 
#  Amanda Ackers And The Realm Of The Witches

Book 2 of the series

By Glenn and Sasha Gabriel

**ISBN:** 9781476254869

Copyright © 2012 Glenn and Sasha Gabriel

Smashwords Edition

Smashwords Edition, License Notes:

Thank you for downloading this free eBook. Although this is a free book, it remains the copyrighted property of the authors, Glenn and Sasha Gabriel, and may not be reproduced, copied and distributed for commercial or non-commercial purposes. If you enjoyed this book, please encourage your friends to download their own copy at Smashwords.com, where they can also discover other works by these authors. Thank you for your support.

Cover and interior art by Glenn C. Gabriel

This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations are entirely coincidental (our attorneys made us say that). Should a company, locale, event, person, animal or creature, idea or product (real or fictitious) be mentioned in this work which _is_ on the earth realm, then all trademarks belong to those respective individuals / companies.

ALSO BY GLENN AND SASHA GABRIEL

Novels Coming Soon:

Amanda Ackers

and

The Thirteen Shards Of Legend

Book 3 of this series

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There are more realms filled with creatures, than all the grains of sand in our universe.

For each grain of sand contains many other, much smaller realms.

If a single drop of water is home to thousands of creatures, than what is the ocean home to?

No, not the huge creatures of the sea, but the microscopic? Far too many creatures to count.

We once thought that the atom was the smallest thing there could be, and now, we have split the atom, and found far stranger objects.

If we could peer farther into the many things in our own universe,

what other realms would we find?

And, further still, within all the other universes and all their microscopic realms?

The journey into other realms continues!

#  IMPORTANT!

For the proper way to read this book,

and to understand why the punctuation and

sentence structure is so different than what you may be used to,

please see Appendix "A"

**PRIOR to reading these books**.

Do NOT Read This Book

Before You Read:

Appendix A

**Table Of Contents**

Important Notice: Please Read First

Prologue

The Other Side

The Face

The Bone Pit

To The Rescue

Arcoma Village

Captured

Rayolin and Anastasia

Learning About Witch Mountain

Beneath The Tree

One Wild Ride

At The Pond

The Glass Puzzle

Into Witch Mountain

Journey To Darkwoods Village

Exploring The Village

Shadow Alley

Finding Bellinora

The Face In The Vapor

The Test

Amanda's Story

Amanda Continues

The Artifact

Cassandrea's Mistake

The Specteroscope

The Pentagram Puzzle

The Bogey

The Second Petal

The Pit

The Deep

Back On Top

The Glass Panels

The Dark Forest

Appendix A

#  Prologue

To TOC

We continue the adventures of Amanda Ackers and her friends, as they fled the Realm of _The Deep Forest Elves_ , journeying to _The Realm of The Witches_ , in search of the powerful witch, Bellinora.

Amanda and her friends need to find Bellinora, to see if she can help Amanda get the necklace off, or give her more information about the necklace, and possibly where to find information on how to remove it, if she does not know herself.

We continue with the transcript of the greatest adventures in modern Elf history - one which would shape the destiny of all living creatures, in all the realms, of all the universes.

This is not simply a story, but a transcript of the true accounts of Amanda Ackers and her companions, as she finds a long-lost and Wizitched _Artifact_ , and discovers how that _Artifact_ will change the balance of power for all... especially for herself.

As you may recall, the recount of the story is being told by Elorack, an ancient Elf, who compiled the events from each of the individual survivors - human, non-human and creature, using memory extraction and recording techniques created by the High Elves.

The re-telling was commissioned by Delatoran, the Master Scribe of the High Elves, and the charge given to Elorack to discover the events as they happened. Elorack traveled far and toiled unceasingly as he searched for, and copied, the memories of all beings and creatures discovered to have witnessed or had been an actual part of the adventures.

Elorack extracted the memories from each of the survivors using advanced Wizitch techniques. These memories were then compiled into the time line of the events as they took place.

Here are the adventures as recorded by the Master Scribe, and presented in this published form.

You will note that normally accepted, earth-bound spellings and written formats are not utilized here. What you will _experience_ is the random and often broken speech commonly used and not the correct, proper sentence structure forced upon the earth scribes.

Please be sure you have read Appendix A prior to reading this transcript!

And now, let us begin.

The time is the present.

You are one of many people... adults and children... who have gathered around a huge campfire in an ancient forest just outside the Grand Palace, enjoying the last of a magnificent feast and anxiously awaiting the re-telling of the adventures spoken about with awe.

But you are not with people who are limited in their capabilities, as on the earth realm. You are with High Elves and so the re-telling takes on a Wizitch of its own.

The events will now unfold as Elorack beckons all to leave their place around the campfire, and make their way to a massive clearing with rising stands encircling it. You climb up onto the stands with the others, you and they speaking excitedly, knowing what is to come - speaking about how unbelievable your experience was last night, when you all witnessed MRT.

The **M** emorymatic **R** eal **T** ime, 3D holographic-like projection, is so real, you become part of the scenery and action.

Elorack walks onto the field and with a wave of his wand, the field is no longer there. You gasp again, even though you went through this just last night, as you became a part of the first adventure, _The Deep Forest Elves_.

What you see before you now is the most _realistic_ 3-D hologram imaginable, your mind once again reeling to accept the fact that what you see it is not real.

Elorack, using his wand to magnify his voice so that all can hear, repeats what he said last evening. "For those who wish to join in the _experience_ of the adventures and dangers as they happened, say the word, ' _Begin_ ,' when I instruct you to do so, and your _spiritual_ form will lift you from the stands and take you _into_ the action. You will be _part_ of the memory as surely as if you were _there_ when it took place, however, no one who was actually there will be aware of you. Your _mind_ will experience all the effects while your _physical_ body will remain quite safe, sitting where you are now.

"Everyone here will hear all that is said, in the adventurer's own voice or those of the many creatures they encounter, as well as _see_ all that was seen...every footfall, rustling of a leaf, the _babbling_ of water over rocks in a stream, the _song_ of birds and such.

"Those who _choose_ to participate will have _all_ their senses involved, as well... they will _feel_ heat and cold, _rain_ , snow and the _scorching_ of the sun. For all practical accounts, you _will_ walk among those within the story.

"For those who wish _only_ to observe... say nothing. You will remain as observers only and witness the actions and hear the speech as they happen.

"A series of adventures will be experienced each night, but through MRT, memories will be displayed at advanced speeds, so that you will _live_ through many months or even _years_ , in what will actually be just a few hours.

Only through the use of the Memorymatic Real Time technique, could such a _long_ tale be experienced within a _single_ evening in the forest.

Tonight, we continue with, " _The Realm of The Witches._ "

### It is time to once again take your seat  
and join the greatest adventures  
in modern Elf history.

Elorack raises his arms and the large crowd you are part of, quiets. With a wave of his wand, the blazing campfire winks out. Waving his wand again, the _light_ of the twin moons and _all_ the stars are suddenly extinguished. The darkness is, once again, complete.

Through the crushing darkness, Elorack's voice booms, "If you _choose_ to participate, speak the word ' _Begin'_ now."

Your heart _pounding_ just as hard as it had the night before, you speak the word.

Trembling with excitement, once again, out of the darkness, you _feel_ those around you _vanish_ as your spiritual being rises from the stands and begins racing down some kind of tunnel. You _whip_ around a corner and see Amanda and the others, _distorting_ , becoming a kind of opalescent _strand_ of something resembling smoke.

Landing wide-eyed beside Amanda, you _gasp_ , as you too, begin distorting and turning into the same opalescent smoke-like substance.

Frightened out of your mind, you watch as your body elongates, twisting and wafting in thin air. You watch in shock as the others around you are sucked up into the air, then back and into a small crack within the little alcove.

As your swirling form grows thinner, continuing to rise in the air, you twist in time to see the opalescent strands of who you know to be Amanda, rise above you and arch backward. She is rapidly _sucked_ into the small dark crack, and disappears.

Your heart _thundering_ , you feel yourself distort into a _very_ long strand of the shimmering smoke-like substance, arch back and then _shoot_ into the crack after her...

### The Adventures Continue...

#  The Other Side

To TOC

Amanda finds herself rapidly shooting through the dark cracks of the rocks within the mountain. Her mind is sharp, and she can see clearly, yet, she has no discernible body whatsoever to actually see from. Rather, she is simply strands of an opalescent smoke-like substance, giving off a soft glow while swirling, winding and snaking her way through the spaces of minuscule cracks and dark voids, in what otherwise appears to be solid rock.

"Either _I'm_ getting smaller," Amanda thinks as she watches the crack she and the others are traveling within get wider and taller, "or the _cracks_ we're in are getting larger by the second, and I know _that_ can't be right."

Quickly, she finds that the rock walls have grown so large and so far away, she is now _completely_ in the dark. The glow she is emitting no longer illuminates _anything_ around her. In a moment, she sees _tiny_ pin points of light quickly streaming toward her, growing larger by the second. Soon she begins passing _hundreds_ of large spheres, then passing thousands of smaller ones.

New, tiny pin points of colored lights appear out of nowhere, and soon, she begins passing them in a blur by the _billions_ , just like she experienced before. Amanda feels as though she is shooting through deep space, watching stars and planets shoot by at warp speed. But she knows she is not, she can't be... can she? Her heart is _pounding_ hard - she can feel it, and yet, there is no body to _hold_ a pounding heart.

Realizing she can look wherever she likes, she looks down to where her body _should_ be, but sees instead, very long, _glowing_ , shimmering opalescent smoke-like substances, wafting, _curling_ , twisting and waving below her.

She is unable to feel a thing but her pounding heart... no heat, no cold, and there is _no_ sound... she only has the thoughts in her own head.

There _is_ nothing else.

Slightly frightened, but having been through this type of transport once already and survived, she knows, to _some_ extent, what to expect.

The sight of the colored spheres whizzing past is breathtaking. " _Breathtaking_?" Amanda thinks, turning to look in front of her, into what appears to be an inky black sky. "But, how can I _breathe_ without a body? This _has_ to be some kind of _really_ powerful Wizitch."

Soon, Amanda notices the spheres are getting larger and farther apart. In no time, they have _vanished_ and she and the others are plunged into darkness.

In a few moments, large rough rock walls appear from the darkness and _quickly_ move in on both sides. A _ragged_ rock ceiling and floor soon come into view as well, and within a heartbeat, Amanda finds herself traveling once again within some kind of crack within the rock. Quickly the crack shrinks until she is zooming quickly within a much smaller crack, watching all _kinds_ of creatures peer out at her or crawl on the walls, ceiling and floor, or appear from yet other cracks within the rock face.

