almost as old as him and James couldn't help but notice that it was attached to him, there was a string around the top that was wound around the old man's wrist. "Now that's better, I'll give it a chance to dry!" Ida said getting up from her cleaning and swaying slightly before the old man caught her by the arm and steadied her to her feet. James was taken aback. Not by the swift movement of the man but the fact that he was blind. His eyes were open but they, like his hair, were pure white.

"Oh thank you Robert, I think the fumes went straight to my head" she said taking the arm that steadied her and intertwining hers. James looked at them both with great curiosity. For once he wasn't afraid to be in the castle. Standing in front of him were two frightfully old people both of whom had canes. She used hers to aid her walking and he used his to guide his way through his dark world. After a few moments of an awkward silence finally Ida started to move away from Robert and with her cane tapping she made her way towards the fireplace. Using her cane she pushed back the large plush green mat that lay in front of the fire to reveal a trap-door. Crooking the cane she caught hold on the iron handle and slowly pulled; a little creak and then a loud bang revealed a lot of dust and a set of stairs. Robert had followed the sound of Ida's "tapping" and the creaking and was now standing mere inches from the open hole in the ground. James followed slowly and looking down all he could see were concrete steps swimming in darkness.

"There's no way I'm going down there" he said backing away from the trap door and retreating to the slightly blood-stained couch.

"Don't be so dramatic. We're all going down there" Ida said as she lifted an old oil lamp from behind her desk and struck a match. The smell was almost as bad as the fumes from the white spirits and James wasn't exactly sure how the whole room didn't catch fire when she lit the match. Taking hold of Robert's hand the old woman slowly made her down the cold stairs and as she went she lit small candles placed in carved crevasses in the wall, soon the whole passageway was lighting.

"My boy, give an old man a hand?" Robert asked outstretching his arm blindingly trying to find James. Reluctantly James heeded the man's request and helped him gently onto the first large step, and then the second and soon only his top half remained in the room. "Not coming boy?" he asked when he couldn't hear James footsteps behind.

"Last time I was here I was attacked, almost squashed in a tiny room and then poisoned, so no I'm not going down into another hole!" he replied taking a few steps back from the trap door.

"Ah well that's a great loss" he said feeling the ground with the cane and the walls with his hand moving down ever so carefully. The candles in the wall proved no good to the old man but he could feel their warmth on his face and he was cautious not to allow his hand to fall into a crevasse and burn.

"I'm sure yee will get over it" James replied as he stood peering over the edge watching as the old man's head went lower and lower. The old man let out a loud bellowing laugh followed by a chesty cough that seemed to echo through the entire room.

"It's a loss for you boy, not for us! We know everything we need to know and more. It's you that needs to come down here, for I know stories that will curl your toes and warm you heart" he said as his feet landed on yet another step. James wasn't exactly coming around to the idea and was still defiantly standing in the room glancing down, wary not to get too close for he feared someone could just pop up behind him and push him down.

"Why can't you tell me the stories up here?"

"Well if herself wanted me to tell you the stories up there, she wouldn't have gone down there now would she? You never know boy, there are ears everywhere and tongues waiting to wag". James was unsure. The thirst for information was boiling within him but the fear of being locked up in some dungeon the moment he followed the two old fogies down the stairs stopped him. In the room he wasn't afraid of them, but now they have the element of surprise and what did James have? Nothing but a longing to understand and a fear of what knowing might bring.

"Tell me what you were right about first?" James shouted hoping that Robert's ears hadn't gone the way of his eyes.

"Astral-projection boy, you can do it" was the reply that floated out of the hole. James tried to think, he had never heard of that before, although to be fair he hadn't heard of a lot of things. Swallowing a deep breath that consisted more of white spirit fumes and remnants of smoke from the match James descended the steps feeling the wall like the old man did before him.

James reached the end of the staircase quickly; he was after all closer to the early stage of a century unlike the other two. Nonetheless once there he was alone, both the blind old man and the hobbling woman were gone. There was only one way, straight down a long narrow corridor no wider than a kitchen drawer and so he started, slowly at first then gradually picking up speed when he could hear the chatter of the two. Getting closer, he could see a stream of light spilling out into the narrow corridor but then he heard something jerk in the shadowed space behind him and so he reluctantly turned. Stone that had come to life. That's what stood before him, seven feet of man carved in grey stone; the spear clutched in its hand was real steel though. Another jerking sound filled his ears from behind and without looking he knew it was going to be a compatriot to this none-too-friendly guard. James smiled. Why did I think this time was going to be different? Not knowing what to do and seeing as no one was coming to see what was keeping him James tried to move past the guard blocking the retreat to the stairs. A cold arm knocked him back to the ground up against the feet of the second guard. Looking upwards James could just see legs of thick stone then its head tilted downwards, a bronze mask covering its face. Moving rather swiftly the bronze masked guard lifted the spear and attempted to plunge deep in James' chest. Seeing as there was no ability to roll out of the way of the down coming weapon James had no other option but to catch it the steel mere inches from his throat. Using the strength that apparently came with being a warrior James was able to snap the head off the spear and thrust the shaft upwards into the still tilted head; it came off and landed by James' head the bronze mask falling off to reveal a blank face. The rest of the headless guard remained standing in the exact same spot, limp and so fearing the repercussions from the other stone guard James quickly got up and tried to make his way to Ida and Robert. Unfortunately knocking the head off the guards didn't render them useless as James could testify to when the arms of the headless guard wrapped themselves around him and started squeezing. Feeling as if he were locked in the grips of a jaws-of-life James was almost certain he could hear his ribs snapping one by one as the stone pulled him tighter. He screamed, loudly.

"Dimittere Eum" cried Ida as she appeared in the stream of light down the end of the narrow corridor. The arms suddenly opened and James slumped to the floor, winded and broken. Ida's cane began to tap as she slowly made her way up towards him and the two stone guards. "Recidimus" she said, unable to get past the headless guard. The two guards then slowly morphed back into the stone wall, the second one taking his head and bronze mask along with him. Looking up James could see the bronze mask on the wall and glancing up and down the narrow corridor could see hundreds more on either side. Seeing as they were over seven feet up off the ground he hadn't noticed them earlier. "Silly boy! Why didn't you call out sooner?" James didn't have an answer for her so just shrugged; he wasn't sure why he didn't call out sooner. Perhaps he felt as though he could handle himself, although his feeling was wrong. Ida leaned up against the wall and tried to catch her breath, she was panting like a small terrier after chasing a bird.

"Come on boy.....there's a world waiting......for....you.....down there" she said in between trying to catch breaths. Then James did something he really didn't expect to do, he offered his arm to the old woman and the two walked slowly down the passageway and through the opening, the door shut closed behind them with a bang.

Inside the room was large, larger than any other room in the castle that James had seen. There wasn't a window in sight, which was to be expected as they were underground, the cold could still be felt even though there were numerous fires burning both in hearths and large brass plates that hung from the ceiling and rested upon pillars. Robert was standing against a wall between two large hearths and that's where Ida made her way to, James followed.

"This is my favourite place in the entire castle, the things here are for no one else's eyes but mine and Robert's and now yours" Ida said as she picked up a small book and rubbed her hand along its spine.

"What about Mikel? Does he not come down here?" James asked as a large red curtain took his eye.

"Good heavens no, no one is allowed down here for there are things here that may never leave this room, both in memory and possession" she said as she took hold of a long gold tassel and gave it a tug. The curtain fell to the floor, narrowly avoiding contact with both fires. All three of them stood there looking at the wall, two actually seeing it.

"James I give you home" Ida announced gleefully as she and Robert stepped back as the young boy stepped closer. He didn't speak; his eyes roamed the vast image on the wall. It was painted on, well most of it other parts seemed to be actually made and placed on the wall or perhaps were part of the plaster. Most of the wall was green, there was blue for what James presumed to be an ocean and up near the ceiling were numerous grey mounds coming out of the wall, mountains and looking closer he could make out some writing, "Midget Mountains". It seemed an inappropriate name for them as they ranged all along the wall and even travelled halfway down the east. As his eyes followed the mountains he made out another bit of blue, it was thin and stretched along the entire wall moving almost in a straight line from the East Mountains to the ocean, which he now could see was called "The Swallowing Sea".

"What is this?" he asked as he moved his hand along little green bumps, a forest by the east midgets.

"I told you James, home. Not exactly yours but your mother's and your mother's family" Ida said as she placed her hand on James back. James took his hand off the green bumps and stepped back once more forcing the old woman's hand away. "See where your hand was just now, that's the 'Third Forest' home to thousands of people and ruled by a family that has been decimated to the brink of extinction." Ida said as she herself placed her hand on the little mound of green that represented the forest. "The D'aragons, a name born from the ashes of a broken family, once ruled the forest, their seat being in Kingsbirth, a city now reduced to nothing but empty streets and burned buildings." Robert nodded silently as he traced his hand along the map. James continued to stare at the map while Ida whispered briefly the story of the origins of the D'aragons. She spoke of two brothers thousands of years ago who fought over the love of a young woman and one ended up accidently slaying their mother, he was subsequently banished but he took hundreds of citizens, resources and charisma and built himself a new kingdom. "He came from there, Pastorious" she said pointing to a large walled city on the edge of a cliff. It too had a forest within its walls but it was smaller and backed out almost to the cliff's edge. James moved closer to the wall, placing his hand on a large white mound of plaster that seemed to represent a castle of some sort. "The Palace of Vicomte, home to King Vance Vadsaria and his family" Ida said as she once again placed her hand on James' shoulder. "Your mother's family, and yours" she said. Suddenly filled with a mixture of confusion and anger James shrugged her hand off and slowly backed away from the wall. "James, what's wrong?"

"You're lying, it's all a lie" he replied moving closer to the door.

"I promise you it's not, this is your heritage. You're mother's lineage can be traced back thousands of years, all of them spent ruling a world very similar to ours in some ways yet vastly different in others." Robert announced loudly yet still staring at the wall. "See that forest there, in Pastorious" he continued. "I ran through that forest along with your mother almost twenty years ago in search of a dangerous man" he paused for a moment, while James was tittering on the edge of the doorway. "At the edge of that forest there are two pillars, orange in the sun, blue in the moon and grey most times reaching almost thirty feet into the sky. Legend had it that they served as the gateway to another world, but nobody had ever witnessed nor knew anybody who ever passed through it" he rested his face against the cold blue waters on the wall. "Nobody ever dared attempt to go through it as to do so would send you falling to your death in the Bay of Fires, but one night, one strange night when the world known as Nuvarin experienced a rebirth". Ida seemed enthralled by the story, her eyes had tears and one hand was clasped over her mouth. "MAGIC", "Magic had returned to the world it all but abandoned centuries before and with it came danger".

"The man? Who was the man you and my mother were chasing?" James asked, still standing on the threshold, one leg in the hallway.

"Dako, Dako Aryal. A young man who became the first warrior in over two hundred years, and his 'gift from nature', a son from your mother's sister Valery who died in childbirth" Ida had now sat down and had pulled a lace handkerchief from her sleeve and was dabbing at her eyes as streams of tears were now flowing.

"James come away from the door and listen" she said beckoning the boy closer.

"I can hear perfectly fine from where I am" he retorted, not really sure what he was going to do but he liked the option of being close to an exit. "So how come the man was dangerous, because he was a warrior because according to you so am I" he said turning his attention to Robert.

"Yes you're a warrior, and so was he, but Dako's intentions were never honourable, and he manipulated your aunt into a terrible situation. He caused ripples between her and her family and when a murder that was arranged on the King's behalf failed, both Dako and a heavily pregnant Valery vanished into the millions of citizens of Pastorious. We found them two days later and that's when we learned Dako had become a warrior, his strength knocked five of my best men through a wall and then he took the screaming newborn and ran into the night, leaving a naïve Princess Valery dead on a filthy straw bed. Your mother and I followed him all the way to the first forest where I swear to this day he jumped through the pillars and in a dazzling purple light he vanished. Victoria, not thinking about her own safety flung herself through the pillars and me being her sworn guard followed." He turned to face James, his white eyes staring directly at him. "I found myself in a dark new world, your mother was lying on the ground unconscious, Dako and the baby were gone and I've never seen anything since that night" he finished turning away from them and facing the map.

James remained on the threshold, still, looking at the large map beautifully placed on the wall with no idea how to comprehend what he had just heard. His head was spinning with thoughts of another world and sudden little flashbacks came screaming back to him, things his mother said in passing that he took no notice of. She always did call James her little "Prince", and that one day if she could she would take him to a "place far more beautiful" than here. James had just thought she was talking about Australia or something. A whole other world existed and with it half of James' heritage but he wasn't sure he wanted to hear any more about it, especially tonight. Not uttering a single word to either Robert or Ida James stepped backward out the door and started walking to the stairs, then jogging and finally running, before he knew it he was panting in the middle of Ida's little room. Scratching his blonde hair that was wet with sweat he looked around the room, there wasn't exactly an exit that he could see. There was no door, only bookcases, a window and a large painting he hadn't spotted earlier. Fearing the stone creatures to emerge from the walls below and hunt him down, or worse still Ida hobbling up the steps with a stern face and a whip-like cane James started to rip books from their shelves. He had hoped that one of them might have been a dummy, a latch to open a secret passageway. With hundreds of books thrown all across the room James panicked and doubled over to catch his breath before standing tall and looking again at the painting. It was so obvious he smiled stupidly to himself as he casually walked over to it. The painting reached from the ground to the ceiling and was about the same width of a door and with great ease James hoisted it from the wall and tossed it aside. Obvious it might have been which was probably why there was no hidden doorway behind the painting. That was it; there was no other option for James so as he made his way to the window he prayed that it wasn't too far to the ground below, and that the ground below was grass.

Beyond the window was the dark sky and as James opened it he realised that the window was only a window to a corridor, a narrow tunnel that ran along outside the room. Barely two feet wide he managed to slide himself into the tunnel and slowly began to run along the corridor, passing the numerous little slits of windows that actually were windows to the outside. Finally he came to a door, a large wooden door with heavy black hinges and numerous cobwebs. Figures. Of course the door would have to have been locked, it if it hadn't James might have been fearful that something was working to his advantage. The only advantage that he apparently did have was this warrior strength and so backing back, he shook himself from head to toe and charged. Being big and old James was sure the door would take a few tries before it would falter; he hadn't figured that it might have succumbed to rotting and James fell right through it landing by the top of a staircase.

"Good heavens boy if you wanted to leave all you needed to do was ask, no use in breaking apart the castle. That door was over five hundred years old" she tutted picking at a few broken pieces of timber with her cane.

"How did you catch up with me?" James asked getting up from the ground and dusting himself off.

"My boy you have seen first hand the amount of secret passageways here, I can be everywhere and nowhere in a matter of moments, my legs work quickly when the need arises" she said walking to the top of the stairs and smiling. "Look James, the front door, perhaps you would like to give it a try?" They both descended slowly to the foyer and remarkably there were still alone, no one had come to investigate the loud bang, not even Mikel. At the front door Ida grabbed James by the hand and looked at him.

"The astral-projection. James I need you to tell me where did you go? Who did you see?" she asked, her grip on his hand intensifying. Slightly scared James told her exactly what he saw; who he saw and she made him promise to keep everything to himself until SHE asked him. As the door closed behind, the night air filled his head with a momentary sense of clarity and as he headed in no particular direction the evening's revelations started rushing back.

The Third Forest:

Journey of the Sisters Red

The sun was slowly creeping up over the charred trees that surrounded most of the castle of Kingsbirth. They hadn't grown in centuries yet they hadn't withered either, it was if they remained exactly the same way when the last of the fires burned out all those years ago. Unfortunately the city was the same, hundreds of homes, businesses, schools and sadly people put to the torch in the war and most of them were still in the exact same place, blackened, wilted and cautioning. Although the sun was indeed rising, darkness never truly fell over the forest as the second sun, part of a curse, never left the sky and kept the moon diminished.

Scorched leaves rustled as feet rushed over them along the broken remains of the castle's outer wall. Dressed in a flowing red robe with a hood hiding their face they headed east toward the small gate that once served as the common people's entry to the castle. The gate had long been torn down and its metal was melted for better uses, weapons, and inside by the long abandoned stables were a group of people, a few horses and two carriages. As the red figure passed under the falling arch a dog barked and all eyes turned.

"My Lady" a voice said as he bowed his head, others following suit with one younger individual going so far as to kneel in what was sadly the droppings of one of the horses. The only one not to bow was the man by one of the carriages. He was staring intently at it, his eyes fixed on whatever was inside. The woman made her way to the man and going on the tips of her toes covered his eyes with her hands.

"Guess who?" she whispered in his ear. He inhaled her hands and reaching his around grabbed her backside.

"Precious Cerise, you've come to bid me farewell" Freeing himself from her hands and taking them in his he moved her away from the carriage, not before she caught a glimpse of what was inside. At least six people were chained inside the carriage like animals.

"Do you think you have enough?"

"Of course I do, there are two carriages, and if they do not suffice, I do have a couple of companions I'm not overly fond of" he whispered in her ear.

"The Lady Cerise has kindly come to bid us farewell on our adventure, so let's not disappoint her, mount up gentleman we leave now" His voice was hard and dripping with authority, while his body could almost be described the same. Tall, over six feet and with broad shoulders it was no wonder he had little difficultly in stretching his arms backwards to embrace Cerise. She on the other hand was taller than most women but not as tall as him, her curves were envious and her red hair was more like blood than fire. Her remarkably pale face housed not one freckle nor blemish and radiant blue eyes that watched everything. They saw some men quickly mount their horses while less fortunate ones prepared for a seemingly long journey on foot. Minutes after her arrival the men were ready to leave and the first carriage had already shuddered through the gate, the horses pulling it slowly. Suddenly Cerise was lifted from the muck and sat upon a gorgeous black stallion that he was riding.

"My journey is only half of the adventure; you and your sisters must go as well"

"We will as soon as Coque says so, only she knows when to leave"

"I pray that the gods are with us" Both of them laughed heartedly at that little statement, their giggles reaching the beyond the charred trees into the quiet forest.

"As soon as she sees it, we will be on our way and the next time I see you we will be marching on Pastorious with an undefeatable army" He looked at her and smiled, two of his teeth were missing but his smile was still handsome.

"Till then my love" and he kissed her lips. His kiss was cold, not winter cold but death cold. She slid off the horse and as she turned she watched him gallop out the gate after his companions.

"Goodbye my Prince" she called as she pulled up her large hood once more and entered the castle. Most of the roofs over the great castle had long fallen in, rotted and black. The walls stayed standing, some crumbling slightly and all of them black but still able to withstand the strong winds and provide some shelter. Luckily the people torching the castle never knew that there were numerous secret chambers throughout the premises, some accessible through underground tunnels, others found by narrow passages behind fireplaces. One such passageway led to a flight of stairs where at the top rested an apartment unfazed by the fire and complete with its own almost floating garden. The narrow staircase was completely free of light and so she climbed in the darkness counting as she went like always. She had climbed these steps thousands of times since she learned to walk and now finally she was soon going to learn what lay beyond the forest for soon she was going to leave Kingsbirth on an adventure he said destiny placed on her shoulders.

"Ninety-five" she whispered and she pulled up her skirt and continued upwards. Her mother had always told her to count the steps, to know exactly how many were there so she knew exactly where she was at all times. "One hundred and seventy-four" she sighed as she leaned against the wall for a few seconds. When she was a child she could take the steps two at a time and not stop till she reached the top but she was no longer a child and her legs no longer bounded. Taking off her large coat she continued on for one final press to the top. "Two-hundred and fifty-four, two hundred and fifty-five, two hundred and fifty-six, two hundred and fifty-seven" she smiled as she reached the landing. A large black door greeted her at the top and she slowly pushed it open, it was heavy, very heavy and it normally took her a few moments to gather the momentum to push it open, especially after counting all those steps.

Inside the darkness was almost as bad as the narrow staircase what with only a few slits in the walls to act as windows. She threw her coat on top of a small table that rested by the door and made her way to the centre of the apartment taking care to avoid the heat of the fire as her cheeks were still flushed from the climb. Soft giggling caught her attention and she made her way to a small corner by a hallway where a backless couch and three chairs formed a circle.

"Carmine" she said looking down on the floor to a young girl no more than fifteen. Dressed in a faded white dress with her blonde hair in a tight plait she shook with fright when she eyed her sister.

"What are you hiding?" Cerise asked as she moved one of the chairs and stepped closer to her younger sister who promptly put her hands behind her back. Not being the patient kind, especially when it came to her siblings, Cerise grabbed hold of the plait with one hand and yanked it forwards while she grabbed the little ball of fur with the other.

"Stop Cerise, that's mine" Carmine cried as Cerise took the small grey cat and hurried away.

"I told you, no cats! And no badgers, no squirrels, no hedgehogs no matter how cute they look, no!" Cerise snapped. Carmine sobbed as her older sister patted the kitten's head and nuzzled it against her own face.

"Did you name this one?" she asked as looked in the small innocent eyes. Carmine shook her head.

"You lie little sister, but no matter" Cerise smiled and walked down the hallway to where light was streaming in from an opening in a wall. Carmine followed wearingly. "How long has she been out there?" Three steps led down from the gap in the wall to a little pathway across a broken roof to the walled garden. It was a simple garden, not much grew there apart from a few herbs and spices and on the rare occasion a few vegetables might sprout from the raised soil. Large stones, ones that had fallen from crumbing towers provided both shelter and seats and a little pond had formed in a crater that one of the stones had created. How the water hadn't seeped down through the concrete to the floor below was anyone's guess. On the edge of the wall with their back to the apartment was another girl, her hair black as the door and dancing in the wind.

"Did you hear me little sister? I asked you a question" But it was no good, the younger one clearly wasn't going to respond to her sister. The patience that Cerise was lacking often prevailed over her emotions and as she smiled at her sister she held the kitten out the gap. It was long way down to the ground and Cerise was pretty certain that this little feline would not land so nicely on his feet. The cries from the kitten were carried on the wind and Carmine started to cry.

"Only you can stop this, how long has she been out there?" The question was posed again, but if Cerise's downfall was her severe lack of patience, then Carmine's was her stubbornness, although a lot of that could be contributed to her young years. Crying and shaking in tears she partly turned away from her older sister and folded her arms.

"Fine, have it your way! Goodbye little kitten" she said. The cat didn't make a sound, not when Cerise let go or when it finally hit the ground far below. Carmine on the other hand screamed loudly like as if she had been thrown from the castle to her death. Her face went red with anger and her hands began to tremble and with her eyes closed tears still managed to fall. "That's it Carmine, get angry embrace the rage" Cerise commanded as she took her sister by the shoulders and squeezed. Carmine broke her hold and in a split second raised her hand and slapped Cerise's cheek, the sound echoed along the apartment. Cerise smiled, a trickle of blood dripped from where a fingernail had caught her cheek. Carmine was still crying, her face was still red and her hands were still shaking, however it was more the result now of fear than anger. Cerise's smiles were dangerous; they hid the mostly deathly of intentions. Suddenly the roars of thunder filled the castle and rung out all across Kingsbirth. Bolts of lighting darted through the sky and some even hit the ground, one igniting a tree that had already felt the lick of a fire. "Is this you? Are you doing this?" Cerise demanded of her sister. She shook her head and quickly ran away as the clouds darkened above plunging the entire castle in to an almost night like state. Winds soon kicked up outside and their force were felt within the living quarters as anything that wasn't nailed to the floor or the wall started to move. Sheets of rain lashed against Cerise's face and her attention was drawn once more to a sister, the middle one. She was now standing in the centre of the garden, nodding with her arms outstretched. Then almost as soon as the erratic weather appeared it was gone and Coque rushed from the garden almost slipping on the narrow path and plunging to her death. Cerise grabbed hold of her by her shoulders and embraced her.

"You could have slipped and died, you have to take caution dear sister" Cerise smiled as she parted the wet hair from Coque's face.

"I do not die today" she replied beginning to shiver. Breaking free from the elder sibling Coque made her way to the living area and glanced in the corner where Carmine had been happily playing with her kitten.

"Where is she?" she asked and not in a gentle way.

"I don't know, you're the psychic!" her sister sniggered. Coque shook her head, took a large blanket from a chair and went to the window. Glancing out at the clearing clouds she took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

"Get ready, we leave immediately" she said turning back to her sister.

"Truly? Rufous has only left!" Cerise replied, almost in a timid girlish fashion.

"The weather hasn't lied to me yet. Prepare the horses and I'll find Carmine" she said as she walked towards her sister.

"And by the way, killing her kitten, that's despicable even for you" she added before disappearing behind a door and banging it shut. Cerise did as she was told. Even though she was the oldest of the three sisters, she was far from the one in charge, that job seemed to have fallen to the middle sister, the favourite. Their mother always favoured Coque and Carmine over her, she always knew and deep down she didn't care. While she plotted and schemed her sisters helped their mother cook and sew and sing stupid songs. The stables like almost everything else were burnt and charred yet they still housed horses, barely. There were holes in the roof, the walls and even the floor had a few death traps that were covered with red cloth to warn. Four horses were tied in the stable, one for each of them and one to carry the absolute bare necessities. Two worn saddles were thrown in the corner and there were all that were left. The others had cleaned the place out and Cerise had hoped that she would have a couple of weeks to sneak into Brothersblade to purchase some new ones. They would have to do and she secured them to the horses while she loaded blankets on the third and blinkers on the fourth. Stepping back from the head of the fourth horse he got a little spooked and reared its head causing Cerise to stumble backwards and land in the most unfortunate of stable hazards, excrement.

"Stupid horses, stupid Coque, just because she can see the future means she can boss me around!" she cursed aloud as she got to her feet.

"Well if it wasn't for stupid little me you wouldn't know when to journey to aid your beloved" Coque snarled. She had found Carmine who was still a little red around the eyes from crying and both of them were dressed in dowdy brown robes with large hoods.

"Little you, they're cows smaller than you!" Cerise was tempted to say it aloud but there was a long journey ahead and there was already tension in the air. The three quickly mounted and Cerise was left with the saddle less horse and had the fourth one attached to her so her journey was going to be the longest. Coque and Carmine were in front, abreast, conversing softly as Cerise followed; her blue eyes narrow and focused. As she slowly followed her sisters out through the narrow gap in the wall she turned her head upward and there upon the wall staring down was the kitten. It hissed and scratched at the air.

Chapter 8ight:

Champagne and a Leach

As the town car took the corner at a bit of speed the old woman momentarily regretted knocking back that last brandy, the double one. Only a little burp surfaced, lucky, as for a moment she thought the brandy was going to return the way it went in. Wet and fast.

"George, not so fast" she said tapping the headrest of the driver's seat. An apology and an immediate shift down in gears was the response and the woman continued to look out the car window as it drove cautiously through the streets of London, its doors firmly locked and windows closed. Nearing almost eight decades in the city she was glad she never left for longer than a month as the city changed so rapidly she feared she might have missed something, and she hated to miss anything. Although she wouldn't have wanted to have been anywhere else when her grandson's mother died tragically, she had to miss two evenings of bridge and poker with her quintet of London ladies who knew everything that happened in the city.

Eventually the car came to a stop outside a large townhouse, three storeys tall with staff quarters in the basement. There were twelve houses on the street, each pristine and well maintained, as was the street with its own security personnel and maintenance staff. After all it wouldn't be nicknamed Millionaire's Row with burnt out cars and overgrown weeds everywhere. George promptly exited the car and opened her door and she was met with a little chilled wind. The furred wrap she was wearing offered little shelter from it, but the large amounts of brandy kept her warm.

"Thank you George, now don't forget I've morning tea with the Dowager Countess at half nine" she smiled as she climbed the first step.

"Yes Ma'am" he replied watching as she carefully negotiated the steps. He wasn't quite sure whether she was being cautious because of her age or the fact that her legs were pretty useless after the drink. The door opened just as she reached the porch and out popped a young woman, dressed plainly in a black shirt and pants. As the door closed to the London Street George drove off saluting one of the guards as he went. Within the house the young night housekeeper/maid/cook/counsellor took the wrap from her employer and placed it delicately in the closet in the foyer.

"A pleasant evening Ma'am?" she asked as the old woman took a seat in the main reception room.

"Oh yes quite enjoyable, although that boar of a woman, Lady Ashcroft kept going on about her new charity, no wonder I'm so damn tipsy" she replied lifting up the newspaper and glancing at the front page.

"That's unfortunate, shall I make some tea?" she asked standing in the doorway.

"What! Oh yes that would be lovely, thank you Pippa". Alone in the room once again she looked at the headlines. "Deaths, tragedies and taxes, why do I bloody still subscribe to the paper, I hardly ever read it" she said to no one in particular.

"Well Ma'am how could you possibly know what's going on in the social circle without the paper" Pippa smiled as she placed a china cup and saucer delicately down on the dark wooden table.

"Don't worry, I'd find out!" she chuckled as she folded the paper away. Alone again she suddenly didn't want the tea and instead took a quick and quiet trip to the bar in the corner of the room and poured herself a brandy that she knocked back straight away. "That hit the spot" she smiled as she rubbed her chest. "Pippa, I'm going up" she called and made her way for the stairs climbing them as slowly as she did the ones outside. "Perhaps it's time I invest in a bungalow, these bloody steps will be the death of me" she groaned as she slowly advanced. Pippa threw away the tea and followed the elderly woman up the stairs being sure to keep two steps behind her at all times. Once at the first floor she overtook her employer and opened the large on the landing and quickly started turning on the lights.

"You're slipping up my dear" she said as she sat on the large Queen sized bed.

"Sorry Ma'am, the tea distracted me" she took some of the larger pillows off the bed and placed them on an antique blanket box by one of the windows.

"Good heavens the sheets aren't even warm" she said casually with a hint of disappointment. "It's a good thing I had that last brandy, I'd freeze tonight otherwise". Pippa just smiled and nodded, what she wanted to scream was that the blue blood in her veins would never heat up anyway. The old woman got up and went to the bathroom adjoining her bedroom while Pippa turned up the dial on the electric blanket. A scream came from the bathroom and she dropped the dial and ran, fearing the woman had fallen and was lying injured on the tiles. She wasn't, she hadn't even stumbled she was just standing in front of the mirror. "When did I get this old my dear?" she asked as she rubbed her finger along the wrinkles on her face. Pippa inhaled deeply and handed her a moist towel and returned to the bedroom and turned off the ceiling light and carefully switched on a table lamp. Almost everything in the room was older than the woman, except of course the electric items. Eventually she came out of the bathroom, it felt like almost a week, and she handed Pippa her black pearl necklace, asking her to place it in the safe with her other valuables.

"Not as warm as what one has come to be accustomed to, but it will have to do" she said climbing into bed and pulling down her face mask. Within seconds of her head hitting the goose-feathered pillow she was fast asleep. Pippa turned off the lamp and slowly closed the door and returned to the kitchen downstairs where the other staff members were waiting.

"So is the Queen asleep?" the young man in the corner asked with his feet up on the kitchen table, chewing and popping gum ever so annoyingly loudly.

"Thankfully yes" she replied putting on the kettle. The kitchen was one place in the large house where the old woman almost never stepped foot in unless she absolutely needed something urgently, like a top-up. Philip had been the newest addition to the skeletal staff of the woman's household. Nobody actually really knew what his job was but her son wanted a male in the house for security reasons so in popped Pip (his nickname!). Joy and Pippa shared their job, it was in fact Joy's day off but they all still lived in the house. Pip had no one to share the job with and if he needed some time off he would line up a friend, one of course that was approved by the boss. Pip continued to pop the gum loudly in the kitchen so Joy refused to give him tea or a fresh cream cake she had bought in the shops. They sat in the kitchen chatting about the job for almost an hour before each of them retired to their rooms. Pip didn't have far to travel as his room was adjoining the kitchen while Joy had the furthest to travel as hers was all the way to the third floor, a walk that wasn't easy when coming home from a good night out.

Another few hours passed and the house was extremely quiet, the rooms were all dark and the only light to be found was in the foyer. Everyone was asleep when suddenly there was a loud banging echoing through the entire house. Pippa, being the ever reliable servant, was the first one up and down to the foyer where the banging continued frightening her.

"Pip, Pip" she whispered from the top of the stairs that led down to the kitchen. She heard a rumble and he appeared at the bottom, dressed only in his underwear he hurried up the stairs. Another bang on the door and that was enough, she was awake. Pip quickly unturned the locks and pulled the door backwards and was met with a great chill that prickled his skin and a rather burly looking man who held another younger man by the arm.

"Is this Mrs. Ederon-Spice-Griffin?" he asked in a thick London accent.

"This is the home of the Honourable Egeton-Spencer-Griffin" Pip replied.

"Aye that's what I said" turning the boy towards the staff. "Say's his Nan lives here". Pippa came to the threshold her dressing gown rippling slightly in the night breeze and examined the young boy before asking him to take his hood down.

"James!" she exclaimed as his face caught the light. "What are you doing here?" she asked but before the boy had a chance to answer the brutish man pulled him back.

"Racking up a hefty fair that's what he's doing, three hundred and sixty four pounds, I round up" he said. Pip snorted and turned away from the door but before any of them could say anything else a shrill sound forced its way to the foyer.

"Why is the bloody door open at such an hour? Who was doing all that insufferable banging? Who's there? Philip, Philip why are you in your underwear? Pippa why is Philip in his underwear?" There wasn't an option for a reply as the old woman moved surprisingly fast and was upon them before they knew it. "What is all this commotion about?" she asked as she pushed passed Pippa. "James, what are you doing here? Come in out of the cold" she said taking hold of his hand and tugging him into the large foyer.

"Sorry love I need paying" the taxi-driver announced as the old woman and her grandson nearly vanished into one of the reception rooms. She turned and with a face that could have turned the freshest of milk sour she let rip on the unsuspecting man.

"Now lets get one thing straight shall we my dear man, I am not now nor shall I ever be your love. Come back in the morning, somewhat more respectable looking" she quipped, looking him up and down with her eyes narrowing.

"Sorry love but I want paying now" he smirked, it was wrong to smirk. Her eyes narrowed even further and she pursed her lips, it appeared like she was biting into the tangiest of lemons.

"My dear man I am the Honourable Catherine Egeton-Spencer Griffin, grand daughter of the fourteenth Earl of Shaftsbury, second cousin to the current Earl of Shaftsbury, Godmother to Princess Eugenie and widow of Major Jonathon Griffin and this is Holland Park where I reside. I do not deal with finances, come back tomorrow when my assistant shall be here and she will write you a cheque or continue to stand on the steps of my mansion causing a disturbance and the fine young officers down there will not be long in removing you" she finished popping her head out and waving to the two uniformed men who were already looking up anxiously. The taxi-driver turned away and walked down the steps and got into his taxi muttering and cursing to himself. "Philip could you please go and put some clothes on, you are making me cold just looking at you" she said walking into the front reception room where James was sitting looking tired and withdrawn. "Pippa, some tea, perhaps some hot cocoa if we have any" she asked. Pippa followed Pip down to the kitchen leaving the grandmother and her only grandson. "Well that was quite a surprise my boy, what brings you here at such a late hour?" she asked sitting down on the red cushioned antique chair by the fireplace. "God if only the fire had stuck it out another couple of hours" she added glancing into the fireplace where only a few embers still smouldered.

"I had to get out of there Granny" James said in a quiet hushed voice.

"I've been saying that for years" she replied with a little chuckle. "Do you know I begged your father to let you come live with me when your mother died, but he wouldn't have it, said you belonged in Hamlet, ha, the only things that belong there are farmers and their sheep, no place for a young grieving boy" James looked at her, he always liked his Dad's mom, way more than he liked his Dad and the thought of actually living with her ignited a bit of hope in his mind. "London, now that would have been the place, new school, new friends, new everything" she continued her eyes beginning to sparkle at the thought. The sparkling was almost infectious as James too began to feel it and suddenly all he could think about were the bad things in Hamlet, past, present and to come, and he wanted no more of it.

"Do you think I could stay here?"

"Well you are here now, and it is a terribly long journey back there and if my memory serves me correctly, its almost mid-term isn't it?" she smiled a wicked smile and right then Pippa entered with a silver tray and placed it on the coffee table in the centre of the room by James. A large silver pot contained tea while the smaller one had freshly made cocoa, sugar was in cubes in a silver bowl while the milk was in yet another silver jug. Catherine, Kitty, as her closest friends called her, made her way to the coffee table. "No cake, no biscuits! Honestly do you think I need to diet or something?" Kitty sniped; Pippa apologised and left to fetch something for them to eat.