Several creatures _swipe_ at her as she passes, making her unseen heart pound wildly, hearing only her _own_ screams echo in her head. Looking forward at her friends, she sees _several_ of the creatures swipe at them as well. Amanda watches as one of the claws of a _huge_ creature goes right through the opalescent smoke-like strands of _whoever_ it is in front of her, but does not seem to affect the smoke at all. The claws simply _swipe_ through it, as though it were not even there.

Staying focused in front of her, Amanda watches as her friends round a sharp curve up ahead, disappearing from view.

In no more than a few _fractions_ of a second, she slows quickly as she _whips_ around the corner herself, and then pops into a large glowing chamber of yellow - orange light.

Seeing her friends rapidly expanding like _giants_ before her, they begin to transform back into their solid forms, their backpacks taking shape, everyone clutching _tightly_ to their brooms.

A pulsating blue light is just abating, as Amanda _rapidly_ morphs from opalescent smoke, toward something resembling herself.

Her hearing returns as she feels a tight compression, and begins to see her own body reforming into something solid. Her legs reappear out of a _fork_ in the opalescent smoke as she looks on, _completely_ transfixed by the sight.

As she is finishing her _re_ -materialization, and the alcove becomes softly lit by a green glow, she hears Thian yelling, "Am I _alive_? Two _moons_ over the mountain, what the _heck_ just happened?"

Amanda takes several gulps of air, turns, and is met by Tia's frightened face, as Tia _pats_ her chest, then quickly runs her hands over her face, as if to make _sure_ she is all there. Tianna is frantically looking around, _clearly_ shaken, clutching her injured side with one hand, grasping her _racing_ broom like it is a kind of _club_ in her other. Loki, his eyes _wide_ , looks scared half to death and very confused.

"Well... _that_ wasn't so bad, _was_ it?" Amanda says brushing her hair back over her shoulder, trying to sound as though she did this sort of thing every day, while trying to calm her _own_ pounding heart, thankful at feeling it right where it belongs.

"Not so _bad_?" Tianna yells through clenched teeth from the pain in her side. " _What_ in all the ways of _Wizitch_ just happened? Are, are we _dead_? I mean, I don't _feel_ dead. But..."

" _Hey_ , I don't feel tired at _all_ now, do any of _you_?" Thian asks with excitement looking at the others.

"No," Tia says looking a little surprised, holding her injured shoulder. "Now that you _mention_ it, I feel _wide_ awake. I'm not the _least_ bit tired at all."

Either are any of the others. Thian says, "The trip must have _reset_ our energy or something. Too bad it didn't _heal_ us too, but I guess we _should_ just be happy we're alive."

"What were all those little colored _balls_ we passed?" Tia asks, beginning to calm down and checking Thian's bandage. "And, uh, did you see all those weird _creatures_ we passed? One almost _got_ me! By the Oak and Ash, it _scared_ me half to death!"

"Those spheres were other _realms_ I think," Loki says, taking slow deep breaths to calm himself. "Amanda was telling the truth. That _was_ an ancient transport chamber we were in." Running his hands over the curved walls, he continues, "This is too, by the _looks_ of it. I've read about them in my dad's old books. But, they were all _supposed_ to have been destroyed several hundreds of _thousands_ of years ago. Now, only the High Order controls the _newest_ transport to other realms. And to get to a lot of those realms, you can only _go_ if you've reached the _highest_ level within your Order of Witches, Wizards, _Talpers_ , Keltens, and so on."

Loki checks Tianna's bandage as she says, "Wait," grimacing as she leans back against the chamber wall, then slowly slides down to the cavern floor. "You're telling me that all those colored spheres are other... _realms_? But, there must have been _billions_ upon billions of them!"

"The Journal I have says there're other realms too." Amanda says looking around. "I'll tell you what it says in the journal later if you want, but first, we need to get you some help."

"Tianna," Tia asks, walking to her sister after hearing her yelp, "how _are_ you doing? Any worse?"

"Oh no. I'm just _dandy_. Loki _tightened_ my bandage, so now I can _hardly_ breathe at all, thank you _very_ much." The others laugh nervously. "But really, I'm more _scared_ than hurt I think. So, what do we do _now_ Amanda? Where _do_ we go from here?"

"Well," Amanda says looking closely at her surroundings. "This _is_ the same alcove I _left_ from on earth, at least it sure _looks_ like it. If it is, we need to go down that tunnel and out the wooden door. Then, we'll be in one of the _caverns_ that have the five doors to other realms. _One_ of them is to the witches. Come on, I'll show you."

Tia helps Tianna back to her feet, wincing from her own wound, as the others gather their things and check to be sure everything is there. Thian limps over and takes Tianna's broom, and they all head nervously down the softly glowing tunnel.

They soon come to an old ancient looking wooden door. Amanda holds up her broom arm and says, "Orathian!" They hear the _clicking_ within the door as Thian, Loki, Tia and Tianna grab their wands and hold them out in front of them, at the ready.

Amanda grabs the door and swings it open. They step out into a large softly glowing chamber.

"By the Oaks and _Ash_!" Tia says slowly as she and the others look around in amazement.

"Wow!" Thian says looking at the Pentagram set in the floor, as Loki lowers his wand. "This is _incredible_! By the _moons_ , you weren't _kidding_ Amanda. This is _really_ awesome!"

They are smiling and looking around with wonder in their eyes, when Tianna says quietly, "I... I _guess_ I owe you an apology Amanda."

Everyone turns in shock to look at Tianna, since she hardly _ever_ apologizes to anyone... for _anything_.

Tianna continues as she looks around, "I really didn't believe _any_ of what you told all of us you know... you really coming from the _earth_ realm and all, and all the things you _said_ you did and saw to get to our realm. The whole story was just, well, just too _hard_ to believe.

"I mean, even though _Josh_ and Samantha believed you right away, didn't make it _true_. I, uh, I'm sorry."

Amanda breaks into a wide grin, "Thanks, apology accepted. But, the thing is, I wouldn't have believed any of _you_ either, if it would have been _you_ that had told me the _same_ story."

Tianna looks at Amanda for a brief moment as a thin smile appears.

Thian limps near the center of the Pentagram and says excitedly, "Hey _guys_ , come take a look!"

They walk to where Thian is standing at the center, and turn to read the Dwarf writing on the long legs of the Pentagram.

Thian turns and points to each leg. "Dwarves, Centaurs, _Deep_ Forest Elves, Wizards, and the last one... _Witches_! Can we take a quick look into a couple of the other chambers in that _huge_ cavern you told us about Amanda? Just to see if _some_ of those rooms are still standing too?"

They are all curious, and even though Tianna is in a considerable amount of pain, _she_ wants to see the huge chamber with the eleven doors Amanda told them about, and go into at _least_ one more of the smaller chambers that holds five doors like this one, just to look around a little.

They head off toward the larger cavern and make their way through the huge door. All eyes grow large at the gigantic cavern that holds the eleven doors, and _right_ in the middle of the cavern, is a softly glowing, _spiral_ stone staircase rising right up through the ceiling far overhead.

"Wow! This is unbelievable you know?" Thian says as his mouth hangs open. "There's that _stone_ staircase you told us about too. By the _moons_ , it's all _real_ isn't it? And, you really _did_ all those things you told us about, and came all this way... _alone_. Wow!"

Then the realization hits him. "We... we're really standing in another realm now, _aren't_ we?"

The others are so shocked at what they find, they had momentarily forgotten that they are no longer on their realm, but some other - who knows _how_ far from their own. They smile at one another nervously, excited but _frightened_ at the same time.

Loki motions with his arm. "Well, each door is carved with what transport chambers you will find behind them. And all the doors have a sign over them reading, 'Chamber One,' 'Chamber Two' and so on. We just came out of 'Chamber One.'"

Amanda smiles to herself, able to read the Dwarf writing now as though it were in her native English.

"Let's take a look into Chamber Two," Tianna says headed that way. "Then, I think I'll have to rest for just a bit. But the _rest_ of you can look in the others if you want."

They come to the door and read, "Pixies, Merfolk, Tree People, Fairies and Brownies."

Thian pulls himself up to his full height, lifts his arms high and says in a dramatic, _deep_ and commanding voice, "Orathian!" The others laugh at his pretense and chuckling himself, he turns and sees Amanda wearing a huge grin. He had remembered how Amanda had first told them how _she_ commanded the doors to open, as though she were a _mighty_ wizard.

As the door finishes unlocking and begin to swing open, Thian, deciding that _he_ can be just as mighty, takes a step forward with his left leg, his body _leaning_ toward the door, and with arms outstretched now in front of him, begins _wiggling_ his fingers, pretending that the _power_ to open the door belonged to _him_ alone. They others _burst_ into laughter.

They walk into the smaller chamber with the five doors, and decide to quickly have a look inside each of them. Amanda warns them _not_ to say the word "Transportia" out loud if they stand in the alcove itself, or they will be _off_ to wherever that chamber indicates.

They look around and find each of the alcoves perfectly intact. After examining the last chamber marked Brownies, they all return to the room with the eleven doors.

Tianna sits down against the edge of the first chamber doorway, and watches the others walk to the third door. "Tell me where they _go_ okay?" she calls after them.

Limping up to the third door, Thian calls out, "It goes to the _Moss_ People, Drows... those are known as the _Dark_ Elves, Amanda... the High Elves, Wood Elves and the _Great_ Eagles."

They decide that they should not waste more time, and get Tianna to _The Realm of The Witches_ to get her, Thian and Tia some help. But Tianna _insists_ on knowing where all the other doors lead to.

Tianna watches them walk from door to door, Thian calling out what he reads.

"The fourth door says it leads to 'Trolls, Skeletons, Necromancers, Goblins and Dragons.'

"The fifth door reads 'Minotaurs, Ogres, Giants, Cyclops and Hippocerfs.'

"The sixth door reads 'Kabouter, Jinnie, Spectres, Abatwa and Azemen.'

"The seventh door reads 'Yaras, Huma, Icthyocentaurs, Campes and Gremlins.'

"The eighth door reads 'Manticores, Nymphs, Dryads, Orcs and Black Orcs.'

"The ninth door reads 'Snotlings, Mimi, Gnomes, Canotila and Alseid.'

"The tenth door reads 'Ghosts, Knockers, Phoenix, Firebird and Harpies.'

"The final door reads 'Bogey, Banshees, Afrit, Nagas and Hsigos.'"

"I have _no_ idea what most of those creatures are," Amanda says as she and the others head back to Tianna, who is struggling to get to her feet. "I'd _really_ like to visit some of them though, like some of the other Elves, the Dwarfs, _Fairies_ and the Wizards."