"You're funny Granny, mean but funny" James said as he poured himself some hot cocoa, the steam rising from his china cup.

"I have to get my jollies somewhere" she winked as she sat down next to him patting his knee.

"Sir it's time to get up, Ma'am will be back soon and if she sees you still in bed, well I'm afraid it won't be good for any of us" the woman said as she pulled back the heavy curtains and let in the bright autumn sun. James stirred in the large four poster bed and poked his head out from underneath the warm blankets. It was a different woman, not the one from last night and not his Grandmother's assistant. "What would you like to eat, I can make pretty much anything" she added while taking his clothes that were on the chair closest the bed and smelling them. "Oh these need to be washed" Picking up the socks that were by his trainers she bundled them all together and headed for the door. "If you have no preferences, then may I suggest egg and toast?" James looked at her standing by the door while she looked at him. She definitely learned his Grandmother's icy stare.

"Am, you're taking my clothes" was the only thing he could think of to say.

"Don't worry, Pip was sent out first thing with your measurements and lets just say you have a wide selection" she replied before going to the walk in wardrobe and turning on the light. Inside were shelves of sweaters, t-shirts, jeans, shirts, a couple of suits and even some casual clothes. Belts and trainers, shoes and socks were also there along with packages of underwear. "Will this suit Sir?" she asked. James could sense a hint of sarcasm in her voice. He nodded. "And breakfast, does Sir have a preference?" she asked again, and again it was laden with sarcasm.

"The eggs will be fine" he replied.

"Very good Sir, and in case you need anything, the name is Joy" and with that she was gone and James was able to get out of bed and change. He wasn't one for clothes; he didn't really care what he threw on his back as long as it didn't have any affiliations with a sport. He always felt he was bullied enough without adding to the fire. Dressed smartly and with his white streak of hair gelled beneath his blonde hair, James made his way for the dining room. He hadn't been in his Grandmother's house for a long time but he still knew the layout, she wasn't one for change. The dining room was almost exactly like what he remembered it, a long narrow room with green walls and cream curtains that hung over the bay windows. Two crystal chandeliers provided both light and affluence to the room while the marble fireplace with its gold candle holders offered assistance. The table had never changed, not since the family first moved into the house almost one hundred and fifty years ago and the antique still looked in pristine condition. James sat at the top left corner of the table, the one closest the door he entered. Looking down he counted seven empty chairs and across from him another eight and imagined the types of people who had sat at this very table over the years. His imagining was quickly scuppered when the young man from last night entered the dining room. Dressed in black pants and shirt which was buttoned to the last top button he approached the table.

"Good morning Sir" he said with a smile as he placed a covered tray in front of James. James just smiled back. There was no side of sarcasm but there was coffee, something James wasn't overly fond of. "I see the clothes fit" Philip added as he lifted the silver cover to reveal scrambled eggs on brown toast with two cherry tomatoes and a strip of bacon.

"Yes, they're perfect. Thank you" James said.

"Bon Appétit" he replied and left James to his breakfast.

The front door suddenly banged shut and James could hear is Grandmother give out to someone, not viciously, just in her usual way and then he could hear the sound of feet coming towards him, more than just one set.

"James my boy" a voice said one that didn't belong in the household. "My god he has grown, he's built like a craphouse" he added as he looked James up and down.

"Charles, do you have to be so vulgar" Kitty snapped as she took a seat at the head of the table.

"Joy's eggs are divine, it's the main reason I haven't fired her yet!" Kitty winked at James, she knew Joy was within earshot.

"Ma'am your coffee" she said placing the cup on a coaster before turning to Charles. "Sir would you like some coffee?" she asked politely.

"I would my dear, preferably an Irish one!" he replied sitting down next to James.

"Joy dear, just a coffee for him, Decaf and hold the whiskey" Kitty said as the young maid exited the room.

"Spoil sport" he sniped playfully at Kitty who just turned her head and took a sip of her coffee. Charles nudged James' shoulder and showed him a little canister nestled in the inside pocket of his jacket.

"Charlie if you think I do not know what you have in that little canister of yours, everyone in London does and I think the more challenging thing is how are you going to empty its contents without me seeing?" she smirked, her eyes glaring with delight.

"Look the Queen!" he shouted, pointing out the window and in a flash he took out the canister and sucked it dry, with both Kitty and James looking at him.

"There is something seriously wrong with you, perhaps its time you went into a home"

"Nothing wrong with me dear sister, I worked hard all my life now I get to play hard!" he replied laughing with somewhat redder cheeks than when he arrived.

"Worked hard. Ha!" Kitty snorted before finishing her coffee. Joy entered with Charles' coffee and he gladly took it, especially when he got the slightest smell of whiskey entwined with the steam. For a few moments they sat in silence, Kitty eyeing her brother, her brother eyeing her and James eyeing both of them. There were very much alike, both tall and slender with the same high cheekbones. His hair was slightly balding at the back while hers was almost youthful looking. Not a grey strand to be seen amongst the light brown hair.

"Remind me why you are here again brother? Other than to load up on spirits"

"Dear sister how quickly you forget yourself, it was you who invited me after I did your dirty work!" he replied getting up from his chair and moving to one of the cabinets placed against the wall. He casually started opening the doors and drawers.

"You'll be looking for a while" she said as he moved on to another cabinet. Before he could respond James finally found his voice and queried what "dirty work" his Gran Uncle was referring to.

"Well I was going to wait until later but seeing as that lush brought it up" she started before being interrupted.

"Lush! You've out drank me on many occasion, you're like an Irishman when you get going" he replied, casually pulling at one of the curtains to peek behind. Kitty decided not to reply to that but instead fill James in on the dirty work she had Charles carry out. Apparently she wasn't on the best of terms with her son at the moment either and so instead of herself phoning she asked her brother to do it, for as long as she could recall Charles and Jack were more like brothers than uncle and nephew. Jack was always an old head on young shoulders while Charles simply stopped growing up, mentally. It was agreed that James could stay for a couple of weeks, one of which incorporated the school mid-term so he would only be missing a few days of school. Kitty assured him though that once the couple of weeks were up, she would think of another ploy to allow James to stay.

The next week flew by and before anyone knew it Halloween was only days away and with it James' birthday. His grandmother had gone into overdrive and was throwing a party for his sixteenth birthday, sending Pippa, Pip and Joy into tizzies trying to organise the whole thing. Many important guests were going to be in attendance but nobody from Hamlet or James' school. It was unfair to ask Sebastian and William to attend a party in London, it was too far. Kitty nevertheless assured James that the party would not be full of people whose next vacation could include a wooden box or an urn. James wasn't exactly comfortable with parties or any large gatherings but seeing as it made Kitty so happy he obliged, after all she was allowing him to stay there and he wanted for nothing.

Before he knew it the morning of his birthday had arrived and as he woke he found his room surprisingly bear. He was certain that Kitty would have placed a present in his room for when he woke but there was nothing. Joy or Pippa didn't even come in to open the curtains or ask what he wanted for breakfast; it was all a bit strange. Still, there was no point staying in bed, and so he made his way to the door but before he opened it his Mom's face flashed in his mind. Tears started to stream down his face, he couldn't remember the last time he thought of her. It was different being in London with his Grandmother, there weren't as many reminders of his mother, she and Kitty never truly got along with one another but were always civil. With one hand on the handle of the door James stood motionless, still crying and trying to imagine what he would be doing right now if his mother was still with him. She would have undoubtedly cooked him breakfast and asked what he wanted for dinner and especially dessert and every birthday for as long as he could recall there would be numerous presents, given throughout the day starting from when he woke. Tears continued to stream down his face, his eyes became so blurred he couldn't make out anything around him and just about managed to fall back into his undressed bed. Pain etched across his chest, pain that he had never felt before not even when he was stabbed. This was a different type of pain, one that came from the soul. James writhed in agony as his mind melted with the shame that he had forgotten about his mother. Memories rushed back to James, good ones, bad ones, horrible ones and funny ones yet none of them could hold back the tears. He stayed in bed, the pain slightly subsiding as the tears dried up. Time passed and James continued to lie there, drifting in and out of sleep and finally his mind wandered to something other than his mother. Why had nobody come to force him out of bed? So with red eyes, a throbbing headache and a snotty nose he made his way downstairs, slowly. On the first landing he heard the backdoor bang.

"Hurry up, she'll be back any minute" a voice called out from the kitchen and James watched as a young man in a white uniform rushed through the foyer and towards the voice. Placing one foot on the staircase James heard footsteps coming from behind him.

"Morning Sir" the young man said as he hurried past James and down the stairs at an alarming rate. James caught a glimpse of his uniform and the logo, he was from a florist. Following him down he stopped in the foyer and his bare feet absorbed the cold from the freshly scrubbed tiles, a shiver ran through him.

"Sir you should dress before your Gran arrives, it's almost three and I don't think she'll be happy that you're still in your pyjamas" Pippa said as she appeared off the foyer, her face flush. She looked tired and frazzled; the party planning was obviously taking its toll. James obliged and turned to go back up the stairs to dress, he didn't want to upset his Grandmother after all she's done for him. "Oh and Sir, Happy Birthday!" Pippa shouted after him.

Staying out of the way for the rest of the day was the wise choice as James wasn't sure if he was over the worse of the waterworks and seeing as there was an army of planners, waiters, waitresses, cooks and entertainers James thought it best to hide in his room and plug himself into the computer and block out the world. Unfortunately the time came when the world came knocking in the form of Kitty who entered the room looking like somebody off to a wedding. No expense had been spared, her hair was delicately styled, her black dress touched the floor and her silk wrap seemed to catch the light whenever she moved. It was either that or the diamonds hanging around her neck or off her ears or either wrist or upon numerous fingers.

"My my my you look positively handsome" she smiled as she approached her grandson. He was given strict instructions to be ready for seven thirty and ready at seven thirty he was. The clothes were picked out for him, the barber made a house call and all he had to do was dress himself, although he was pretty sure someone would have done that for him as well if he needed.

"Your Grandfather always looked strikingly handsome in a suit, your father on the other hand couldn't really pull it off" Kitty said as she patted his shoulders and straightened his bow-tie. Tonight was a formal affair, black tie, which meant of course Tuxedoes and bow-ties and for some people, capes and top-hats. Seeing as it was Halloween most people wouldn't look twice, they would however if they knew it was almost normal attire for a few of tonight's attendees.

As the first knock on the door echoed throughout the foyer Kitty sprung from her chair, almost spilling her brandy. James was quickly ushered to the kitchen where he was to wait until all of the guests, well at least most of them, had arrived and he could make a more grand entrance. Kitty downed her drink in one breathe and banged the glass in to the chest of one of the waiters to dispose of. Pip was given the important take of answering the door and Kitty stood proud in the centre of the foyer to greet the guests.

"Lord and Lady Ashcroft and their daughter the Lady Annabelle" Pip called as the man whispered in his ear. It was common practice for members of the aristocracy to have their arrival announced, even if there were very few people to hear it.

"Michael, Sarah delighted you could make it" Kitty said kissing each of them on the cheek and placing a palm on Annabelle's face. "Come in, come in have a drink" she added while Pippa took their coats. The five walked to the main reception room where most of the furniture had been removed and replaced with numerous small tables with chairs, each with centrepieces befitting a wedding.

"So sorry we're early Kitty, Michael insisted he knew a shortcut" Sarah droned as she entered the room.

"Turns out he did!" Kitty loudly said as she patted Michael's back. "Why not just show up yesterday with a tent and sleeping bags and be done with it!" Kitty whispered to Pippa. Kitty was soon with a fresh glass of brandy while she chatted with the Ashcrofts and grilled their eldest daughter on her life. "You're one age to James aren't you dear?" she asked, but didn't wait for a response. "Of course you are, I was at the baptism, how is school? Any boyfriends? You know James is new around and might be joining your school, would you consider helping him if he" before she could finish the door knocked and she was up again and rushing to the foyer forgetting all about the Ashcrofts and their plank of a daughter. More Lords, Ladies, politicians and even a couple of religious professionals entered the house, most of them were announced by Pip and pretty soon the population of the house was after ballooning. It was time for James to come out of the kitchen and to greet his guests, well his grandmother's guests, he was sure all of the people here were going to be at least twice his own age. He had asked not to be announced and so he crossed the foyer and as he walked passed a large table with piles of elegantly wrapped boxes he took a deep breath and entered the main reception room. He was right, for as far as he could see there wasn't a single person under the age of fifty in the room. Almost immediately his hand was grasped and it was being squeezed and shaken by the most robust of men he had ever laid eyes on. As he chatted with the man, whose grey beard and moustache did nothing to hid his extremely red face, James thought he recognised one of the waiters who promptly glided by holding a tray of empty champagne flutes. Thinking it time, he left the robust man to his other slightly less robust friends and mingled more.

It was strange for James, he seemed to be managing the mingling pretty well for someone who never liked social occasions and felt uncomfortable in large crowds. As he moved from shaking hands with Lords and politicians to kissing the cheeks of elderly Ladies he found himself sneered by a small cluster of men, a bishop one of them discussing the impact social media was having on the young generation's view of religion. He wasn't quite sure what he was to say so he just nodded when it seemed appropriate to nod and shook his head when the bishop rolled his eyes. Thankfully Kitty appeared virtually out of nowhere and took his hand and made polite excuses to his Excellency and took James away.

"You'd need a couple of these to listen to them" she whispered in James' ear as she showed him her champagne. The brandy was making her too drunk too fast so she had turned her lips to the bubbly. "Ladies here he is" she announced to a group of four women, each seemingly closer to the pearly gates than the last. James smiled, keeping that thought to himself, and sat down. The woman next to him was surely older than his Gran and looked extremely regal.

"My goodness look at those blue eyes, they're magnificent" she said peering straight into James face, he could feel her breathe. "They're not from your side Kitty, must be from your mother" she said squeezing his cheek. Kitty immediately saw the sadness twinge in James.

"James why don't you head down to the Marquee, that's where all the loud music and dancing is happening" Kitty smiled winking at James. Quickly getting up he left the main reception room and entered the secondary one where the French doors led to the back garden. Sure enough outside stood the large Marquee where the music was loud and the lights blinking. He followed the lit path down and found himself standing outside not quite sure what to do. There was no one in there that he knew and seeing as it was his birthday it was going to be strange to just stand there looking miserable.

"Are you James?" a girl asked. James nodded and she placed her arm within his and pulled him into the Marquee and through a crowd of young people, none of them he recognised, stopped at a table near the top at the opposite end from the DJ booth. Seven people sat there and with James and the mysterious girl, that made nine. Introductions were quick and screamed. Mason, Oswald (called Oz), Lysander (called Lys) were the boys. Winifred (called Winnie), Lettice (called Lettie), and there was a slight giggle that erupted through the group where Charlotte's nickname was spoken. Addison (called Addy) and Olivia (called Liv) were the other two girls. That left the girl that brought James to the table, she screamed her name Rosalind along with the fact that it was her grandmother's name and she went by Roz. James liked her name, both the long and the short, and he liked her. James sat down with them and Mason filled a glass with champagne and handed it to him, he held it and seeing as it was his birthday after all he downed it in one go. Maybe he was more like his grandmother than he knew. Patting his back Mason filled up the glass again and James happily drank it down, the bubbles tickling as they filled his stomach. Oz stressed that James should play rugby as he had the build for it and talked about it for almost three glasses until Winnie took his attention away. James just took a glance around as Mason filled yet another glass. He was in the midst of a group of interesting, confident people and he was happy, not nervous or shy, he was happy.

As the bottles of empty champagne climbed, James and Roz became closer to the point where she was sitting on his lap and they were kissing. It was James' first kiss and it was heaven, everything he wished and imagined it would be. The girl was beautiful, funny, educated, cultured and a two years older. His eyes closed his other senses were heightened and as his tongue explored a taste he never experienced before. Then suddenly heaven started banging an eviction notice as Mason nudged James' arm as the parentals started streaming in through the various openings of the Marquee. Kitty was first and foremost accompanied by the largest cake James had ever seen in his life. Feeling slightly tipsy Roz took his hand and together they walked to the centre of the dance floor where almost everyone had now gathered in a circle to wish him a happy birthday. He was swaying slightly, the champagne undoubtedly gone straight to his head; Roz wrapped her arm around him and somehow used her petite size to balance him.

"My darling James, I want to wish you the happiest of birthdays and hope that there will be many many more" Kitty said as she kissed her grandson on the forehead before pointing to the cake. "Make a wish" With the help of Roz, James was able to blow out the hundred flickering flames without vomiting on the cake. A huge round of applause erupted in the Marquee and James and Roz kissed rather passionately. Her hands were wrapped around his neck, her fingers slowly moving through his hair while James' hands found the small of her back. Kitty's eyes widened, but not with anger or shame. James had managed to charm the Dowager Countess' granddaughter and if truth be known it was a match she had been praying for. Cake was quickly dished out to the guests who were sober enough to enjoy it and pretty soon it was gone past one in the morning. After two slices of cake James was after sobering somewhat and was astonished at the time, for a party he dreaded, he didn't want it to end. People were making their way for the front door, bidding a goodnight to Kitty. It was either the lateness of the hour or the fact that a very drunk grand-uncle Charles had found the microphone and was singing had people rushing for the door. Mason, Oz, Lys, Addy, Charlie, Liv and Winnie had said their goodbyes to James with Oz instructing James to be ready for midday as he was going to take him to rugby practice and pretty soon it was just James, Roz, an intoxicated Charles and a DJ paid up until two left in the Marquee. Holding on to one another and kissing every few seconds the two were blissfully happy and felt like they belonged together. They swayed to the highly politically incorrect song that Charles was mixing the words to until Charlie appeared at the French Doors calling for Roz. One last kiss and she was rushing away with her friend, having made a date with James for tomorrow night.

Sitting back down at the table the Marquee had undergone a mass evacuation and even the DJ had managed to pack up and leave in a matter of minutes. No doubt it was a stipulation that as soon as the last guest left the workers had mere moments to follow, with all their equipment. Kitty knew what she wanted and she always got it. His head spun slightly, a good spin, as his mind wandered to the kiss mere minutes earlier. A wide smile etched across his face pushing up his cheeks and closing his eyes, he sat in silence remembering.

"Your first kiss, how adorable!" a dulcet voice said. James opened his eyes but could see no one. Suddenly he heard footsteps walking across the timber dance floor, high-heels clinking with every step.

"Who's there?" he asked as the steps got closer.

"Whoops, sorry!" the voice replied and right in front of James in an array of red mist Lue appeared as she continued to walk towards him. Dressed in a long red woollen coat James was quite sure what was underneath was very little and as she sat down it opened slightly to reveal a bare leg. "So James how you been?" she asked picking up a half full champagne flute and drinking it down. "Ugh, warm! Still alright though I guess" she said as she picked up a second and then a third.

"What are you doing here?"

"We came to bring you home James, to Hamlet where you're needed" James looked at her for a moment as he digested the sentence. We. That could only obviously mean that she didn't come alone.

"Who else came with you?" Lue didn't need to answer that question as the all too familiar tapping could be heard coming along the paved back garden. Ida, and she wasn't alone, Kitty was following her with the most fearsome of faces James had ever seen her wear.

"James, James my darling go up to your room, this mad woman says she's here to take you home, bloody madness" Kitty called as she overtook the slightly limping Ida to reach James first. Entering the Marquee she found James and Lue standing by the table, Lue with her fifth glass of champagne in her hand. "Who's this wagon?" The Honourable Katherine Egeton-Spencer Griffin wasn't one to hold her tongue and when she was slightly tipping towards the wind it did become looser.

"She's with me" Ida said after finally reaching the Marquee and pushing aside Kitty with her cane.

"Touch me once more with that old woman and I'll break it across your good leg!"

"Huh, I'd like to see you try" she smiled away the threat and moved towards James and Lue.

"Right, I'm calling the police, Philip, Philip, PHILIP!" Kitty screamed towards the house. Ida sat down next to James but didn't speak or look at him; her attention remained with Kitty who was getting ever so hysterical. Suddenly Pip appeared at the entrance of the marquee and glanced inside looking kind of worried.

"Ah Philip, there you are, quick call the police we have intruders" Kitty instructed her employee and he promptly backed out looking slightly bewildered. Then there was a silence, not an awkward one, more a tense "I'm going to strangle you" one. Kitty's eyes darted between Ida and Lue not sure which one of them she trusted least. Ida still had paid no mind to James yet continued to relish in Kitty's discomfort. A grunt and a snort soon broke the silence and sitting up from behind one of the far tables they could make out Charles, completely inebriated with his tie missing and his shirt half opened. Swaying slightly he took a glass from the table in front of him, it clearly wasn't his as there was a lipstick stain on it but nevertheless he swallowed it back and loudly belched.

"Aye, Aye, buurrk, what's going on here then?" he slurred and belched as soon as he realised he wasn't alone. Kitty's eyes left the two uninvited women and widened at the sight of her brother. Any other time she would have given him a total tongue lashing for getting into such a state but she was just happy she had someone to stand next to her, James wasn't exactly moving from the seat although Kitty put that down to his champagne and first kiss induced dizziness.

"Charles, Charles that retched woman and her little bitch are trying to take James away" she said not mincing her words. It was funny for a moment as he tried to act sober, straightening a tie that was no longer there and buttoning buttons that had already fallen out, they were lucky his zipper was still there, and up! Breaking out a smile and the pearly white false teeth he quite remarkably steadily passed his sister and made his way to Ida.

"Such a vision" he boomed kissing both her hands with his rum soaked lips. "What brings you to my neck of the woods?" he asked holding her hands in his and rubbing them softly.

"You stupid horny old bloody leach; you're useless get out of the way!" Kitty snarled as she took hold of her brother's shirt collar and dragged him back and pointed him towards the exit.

"Call me you gorgeous vixen" Charles begged as he stumbled out of the marquee and into the night not entirely sure where to go. Kitty's heart was now beating faster and little beads of sweat appeared on her powdered forehead as the adrenaline she hadn't felt in years suddenly started pumping through her body.

"Well seeing as Philip is using carrier-pigeons to contact the police; it looks like I'll have to get rid of you myself" she said and made her way for the table and before anyone knew what was happening the old woman had a fistful of blonde hair, with Lue's head still attached. James was still feeling the effects of the champagne and endorphins and slumped down on the seat and was soon lying down as the commotion was kicking off all around. Kitty continued to drag Lue by the hair towards the exit all the while she kicked and screamed. Ida just shook her head in their direction. Thankfully Philip showed up and placing a cup on a table he saw to separating the two women.

"Ma'am why don't you sit down over here, the police will be here in moments" Philip said as he guided her to the table where he placed the cup.

"Have some tea Ma'am" he added, handing her the delicate China cup. Dropping some blonde strands of hair to the floor Kitty picked up the cup and with her eyes narrow and focused on the women again she took a hearty sip and slowly her eyes felt heavy, then heavier and within seconds she was fast asleep.

"About time Pip, I don't think a bald patch would have suited Lue!" Ida smiled as she got up from her seat using the cane to steady herself. Pip walked across the floor towards the trio and as he did his clothes slowly morphed from the black pants and shirt that Kitty required him to wear into a long flowing brown robe complete with hood and small white satchel.

"How much sand did you use?" Lue asked as she rubbed her head.

"She'll be out till tomorrow afternoon at the earliest" Pip replied before moving over to James.

"And him, will I give him a dose?"

"No need, no need Pip, I doubt he's going to be rising very soon. Just bring the car around, we have a long drive ahead of us and my eyes are getting sore!" Ida replied as she headed for the marquee's exit, her cane tapping along the timber floor.

Chapter N9ne:

A bag of Rice and an Anchor

James slowly moved underneath the covers of the bed as the sun edged its way inside the room and as his eyes adjusted he soon realised where he was; home. In a flash he sat up straight on the bed and his head spun and his stomach churned, luckily he managed to keep it down, the champagne from last night. He was still dressed in the suit that his grandmother had given him. His thoughts then raced back to the previous night and again his stomach was churning at the showdown between Kitty and Ida. A sideways glance and James spotted a note on the bedside locker. It was quite difficult to read, the handwriting was so very cursive and James' eyes were so very bloodshot.

"Good Morning James,

I take it the champagne from last night has worn off although I imagine it will have left a little token of its presence. Let me be the first to assure you that the effects will soon wear off; perhaps taking a stroll in the fresh air will dull the pain.

Let me take this quick opportunity to explain what occurred last night when I arrived at your Grandmother's house (a lovely hospitable woman by the way!) First of all, she is fine and will not remember our visit and a note was left explaining your desire to face home and your life again.

Your departure for London took us a bit by surprise but nevertheless I felt you needed time to get your head around things, unfortunately there is a darkness looming and you have already seen some of the ramifications. That is why I had to bring you back to Hamlet, I'm afraid time has run out and there is no more chances to run and hide. I truly wish there was.

The people you saw when you astral projected have arrived on these shores and sadly they are most sought after by those looking to start a most dastardly war, one which we must prevent if your mother's family and home are to survive. We need to work together now and I sincerely hope that you will be able to put aside some of your issues and help the fight.

I will send for you later on today,

Warmest Regards Malyn,

Ida"

As soon as he finished reading the letter it began to singe and became nothing more than a little pile of yellow dust upon his duvet. His poor head was spinning faster now and the thoughts of his first kiss and the brilliant night he just had were now replaced with visions of an unholy war and battles with monstrous creatures that belonged in the darkest of horror stories. Speaking of monstrous creatures James suddenly could hear Miriam talking downstairs and then his Dad responded and soon his bedroom door swung open and he was back to his normal life.

"You're home then, at least you left your Grandmother a note" his father said as he walked into the room, dressed in his police uniform. Opening the curtains he turned and eyed the yellow dust on the bed. "What's that then, some glitter thing from your party last night?" he said picking up a little and sprinkling it back down. "I'm off to work now and now that your back under my roof it's my rules!" he sneered. "Are you listening boy?" James just nodded. "So it's back to school tomorrow and you can clean the house while we're working" he added before leaving James sitting in his bed, not sure whether to cry, scream or vomit. He lied back down on the bed and covered the blanket over his head; he wished he could remain there forever.

Bells loudly rang over the country hamlet and James once again stirred in his bed and his head slowly emerged from the cocoon of blankets he had accumulated. The vicar was calling the villagers to midday mass. Rubbing his head James felt like he only fallen back to sleep for a few minutes, not a few hours and he quickly got up and investigated the house he hadn't seen in weeks. Downstairs was deserted, they were indeed both gone to work and he breathed a sigh of relief and rambled to the kitchen. It wasn't the most pleasant sight and yet it wasn't one that could turn your stomach. A list waited for him on the table, his father's handwriting scratched across its lines.

"He's got to be kidding" James said aloud to himself as he ran down some of the chores that Jack wanted doing before he returned from work. Suddenly his legs felt weaker than his head and so James sat down, but he sat down on a pile of clothes and looking at the list, there they were item number twelve "Iron the clothes". James hated ironing, but the thought of another fight with his Dad ensured that he would oblige. Laying the paper back down on the kitchen table and clutching his head in his hands James read over the list again, making sure he was right in what he was reading because some of the things seemed impossible.

#1 Take up the ashes (DO NOT USE A PLASTIC BUCKET!)

#2 Hoover the carpets

#3 Polish everything

#4 Scour bathroom and en-suite

#5 Wash Skirting boards

#6 Wash hall and kitchen floors

#7 Clean the cupboards

#8 Do the recycling

#9 CLEAN YOUR ROOM

#10 Defrost the refrigerator

#11 Do the laundry (SEPERATE!)

#12 Iron the clothes

#13 Wash windows (Inside and Outside!)

#14 Mow the lawns

#15 Brush the paths

#16 Pull the weeds (If they come up easily, they're not weeds!)

#17 Light the fire

#18 Prepare dinner

We'll be home by eight.

James was actually exhausted having just read the list, he was incredibly tempted to run back upstairs and hide underneath the covers but alas good sense prevailed and he made a small snack of chocolate cereal and orange juice before getting changed into old clothes, a pair of tattered jeans and a hooded sweater that would hide his white streak since he saw no need in gelling his hair at the moment.

It was almost one o' clock before James knuckled down to the chores that seemed to have been accruing since the moment he decided to head for his grandmothers. He started outside because he only had a couple of hours before the sun would set seeing as the nights had begun to stretch. Grass first, then the weeds (he only accidently picked three flowers) and then the brushing. He wasn't tired, not in the slightest and he almost felt that with the more he did the more energised he became. Lifting large buckets of water with one hand and carrying a large ladder with the other was a doddle, it was like he was carrying nothing at all. For once James rather liked this Malyn thing. The windows sparked as he balled up the old newspapers he used for shining them and placed them in their appropriate bin before standing back and glancing around at his work. Taking a deep breath he smiled and looked at his watch, it wasn't even two; he did all of it in under an hour. It must be another Malyn attribute, great speed; he just hoped that nobody was watching. James picked up the ladder and carried into the garage while pushing the lawnmower and placing them back in their rightful places because if he didn't there would be war, Jack always wanted things in their rightful place. Turning to lock the door he suddenly didn't feel right, his head started to ache and immediately a sharp pain filled his body from his toes to the hair on his head. It was as if he was being sliced in two and the pain was so immense that tears poured down his face and within seconds James was on the cold concrete, unconscious.

A slight swaying rocked James to consciousness and as his eyes opened he saw a young man standing over him wielding a knife and straight away James scurried backwards until there was no more back. It was the man who stabbed him the first time he astral-projected. Trying to regain some composure, the supernaturally teleporting thing took a lot out of him; James clenched his fists as the knife got closer.

Suddenly a shrill sound filled the long narrow room and words screamed in a language James didn't recognise caused the man to turn around with shouting a whining "Bunica!" before disappearing into the dark. James heard a hand forcefully slap a cheek and then nothing. Metal was what his back was resting on and he was almost certain he could hear waves crashing, putting that with the slight swaying he was certain he had wound up in a container on a ship. A light came on and sure enough James was in a container, a windowless contraption designed for objects not people. It was divided, there was a partition towards the other end and out from it came the old woman with the hump and a cane. She walked right up to James and stopped, her head barely reaching his chest. Looking directly at him it was like her eyes were stripping his soul; they didn't blink nor give any indication of her purpose. Murmurs of disappointment flowed from her small mouth as did terrible breath which caused James to turn his head away. A thin bony hand took his cheek and forced it forwards again. "No fimished" she said with an aged voice that had obviously been subjected to years of smoke. English wasn't her primary language and apparently it wasn't her second or tertiary either. When she was finished looking in his eyes she started to feel his arms, squeezing the new muscles that formed. Those made her small mouth curl upwards, not a lot but some bit, the wrinkles in her face multiplied as she did. Moving her hand downwards she took hold of his wrist and pulled up the sleeve and seeing the tattoo her smile grew wider.

"Malyn, Malyn" she said gently slapping James' face before slowly retreating away from him and disappearing behind the partition. Not sure quite what to do James rested against the metal and let the sounds of the waves crashing against the ship relax him, but he wasn't relaxed for long.

The girl he had seen with the other two at the amusement park came out from behind the partition, she was just as stunning as he remembered and his heart started to flutter as his palms sweated. "You are the Malyn?" she asked even though the old woman confirmed it mere moments ago.

"Yes, yes I am but my name is James" he said outstretching his shaking hand and as it clasped hers he felt an immediate spark rush through his body, flushing his cheeks and weakening his knees.

"My name is Antanasia Grigorescu, but people call me Anta" she said smiling, her smile so bright it seemed to somewhat light up the dank container. James wasn't sure if the same spark ripped through her but her actions told it didn't. Not quite sure what to say and hoping that the dark part of the container he was in allowed his red cheeks to hide he awkwardly glanced at her and then the ceiling followed by an inspection of the floor. She wasn't helping things either, she was just looking behind as if waiting for an order and sure enough the old woman barked something in a foreign language. "I'm sure this will not hurt!" she said slipping a small blade from behind her and quickly slit the palm of James. She was right it didn't hurt but he was still annoyed and as the blood slowly trickled out she watched in disgust. "You're not healing!"

"It takes a few moments" he replied and sure enough the wound started to heal and within a minute it was as if nothing happened. Laughing she walked away and disappeared behind the partition, somewhat irritated at being treated live livestock James followed and as he turned he saw the old woman drip some of his blood from the blade into a little steaming pot. "What are you doing?" James demanded to know but the tall lean one who stabbed him at the amusement park approached with anger in his eyes. James stood defiant in the small space and as the man walked the five feet to him the smell of B.O. intoxicated James to the point of nausea. Just as the two were about to come to blows, a bout that surely James would have won, the old woman clapped her hands in delight and shouted something. Suddenly the man had his arms around him hugging James and filling his nostrils with a smell so putrid he tried his best not to gag. Then Anta, she kissed him on the cheek and again his knees felt weak. "What happened?" he asked Anta.

"Bunica did a little potion to see if you are a good Malyn or evil one! She has come across both kinds and it seems you are good" Anta explained. James wasn't quite sure how exactly the potion worked, he wasn't necessarily good, he knew deep down he had a wicked side but perhaps it was so deep down the potion didn't find it. "Now you can protect us from the evil Malyn and his monsters!" she said with worry in her voice and her brown eyes.

"Who, you mean Warren?" The old woman hissed at the mention of the name.

"Yes, him bin honting us for munts like us are dogs" the man finally spoke. He was just like Anta in almost every way, they're skin was sallow and their eyes brown and both had black curls although hers were slightly longer. He was taller than her but not by much and his face was meaner than hers.

"Andrei is tired from running, as am I and so is Bunica" Anta said as she entwined her arm with Andrei. "He killed our entire clan, our parents, our siblings, our parent's siblings and their children, he is a monster and we need help" she continued before kneeling down and wrapping her arm around the old woman who was now crying. "Our grandmother has buried six children and their spouses, nine grandchildren, three great-grandchildren and a great-great grandson in the space of four months and she is tired" she said pulling a rather dirty looking tissue from her pocket and handing it to her grandmother.

"Why is he hunting you?" James asked knowing that he didn't want to hear the answer.

"She won't say, all she says is that she must keep us safe at any cost" Anta replied kissing her grandmother's cheek.

"Don't you think you should kind of get her to tell you why Warren is after your family?"

"I have tried but she is a stubborn woman who has lost almost everyone she loves, explanations aren't needed all that is required is forceful action, it is all she says when we ask" James looked at the old woman and she did look stubborn and capable of handling herself but if one looked long enough soon all you saw was an old woman with a cane. Suddenly voices filled James' head; they sounded like Lue's and Mikel's. The familiar feeling of being pulled started in the pit of his stomach again and he was sure he was returning to Hamlet.

"Quick, I don't have long, tell me where the ship is heading?" he demanded as Lue's voice got louder in his head.

"Felixstowe" Anta said and as she did the ships horns blew out loudly.

"I think we're nearly there, wait for me" James said and within seconds he had disappeared.

His head was a bit light and his eyes were slightly rolling around in their sockets when he realised where he was, home again outside the garage.

"He's awake" a girl shouted and took James' head into her lap. James realised this was the second time he was in two places at once and on both occasions Lue was there, although he was quite sure that it was merely a coincidence. As his eyes focused James could make out two others, Mikel was one and the other was the man from his birthday party, the one who had infiltrated his Grandmother's house, Pip as far as he could remember.

"You were out for a while lad, anywhere nice?" Pip asked as he peered in the living room window.

"We've got to go, we've got to save them!" he replied sitting up quickly causing his head to stir and Lue to lose her balance.

"Save who?" she asked standing up and dusting down what little clothes she had.

"The ones from the first time, the boy and girl and the old woman" he explained as his feet steadied and he stood up.

"We must go, if you are being drawn to them then they must be saved, we'll go immediately" Mikel announced as he came closer to the trio. James was a bit apprehensive, he wasn't entirely sure about Mikel. To be truthful he wasn't entirely sure about any of them but none of them gave off a strange vibe like Mikel but he was Ida's right-hand man.

"I have to tell Ida, she made me promise to tell her the next time it happened" James suddenly remembered.

"I'll phone her now, where are we going?" Mikel asked.

"They were on a ship, she said they were arriving at Felixstowe and I think they might be there by now" James answered.

"Right you lot get into the jeep" Mikel replied before walking to the gable of the house while the others made their way down the drive to the waiting range rover. It wasn't the new type; it wasn't even the model before that. It was old, almost twenty years old by the registration and the dark green colour was somewhat nauseating. Lue got into the front seat while Pip and James made their way to the back, the doors creaked as they opened them and the seats badly needed reupholstering. Patience was running thin as the three of them sat quietly for what seemed like an hour as they watched Mikel pace around the house at least five times talking passionately into the phone. Eventually the phone was placed back into the pocket and he made his way to the jeep.

"Everything okay?" Lue asked as Mikel put the key into the ignition and turned. The jeep stuttered for a few seconds before finally letting out a small bang and it started.

"Ya everything is fine, she wants us to go and get them before anyone else" Mikel replied as he checked his mirrors and put on his seatbelt.

"WAIT!" James suddenly shouted.

"What's wrong?" Lue asked turning around.

"The list"

"What list?" Pip interjected.

"A list of chores, if I don't do them they'd be no point in me coming home tonight!"

"Pip, do the list" Mikel ordered.

"What no way, why should I?" Mikel didn't answer he just looked in the rear view mirror and as his emerald eyes narrowed Pip squirmed.

"Fine" he whined and got out of the jeep and slammed the door with such force James thought it would fall off at the first pothole.

"We'll bring you back something nice" Lue cheerfully shouted as they drove slowly away down the narrow country road. Annoyed and utterly irritated Pip kicked some gravel before making his way into the house and readying himself for a less than thrilling afternoon.

Thrilling afternoons were not easily come by as James gathered first hand as the prospect of a daring high-speed drive through the countryside turned out to be more a Sunday spin and when James pointed out that they were just overtaken by a pensioner in a micro car Mikel just sniped and said he didn't want to attract police attention. With no license and no identification and a minor in the back seat James understood his reasoning, although he couldn't figure why they weren't allowed to turn on the radio. Trees became walls and walls became buildings and then buildings turned to walls and walls turned to trees and that's all James noticed as they drove along, that and the sun beginning to set. By the time they had arrived near the coast, darkness had fallen and the moon was high. Mikel parked at a distance and they all stared out over the water at the large port, it was huge with its own fire station and medical centre and police cars everywhere. Suddenly a loud booming sound caused them all to jump with fright as through the slight fog emerged a massive ship slowly easing itself along the port.

"Do you think that's their ship?" Mikel asked as he watched the boat come to a slow stop and ropes being thrown from the deck.

"I don't think so, when I was there it felt like the ship was docking, I think they're here already" James replied looking further down and seeing thousands of containers stacked upon each other. It reminded him of when he was younger and would stack his Lego one on top of each other in rows except these were a lot larger than Lego.

"Well if they're already in there, how are we going to get into them?" Lue pointed out as a flashing police car zoomed passed them in the direction of the main gates. Mikel looked at James and James looked at Lue, not one of them had thought that far ahead. Then there was a bang on the window and policeman stood there frowning at them.

"What's going on here?" he asked loudly as Lue rolled down her window.

"Nothing Sir, we're just lost" Lue replied, her voice softer than usual.

"Well you can't be lost here, this is a very busy area you'll need to turn around and head back two miles to the village, someone will help you find your way" he responded, bending slightly to get a better look at Mikel and James.

"Okay, we will" Lue said and just as she was about to roll up her window the policeman uttered the dreaded question.

"Can I see your license lad?" James' heart sank, they had been caught and what's worse is than they'd probably be taken to some police station and without doubt his father would be called and then life as he knew it wouldn't be worth living. All of a sudden his thoughts turned to Pip and how his cleaning and cooking would have been for waste; his father was going to explode. Just as his head was reeling with the outcomes of the impending arrest Lue's hand was on the policeman's arm and James swore he saw a little red flash. Then suddenly he was walking away, the bright luminous jacket slowly heading towards the entrance.

"A little dash of love goes a long way" she smiled as she rolled up the window.

"What did you do?" James asked sitting forward between the two front seats.

"A little bit of Cupid magic, he'll be fantasising about me for about an hour or two and then will remember nothing"

"That's great but we still don't have a way in" James replied.

"I've got an idea!" Mikel announced and jumped from the jeep and ran after the besotted bobby. Lue and James watched intently as Mikel came closer and then both shrieked when Mikel hit the bobby on the head hard and he fell to the ground. Slowly he dragged him back towards the jeep and taking off his luminous coat and identification badge he bundled the unconscious man into the ditch. Putting on the coat and making sure the badge was clearly visible he leaned in to the driver's seat.

"Don't be scared" he said looking at James and with those words James immediate reaction was of course to be scared, he even edged slightly backwards and sideward to Lue.

"I'm not going to hurt you!"

"Tell that to the policeman" James replied as he practically clung to the car door.

"Look I'm not, I'm just going to do something that you're going to find strange, very strange" he said before turning away from him and facing the water.

"James I wouldn't look if I were you, it's not very nice" Lue said as she looked the other way. The screams bore themselves into James' ears, they were of pure agony. The sounds of breaking bones followed and the sobs that came along with that ordeal and finally it stopped. Lue turned around as did James and there in front of them was the bobby, except it wasn't, it was Mikel.

"What the bloody hell was that?" James asked as he got out of the jeep and looked at Mikel. He was exactly like the policeman, his features, his height his build his everything, except the eyes. "I'm not sure but I don't think he had green eyes" he added as he looked closer.

"Well I'm good but I'm not perfect" Mikel started to explain. "I'm a shape shifter, but for as long as I've been shifting I've never been able to change my eye colour, these green eyes just won't go away!" he said with a smile.

"It really is a remarkable ability, a painful one but remarkable all the same" Lue said as she joined the two of them on the side of the road. Cogs in his brain suddenly started to turn and with a horrible realisation, James felt sick.

"No no no, you were the one at my school, at the bank, you were with Warren as my old neighbour the one with the floral scarf you're spying on me" James shouted as he backed away.

"Damn it James you're paranoid" Mikel said turning his head away.

"James let it go, Mikel isn't after you!" Lue said as she stood in front of James and placed her hands on his shoulders.

"She's right James, sweet Mikel wasn't after you, he wasn't after anyone he was just a bumbling little idiot who by some joke of nature was able to alter his form, although not very well" the bobby started to say as Lue turned around confused. Then again the bones started to move slightly, the height lowered and the waist slimmed and before them stood a beautiful woman. Even in the dark of night her hair seemed to glow, its redness more like fire than hair and shimmering blue eyes replaced the green ones. Almost instinctively James placed himself between Lue and the woman.

"Who are you?" James asked keeping his distance.

"Ah is it time for introductions?" she laughed casually stepping slightly forward, James and Lue stepped back; they weren't sure how much danger she posed. "Well my name is Cerise D'aragon, a descendant of the Red King and one of the prophesised Red Sisters, no need to introduce yourselves, I already know"

"Where's Mikel?" Lue queried.

"Awh Mikel, well lets put it this way, I like to think of myself as unique and two simply isn't unique" she replied smiling.

"So it was you at the school and the bank, spying on me? Why didn't you let your muscle kill me?" James barked as he kept his distance.

"Well it wasn't me at the school that in fact was Mikel but then he got a little suspicious. You see transmogrification causes a little ripple effect and apparently another shifter can sense it, so once he was on my trail I had to" she made a horrible noise and dragged her finger across her neck.

"You wagon!" Lue screamed and lunged for Cerise but James held her back.

"Feisty aren't we" she laughed. "Anyway the reason I didn't let Warren kill you was that I need you alive, well needed you alive. You've served your purpose" she finished and looked across the water towards the containers. "But I've got a few things to do so I'll let you live, for now" she said as she took out a walkie-talkie from the coat pocket. James and Lue stared blankly at her.

"Control, this is Alex I've come across an abandoned jeep and I think there may be illegal immigrants in one of the containers, they're papers and fake passports in the vehicle" she said in the policeman's voice as she took out a large envelope from the driver door of the jeep and emptied it over the passenger seat. "Also I saw a male and a female leaving on foot heading your way, be watchful" she smiled at James and Lue.

"Right, I'm sending out another patrol, you head back to the station" the voice on the other side replied and then she switched off the walkie-talkie

"Well, as you lot say, tarrah!" and with that she was running up towards the main gates of the port and as she ran her hair shortened, her legs lengthened and she was the bobby again. James and Lue just stood by the water in silence trying to comprehend just what happened. It wasn't until the sounds of police sirens and flashing blue lights being reflected on the trees did they spur into action.

"We've got to go" Lue said as she lifted herself into the jeep.

"We can't, we've got to help them, we've come this far"

"James the police will be here in a seconds, there's nothing we can do" she replied starting the engine.

"Can't you pop us over there, like you do" he pleaded as the sirens got louder.

"It doesn't work like that, I can't take passengers"

"Fine, you go and look for them I'll follow" he said taking off his shoes and throwing them into the trees.

"What on earth are you doing?"

"I'll meet you over there" and with that James turned and dived into the cold sea and he was gone. Frustrated and with the headlights of an oncoming police car blinding her, Lue faded in a puff of red smoke and was gone.

In the midst of a metal jungle was where she landed and she had absolutely no idea what she was to do. Being a cupid was about love and happiness and all things cute and romantic, she wasn't exactly the best to be searching a dock yard for three random people who arrived in a container from some random country.

"Night-time, murderous shape-shifter and no where to hide, this should end well" she whispered to herself as she slowly walked down one row of containers, there was no sign of anyone. A rattle erupted behind her and she turned to see two rats scurry out through a hole in one of the containers. Her heart was beating faster and she was cold, Lue couldn't remember the last time she had been cold. "Yoo-hoo, anyone there" she whispered at a random container but there was no answer. She continued on another bit and did the same, but again there was no reply. A couple of more times she tried it and then someone answered.

"Who's yoo-hooing?" the voice shouted. Lue forced herself against the metal and caught a glimpse of a security man at the top of the row, his torch shone down the middle, it swept to the left and by the time it swept to the right all that was there was a bit of red dust that was settling to the ground.

"That was close!" she said as she appeared deeper in the metal jungle on top of one of the containers.

"Maybe not close enough" a familiar voice said. Lue quickly turned and as she did her bow appeared in her hand, loaded and ready to shoot.

"Oh now you don't want to do that dear do you, you might hit this poor little slip of a girl" Cerise said as her grip tightened around a young girl's long hair.

"I'm a pretty good shot!" Lue replied as she pulled the string back and took aim at the pair.

"So is he!" Lue looked down and saw a monstrous looking young man, muscles bulging everywhere and utter anger in his face. In one hand he had an old woman, who Lue thought looked somewhat like Ida complete with a cane, while in the other hand was a rope.

"What's he going to throw, a rope? I'm so scared" Lue laughed as she disappeared in a cloud of red dust and reappeared behind Cerise.

"Those little tricks don't interest me dear, all I want is this precious young woman" she said in a babying voice "and you can have the other two!"

"What two?" With that the large brute of a man pulled the rope gently, well his gently, and another young male rushed quickly along the hard ground.

"You see, you take those two and I'll take her and we all go home happy" Cerise said as she threw the girl from the top of the container and she fell to the ground, hard.

"No chance!" Lue replied and again disappeared in a cloud of red dust and reappeared by the other warrior. Cerise must have jumped from the top as she was there between Lue and the others again.

"Well shoot me dear if you want but rest assured my companion here will take a lot more arrows to bring down than what you have in your little quiver!" Cerise smiled as she moved slightly towards Lue. She wasn't exactly sure what to do, she never found herself in these kinds of circumstances. Lue was always the one beneath the Eiffel Tower as a man got to one knee to propose or huddled in a nightclub giving love a little nudge. This was all new to her, she wasn't a warrior, she wasn't a fighter yet she was standing strong, her arrow aimed perfectly at the neck of the person who earlier she thought was Mikel. Her eyes kept darting around the confined area hoping for some sign of James or even a police officer or dock worker, someone to disturb the showdown but there was not even a rustle. "Come on Lue we don't have all night, some of us have homes to go to" Cerise said rolling her eyes and looking at a wrist that had no watch on it. Nervous and not quite sure what else to do she let an arrow fly but it didn't work, somehow Cerise managed to grab it before it hit her neck.

"That's impossible!" Lue said as she stared in astonishment.

"No dear that's determination" she replied dropping the arrow to the ground while Lue loaded another into the bow. "Oh come on, we're going to be doing this all night!" Cerise snapped as she stepped on the dropped arrow cracking it beneath her foot.

"Let's see how you do with three?" Lue asked and as she pulled the string back, the arrow split into three separate ones. Cerise laughed, but it had a hint of trepidation. There was a moment of stillness as the two women eyed each other in a Western style showdown, but only one had a weapon. Cerise arched an eyebrow and readied herself, determined or not stopping three simultaneous arrows would be no easy feat. Suddenly an anchor fell from the top of the container and crushed Warren to the ground, knocking him unconscious and freeing the old woman and young man.

"Sorry!" James said unapologetically as he jumped from the top of the container dripping wet. Before she knew what she was doing Lue let the arrows fly and somewhat taken by surprise Cerise only managed to stop two, the third drove deep through her shoulder and out her back and into the wall of one of the containers pinning her to it.

"Well at least you stopped two!" Lue smiled as she walked passed the snared shape-shifter. James quickly helped both Andrei and Anta to their feet while Lue lent a shoulder to Bunica who was cursing and kicking the unconscious Warren until he gave a little stir and started to move slightly.

"Let's get out of here!" James said and led the way while Cerise shouted after them.

"This isn't over, she will be mine and there is nothing you can do to stop me" she shouted loudly but none of them replied.

"Do you hear me warrior?" she shouted again just as Lue and Bunica were rounding the corner to disappear. Then she whistled.

"Cupid, I'm going to watch Warren tear you limb from limb and feed you to the dogs" she seethed as she tried to pull the arrow out. Lue turned and with severe anger in her face she calmly walked back to the impaled woman pulling another arrow from her Quiver but didn't load it.

"I'm not one for violence lady, but in your case I think I'll make an exception" Lue said as she toyed with a new arrow in her hand. A look of panic came over Cerise and just as Lue was about to plunge the arrow into her belly a cloud of red dust appeared and she was gone, the arrow falling to the ground. At the top where Bunica was waiting the cupid reappeared. The old woman gave her a look of disappointment before they followed through the maze of containers, to where they did not know.

Up ahead the fog was after thickening and the water was making a soft noise as it rushed against the walls of the port. James, Anta and Andrei were standing on the dock looking out into the grey.

"What are we waiting for?" Lue asked as she and Bunica joined them.

"There was a boat here, a small one that could have taken us back to the jeep" James replied as he stared downwards where a rope lay unattached.

"Where is it now then?" Lue said as she too looked downwards. James shrugged. "That's great, well come on then, let's go look for another way back to the jeep"

"There is no other way, other than walking to the main exit and explaining ourselves to all the police officers and custom officers and sailors and workers and even possibly the navy" James ranted as he ran out of breath.

"Alright alright, keep your hair on we'll find a way out of here!" Lue said trying to calm the warrior down. She turned to the old woman and bending slightly so she was on eye level and smiling widely she asked, "So dear, how is your breaststroke?" The old woman had no idea what Lue had asked but Anta did and promptly told the cupid that no way was Bunica strong enough to swim across to the jeep. "Well I'm out of ideas" she said and disappeared in a swirl of red dust. James' eyes widened and his mouth unintentionally dropped open. He couldn't believe it; she had just left him there with three refugees, a murderous warrior and a rather uppity shape-shifter. Deep breaths, deep breaths, he muttered to himself as he looked around the dock, the fog getting ever so closer. "Whoa, dusty!" Lue said as she reappeared shaking a small yellow bundle in her arms. James hugged her tightly.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you" he said as he held her tightly.

"It's just a silly inflatable life raft, it's not a yacht!" she replied looking over his shoulder at the three who were staring right back rather confused, Anta was slightly red in the face at the sight.

"Wait, you didn't think I left you did you?" she whispered in his ear. James nodded. "I wouldn't do that, anyway couldn't have, that little triple arrow trick really drained me, didn't think I'd be able to pop into a couple of ships let alone pop back to Hamlet" she replied patting him on the back and separating. "Let's just get out of here" she smiled. James again nodded this time wiping a couple of tears from his eyes, a warrior he may have been but he was still only sixteen and up to now an incredibly sheltered teen. "Right you lot, who wants to get out of here?" Lue asked as she turned the yellow bundle over in her hands searching for the instructions.

"I dink you poll a sting" Andrei said moving closer to Lue.

"A string is it? We'll have to work on your English!" she replied turning the bundle over again and finding a red cord. She pulled it and the bundle exploded in a flash of yellow plastic. "Hmm, doesn't look very comfy" Lue added as she looked at the raft.

"Doesn't look very spacious either" Anta added.

"Never mind, we'll all squeeze in someway" James said as he pushed the raft to the edge of the dock and with a slight kick it fell into the sea and started swaying slightly. "Okay, who's first?" It was Anta, followed by Andrei who had Buncia on his back, her cane cover close to becoming a whip.

"Riteo my turn!" Lue chirped and she made her way onto the raft. "You were right it isn't very spacious!" she said squirming around trying to get comfortable, her leather hot pants squeaking across the plastic. Last to join them was James and as he climbed down the water started to become more unsettled and the fog thickened. The five of them then sat in the raft. "What now then?" Lue asked as she looked across to James.

"I've got an idea!" he said and grabbing the rope on the side of the raft he jumped into the sea and started to pull the raft through the waves towards the jeep.

"A warrior powered boat, now I've seen everything" Lue laughed as she watched James lug the raft along the water. It wasn't exactly the furthest sea crossing and it wasn't exactly the smoothest but nevertheless James managed the task and as he hauled himself upon the little embankment he hauled the raft up as far as he could. As they all disembarked Lue was the only one smiling, Bunica and her grandchildren were wet, cold and hurting from their encounter. "That was thrilling; when that big ship beeped its horn I thought we were all goners!" Lue laughed as she recalled the moment when they narrowly missed a massive shipping container coming into dock. Everyone who could understand what she said gave her a look of annoyance, even the two that couldn't gave her a look of some sort of derision.

"Okay, well the hard part is over!" James said as helped Anta out onto the road where the others were already standing.

"I wouldn't be so sure James" Lue said as she peered up and down the road, there was no sign of their means of travel.

"Ah no, where's the bloody jeep?" he groaned as he went out into the middle of the road with his hands upon his head.

"Towed probably, those policemen must have taken it away" Lue answered.

"How are we going to get home, can you contact Ida, tell them to send someone?"

"Afraid not, don't think I could even pop now! We can call them, Ida has a mobile, quick give me yours" James' face reddened as he placed his hand in his pocket and pulled out his phone, dripping wet. "Well that won't work!"

"Not without a bag of rice anyway" James replied utterly ashamed.

"Never mind, it was only an idea. Next time before you go and do the brave thing, empty your pockets" she said before turning to the other three. "Anybody got a few pound on them?" she asked.

"What do you need money for?"

"There's a bus stop down there" she replied.

The First Forest:

The Veiled King

Standing in the middle of a long room in the midst of various portraits and marble busts the youngish man moaned and muttered to the several painted and sculptured faces.

"Why is it doing it?" he asked loudly as he looked from one bearded old man to the next. Clasping his hands around the cold head of a man not quite older than he was he asked him the same question. None of them responded. "I bet you're finding this humorous old man?" he said meanly to the last portrait right at the end of the long room, just to the left of a large dais. "Your children died before you and as hard as you tried to fight it death came for you too and now look, as much as you hated the thought here I stand the new King of Nuvarin and I cannot even sit on the Throne! This is your doing" he climbed up upon the dais and stood in front of the large chair carved from wood that was over a millennium old. It wasn't the most attractive piece of furniture in the room but it certainly was the fiercest. Looming over everything, it required the climbing of five large steps before one was able to sit upon it and look out over the room and through the tall windows beyond. From there it was said that the King could see everything. Unfortunately for the new King, he wasn't able to see much. "Please, please let me sit down" he begged the Throne as he climbed the five steps and slowly turned to face the empty room. Placing his hands on the arms of the chair, on which all the names of the previous Kings of Nuvarin were eloquently etched, he lowered himself onto the hard wood. He found himself smiling as he relaxed into the chair, even the ominous carving of an old man with his eyes closed on the back of the Throne drifted from his mind. Then, like the other times before, it happened. First the arms started to break and splinters were sent flying into the King's hands, he clenched tightly and refused to move. It might only all be a test, the first time he sat on it he jumped at the sound of the breaking wood. The second time he lasted until a piece of wood lodged itself into his lower back. Everyone thought he was mad, none of them had ever witnessed the spectacle and when he went looking for a healer with the back wound, there was none, no back wound. The splinters continued to dig deep into the skin and there was no stabbing in the back this time, but suddenly the legs of the Throne started to fracture and before he knew it the King found himself tumbling down the steps of both the Throne and the dais landing in a heap on the floor. Angry he stood up and shouted at the chair which again looked exactly like it did before he sat down. "You stupid piece of wood, you're going to be sorry!" Then he thought he was crazy. The eyes opened up and a mouth that was never etched in appeared.

"You are not the rightful King, there are others before you" it said in a gravelly tone, as if it hadn't spoken in centuries. The King was livid, he was the rightful heir and he wasn't going to let some old chair keep him from ruling.

"I did warn you" he replied even though the eyes had now closed and the mouth again gone. He walked to one of the busts and then he slowly returned to the dais and climbed the steps one more time, metal dragging along the tiled floor. "I think it's time for a new Throne" he smiled as he lifted the axe and brought it down with such angry force that one of the arms shattered instantly sending shards of names all over the room. Then it was the other arm followed by the seat itself and finally the back, he enjoyed hacking the scary face into pieces.

With the immense pleasure the King was deriving from chopping the Throne into kindling he was unable to hear the banging on the numerous doors which in his plan not to be seen as the Throne ridiculed him, he locked. Suddenly they all burst open and in spilled numerous guards all dressed in the Velvet colour of the Vadsaria name. At least forty of them, with weapons in hand rushed into the long room and encircled the King who was sweating and breathing heavily. One guard took hold of the axe just as it was about to deliver another splintering hit, and the King seethed.

"How dare you, you will hang for that"

"My Grace what have you done?" a voiced asked and as the King turned he could see the guards part and along walked a heavy set man dressed in the finest of clothes and with ginger red hair that had a slight white twinge. "My Grace this is a most unholy travesty" he continued as he picked up a piece of timber with a closed eye on it.

"I wanted a new Throne" he replied like a spoilt ten year-old before moving down the steps and toward the centre of the room, the guards still creating a barrier around their liege. "Get out get out, I don't need protecting" he shouted as one of them was slow in moving out of the path of the King's long strides. They were obedient and just as fast as they arrived in the room, they left. Standing again in the midst of busts and portraits the sweat dripped from every pore with beads still forming on his forehead while his shirt was drenched through. "I need water" he shouted and in quickly ran a young boy with a jug and as soon as the King snapped it out of his hands he ran away, faster. The man approached the King again.

"My King what you have done" he started before being interrupted.

"A travesty, you've already said that"

"And that is what it is; there is no doubt about it. For the past millennium the Rulers of Nuvarin have sat upon that Throne, it has almost become like a King's right hand" he said to his own detriment. The King struck him hard across the face.

"This is the King's right hand!" he roared as he shook his hand in the man's face. "And I am King" he finished before moving towards the large arched exit at the end of the hall.

"Yes you are my Grace, for our penance" he whispered the latter softy so as to be sure not to be heard. Then like a well trained dog, he followed his Master down to the arch. One of the doors was slightly open and the King had half slipped out into the corridor and he was screaming and roaring again. "I want him here now" and "bring the scheming witch with him" were the orders he was shouting at the poor trembling guard.

"My Grace perhaps we shall wait in the Council Chambers?" the man asked looking at the ground afraid to meet his gaze. The King looked at him and saw the red mark on his face.

"Sometimes I don't know my own strength Calyn" he said smiling gently and placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Your Grace is the strongest warrior in Nuvarin" Calyn replied to which the King laughed heartedly so much so that his face too became a little red.

"I needed a good laugh, now let's go to the Chambers seeing as the Throne room will need a bit of sprucing up" he said as he began to walk down the corridor. "You" he said pointing to one of the guards. "Tell them to bring the prisoners to the Chambers" he ordered before continuing down the corridor and up a small flight of stairs and passed a number of stationary guards, two of whom opened the small iron door that led to the Council Chambers. The room wasn't exactly the nicest in the palace; it had only a long table and solid wooden chairs that were as ugly as they were sturdy. There were no paintings on the walls, no carpets on the floor and only a small amount of light was able to shine through four tiny slits on one wall. The smell of burning oil and the smoke from hundreds of candles watered the eyes as soon as one entered the room. In the beginning the room was used as a secondary arsenal, one close enough to the Throne room in case attackers got so close to the Monarch, but eventually another King found a better use for it. Vian the Vicious began using the room for his Council meetings when he became annoyed when they started to drag on for hours and hours and on more than one occasion from dawn to dusk. So he made the Council convene in one of the most uncomfortable rooms in the palace in the hope that business would be done quick and he was free to enjoy the benefits of King. The idea was a success, not one meeting since then has lasted more than an hour as the fumes and intense heat generated caused many a man to faint and many more resign so as to leave the room.

As Calyn and the King entered, passing the keeper of the chamber, Calyn slipped something into the hand of the King and he in turn placed it under his belt.

"Greetings Good Council" the King said and all those who were seated at the table stood immediately. There were nine members of the council but only five, most of them handpicked by the King to become members of the thirty-sixth council of Nuvarin, but only five were present at the moment. "Please be seated" the King continued as he took his seat at the head of the table. "I see some are missing". None of them said nothing in reply but merely looked to each other in trepidation. "Well I hope they hurry, this isn't my most favourite of places!" he said smiling. The King was very skilled in hiding his true feelings when he needed to. Only a few shards of paper and feathered quills were on the table, not a jug nor glass nor piece of fruit in sight, they were deemed too welcoming. "So Idyna, how are you today?" the King asked as he shifted in the seat to face the woman to his right.

"I am well your Grace, thank you for asking" she replied, her voice dulcet, like her face. Idyna was the youngest member on the council and by far the most hygienic, as the others sweated through their clothes, her sleeveless silk blouse allowed what little air in the room to brush against her skin. Officially she was referred to as the Supreme Lady Justice; she was the one who governed all things law, with the blessing and agreement of the King. Her appointment was seen as somewhat unfair as she had only been a practicing barrister for three years, while there were numerous senior barristers and nine judges for the King to choose from but he picked her from obscurity and she was proving to be an inspired choice. Just as he was about to greet The Miser, the man in charge of the City's monies, a little scuffle could be heard coming from the bottom of the small stairs that led to the chambers. It was a woman's voice and from its raspy tone the King knew exactly who it was and his cheeks blushed slightly.

"I will not give you it, now get out of my way" the voice carried up the stairs and into the chamber.

"But Ma'am you are not allowed comforts like this in the chamber" the Keeper responded.

"I am the King's Cousita, his deputy and if I want to bring it with me I will" she announced her position in a sure bid to intimidate the keeper.

"Ma'am it is not permitted to bring comforts to the chamber, now give it to me please and I will ensure its safe keeping"

"I'll give you a slap for safe keeping if you do not get out of my way" and with that there was a slight thud and none of the listening members knew whether or not she had delivered on her threat but up the stairs they heard heavy footsteps and breathing and in the door she burst. She was a woman of some considerable size; she had to inhale in order to get through the frame of the door and as she entered the room she wiped sweat from her brow and fanned her face with a bright green lace fan. "That little runt should be locked up" she puffed as she moved up along the room to the King. "So sorry Harold" she begun to say and the King's face tensed up. "I mean your Grace, he tried to take the fan off me, and last time I was in here I nearly melted" she said kissing the King on the cheek.

"Well you obviously won Mother!" the King replied as he took hold of the fan. "You know he was just doing his job but I'll overlook it just this once" he smiled handing back the fan to his mother.

"Gentleman, Idyna greetings" she said as she walked back down the room and took her seat at the end of the table directly opposite her son and as she sat the table shook as her large belly bumped off it. "Well I see I'm not the only one who's late" she said to the group and just as she said it two more people entered the room.

"Apologies your Grace, we were stopped by the guards, they told us we weren't needed" one of them said, a man in his fifties with a scroll of paper under his arm.

"They said there wasn't a Council meeting occurring, apparently they were lying, perhaps General you should have a word with them" the other one said, a young woman who was as subtle as a shovel in the face. The General rose to his feet. A magnificently tall man many wondered was there some bit of giant in his genes as he towered over all the rest, sitting or standing.

"How dare you speak to me with that tone" he retorted. His voice was old and gravelly and his thick brown eyebrows were raised in anger until he felt the King's touch on his arm prompting him to sit down.

"Now now General I do not think Anne meant anything by her comments, she is just a little frustrated by the run-around" the King said as he stood. The General sat down, still seething; Harold wasn't the only one quick to temper. Anne and her male companion Nyang were the two elected members of the council known as the Voices. The people of Pastorious voted them on to the council for a five-year term for them to fight for the plights of the public. "I apologise sincerely for this muddle, you see there is a council meeting today but it is in relation to the security of Pastorious and as both of you are aware only the members of the council appointed by me are to be present" he said sweetly, his mother snorted a sign of haughtiness which the King ignored.

"But your Grace I strongly believe the security of Pastorious is an issue that affects the people of Pastorious and therefore we should be at this meeting" Anne replied, her voice dripping with imagined authority. Nyang wasn't so forthcoming in joining Anne's plight to be allowed sit at the table; he was practically backing away to the door.

"I agree Anne and perhaps we shall look at changing the rules in the future but for now please let us get on with the issue at hand"

"And what issue is that?" she replied her voice losing the little bit of respect it had at the start of the little debate.

"An issue that is for the Security Council"

"Well you're the King, change the rule and allow me to sit at the Security Council" she retorted, not liking the idea of being forced away from a meeting that could prove very important.

"Oh for goodness sake get out would you, he said this is a meeting for the appointed members and you were not appointed" the King's mother snapped.

"Well said Gertie" the General lauded her little outburst.

"I still think I should be here" she retorted as she wasn't the type of person to back away from an argument when she believed her opinion was right.

"Oh for heaven's sake" Gertie shouted and she heaved herself out of the chair and pounded the few steps to Anne and man handled her out the door, Nyang had darted down the stairs as soon as she started to get up.

"This isn't right" Anne shouted from the middle of the staircase.

"Well everybody here doesn't care and we are the only people who matter" Gertie replied and banged the door shut. A little round of applause filled the chamber as she sat down to which she greatly admired. Born Gertrude she was the previous King's niece and from a young age was always jealous of not being a direct royal. Her mother, the dead King's brother, wasn't exactly the kindest of women and when she became a widow she took Gertrude her only child and moved out of Pastorious and settled in one of the King's many castles far away. There she drank herself to an early grave and when Gertrude returned, she was almost twenty years of age and stone, her girlish looks were gone along with her innocence and she was lucky to be married off to an old Lord from one of the small towns in Nuvarin. Again she was forced to leave and live with another hard drinking, mean lout for another twenty years. Finally her fortunes changed when a mere six months ago, the widowed Gertrude was summoned back to Pastorious with her only son Harold by the ailing King. His son and youngest daughter had died while his eldest daughter disappeared. It turned out that Harold was the closest living heir and with great annoyance in his face the dying King conveyed this to Gertrude who tried her best to hold back her joy. Soon after he died and her son was in the midst of his Coronation she was appointed the King's Couister, Cousita seeing as she was the first woman to hold the title, and she became the second most powerful person in Pastorious and she swore to Leon and Leonora that she would never be forced out again.

Then there was a slight rapping on the door and in walked an elderly man, easily the oldest in the room with a neck so wrinkled it resembled a stocking that had been left on the floor for weeks.

"My apologies your Grace, my legs don't carry me as quickly as they used I'm afraid" he said as he sat down across from the General who just gave him a nod of salute.

"No apologies necessary Lyam, we would always wait for you" the King lied; he was getting ever so good at it. From the inception of the council there was a clause that when a monarch died and the heir created a new council the Cousita of the previous council would be automatically placed on the new council and known as the Original. Occasionally the Cousita might not be in a position to join the new council so the next ranking member would be chosen. Lyam was in perfect condition to take the position of Original, much to the King's annoyance as the former Cousita he was incredibly close to the dead King and worse to his living widow.

"Can we start please, I'm already making a puddle" Gertie grunted as she shifted in her seat allowing a few more drops of sweat to fall to the puddle on the floor. "This heat is unbearable" she added as her chubby wrist started to flex the fan.

"Yes, yes we shall start. I call this security meeting of the Council to order. Firstly, the members; Supreme Lady Justice" he said to which she replied "Regalo Gratia", "General Easting" to which he replied "Commander", "The Honourable Miser" to which the quiet man seated by the end near Gertie replied a barely audible "Graaa.....grrraa...grrraaa.....Grace" he finally got the word out following a little thump from Gertrude. She wasn't very trusting of the bumbling Miser and she always felt he was the type of person who could peel an orange in his pocket "The Most Pious Padre" the King said with a slight bow of his head, to which the rather burly gentleman on the other side of Gertie replied with "A blessing to your Grace". "Original" the King uttered to which the old man retorted with a simple "here". That caused one of Gertie's eyebrows to rise significantly but the King shrugged it off. "And finally, the King's Cousita, Deputy of Matters, Keeper of the Peace and Chair of the Council, the Duchess". Gertrude loved when she was announced by her entire title, it was almost euphoric for her every time the words came falling out of anyone's mouth and she proudly wobbled in to a room or lifted her numerous chins with a wide smile. Truth be told, the last title was one she asked to have added, there hadn't been a Duchess in Nuvarin for centuries but ever since she was a child she dreamed of being called that more than a princess. She was never one to aim quite high.

Introductions were made, seats were taken, sweat was dripping and it was time for the meeting to begin and as soon as the King banged his golden lion's head on the table a tapestry behind him moved and from behind it came a soldier with a prisoner bound in chains. All eyes were on the prisoner as the soldier moved her along the wall of the room and stood her behind the Lyam and Idyna. The poor woman was shaking, her clothes were rags and the bags beneath her eyes showed she hadn't slept properly in days.

"So this is her" Gertie said aloud staring with disdain at the woman. "She's a big one!" she added to the chuckle of most of her fellow members. The woman was indeed big but she was no way near the rotund size of Gertie who was still sweating even though her green fan was almost breaking apart with the ferocious movement.

"Lady Justice, the floor is yours" the King said. She gathered a few parchments of paper and stood up.

"Your Grace, esteemed members of the Council, Duchess. Here is Coque D'aragon" she paused as a slight rumble of surprise ruffled through the few members. "She is charged with high treason, murder and aiding the illegal departure of two women to the New World" Idyna continued as she placed one piece of paper back on the table.

"I still can't believe those stupid pile of rocks are working" Gertie snorted, wiping her brow with her already drenched sleeve.

"My dear Lady, those stupid rocks are the Veil between this world and the next and for centuries they have thankfully remained dormant. Now the curse has worn off and new threats face Nuvarin, who knows what will come through" Lyam passionately said to Gertie who was practically rolling her eyes in front of him.

"Well they weren't so dormant twenty-odd years ago when the late King Vance's daughter and grandson disappeared through them" she snarled. At the mention of the dead King all members of the Council covered their mouth in a mark of respect to never speak ill of the dead. Gertie of course also covered her mouth, but not in a way that hindered her speaking.

"That was a dark night in Pastorian history, and thankfully we found a Jip" he stopped abruptly. His face reddened slightly and he shifted in his seat.

"You found a what?" Gertie inquired leaning on the table, her fatted arms folded out in front of her.

"Nothing, we found nothing" Lyam replied regaining his composure and air of superiority. Gertie left it go, she knew that once the old man had closed his mouth on a matter it was never going to open again, she knew there were others in the palace who would know and who would be more easily influenced.

"Indeed we must try and find a way to stop the Veil from causing havoc but all in due course, today we must deal with the matters at hand and then we shall find a solution to the Veil" the King said calmly glancing at his mother who nodded her approval. "Lady Justice we apologise for the interruption, please continue" he added, his hand outstretched toward her.

"Thank you your Grace. Ms. D'aragon has confessed to all crimes put against her by the city of Pastorious and in my position as Supreme Lady Justice I strongly press for the punishment of death" she finished to silence. Taking her seat the others just looked at Coque. It was obvious she had been beaten; there were even a few scars that would have been left by a whip on her legs.