"Yeah, well, _maybe_ ," Tia says checking her bandage as they walk back to the smaller chamber with the five doors they had first arrived through. "But, it would really be _strange_ you know? I mean, who _knows_ what we'd actually find there now, after _thousands_ and thousands of years.

"Where _we_ come from, the door says it leads to _The Deep Forest Elves_. There _are_ still a good many of them, and I _think_ that Tianna and I are descendants of the line of Deep Forest Elves. But now, we've got _lots_ of different types of Elves and _creatures_ from many other realms too, who practice all _kinds_ of Wizitch - wizards, _witches_ , gnomes, the great eagles, _dragons_ and hundreds of others too. It _would_ be interesting of course, to see what's at those places now, but, I'm just not _sure_ what we'd really find. Probably like where we come from \- _lots_ of other creatures from lots of other realms."

They walk back along the tunnel leading to the chamber with the five doors.

"Wait!" Thian says with a start, holding his arms out to the side to stop everyone. "Did you _hear_ that?"

"Hear _what_?" Tia says, her heart thumping, looking scared as everyone stops.

"I, I thought I _heard_ something moving over there, near the _doors_ ," Thian says tilting his head listening intently.

After a moment, "Well, _I_ don't hear anything. Stop _scaring_ us Thian!" Tianna says as she _smacks_ Thian on the shoulder. Shaking her head, she then walks forward toward the doors.

After the others hesitate for a moment, they walk up quickly to join Tianna, making their way to the door marked "Witches."

"Well, I don't know _what_ we'll find when we go to _The Realm of The Witches_ ," Amanda says looking a little frightened along with the others. "But, I _guess_ that's where I've got to go if I want to get rid of this _stupid_ necklace, or learn how it _works_ and stuff.

"And listen, it's okay... _none_ of you have to go with me. I mean, _I_ really don't wanna go either. But, well, I just _have_ to. But I don't want _any_ of you to come if you really don't want to. And, well, _besides_ I've been thinking..."

Amanda turns to face her friends. "What if something happens to us when we get there, uh, _if_ we really get there at all?"

"What do you mean, '... _if_ we really get there at all?'" Tia asks with a puzzled expression.

"I mean, _first_ of all, like you said, it's been _thousands_ of years since these transport chambers have been used. Maybe I was _lucky_ when I used it... you _know_? I mean, there was _still_ something at the other end when I got there. But what if the alcove at the other end had been _destroyed_? Or, _you_ know, like the _whole_ place had been torn down to build something else. Maybe I would have been _trapped_ inside the rocks _forever_ or something. Or, maybe I'd turn into that opalescent smoke stuff, travel through space... or _wherever_ it was we went... and since there _isn't_ any place to really go, I'd just _float_ forever?"

Startled, everyone's eyes go wide and they look very frightened.

Continuing, Amanda says, "And, even if _we_ get to _The Realm of The Witches_ , _nobody_ we know would know that we _got_ there. And once there, _nobody_ knows where we're going really.

"The thing is, even _Josh_ and Samantha don't know where the transport chamber is back on your realm, and I really don't think they know where _this_ transport chamber is. At least I don't _think_ they do. So, if something _happens_ to us, no one will ever know!"

Everyone looks at one another nervously, just blinking or biting their lips.

"So, what do we _do_ about it?" Loki asks looking worried, thinking about his dad never knowing what ever happened to him.

"Well..." Amanda says with a sigh, looking up to the writing on the wooden door, then back to them. "I think we need _someone_ to stay here and go back to tell Josh and Sam what we're doing."

Everyone protests at once, Loki a little less vocal.

"Hey, there's _no_ way I'm staying here!" Tianna yells then yelps at the pain in her side. "If I go back, _Morpheus_ and Taldan's little _gang_ will _kill_ me as soon as they see me. Tia, _Thian_ and Loki too you know? Just like they... they killed..."

Tears flow from Tianna's eyes, as Tia tears up and streaks of glistening tears stream down both their cheeks. Soon, the others are in tears as well.

Amanda wipes her eyes. "Well, I agree... mostly," she says, licking her lips as she turns to look to Loki. "I agree that _I_ can't go back, _that's_ for sure. And I do think that Taldan, Morpheus and the others would _hunt_ the rest of you too. But..." she pauses for a moment, looking at her friends closely, "but _Thian_ doesn't have anyone to worry about him back on your realm, or really _miss_ him you know?" Looking at Tia and Tianna, "And now, um, well..."

"Either do _we_ ," Tia says, tears still streaming from her eyes, "now that, that _mom's_ gone I mean."

Everyone slowly turns to look at Loki, who quickly looks from face-to-face, swallows hard and slowly says in a low voice, "But I do. My _dad_ and I are all we've got now. But, _I_ don't wanna stay behind! I _want_ to go with all of you. But..."

"But the whole time, you'd be worrying and wondering about your dad," Amanda says softly. "Loki, look. I _really_ appreciate your wanting to come with us. But _think_ about it. Your dad would be worried _sick_ about you, and you him. You'd be wondering if _Taldan_ or somebody else had gotten to him - _both_ of you wondering if the other is okay or even _still_ alive. So, this is what I was thinking... _I'll_ go by myself first..."

Everyone begins yelling at once, all protesting.

"Wait! Let me _finish_ okay?" Amanda yells holding up her hands to quiet the others. "If _all_ of us go, and there _is_ nothing at the other end, we could all be _trapped_ in opalescent smoke _forever_. Or, killed... or _worse_ maybe."

That really lights up the others eyes as Amanda watches the blood drain from all their faces.

Continuing, Amanda says, "If _anyone_ is going to be killed, it, well, needs to be _me_. I mean, _I'm_ the one wearing this _stupid_ necklace. Since they say I _can't_ be killed, well, _easily_ anyway... uh, they _think_... then I'd have the _best_ chance of all of us. And if I _do_ get killed, that could mean the _necklace_ gets destroyed along with me, maybe. So, it just makes _sense_ that I go first. Look, if I get there okay, and see that there's a way out of the chamber at the other end, I'll come back to get _you_ three.

"Then, Loki, you can return to _your_ realm, get to your dad, and find Josh and Samantha and let them know what's going on. Then, well, you and your dad can go someplace safe.

"The point is, _someone_ needs to know _where_ we went and that we're all together and _safe_ \- to this point anyway. _You're_ the logical choice, and besides me, you're the only other one who's not hurt, and it's a _really_ important mission too."

All eyes look to Loki, who has an expression of mixed feelings. He does not want to abandon his friends, but he really loves, misses and is worried about his dad.

After a few moments of intense internal struggle, Loki slowly nods as he chews on his lower lip. "Okay. Yeah, I guess that makes sense. We'll all wait here for you Amanda, then I'll get back to our realm and talk to my dad. I think you're right though... I think my dad and I should contact Josh and Samantha, let them know where the chamber is, and what's happened and that you guys got to _The Realm of The Witches_ okay and all. Then, I _don'_ know. My dad and I'll think of something to do _then_ , I guess."

Amanda hugs them all, even Tianna, allowing a short hug as she winces.

Amanda turns, holds her arms up, and says, "Orathian!" The door swings open.

"You forgot to _wiggle_ your fingers," Thian says wiggling his own. The others laugh.

Kneeling, Amanda puts her broom on the ground and takes off her backpack. Reaching into her pack, she retrieves her flashlight. "I'll leave the rest of this stuff here. All I'll need is my flashlight when I get there... I _hope_ ," and reseals her pack.

Standing, Amanda turns and walks down the tunnel, then turns to look back at all her friends once she is inside the alcove.

Frightened, but wearing a forced smile, trying her best to look braver than she feels, she waives to them as Thian lets go of the door, which _slams_ and latches. With the echo ringing in Amanda's ears, her heart _thundering_ in her chest, her mind reeling from the dangers she could face, she swallows hard, takes two steadying breaths, closes her eyes and says... "Transportia!"

The others sit on the cavern floor for a few minutes, resting on either side of the door. Thian soon mumbles something, then grunts as he gets to his feet. Standing at the door, he raises his arms and says, "Orathian!" The door swings open and the others all scoot so they can peer in. All that can be seen is an _empty_ chamber and alcove.

Amanda has indeed, _vanished_.

Thian, with a worried expression, shuts the door, and the four of them sit and chat nervously for about half an hour, going over all the events leading up to their being here, and what Amanda might find if she _did_ make it to _The Realm of The Witches_.

Tianna and Tia begin to cry in earnest, this being their first opportunity to mourn the death of their mom. Both Thian and Loki cry with them, doing their best to comfort them.

Suddenly, they all let out a _cry_ of surprise, hearts beating _wildly_ , when clicking is heard within the door. As they scramble to their feet, the door swings open to reveal a smiling Amanda.

"Well, I'm _still_ alive!" Amanda says looking at all their surprised and grinning faces. By the tear streaked cheeks and red eyes, Amanda knows they had been thinking about, and grieving over, Thea.

"What _happened_?" Tia asks excitedly, wiping her eyes on her sleeve. "Did you _get_ to the other side, or did you just end up getting sent back here?

"Well, I _got_ there without any problems," Amanda says, stepping through the doorway. "But, once I got there, I followed a pretty long and winding pathway. It ended in a _huge_ pitch black cavern. Looked like a _big_ cave-in sealed off whatever kind of _exit_ there used to be from there though."

"Oh, _that_ doesn't sound good," Thian says shaking his head. "Do you think we could use our _wands_ to move the rocks and stuff away?"

"Yeah, I think so, after seeing what you four can _do_ anyway. It's worth a _try_ for sure, if you three still want to come with me that is."

They are _really_ nervous, but all want to go, knowing what _will_ be waiting for them if they went back to their own realm.

Everyone hugs Loki, other than Tianna, who shakes his hand and gives a short bow, and they say their goodbyes.

Amanda puts her flashlight into her backpack and slips it on, then grabs her broom. After everyone gathered all their things, they make their way through the door to the little alcove that will take them to _The Realm of The Witches_.

When they enter the alcove and take their positions, they look back down the long tunnel to see Loki holding the door open. With one last wave, Loki steps out and the door closes and locks behind him.

"Well," Thian says looking really nervous. "I guess this is _it_ huh?"

"Yup," Amanda says looking just as nervous as the others, thinking about what they may find once the rubble is removed, if it _can_ be removed. "Everybody ready?"

They all nod, gripping tightly to their brooms. "Okay, _well_ then, here we go." Amanda clears her throat, holds up her broom and says, "Transportia!"

The alcove begins to glow brightly. There is a _flash_ and everyone begins to change form and are soon nothing more than strands of glowing, _shimmering_ opalescent smoke, each looking at the others as they continue to swirl and wave in some unseen breeze.