"Has she not said anything?" Lyam asked croaking his head back to look at Idyna.

"All the prisoner has said is that she has fulfilled her destiny and that now is her time" she replied.

"Now is her time? Time for what?" Gertie barked as she got up from her seat which took her a couple of attempts. Wobbling over to the chained woman she took her by the shoulders, squeezed and peered deep into her eyes. "Now is your time for what dear girl?"

"Now is my time to die, the zephyr carries no more words" she answered in a mechanic tone. They stared at each other their eyes not leaving each other's gaze until finally Gertie had reached a verdict.

"Bonkers, utterly bonkers" she diagnosed and left the girl and returned to her seat, a large sweat stain on her back and buttocks.

"Right then, a vote" the General said. "All those for the death penalty" he added and hands crept up toward the rafted ceiling, except Gertie, hers shot right up sending a film of sweat all over the Miser who shuddered. The Original kept his hand down and he was the only one, the King's hand was raised and although not unanimous, the death penalty it would be. Coque nodded, she had known this day was coming and its outcome.

"Please take the prisoner back to the dungeon, death will be at sunset" the King proclaimed. The guard took hold of her bruised arm and began to lead her back to behind the tapestry but she did not go quietly.

"The Red King will rise again, the prophecy will be fulfilled" she declared before the guard shook her slightly, but she was determined. "The Doppel" but before she could finish the guard smacked her hard and she silencened.

"I was right, downright bonkers" Gertie yawned before proclaiming that the room would be the death of her. For a few moments the entire table sat quietly, all of them trying to avoid each other's gaze because for some of them sending a woman to her death required a few moments of reflection. "Right if your Grace allows it, shall we proceed?" Gertie asked, breaking the silence although she had been doing it since it started with her heavy breathing and voluble huffing.

"I shall" he replied and there was a unanimous sign of relief as the stifling incense scented heat was even beginning to break the Original, who had spent most of the past half century serving inside the dreaded room. "Guard, the next prisoner" the King shouted and once again the tapestry started to move and the guard came out once more. This time the prisoner was a man, in his thirties with a scruffy beard and balding spots. He stood in the same spot as Coque and tried not to make eye contact with anyone, especially the General who was staring at him with such anger it even made Gertie feel uncomfortable, well almost. "Lady Justice" Harold said and again Idyna got to her feet and explained the prisoner.

"Here is Matthew Boone, a man who joined the Army at the age of fourteen and over the course of twenty years has risen to the esteemed position of Forest Lieutenant with his Forest being the first" she was interrupted.

"And we all know how well he fared there" Gertie heckled.

"Mother please" Harold said even though her comment had obviously made him smile.

"My sincere apologies Idyna" Gertie said, however most things Gertie said weren't sincere especially when she used the word sincere. Idyna smiled, it was best to smile when it came to Gertie.

"Boone is charged with treason. He is accused of plotting with the Widow Queen in challenging the King's right to sit upon the Veiled Throne" Calyn squirmed slightly while Harold was unperturbed.

"TREASON TREASON TREASON" Gertie shouted loudly as she banged her saucepan sized fists on the table causing it to jump slightly.

"Yes we heard Lady Justice" Lyam snarled to which Gertie responded with another bang on the table, closer to the Original's hands.

"So we shall vote" Idyna said taking her seat at the table and glancing at the others.

"Just one minute please" the King said getting up from his faintly larger seat. He took the arm of the prisoner and walked with him, taking him down one side of the chamber passing the backs of the General and the Miser before stopping behind his mother. "This man is a true soldier, taking his oath of service at the age of twelve and committing his life to protect Pastorious and its people" he said to his council all the while slipping out the item he had placed under his shirt and discreetly placing it in the hands of the prisoner. "There is no doubt in my mind that he is loyal to Pastorious and the Royal family he has sworn to protect. Sadly, the Widow Queen is part of the Royal family and she has shown her trust lies elsewhere" he continued before moving up along the other side of the chamber before stopping almost immediately, directly behind the Original. "The Widow Queen in her immense grief for her dead husband, son and daughter has succumbed to hysteria. She believes that her grandson and daughter are in the New World, longing to find a way to come home. So once the Veil showed signs of life she plotted her escape and I know others helped her along, ones who too have divided loyalties" he said looking at the General while placing his hand on the Padre's shoulder. It was difficult to tell who felt uncomfortable because of the King's speech and who was uncomfortable because of the ever increasing temperature. All of them were sweating and all of them bar Gertie were staring in every direction except the King's. "My mother always told me that it was hard to tell the difference between some flowers and weeds, she said the ones that pluck from the earth easily are flowers while the tougher ones to uproot are weeds" Gertie smiled and nodded as the King moved back up along the chamber to his seat, leaving the prisoner behind, on his own. "I think that poor Boone here is a flower tangled in a nest of weeds that is about to be plucked from the earth for a crime done on someone else's behalf" he said looking at each member of the council. "But he is the one being charged so he is the one being punished. I take it you are calling for the death penalty Lady Justice?"

"I am your Grace" she replied baring glancing at him.

"Very well, all those in favour of the death penalty raise your hand". This vote wasn't the same; it was as if all of them were waiting to see what the other would do. Harold in his capacity of King was able to cast his vote last, so he watched. The first hand to rise was Idyna, followed by Gertie who actually apologised to the prisoner.

"I know dear you are not a weed but weeds have a way of engulfing even the strongest of flowers" she said before looking at Lyam. He slowly raised his hand and then the other members followed. There was a brief moment of silence as they all waited for the King's reaction and then for a few seconds madness erupted. Gertie's screams filled the chamber and the running of Idyna for the safety behind the tapestry were all caused by the prisoner wrapping his chains around Lyam's neck and pulled tightly. The Most Pious Padre had taken the most extreme measure of sheltering beneath the table while the General immediately stood between the King and the attack. Gertie was too big to move quickly so she remained seated watching and screaming as the Original's face turned a frightening purple and then blue until his eyes lost all life. The prisoner released his chains and took a step back before swallowing something and falling almost immediately to the ground with a foamy residue escaping from his mouth.

"Everyone okay?" Calyn stupidly asked.

"Okay? Okay? I just saw a man be strangled to death, how could I possibly be okay? I need a bloody drink" Gertie retorted as the poor green fan was beginning to rip from the increase in flapping. Suddenly the keeper burst in the door followed by eight guards and the room became an oven. "Two of you, take the King back to his apartment and never lose sight of him" the General ordered and the King was ushered out of the chamber passing the dead as he went with Calyn naturally following. "Two of you head for the Wet dungeon" was his next order. Idyna was long gone, the tapestry led to a corridor that led to a small staircase that eventually led to another set of stairs that would eventually have her in the midst of wet dungeons so called because instead of cells, prisoners were placed in cold dirty water twenty-three hours a day. "Duchess you should leave, here these fine soldiers shall escort you back to your apartment" he said taking the woman's fat hand while beckoning two more men.

"Fine soldiers, ha, we've just seen what your fine soldiers do" Even in the midst of a terrible atrocity Gertie was never one to soften her words. But she left, not quietly though as she gave one howl of grief as she took one last look at the Original. Then the Padre was coaxed out from beneath the table and he gladly took the armed escort back to the safety of his walled Cathedral Village where his own guards stood. All that was left was the General and the Miser, who did not move from his seat in all of the action.

"You know for a moment there I thought he knew" the General whispered as he took his seat again next to the Miser.

"The King only knows what he is supposed to know, nothing more" the Miser replied with a smirk.

"Poor Lyam though, do you think the King put the prisoner up to it?"

"And who do you think put the King up to it?" the Miser replied getting to his feet. "Ruling is a tricky thing, it puts a crown on your head and a target on your back" he added before disappearing out the door and down the stairs.

Chapter 10en:

Ginger Nuts and Broken Glass

James woke to the horrid smell of bus fumes clinging to his clothes. Lying in his bed he was still dressed and confused. The last thing he could remember was getting off the bus and being greeted by a large man in strange brown garb with a van. Naturally he would have avoided such a creature but Lue knew him and apparently he had been sent to meet them, James wasn't sure if he was also sent to douse him in sand and send him to a deep slumber. That was exactly what he must have done and James slowly got out of his bed and as his shoes hit the floor beneath a rumble came from downstairs. Suddenly he felt sick, the whole list that his Dad had left out for him, had Pip done it all? If he did, had the dinner given them food poisoning (he didn't mind that thought much) or had Pip broken something while cleaning and left the blame at his feet? How was he going to explain his absence all night? And as soon as the door burst open and his father stormed in, all words fell from his mouth and he could have easily passed as a life-long mute.

"So how was the party?" his Dad asked as he opened the window to let some air in. "Those bus fumes are terrible, I would have collected you if you called" he added as he sat down on the end of the bed. "So tell me, how did you get on?" This was strange; Jack never sat on the end of James' bed and he couldn't remember the last time the two of them had an actual conversation that didn't evolve into a shouting match. "Come on, I don't have all day I've work and you've school". It was obvious he was in a good mood, what wasn't obvious was the reason.

"Oh the party was good fun, sorry it was a bit short notice and on a school night" as James was explaining the lie he found himself wondering why his father would have allowed him to go to a party, on a school night.

"It's good that you're starting to socialise again, don't think I haven't noticed you spending a lot of time wandering around alone" Jack replied, almost sounding concerned.

"Well I just like being alone"

"And there is nothing wrong with that, just mix it up every now and again, that's all I'm saying. You might even meet a nice girl!" Okay now the conversation was getting extraordinarily strange, it was the longest the two had ever been talking without someone else present and it was the longest his father had feigned an interest. "So what time did you get home?"

"Am I think about....one....thirty?" James replied, not sure whether he was answering or questioning seeing as he had no idea what time he had been left unconscious in his room.

"Well Miriam and I were out for the count about eleven, not sure what came over us, maybe it was the massive feed we had. I never knew you could cook like that"

"Oh ya, am, was it okay?" he asked hoping that his father would tell him what Pip had cooked so he could carry on the charade.

"Bloody tasty is what it was and the dessert, where did you learn all that? Miriam is thinking of putting you in the pub kitchen during the summer holiday" Jack said smiling.

"Oh, right" James wasn't sure what to say to that, he would rather march through a field of nettles into a pool of sewage than work in her pub but he didn't want to spoil what was for lack of a better term, a pleasant interaction. However nice didn't last too long and soon it descended into the opposite of nice or fantastical.

"Listen the reason I wanted you to cook dinner last night was that I wanted us all to sit and eat but I'm not angry that you went to a party, as I said it's important for you to socialise with your friends" James just looked at his Dad and nodded, he wasn't entirely sure where this part of the conversation was heading, but he had a feeling he wouldn't like it. His Dad took a deep breath. "I. We had to tell you something, Miriam and I are getting married" he blurted it out quick as if the words would hurt less, somewhat like ripping a band-aid off fast. Nope, hearing them fast or slow or in any combination in between didn't matter, the words still cut James deep but in that brief instance he wasn't going to let it show, he would find the exit for the low road at some time. He smiled, shook his father's hand and congratulated him all the while thinking about how he was going to leave and never cross his father's threshold again. "Come on get dressed and have some breakfast, I'll run you to school" he said getting up from the bed, leaving the room more toxic than when he entered. The window seemed to be calling James, he wanted nothing more than to pack a bag right now and climb out and never lay eyes on his father or that woman again but something was stopping him. Not the fact that he'd never see his Dad again; it was the fact that this is where his Mom was buried and where a new life is seeming to emerge, one that could possibly take him away eventually anyway. So he gathered his thoughts, donned his uniform and courteously entered the kitchen. Taking most of his energy not to scream and shout as he gave Miriam a less than enthusiastic hug James took a jammed piece of toast and promptly left, saying that he had to be in school early today. It worked and he found himself walking down the path not daring to look back for fear of insisting some rage that would find him hurling a brick through a window.

"Well you took your time! Had a nice lie-in did you?" the voice called from the left. James looked and saw Lue, dressed not in her cupid outfit but a more moderate jeans and hoodie. "Been waiting here for ages" she moaned loudly as she strolled down toward him.

"What happened last night, where are they? What did Ida say?" James started the questioning to which Lue simply rolled her eyes.

"Relax, relax, relax! Gees you're like a wound-up toy. Nothing happened last night, they are still sleeping and Ida has been holed up in that cellar with Robert since we got back" she replied peeking up at James' house.

"And what did you do to me?" he retorted angrily.

"I didn't do anything to you" Lue snapped back. "It was Dave." James looked at her confused. "One of the sand-people, Ida sent him to collect us and make sure you went home, willingly or no" she added, continuing to look up at the house.

"Well it wasn't very nice, I, I, I"

"You, you, you what?" Lue queried James' train of thought as it seemed to run out of steam.

"It wasn't nice" he said and narrowed his eyes.

"Am if I was you I'd think of an excuse" Lue smiled.

"Why?" James asked but before she could answer he could hear the rustle of gravel moving and the arrival of a car coming down his drive.

"I thought you had to be in early?" his father asked as he stopped his car on the road. James' head went blank, he couldn't think of an excuse for his standing in at the side of the road. At least he didn't have to think of an excuse to explain Lue. "And who's this, a friend of yours?" he added looking directly at Lue. For a moment James' heart forgot to beat.

"Morning Sir, I'm Lue" she said smiling.

"Morning, so how do you know James?" he asked pulling up the handbrake of the car. He wasn't going anywhere fast.

"We're in school together, I had just met him at the bus stop and he said he could give me one of his school shirts. We were both at the party and I stayed over at Jennifer's house, but I don't have my uniform and if I go in without something I'll be suspended and if I'm suspended my parents will never allow me to go to a party again" she lied, quite easily and brilliantly.

"And Jennifer doesn't have any shirts?" always the policeman was Jack.

"She does in fact she has one for every day of the week and they were all perfectly white and neatly folded in her top drawer. Unfortunately she thought the top drawer was a toilet last night and let's just say they're not so white now" Lue again lied.

"Okay, I don't think I want to hear anymore of this because if I do I may have to pay a visit to Jennifer's parents. Go on and hurry up, yee'll miss the bus if you doddle anymore" Jack replied and he bid goodbye and drove away. At the door they met Miriam who too was on her way out. They just brushed past her with a brief hello and banged the door shut. A bit frazzled Miriam was about to go back into the house and confront them but she had seen Jack talk to them and she didn't want to increase the strain the relationship between her and her future stepson.

"She looks like someone who was chewing a wasp!" Lue remarked as she made her way to the living room and flopping down on the couch, feet up on the cushions.

"She looks like that most of the time" James replied. Finally he had someone else to speak the words about Miriam that he longed to scream. Sitting down on the coffee table and peering out the window he could see her car pulling away from the house and down the lane and slowly disappearing out of sight. "Okay, what happened last night? What has Ida found out about the three? And what's the story with Mikel, or the person we thought was Mikel?" James launched the questions like he was the presenter of some quick fire quiz show. Lue wasn't really taken aback by the onslaught of questions; she merely smiled and straightened herself up on the couch.

"You know, they're a lot of answers and might throat is a bit dry" she said before coughing a very dry cough. Rolling his eyes and giving a slight smirk James made his way to the kitchen alone and before he even had the refrigerator door open he could hear the television come on.

"Orange Juice okay?" he shouted in to the Cupid.

"That's perfect" she replied and so James filled a glass and returned. "Thanks so much" she took the glass from James and looked at it curiously. "You haven't got any ice have you? I like ice with my orange juice". James took the glass and made another trip to the kitchen where he managed to procure a few lumps of ice and as he dropped them into the glass little drips of orange juice jumped from the glass and landed on the counter. He didn't bother cleaning them up. "While you're in there, any chance of a biscuit?" Slightly annoyed James bit his lip and opened the cupboard and pulled out a plastic container. If anyone else was being as demanding as she was James would have just walked away, but following what they went through last night he felt a certain responsibility to be pleasant. Also a bit of bribery wouldn't do any harm in exchange for answers. "Oh you are a doll" she exclaimed as James once again returned to the living room with the orange juice complete with ice and a plateful of various biscuits. Lue took a drink from the glass and her eyes widened and her lips curved downwards before she spat the drink back out. "Pulp" she shuddered.

"Well that's all we have" James replied placing the plate beside her and sitting once again on the coffee table.

"Oh well, dehydration it is then" she said looking at James, her face mean but her eyes showing she was joking. James picked up the plate and offered it to her. "Ginger nuts, my favourite" she took all five of them off the plate and curled back into the couch, her legs folded beneath her.

"So, how are Anta, her brother and grandmother?" James asked but all he could hear was the snapping of the hard biscuits as they rolled around in Lue's wide open mouth. "Hello" he said waving at her trying to get her attention as her eyes had wandered to the large television. "Lue, Lue come on tell me" he moaned again.

"Ssh, I like this show" she replied, popping another ginger biscuit into her mouth. James got up and calmly walked to the television and pulled the plug from its socket. "Oi, I was watching that" Lue shouted.

"Yes, was. Now what is happening?" he said again.

"I don't know, nobody knows, they've been asleep since we arrived at the castle"

"So they've said nothing?"

"Naaanoooo" she replied lengthening the no like a whiny little child.

"What about Mikel, or Cerise or whoever it was, what did Ida say?"

"I'm not a bloody messenger pigeon" Lue snapped not unlike the ginger nut biscuit in her mouth.

"Someone got out of the wrong side of the bed this morning!" James quipped.

"Well I'm sorry but for someone who seemingly has been thrust into the middle of this, whatever it is, they are being kept very much in the dark"

"I know, they tell me nothing"

"I'm talking about ME" Lue retorted. "At least you're not under their noses when they're deliberately not telling you things"

"That must be annoying alright" James said as he watched Lue wipe her crumby hands on the cushions.

"I mean all she told me was to go to bed last night and then she and Robert disappeared to that underground bunker thing and when I tried to go down to her this morning these big rock monsters came out of the wall, frightened me half to death they did"

"Been there"

"Ya and then she berated me for going where I was not needed and told me that if I wanted to satisfy my curiosity then I should pop into your neighbour's house and check it out"

"My neighbour's house! Surely Cerise hasn't returned there, she couldn't be that daft"

"Well that's what she told me to do I presume to see if they left anything behind them. Will you come with me; I don't much fancy going in there on my own seeing as I'm not at full strength yet. Why do you think your Dad and Wasp face could see me?" James had forgotten to ask her about that little heart palpitation earlier.

"Alright, we'll go together" he said picking up the glass and the plate. Lue reached out a hand and grabbed one of the chocolate digestives.

"Something for the road!"

"We're only going next door" James laughed as he headed to the kitchen.

"Ya but it could be my last meal" she shouted after him. The two of them left the house and glanced to the right, the top of the house was barely visible as the hedge had grown a bit too high. No doubt Jack would get James to cut it soon. "Right, best not think about it" she said clapping her hands and walking down the driveway with James following after. "A word of warning, any cats and I'm out of there, don't like mangy cats" she said seriously as James pushed open the gate and the two walked up the concrete path to the front door.

"Any idea how to get in?" he asked. Lue shrugged her shoulders. "Thanks, great help you are" James left the front door and went to the front windows looking for a way in when he heard glass shatter. Lue had forced a rock through the glass pane of the front door and opened it.

"See, I am a great help" she smiled. "Beast before the beauty" James just looked at her with severe annoyance.

"You know my Dad's a policeman"

"I had no idea" It was so sarcastic James had to smile. Over the threshold he went and Lue clung to him like a shadow. A horrid smell hit them hard and the cupid not being one to contain her feelings let out a groan of disgust. "What is that awful smell, its terrible" she said pinching her nose, "Oh God I can almost taste it". James moved closer inward through the long hallway and into the second living room that was at the back of the house. He hadn't only ever been in this house once when he was younger but the outlay hadn't changed much.

"The smells coming from back here" he said walking slowly to the glass door that was banged shut. "Aren't you coming?" he added looking back at a stationary cupid.

"No I'm okay here, you take a look and tell me" she replied, her fingers still pinching her nose and every so often she made gagging sounds as the smell reached down her throat. Curiosity getting the better of him, and he did have warrior powers after all, James placed his hand on the handle of the door and pushed down. Lue gave a little squeak of apprehension. If the stench was bad before, now with the door open it was unbearable, so much so that even James felt like he was going to vomit while Lue now had a scarf wrapped around her face.

"Where did you get that?"

"On the coat-rack, they're loads up there I doubt they'd miss one" she answered moving slowly towards James. "So what can you see?"

"Not much, the curtains are closed"

"Well then, off you go" she said and shoved James into the room. It was not a room anyone would wish to have been shoved into for the smell turned out to be that of a rotting corpse upon the couch partially hidden by a red fleece blanket. James did throw up then but luckily he managed to find an empty flower pot to do so. "Oh God, its Mikel" Lue screamed, tears beginning to drip down her face and into the scarf.

"The real one?"

"It's got to be" she said pulling the blanket up over his head. She turned away from James and wiped away the tears and cleared her throat, she didn't want to let him see her so upset.

"I'm so sorry Lue, if there is anything I can do just ask" James said, being considerate but naïve, offering to do anything in this new world could spell more trouble.

"All I want is vengeance" she said but it was almost as if it wasn't her that said it, her voice changed, it got lower, meaner but that wasn't all that changed. In front of his eyes James watched as the gorgeous Lue in her jeans and hoodie morphed into something far from her usual self. Black strands engulfed her hair and her eyes became somewhat soulless. Gone were the jeans and hoodie and in their place a black leather cat-suit that seemed far too tight while across her back was a silver bow and quiver. Smiling and raising an eyebrow she slowly approached James who was standing memorized by the transformation and she kissed him on the mouth with her luscious black lips. "Vengeance will be mine" she whispered seductively into his ear and with that she vanished in a swirl of black dust. He took a deep breath and sat down on the edge of the couch before realising who was lying dead on it and he got up with a start and shuddered slightly. Stepping in a pile of black soot like substance, all that was left of Lue, James wondered what to do when a bang from upstairs filled his ears. Lue, he thought instantly and he found himself darting up the stairs. There was only one room with a closed door that turned out to be locked but of course that's where another bang came from and so with immense ease James kicked it off its hinges and inside wasn't Lue but an old woman, she didn't have her floral scarf but James knew who it was, or he thought he did.

She was tied to the bed, looking very tired and gaunt as if she had been there for a while. A strong smell lingered in the room and there was only a little water left in a jug upon the bedside table, the kidnappers obviously wanted her alive. With her mouth gagged and her limbs bound James cautiously approached the large Queen sized bed. The thought that it could be Cerise attempting to fool him and kill him crossed his mind but nobody would allow themselves to get into this kind of squalor willingly and it was quite obvious from the visible bed sores that the elderly woman had been tied to the bed for a long time. First he removed the tape from her mouth and sadly it caused her to whimper in pain as he slowly pulled it away from the flesh.

"I'm sorry" he said as he threw the bloodied tape on the floor. She just smiled a feeble smile and James worked on freeing her hands and legs. Undoing the ropes from her wrists he realised how frail she was as once free they flopped to the bed she was momentarily unable to move them. James had to give her water, her lips were chapped and sore but the water did provide some relief to her.

"Oh my goodness" she finally said in a weak, posh voice. "Please be a dear and open the window" she added pointing to the drawn curtains. James happy obliged and a strong gale of fresh air ripped through the room, cleansing slowly. While he was at the window James spotted Pip sauntering down the road towards the house, whistling as he did.

"Pip!" he shouted, waving from the bedroom window. Pip waved back and walked up the drive.

"Couldn't wait for them to answer the door I see" he shouted up before throwing his chewing gum into a flower pot and entering the house. "And who's this?" he asked joining James in the bedroom.

"Not sure, another victim of Cerise?" he replied shrugging his shoulders.

"Where's Lue?" Pip asked glancing in the en-suite. James took him by the arm and led him to the bedroom threshold and whispered what had happened moments ago.

"No freaking way, a Dark Cupid! Oh that's going to be fun" he replied, looking somewhat happy about the incident.

"What do you mean Dark Cupid? How could Lue turning all black and swearing vengeance possibly be fun?"

"Nobody has witnessed a cupid going dark in centuries, there isn't much known about it other than when you come across one you stay well out of dodge"

"Why?"

"Well a normal cupid's arrow will help you find love, although it looks like you don't have any problem there" Pip jokingly nudged James with his elbow but was rebuked. "Anyway if someone is struck by a dark arrow it slowly kills you from the inside out, your organs start to fail, your bones become brittle and the pain is so severe you wish for death and just before it arrives you witness three loved ones beginning to succumb to the same, kind of like a vicious ripple effect"

"So how do we stop her?"

"We? No dude you're on your own there! There's no way I'm taking a dark arrow" Pip said starting to walk away.

"You're not going to help?"

"Nah, we'll get someone else at the castle, there's no way I'm putting loved ones in jeopardy"

"And you think I want to!" James retorted but in that instant he kind of did want it, for a minute he even hoped that the arrow would stupidly deem his father and Miriam loved ones.

"Let's just get to the castle and tell Ida, she'll know what to do!" Pip advised and headed toward the top of the stairs. That left James alone with the woman again; she had managed to get herself out of the bed and was looking out the window, sheltering her eyes from the daylight.

"I need to go with you to the castle" she said softly when James entered the room.

"Sorry but I don't think so"

"I know all about Ida and her band of cupids and wood sprites and leprechauns or whatever else she has managed to round up from the Neseedja" she retorted rather sharply.

"Neseedja?" James hadn't heard of those.

"Yes, those scaly black bastards that can rip you apart in a second" He hadn't heard of their name but James certainly had seen them.

"Kind of a soft name for something so terrifying" he said. She just turned around and looked at him and gave a small smile before taking up a navy shawl, wrapping it around her torso and fastening it with a dazzling brooch that looked so expensive it should belong in a museum, or at least with the Queen of England.

"Shall we?" she quipped and brushed passed James and moved quite spritely down the stairs and into the hall. Pip was still standing there in silence.

"Mikel" was all he said. James patted his shoulder in a gesture of condolence. Not everyone was in the condoling mood as the old woman took hold of a sturdy wooden cane with a gold handle and pointed brass end.

"Shape up, there are casualties in every war" she said sternly, hitting Pip gently on the bottom with the stick and then she was out the door strutting quickly down the drive and out the gate. James and Pip hurried after her, intrigued and partially terrified of the new old woman in the frame. For a woman who had only about twenty minutes ago been bound and gagged to a bed she was making great strides in her journey to the forest.

"What are we doing? Ida will kill us if we allow her to arrive at the castle" Pip whispered as the two of them pursued the woman, keeping a few feet behind.

"Oh so it's an us now is it?" James replied smirking. Pip made a face of playful shock. "Wait a minute, unless she can walk on water we won't be at the castle for hours, she's bound to wear out by then" James smiled remembering the time he found himself having to make the walk home from the castle all around the country-side. The two of them were whispering so intently that they didn't realise the woman come to a complete halt in the middle of the road, James ran right into her, Pip had continued on a few steps before he realised what had happened.

"Aren't one of you gentleman going to open the gate?" she asked nodding towards the metal farm gate that kept the cattle in the field.

"Am Miss" James started before being interrupted by a little chuckle.

"I haven't been called Miss in decades, its Ma'am dear boy" Ma'am said with a slap of derision.

"Okay, Ma'am. If you want to get to the castle, this isn't the way, the river blocks the path and the nearest bridge is about four miles away"

"Is that right! Pip is it? Do you think that's right?" Pip looked at her in surprise, he thought nobody knew.

"How did you..."

"Know, dear boy I make it my business to know everything that I need to know, and some things that I don't, it makes life a whole lot easier when you know what somebody is going to do before they do it"

"Than how did you not know someone was going to imprison you?" James asked rather cheekily. She turned to him and smiled a wry smile.

"Well one always meets their match, and I'm no match for an Aeromancer" and with that she headed for the gate and with her stick pushed up the lock and the gate swung slowly open. "Someone close it again, do not want the cows wandering down to the village" and she headed into the field muck and water enveloping her shoes but she continued to tread on, stick in hand. James and Pip again followed still whispering to each other.

"Where she taking us?" James asked as he narrowly avoided stepping in a large pile of bovine excrement.

"A shortcut to the castle, a shortcut that no-one is supposed to know about" Pip replied.

Reaching the edge of the forest all three of them glanced backwards to make sure that they were alone and then they proceeded through the large trees and mucky ground toward the sound of rushing water. Ten minutes of walking and slipping later they finally arrived at the river bank. It was flowing fast and deep like always, the current able to take any man to his death. Across the way through the trees and bushes on the other side was the castle. In the daylight and from a distance it looked even more dilapidated and plain sad.

"Well boy what are you waiting for, an invitation?" Ma'am snapped as she leant on her stick and took a deep breath. Reluctantly Pip headed in the direction of a cluster of extremely large trees and started to climb the first one. James watched while Ma'am stared at the water. As Pip reached the tip of the first tree he vanished behind numerous leaves that engulfed all the tops of the trees and then slowly a massive boulder began to emerge and bound in ropes it drifted down and by halfway down a massive noise took James' attention to the water. Something was rising from the bed of the river but he didn't know what, yet. Once the first boulder hit the ground, another started its downward descent and then the rising object was clearer. It was bridge, more rust than steel but it was still a bridge. As the final boulder came to the ground Pip appeared.

"Right, better hurry we only have a few minutes before they start to go and the bridge, well you know" he said to James as there was no need to explain to Ma'am, she was halfway across by the time Pip appeared. They ran after her being careful not to slip on the soaked bridge, James accidently kicking a salmon back into the river on his way across. The two joined Ma'am at the edge of the large field upon where the castle stood; she was just looking at it, almost as if she was judging it, or perhaps its occupants. James was looking too but not at the castle, he was looking at the large mounds of bushes and grass that seemed to be dotted around the perimeter of the castle. They were all about ten feet high and four feet wide and appeared rather ominous.

"Well nothing will be sorted standing here like camels" Ma'am proclaimed and clutching her stick tightly she moved through the grass, the castle in her sights. Before James could move Pip placed his hand across his chest and held him back shaking his head.

"Watch" was all that he said and he took his hand away and pointed at the closest mound of grass and bushes. James saw it move slightly but he wasn't sure whether that was the wind but what happened next no gale could cause. The grass and bushes fell aside and out came one of the stone soldiers he had encountered beneath the castle. It charged for Ma'am, a spear clung tightly in its stone hand. James's heart started beating rapidly and he watched in horror as the soldier closed in on the elderly woman. A sudden need to save the woman rose within him but it was too late; there was no way he would get to her in time. She raised a hand and shouted something that neither of them could hear and the stone began to crumble, the legs went first then the torso until finally only a stone head was left and it rolled along to her feet. Kicking it aside she reached the castle and climbed the steps and pushing the doors open with her stick. James and Pip rushed afterwards and joined her in the foyer.

"Ida, Ida. I think it's time for you and I to have a chat. I'll be in the living room" Ma'am said moving passed a Sand person and into the room. Looking at the state of it her cheeks hollowed and she turned around. "Perhaps I'll just wait here, seems less filthy" she shouted as she returned to the foyer. "Could you perhaps bring me a chair, possibly one that is remotely free of dirt?" she asked Pip and he quickly obliged. The chair was clean, it was old and the cushioned part in need of repair but it was clean and so there she sat in the middle of the foyer her stick held upright in front and her brooch sparkling. James and Pip remained standing behind her by the door, not quite sure what to do.

Almost an hour passed by and James' legs started to ache and there was still no sign of Ida.

"She does know we're here doesn't she?" he asked Pip who was getting increasingly agitated, mainly because he wondered what he was doing still standing in the foyer with the warrior and the fittest geriatric he had ever come across when he simply could disappear into the heart of the castle.

"She knows" Pip replied yawning.

"Of course I know; I know everything" Ida said appearing at the top of the stairs. She appeared tired and frail, perhaps the news of the imposter and the arrival of the three last night had finally forced her to confront her age. "Perhaps you would be so kind as to join me up here in my office?" she asked pointing with her cane along the landing.

"Perhaps not, I've just traipsed through muck and other brown unmentionables and that's after being tied up for the best part of a week" Ma'am sternly said, her eyes never leaving Ida.

"Very well, as you wish" Ida conceded rather easily, Pip looked worried, he had never known Ida to concede so easily on anything and he knew Ida since he was in diapers for she was his mother's mother. When his parents died tragically Ida took him to the castle and ever since she had been grooming him to take over as the castle's guardian, a job that was first destined for his mother. "Pip could you light the fire in the library please, there is an awful draught in the castle today" she asked as she descended the stairs rather slowly.

"Might I suggest some new windows, one's without broken panes, maybe then the castle might not be as draughty" Ma'am remarked as she followed Pip and James. Quickly Pip had a fire roaring in the hearth and James had helped Ma'am to a seat by the window. She of course complained that the wind was sure to crack her neck in two by the time they were done conversing so she moved herself to a chair by the fire. Ida entered the room followed by the Bunica who smelt a lot better than she did last night and cleaner too. Anta came with her and then finally her brother Andrei who was still looking a little worse for wear. As Ma'am laid eyes on the Romanians they rested on Anta's face. "You there, how do I know your face?" she asked pointing at Anta.

"Am, Am, Am" she was lost for words, Anta had never left her village up to last month, she had no idea how the woman could know her. Embarrassed she moved closer to James and brushed up against him, his skin tingled. A quick glance at each other and both blushed before turning away to the rest of the gathering few.

"Am, my dear is not an answer, never mind it will come to me" Ma'am sneered before prompting Ida to sit on the chair opposite her own with the mucky walking stick. Ida took her seat and the others stood around like they were at a spectator sport. "Goodness were all of you raised by apes, someone get the old woman a chair before she falls down" she snapped as Bunica appeared to get a bit weary. "So it appears we've come to a mutual enemy" she started.

"It appears so yes, but let's discuss this in private shall we?" Ida softly said.

"Nonsense, war requires bodies, ones a lot younger than ours I'm afraid, we're the brains" she laughed, no one else did. "So I've been watching you lot for a while and I've got to say you're doing a pretty good job"

"Thank you" Ida replied before being bluntly interrupted.

"Well you were doing a good job. That is until you left a warrior walk through the veil and slip through your fingers, I mean the veil hadn't worked in centuries and the first time it did not one but four people came through and you didn't manage to keep hold of any of them!"

"I'm sorry but who the hell are you?" Pip asked getting quite annoyed as she berated his grandmother but before she could answer another voice filled the room.

"Your Grace" he shouted from the foyer and all the heads turned. Robert stood there, his blind eyes crying. "It is you isn't it" my eyes aren't so good but my ears have never been better" he moved closer to the library door.

"My heavens you did manage to keep one, Robert my dear Robert" Ma'am said getting up from her chair and embracing the blind man. "Robert, where is she?"

With that question he fell to his knees and took her hands in his and continuing to cry he fought to get the words out.

"Your Grace.......Your Grace she is dead" Ma'am took one hand back and clasped it over her mouth as if to hold in a harrowing cry. There was no more hope; all of her three children had died. It went against nature that a mother outlived her own children but Ma'am had and she felt the pain of it etch through her body even fiercer as Robert's words filled her ears.

"The boy, what about the boy?" she asked wiping away the tears with her shawl. James heart began to beat faster and he felt an arm wrap around his shoulder and by his side was Ida.

"Warren they called him Your Grace, but I'm afraid" her shriek of horror silenced him. "No Your Grace he is alive and well"

"Oh bless Leon" she smiled.

"Yes Your Grace but Warren is not much like his mother, nor any member of the Royal Family"

"But he is a warrior yes?"

"Yes Your Grace but a warrior who follows his own path and destroys everything that gets in his way" Robert explained. Ma'am looked relieved, it seemed she didn't care that her grandson was a maniac. "Your Grace I warn you not to extend an olive branch for the branch and tree will be severed along with the hand"

"Nonsense, he is of my blood, the blood of Pastorious flows in his veins no harm would come to me from his hand" she replied proudly.

"Am Warren is Cerise's soldier, the one who tied you up and left you for dead" Pip interjected. He really shouldn't have bothered because the tongue lashing in front of everyone wasn't the nicest and that's when Ida struck, not literally of course, she was a proper lady after all.

"That is quite enough from you, now either tell us what you know or go back from where you came" she snapped pushing James behind her so as to almost protect him.

"Ida you cannot speak to her like that, she is Valonia Vadsaria, Queen Consort to the Valiant King Vance Vadsaria of Nuvarin" Robert barked from the threshold still holding on to his Queen's hand.