There is _another_ flash, and one after the other, all are _sucked_ into a small crack in the wall of the alcove.

#  The Face

To TOC

Amanda and the others are on one heart pounding ride, just like they had gone on a short time ago. Watching all kinds of colored spheres whiz past them, they all realize that each of these are _actually_ other realms, with who knows _what_ kinds of creatures inhabiting them.

In no time, they are headed for a green, blue and brown sphere. They soon shoot straight down at the little sphere which grows larger and larger by the second, until it is the size of a planet, then streak through, what _seems_ to be, its atmosphere.

About to strike the ground, Amanda _screams_... in her mind anyway, knowing the others are doing the same.

They strike at the base of a mountain, Amanda _instantly_ whipping around some rocks, then zips straight into a large crack, which quickly grows smaller. Soon, she is making her way through the cracks and voids within the rock, watching many _strange_ creatures peering out at her, creatures even _stranger_ than the ones she had seen before.

Amanda looks a short distance ahead of her, and watches as one of the creatures reaches out from within the darkness and takes a swipe at what _might_ be Thian. Soon, the journey ends as they all pop into a glowing green alcove.

Amanda and the others quickly recompress into their normal forms, each gasping for breath as they laugh nervously and pat at their bodies, wanting to be _sure_ they are indeed solid again and all there.

Thian, looking himself over nervously, runs his hands over his face asking, "Do I still _look_ the same? My face feels... _different_."

"Other than one side being _green_ and the other _purple_ , and a little _scaly_ you mean?!" Tianna says very seriously, now putting a hand to her mouth with eyes wide.

"What?!" Thian cries, his eyes _popping_ out of his head as he pats his cheeks. "They _are_? _Yeah_ , this side _does_ feel different than this one!"

The others laugh as Amanda says, "She's just _teasing_ you, Thian."

Turning to Tianna, who is standing beside her, Amanda says in a serious but low tone, _just_ loud enough for everyone to hear, " _Honestly_ Tianna, that _wasn't_ very nice. You know how _scared_ Thian gets, for heaven's _sake_!

"If you were going to say something at all, you could have mentioned how much _shorter_ he is now, and at least _something_ about his left ear being upside _down_. I mean... _really_!"

Amanda turns away with a straight face and begins looking around.

"Wait... my _ear's_ upside down?!" Thian says, frantically feeling his left ear with his fingers, then his right. After a moment, _everyone_ burst into laughter, Thian saying, "It is _not_! _Very_ funny, Amanda, _ha_ ha!"

Everyone laughs even harder, which helps calm them all down after their frightening trip. Even _Thian_ soon chuckles, wearing a big grin.

They all begin to look around, glad they really have made it there alive and in one piece.

The alcove changes to a dull green glow. They look down what appears to be a winding tunnel, glowing a soft blue green, that leads off into the distance and curves to the right.

"Well, it looks like we made it okay," Amanda says looking at the others. "We just need to follow that path. It ends at an ancient wooden door set right into the rock. From there, it leads to the huge cavern I told you about."

"Yeah, sounds good to me," Thian says turning to see Tia now hugging Tianna.

"Sis, how are you doing?" Tia asks with concern.

"Well, I've got to tell you, the _ride_ was really scary, but, I kind of _enjoyed_ it this time you know, having an idea of what to expect and all. But, I wish that somehow in the trip here, I wouldn't _hurt_ so much anymore." They all look worried. Smiling, she says, "Oh don't _worry_ , I'm really _sore_ , but I'm okay, really. And again, I feel _fully_ refreshed. I'm not _tired_ at all."

As Amanda retrieves her flashlight from her pack, and slips it back on, she shakes the light for a moment to charge it and says, "We just need to walk down that pathway for a ways till we get to the door." She stops shaking her flashlight and switches it on.

They begin to follow the dimly lighted pathway, which winds right and left several times before ending into _total_ darkness, with only the light from Amanda's beam illuminating the ancient door.

"Better get our _wands_ out and light 'em up." Thian says limping up to the door and stopping. Everyone retrieves their wands and ignite them, the familiar blue glow from their tips now lighting a good portion of the cavern.

Amanda steps to the door and holding her broom arm high says, "Orathian!" The door clanks as it unlatches, then swings open as they all step inside, the door then shutting and latching behind them.

As Amanda shines her flashlight around, Tia says, "Amanda, try your wand. I mean, if you can _fly_ , maybe you can get your wand to light too now and you won't have to use that... _thing_."

Everyone turns to look at Amanda. Amanda hesitates for a moment, then flips the flashlight off and hands it to Thian.

Amanda retrieves her wand from the wand holster she has on her belt, like the others have. Only having the wand and holster because everybody else does, she would only use the wand to practice movements with, when the others were _really_ using theirs.

"Uh, okay," Amanda says looking at the wand expectantly for a moment, then chewing her lower lip, her eyes narrow as she concentrates hard. "Lumino!" The tip of her wand _immediately_ illuminates with a soft blue glow, right along with the rest of the other wands. Her jaw _drops_ , then a huge grin spreads across her face. When she looks up, everyone else has huge grins on _their_ surprised faces too, Tianna smiling as she shakes her head, still in disbelief.

Amanda takes her flashlight from Thian, shimmies out of her backpack, stores the flashlight, and puts the pack back on.

Walking up to the huge cave-in a short distance away, they spread out to have a look around.

"Well, it's _really_ blocked," Tia says as the others come together to stand at the center of the base of the debris.

"Let's see if we can move the _top_ of this heap to the sides of the cavern," Tianna says stepping to one side. "Who knows how _thick_ it is though, or what's on the other side either. Could be right up against some _house_ in a city now, or who _knows_ what else."

"As long as it's not part of a _dam_ or something, and we're all _killed_ by a flood," Thian says looking around nervously.

" _Thanks_ Thian!" Tianna says shaking her head. "As if we're not _scared_ enough you know?"

"But, what if it _caves_ in even more when you three move some of this stuff away?" Amanda asks looking worried.

"Oh, yeah, _right_!" Thian says, eyeing some of the near house-sized boulders in the stack. "Hadn't _thought_ of that. She's right you know? Any of you know a spell to keep the place from caving _in_ on us?"

No one does. Tianna says, "Well, we can't go back without at least _trying_. I say let's give it a go, but if we think something's wrong, or something _bad_ starts to happen, we get out quick, okay?"

They all agree.

"Let's stack our traveler's packs over there," Tianna says pointing to an area not far away. They all slip out of their packs and place them in a pile along with their brooms, then walk back to face the cave-in.

Tia and Tianna walk to the right. Amanda watches as Thian points his wand at a huge boulder near the top of the pile, gives a _swish_ of his wand and says, "Descendo!" Instead of the huge boulder moving away from the pile and descending, there is a _burst_ of yellow bolts from Thian's wand, striking the boulder, then _ricocheting_ around the cavern making everyone yell and duck for cover, as other boulders _tumble_ down the stack, starting more, but smaller rock slides.

"Thian, you _idiot_!" Tianna yells, rolling over to lay flat on her back with both hands clamped to her side. "You almost _hit_ me you know! Just whose _side_ are you on anyway? _Concentrate_ for Henna's sake, or _put_ that thing away! You're a _menace_ to be around!"

Both Tia and Amanda are getting to their feet and brushing the dust off.

"I didn't _mean_ it!" Thian says, turning bright red from embarrassment. "I don't know _why_ that happened, and I _was_ concentrating, alright!"

"Well concentrate _harder_ then!" Tianna says as Tia helps her to her feet. Tianna growls, "And _stay_ on that side of the cavern... away from _me_!"

Thian looks at Amanda, who smiles back and says, "Heck... could have happened to _anybody_. Go ahead Thian, try it again. I _know_ you can do it."

Licking his lips, Thian nervously points his wand at the huge boulder, gives a _swish_ and says, "Descendo," with a determined look of concentration on his face. The _huge_ boulder moves, causing a small cascade of tumbling rocks, but moves away from the pile as Thian directs it to the far side of the cavern, and _gently_ lowers it to the cavern floor.

Thian turns to Amanda with a huge grin, Amanda grinning with a nod.

Thian begins to move more boulders from the top of the pile near the ceiling, to the _left_ side of the cavern, while Tia and Tianna begin moving boulders, rocks and dirt to the _right_ side of the cavern, just by waving and moving their wands, each saying the proper, corresponding words.

After watching for a few minutes, Amanda looks at her glowing wand, then at a huge boulder near the top of the pile. "Well, either it'll work, or nothing will happen at all," she thinks.

Amanda swallows hard and gives a wave of her wand, while speaking one of the words for 'move,' deciding to use Descendo, while concentrating intently on the boulder. Surprised, but _thrilled_ , she finds herself directing the huge boulder off to the left side of the cavern. When she has lowered it to the cavern floor, to rest right beside the huge, but _slightly_ smaller one Thian had moved earlier, the others _cheer_ , and begin to laugh, Tianna again _smiling_ and shaking her head, still amazed Amanda can do any Wizitch at all.

It had taken Tianna _seven_ months to move something without breaking her concentration. And now, here is Amanda, moving a _huge_ house-sized boulder, smoothly across a vast cavern, to rest gently on the cavern floor, on her _first_ try.

It has taken almost a full hour of moving boulders the size of a house, to small stones and _piles_ upon piles of dirt, to either side of the cavern. There have been several _very_ scary rock slides, with some huge boulders _crashing_ to the cavern floor, then tumbling toward one of them, sending them scurrying out of the way and _scaring_ them half to death as the others yell, but nothing serious happened.

They are just about to take a break when Tia yells, "Hey! _Look_! Up there near the top where I just moved that big boulder out of the way. Is that an _opening_? Looks _darker_ doesn't it? Like our wand light isn't hitting whatever's on the other side."

Everyone looks for a moment, squinting into the darkness above.

"Thian, why don't you fly up and have a look, okay?" Tianna says sitting against a large boulder where she has been resting while moving masses of the rubble away. Standing had just become too painful after a few minutes.

"Oh, uh, yeah, okay." Thian limps over to his broom and travelers pack. He cinches up the knot on his bandage, wincing in pain. Mounting his broom, he kicks off, heading up and moving forward very slowly, looking at the ceiling for any sign of a cave-in, wand glowing in front of his outstretched arm.

Amanda watches as Thian slowly approaches the opening, which is large enough for them to fly through in single file.

Thian gets to the opening and goes about half-way through before stopping. Amanda sees him waving his wand around as he looks to see what is on the other side.