"Well we're not in Nuvarin now are we Robert? Here she is nothing more than a pensioner" she quipped forcing their hands apart and nudging the blind man back out of the doorway and slamming it shut. Ida made her way back to the fireplace and she took Madam's seat. James, Pip, Anta and Andrei remained standing against the wall not quite sure what to do, the fight or flight instinct hadn't really kicked in. Bunica was seemingly falling in and out of a light sleep and with her head bowed she appeared to have slept through the little spat.

"So Valonia" Ida started as she tapped the mucky seat with the cane. "Of the Veil if memory serves me right" she nodded. "How very apt"

"I was actually born prematurely. My mother had gone for a stroll alone in the First Forest and just as she was passing by the Veil she went into labour" Valonia explained as she reluctantly sat on the chair, trying her best to remove some of the muck before she did.

"How very interesting, now if you don't mind stating your business" Ida said sternly, her patience was beginning to run thin.

"You don't mess about do you? Fine, fine have it your way! Well sadly I am no longer the Queen consort, I am now the Widow Queen" there was a loud cry from outside the door; Robert was still there listening to everything and being somewhat overly emotional.

"James, if you don't mind taking him away!" Ida asked and James obliged opening the door and leading Robert away with Anta and Andrei following him. As she left Ma'am looked again at her, her face was extremely familiar. "Pip you may go to if you wish"

"I'll stay, there is something I have to tell you" he replied closing the door on the foyer and staying with the three old women, one of which had just woken up shouting the word "Ceai". His curiosity was itching and it seemed the scratch was forthcoming.

"As you wish, continue" Ida ordered. She seemed to be able to manage the widow Queen a lot easier now she knew who she was.

"Well my husband died, and my children died and all that was left to rule was my husband's great-grand nephew who is nothing more than a unknowing puppet and his mother the sow is enjoying lapping up the good graces that has fallen to her lap so much that she doesn't even see her own strings. Dangerous people have hold of those strings"

"And you're not one of them I take it"

"Of course not. I was pushed out before my husband was even cold"

"And you're looking for a way back to the table"

"I'm looking for the rightful heir to Nuvarin, my grandson belongs on the throne, not that fool, and with my guidance he could become one of the greatest leaders. Imagine, a warrior King" she said almost salivating at the thought. "No one would dare challenge him"

"Well it looks like you have it all planned out, what do you want with us?"

"Help in getting the D'aragon girls out of the way. They present a precarious problem to my plan"

"Quite a mouthful" Ida remarked slyly. "But what do you mean girls? We've only come across Cerise"

"To be fair she is the worst of the three, a red-headed shrew that can be anyone she wants. Then there's the youngest, Carmine, a doe-eyed little thing that looks as innocent as a lamb but has the nature of a wolf"

"And the third?"

"Coque D'aragon. I only heard about her, she isn't here I don't think but from what information my husband had gathered she was an aeromancer. That's why they've been ahead of me every step, that's why Cerise got the upper hand"

"My, that's quite a story"

"All fact I can assure you"

"So what do you think their plans are here?"

"I don't know, but they mustn't succeed for no good can come from their achievements"

"No good for Nuvarin no doubt, somehow I think our world would be quite secure"

"You cannot know that for certain" Ma'am replied and the two of them locked eyes and stared at each other, neither blinking nor looking away.

"I nope de reesun weigh the grills here" Bunica said lifting her head slowly. She was awake the whole time and appears listening to every word.

"I thought you didn't speak any English?" Ida asked. Before she answered the Bunica clicked her fingers and a little spark of green light flashed from the tips. Then Pip started shouting,

"I'm blind, I'M BLIND" he cried as he frantically rubbed his eyes. Bunica clicked her fingers once more and again Pip shouted, "I can't hear, I CAN'T HEAR, Gran help me I'm deaf" he shrieked, clearly terrified. One more snap and she was done and Pip shouted again yet this time the words had no volume. His lips parted and his tongue wagged but no sound. Frantic and in a severe tizzy Pip unfortunately ran into a bookcase and crashed to the ground knocking himself rather comically unconscious. Ida was about to get out of her chair to help when she was told not to bother, that it was simply a little curse and he would be fine once he woke.

"So much for the feeble old spinster charade" Ma'am uttered under her breath.

"Play the fool and no one suspects you the master" Bunica replied with her words a lot more confident sounding. Standing up she kicked the cane across the room and smiled.

"Anta and Andrei don't know a lot of things about me but by the time you get to my age you learn many tongues and many tricks".

"Anta, as in Antanasia?" Valonia said her mind racing for more.

"The one who will be reborn?" Ida added, Bunica nodded. Ma'am's face drained of colour; she finally placed where she had seen Anta's face before. In Pastorious there were numerous portraits and sculptures of her.

"She is the foreseen Jipsey Doppelganger" she exhaled, her whole body weakening at the thought. On that revelation the door of the library started to open. Bunica, this time waving her hands around the room, omitted a little swirl of green light forcing the door shut.

"The oldest of walls have the best hearing" she explained. It was true, the castle was home to many little corridors and hiding places where just about anyone could be at any time listening to things that were not meant for their ears. A shimmering green light lingered against the walls, windows and the door. There was even a little green barrier around the fireplace; it wasn't clear whether or not Bunica knew it led somewhere more than just a chimney.

"What did you just do?" Ida asked standing up and running her hand through the light.

"A barrier, no one can enter or hear what's about to be said. For the next few minutes anyway"

"Why, what's going to be said?"

"Oh Ida you really would want to catch up! You seem to have the intuition of a scrub-brush" Ma'am snarled. Ida resisted the temptation to wallop her with her cane, mainly because Ma'am had a stick too and it looked a lot stronger. "Has no one ever told you about the Jipsies of Nuvarin? I find that utterly impossible to believe"

"Well I don't really like to associate myself with those types" the words had tumbled out of Ida's mouth before she realised their resonance for Bunica. "Oh I do apologise"

"I don't have time for apologies, these red named sisters are coming for my granddaughter and I'll die before I let them have her" Ma'am and Ida looked at one another and then Ida took her seat by the fireplace once more.

"It's almost like you've got hemorrhoids you're up and down so much" Ma'am smirked.

"How do you know I don't" she replied lifting herself slightly in the chair and squirming, giving a cheeky smile to Valonia.

"Well I honestly don't know how the guardian of the veiled castle doesn't know one of the biggest historical aspects of Nuvarin, I bet dear Bunica knows, don't you dear" she said rather patronisingly.

"I know one side of the story but I would be interested in hearing your side, and if you don't mind could you please hurry along" Bunica said pointing to the ceiling where the green light was started to recede.

"A deadline, how encouraging" Ma'am moaned, Ida just rolled her eyes. "It all happened centuries ago in the city of Pastorious" Bunica tutted and pointed to the lowering green. Even though she was small of statue the woman gave off an intimidating presence which prompted Ma'am to just give the highlights of the legend. "The sons of the King of Nuvarin were duelling over a woman, of course, the duel got so intense that accidently one of them struck their mother and she died soon after. Matricide, even accidental, was a crime that could not go unpunished even for a Prince of the realm so he was banished" Bunica's face turned rather angry and once again she tapped on her wrist, the part where a watch would normally be tied. "Goodness you're not one for long stories are you?"

"Not when everybody is about to be able to hear every word you say, including my grandchildren" she replied as the light moved down slowly.

"The banished prince was beloved by almost everyone in Pastorious and when he left he took hundreds of citizens with him and gave birth to a new city, Kingsbirth in the largest of the five forests, the third forest, now called of course the red forest. When the King died the remaining prince was crowned and on his coronation his brother crowned himself King of the third forest. Being fearful that his brother might once come for the true throne of Nuvarin he declared war and attacked the forest and killed many which is why it is referred to by most as the red forest. In retaliation the banished prince tried to attack Pastorious but was gravely injured and returned to his decimated city. There it was said he enlisted the help of the Jipsies, a people from beyond all forests, who lived in the hills and mountains of Nuvarin" Ma'am took a breath and looked around the room. "I'm parched" she said but Bunica raised a little grey eyebrow and Ma'am continued her little story. "To save him she had to kill him and bring him back to life with a curse, a terrible curse. They say he had a lust for blood, his skin was cold to the touch and his strength matched that of a warrior. But he could not walk in the sun, nor was he immortal yet no one knew how to kill him so the King fought fire with fire. He enlisted a Jipsy of his own, a more powerful one who captured the Red King, as he liked to be called after his transformation, and buried him in the sinking sands before cursing the south of Nuvarin to two suns, one that will never set. And now she is outside that door, well her Doppelganger at least!" Ma'am finished, just as the green light was almost to the floor.

"Good heavens and what has Anta to do with any of this?" Ida asked looking from old woman to old woman.

"According to the legend a curse would always have to have a way to be broken so it was foreseen that when five certain events happened in order then the curse would be lifted" Ma'am explained.

"Do you know what the five things are?"

"Dear Ida you must have the memory of a fish, I know everything. The first thing was the birth of a royal warrior, that's happened. Next was the birth of three gifted sisters, I think it's safe to say that has also occurred and the third was the death of a King" she said, her voice choking slightly. "The fourth is a little bit tricky and I'm not sure if it has happened or not, the banished prince was to be excavated from his grave by a descendant afflicted by the same curse, but I assume that has happened why else would the two sisters be here" she finished.

"And what about the fifth?" Ida asked staring intently at Ma'am; she was hanging on her every word. Valonia looked at Bunica who was crying.

"The fifth thing is the death of the Doppelganger" she softly mumbled through the tears. Ida covered her mouth in shock.

"Well we won't let that happen" she said getting up from her chair and embracing the old woman.

"Of course we won't let that happen" Ma'am added sincerely, but not sincerely enough that she would get out of her chair. Then the green light came to the skirting boards and then it hit the floor and vanished. Four of them burst in through the door, Robert falling in to the library and hitting the ground but luckily he landed on Pip who cushioned his fall.

"James could you bring Anta and Andrei to the kitchen and make some tea for us please, and perhaps bring some chocolate digestives, I think Pip may need the sugar" Ida asked as Pip started to regain his composure.

Chapter 11elven:

Boiled Milk and the Slow Lane

Days quickly rolled into weeks until the weeks had rolled in to a whole month. That was a month of complete quietness; a quietness that James had come to loath as it surely meant that Cerise had more time to plan whatever she was planning. But she wasn't the only one who hadn't surfaced in almost a month; James hadn't seen Ida since he served a pot of tea and chocolate digestives to her and the others in the library. He hadn't been avoiding the castle, it was almost the opposite as every day after school he would bypass his house and head to the forest, lower the bridge and make his way to the castle all in the guise of discussing Cerise and her plans, however James was more concerned with seeing Anta and she quickly wised up to his visits so when James had finally plucked up the courage to ask her out he nearly died when she said yes. Unfortunately Bunica had gotten wind of the date and she put an immediate halt to it saying that Anta was not to leave the castle. She was not the only one who never left the castle, it seemed that it was only James who freely came and went, and Pip of course who was practically the butler slash cook slash cleaner slash gopher. Pip and he devised a plan for the date and so tonight was the night that he would finally get to spend some time with Anta, away from all the eyes.

The cold snow that had fallen over night had made the room so cold that James dreaded the thought of getting out of bed. The cold didn't really bother him so much, it was the fact that he was so cosy in his mess of blankets and pillows he didn't want to come out. But of course he did have to rise as his Dad shouted up the stairs to him. Christmas holidays from school did not mean that he could spend the days in bed, or so his father said. So far he had been given a hearty amount of things to do, from putting up all the decorations on his own to helping Miriam in the pub. Well his help in the pub was more purposed hindrance than help, having broken numerous glasses, flooded the toilets and 'accidently' knocking over her Christmas tree smashing a lot of her ceramic baubles. Dad never sent him to the pub again after that. Eventually bracing the cold floors James made his way to the window and looked out; the snow had covered all of the countryside with a pristine white blanket that concealed everything dead beneath.

"Don't forget to post the invitations" Jack shouted from the bottom of the stairs. James didn't reply. "DID YOU HEAR ME?"

"YES" he roared back and then the front door banged shut and they walked to their respective cars and were gone. Tensions rose again in the house when it was announced that Jack and Miriam were going to have a small intimate Christmas wedding. This was the first Christmas without his mother, yet all his father cared about was marrying the beer flunking fluzee so naturally James had distanced himself the best he could from them, seeing them only for a few minutes every other day. He had even come extraordinary close to moving into his other grandmother's house, the one that doesn't know about him. It was right there over the hedge sitting idol amongst the snow. Valonia had taken up residence in the castle and for one who liked her comforts she didn't travel lightly and poor Pip made at least ten trips to ferry her belongings all after he 'spruced' up one of the largest rooms until it was habitable for a Queen. But James knew it wasn't far enough away, he might as well stay put then to be twenty feet away.

He dressed himself and had breakfast in peace. Boiling milk mixed with hot oats and sliced cold banana was just what he needed on such a cold morning, all washed down with some orange juice. The best part of the breakfast was that he had it in peace, with no one annoying him or buzzing around the place like Miriam had been doing over the past couple of weeks trying her best to become "pals" with James. She obviously hadn't got the subtle hints that James would rather be friends with a rabid badger than her. The way the residue of oats stuck to the bowl James didn't dare place it in the dishwasher, he washed it himself scrubbing at it with the sponge. Losing concentration for a fraction of a second he smashed the bowl to pieces in the sink, his warrior strength getting loose. A minor expletive was shouted but luckily he was alone in the house and a few more expletives were exhaled as he pulled out small shards from the palm of his hand. As the blood dripped down the drain along with the water and porridge he watched as the sliced skin started to pull itself together again until it was like nothing had happened. Healed and a bit disheartened James carefully discarded the broken bowl into the bin, it was his favourite bowl. It held just the right amount of anything and it was tall too so that the milk never flowed out over the edges. The letter box flung open and took James' by surprise as the mail fell to the hall mat. There were a lot of envelopes there, mostly bills by the look of them with a handful of Christmas cards thrown in. One had his Grandmother's handwriting, it was unsealed. Opening it James couldn't help but smile, he could always count on his Grandmother to cheer him up. It wasn't a Christmas card; it was an appointment card for a dentist. On the back she had written, "Dear Son, scheduled some rather unnecessary procedures on your unnecessary day, Mother". James didn't know how she knew; the invitations weren't even in the post. His Dad must have mentioned it to her, or perhaps Big brother wasn't really a brother but more of an old woman with glasses and a knack for knowing all. James put the card back into the envelope and placed it on the top of the pile of mail, he couldn't wait to see his Dad's face when he sees it, and Miriam's face when she realises her future mother in law prefers the company of her dentist to her. He placed his grandmother's envelope on the top of the little pile and placed it on the hall table.

Once he was dressed and ready for the outside world James braced the cold wind that was swirling through the countryside. It sent a little chill down his spine and he pulled up his hood over the woollen hat he was already wearing. He checked his pocket just to make sure the invitations were there and he headed out the gates. Hesitating slightly and looking to the right he could see the top of the castle over the trees. He wanted to go up there and see Anta and talk to her, listen to her and see her smile and blush but he didn't want to see all the others and no doubt if he went up there they are all he would see like every other time. So he turned his back to the forest and headed down to the village as a little flurry of snow started to fall from the sky. Music blasted away the silence as James lost himself in the lyrics as he walked along the country lane down to Little Hamlet.

It was quiet, very quiet; there were very few people about. Mrs. Farrington was just entering the church and she banged the door loudly behind her. Moments later James heard the bell ring loudly, he counted eleven chimes. The bells in the church tower had only recently been reinstalled after an elderly resident left the money in their will to the village with the specific instructions that it be used to repair the bell tower. Following quite a few complaints the bells chiming were restricted to nine in the morning, midday, three in the afternoon and evening. Mrs. Farrington obviously was mistaken, a mistake that would not go unnoticed. Most of the shops were opened but all of them were empty, there were no customers. Then the doors of the church burst open and it seemed everyone was in there. Mrs. Pearl rushed out and covered her head in a massive white shawl that made her almost vanish in the little snow flurry. A dozen or so people followed her and then out came the Vicar who glancing up the road waved at James. He didn't wave back but instead rushed into the post office which unfortunately doubled up as the local café.

"Be with you in minute pet" the post mistress said as she scurried around the postal counter, which was at the end of the cake counter and just before the coffee machine. James stood and waited, the music still blasting in his ears and his hood still up. Then suddenly he could feel a vice like grip on his arm, somewhat like a snake coiling around its prey. He pulled the earphones out and turned to see Valonia, his heart sank.

"You're inside dear, take down that hood and take off that hat, gentleman do not wear hats indoors. A pot of tea and two cakes dear and make sure they're fresh" she said as she turned James towards the sitting area. The café was empty except for a young couple seated in the corner by the window which gave a full view of the village. They were holding hands and whispering to each other. Valonia arrived at the edge of their table and with James still in her grasp she stared at the two.

"Yes?" the young woman said.

"Morning dear, cold out there isn't it? Yes, yes it's cold out there this morning, and I've just been for a lovely long walk, mind you my hands are a bit numb now" she replied rubbing her gloved hands together.

"It is winter" the boyfriend added rather sarcastically.

"Is it dear, I hadn't noticed what with being so old an all. Mind you I did remember to put on my thermals this morning" Valonia said nudging the young woman and laughing. By now James face was reddening and all he wanted to do was post the invitations and go home to get ready for his date tonight.

"That's good" the young woman replied rolling her eyes to her boyfriend.

"It is good dear but still that cold got right to my bones and you see where you are you're strapping man there are clung to the radiator like a pair of cats and I was just wondering, seeing as you're savouring the last drop of black coffee like it were ambrosia, would you mind moving to another table so I might get a little bit of warmth?" Valonia said letting go of James and placing both hands on the table. The two got up quickly when Valonia started to cough and instead of going to another table they grabbed their coats and rushed out the door as she called out after them, "don't worry I'll clean away the mess". She made him sit down first and then she took the seat where the man was seated. "Well he's like a walking boiler he is, the seat is bloody roasting, his arse must have been on fire" she laughed as she pushed their used plates and cups to the side. James didn't know what to think, he hadn't seen her act like this, and well he hadn't seen much of her but these actions weren't exactly those he'd expect from a Queen. "Thank you love, you're very good" she said as the waitress brought their order. "Am, oh no, oh that's a shame"

"Is there a problem?" the waitress asked.

"Tea bags"

"Yes ma'am we don't serve leaves"

"Right, right, am, right anything other than a steel pot, I mean its handle is steel do you want me to burn my hand?"

"No ma'am but you can you use the napkin, like so" she replied folding the napkin and placing it around the handle of the pot.

"Oh look at you full of solutions" Valonia said, but it sounded more like an insult than a compliment. She left on her gloves and poured the tea, James first and then herself. "Oh now look at this, milk in a tiny carton, what kind of establishment is this?" The redness in the face that James had was now again after returning as Valonia beckoned the waitress again.

"Yes ma'am?"

"Have you got any fresh milk, I'm afraid this will not do"

"Well we do but that's only for" Valonia cut her off.

"It will do, bring it please. And another napkin as mine appears to have been put to better use than guarding my lap" the waitress left and returned with some fresh milk in a steel jug, the face Valonia pulled was hilarious as the waitress slammed it down on the table. "Well someone doesn't like their job" She said as she poured a drop of milk into her cup. "Do you take milk James?" but before he had a chance to answer she spoke again. "Or should I say Vasper?" James looked at her his eyes squinting.

"What did you call me?"

"Vasper, that is your name isn't it?"

"No, my mine is James"

"Well your birth certificate says differently" she said placing the jug on the table and pulling out a piece of official looking paper from her expensive handbag along with a pair of reading glasses. "Now let's read this again, Vasper James Griffin, born to Jack Griffin and Victoria Rueben. Goodness where did she get that name from" she read out the main points and handed the piece of paper to James.

"I go by my middle name, after my grandfather" She tut-tutted and picked up her cup of tea and took a little sip.

"I had my suspicions when I first saw you but I wasn't sure. You appeared to have her chin and her nose but then she turned her back on her family tradition, only I discovered she didn't"

"What are you talking about?" James asked trying to play coy.

"I know you know who I am, just as I know who you are although you've known for a lot longer than I have so it begs the question why you felt the need not to tell me?"

"Tell you what?"

"I see we're going to have to take the slow lane" she said with a sigh.

"Seriously I haven't the foggiest idea what you are on about, now if you don't mind I have errands to run" he said getting up from the table. Valonia grabbed his hand and pulled his ear close.

"Listen to your grandmother and sit down and finish your cake" the dance was over, she really did know so there was nothing else to do and he sat back down. For a few moments they just sat in silence eating their cakes and drinking their tea, their eyes not leaving each other's gaze. On occasion James was about to say something but he resisted, he wasn't sure what to say, all he wanted to do was leave, he already had a grandmother one that he loved dearly and provided more support than twenty grandparents. "So I imagine you have hundreds of questions burning beneath that beautiful blonde hair of yours" she said dabbing the napkin at the corner of her mouth.

"No, not really" James replied bluntly, eyeing the door for a possible escape.

"Well I've got some for you, too many in fact. You know your mother was always very stubborn, did she ever grow out of it?"

"Nope"

"Did she ever talk about where she came from, say anything about her old life?"

"Nope" Poor Valonia really did only want to find out how her daughter fared once she left Nuvarin but James wasn't exactly in the mood for sharing.

"Well at least she honoured us with your name" that caused James' eyebrow to rise. "You know the names of everyone in our family begin with V, even I and I married into the family" she said with a little giggle.

"My name is James" he said curtly.

"Ah your middle name is James, but your first name is Vasper, so much better than Harold" she smiled while he looked at her confused. "King Vasper Vadsaria of Pastorious, Emperor of Nuvarin and Warrior of the People, has an exquisite ring to it doesn't it, better than King Harold" she beamed almost shaking in excitement.

"Who are you calling King, I'm not a King" he said crossly.

"Why you of course, you're the true heir to the throne, not that stupid fool Harold and his cow of a mother Gert" Valonia whispered, you could see her disgust as she spoke the names.

"Well you better work on Warren because I'm not the one you're looking for" James said getting up from the table, he had enough of the conversation.

"But he's not the heir, you are! Victoria was older than Valery, hence in the line you come first" she whispered also standing up and moving closer to James. "You must listen to me James" she figured calling him Vasper would probably vex him a little too much "Pastorious is facing a precarious time and a true leader is needed, a King with the strength of a warrior and the blood of true royalty" she said strongly clutching his arm.

"You just described Warren, best of luck" James replied and he manoeuvred out of her grasp and left the café. Outside he took a deep breath and outstretched his arms when he lowered them they hit off his pockets, the envelopes still inside.

"Damn it" he shouted loudly but instead of going back in there he headed for home, there was time enough to post them, after all it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world if no one came to the little wedding.

Chapter 12elve:

Lemon Cheesecake and Two Gunshots

The bus rattled along slowly out of Little Hamlet and luckily for James he was alone, except of course for the bus driver. At eight o'clock it was the last bus travelling through the village for the city and it was more often than not quite quiet as there wasn't a return bus. Sitting at the back he jumped slightly as the bus hit a pothole and the envelopes all spilled out from his pocket onto the floor. Some had stamps, most hadn't. Once he returned home from his not so nice encounter with Valonia he dared not to venture out again until he was sure it was safe. That meant waiting for the cover of darkness and the closure of every curtain and door except the pub. He picked up the invitations and sorted slowly through them in a bid to keep his mind occupied as the impending date, his first, was causing him to break out sweating in places he never thought possible. The first one he looked at, Mr. and Mrs. Ladderbanks, had no stamp. He smiled and stuffed it down the side of the seat, the Ladderbanks were disinvited. They were a few more stuffed down the side of the seat until James was left with the stamped envelopes and unfortunately there were a lot. He had his fun though and he placed them in his pocket with every intention of posting them.

As the bus continued towards town James' mind started to wander and he could feel himself getting angry. Valonia was at the forefront of his mind and his anger. How dare she corner him in the café and force him to listen to her crazy rants. Did she expect him to leave everything and go with her, a woman he doesn't know to a place unlike anything he could possibly fathom? Where was she when his mother died, when he was being viciously bullied or when Miriam firmly planted her feet under the kitchen table? James would have leapt at the chance to leave his world behind and start afresh, anywhere! Now though it was different. Sure Miriam had undoubtedly rooted herself in his home but that was okay as his life had taken a drastic turn for the better, hopefully. He was a warrior with remarkable abilities, he had grown to like the castle and he still hoped to save Lue from whatever terrible experience she was going through. How could she expect him to leave that? Not to mention the fact that he was on his way to Anta, a beautiful exotic girl with whom he could feel a connection that was unparalleled to anything he ever felt before. James wasn't quite sure but he could almost taste the love for her and every time he pictured her his stomach knotted and his cheeks blushed. Valonia was too late.

He, the bus driver, hit the brakes a little too hard and with a hint of ice on the road the wheels skidded but not too much and James was able to get off safely.

"How are you getting home lad?" the driver asked.

"Taxi"

"That's gonna cost ya!"

"It's worth it" James replied with a smile and he was gone. The city was more alive than Little Hamlet, naturally. There were people walking about in groups and shops were still open, the lead up to Christmas some of them stayed open all the time, never closing. The air was cold and crisp but refreshing; it went down into the lungs and came out in a warm cloud. Glancing upwards at the large clock that was hanging outside a department store, it was almost quarter to nine. The date was nine and he was still a good ten minute walk from the restaurant. His breath kept him company the whole way, puffing out in the warm cloud every few seconds until he stopped at a corner, unable to breathe. She was inside the window, already seated. She looked gorgeous, so much so that she literally took James' breath away. Inhaling as deep as he could he took the few steps to the restaurant and entered, a little bell announcing his presence. Anta looked up straight away and smiled, James' heart calmed slightly and he made his way to the table by the window. He wasn't exactly sure it was the best place to be sitting, anyone could see them.

"Sorry I'm late" he said sitting down opposite.

"No you're not late, we're early" she replied. We're early. Pip had promised to bring her to the city for the date and naturally he would be bringing her back to the castle once they were done with dinner so he must have been around somewhere, hopefully keeping watch. Not on them but for enemies.

"You're here mate" Pip said smiling as he patted James' back before taking a chair from another table and making a third place at a table clearly laid for two. "I hear the steak in this place is unreal, I'm starving" he added leaning to an empty table and grabbing a leather-bound menu. James didn't know what to do; he didn't know how to handle the third wheel situation and Anta didn't seem too bothered by his presence so he kept quiet. Then a sudden horrid realisation came over him, what if he was the third wheel? It was a valid thought that rushed around his head for a few seconds until a soft hand brush across his knuckles.

"I'm happy we are able to do this" she whispered, her English more damaged than broken. There was his answer, she was his date, and Pip was simply a hungry unwelcomed chaperone.

It turned out Pip proved useful as Anta had no identifications to prove she was in fact nineteen and the one James had showed he was only nearing seventeen so Pip ordered a bottle of wine, two in fact and the waitress didn't seem too concerned. By the time dinner finished James was feeling a little bit tipsy but the other two were fine, Anta was looking more beautiful than when he first sat down and Pip was finishing a large Lemon Cheesecake. Suddenly James found himself sitting next to Anta, so close he could smell the strawberries from her shortcake on her breath. His arm was around her and they were whispering to one another and giggling. Then the waitress arrived and placed the cheque on the table and still slightly tipsy he opened it and placed a card inside before handing it back to her. He didn't even look at the total, he didn't care all he wanted to do was look at Anta and his bank account had more money than he cared to think about. His grandmother, Kitty, had been lodging a monthly allowance into a bank account for James unbeknownst to Jack ever since his mother's death.

"Here get that into you before we head back, the longer we're gone to more chance we have of being caught out" Pip said placing a large hot cup of black coffee in front of James. "I'll be outside, be quick" and then he left the restaurant and stood outside on the street. He shivered as the cold reached his bones, they could still see him through the window as he awkwardly lingered, popping in some raspberry bubblegum. James did as he was told and even though he hated the taste of coffee he drank it down all the while chatting and giggling with Anta who seemed to have had an even better time that James, if that was possible. Tonight was probably the best night of his life. As he looked around chairs appeared to be upside down on the tables and a couple of waiters and waitresses were giving sort of disgruntled looks. Taking the not so subtle hint the couple put on their coats and as they left James placed a crisp twenty-pound note on a plate that was clearly for tips. The staff bid them a good night and then James and Anta found themselves outside on the street with Pip who had a smell of raspberry off him.The city had become very quiet and it wasn't even that late. The clock had yet to strike midnight. Nobody was strolling home from the pub and it seemed no one was taking advantage of the late night shopping. Ice and the threat of heavy snow was more than likely the reason people were staying indoors, where it was warm and safe.

"Come on, the jeep is up here" Pip said and he started to walk up along the street followed by James and Anta who were holding hands. Pip disappeared around the corner with the other two closely following. "I hope the windscreen isn't frozen over, I've no water for it" Pip said as he approached the jeep but as he did a tall broad darken character appeared from behind a dirty white work van.

"Pip watch out" James shouted but it was too late, Pip was thrown across the road and onto the pavement hitting his head, hard. James wasn't even going to attempt to aid Pip as the dark character turned towards him and Anta. James had come across him before, in the cellar of the bank when he almost crushed his windpipe without breaking a sweat. Taking Anta's hand and squeezing it tightly he slowly pulled her backwards away from the approaching Warren. "Take them off" James whispered to her and she did, she lost five inches of height but her ability to run increased and the two of them took off at speed down the quiet streets as Warren gave chase. The fright of the encounter and the lack of knowledge of this part of the city brought James and Anta down an alley that led to a tall dead end. Panting and shaking James huddled Anta in the blackest corner of the alley and taking off his jacket he covered her up. Life-threatening danger was the surest thing to sober the mind as James walked back up to the entrance of the alley. As Goosebumps started to prickle up along his arms he picked up a lead pipe that was lying upon a broken box and he swung it a couple of times. It was heavy but his warrior strength made it feel like a feather. James was going to need a weapon against Warren, both were warriors yet Warren was far greater in size and experience, he could easily decimate James.

Then there he was, standing about a pipe swing away from James his broad shoulders heaving up and down from the run. He moved forward one slow step at a time keeping his eyes on James.

"Way is de girl?" he asked, his English not having improved any bit since their last encounter. James didn't reply, he just tightened his grip on the pipe and swung it again, banging it accidently against a trashcan. A loud meow filled the alley followed by a woman's shriek and Anta popped out from her hiding place. "De girl" Warren smiled as he moved closer faster. James took a warning swing at Warren in a hope that he would back away. He didn't. Instead he reached inside his coat pocket and pulled out the most dangerous things James had ever seen. It was like a machete but longer, it was edged on both sides and what was worse, it split into two. Warren smiled as he twirled the blades effortlessly in his hands and then he pounced at James who just about managed to shield his face from a shearing with the pipe. Warren kicked him hard in the chest and knocked him to the ground, winding him. Quickly getting back up James could hear ribs snapping back into place, healing themselves. "You wan more?" he asked smirking, rubbing one of the blades across his face, drawing a slight trickle of blood that quickly vanished. "I eel too" he added. This time it was James who went on the offence and took a swing at Warren's legs but he was too quick and jumped out of the way, his warrior legs taking him high into the air and landing behind James and before he knew it James had a blade so close to his Adam's apple he was fearful to swallow. Warren breathed heavily as he continued to hold on to James who wasn't sure what he was going to do, kill him or just maim him. "You no I cut your head off you no eel, you die" he said gleefully. Anta didn't know what to do, she clung to the wall as if she could morph through it and she watched as Warren moved the blade up and down James' neck, nicking it every now and then.

"Just do it" James shouted and Warren was just about to oblige when an arrow came flying down from above and hit him in the shoulder. James grabbed the bladed arm and stepped down on Warren's foot with such force he could hear the bones crunch. As he slumped to the ground, arrow still in the shoulder, James punched him hard in the face breaking his jaw and eye socket. Warren lay down on the ground, unconscious. Anta rushed to James and the two of them headed back up the alley but just as they reached the top a swirl of black appeared and when it vanished, there was Lue.

"One down" she said looking down at the fallen warrior. Surprised and delighted to see her James hugged her tightly and thanked her for saving them. She didn't reply, she barely looked at them before disappearing again in the same swirl of black.

"Are you okay, are you hurt?" James asked Anta holding her by the shoulders and glancing up and down.

"No, I'm okay just a bit shaken. Is he going to wake up soon?"

"I've no idea, he should heal quickly from the punches but those arrows are poisoned, who knows what's going to happen to him" he replied placing his arm around her. They started to walk back along the street they ran, Pip was still up there unconscious, or so they thought. After picking up the shoes she dropped in a bid to run faster the jeep pulled up alongside them, Pip at the wheel.

"I've been looking all over for yee, all alright?" he asked.

"All good for now, she's just a bit shaken up" James replied as he helped Anta into the back seat. Closing the door James opened the passenger one and he was shot twice in the chest, the shots echoing around in the streets. He fell backwards against the wall and collapsed to the pavement, the bullets searing through his flesh while blood poured out. Anta was screaming in the backseat and every effort she made to get out failed, the glass seemed unbreakable by heels and the doors were locked. Pip leaned over the passenger seat and as he did, he changed.

"I love these things and I've finally gotten the hang of them" Cerise said as she pulled the door closed and sped away in the jeep. The last James saw of them was when they turned right at the bottom of the street, tyres squealing as they did.

Slumped against the wall James tried his best to stop the bleeding in a bid contain some of the blood before the healing started. A few moments of agony slowly crawled along and finally the pain started to ease away and before long he was numb, the searing heat from the bullets replaced with a refreshing cold feeling. Looking down at his chest James expected to see the wounds start to pull themselves together but they weren't, the blood had slightly clotted but it was still oozing out of the holes. As if he wasn't bad enough he leaned back too hard and banged his head on the wall, his eyes watered and he could feel the cold begin to move from his chest downwards to his legs. He was too lightheaded to panic, he was too lightheaded for just about anything except sleep, he wanted to sleep his eyes were getting ever so heavy.

"James, James my darling" a familiar voice called. Opening his eyes with a start he looked up and down the street for his mother, it was her voice that was calling him.

"Mom" he cried out but there was no one there. His head started to nod downwards again and his eyes closed. He saw his mother, and his father, he saw his first bicycle and the cuts on his knees after his Dad forced him to cycle without stabilisers. His first day of school flashed to the front, he clung to his mother before she promised him she would be waiting right outside when he finished, and she was. Numerous birthdays and Christmases, parties and fights, friends and bullies all drifted in and out of his mind. The lonely nights he spent at home when his mother would disappear and his father was working, the nights he would go to bed hungry when his father would forget to get food or leave money when his mother vanished on one of her emergencies. The stomach rumbles echoed in his ears and they opened his eyes once again. He was still bleeding, not as much as before but there was still blood coming out and the cold had moved, only a couple of fingers moved when he commanded and his feet gave no reply when he called on them. Trembling on the pavement surrounded by a pool of blood he closed his eyes once again; he knew this time would be the last. Recent events raced into his mind, like the final showdown between his mother and father, the bullying incident where his trainers were stolen. The funeral crept in quietly, James could feel the sorrow creep up his throat once again but this time he vomited, blood trickled down his chin yet his eyes did not open. He saw his grandmother's large London house and the party that she threw him, the presents he received and the first girl he kissed. Then there was Ida and her band of bizarre followers. He was suddenly on the boat being grilled by Bunica, and then he was in the bank vault being lifted off his feet by Warren, then Warren again in the alley and then Cerise. Her delicate features and radiant red hair hiding the most vicious of characters, he could see her smile as she closed the jeep door. Then she was gone and again was his mother, more beautiful then he remembered her smiling face was there and he felt a sudden calm.

"Wake up" she said to him as she rubbed his hair. "Wake up James", "Come on James wake up, please wake up" she said and then there was a striking pain across his cheek and his eyes popped open. Pip was bent over him begging him to wake up.