Moving in a little further, Thian turns around and flies back through the opening, then down toward them as he yells, "There's _another_ cavern on that side, or this _same_ one maybe, if the cave-in hadn't happened. It's totally _dark_ in there too. Can't see all that much with just my wand alone. Let's grab our stuff and take a _closer_ look!" his voice echoing around the huge cavern.

He lands and slips into his travelers pack, Amanda helping Tia and Tianna into theirs. They mount their brooms and kick off. Soon they are slowly moving through the opening into the other cavern, Thian leading the way.

With her wand illuminating her way, Amanda slips through the opening, Tianna and Thian just in front of her. Thian says, "I _think_ I see something over to our left, now that we have more light. Down there, just in _front_ of us off to the left, against the side of the cavern wall... what _is_ that?"

They stop in midair, side-by-side, about five feet apart. With their wands held out in front of them, their wand light barely reaches the odd structure.

This side of the cavern is very large as well, and Amanda can clearly see _something_ off to the left, below and in front of them against the massive cavern wall, but cannot tell what it is.

"Have _no_ idea," Tianna says. "Kind of looks like the side of some odd shaped half _dome_ standing against the wall or something. Come on, let's take a look." With that, Tianna still holding her side, moves forward, dropping slowly as she nervously looks around. The others follow close behind.

As they approach, the wand light shows more detail. Tia says, "Uh, guys? Doesn't that kind of look like, uh, part of the side of a _huge_ face or something? Like a _profile_?" They all freeze.

"Oh, my _god_!" Amanda says as her eyes go wide with recognition. "It _is_! It's the _side_ of a huge face carved out of the rock. Oh, I don't like _this_ at all!"

Tianna flies forward and down, as the others hesitate for a few moments, before following her off to the right.

They are still some distance away from the structure. Tianna keeps the same distance from the thing, but makes her way in an arc around to face the front. As everyone follows her, they soon see the _distinct_ features of a gigantic face. The brow ridges are shaped to look angry, while its huge empty eye sockets appear to have large bags of skin below. It has a well-defined nose that _flares_ as if in anger.

Tianna descends more, until she is low enough to look into the huge gaping mouth, which looks like it is locked in a silent scream, with its jaw slanting down and _into_ the cavern floor, at the level of its lower lip.

There are no teeth, just a _hideous_ gaping mouth, with a _large_ well-formed tongue leading to the back of the throat. There, it seems to flare as the insides of the mouth curve toward the back, and the roof of the mouth curves in an arc, all ending at what looks like a dark cave.

They all land and dismount, then walk forward toward the huge, oddly shaped rock formation.

Standing about thirty feet in front of the structure, they look up at the end of the nose, about twenty-five feet over their heads in front of them.

They all look at one another nervously, then Tianna walks forward saying, "Hey, that looks like some kind of _pathway_ leading into the mouth, toward the tongue just over the lip there. Let's follow that."

"Wait!" Thian calls. "Uh, Amanda, does the Journal say anything about, um, this _face_ thing?"

"No. And I've read the Journal from _cover_ to cover at least a _dozen_ times over the past few months, and it doesn't say _anything_ about it. Maybe... maybe it wasn't even _here_ when the Journal was written."

"Well, it's _here_ now," Tia says stepping up beside Tianna who is studying the gap inside the dark open mouth.

"I'll go first," Tianna says stepping forward.

"No! Wait!" Amanda cries jogging quickly to take up a position in front of them all. "We don't know _what_ might be in there!"

"Well, we won't find out by staying _here_!" Tianna shoots back hotly. "And, we sure can't go _back_ , because we _do_ know what's waiting for us there. _One_ of us has to go first, and, _I'm_ hurt already, so..."

"So, it makes _more_ sense that one of _us_ go instead of you!" Tia shouts.

" _You_ just want to be the first one to discover what's _in_ there is all!" Tianna sneers. "And you and _Thian_ are hurt, too."

"Oh for _heaven's_ sake! _I'll_ go first!" Amanda says as she walks forward nervously. "Listen, again, _I'm_ the one that _supposedly_ can't be killed easily, at least that's what Josh and Sam _think_. So, I'll go first."

"Forget it!" Thian says. "I say, we _all_ go together. We got _this_ far together, so, let's _keep_ it that way okay?"

Everyone looks a little upset with one another, but then Tianna says, "Yeah, well, _come_ on then. Let's see what's in there. Probably nothing at all anyway. It probably just leads to the way out of this _stupid_ mountain, is all."

They all walk to the very opening of the hideous mouth, and with wands outstretched lighting the way, they step up over the lower lip and walk a short way in.

The tongue takes up _almost_ the entire width of the inside of the mouth, and curves nicely down at the front, near where they are standing. The sides of the tongue are slightly curved up, the top of which is well over their heads.

It is rather thick, and the top of the very tip, which is curved downward slightly, is about shoulder height to the kids. There appears to be a rather narrow groove leading down the very center of the tongue, just like the groove in most real tongues. The entire tongue is made from hundreds of rectangular and curving stones.

"Well, it _looks_ safe enough," Thian says, stepping forward and putting his broom up on the tongue. With a groan, he hoists himself up, giving a small yelp as his injured leg scrapes across the stone, leaving a streak of blood from his soaked bandage.

Turning and sitting on the very tip of the tongue, he holds his arms up, like he is protecting himself from being hit, and says, " _Please_ , don't _eat_ me! Don't _eat_ me!"

Everyone cannot help but laugh.

Thian takes the others brooms and helps them up onto the tongue.

"This is _really_ creepy you know?" Tia says picking up her broom. "What do you think this thing is for anyway? It looks like it's the only thing in here."

"Haven't a clue," Tianna says, holding her side after Thian and Amanda helped her up onto the tongue. "But let's keep going and see what's back there - in that little cave near the throat. There's probably just a _door_ that leads outside is all."

They have walked in a ways when Tianna says, "Hey, _Look_!"

Everyone looks where Tianna is pointing down at the tongue. It looks as though there is some kind of _writing_ , mostly covered by dirt and dust from the cave-in.

Thian walks over and uses the end of his broom to sweep away the layers of dirt.

There _is_ writing, along with a crudely carved line running horizontally across the tongue, just before where the writing begins.

As Thian sweeps the dirt from the grooves of the writing, this is what everyone sees:

"What's it say?" Amanda asks. "I don't remember seeing that language before. Is it some kind of _Elf_ or Dwarf writing?"

"I don't _think_ so," Thian says, stepping up to the line to look at the writing. "I think I've _seen_ it before though, in some of my older books. Can either of you read it?"

Both Tia and Tianna shake their head. Tia says, "But I'm sure _I've_ seen it too. I just don't remember where though."

"But Amanda," Thian says, "I thought Josh and Samantha said you could understand, _read_ and write over four _thousand_ languages. How come _you_ can't read this?"

"I don' know. But remember, I couldn't understand any of _you_ , or Loki and his dad either, until I _touched_ you while you were speaking. Then, I could understand you, and even read and write that language too, because of this necklace. Maybe I _still_ need to do that for now, you know? _Touch_ somebody who either speaks it, or, maybe even just knows it." They all nod.

"Well, maybe it's some kind of welcome message or something," Thian says, stepping over the line and walking on, looking up to the roof of the mouth.

"Just welcoming visitors to their realm or something."

The others hesitate for a moment, then Tianna shrugs and walks forward after Thian. Tia and Amanda lock nervous eyes for a moment, then, after chewing on her lower lip for a second, Amanda shrugs with a sigh, shakes her head, and together, the two of them quickly walk on to catch up.

They only go a short distance, when Thian steps on a rectangular stone that makes a distinct _clank_ that everyone hears. A second later, the _entire_ tongue suddenly drops down about five inches, making them all _scream_ and throw their arms out for balance. A _horrendous_ grinding sound reverberates around them, _shaking_ the entire cavern. The tip of the tongue begins to tilt up quickly, as the back begins to lower, the _horrible_ grinding sound _chilling_ them to the bone.

"What's _happening_?" Amanda yells trying to stay on her feet.

"I think _Thian_ triggered some kind of _trap_!" Tianna yells back, clearly in pain.

They try to run back to the opening of the mouth, but the tongue tilts up so quickly they have _no_ chance of making it, and they lose their footing. As the tip of the tongue races for the roof of the mouth, the kids, scared and screaming, are thrown off their feet and begin _tumbling_ toward the back of the throat.

They have dropped both their brooms and wands, now _desperately_ clawing at the rough tongue, _trying_ to stop themselves from sliding back into the throat, as if about to be _swallowed_. A new _large_ slanting tunnel appears, as the back of the tongue lowers enough to reveal it.

Screaming and _scratching_ at the stones of the tongue, they tumble _helplessly_ into the darkness of the wide and almost _vertically_ smooth and polished tunnel.

After a brief moment, the tip of the tongue begins to lower as the back rises, _sealing_ the tunnel they have slid into, along with any _possible_ escape.

In a few more moments, the tongue has returned to its lowered position, resetting the trap.

The gaping mouth is empty once again, and all is as quiet as a _tomb_ within the huge chamber.

Only swirls of _dust_ are left drifting in the still air, to show that anything has happened at all.

#  The Bone Pit

To TOC

Screaming, crying and _scared_ out of their minds, the kids tumble and slide helplessly down the slanting, smooth as glass tunnel. It twists and turns as it narrows, _spiraling_ down deeper into the root of the mountain.

There is absolutely _nothing_ to grab hold of whatsoever. All the kids can do is continue to slide _helplessly_ , out of control.

Abruptly, the tunnel ends and they pop out, like being _shot_ from the end of a very long and steep slide. Whipping into nothing but air, they _frantically_ thrash and wave their arms and legs, _screaming_ as they fly and arc downward, until they crash to a halt far below, accompanied by horrible _crunching_ , cracking and _snapping_ sounds.

Hurting all over, her vision blurry and head swimming, Amanda hears the screams from the others, along with frantic thrashing. As Amanda tries to move, she hears _cracking_ and crunching sounds around her, as she begins to _drop_. Her vision clears as her heart pounds, hearing her friends terrified screams.

There is _just_ enough light from one of their wands, which has somehow managed to make the trip with them. Having fallen somewhere nearby, it has _somehow_ managed to stay lit, illuminating the scene in front of her.

In an instant, Amanda realizes she is resting on, and partly _covered_ , by a pile of skeletal bones and _skulls_.

_Spiders_ and beetles are scurrying everywhere across her body, and everyplace else she looks. This sends her into a _screaming_ and thrashing fit of her own, sending her crashing further and further down into the deep bone pit.

The sound of cracking, breaking and _shattering_ bones is _deafening_ in the cylindrical chamber they are trapped in, filling them all with _mind_ numbing terror.