"Oh thank the heavens" Pip exhaled as he leaned back from James who quickly started to fall back asleep. "No, no, no" Pip said and he slapped James gently again until he woke up. "Why aren't you healing?" he asked. But James didn't have the answer; even if he did he wasn't sure he could muster the strength to word it. Pip began to panic as he pressed his coat into the wounds to try and contain the bleeding but there was a lot of blood on the pavement, more than what Pip thought was in any body. Then in a heartbeat James started to shake violently and he slumped further down on to the ground until he was lying flat, looking up to the stars. Pip became very flustered and afraid and started calling out for help, he wasn't sure who could help but it was the only thing he could do. "Stay with me mate, stay with me" he said as James coughed up little clusters of blood. Pip propped him upwards and held him as he coughed again, more blood this time came out. Now he was scared, in one night the warrior was killed and the key to destruction kidnapped. "HELP! SOMEONE PLEASE HELP" he shouted out one last time before burying his face in James' shoulder as his breathing weakened and his colour drained.

"Get out of the way" Lue barked as she appeared in a swirl of black dust next to the two. Pip promptly did as he was told and Lue pushed James up against the wall again and pulled a wooden arrow out of her quiver she forced it into his mouth. "Bite down on this" she said. Taking a deep breath she stuck two fingers into one of the wounds and after a few seconds of her digging and James groaning she pulled out one of the bullet. "Good that's one" she said before doing the same in the other wound. That one was harder to locate, she could feel some squishy things and his spine as she moved her fingers around in a bid to find the small metal. She grazed her finger along something wet and soft and there it was lodged within it. Carefully she plucked it out and placed it next to the other one.

"And he'll heal now?" Pip asked as he stood nervously watching the roadside operation.

"Before he could heal the bullets had to be removed. I'm surprised you didn't know that Pip. Ida is slipping up!" Lue replied before she faded into a mist of black. Suddenly James started coughing and then he quickly stood up, momentarily disorientated and swaying against the wall he gathered his bearings. One quick swipe and he knocked Pip to the ground, hitting his jaw with an almighty wallop.

"Where is she?" he shouted at the fallen Pip.

"Where is who, what's wrong with you?" he replied feeling his face to see if it was still there. Then James realised there was a smell raspberry, one that wasn't in the jeep when he was shot.

"Sorry Pip, I thought you were her" he said holding out a hand and helping Pip to his feet.

"If I was her I doubt I'd be hanging around waiting for you to come to" The two of them stood on the pavement, the hands just passed midnight and neither one of them knew what to do next. Going back to the castle was a necessity, but the scornful looks and irate tongues led them to decide to delay their return. Unfortunately for them there was no such luck as a shining black limousine slowly crept down the street. With tinted windows they were unable to see inside but it came to a complete stop in front of the two and the rear window slowly rolled down.

"Good heavens James what are doing out here so late?" they said. The voice was female and elderly and entirely refined. It was his grandmother.

"Gran?" he said bending down and looking in the window.

"Get in, get in, before all the heat escapes" she said unlocking the door and pushing it open. James got in followed by Pip who received the sourest of glances from Kitty. "Well well well, if it isn't Philip! Drug any other pensioners lately?" she asked as he took a seat opposite her in the large limousine. Pip didn't know what to do, he couldn't even make eye contact with the woman. "What are you doing with him James? Surely you are not friendly with such a fiend?" she asked her grandson but before he could answer she shrieked in horror. "Good heavens you're bleeding, James you're bleeding, quick to the hospital" she shouted as she leaned over to her grandson.

"No Granny I'm fine" he replied trying to hide the blood soaked shirt.

"Fine? Fine? No one with that much blood on their person could be fine, them (she paused for a moment) or someone else is in need of a few stitches"

"No Granny honestly I'm fine and no one is need of stitches" he said again lifting his shirt to show his grandmother he wasn't bleeding and luckily the lighting wasn't ideal otherwise she would have been able to see the two bullet wounds that weren't entirely healed yet. Omitting the strongest sense of suspicion Kitty locked the doors of the car and instructed the driver to head for the nearest police station. Pip looked worried, as did James. The Honourable Catherine Egeton-Spencer Griffin wasn't the most predictable of people and she had a tendency for always finding out what she wanted to know. "Granny why are you going to the police station?"

"Oh I'm not James, Philip is" she smiled as she took up a glass from the little bar and took a sip of brandy, her eyes fixed firmly on the two in front of them. "There is something afoot here and I want to know what it is and if you won't tell me perhaps you'll tell the police, and with any luck your father will be working" It could simply be a threat but James wasn't sure. His grandmother wasn't exactly fond of her son right now and seeing as she had pointedly refused to attend his wedding James couldn't see her boldly march into the police station. Or could he? "I'm waiting Philip, what's it going to be? Tell me what is going on or spend the night in a cell and possibly many nights to come. I do know a lot of people in the Ministry for Justice" she said swallowing what remained in her glass. The car took a sharp right and it was heading in the direction for the centre of the city, where the police station was located. Pip wasn't sure what to do and James was so fixated on searching for Anta that he told the driver to head for little Hamlet, promising to tell his grandmother everything along the drive. And he did.

As the car came to a halt just before the welcome sign to the small village James had finished telling his grandmother everything that had happened to him since his mother died and she had sat there quietly sipping on her brandy, going through almost a bottle of it.

"So that's it granny, that's what's going on right now and I need to go and figure out how to get Anta back" he said as he reached for the handle of the door.

She took his hand and squeezed it, hard.

"Darling boy how well do you know me?" she asked, her eyes still and no way seemingly impaired by the alcohol.

"Pretty well I guess" he replied, not sure what was the need for the question.

"So you know that I'm the type of woman who would never allow their son to marry someone they didn't know everything about" James looked at her curiously. "I knew everything about your mother before she married my son; she told me all the strange things that you just told me"

"Why did she tell you, she didn't even tell Dad?"

"Well let's just say she didn't know she was telling me, and she never did know she told me everything, that's the joys or being able to hold one's liquor" she winked, filling her glass up again.

"You got my Mom drunk to get her to tell you things, things that you had no right in knowing, that's so sneaky" James could feel the anger boiling inside him.

"Sneaky is such a derogatory way of putting it, I like to think of it as cunning" she said taking a sip of her brandy, the ice splashing against the edge of the glass.

"Cunning! Cunning! It wasn't cunning, it was a violation" James said as he banged his fist on the door and he caused a rather large dent.

"James Griffin calm yourself right now" she ordered her voice full of superiority.

"Don't tell me to calm down! Why did you have me tell you everything that you already knew? Is it just in case you missed something?" James was getting more and more worked up and poor Pip was practically morphing into the seat in a bid to stay out of the family dispute.

"James I'm warning you, calm down or I'll" he cut her off before she could finish.

"Do what old woman? Tell my Dad about me; go ahead I could throw him through a wall without breaking a sweat!" James got out of the car and he could see his anger rush out in front of him as he huffed and puffed into the cold night. Pip promptly followed and just as he was about to close the door James shoved him aside.

"Go back to London old woman and relish in the fact that you know everything that is happening in all our lives but remember this nobody wants you in them" he said and before she could retort he slammed the door with such force that the car shook. A few tense moments followed as James and Pip stood in the middle of the road while the car remained stationary, its engine still running but not going anywhere. Eventually James had enough and he kicked the back of the car and shouted for them to leave. They did and as soon as the red lights disappeared around the corner James let out an almighty roar of anger and fell to his knees and held his head in his hands and started to sob. He was angry that Anta was kidnapped and it was his fault that Cerise got her, he was scared as to what would become of Lue, he was nervous about what Bunica and Ida would do when they find out Anta was gone and a sudden pang of guilt came over him over his treatment of his grandmother. Unfortunately she was in the wrong place at the wrong time, James needed an outlet for his anger and she provided the perfect one. What she did wasn't nice but it was her nature and James knew that about her, it was more that she never told him about his mother's past when she died that annoyed him more than anything. So there he knelt in the middle of the road, in front the road to the city, behind him, the road to more countryside. To his right was the village all in darkness and to his left was the road to home, or at least the place he lived. Pip stood awkwardly by not saying a word as James continued to sob, he wasn't sure what he was to do.

"You know it would be such a cliché if it started raining right now" Pip said looking up into the sky. James stopped crying and let out a little laugh. "Come on there is nothing you can do for Anta bawling like a baby in the road! Man up and save your knees for begging forgiveness from the old women" he said helping James up.

Chapter 13irteen:

Grenades and a bowl of Stew

They were getting closer, the footsteps of somebody running. As they came closer to the house James was able to hear them perfectly and as they passed his house, the sound faded. James wondered what they were thinking as whoever they were went on their morning run. Surely their problems couldn't come close to ones he was facing. Possibly they had money troubles, or someone in the family was sick or they hated their job and couldn't what to tell the boss "shove it". James would have loved those problems; they seemed so normal yet so far away and unreachable. His ones raced into his mind once more as he stared up at his bedroom ceiling.

He hadn't been able to sleep when he got home from the castle; all he was doing was staring at the ceiling and thinking among other things. At one stage through the night he tried to astral-project himself to Anta but it seemed that little trick didn't want to work. He tried so hard at one stage he actually properly burst a blood vessel, but luckily it healed itself. When he wasn't thinking about Anta or trying to astral-project he thought about his granny and what she said last night and he wasn't as angry as he was last night. But as his phone buzzed on the bedside locker and his granny's smiling face appeared, he didn't answer. It was her fourth call and it wasn't even eight o'clock. A text came soon after and it was from Pip, it read

Bunica's had an idea, get as many as you can;

A quart of water from the River Jordan,

Three fungi from a fairy fort,

A shot of Argan-Oil,

Eyes of a recently deceased,

Handful of Boniko flakes,

Ten Wiccan blessed candles,

One Fugu,

Rope soaked in Holy Water,

Two Elvers,

Sugar and Honey to taste!

Bunica, James recalled last night as she and the two others waited on the steps of the castle for him and Pip. He hadn't even gotten the words out that Anta had been kidnapped when she broke her cane across his chest. It physically didn't hurt but to see the tears well up in her eyes James felt a piercing pain through his body. Valonia simply stated that they were now utterly buggered and asked Bunica if she had a spare before laughing and retiring to her room. She seemingly called everything as she saw it, and perhaps she was right. Ida stood there in the middle of the three women and said nothing; her face was full of disappointment as she looked at James and Pip. She lent a shoulder to Bunica and they left. James was just about to go as well when Andrei showed up and punched him hard in the jaw so much so that James fell to the ground. The pain eased almost straight away but Andrei's hand was broken. He left cursing in Romanian and spitting. James shook his head as if to rid himself of last night's altercations he turned his attention to the message again where he realised that the woman was simply bonkers. There was no way they could get all of that today and even if they could, who was she going to get to drink it. It would take a truck full of sugar and a complete hive of honey for someone to swallow that concoction down. Soon he heard the movements of Dad and Miriam and suddenly he remembered the card his grandmother had sent yesterday and for once in a long time he couldn't wait to be in the same room as the two of them. So he quickly changed into his school uniform. School was becoming somewhat of a haven lately, a place away from all the madness and thanks to the finger-breaking he was left alone. Not even were they sniggering about him or taunting him for fear that more than fingers would be broken.

He rushed into the kitchen where his father was sat at the top of the kitchen table in a different uniform to what he usually wore and Miriam was at the sink muttering under her breathe. James didn't exactly recognise the new uniform but he didn't know the new hat, it was the hat of the chief superintendent. A brief good morning was exchanged and nothing else, it was very frosty that morning, more in the kitchen than outside.

"Arrogant snob, that's all she is" Miriam muttered as she washed the ware from the breakfast.

"What was that dear?" Jack asked.

"Nothing, nothing" she replied and somehow she managed to snap a plate in two. The card from her future mother-in-law had clearly upset her, or more accurately angered her. Jack returned to his paper while Miriam tided the broken plate into the bin.

"I'd like to rip out a couple of her fangs even I got the chance" she said while wrapping the broken plate in paper and placing it gently in the trash. That statement was a lot louder than the previous but Jack wisely pretended he didn't hear it, James on the other hand was very much in the mood to listen to someone disparage his grandmother, even if it was Miriam.

"It was a bit mean, she could at least have attempted to make the reception" he said to Miriam as he took milk out of the refrigerator.

"Thank you James, even James sees that she is being an uppity wagon" Jack lifted the newspaper higher in a bid to not engage his fiancée for fear of what might happen. "Did you hear me, your own son thinks she's being a cow" perhaps she had gone to far as Jack threw down the paper in temper and grabbing his hat stormed out of the kitchen and seconds later the front door slammed shut.

"Coward, that's all he is, won't dare confront her! I can't see why not? She's only a withering bag of bones and blue-blood" she snarled as she rolled a wet mug in her hand, unsure whether to dry it or throw it. "Thanks for being so understanding James" she smiled and patted him on the back. Strangely James felt uncomfortable, he thought listening to Miriam give out about Kitty would make him feel better after he found out what she did to his mother but it was making Miriam feel better, not him and he simply didn't like that. She left the kitchen and James could hear her talking on the phone, alternating sly comments and wedding plans with hysterical laughter. James ate his breakfast quickly as he didn't want to miss the bus and have her drive him to school. Miriam was still on the phone when he finished and he just gave a small smile before leaving the house, banging the door hard in an attempt to show that he still wasn't entirely happy with her.

It was cold, very cold, but luckily there was no ice on the road and so James didn't have to walk in the dyke for safety. His hood was up to keep the cold wind from biting his neck and the earphones were in, blasting music to keep out the sometimes unnerving silence that the countryside brought. As he walked along his mind wandered back to the previous night and how all he wanted to do was go back in time and not ask her out for dinner. He actually suddenly realised that he wanted to go further back and never meet her, or her brother and grandmother. James kept going, he wanted to go back so that he never met any of them, that he never became a warrior and that this new world he was destined to rule was nothing more than nothing. He wanted his life back, he wanted his mother back and he wanted her back with his father. He found himself wanting to be bullied mercilessly by the thugs again, he wanted nothing more than for them to punch him hard and take his shoes again. For those were simpler times, he didn't have the fate of lives in his hands. People weren't looking to him for help, he wasn't a warrior, he was barely a person and that's how he wanted his life again.

Someone ripped the earphones out of his ears and James quickly turned around to see Pip standing there in a woollen hat and scarf with a big black overcoat and jeans.

"I was shouting after you for the past five minutes" he said angrily, his words coming out in a haze of warm breathe.

"Sorry, I was a million miles away" James replied, tucking the earphones into his pocket and turning again for the end of the road.

"Where are you going?" Pip asked.

"School"

"Am not today, we have to try and find those things on the list"

"That's impossible; we're not going to be able to get those things"

"Oh yee have little fate, did you know that St. George's Chapel has a stock of water from the River Jordan," Pip replied smiling.

"And how do you think you're going to get that?"

"Have a little faith!"

"Eyes of a recently deceased?"

"Ssh, they're going to be a little bit tricky I admit" Pip said as they were nearing the bus stop where a small group of people were in earshot.

"And even if we do get all these things, what exactly is she going to do with them?"

"That's the iffy part, she's not exactly sure it will work"

"What will work?"

"Well according to Itranslate, you know because I needed to translate the Romanian, she is going to attempt to bring forth the Third Ear of Barking Dog" James just looked at him silly. "No, no, no, that's what the app translated it to but Ida said it's the Third Eye of Barkargon, some ancient Oracle"

"And that's supposed to help us find Anta"

"Well it's the only thing we have going for us right now" James couldn't really argue with that, there wasn't anything else that he could think of in a bid to find Anta and her capturers. So he boarded the bus along with Pip and headed for the city with no intention of going to school.

Sure enough the stop for the school came and some students got off, some looked at him as he remained seated, even the bus driver gave a little distrusting look but as James glanced out the window he pulled away from the bus stop and headed deeper into the city.

"So what are we getting first?" he asked Pip who was fidgeting with his hands.

"Well certainly not the fish, it'd probably go bad by the time we're back" James wasn't exactly sure it would have made a difference to the concoction if the fish was bad or not. "God how long more, come on let's get off here, the walk will do us good" he said pressing the red button which let off a little ding and the bus pulled over to the next stop. "Cheer's mate!" Pip said as he jumped from the bus. "You know I could really do with a cigarette but have to make do with bubblegum, been nicotine free nearly six months now and the lungs are all the better" he said walking along the pavement. "Terrible habit I know but I only started when I was working for your grandmother, you'd want to have nerves of steal dealing with her" James couldn't argue with him there, he was surprised Pip hadn't become a functioning alcoholic as well; many people found that a little Dutch courage was needed when around the not so Honourable Kitty.

"So how did you come to be working for my Gran, I'm guessing it wasn't for money!"

"Course not, although to be fair she did pay well. My grandmother told me to, keep an eye on her and report anything out of the ordinary. And then when you arrived, keep an eye on you" Pip replied popping the raspberry gum like a child.

"So you were a spy"

"I suppose that's one word for it"

"I think it's the only word for it"

"Fair enough" Pip said stopping suddenly, James continued walking for a few seconds before he realised there was a lack of company.

"Why did you stop?"

"We're here" he replied looking at the shop door. It was a shop dedicated to the occult. The window display tried it's best to give off a Christmas flare but it still screamed Halloween. A bit of silver tinsel wrapped around a human skull wasn't very festive. Pip made his way inside, a little bell alerting his presence to the shop-keeper. James followed, apprehensive and unnerved. The window inspired creepy, the inside inspired nightmares. Hanging from the ceiling was a load of strange amulets, dream-catchers, feathers, incenses and three old-fashioned broomsticks. "A bit much" James said to himself as his eyes continued to wander the ceiling as the only slightly Christmas thing filled his nostrils, mulberry.

"Be with you in one moment" a voice shouted from the back of the empty store. Pip leant against the counter where an old cash-register was situated. James made his way to a glass cabinet and examined the contents. A couple of daggers, a few more amulets and some small purple bottles lined the shelves of the locked cabinet.

"Blessed be" the voice said as a woman came out from the back and stopped in the centre of the shop.

"Philip, is that you?" she asked. He smiled and she rushed to him, embracing him. "The last time I saw you you were going to get me coffee and" she started but then her eyes spotted James and she stopped. "My goodness you cannot be" she said as she made her way over to him. James couldn't do anything but watch as she flounced across the shop to him. She was young, not as young as him but still young. "My my my, this is unbelievable, shame on you Philip for not telling me" she smirked as she started plucking the air around James. Her delicate fingers flicked at the empty space around his shoulders and the only thing James could concentrate on was her cropped purple-streaked black hair, it was very unusual, more so because of the tiny jewels embedded in the strands of hair. "Your aura is so strong" Suddenly James could feel himself getting annoyed; she was one of those people, those who counted on crystals to cure a headache or shuffle cards to predict the future. "But death follows you like a shadow" she finished slowly backing away from him. Now he was totally annoyed and gave Pip a longing to leave look.

"Death is following us all Joan, regardless if it's right behind or a few yards back" he said.

"Joan, your name is Joan?" James said rather rudely.

"Were you expecting something else? Glenda, Willow or something like that?" she retorted, taking some offense to his remark. James lifted his hands in a sign of surrender; he wasn't exactly going to get a Wicca on his bad side with his run of misfortune.

"Right, now that we've got the introductions out of the way let's get down to business" Pip said clapping his hands together loudly.

"Always in a rush aren't you Philip" Joan smiled as she sauntered to the shop's main counter, the place where all the most exotic items were kept in a triple locked glass cabinet. James stayed where he was, while Pip began to read out the items he needed. "My my my Gypsy magic yes?" she said taking out a little jar that contained the Argan oil.

"I'm not at liberty to say" Pip replied with a dashing smile.

"Not at liberty to say, well maybe I'm not at liberty to be supplying these" she said holding up two more jars, one that had boniko flakes written on the label while the other had fairy-fort fungi.

"Well how do I know those things are the real deal?" She gave him a look; he was getting nothing but looks since he walked in the door.

"What an insult to my shop, of course everything here is real, just look at this" she said taking out an amulet from an intricately carved wooden box. "Here put it on" she said placing it over Pip's head allowing it to drop to his neck. It was silver and gaudy and quite heavy. There was a blue stone in the midst that seemed to glow slightly to the rhythm of Pip's heartbeat.

"Not exactly my style" he said to her as he showed it off to James who just glanced outside, not impressed.

"It's not the style that should interest you, it's the function. Let me show you" she said and bending down behind the counter she picked up a rifle.

"Whoa, what the hell are you doing with that?" Pip shouted as he immediately retreated from the counter.

"Don't worry it only has bean-bags, I've been robbed three times in the past month so I like to keep this handy" Joan explained her reasons for having the gun.

"What the amulets and talismans don't keep the burglars away?" James said in a snort of derision as his focus was suddenly back in the shop.

"They're for warding off evil presences, not humans" she said before shooting a bean-bag straight at James knocking him to the ground, winded and grunting.

"Are you mad woman, why did you do that?" Pip shouted as he went to James' aide.

"To show you it works" she replied before shooting another bean-bag, this one at Pip and before it could reach him a massive blue light engulfed his body and the bean-bag bounced off it, hitting a shelf instead. Joan was smiling as she placed the gun back on the counter before heading over to the two boys. "Nothing gets through it" she said lifting it slightly and twirling it within her fingers, all the while it still dangling from Pip's neck. James made a small moaning sound as he got up from the cold floor, the pain was easing and as he pulled up his clothes to reveal the spot where the bag hit, the red markings and swelling were beginning to disappear. "Well seeing as you heal, I guess Philip can keep this"

"Why don't you where it, for someone who gets robbed frequently shouldn't you be wearing it all the time?" James said pointing out what he thought was quite obvious.

"Unfortunately the amulet is centuries old and like many things centuries ago, it's a bit sexist, doesn't work for women" she explained looking almost longingly at the piece of jewellery, or perhaps Pip.

"That's a bit harsh, but still I can't take it! It's far too valuable to be hanging around my neck" Pip said taking the thing off.

"No, no leave it on Philip, remember what I just said?"

"That everyone was sexist centuries ago" he replied with a furrowed brow.

"No, that death follows him, closely" she whispered it this time but there was no need, warrior's had heightened senses and James knew exactly what she said but he chose to ignore it, perhaps by ignoring it he could pretend that it wasn't true. Pip graciously thanked Joan and kissed her on each hand but she wanted more than that, she wanted to witness the outcome of the ingredients she was supplying. With one hand still covering a wooden box that now also contained the ten wiccan blessed candles she was driving an extremely hard bargain and no amount of money was going to sway her hand away.

"Joan it is no place for anyone, even I do not want to have to be there but I have no other choice, you do" Pip said trying to warn her away nicely while also tugging the box slightly to himself.

"I'm a big girl Philip, I can handle myself" she smirked pulling the box back.

"I know you can handle yourself, its not you I'm really worried about, it's the others, you have a tendency to get over-involved"

"I promise I'll find a small corner and sit there quietly with a pen and notebook"

"See, you even want to take notes! What do you want to be taking notes for?" he asked, sounding quite irritated now.

"I want to see Gypsy magic, document it; I have only ever read about their magic. It is done by cursing; they can only harness magic after a curse. I want to see them curse something" she replied.

"Let her come along, if we're lucky Bunica might curse her" James interjected, quite rudely before opening the door and exiting out of the shop, the scent of incense and other things was giving him a headache. A few moments later Pip followed with the box firmly under his arm.

"You can explain to Ida when she rolls up after dark" he said.

"Where to now?"

"The sushi bar" Pip replied making his way down the street and taking a sharp left, James quickly following. With midday still a bit off and the cold now taking a firmer grip on the town the two headed down an alley that had steam billowing from large oversized vents protruding from the red-brick walls.

"A dead-end alley, you do remember what happened last night?" James asked looking nervously around as he joined Pip halfway down.

"Don't be a wuss, you can't be hurt and I've got this" he smiled patting his chest. The amulet was now underneath his clothes, he couldn't very well walk around with it on show, and someone could possibly steal it or more than likely mock it. Pip turned to one of the back doors and banged loudly before standing back and looking up the alley, as if to keep look-out. A man shouted angrily, it was evident from his tone that he was of foreign extraction.

"Who dere?" he shouted through the door.

"Wu, it's me open up its bloody cold out here" Pip answered.

"Me who, I do not know no me" the man replied, although his tone had changed and both Pip and James knew he was joking. Then for a few moments there was silence until the sound of a steel bar being slid out of place and the door creaked open slowly. A small man, of Asian origin, appeared in what was presumably at some stage a white apron.

"Ah Pilup, Pilup" he smiled showing aged yellowing teeth as he enthusiastically shook hands with Pip. Pip returned the smile and continued to hold hands with the man as he spoke a few words in his ear to which he nodded even more enthusiastically. "Come, come" he said and disappeared back inside the building with Pip and James following. James' face wrinkled in disgust, it was like as if he had been slapped square in the face with a Mackerel.

"I think I'm going to throw up" he whispered to Pip.

"Well if you do you better swallow it back down, this guy is the only one I know who stocks Fugu and Elevers and I don't think he'd like it if you spewed all over his kitchen" Pip replied placing the box from Joan on a shelf by the door. The kitchen, if it could be called that, was more like one seen in a bedsit. It consisted of only two sinks, one counter top and a large refrigerator that seemed older than the man. Naturally no cooker was there as it was a sushi bar but James had assumed that they would have at least cooked something. Suddenly Wu was right next to James up on his tip-toes peering into his face.

"Uh what's wong with you, you eeeel?" he asked, drawing out his E's.

"No no I'm fine" James lied.

"Den why you change colour?"

"It's the heat, so cold outside and so warm inside" he lied again, if anything it was colder in the kitchen than it was outside. He gave one closer inspection of James before returning to the balls of his feet and moving towards a large door marked "DANGER". "You no touch nothing" he ordered pointing a long nailed finger at James. That was the final ingredient, the long yellow fingernail waving at James. His stomach churned and his throat warmed and then it was on its way and quickly filled his closed mouth. Frantically he looked for something to relieve himself of the vomit as it slowly seeped out from the corners, little drips of green and orange. Thankfully Pip had followed the man beyond the "DANGER" door and so he was alone in the kitchen that seemed to be without a bin or a single saucepan or pot.

"Fish not gutted, poison still there" James heard the man say to Pip as they were returning to the kitchen. With no other option, he wasn't going to swallow it back down, he opened the refrigerator door and in the empty vegetable drawer he left a little surprise.

"Thank you very much my good man" Pip was saying as he appeared back in the kitchen, Wu following counting a large wad of cash. Pip had a bundle of newspapers wrapped in an elastic band.

"One Fugu and four Elvers, in case we need spares" he said waving the damp newspapers in James' face. "You alright, you seem a lot paler"

"We have to go, now" James replied heading towards the door, picking up the box from the Wiccan shop as he went.

"Thanks again Wu" Pip said as he hurried out after James who was breathing in the cold air deep into his lungs. "You alright?" he asked again, banging the steel door closed behind him and Wu sliding the bar across once again.

"I just needed to get out of there, the place stinks"

"You little punk, you eeeel in fridge" Wu shouted from behind the steel door and suddenly they heard the bar slide across again.

"Okay all better, run" James said taking in one more deep breath before sprinting up the alley and around the corner, Pip running after him but not as quickly. Looking down the alley all Pip could see was Wu shouting and roaring waving frantically waving a broom as he shook a fist angrily toward him.

"What the hell did you do?"

"Got sick in his fridge"

"Ah man that's nasty" Pip groaned.

"What if he comes up the alley?"

"Don't worry, Wu hasn't gone more than ten feet from that building in almost a decade, agoraphobia he claims, right then we have a bit of time to kill, lunch?" Pip replied.

"Lunch, I don't think I'm ever going to be able to eat again"

"You'll be fine, a nice bowl of stew will settle the stomach" he replied patting James' chest and heading back the way they came. The streets were now busier than what they were with everyone spilling out of buildings and schools in search of nourishment to finish the rest of the working and school day. James was trying his best to dodge the eyes of everyone for fear he would be spotted by someone who knew him or his Dad, he was supposed to be in school. Suddenly he stopped dead and with the large box covering his face he called for Pip to stop.

"What's wrong?"

"Teacher, over there" James replied keeping the box up but pointing best he could at the young woman.

"Over where, there?" Pip said loudly pointing obviously in the direction of the woman.

"Stop it she'll see me"

"Does it matter? If this doesn't work tonight who knows what we're in for, school will be the last thing on your mind" he explained but James still didn't care very much for the future when his heart was thumping and sweat was seeping from his temples. It was terrible that even with his newfound warrior abilities, his slight increase in confidence and the fact that he may never have to go back to school again the sight of Ms. Weeks still instilled the greatest fear in his body, rivalling almost the sight of Warren.

"Has she gone?" the box asked nervously.

"Nope, she's still there. You're school has a fine taste in teachers" James couldn't possibly respond to that, he merely huffed. It was impossible for him to see Ms. Weeks in any other light than the fearsome, controlling persona she displayed in the classroom. Then James could hear the familiar sound of her heels clinking along the ground, even in this cold she wore the highest of shoes. "Morning" Pip smiled widely as she passed.

"Morning" Ms. Weeks smiled back. James peeked out from behind the box as she walked away when she suddenly turned to glance back at Pip, spotting James in the process. Surprised and terrified James dropped the box in a panic spilling some of its contents and for a split second the two of them were locked in a stare.

"James?" she said taking a few steps forward but before she had a chance to reach him he ran away. Pip bent down quickly to gather up some of the items when the two feet approached. Standing back up, she handed him one of the candles that had rolled away. "Why isn't James at school?"

"Sick, some kind of stomach bug" Pip said, he wasn't lying, Wu could vouch for that.

"Then why isn't he at home"

"He needed some fresh air" he was starting to sweat now which wasn't easy in the cold chill and he could see why James was terrified. Up close she was stunningly beautiful but her eyes were vicious.

"Doesn't he live in the country?"

"Am yes he does but you know the city air is so much better for you, all those germs help the immune system" Pip nervously laughed as he backed away from her. Ms. Weeks gave him a stern look that almost caused him to drop the box; he thought the Honourable Kitty was bad; she was almost a puppy in comparison, well a Bull-Terrier puppy.

"And who are you, aren't you a little old to be friends with a sixteen-year old?" she said. Pip could see her sewing the conversations she'll be having with the authorities in her mind of how a student was seen out with a strange older man.

"I'm only a couple years older!" Pip replied but in truth he couldn't remember, her stare was so nerve-wrecking his mind was a like a reference book without an index. For a moment she remained silent, still continuing to stare at him with total suspicion, but silent. For all his nervousness Pip never let her gaze go for he felt that if he looked away she won, so as she continued to stare at him, her eyes narrowing every now and then in increased suspicion, he continued to stare almost brazenly back. Then her nose, a small pretty button in the middle of a stunning face, began to twitch.

"What is that horrid smell?" Pip began to inhale deep through his nose, turning his head left and right.

"Can't smell anything" he lied.

"It's coming from that box" she said reaching out a hand to lift the cover, Pip pulled it away from her. "What's in the box?" she demanded to know. Ms. Weeks seemed to have forgotten now that she wasn't in her classroom and Pip wasn't her student.

"Listen lady, you can toddle away now because you know what, I've places to be!" Pip said in a tone befitting a gentleman in the service of the Honourable Kitty. He suddenly didn't care that she was James' teacher and that she could land James in a world of trouble with the school and his Dad. Pip realised that possibly after tonight's revelations nothing may be the same again for any of them and so what would it matter if a teacher tattled.

"I'm going to call the police if you do not tell me what you and James are up to" she snorted. It was pride more than anything now that was blowing Ms. Weeks's sails and she wouldn't allow herself to back down, finding herself marching up to Pip so much so that only the width of the box separated them. "Now are you going to tell me what the two of you are up to or am I going to have to call the police and tell them..."

"What? Tell them what?" Pip interrupted her, and she didn't like that, nor did she like that Pip was growing a backbone. "That I was simply walking down the street and you started harassing me like a crazy woman" he continued almost mockingly. He placed the box under one arm and took out his phone and showed it to her. "Here why don't you call the police, I'll wait". She smiled, her eyes calmed and she reached out her hand to grab the phone but Pip wouldn't let it go and so both of them held onto it, smirking at one another.

"HELP, HELP" she shouted. "HELP, HELP HE'S TRYING TO MUG ME" she screamed and suddenly in some strange manoeuvre she orchestrated, her handbag was on Pip's arm. His smirk vanished, his eyes widened and his face whitened and for a moment he couldn't comprehend what was happening.

"Oi" a burly man shouted from a few yards away as another woman began to shout and wave her umbrella in the air. Just as the one burly man turned into three Pip's mind snapped back into the reality of the situation and he dropped the bag and ran, it wasn't easy with the box and the smoke-damaged lungs but he somehow managed to escape the little mob of vigilantes. As he ran down the street as fast as he could with a large box in his arms he could feel his chest tighten like it never had before. Suddenly he was slowing down as did his breathing and soon he was stopped by a corner, bent over in two gasping for breath. Then he heard a loud gang of men shouting and just as they were about to round the corner and spot him, a hand reached out from a doorway and pulled him in.

"Guessed it was you running" James said as the two of them stayed close to the wall so as to avoid exposure.

"That was close" he said taking in a deep breath before coughing. James just shook his head and took a peek around the corner to see if the men were still around.

"What did she do?" James asked knowing full well that Ms. Weeks was behind the gang of following men.

"That woman is bonkers" Pip replied still fighting to catch his breath.

"Well I know that, but what did she do that rattled all of them?" Before he could answer Pip bent over and clasped the side of his chest; there was a stitch that he thought could easily slice open seeing as the pain was so severe, and took in a deep breath through his nose and then let out another horrible hollow cough.

"Okay that's better" he said wiping the sweat from his brow with his sleeve.

"Well what did she do, what did she say?" James asked again, he was getting very concerned about the outcome of the two's encounter. Seeing as she was the darling of the school principal he could see suspensions and parent summons in his near future.

"She's bonkers! Wanted to know why you weren't in school and who I was and what was in the box"

"And what did you say?

"Not much to be fair was kind of too busy looking at her! No matter how crazy she is, she's still hot"

"So you didn't say anything about me?"

"Well I said you were sick"

"And?"

"And nothing really, she tried to grab the box and I wouldn't let her! Next thing I know I'm holding her bag and she's shouting for help" Pip explained poking out from the wall to see if the coast was clear.

"Right, well I can't ever go back to school and my Dad is going to kill me, or worse send me away" James said closing his eyes and leaning against the wall.

"Look on the bright side; you have a maniac warrior out for blood and a deranged shape-shifter with weird creepy beasts on the prowl! Chances are you won't live to see the New Year" Pip replied cheerfully before flagging down a taxi that was slowly driving along the street.

"Where to mate?" the driver asked as the two climbed in to the back.

"The train station" Pip answered sitting down and placing the box on the seat between himself and James the driver pulled off and drove forward and as they came to the street where Pip had his little incident with Ms. Weeks he slouched slightly down out of view.

"Bloody hell what have you got back there?" the driver asked as the smell of the fish and elvers emerged from the box.

"Fish" Pip replied.

"What kind of fish smells like that?"

"Fugu"

"Fugu? Isn't that the poisonous fish?"

"When not prepared correctly it can be deadly yes"

"And you're going to eat it?" the driver asked sounding rather overly intrigued.

"Yes, yes I am, I like to live dangerously" Pip sarcastically answered but he feared the sarcasm was lost on the middle-aged man who continued to the conversation by informing them that he had a friend who was a so called "adrenalin-junkie" who vanished while trying to illegally enter North Korea, apparently he was on his "hostile vacation". Neither Pip nor James knew what the appropriate response to the information so both remained quiet and tried to look sombre.

"Here we are then, heading anywhere nice?" he asked as the taxi pulled up to one of the ranks outside the station.

"No no we're picking someone up" Pip said handing the man a couple of notes.

"We are?" James said surprised.

"He's always forgetting things" Pip said thanking the taxi driver once more and banging the door shut.

"Who are we collecting?" James asked.

"A buddy"

"What buddy?"

"The one that's bringing the water from the River Jordan to our little party tonight"

"How the hell do you have a buddy who can get their hands on water from the River Jordan in a few hours notice?"

"He works in St. George's Chapel as a janitor but really he's a Druid"

"A DRUID!" James said loudly causing Pip to turn around and give a scornful look.

"Do you want to go to the information desk and announce it to the entire station?"

"Sorry" he whispered as Pip continued to walk along and instead of heading to the arrival platforms he headed toward the restaurant.

"What are we doing here?" James asked as Pip sat down at a table overlooking the arrival area.