They have landed in a huge pile of _skeletons_ , about seven to eight feet deep. The more they _thrash_ the deeper into the bones they sink, _spiders_ and beetles, making the dimly lit bones look as though they ripple with creepy _crawling_ flesh.

The chamber they are in _stinks_ \- the air is stale, damp and _putrid_.

A large spider _crawls_ quickly into Amanda's left nostril, sending her into another _violent_ fit of thrashing, as she tries _repeatedly_ to blow the creature out. She can feel _dozens_ of beetles crawling over her arms, legs, and worst of all, _scurrying_ across her face, as she _frantically_ tires to scrape and flick them away.

As Amanda continues to sink, she looks up through the mass of bones that have tumbled over her, _directly_ into the empty eye sockets of a _skull_ peering down at her, which is resting on, and appears to be looking through a _rib_ cage. An ugly, _large_ , dark green beetle scurries out of the skull's eye socket, dropping onto Amanda's hair near her forehead. It scurries through her hair, _down_ her forehead, and right across her wide, _frightened_ open eye, making her _scream_ , not only from fright, but from the pain, as the sharp _spiked_ feet of the beetle jabs her open eye.

As everyone continues to thrash in panic, they sink deeper into the bone pit. In another moment, Amanda feels herself thrashing in _moss_ covered bones – _wet_ bones.

Suddenly, she feels her legs hit something wet and thick, like mud. Frantically looking around in the very dim blue light from the one lit wand, she finds that she and the others have _shattered_ and broken through most of the bones, and have reached what she _thinks_ may be the bottom of the pit.

Her legs sink into something more like a medium-thick, _stinking_ mud, green with slime and with bones sticking out of it at various angles. Amanda sees several _half_ submerged skulls at various angles, sticking out of the muck around her. One is _face_ up, and half buried, its hollow eye sockets staring up toward the ceiling. Its mouth is open wide, as if in a _silent_ scream of its own, the lower jaw having separated a few inches, making the opening _huge_ , showing many missing and broken teeth.

Realizing she is _wrong_ about this being the bottom of the pit, Amanda feels herself sinking deeper into the cold mud, but still cannot feel the bottom. Soon, waist deep in the thick, _stinking_ mire, she feels something cold moving on her arm. Looking down quickly, she _screams_ as she sees some kind of _pitch_ black millipede over a _foot_ long, and about an _inch_ thick, making its way onto and _up_ her arm.

So _scared_ now she feels faint, _sure_ she will pass out and be _eaten_ by all these creepy crawlers, Amanda hears Tia's _blood_ -curdling screams, and snaps her head around, looking in her direction.

Amanda's eyes fly wide as she sees _dozens_ and dozens of millipedes, making their way over Tia's body. Tia is thrashing, and trying to _jump_ to get away from them, but with nothing to jump _from_ in this thick, seemingly _bottomless_ glop, Tia turns and looks like she is trying to _swim_ , which briefly reveals her left leg as she attempts a kick.

Amanda sees that where Tia's lower body has been below the mud line, she is _covered_ with dozens of _leaches_ , clinging to and _wriggling_ on her body. The mud is _far_ too thick to swim in, and Tia returns to an upright position, hands _frantically_ trying in vain to wipe away the _dozens_ of beetles, and other _scurrying_ creatures covering her mud drenched face.

Amanda looks down at her own body, feeling things _slithering_ all over her legs and body beneath the mud, where she cannot see.

Amanda hears Tianna yelling, _clearly_ in severe pain, "Thian! Do you have your wand?"

"No! I dropped it with my broom when we fell. Do you have _yours_?!"

"No, you _idiot_! That's why I'm asking _you_! I dropped mine too. I lost my _travelers_ pack too. Tia... Amanda... do you have _your_ wands?"

Tia yells, "No! I dropped mine along with my broom, and I lost _my_ pack too!"

Tia _shrieks_ as Amanda watches a thick, _slimy_ millipede, almost two feet long, scurry up the back of Tia's neck and into her hair, where it gets _tangled_ and begins _thrashing_ violently, tossing her muddy hair in all directions. Amanda feels sick at the sight.

"I lost _my_ wand and broom too, but I've _still_ got my pack!" Amanda yells, grabbing the millipede, which is halfway up her robe at her armpit. Scrunching up her face, she _flings_ the millipede away from her, where it strikes a half-submerged leg bone, drops into the mud and disappears behind a broken, half submerged skull.

For the first time, Amanda notices _hundreds_ of long, ugly, _slippery_ worms wriggling in the thick mud, having been stirred up by their _thrashing_ and kicking in the slimy muck.

Looking around, Amanda sees Thian, who is against the cylindrical wall to her left, reach up and grab hold of a brick sticking out from the side of their pit.

The thought crosses her mind that they must be in some kind of deep well.

Struggling, he pulls himself partially out of the mud and slithering creatures. He is slightly bent at the knees, and Amanda knows he must be standing on another brick beneath the mud.

There is another brick sticking out from the wall, about two feet above the one Thian has grabbed onto. Reaching up with one hand, he grabs onto the upper brick and begins to hoist himself up out of the stinking mud.

"Hey, look!" Thian yells. "These bricks that stick out go all the way up to the tunnel. See if you guys can make your way over here. Maybe we can _climb_ out! Come on, follow me!"

"I... I can't _make_ it!" Tianna cries. "I'm having trouble even staying up... my side... it _hurts_ too much! It's _killing_ me... I _can't_ stay up! I'm sinking!"

"I'm _coming_ , Tianna!" Amanda cries out, seeing that Tia is very close to the wall where Thian has begun climbing the bricks, straining under the pain in his injured leg.

Tianna is only a short distance away from where Amanda is now struggling to move.

"Tia, _go_!" Amanda yells. "Follow Thian _out_ of here! I'll get to Tianna and help her!"

Amanda begins _swiveling_ her body, as she uses her arms to try to pull herself through the thick, slimy and _stinking_ mud. Her feet find _bones_ to stand occasionally, helping her move until they snap below her.

It is all Amanda can do to _force_ herself to keep going and help Tianna. Tianna had tried one last _desperate_ move, trying to _swim_ like Tia had tried. But as Tianna's body rose for a moment, Amanda could see that every _inch_ of her body, was _crawling_ with slithering worms, _leaches_ , beetles, _spiders_ and millipedes. Even what _used_ to be Tianna's long, _beautiful_ , golden hair ,is _thick_ with mud, a mass of _moving_ and thrashing creatures giving it a life of its own.

Tianna stops moving, the pain finally overwhelming her, and she begins to sink. Seeing Tianna begin to slip under the mud, only her face tilted up out of the muck, Amanda doubles her efforts.

Pushing bones, skulls, and _piles_ of slithering creatures out of her way, she soon manages to reach Tianna as she slips _completely_ under. The pain in Tianna's side, from the _tumbling_ across the rough tongue, and then _striking_ the bones when she fell, now makes it _impossible_ for her to struggle any longer.

"NOOO!" Amanda screams as she nears the place where Tianna has slipped under, only the _tips_ of Tianna's hands still scratching at the air. Watching the fingers slip under, Amanda quickly reaches the now empty spot. Grimacing, while _swallowing_ hard, Amanda turns on her side and _thrusts_ her arm under the mud, and as _gently_ as she can, feels around until she grabs Tianna's arm, feeling a slimy leach _squish_ in her grasp, as others _burst_ between her fingers.

With all her might, Amanda _pulls_ Tianna up to the surface and drags her, _coughing_ and spitting, to her side. Tianna _screams_ from the pain, then choking, spits several more wads of slimy mud from her mouth, gasping for air, doing her best to wrap an arm around Amanda, crying _hysterically_ , while hanging on for dear life.

Still gulping in the air, Tianna spits some more, then reaching up with her free hand, begins _trying_ to pull off a _fat_ , muddy _leach_ that is firmly attached to her lower lip. The leach and her hands are so slick, it is _useless_.

Wiping the mud from her eyes as best she can, Tianna says weakly through clinched teeth, from the crippling pain in her ribs, "Tha... _thanks_. I couldn't kept from going under. Too much pain. I never would have been able to come back up. The _pain_ is so bad I can hardly move at all now. How are we... going to get up that _wall_ without a wand?"

Amanda cannot think of the answer. It is all _she_ can do to move in the thick mud, with _slithering_ things trying to run up her body, or across it, or _into_ her mouth every time she tries to take a breath or to speak.

_Millipedes_ , worms, leaches, beetles and _spiders_ are almost _completely_ covering them now.

They are all being _bitten_ and stung over and over again.

Amanda has _no_ idea _how_ she is going to get all the way across the pit, to the wall where Thian continues to slowly make his way up, brick-by-brick, _crying_ out every time he puts pressure on his injured leg, let alone _how_ she is going to manage to haul Tianna to the wall, then figure out how she is going to _climb_ those bricks taking _Tianna_ up with her.

Tia has finally reached the wall and has hoisted herself up out of the mire, in spite of her injured shoulder. It has taken her several tries before managing to tough through the pain, but she now hoists herself up to reach the next brick above her, some eight feet above the muck.

Seeing Tia clinging to the brick, Amanda turns her head quickly away from Tianna, and _throws_ up. Tia has _dozens_ of long leaches hanging and _thrashing_ from her arms and legs, and several long _black_ ones dangling from her face. Two are attached to her lips, and Amanda can see that one has clamped onto Tia's closed right eye. Tianna sees it too, gasping at the sight.

About to _pass_ out again, Amanda looks up to see Thian reach up and grab hold of the next brick above his head. As he pulls hard, to hoist himself up, the brick _noticeably_ tilts down about five inches at a steep angle, causing Thian to _lose_ his grip and fall screaming, knocking Tia from the wall below him.

Screaming as they fall, they are soon back in the stinking, _slithering_ mud, and for a moment, they _completely_ disappear below the muck, sending both Tianna and Amanda into a screaming fit of terror.

Suddenly, they hear a horrible _grinding_ sound, like rock on rock, followed quickly by the sound of rushing water, just as both Thian and Tia had clawed their way back to the surface, thrashing wildly.

Looking up toward the tunnel they had all fallen from, Amanda _scrapes_ some spiders and beetles scurrying across her face, still keeping hold of Tianna, just in time to see a rush of water _explode_ from the tunnel far above them.

It is as though a flood gate has been opened to create a _crushing_ waterfall, and the destination of the falls, is their little bone pit.

The water quickly floods their pit, and they begin to rise. Bones, skulls and _slithering_ creatures are everywhere.

It does not take long before much of the mud has thinned to nothing more than _filthy_ , slimy stinking water, filled with slithering and _writhing_ creatures.

Amanda and the others begin treading water, moving bones out of their way to stay afloat.

Tianna is _screaming_ from the pain, trying to stay afloat and _not_ pass out.

" _Tianna_ , try to _float_ on your back if you can, okay? I'll help you, I _won't_ leave you!" Amanda yells over the sound of the crashing water.

Grunting in pain, Tianna clutching her side with one hand, her other arm still around Amanda, tilts back and assumes a floating position, several bones resting across her body as her legs _pop_ to the surface, _completely_ covered with _squirming_ leaches and writhing creatures.

"What's _happening_?" Amanda yells frantically pulling a small millipede from her right ear, as it tries to _burrow_ its way in. Amanda _thrashes_ her head around to dislodge _dozens_ of beetles who are clinging for life near the ends of her wet muddy hair.

"I think _Thian_ tripped another _trap_ of some kind," Tia yells some way off, her voice almost lost over the sound of crashing water. " _What_ are we gonna do? I don't _see_ any other way out!"

Tianna frantically looks around while doing her best to stay afloat, still crying from the unbearable pain.

Everyone is moving to reach one another while looking for their wands and brooms, which are nowhere to be seen.

The wand that managed to fall into the pit with them is on the far side of the pit, where the mud and mass of bones are being pushed up against the wall. The _force_ of the water has pushed the wand up against and _under_ a huge pile of bones, and is now _trapped_ there. There is _no_ way anyone can see to get to it, without being _sucked_ under the pile themselves, jammed into the mud bank, and _drowned_ by the forcefully falling water.

The water rises so quickly, they are soon being forced back from the tunnel above them, now nothing but a _giant_ faucet, the water pressure sending them into _panicked_ swirling, like being in a giant glass someone is stirring.

Forced upward by the surging water, they are soon higher than the tunnel they had entered, the water now _flooding_ in below them. The light from the trapped wand is so faint, they can hardly see a thing.

Even though the wand is stuck tight, trapped under the water and pile of bones, they _know_ they are headed for the ceiling, where there is _no_ way out.

Everyone is _scratching_ at the walls as the swirling water brings them close enough to reach them. They are looking for _any_ hidden way out, when Tianna, floating on her back yells, "Look! There're small _holes_ in the ceiling!"

The others look up and see _dozens_ of holes, each about six inches in diameter, leading _up_ into the rocky ceiling of the cavern.

"Oh _no_!" Thian yells. "That means the _water_ will rise up into those holes and..."

"We'll be forced _completely_ under, with _no_ trapped air pocket!" Tianna yells back. "We're... we're going to _drown_! We're going to _drown_ and there's no other way _out_! Amanda, _do_ something!"

" _Me_? I... _I_ can't do anything! I don't _know_ what to do!"

"Use the _necklace_!" Tianna growls through clenched teeth, her side killing her. " _Wake_ it up or something. Why isn't it _saving_ us?"

"I don't know _how_ to... _wake_ it up, or _how_ to use it! I... I don't know _why_ it's not helping!"

Seconds later, they are floating on their backs, faces and bodies pressing up against the ceiling.

They have all taken their _last_ breaths as the water rises over them, their bodies pressed flat to the ceiling by the pressure. The water _continues_ to rise up and into the holes, leaving them _no_ air pockets at all.

With their last ounce of strength, they scratch and _claw_ at the ceiling like trapped animals - _ripping_ and tearing their fingernails against the rough and _jagged_ rock ceiling, in a frantic, _primal_ attempt to dig through solid stone.

Amanda, _filled_ with indescribable terror, knows that _this_ is the end of her young life, and that the _necklace_ has done nothing to save her.

If it is _so_ powerful, and since she _is_ the one wearing it, _why_ has it not saved... _her_? After all, she was not _supposed_ to be able to be killed easily.

Amanda, with her last _burst_ of primitive fear, rips at the stone ceiling, feeling the ends of her fingers _tearing_ against the jagged stone.

#  To The Rescue

To TOC

Amanda holds her breath as long as she can. She begins to feel a _tingling_ shoot through her entire body. She can see through the muddy water stinging her eyes, that she has _somehow_ , actually begun to _glow_. She begins to hear strange voices in her head, which sound like people _yelling_ different things at her in different languages - things she should do, but she cannot quite understand them. It is as though they are yelling at her from someplace _far_ away.

About to black out, there is a _blinding_ flash. The next thing Amanda knows, she is _thrashing_ once again in swirling water, as she quickly rises _through_ where the ceiling had been only a split second before.

Gasping for air, Amanda coughs, then feels herself lifted from the water as she begins _floating_ through the air, toward a _huge_ jagged gap in the side of the pit above her. She is still holding onto Tianna, who is _also_ floating through the air on her back, gasping, _coughing_ , holding her side, crying and moaning in great pain, only _half_ conscious.

As Amanda wipes some of the sludge from her face and eyes, she _flicks_ away some scurrying beetles. As her vision clears and she rises over the jagged opening she had seen, Amanda is _shocked_ to see the tiny girl, _Sadie_ , wand outstretched and illuminated, just a short distance away, pointed directly at her.

Sadie is moving Amanda and the others through the air toward her, as she quickly walks backward, making her way into another cavern. Sadie continues up a short incline away from the water, which has reached its highest point, and is flooding into _another_ tunnel on the other side of where Amanda is floating.

In a moment, as Amanda and the others are still coughing and sucking in air, Sadie lowers them to the dirt floor near her feet. Sadie waves her wand as she mumbles something, _instantly_ vanishing all the critters from their bodies.

Looking around in a panic, frantically running her hands over her _stinging_ face and through her hair, looking for any _remaining_ creatures, Amanda suddenly spits out a chunk of slimy moss. She then reaches up and pulls a _bony_ hand from her hair, tangled there from her _thrashing_ in the pit. She drops it to the floor, scooting away from it, and turns to look at the others. The others, other than Tianna, are looking around wide-eyed and running their hands over their bodies too, surprised to see they are _bug_ and critter free.

Thian has a _huge_ chunk of moss draped over his head, making him look like he has short, _curly_ , muddy green hair. His eyes are wide with fright, and he has large globs of mud clinging to him everywhere.

Tia sits up _shaking_ her head like a dog, trying to dislodge any critters that may still be _hiding_ and tangled in her wet muddy hair.

Tianna is lying on her back, both hands clutching her side. Her eyes are closed and she is crying, moaning and gasping in short staccato-like breaths from the pain.

Amanda looks up and sees Sadie give another flurry of wand movements, speaking something that Amanda cannot hear. Then, with a start, Amanda realizes she is _completely_ dry, covered only with layers of dried mud, which crack and fall away as she moves. Looking around, she notices that everyone _else_ is dry as well, and just as startled as she is.

Thian yells, "Those _bugs_ tried to _eat_ us alive! I'm _bit_ and stung all over! By the _moons_ , it _really_ hurts!"

Still in shock, Amanda looks down at herself and sees dozens and dozens of places where blood is _soaking_ through the dry, caked-on mud. She finds herself saying faintly, as though still in a daze, "They, they _did_ try to eat us, didn't they?" Then for the first time, she feels the _stinging_ all over her, as her head begins to clear more, and she is able to focus.

Amanda hears Sadie say something as she flicks her wand, but again cannot make it out.

In another moment, Sadie is directing everyone's wand, broom and lost travelers pack through the air, then lowers them into a pile to her side, including the still- _lit_ wand that had been stuck in the bones and mud.

Tianna opens her eyes for the first time and looks around, her eyes locking on the tiny girl. "Sadie?" Tianna asks, still half-dazed and speaking through clenched teeth.

"How? How did you _get_ here? How did you... _find_ us? What, what happened?"

"Please don't be _mad_ at me Tianna," Sadie says as she kneels by Tianna's side, tears in her eyes. She notices that Tianna is clutching her side and wincing. "Tianna, you're _really_ hurt! I'm, I'm _sorry_! I didn't _mean_ to hurt you, _honest_ , I didn't _mean_ it! I was only trying to _help_!"

Glancing at the others, Sadie sees that Thian's leg is bleeding, and that Tia's shoulder is bleeding through her fingers. "Oh no! I hurt _all_ of you! I'm _so_ sorry! I just wanted to get you _out_ of there, is all. _Please_ don't be mad at me!"

" _Mad_ at you?" Tia says confused, sitting up straight while still trying to stop the bleeding from her shoulder. She, Thian and Tianna had lost their bandages in the pit.

"What _happened_? The last thing I remember, I was about to _drown_. Then, well, there was a _flash_ and here we are, and, here _you_ are Sadie."

Sadie's little face looks really scared, as a small tear leaks from one eye, and runs down her cheek. She clears her throat and says, "I, well, I _followed_ you. And, um, I saw you in that _pit_ under the ground. So, so I _blasted_ a hole through the side of the cavern wall, and then blew away the floor... I mean, the _ceiling_ in there too, to let you rise up with the water.

"Then, uh, well, then I cast a _movement_ spell and brought all of you here. I got rid of all those _awful_ creatures you were all covered with, and _dried_ you off. Then I summoned your wands, brooms and travelers packs.

"I'm really _sorry_ I hurt you! I didn't _mean_ it Tianna!" Sadie notices the blood flowing from Thian's leg and from Tia's shoulder again. She gasps and breaks into tears crying, "I'm _sorry_ , I didn't mean to hurt you, _really_ , I only wanted to help!"

"Sadie, it's _okay_ , honest," Tianna groans. "You _didn't_ hurt me, Tia or Thian either. We were _already_ hurt from... well, from before. Then we got here and _fell_ into some kind of _bone_ pit. I landed on my hurt side and I _really_ got hurt. It's not your fault. You _saved_ my life... _all_ our lives! But Sadie, how in _two_ moons did you _get_ here? And _how_ did you know where we were?"

Sadie looks at everyone nervously for a brief moment, then sits on the ground next to Tianna, stowing her wand in a wand holster tied to her belt.

Taking a steadying breath, Sadie tells them how she had been at the village when the fighting broke out. That she had gone looking for Tianna to thank her for being so nice to her, before she went back to her home realm.

Sadie tells them how she had seen Amanda fight the really bad man named Blaine. That she had seen a woman lying in the street, and that some _goblin_ had run out and jumped on her, then the two of them disappeared. How some lady had picked Sadie up and ran away from the fighting, as Sadie fought to get away from her. How she _had_ gotten away and when she returned to the scene, she saw Amanda, Thian, Tia, Tianna and Loki talking to the man who had been there, when he and a woman started _fighting_ everyone. Later, how Sadie had snuck up and hidden close enough, to hear the man tell them that they needed to get to Thian's cabin. That their brooms had arrived and they shot off, with Amanda and Thian riding a tandem broom.