"I'm hungry and he's not due in for another hour" he answered picking up a menu and looking through it. James sat down as well; he wasn't exactly going to wander the station alone. The box was nestled neatly beneath the table but the stench that it was omitting was becoming stronger and stronger, so much so that people began to move from neighbouring tables. Luckily their waitress was slightly under the weather with a head-cold so her nose was totally blocked and it was so red it reminded James of a tomato. An hour quickly passed as they tucked in to their toasted bacon sandwiches that were dripping with ketchup and mayonnaise that oozed out the few spiced potato wedges on the plate. An announcement filled the station as another train arrived at one of the platforms. There had been numerous trains and even more announcements since they sat down but this one took Pip's attention away from the crust of his bread.

"This is him" he said as he placed an elbow on the railway and began his watch, waiting for his friend the Druid. Scores upon scores of people filled out of the train and before they could leave the platform their ticket had to be swiped through a machine that opened a turnstile. There were only two such turnstiles in operation at the moment and so Pip was in prime real estate to eye everyone. And eye everyone he did until there was no well left to eye.

"Is that all of them?" James asked as Pip began looking back towards the train that was now reversing out of the station.

"He said he'd be here at one" he said glancing at his watch and then looking back over the arrival area. He was sure he said one and he was even surer that he hadn't missed him; he never took his eyes off the turnstiles.

"Maybe he missed the train, he could be on the next" James tried to offer some assurance but Pip wasn't listening, he was going through the list of contacts on his mobile phone and found the Druid. It rang and it rang until it rang no more.

"No answer" Pip said sounding quite down. They had managed to procure most of the items on the list, the dead eyes, rope and the water were the only three remaining and he was going to get the first two on the way back to Hamlet.

"Look there's another train due in at half two" James said pointing to the large LED board that had all the arrivals and departures for the next couple of hours.

"Hopefully" Pip replied. They continued to sit and wait for the next train to arrive, ordering small things so as not to be evicted from the restaurant. The next train screeched into the station at precisely half two and once again Pip took to the railing and watched as the passengers swiped and the turnstile opened. As they all went through their mundane routine Pip watched until there were no more.

"No sign of him?" James asked as Pip's head again turned down to where the train was stationary, nobody was climbing off only cleaners who obviously must have done a very lax job. Again James said that another train was only an hour away and so they waited this time moving away from the restaurant and towards a bench, directly in front of the turnstiles. The box came with them causing disgusted looks from people as they caught a whiff. Again they waited and again the train arrived and again Pip watched eagerly as the turnstiles turned and yet again there was no sign of the druid, despite James pointing out a couple of heavily grey-bearded men. Not sure what to do the two continued to sit there opposite the arrival platforms and watch, neither of them speaking a word. Pip had plenty of time to collect the other items but if the water didn't arrive there would be no need, there wouldn't even be a need to go back to the castle, they were out of options, and only failure was next. Darkness rolled around quickly and with it came the massive rush of commuters returning home from their long days at work and school. Hundreds if not thousands of faceless people passed the bench, some giving strange looks, others giving no look at all yet nearly most of them smelling the fish. As the rush hour finished the shops and kiosks and the restaurant began closing their doors and turning off their lights. Only a handful of trains were expected within the next couple of hours and on them only a handful of passengers and Pip hoped the Druid would be on the last one from Windsor. So as they waited and waited and waited for the last train of the night even the security were getting weary but after a small conversation with Pip outside while he was stretching his legs and the transference of some money they remained outside the odour region, Pip in turn soon nodded off omitting a soft cooing sound as he slept. The last train didn't pull into the covered platform area as it had been closed, neither of them knew that, and instead it let its passengers disembark on the outdoor platform. James' concentration had all but wandered to insanity from the boredom of waiting when he eyed a young rotund man heading for them. Dressed in jeans and a navy hooded sweatshirt he continued to move towards them, James wasn't sure. The man was only a few years older than him for definite and he did have a beard but it was no where near grey and was only inches from his chin. Tapping Pip to wake him up the man spoke; his voice was low, very low.

"Wake up Pippy!" he laughed as he threw his backpack at the bench, hitting Pip in the chest. The poor sleeping Pip woke with a fright, he was out of sorts rubbing his eyes as the Druid rubbed his hair.

"Stop it" Pip barked as he pushed away the intruding hands. "You're late" he added as he finally woke up properly after his little nap.

"Ya sorry about that, got a tiny bit held up" he replied scratching his budding auburn beard that was still rather prickly, it hadn't yet evolved into a proper beard.

"A tiny bit, it's gone eight, where were you" Pip asked.

"I got held up lets leave it at that, sure what's the big deal I'm now aren't I"

"The big deal, I've been waiting here since" Pip stopped mid argument as he could see the Druid's eyes glaze over, he wasn't one for listening to disparaging comments. "Did you at least bring it?" he asked handing him back the bag that he so thoughtfully hurled at him to wake him up.

"I sure did, wasn't easy mind, that place is guarded heavier than the Queen herself" he replied pulling out a small container of water and handed it to Pip. "So you never told me what you need it for anyway?"

"A Gypsy need's it to find her granddaughter" James said throwing himself into the conversation, seeing as Pip had failed to introduce him.

"Seems like a lot of trouble to go to just for a missing Gypsy, I mean its there nature to go missing" the Druid remarked.

"She's a Doppelganger" James said sternly.

"Oh right, well supposedly we all have one, don't fancy mind meeting mine though cos they say you die when you meet yours"

"Remind me when we're done here to go look for yours" Pip smiled cheekily pinching at the beard to which the Druid slapped his hands away.

"I'm sorry but can we go, we need to make another few stops" James said picking up the box in a slight huff and placing it under his arm. The Druid glanced at the box and smiled.

"I see you paid Joan a visit, how is the old witch?" he asked nudging Pip's shoulder.

"You can ask her in a minute, she'll be there" James replied for Pip as his patience was beginning to run incredibly thin. He didn't know what exactly they were doing collecting ingredients and he didn't know if there was a precise timeline and most of all he didn't know if it would work but he wasn't in the mood for friendly banter when there was a chance to save Anta.

"Ben meet James" Pip said finally introducing the two of them.

"Charmed" Ben smiled holding out his hand.

"Pleasure, now can we go" James said shaking the Druid's hand. James led the way out of the almost entirely empty train station as the other two followed slowly behind laughing and chuckling loudly.

"You've got to be kidding" James sighed as he turned to see Pip and Ben sitting on a windowsill with no intention of moving.

"Come on I've got a taxi" James shouted as a black car, or at least a dark-coloured car, it was night and the street lights were bright but not that bright, came to a stop at the side of the large building. Ignored by the two who were continuing to laugh and reminisce as if they were standing outside a pub having a few sociable drinks and not on the way to deliver bizarre ingredients to a bizarre woman who was undoubtedly going to try and do something bizarre with them. Blinded now by the thought of getting Anta back James returned to the front of the station, still carrying the box, and confronted the two. "What are yee doing, we have to go, you need to pick up the eyes and the rope" he said looking at Pip.

"Jimmy, can I call you Jimmy?" Ben started.

"No, no you can't"

"Okay sorry Jimmy but I think you need to chill out a bit you're looking a bit tense" he said sounding utterly serious.

"Tense! Are you kidding me, you have no idea how tense I am" he retorted quite angrily. He would love to ramble off all the things in the past year that made him this tense but he was afraid that would take almost another year so James just laughed and grabbed hold of Pip's arm and jerked him slightly away from the windowsill. Ben grabbed James' arm. "You don't want to do that, I could knock you through that wall" James threatened, he just as serious.

"No doubt you could, that warrior strength is fairly scary"

"Then let go of me" James demanded.

"But Druid magic still wins.....coladh" Ben said and as he did he threw some grounded leaves over James' face and he became very drowsy. "Hmm, that amount should have knocked out a Rugby team....a bit more it is" and another flurry of grounded leaves decorated James' hair and this time his legs weakened, the box suddenly felt like a car and his eyes could no longer remain open, he fell forwards onto the Druid and he was asleep.

He couldn't believe his eyes as they opened slowly and begun to take in the blurred but familiar surroundings, James found himself back in the castle, the library part of it to be exact. A pounding in his head was slowly subsiding and as his eyes returned to focus he stood up utterly annoyed.

"Poisoned again" he shouted angrily to a rather sparse room. Only Bunica and a handful others, two sand-people, the three remaining cupids and three of the Nymphs, there was no sign of the muses. All of them except Bunica looked at him in disdain; she didn't even glance up at his sudden outburst.

"Hey, hey, hey keep it down will you, she needs complete silence" Pip said entering the library with a cup in hand.

"What's that more poison?"

"Nope, blended eyeballs, elvers, Fugu, bonkio flakes and a drop of Argan oil to taste" he replied holding the cup to James nose but he turned away in obvious disgust.

"Good thing you're not drinking it" he said before proceeding to the table where Bunica was working and setting it carefully down.

"Hello, he's up! Alright mate?" a voice asked from behind. It was the Druid, the one that had put him to sleep.

"Alright? You drugged me" James said, partly squaring up to Ben.

"Sorry about that but you were getting a little bossy for my liking, I like to let the water flow at it's own pace, you get me?"

"Am no!" James replied, his anger increasing slightly at the Druid's nonsense. Ben just gave a little laugh before following Pip up to the table and placing a long rope upon it.

"Hello James, have a nice nap?" an annoying familiar voice mocked.

"Joan" he said and suddenly the pounding in his head started to increase as she again referred to the strands of death that clung to him like shadows.

"I cannot wait to see this, I've never seen Gypsy magic before" she said sitting down by the entrance and taking out a pen and paper. Feeling slightly light-headed James grudgingly sat next to her but she looked at him in horror and promptly got up.

"Sorry but I'm not taking any chances, I wanna live to see Christmas" she said sternly before following Ben and shadowing Pip. Since the few moments that he woke James felt like there was a procession of everyone he recently met that he disliked as in through the arched threshold sauntered Valonia looking ever inch the regal snob dressed in a purple gown and wearing a diamond clip in her hair with a large sapphire pendant around her neck.

"You woke just in time my boy, this is sure to be some spectacle" she said sitting down next to him only to move again when Ida came in. Ida said nothing but merely gave a small smile to James. Lately that was all she seemed to be doing, she was far from the controlling and overpowering presence she was when James first met her. No longer did she instil fear, more like pity now as she showed Valonia to one of the plush tall-backed armchairs by the fireplace almost directly behind the table. James thought that it was Valonia's arrival that knocked the bite out of her dentures; there was apparently only room for one officious octogenarian in the castle and being from the world why the castle existed in the first place it was Valonia who ruled. As the two women nestled in to their seats and Bunica pulled a dark veil over her face the lights in the library dimmed and the fire went out in a hiss. All of a sudden James felt a cold chill run down his back and he got the most uneasy of feelings, perhaps Joan was right, death was circling him and those around him. Those thoughts quickly dispersed when the creepiest of things started to happen. To his left James eyed the muses first, all in hoods walk slowly into the library each carrying one of the Wiccan candles that Joan provided. Belle was the last one to enter; she gave a small smile to James as she walked in. Then came the brown robes, three in fact all with the same candles that the muses were carrying and finally in walked Andrei, wearing only loose cotton pants and no shirt. On his chest was a symbol painted in red, in the midst of it was an eye.

"Anyone who wants to leave do so now" Pip announced as Bunica clapped her hands and Andrei climbed on to the table and lied down. Nobody left, in fact they all moved closer to the table. Pip and Ben then used the rope soaked in Holy water to bind Andrei's hands and feet to the table, they made it as tight as possible to ensure there was no way of escaping. Then it started. First Bunica lifted her grandson's head up slightly so he could drink the concoction; James gagged a bit as he watched the boy swallow the ingredients that he and Pip collected. He coughed a small bit and some spit came out followed by a scale or two that hadn't been blended thoroughly, that had been one of Pip's numerous jobs. Bunica was crushing the fungi and dusting it over her grandson as he stared to the ceiling in fear, he like the rest wasn't sure what was going to happen. Bunica herself had never attempted something so dangerous and the nervousness in her face was almost entirely hidden by her veil. For a moment she stopped and rested her hands on the red symbol on her grandson's chest and she uttered a few words in her native tongue, words that if they were even in English they wouldn't be audible to the spectators. Andrei's stomach seemed to respond with a few moaning sounds that caused a couple of the Nymphs to giggle. A tapping on Pip's shoulder brought his attention away from the spectacle as he turned to the tapper, Joan. He furrowed his eyebrows in a questioning manner and she put her lips with millimetres of his ear and whispered.

"This is Gypsy magic Pip?" He nodded clearly irritated. "From what I've read about this the only way a Gypsy can do magic is by using the residue magic of a curse" she explained.

"So?" Pip finally gave an audible reply.

"Magic like this would require a large curse, what is it?" Joan asked with an evident worry in her tone. The worry seemed to be catching as Pip's eyes darted around the room and little beads of sweat appeared at the tip of his forehead as Joan's words ran sprints in his head. He wasn't sure what to do, if there was anything he could do but the thoughts were too late as Bunica pulled a dagger from her sleeve and shouted loudly to the ceiling.

"Orbitoare Blestem, Orbitoare Blestem, Orbitoare Blestem" and with that chant the ten flames upon the ten candles burned high, fast and hot while screams of pain filled the room followed quickly by the smell of something burning. Just as fast as the flames appeared they were gone and the candles were dropped to the ground while those carrying them clutched their faces. Bunica paid no attention to them and dragged the blade along the outline of the painted symbol. Pip turned on the lights and then the true horror unfolded. All ten of them were wailing in agony, covering their faces while a soft substance ran through their fingers, melted skin. James was one of the first to approach, followed by Pip and Ida. The Cupids and Nymphs had vanished with the flash of flames and so they were spared the horror that was in front of James, Pip and Ida. Ten of them, seven muses and three sand-people took their hands away from their faces. James could barely look but he was doing better than Pip who was looking and then turning away almost instantly. The eyes had burned entirely in their sockets and some skin had melted down the face, it was a grisly sight to behold. Ida put her arms around the youngest of the muses as she wailed in agony, blood-stained tears trickling down a disfigured face. James looked at Pip in utter confusion; he had absolutely no idea what to do. Valonia, Joan and Ben were in no hurry to move from where they were because as soon as Pip and Ida passed the table-tied Andrei he began to shake violently, his restrained wrists and ankles still managed to hit and kick.

"What's all the shouting about, what's going on?" Robert asked as he appeared in the foyer of the castle, his long-blind eyes spared the horrific sight.

"Get out of the way, get out of the way let someone who can see in" a bossy voice shouted as they pushed their way passed poor Robert almost knocking his cane out of his hand. Curiosity didn't quite kill her but it did shock her to her very core. Her face became a deathly white and her eyes filled with tears.

"My poor children" she said with a quivering lip, "Who did this to you?" she asked with less of a quiver.

"Never mind who did right now Bessie, let's get them out of here and down to the infirmary" Pip said putting his hand on the back of one of the muses causing her to flinch in fright. Plunged into immediate darkness they were in the most fragile state of their lives when a booming voice echoed through the library and beyond.

"SILENCE" it roared. "I DEMAND SILENCE" it roared again as the dulled wailing swelled again with the fright and in a moment of utter panic the muses and the three Sand-people vanished from sight, leaving the rest to look up toward the table by the fireplace and see Andrei sitting upright, rubbing his wrists.

"Your Holy water is no good anymore, it does not restrain me" he said smiling over at Bunica, his eyes a sky-blue with no pupils. Hopping down off the table he calmly walked over to the old Romanian woman and smiled at her before catching her by the neck and lifting her three feet off the ground, squeezing as he did. "You dare summon me" he seethed into her face. "I am no ordinary Oracle, I am the essence of the Third Eye of Barkargon, and I have seen everything that has been and everything that will be" he continued as the air slowly seeped out of the old woman. Then a punch to the back of the head his hold of the old woman ceased and she slumped to the ground.

"Didn't see that coming did you?" James said shaking his hand to in a bid to ease the pain that hitting him caused, it was strangle, like hitting concrete.

"Well, well, well a Warrior, it's been a while since I went a couple of rounds with one of you" he said smiling as he touched the back of his head and saw blood on his fingers.

"I don't want to go a couple of rounds with you, I don't have time for it, I just want to know where Anta is?" James said angrily, pushing out his chest in a bid to hide his simmering fear.

"Ah the Doppelganger, this Vessel's sister correct". James nodded. "And why should I tell you?" he asked.

"Because the fate of Nuvarin is at risk" Valonia proclaimed standing up by her chair.

"My, my, my must I curtsey dear Queen. Oh no wait, it's the Widow Queen now isn't it" he smiled as he made his way towards her. Taking her left hand he bowed and kissed it. "Pleasure to meet you your Majesty" he said but nobody was quite sure whether he was being sarcastic or not, his tone never seemed to change.

"The pleasure is all mine. Now kind Oracle, do you know where Anta is?" Valonia asked politely once again sitting down. He smiled a creepy smile before nodding Andrei's head enthusiastically.

"And?" Valonia said.

"And, what?" he replied.

"Do you know where she is?"

"I do" he said sternly. Valonia gave him her regal annoyance look that caused many a servant and citizen to tremble.

"Oh dear Widow Queen you asked did I know where the young Doppelganger is, and the answer is I do! But you didn't ask me can I tell you where she is" he laughed. Valonia wasn't laughing; in fact she was getting rather infuriated by the annoyance that was being caused by him. She found her feet and with one eyebrow raised she snapped.

"Listen to me you little brat!" Instantly the Oracle stopped laughing and with a creepy smile he turned back to the Widow Queen.

"Surely you cannot be referring to me with that insult?"

"Yes I'm referring to you, I'm looking at you aren't I?" Again he started to laugh all the while inching closer and closer to the old woman, James did the same.

"You're a brave woman talking to me like that, you do know that I can see your future and with every word you say it changes dramatically" he threatened.

"I do not care about my future, I care only about the future of Nuvarin and its people"

"How very noble of you, willing to die for the land that is about to become a battlefield and the people that turned their backs on you" the Oracle said, close enough now for Valonia to feel his breath.

"What happened to you?" she asked casually, looking deep into the blue. The question seemed to strike a nerve and the Oracle turned his back on the old woman. It had been a while since anyone in Nuvarin had actually seen an Oracle, there had been rumours of one in recent times but he was never found. From what Valonia could remember from the stories she heard was that Oracles were helpful, friendly beacons of knowledge who would assist in times of great need, and this was a great need. "Tell me what happened, what caused you to become such a callous being?" she asked in the calmest tone possible.

"NOTHING HAPPENED TO ME" he roared so loud that a few pieces of glass shattered around the place.

"Clearly something happened, you're not like any of the Oracles I've come across" she lied, hoping that he was too distracted to look into her past.

"THOSE ORACLES!" he roared again. "Those fools were weak" he added, softly this time. He leaned up against the fireplace and stared at the flames. "They were all weak, telling everyone their futures simply because they asked. Pathetic!" He moaned, still staring at the flames as if he was seeing them all. "Nobody should know what the future can hold for them, not even I know what lies around the next corner for me, and it is nature's way" he continued, perhaps telling too much about himself than he intended. "But still those fools happily told people where their paths led to and how the journey was going to be, and what do you think happened when the people heard futures that they didn't like? Ones full of despair and sorrow instead of love and happiness, they blamed the ones who told them" he stopped for a moment, it was almost as if he was trying to hold back a terrible memory, closing his eyes and shaking his head. "They killed them all, every singe one of them butchered and burned in front of the masses and their families are still subjected to suspicion for fear another one will be born down the line, we run in families did you know that?" he asked Joan who was sitting still and barely breathing in an attempt to be as insignificant as possible. She avoided his gaze and instead continued to look at her feet. "I asked you a question darling" he said and in a heartbeat his hands were around her neck and a frightfully audible snap filled the library. It happened too fast, James wasn't close enough while Ben, like the rest didn't even know what was happening until it had happened. "One less Witch is a good thing, such a judgemental bunch" he smiled turning his attention back to Valonia, James now right at her side. He looked at both of them inquisitively until he was distracted by the oncoming attack from Pip who leapt over the table and just as he was about to knock him to the ground, Andrei's body turned and his arms squeezed around Pip's body. "Silly boy, James there managed to best me because he is a warrior, and I cannot see a warrior's future or past, but you" he smiled as his squeeze started to tighten. Pip started to feel faint and it was getting harder and harder for his lungs to expand, he could feel bones beginning to fracture and then a bright shining light swelled between them and Pip was sent flying out to the foyer while the Oracle was blasted against the wall above the fireplace. Ida rushed out into the foyer while Bunica was mumbling under her breath in the very place where the Oracle left her and Ben had now scurried out after Ida. "My, my, my I guess the only reason I didn't see that coming was because it was in my future" he said shaking the dust out of his hair and off his body. He didn't seem to upset at it, in fact he found it quite amusing. James saw it more of a chance than amusing and charging towards the Oracle he knocked him back against the wall again, banging his head numerous times into the century old bricks. He only laughed as with every bang blood seeped from Andrei's head.

"A couple of more blows should do it, he'll be a goner" the Oracle sniggered as he looked at James. "And I'll be off to my next host" he added smiling. James slapped his head once again off the wall and then when he was a bit dazed he allowed him to slump to the edge of the fireplace.

"Do you really think we're that stupid?" he asked.

"Now I can't tell your future but something is telling me that that is a rhetorical question" he said with his head flopping up and down with every second word. James just gave a wry smile, not unlike the one the Oracle had been flashing almost every chance he got since he was summoned. Then the eyes changed, the sky-blue vanished for a moment and there was nothing but white and then they were back again. "No, no, no this isn't possible, how am I still here?" he asked an evident tone of panic in his voice.

"I told you, we took precautions to ensure your cooperation" James whispered. The Oracle pushed him away and got to his feet, slowly, holding on to Andrei's head where still a trickle of blood was dripping from the back. Once he had steadied himself he started shouting and throwing things, anything he could get his hands on, Valonia's chair that she had just vacated was thrown out the window. The table on which he was first tied to was thrown towards the foyer but James managed to knock it off course, saving Ida, Pip and Ben who thought it safe to leave a bit of distance between them and the raging being. Bunica was so low to the floor now that there was no fear of anything hitting her, she just continued to mumble and gyrate as if she were in a trance, unaware of the rampaging going on around her. A large framed picture was the next thing that was hurled around the library; it smashed to pieces against the staircase.

"FREE ME OR PERISH!" he shouted at James who was standing between him and the foyer.

"As soon as you tell me where Anta is you're free to go"

"And you are telling the truth?" he asked seething the fact that he couldn't foresee the warrior's intentions.

"I am. Tell me where she is and we will never cross paths again". Andrei's shoulders dropped a couple of inches and the anger that was spread across his face turned to defeat, the Oracle knew there was no other way out of the situation.

"Alright, I shall tell you where the Doppelganger is"

"And it will be the truth?" James asked just like the Oracle had.

"Us Oracles cannot lie" he said slowly nodding his head. A few moments passed and nothing happened until finally James took a seat between the mumbling Bunica and the defeated Oracle. Pip made his way cautiously back into the library, the amulet taking centre place on his chest. Ida and Ben followed behind as per Pip's direction in his hope that the amulet would protect all of them if anything else were to happen. Moving closer and closer to James, Valonia took refuge behind Pip and as they all tried to avoid broken shards of timber they finally stopped by the staircase and strained their ears to listen. A frightful carnage had led to this very moment and they prayed it was not in vain.

"So, where is she?" James asked calmly.

"She is close, very close in fact and getting closer" he replied not looking up but keeping his sky-blue eyes firmly fixed on his hands, well Andrei's hands.

"What do you mean getting closer?"

"These are amazing things, hands! I mean could you imagine a world without hands?" the Oracle said rather bizarrely. James glanced over at the group of four and shrugged.

"Ya hands are pretty cool! Now what do you mean she is getting closer?" Then there was a snap followed by another and then another until finally Andrei's left-hand flopped, every bone broken and nerve severed, its function lost forever. "What the hell are you doing?" James roared.

"You didn't think it was going to be that easy did you?" James just stared blankly at him, not sure what to say. "For every question you ask me, I shall destroy a little part of this vessel, so ask wisely" he added raising his head and winking. Sitting there in silence looking at the Oracle James pondered the questions in his head; he needed to ask the right ones or Andrei would pay the price. "Why so shy warrior, you were willing to let him die mere minutes ago" he said with aplomb.

"By my hand I was willing to sacrifice Andrei for the greater good, watching you destroy him isn't right" James answered.

"Now, now, now warrior I like to have fun too and what makes it most interesting is that Andrei feels every pinch of pain". Like ripping off a band-aid James saw no point in postponing the inevitable.

"Where is she?"

"Soon she shall arrive here and be taken to the doorway to Nuvarin" the Oracle answered and true to his word he did the same to Andrei's right-hand. James did not look away as a trickle of blood seeped from a protruding knuckle.

"And what is it they want of her?"

"My, my, my that is a big question. Are you sure you want me to answer it?" He nodded and so the Oracle continued. "The elder red sister plans to kill the Doppelganger and let her blood flow through the doorway and the curse will be lifted, then the second sun will no longer shine, allowing a new hell to rise in Nuvarin. Sounds like fun" he explained before poking an eye out of Andrei's skull in the grossest fashion possible yet James did not falter.

"No more questions James, we know enough" Ida shouted. James glanced over to the foursome and looked back to the grisly sight before him.

"And what hell shall rise?" he asked, ignoring Ida's plea.

"Unwavering determination to the end, I like that! As you know I cannot lie and it is not quite clear the nature of the rising hell but I shall hazard an educated guess. The Red King is supposedly buried in the sinking sands over which the second sun blazes when the original sun sets, and if he should rise again he will seek vengeance on his jailer's descendants and take back Nuvarin as his rightful Kingdom. Oh and he is incredibly strong, immortal, and I'm pretty sure he has an army exactly like him" he explained before slowly peeling off an ear, looking at it casually and throwing it behind him into the fire.

"That is enough, I am done" James said getting up and from the chair and taking a deep breath.

"Just a couple of things I'm going to tell you for free, because I like you" the Oracle said, he too standing up. It was hard to look at the disfigured face but he did, a warrior would not look away. "You know the descendants of the jailers, you're one of them! The family resemblance is rather significant young Prince" the Oracle winked.

"And what's the other thing?" James asked.

"I shall tell you that as soon as you release the bind holding me inside this decrepit vessel, it shall be my parting words to you" he said smiling nastily.

"Bunica stop!" James ordered and she did, the mumbling ceased and the gyrating was no-more.

"She was keeping me here, that crafty old Gypsy! How did I not see it, all I could see was a mental breakdown" he queried.

"She's crafty!" James replied, "now the second thing?"

"Oh right, either duck or die" he warned and then the one sky-blue eye disappeared and was replaced with Andrei's one. The tall Gypsy collapsed in pain and everyone came to his aid, huddling around him telling him it was going to be okay. Then slowly and eerily the front door of the castle opened and all of them except Andrei turned their attention to the foyer and in rolled three small green canisters no bigger than apples.

"They look like....." Ben started to say before being interrupted by James.

"GRENDAES" he shouted rushing to the foyer. Bang, bang, bang............ BANG!

The Fifth Forest

Union

As the waves rolled in faster and higher he moved along the small cave to the usual ledge and with great strain hoisted himself up. The rocks were wet and the moss wasn't the greatest for gripping but somehow he always managed to get up, as did the rats. At the beginning he would have to fight for a sliver of space to evade the increasing water, now only a handful of them scurried around his bare feet. He felt somehow most of them knew that now they had a better chance of survival in the water as in his hand was a heavy rock and with one swift movement he smashed it down on the biggest, brownest bunter he saw. It made a most horrid crunch and the rodent stopped moving and almost instantly he and the dead rat were all that remained on the ledge.

When he was first thrown in the cavern cell he was fed, not generously but his stomach never rumbled and at least he had some company every so often. From the commencement of his sentence he made scratches on the wall to count the days, he was now on his two-hundredth and fifty-sixth day. On the eighty-third day there was an extra mark, a scribble. That denoted the last day he was brought food, the last day he saw another living soul. Ever since then he was on his own, the dark damp cell that was no larger than the average horse cart was his home. As he wasn't too fussy, food was abundant and the stable diet of rats never ran dry, even if they had to be eaten raw, the taste wasn't too bad and after vomiting a few times when he first ate them, they now went down without a second thought. On the rare occasion he managed to catch a few crabs or sometimes a fish would get caught as the water was receding and he would eat well that day, feeding the rats the leftovers. Water was plentiful every day but it was salted and left him thirstier then before and with no possible way of starting a fire to boil water he started licking the walls. Unsalted and refreshing with a hint of moss, it sufficed.

If their idea of isolation was to punish him or somewhat break his spirit they were entirely incorrect. He liked being alone, it was when he was most happy and at peace, even if he did have to eat rats and lick the walls. Well in truth he didn't have to eat or drink, he wasn't going to die, but he would become weak and frail and that would simply not do, he after all knew what was on the horizon that others did not.

There was taste of fish off the rat as he munched his way through it, licking the wall to help the pieces glide down the throat. This one must have had more than its fair share of the fish that was caught two scratches ago. As he picked bits of grizzle and fur out of his teeth he waited to discard the rest of the carcass until the water receded and the rats returned to their tiny crevasses, sleep wasn't an option as they got vicious when he slept and in packs they would attack, killing one as soon as it got near normally scared the rest away again for a couple of hours. Nevertheless he was exceptionally tired for some reason, perhaps the good meal he had just eaten had swelled his stomach so much he needed to sleep it off and so unwillingly he slowly dozed off, his eyes popping open every few seconds to look for rats until they couldn't open anymore.

His body suddenly shook and he woke with a fright, no there weren't any rats attacking him and the water had receded. The six or seven feet of water that had been swirling around him when he dozed off was nothing more than a mere puddle and pieces of seaweed now, something he'll use as vegetables for his next meal. No, a noise woke him, a known but sadly rarely heard one; footsteps.

"Come on come on open up the bloody thing, we haven't got all night" the familiar voice ordered and slowly the stone door slid open and in she walked, dressed completely in furs, her head covered in white fur dotted with black opals. She hadn't changed one little bit since the last day he saw her, the day Thom died. "Ugh, the smell in here, how do you stick it?" she asked as she lifted her hand to cover the lower part of her face.

"I guess I stopped smelling it after the first hundred scratches" Alyn replied coldly, coming down from the little ledge and although stumbling slightly he regained his balance and stood tall opposite her.

"Scratches?" she asked confused prompting Alyn to point to his calendar wall. "Goodness has it been that long, the time is flying by". Moving forward toward the prisoner she kicked the carcass of the rat by accident. "You didn't like your meals?"

"When I got them they were fine, haven't been getting them in a while"

"Really, that is terrible" She genuinely sounded surprised that Alyn wasn't being fed, but she had a remarkable ability for acting.

"Why don't you just get to the point, you want to know what I've seen for you since her death?" Alyn said folding his arms and glancing at the Mother with all the disdain he could muster.

"Well I was going to see how long we could keep up the small talk but no need to beat around the bush, so tell me what you see"

"Nothing, I haven't seen you in any vision since the fifty-fourth scratch, I take it that's when you had her killed?"

"What makes you think it was me who had her killed, good heavens it happened hundreds of miles from here"

"And your hands can stretch a thousand miles further". She smiled at that response and casually leant against one of the walls, dampening the furs in the process but she didn't seem to mind.

"So you haven't seen me in any of your visions, that is the best news I've heard in a long time" she closed her eyes and just smiled. Her shoulders seemed to drop a few inches and her body relaxed. Alyn watched as her mind seemed to drift away with her thoughts and his eyes wandered to the exit that remained opened. He could take the chance and try and escape, lose the guards in the vastness of the cave. After coming to grips with the taste of rat he could survive a few more months hidden in the dark corners, at least he would be able to come and go as he pleased. One foot moved almost independently and the other followed but the sound of dispersing water opened her eyes once more. "Good, you're ready to get going" she smiled moving away from the wall.

"Going where?"

"You haven't seen the next stage?"

"I told you, I haven't seen you or anything to do with you in any vision for a long time" he replied quite angrily.

"I see, so my idea won't lead to any misfortune"

"Not that I've seen"

"Fantastic, guard let's go" the Mother beamed as a guard entered the small cave. He wasn't one of her close personally conjured guards, he was simply a soldier dressed in brown leathers with a simple spear as a weapon. "After you dear" she said and the soldier took Alyn forcefully by the arm and led him out of the cave, passed the white girl and along a dimly lit passageway that in turn led to a set of spiralling steps. As they climbed the walls went from natural to man-made and soon Alyn was standing in a crow's nest of a small tower built on the cusp of the cliff above the caves. Night had fallen and the sky was clear of any clouds and the moon was no where to be seen while the stars moved fast across the black canvass in an array of colours. The sea was calm and scarily inviting while the wind blew soft and danced a thick smell of smoke into the atmosphere. Curious Alyn looked over the edge and down below there were ships, many ships floating like a small town mere meters from the beach. Each of the ships had a ring of fire circling it, no doubt in a bid to scare away the monsters that lurked beneath the black surface. There were forty maybe fifty ships with hundreds of people scurrying around on the decks and in the middle there was the largest ship, one that looked like a floating palace. It could easily house hundreds of people on its own and its circle of fire was somehow a magnificent blue while another greener flame burned atop its masts. That was the Mother's ship.

"Beautiful isn't it?" the Mother asked as she too arrived in the suddenly over crowded crow's nest. Alyn didn't reply but continued to look at the ships and all the people rushing about working. "My dear boy those are truly wonderful ships, but that isn't the beautiful sight" she said taking him by the shoulders and walking him to the other side of the nest. His heart sank and his eyes suddenly filled with tears. The smoke that had been filling his nostrils and blackening his clothes wasn't coming from the ships; it was coming from the forest. Fires raged as far as the eye could see and the thousands of tall trees that stood for centuries were snapping like twigs and crashing to the ground changing the fifth forest from a well insulated haven to a baron wasteland.

"Why did you do it?" Alyn asked, his voice quivering with sadness and anger.

"Dear boy you didn't see this in your visions. It is a good omen, we will move onwards with no option but to succeed or die trying, we have nothing to return to" the Mother whispered into his ear and she returned to the top of the staircase. "Come along Alyn, we have a journey to make".

Chapter 14ourteen:

Blood, Fog and Beef Strips

The bones of the centuries old castle seemed to have survived the explosive attack laid down by Cerise although inside was a smoking ruin. A grand total of five explosions rattled the building and only three of them were from the grenades, others had been planted delicately by an incognito Cerise in the basement and the attic. It was utter devastation, just as she planned.

Coughing and spitting James woke in the foyer covered in a mound of rubble, timber and pieces of shattered furniture. Before they exploded he had managed to kick two further away from the library while the other went off just as his foot was about to reach it. Jerking slightly he felt a stab of pain, pain was good it meant that he was still attached to his foot. As he continued to lie there beneath the evil he felt a sliver of shame as he wished to remain where he was, out of the way, out of people's expectations and quite simply out of the life he had wished for. But slowly as the ringing in his ears eased he could hear the moans from the other survivors, the ones who looked to him to fight and so he swallowed the shame and the pain while his desire to disappear was replaced with a stronger craving, one of vengeance.

A roar of defiance echoed through the castle as James burst up from his shallow grave and stood tall in the foyer, bleeding and hurt but not defeated. Looking around there were fires making there way up curtains and across furniture while windows had been blown out and replaced now with gaping holes that allowed the wind to help the flames spread. Wiping his face clean of blood and dust he turned to the library and to his surprise they were all still standing and their eyes were firmly fixed on him, the time for war was here and it was James' battle to commence.

"ARE YOU ALL OKAY?" he shouted extremely loudly, his ears were still ringing.

"We're okay, we're okay" Pip replied moving out towards James. "This thing really is something" he said holding up the amulet.

"She was a good woman to give you that, and I'm sorry" James again shouted something that really should have been whispered but he couldn't help it, his ears continued to ring. Placing his arm around Pip he turned to the remaining group of survivors, Ida, Valonia, Ben, Bunica and Andrei, who was barely able to stand. "RIGHT ALL OF YOU HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE, THE FIRES ARE SPREADING AND WHO KNOWS IF THERE IS ANOther.... bomb" the ringing in his ears finally stopped.

"Thank goodness for that, I mean the grenades didn't make as much noise as him" Valonia said taking a seat on one of the few singe-free unbroken chairs.

"Okay as I was saying you need to get out of here, this place could collapse on itself any moment" James said as he made his way to one of the walls and reaching up he pulled down a large sword and shield that was hanging upon it.

"How did I only notice that now?" Valonia quipped as James slid his arm through the shield's handle.

"Notice what?" James replied as he looked at the shield, closer this time and although there was a massive "V" covering the entire thing, there were hundreds of smaller engravings, all names, beginning with the letter V.

"That was the shield of your ancestor, King Vasileior, it was supposedly lost centuries ago" she explained getting up to examine it closer. She ran her fingers over the scribes, over all the names that had been etched into it. "This is over a thousand years old; it pre-dates the diversion of Pastorious" she gasped as the flame's reflections glistened across the names. "How did you come of it?" she asked turning to Ida who was still standing in the same spot.

"There is no time for questions, this is a time for action" James said as his hand clenched itself tightly around the handle of the sword. "Now all of you make your way to Valonia's house, there you will be somewhat safer than here" he ordered before making his way to the arch looking every inch the warrior heading to war. Ida stepped in front of him. "Move aside, there is evil to be vanquished" he said in a tone none of them heard coming from his mouth before. Ida was about to speak when he gently, warrior gently, nudged her aside and she almost fell.

"James what the hell man?" Pip said grabbing his shoulder but James simply shrugged him off and took another step towards the door, well the gaping hole where the door used to be. "Hey James I'm talking to you" Pip said reaching out to grab the warrior again but James turned and raising the sword pointed it to Pip and then the amulet's force-field appeared again.

"Pip come away from him, it's the shield" Valonia said. Doing as he was told he slowly backed away from James and returned towards the others.

"Take hold of the remaining sword and protect the survivors, I shall deal with the enemy" James said in a matter-of-fact tone and he left the castle. The clean night air helped his regenerating lungs recover from the massive intake of smoke they had just endured and as James strode down the steps he could feel his body rejuvenating, returning if not surpassing its original state. James had barely taken two steps onto the wet grass a familiar sound rattled in his ears and turning quickly he spied one of Cerise's pets. The thing rose to its hind legs and almost with an intense personal hatred for James it opened its mouth to reveal the fangs that James had once found so nightmarishly horrifying. Not tonight, tonight James had no time for feelings and when the beast stretched its wings and let out a ear-piercing screech he stood his ground and tightened his grip on the hilt of the sword and just as the jaws were about to clench his head the shield bore the brunt of the attack while blade found the body and as James buried it deeper into the beast its war screech turned into a painful whimper as it slumped to the ground, dying. With still only the rescue of Anta on his mind James freed the sword and wiped the blood off on the grass before walking around the tail and heading toward the large stones just beyond the edge of the forest, he was sure Anta was there; unfortunately he was also sure she wasn't alone.

As he strode across the vast field with it's waist high grass his pace never slowed and his thoughts never wandered, the rescue of Anta was at the foremost of his mind. Her rescue dominated so much of his mind it momentarily seemed to dim his senses and he was struck from behind, hard. The sword and shield fell from his grip and as he got to his feet he suddenly realised the darkness that surrounded him prevented anything from being seen and a little bit of fear awoke inside him. Black clouds had engulfed the sky and the fires that had been burning in the castle were put out, Pip and the others had obviously decided to stay put instead of going to safety. The rustling of grass close to him caused him to turn in almost every direction, he wasn't sure if it was the wind or the assailant. Suddenly he felt like he was back in the dungeon, in utter darkness with only his body as a weapon. Kicking around at the ground beneath him he searched for the sword and the mind altering shield, the fear he was feeling now he could do without. Another rustle in the grass, this time he was certain it was a person and so he turned and he could just about make out the shape of someone a lot taller and wider than him.

"YOU DIE NOW" the shape said and suddenly James' face met with the shield and he found himself being flung half a furlong across the field. The throbbing the shield left on his face was eased somewhat by the moisture on the grass, it was cold and soothing, if only it had the same effect on life. Squashing sounds came closer and closer as Warren's big feet fell to the mud and rose again bringing him ever nearer. With the shield Warren was even more deadly and so James found himself in the midst of a panic as he got up on all fours before discreetly crawling away from the approaching boots. "YOU DIE NOW?" it was different to the first time he said it, the tone was more of an inquiry than a statement yet which led James to wonder how intelligent Warren was, how could he possibly answer if he was dead? "NO BODY NO DIE" he said again as he kicked at various patches of large grass. Well he answered his own question. Then he stopped moving and so did James, he stopped inhaling and so did James, he just listened and so did James. The wind could be heard along with the odd car coming and going on the distant road and if you really strained your ears the river could be heard. James couldn't hear Warren and he hoped that the situation was mutual. It was not. Suddenly from behind Warren grabbed James by the ankles and hoisted him out of the grass single-handedly, like a snared rabbit. Upside down wasn't the nicest feeling in the world as James' head started to fill with blood as it brushed against the tips of the grass, he did manage to figure how Warren got the advantage, he had discarded the noisy boots. "YOU DIE NOW" in all honesty James was getting sick of those three words and nearly begged him to kill him just so that he didn't have to hear them again.

"Go on do it" he shouted up at Warren.

"QUIET" he shouted before delivering a stern punch to the chest. James could barely breathe, the ferocious wallop snapped the sternum and numerous ribs causing one to puncture the lung while another slid upwards and hit his heart. Blood started seeping out of his mouth and he could feel himself becoming quiet light-headed, his vision became blurry and seconds later he was unconscious. "WAKE UP" Warren shouted as he shook James violently, almost like a child (or adult) shaking a wrapped present. James was obedient and opened his eyes, they were out of focus at first but it didn't matter, the darkness still prevented him from seeing anything. The only thing he could see was a hand around his ankles and he could still feel the grass against his hair. While he was unconscious his body repaired itself and he was back to normal. It was almost as if Warren purposely wanted to inflict pain but not death. James continued to hang from the hand of Warren not quite sure what to do, he tried grabbing at Warren's legs but they only delivered a kick when neared. Boots or no boots it still hurt. Then a scream, a deathly scream, coming from the forest filled the countryside. It was Anta; it was her scream, her scream for help.........her scream for James.

He instantly began shaking and writhing in an attempt to break free but he couldn't, the grip was almost iron-like. He tried lifting his body up to punch Warren but it was no good, every time he pulled his torso up Warren knocked him down. Then just as he was swaying from side to side after his fourth attempt at hitting Warren, there was a glimpse of something silver mere inches from him. Somehow the shield was there within reach and so taking a deep breath he wriggled a little bit and he had hold of it and he pulled himself up in one swift movement and struck Warren on the head, hard. He was free and instantly on his feet limping towards Anta. With the shield still firmly in his grasp his mind was solely focused on saving her, he didn't even realise his ankles had been squeezed so hard by Warren that they had broken and as he limped they healed, but as he continued to limp they continued to break, it was quite the vicious circle, one that the shield shielded James from. Unfortunately for James the rescue wasn't going to be easy as he hadn't ensured that Warren had been knocked out for good and as the hilt of the sword hit him square in the back of the neck he collapsed once again face down in the mud, shield flying across the night air once again. Dazed and confused and waiting for his ankles to heal James continued to lie in the mud until of course he heard the huffing and puffing approaching from behind and just as he turned over onto his back Warren was there and instantly straddled him, making movement impossible under his bulk weight. James fervently struggled to break free but it was no good, his wrists were grasped tight and Warren was unmovable. Slowly as the two continued their battle, James trying to break free and Warren condescendingly laughing at every attempt, a partial sun began to rise in the distance. A fog accompanied it in an almost deliberate attempt to keep the visibility poor. Finally the two could see one another and for James it was not a pretty sight. He had seen Warren more times than he cared and he was a frightening spectacle then but now, now was he almost monstrous. His skin had become almost an entire brownish scab that looked like it was peeling and ready to fall off while his eyes looked vacant, almost dead-like, there was only a tiny glimmer of life there. Almost all of his teeth had abandoned their home and the few that remained were yellow and blackening. The hair, what was left of it, was thinning and greyish in colour, it was almost as if Warren had aged decades in days. His appearance may be wildly different but his strength hadn't weakened, nor had his thrill to inflict pain.

"NOW YOU..." James was waiting for the die, but it seemed Warren had something else to say. "SEE WHAT YOU GIRL DID TO ME, I DO SAM TO YOU" he said seething, his breath rancid and stale. For a moment James wondered what friend until the image of Lue shooting him with her poisoned arrow came flashing through his mind. A dark cupid was undoubtedly someone to be feared; their attack left a savaging reminder. Suddenly one scabbed hand found James' neck and it squeezed tightly but not too tightly, he didn't want to kill James, not yet exactly. Now with one wrist free James lashed out at Warren punching his face and unknowingly knocking some scabbing from his cheek. Letting go of the neck Warren once again held James down by the wrists and as he got closer James could see what was behind the scabs, perfect skin. However as the seconds moved along the skin appeared to age rapidly, blacken and ultimately scab over again. "EVERY TIME" he roared as saliva drizzled down onto James. "Every tim I pool of scub more comb back" he said softly this time with a limited grasp of English. Warren's head suddenly turned and it was almost as if his ears moved upward like a dog. Then he whistled, not for anybody in particular, he just started whistling a tune that unnerved James and then as he whistled he smiled and winked at James as he covered his mouth with his large black scabbed hand. James' hands frantically tried to pull free from the suffocating hold but Warren was too big, too strong, too determined. James began to feel light-headed as the lack of air started to take its toll and as it did his arms became too weak to fight and just as he was about to fall into an unwanted sleep Warren leant down and whispered in his ear. "SHE HERE" he whispered taking his hand away from James' mouth. Utterly unable to process anything Warren said until the air had returned to his brain James remained still staring up at the sky as his attacker took the hilt of the sword by both hands and lifted it over James' chest. Then there was a sound, quite a few of them as arrows shot through the fog aimed directly at Warren. He had been expecting them and managed to deflect them all bar one that hit his shoulder, it couldn't have done much damage, and the effects of them had already almost completely overwhelmed his body. James suddenly realised that he was not what Warren wanted, he was merely a pawn to get Lue to come to the rescue, she was his target, and he wanted her to die now! James tried his best to move his arms or legs or even his lips but his body hadn't completely healed from the oxygen depravation yet, he was useless. Warren wasn't waiting for the next flurry of arrows and as he listened carefully he closed his eyes and fired the sword with such force it cut through the fog like a bullet. The only sound that James could hear was someone falling to the ground with a thump. "Got her" Warren sneered as he got to his feet with a wide grin and as he moved toward his catch he kicked James in the head in a bid to keep him where he was, unconscious and useless.

"FIX IT", "FIX IT", "FIX IT", they were the words James found himself hearing over and over again as his eyes slowly opened to the cold foggy morning. Rolling over on to his stomach he let out a small whimper of pain as a rib snapped back into place. The grass was too high to see anything so carefully and as discreetly as possible he got up on all fours and like a fawn, poked his head through the grass and there they were. Warren had Lue in a vice-like grip James was all too familiar with but at least she was the right way around, but she still didn't look the best. Even from a distance through lightening fog he could see she was a painful white and as he strained his eyes he saw the harrowing sight that Warren inflicted. The sword was hurled at such alacrity that it went clean through Lue, like a bullet, with catastrophic results. Again Warren shouted the same two words over and over and over again yet it looked like Lue had passed out from the amount of blood she was losing over the hilt-shaped holes in her torso. Annoyed and under pressure to get the cure Warren began violently shaking the dying cupid with such ease it was almost like she was a doll. Her eyes opened partially but closed almost instantly and a small moan of pain barely reached the height of the grass. Deep down James knew that Lue was mere moments from death; he doubted that even he could survive an injury like that, and wanting her to spend what was left of her life knowing someone tried to save her he rose calmly from the grass breathing heavily and he shouted.

"LEAVE HER ALONE, YOU DIE NOW" he said rushing Warren who promptly dropped Lue on to the pool of blood he had relieved her of. James jumped and the two of them fell to the ground locked together in rage. Punches were traded in the kidneys, the chest, the neck, Warren even disgustingly bit James' shoulder which caused a roar of agony. James returned with an excellently timed head-butt and Warren rolled momentarily dazed. Laying there the two of them looked to the clouded sky as their chests rose up and down and the wounds slowly started to heal. Suddenly James could feel something hard in the grass; it was hard and wet, cold yet warm. The sword with Lue's blood on it was next to him. All in the matter of seconds his breathing became erratic, sweat drizzled down his back, his heart began beating faster than he ever felt before and then he knew what he had to do. In a flash it was all over, Warren had not surprisingly pounced back up once he was strong enough and without even flinching James drove the sword deep into his chest so far that the hilt was just inches from Warren's heart. His eyes widened in shock, his body quickly failed and he collapsed on top of James, dead. Warren's lifeless body may have been lifeless but it wasn't weightless, it took James three attempts to roll the monstrous beast of a man off him and back onto the grass, the sword still firmly wedged in his chest. Forgetting everything up to that point for a second James reflected on what he had done. He had killed the rogue warrior, the one that had plagued him, the one that caused so much agony, the one that killed his mother, the one that was his cousin. He had expected a wave of relief to hit but sadly it was knotted with guilt as he thought of his grandmother. He was her grandson too and although James was sure Warren would eventually kill him, he wasn't certain.

"James" a weak voice cried and he was back, the guilt-tripping of what just happened to wait. He rushed to Lue who was still lying in the pool of blood that Warren left her in.

"I'm here" he said taking hold of her hand, it was cold, very cold. She didn't reply but slowly curled her bluing lips upward. "You're going to be okay" he lied taking her in his arms and holding her close.

"I'm not....but thanks for....lying" she exhaled with a little giggle followed by a horrid rattling cough. James rubbed her hair; her blood soaked hair, and kissed her forehead tenderly as he rocked slightly in the fog.

"What about....Warren?" she asked with still a tone of terror in her voice.

"Don't worry about him, he won't be harming anyone ever again" James replied.

"Well, your timing isn't great....but at least you get the job...done" she joked like only Lue could. "Could you....stay...for a while.....I'm afraid......to be seen like this.....I'm not supposed to die....a dark....one"

"I'm here, I'll always be here" James said holding her tightly as her body shivered. "HELP!" he roared into the fog, "HELP!" he echoed it but there was no sign of anyone.

"There is no...help...for me" she said wrapping one hand around James' torso and pulling herself closer to him. "Just...don't...leave me".

"I'm not going anywhere" he replied entwining his body with hers in a bid to warm her. Then for a few moments all that James could hear was the shallow breathing of the cupid until sadly it rudely ceased. "Lue" he said, "Lue wake up" he begged as he lifted her chin upwards to gaze upon her face. She was dead. James roared in anger and hugged the lifeless cupid tightly and began to cry. Lue was the only one in his new world he trusted completely, the only one that he felt comfortable with, the one that had his back, the one that made him laugh, the one that made the others seem bearable. As he held her tightly to his chest, whispering in her ear that she was loved, a tingling sensation rippled through her body and a glowing light simmered on the deathly white skin. Wiping away the tears James watched in utter hope as the black of the dark cupid was replaced with Lue's original more risqué outfit, her hair returned to its natural colour and taking a deep breath James hoped against hope that she too would return. Then as the light began to fade James waited in anticipation but it wasn't what he hoped for. Lue's body disintegrated into hundreds of red and pink rose petals that quickly found a breeze and swirled into the country air leaving James to watch in both delight and despair. And then they were gone and so was the last of Lue. Sitting in the grass smeared in blood he sat silent, staring through the parting fog into the deep forest. He knew Anta was there within its grasps but her scream was so long ago now, she was surely dead and right now he couldn't face the prospect of someone he met so little ago but loved so much dead in front of him. So he continued to sit in the cold, wet grass and stare blankly out wiping the odd tear away as they crawled slowly down his cheeks. The people of Hamlet would be soon getting up and going about their business, yet he was surprised no-one noticed the fires or even the bombs that went off. James was certain that as soon as a trickle of smoke hit the sky Mrs. Farrington would scurry along to the castle to ease the twitch of her nose, dragging the poor dog along dropping little beef strips for it to keep its strength up as they went. But alas there was no sign of anyone from the village, and now that the fires had quenched and the smoke all but hidden by the fog there was little doubt that anyone would venture up now. James liked that thought, no-one would be coming up here and he hoped the few remaining survivors in the castle wouldn't be coming out anytime soon. He wanted to be alone; he needed to be alone as he had so many emotions to come to terms with that even the most well-intentioned interference could result in physical harm.

The only thing about being engulfed in grief James thought was that it allowed the ignorance of guilt as he looked upon Warren's body lying on the ground, the sword still firmly embedded within the torso. James actually left out a little laugh as the great beast of a man lay vanquished mere feet from him. James thought back to the first encounter at the bank and how easily Warren killed the poor woman in the vault and how close he came to killing him, squeezing every last ounce of air from his lungs.

"Bet you never thought you'd end up like that, did you?" James said coldly to the corpse of his cousin. "The bigger they are the harder they fall"..... "Isn't that right you big lump?" he added pushing out a leg to give a little kick. Warren barely moved, he seemed heavier now that he was dead. "See who died now? Not me, you" he laughed before lying down on the grass laughing deliriously. He didn't know what he was laughing at and he knew it was entirely inappropriate but he just couldn't stop, the giggles kept coming one after the other until his very sides ached. Even the early birds it seemed joined in on the laughter as their songs sounded more like the chuckles of a child than tunes. And then there was the scream. The laughter stopped, the birds stopped and James sat straight up. He wasn't sure did he really hear a scream or was it his imagination, his grief teasing him with a sound of hope. Holding his breath and closing his eyes he concentrated hard, emptying his mind of everything but the sound of Anta. And then there was another scream, louder than the last and full of terror. Without even a moment's thought he was up from the grass and running at a ferocious speed, his feet were barely touching the ground as he pounded through the grassy field toward the woods. Sadly for him with great speed comes great chances for accidents and as the fog had still not wholly disappeared James found himself hurling over a pile of stone crumbled in a heap in the grass. It was one of the stone soldiers from the basement of the castle, it had been blown to pieces, albeit large pieces. Shaking off the tumble he continued his sprint onwards and mere yards from the forest he spied a shard of purple light engulf the trees and he stopped still. The veil was open.

James took a deep breathe and rushed off again towards the source, the large stones that acted as the gateway to Nuvarin. A few hundred yards in he came to another stop, he was there and taking cover behind a cluster of tall bushes he peeked through. A shimmering purple light was getting stronger and stronger bouncing between the two large rocks; it was almost like it was sparking off them to get a larger explosion. Then there was Cerise standing close to the rocks watching them carefully, waiting impatiently for her chance to go through. Near her was a girl James hadn't seen before, younger than Cerise but she looked similar to her. Forgetting about the two for a moment he scanned the floor for Anta but there was no sign. He couldn't understand it, he was positive her scream came from here but she was nowhere to be seen.

"Where is she?" James shouted as he emerged from the bushes.

"Goodness you took your time, I'm afraid all the fun is over" Cerise replied with a snigger as the younger girl, moved closer to the rocks, putting Cerise between herself and James.

"You do really have a talent for showing up just minutes after you're heroics are needed. How's Lue?" Cerise said aiming to spark the ignition of James' anger. His face reddened and he took a few steps closer to the two, clenching his fists. Cerise smiled the other girl took her hand tightly.

"Don't worry; no harm is going to come of us at his hand. I won't allow it" she said arrogantly, raising an eyebrow at the approaching warrior. Suddenly James eyes wandered from Cerise and his feet ceased to move. Tied with numerous ropes to one of the large stones was Anta, the purple light had been the main draw from afar. He rushed toward the stone, forgetting about the other two, and he slipped immediately on a massive pool of blood at the base. He knew that didn't bode well and with his bare hands he ripped the ropes from her waist, shoulders and feet and she slumped free into his arms, leaving a trail of blood as she fell. Anta wasn't breathing, she was cold to the touch and her face was just like Lue's moments earlier. He held her tightly and kissed her forehead as tears began to gather in his eyes, he apologised over and over again whispering in her ear.

"How did she scream?" he asked out of the blue. It was apparent that she had been dead for a while, longer than the scream moments earlier. Cerise started to laugh loudly and then the laugh turned into a scream, Anta's scream. Then she stopped and stared at James and smiled.

"It's not only the body I copy.....what a waste it would have been, all this work and me not getting to see your priceless reaction" she replied, clearly revelling in the pain she caused. Infuriated James got to his feet, still with Anta in his arms, and he took a step towards the two. The meeker girl became evidently frightened and clenched Cerise's hand tighter.

"You will pay for this" he warned yet unable to do anything as he was slow to put down Anta.

"Well seeing as you're the after-Malyn, I'm sure you'll be around moments after my demise" she retorted without an ounce of fear. Hatred coupled with a severe thirst for vengeance found James carefully placing Anta on the ground and moving towards the two girls, his intentions perfectly clear. Just mere metres from the pair an explosion of purple light blinded him momentarily and when it subsided they were gone, unmistakably through the veil. He looked at the bright light and he every fibre of his being was telling him to follow, not only for vengeance but for home. A rustling in the bushes behind him drew him away from the veil and he turned to see his grandmother, Valonia, basking in the glow of purple light, her hands a sickly red as was her dress.

"You're hurt?" James said with a voice vacant of any emotion.

"No, it's not mine" she replied taking a few steps closer. "Your blood?" she added as James too was covered in the substance. He didn't answer but just looked in the direction of Anta and again took comfort on the floor, burying his head in his hands. He was defeated, there was no more fight in him, there was nothing more to fight for. "Oh my poor lad" Valonia said taking a seat next to him on the ground, though it took her longer for get there. Wrapping her arms around him she glanced over at the lifeless Doppelganger and a lump appeared in her throat. She knew Cerise had accomplished what she had set out to do; now the future for Pastorious and Nuvarin was going to be anything but peaceful. So through her love as a grandmother she continued to hold her grandson, rubbing his blonde hair unearthing the single white streak in the process, yet her role as the former Queen Consort she had an intense love for her city, her people, her world. While James remained still and almost death like in her arms her mind started to plot and scheme for the safety of Nuvarin. Gently rocking James back and forth as the emotions started to surface and the tears and wails followed she mouthed silently a list of enemies that would have to be quashed, allies that needed to be tested and acquaintances that would need to become friends. But there was nothing she could do sitting in a forest in England a couple of miles from Hamlet, she needed to go home and not alone, she needed a warrior to fight this battle. "James, James can I ask you something?" she said lifting his head up and wiping away a few tears. "Was Cerise alone?" James shook his head, he doubt he could ever forget the sight of the two. "Was there a young girl with her?" James nodded. "And did she look like Cerise, almost like a sister?"

"Ya, they could have been sisters. Why?"

"Oh my dear boy all is not lost, we must go to Nuvarin, right now" she said smiling before releasing James from her embrace and awkwardly trying to get up from the ground.

"I'm not going there" he snapped standing up and looking at the diminishing purple light.

"You have to" Valonia replied, still on all fours trying to get the right balance to get back on to two feet.

"I don't want to do anything anymore, even breathe" he retorted, clearly the words of someone in utter despair at the world.

"Being so dramatic doesn't become someone like you James" she said from the floor, there was nothing sturdy to help her up.

"Someone like me?"

"A warrior!! Now are you going to help me up or am I going to have crawl through the veil?" she said sharply and James promptly aided her to her feet. "About bloody time, now grab Anta and let's go" Valonia said as she dusted off her clothes and began the small ascent.

"I'm not going" he shouted...."wait why do you want Anta?" he added, quieter.

"According to the legend, three Red sisters will be born and each will be bestowed with a gift so mighty they shall be revered as Gods. The oldest will have the ability to mimic anyone, the middle sister will be able to see the future clearer than any Oracle and the last would possess the greatest gift of them all, life. She is a ressurectionist" Valonia explained. The only word James heard was ressurectionist; someone could bring people back to life. His heart skipped a beat as his mind momentarily allowed a glimpse of Anta standing, smiling, and living.

From only a couple of days old he had called Hamlet his home, it was where his life was, where some of his best memories were carved but also some of the worst too. It was where Jack and Miriam were to marry soon and where the bullies were, but it also had his mom's resting place. "Well James?" she said standing close to the veil. The one thing now that Hamlet didn't have was hope, James could see no hope for anything, especially for him. He had no clue what was beyond the veil but he knew it couldn't be worse than what was waiting for him if he simply turned back and returned to the castle with a dead Anta. He owed her the chance to live again and so with his mind quickly made and afraid he would change it just as quick he carefully lifted Anta from the ground and joined his grandmother at the edge of the veil. "You're doing the right thing James, she can live again and so can you" Valonia whispered as she placed her hand on his back and slowly the three passed through the veil.

THE END

**************************************

Forests United

Carmine sat beside the blazing fire in one of the highest rooms of the castle alone, well apart from the guard who maintained a constant vigil at her door. The moment they stepped foot back in the castle triumphant she was swiftly locked away, no explanation given and no pleas heard she was simply cast aside. All Carmine wanted to do was see her sister but no one spoke of her. The new people who came with meals might as well have had their lips sewn shut, they never uttered a sound as they came and went. Even Cerise had abandoned her, not once in the eleven moons since her imprisonment had her sister come. It was apparent she was too busy with the new arrivals; the people of the Fifth Forest had come and settled in the midst of the Red Forest and from the conversations spoken loudly in other rooms she gathered that the arrival although mostly peaceful there had been reports of unrest, with assaults common and sadly the odd killing becoming more frequent. The Mother too had taken up residence in the castle, which was why the room Carmine was locked in was different from the one she remembered. Most of the inside of the castle had been repaired with various soft touches placed in some of the more liveable rooms. One of those soft touches was a feather filled cushion that Carmine hugged tightly to her torso and as she gave a look to the door she could see the shadow of the guard, he was seated, not likely to disturb for a while.

Taking her chance she dug her hand deep into the cushion and riffling through the brown and white feathers her fingers found the letter, crumpled and slightly ripped. It was from Coque and Carmine came across it on the third night, the night she tried to escape by climbing out the window. That night as she stood on the ledge she moved her small feet ever so slowly across the ledge feeling the hard stone as she went but only after moving a few inches her hand grazed a piece of paper and there it was. With her eyes welling up Carmine slowly started to read the letter again, hopeful that it might have somehow be different, it wasn't.

Sweetest Sister,

Long before we are born destiny has our path well and truly planned and although we sometimes vary down the wrong one in search of roses destiny soon puts us back on our path, there is no escaping it. I've known my destiny for years and in the numerous storms and snows and rains each one of them showed me the same thing. They showed my death and the hands of which it is supplied. Unfortunately it has happened.

By the time she got to this part of the letter the tears were always flowing and some of them dropped upon the page smudging the ink.

I was captured by the new King and imprisoned but I remained defiant to the cause, he is not the rightful King and even though I am sure the one that we as sisters were destined to anoint is not the one either I stayed quiet. Writing this is treason and reading it is as well so as soon as you are done, burn the page.

My darling sister to you this letter is a warning for the day you left with Cerise I had the clearest vision, one that lasted longer than any I have ever experienced. As sure as I am writing this you are locked in the highest room of the castle unaware of what is happening far below. Well the union has begun and the Mother has taken over the castle and she has eyes only for the Throne, the throne of Nuvarin. SHE IS NOT TO BE TRUSTED. She has delved deep into realms that have no business being interfered with; it will only bring about death and destruction. Many people, both Third and Fifth will perish in the union but she will deem it a necessary sacrifice and seeing as she burned the Fifth Forest there will be no alternative for her people but to fight.

This I write with a heavy heart for I fear your life will change forever on the night of the eleventh moon. He will return from his banishment and bring with him his ten knights of carnage. I have seen the carnage that happens on the eleventh night and you must get as far away as possible for on this night the Mother will use your gift to her agenda and murder Cerise and after you kiss him, Rufous. It is here you must make your escape, I have seen you do it. Kiss Rufous and feign a faint, as one of the Sisters of Eyeries tends to you, you will take her life and her garb and leave the castle calmly and never look back. Head for Pastorious and seek out the Master Eyerie in the First Forest, for that is all I saw.

Take care my sister and stay safe and alive for I have seen the future but it does not always follow the same thread.

Once again Carmine returned the piece of paper to the stuffing of the cushion and she hugged it tightly to her chest, its plumpness silencing her cries. Tonight was the eleventh moon and on the eleventh moon her life was to change, starting with taking another. With a fright she woke on the small sofa with the cushion still clung to her chest. Somehow she had fallen asleep but not for long, the fire had barely burnt through the last block she placed on the embers. Commotion outside was what woke her and as she went to the window to investigate the lock of her door started to turn and so quickly and as quietly as she could she broke a mirror on the sill and just as she placed a shard up her sleeve the door opened and in walked a young woman, dressed entirely in white.

"Come, the Mother has requested you presence" she said calmly. These were the first words Carmine had heard since she returned.

"I have to change" she replied moving closer to her bed.

"There is no time for that, your presence is required now" the woman in white said rather sharply before moving further into the room in a clear attempt of intimidation. Carmine could feel the sharp edge of the mirror against her arm and she took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Killing a Sister of Eyeries was something that she couldn't see herself doing, they were, like the Sons, devoted servants of the Holy Order of Eyerie and any harm that comes to them shall be returned to you ten-fold. It was drilled into almost ever child in the land far and wide. "Come along" the woman snapped. Carmine opened her eyes and headed for the door, the mirror staying where it was for the time-being.

Outside the corridor was exactly like she remembered it, rather dank and poorly lit and sitting on his chair was the guard. He was quite old and fragile looking, and in truth if Carmine had known he was the one outside her door she would have attempted an escape a long time ago. Alas Coque didn't say that in her letter and so with full faith in her deceased sister she carefully descended the stairs taking extreme care not to drop the mirror shard. Finally they reached the bottom but there was still a bit of trek across numerous corridors and even across a small courtyard, plenty of chances to escape but she remembered the letter and walked calmly onwards. As she reached the small courtyard, people were everywhere eating and drinking and there was music being played upon a make-shift stage. Some she recognised as citizens of the Red forest, the others she didn't.

"MAKE A PATH" the woman shouted from the edge and within seconds everyone stopped eating and drinking and playing music and they all just stared. With a nudge to the middle of her back Carmine moved forward slowly and with every step she took the crowd parted. Looking at the ground as she walked she could feel all their eyes upon her and she even heard the words "witch" and "angel" being muttered by those deeper in the comfort of the mass. Not losing sight of the ground and with the woman in white right on her heels she kept moving until they came to the other side where two guards stood tall and silent. "Open the door" the white woman ordered and the two did as she bid and beyond the door was another, grander and bigger with four guards. As the door banged shut, the other opened, slowly. Lifting her head Carmine stared intently into the large room where at least at a hundred people had gathered, all eating, drinking, laughing and evidently having a very merry time. Abruptly stopping a shiver crawled down her spine as she eyed a hoard of men standing and sitting at a table by a roaring fire, their shadows exuberating their hideously frightening masks on the wall. "Knights of Carnage, best to stay out of their way" the woman whispered into her ear and Carmine quickly looked away and continued to walk in to the centre of the room. At the end of the grand room was a make-shift dais and upon the two thrones sat a man and woman she had never laid eyes on before. They seemed to be engrossed in each other's words and paid no attention to the happenings at their feet. Then she spied Cerise, sitting with a young boy she did not recognise, not on the dais but next to it. She appeared gaunt, withdrawn and broken as did the boy and looking closer Carmine noticed chains upon their wrists and the man that was standing behind the two was holding them. Rufous was on the opposite side and he seemed far more content, smiling and joking with a little group of people at his own table, he didn't seem bothered that his love was on a leash. Suddenly a young woman, not much older than herself, brushed past Carmine. She was dressed in a navy floor length dress and wearing a white veil with an embroidered blue eye. Must I kill her in order to make my escape? Then another sister came into view, older and sterner in feature, and the way she treated a drunken man by placing a wet rag over his face and holding it until he passed out was a bit excessive. Perhaps it will be her. Then another movement, the woman on the throne had found her feet and was staring directly at Carmine.

"Come my child" she called from the dais, her arms outstretched. Again the crowd slowly parted and being nudged by the woman in white Carmine made her way to the steps of the dais. She made her way to the steps by Cerise but her path was quickly altered to the other end where Rufous stood smiling widely at her.

"Welcome back" he said hugging her tightly and kissing her forehead. His breath smelt of beer and cheese, a horrid combination. As she was about to open her mouth to question Cerise's state he lifted her upon the dais where the woman took a tight hold of her arm and guided her to the man who remained seated. He didn't look old but there was something almost ancient about him. His hair and beard were white but with twinges of brown, as if they were getting younger. He looked up and his eyes were old, tired yet not done. Shaking with nerves Carmine smiled at the man and outstretched her hand. "Don't be so silly, this is your great ancestor. A kiss is what's needed a loving kiss" the woman declared to a rapturous round of applause. Suddenly scared Carmine didn't know what to do, this wasn't the way Coque had seen the night. She searched for Cerise but she seemed lost in her own worries and was paying no attention to what was occurring on the dais. Rufous on the other hand was watching intently, sweating slightly as his hand found the tip of his sword.

"Give me a kiss dear child, a welcome from my kin" the man spoke with a raspy tone. She did, on the lips, and just like that it was done. Carmine could see the change happening almost straight away and he could feel it. The man was coming back to life, the curse that had been placed on him, his immortality, was slipping away. Not sure what to do she fell to the ground, feigning a faint and praying that a sister would take her away.

"WHAT IS HAPPENING TO ME?" the man roared as he found his feet and seconds later his knees. Shouts of "MY KING, MY KING" echoed through the hall as sounds of swords being drawn from their sheaths rang clear.

"Swan, get her out of here, keep her safe and don't let her out of your sight" the woman said. The Swan did as she was told and lifting Carmine from the dais she made her way for a door at the back when she heard a scream, the Mother's scream. Propelled by her oath to protect she handed the care of Carmine over to a sister of the Eyerie and she returned to aid the Mother whose dais had become overwhelmed with swords.

Nudged at some force by the older woman Carmine was ushered through a door at the end of the room and as it swung closed behind them the sounds of steel on steel and bloody screams faded. Standing in the corner as the Sister fiddled around with an old dresser, opening cupboards and drawers clearly looking for something, Carmine suddenly found the jagged piece of mirror in her trembling hands. The Sister swiftly turned and stared intently at her, but Carmine somehow managed to conceal the glass, and without uttering a single word she merely arched an eyebrow and returned to her routing. Sounds of conflict rose higher from beyond the door and inside Carmine's thoughts. The night hadn't exactly turned out as Coque had predicted, Rufous was the one who should be dead and the last time she saw, Cerise was alive and still chained alongside the young boy. Carmine found herself breathing heavily and worse of all, hesitating. The thoughts of killing a Sister weighed heavy on her mind, but the thought of being locked away in the castle to serve the Mother in her devious scheme seemed a fate far worse. After all from the sounds coming through the door a mass slaughter was occurring, what was another casualty? Striking up the courage and swallowing any doubt she moved quietly and quickly. Unfortunately for Carmine she was more of a gentle soul and as she frantically struck with the mirror blade the Sister screamed and put up a struggle, scratching Carmine's face and plucking numerous chunks of her hair out until finally there was the lucky jab and the fight was gone out of the Sister. Clutching onto her killer's arms she stared into Carmine's eyes and whispered in a voice that hadn't formed words in decades,

"By my last words, I name Carmine D'aragon the devil by whose hands I return to the lap of Leonora, may Leon curse your life and damn your soul" and with that she slumped to the ground, dead. Tears streamed down Carmine's face as she dropped the blood-soaked mirror blade and looked at her bloodied hands and it was then she noticed something far worse. The struggle had bloodied the Sister's clothes, Carmine's garments of escape. Suddenly a loud bang hit the door; thankfully it wasn't someone knocking, more like someone being thrown against it. It was enough to light a fire under Carmine and she hurriedly robbed the dead woman of her clothes and put them on herself, hiding the blood stains and rips as best she could. The veil remarkably had no damage to it and as she placed it over her head she covered it around her face as best she could without calling too much attention and after pulling the dead Sister behind the dresser she was ready to go. There were war cries now coming from the large room and she heard one scream, one fatal scream in particular that numbed her momentarily, Cerise's. Another bang on the door shook Carmine back into action and she thought it best to leave through the large window and as her feet hit the gravel outside she inhaled the cold night air and scurried across the large empty courtyard, the sounds of the coup d'état dulling as she went.