"I asked around some time later about where you _lived_ Thian, and some old lady with _really_ singed hair and _no_ eyebrows, did some _horrible_ swearing, then pointed off toward the mountains and told me where you lived. Said I shouldn't go anywhere _near_ you, if I knew what was _good_ for me. And that if you pulled your wand.... _run_! I don't know _why_ she said that."

All the kids look at Thian with weak smiles. Thian turns a little red, flicking some dried mud off his shoulder and shrugs.

"But Sadie," Thian asks, "why didn't we see you at my house? Couldn't you _find_ it?"

"Oh, I _found_ it alright. Took me a while, but then I spotted some people all dressed in black, flying brooms _really_ close to the tree line. It didn't _look_ right somehow. So, I stayed out of sight and watched them flying around _real_ slow. It looked like they were _searching_ for something.

"Then, all of a sudden, there were _several_ wand-cast flares, and they all turned and dropped down into the trees and I _lost_ them. I followed to where I _thought_ the flares had come from, and saw lots of _flashes_ coming through the trees."

"That must be when _Tianna_ and I showed up," Tia says nodding. "Obviously, somebody _else_ must have known where your house was Thian. They must have sent a _bunch_ of flyers to scout the area for all of us, _just_ in case we were getting away on foot, or flying low through the trees or something. When some _got_ to your house, they sent up flare shots to warn the others to stay out of sight.

" _That's_ why they were waiting for us! Sadie must have gotten there _just_ after Tianna and I had entered the house, and Loki, Tianna and I were _shooting_ back at them."

"Soon the entire _house_ was in flames," Sadie shivers from the memory. "They had cast a _complete_ Appareo net over the house too. So, I _knew_ there wasn't any way that you could have gotten out."

"What's an _Appareo_ net?" Amanda asks looking puzzled.

"It's a _really_ advanced tactical spell," Thian says shaking his head. "It prevents _anyone_ using the Appareo spell, to _vanish_ from the area protected by the net. So, you can't _vanish_ from one place and _arrive_ in another, like we usually do.

"Man. I didn't know they had done _that_. If we didn't have the hidden _trap_ door, and used it to take the tunnel into the forest..."

"We would have been _burned_ alive!" Tianna says, wincing as she takes a shallow breath.

"They stayed there for a long time too," Sadie continues. "Then there was a _lot_ of flashing, coming from off in the distance from where I was hiding. They all took off and headed in that direction. I followed as quickly as I could, weaving between the trees, just below the tree tops, to stay out of sight. I saw a lot of flyers _chasing_ all of you. And I saw Amanda do some _really_ amazing flying, and shoot some people _right_ off their brooms too!"

Amanda looks nervous, as everyone looks at her for just a moment.

Sadie continues. "Then two _other_ flyers came in really fast from way off in the distance."

"That must have been _Josh_ and Samantha!" Tia says.

Sadie continues to tell them how she had followed them to Thian's cabin, had fallen asleep on the forest floor just inside the tree line, and had woken when she heard voices. How she watched Amanda fly in circles, like she was _learning_ to fly a broom, and how Sadie could not figure out why.

"Then, I saw Amanda fly up to the tree tops, and all of _you_ joined her, and then flew off like _crazy_ people."

"Yeah, we _did_ ," Amanda laughs. "But as you can see, Loki didn't come here with us though."

"Oh, I _know_. I talked to him later."

"What?!" Thian asks. "What do you _mean_ you talked to him later? Later... _when_?"

"I'll tell you in a minute," Sadie says clearing her throat.

"That must have been when Loki saw what he _thought_ was a flock of big birds..." Tia says nodding, "which turned _out_ to be a bunch of _really_ bad people."

"I think you're right," Sadie says brushing the hair from her face. "Because as I followed again from a distance, not knowing _what_ was going on, you all got into a _huge_ fight and people were _dropping_ like Kellis!

"Amanda did some really amazing _flying_ stunts again - I couldn't _believe_ what she was doing! I saw _Tianna_ get hit, at least it _looked_ like her from where I was, and she dove down into the trees.

"After the fighting, _you_ all disappeared into the trees too. I was _really_ scared, and I stayed back. I waited for a while, then you all came out of the trees and _shot_ off low to the ground. I was still really scared. I _couldn't_ understand what was going on, and almost left, but, I decided to _follow_ you anyway. I followed as far away as I could... I didn't want to get all of you in _trouble_ if someone saw me.

"I followed you to a _pretty_ lake, back near Thian's place. You hovered there for a minute, then turned and went straight up the face of the mountain. You all kept looking around, like you didn't _want_ to be seen. Made _me_ nervous too, and _I_ kept looking around afraid that somebody might see me. So, I just stayed low in the trees and stayed at the base and watched.

"I stayed in the trees until I saw you all _land_ on some kind of ledge way up the mountain. I _started_ to come out, when it looked like _one_ of you was _pointing_ down the mountain at me, or maybe some _bad_ guys I couldn't see. I got scared and ducked back into the shadows."

"It was _you_ that I saw!" Tianna gasps. Then turning to the others says, "I _told_ you I saw someone down at the tree line! It was _Sadie_!"

"You turned and disappeared from sight," Sadie continues. "I thought I might _lose_ you, so I Appareo'd to the ledge _just_ in time to hear someone say, a _really_ strange word from somewhere within the vine-covered mountainside. At first, I _thought_ someone said, 'or a _Thian_.'

"I _thought_ I heard a door squeak open in the vines. I waited a minute to listen, then began making my way in through all those hanging vines. They were _really_ thick, and it felt like I was getting all _turned_ around in there.

"I was getting really scared again, and was _about_ to turn around, when all of a sudden, I came to an _old_ wooden door. I pressed my ear against it and listened for a minute, but couldn't hear anything. I tried to open it, but it wouldn't open. I tried and _tried_ , but it wouldn't budge. I tried _several_ opening and movement spells, but _nothing_ worked. Then I thought about how _odd_ it was, that someone had said, 'or a _Thian_ ,' like there could be _more_ than one of him with you, you know?

"I thought about it for a minute, trying to think of what _else_ could have been said instead. I then ran the words together and said, ' _Orathian'_ and the door opened! _Scared_ me half to death too!"

Everyone laughs, with Tianna holding her side and gasping in shallow breaths.

Sadie then continues. "I followed a winding dirt pathway down a tunnel, and heard Amanda... at least, I _think_ it was Amanda... say loudly _another_ funny word, 'Transportia.'

"As I was continuing to follow the path, I saw a _flash_ of light. It _scared_ me, so I pressed my back against the wall, and waited for a few seconds. Then there was just a faint glow down the tunnel. I didn't know _what_ to do, so I waited for a few more minutes just _listening_ , trying to hear what you were doing, because I wasn't sure what was really happening, or if you had run into _bad_ people or something.

"After a while though, I decided to see what you were doing, or if you _were_ all right. I had my wand out, and after taking a couple of breaths to stop _shaking_ and get my nerve up, I _whipped_ around the corner ready to _fight_! When I rounded that last corner of the pathway though, the _only_ thing there, was an _empty_ alcove."

"I bet we _just_ left," Thian says with a grin.

"I guess you did," Sadie says with a huge sigh. "I couldn't figure out _where_ you had gone! I walked _all_ around the alcove, then back down the path a ways. I thought maybe there was a _hidden_ passage that I hadn't seen. I tried _all_ the spells on the walls I could think of, to show a hidden passageway, but _nothing_ worked."

"Wait... _you_ know how to show where _hidden_ passages are?" Tia asks impressed. " _We_ don't learn that kind of stuff until, we're about _seventeen_ or eighteen. How did _you_ learn it?"

"Oh, uh, well, where _I_ come from, we learn _lots_ of stuff at a pretty early age I _guess_. Anyway, nothing worked. So, I sat there for a really long time _thinking_ of what to do. I was about to give up and leave, when I remembered _Amanda_ , or whoever it was, had said that _strange_ word, 'Transportia.' So, I got up and grabbed my broom. I stood in the alcove and said really loud, ' _Transportia_!' Wow! Was _that_ a trip or _what_?"

Everyone _roars_ with laughter... poor Tianna crying out in pain with every gasp of breath, as tears run down her face, both from _laughing_ and the pain, watching _tiny_ Sadie shake her little head.

Sadie laughs then says, "When I _finally_ knew that I was _still_ alive, and not just some kind of weird rainbow _smoke_ anymore, when I got to, well, _wherever_ it was, I looked around the little chamber, but I couldn't see _any_ of you there either."

She tells them how she had walked to the door and listened, hearing them on the other side, then how she had followed them to the huge chamber with the eleven doors, _hid_ behind the door and just listened, trying to figure out _how_ she was going to tell them why she followed them, and _not_ get in trouble. Then, she heard them returning, and had run back into the smaller room, back through the door and down the path.

"I got into the alcove and waited, like I had just shown up you know? But _you_ didn't show up. So, I went back down the tunnel to the door. I heard you all talking about _Amanda_ going someplace first, to see if everything was okay, while the rest of you stayed here. I sat and waited like you, but just out of sight. I was _still_ too afraid to let you know I followed you, and I was trying to figure out _what_ was going on. I thought you would all be _really_ mad at me.

"Then _you_ came back Amanda, and said everything was okay, but there was a _cave_ -in or something. You all said goodbye to Loki, and went through the door right _next_ to me. In a couple minutes, the door where I was standing _flew_ open and _Loki_ walked _right_ into me. Scared the _heck_ out of both of us!

"He wanted to know what I was doing there, so I told him. I told him that I had been in the village when the fighting happened, saw you all leave for Thian's place like that man had said. I told Loki I tried to find Thian's house, showed up when the fighting was happening and hid. Then how I had seen the fights, followed you to Thian's cabin, what happened there, and how I followed you to the mountain ledge and into the vines, and, well, _how_ I got to where we were standing.

"He was _really_ upset at first, then calmed down and said that it was actually a _good_ thing I did show up. He wanted me to tell you, that he was going to find his dad right away, then get to some people named _Josh_ and Samantha, let _them_ know what was happening, and that he had decided that he and his dad were going to _Jojo's_. He wouldn't _tell_ me who Jojo is, or _where_ he, uh, _she_ , I mean _whatever_ Jojo is... _was_."

Tia laughs along with everyone but Amanda, who looks just as confused as Sadie.

"Jojo's a _fishing_ hole about two thousand miles from _my_ place," Thian says with a grin. "Loki and his dad go there every couple years, to spend some time together fishing, then go hunting for gems in the nearby hills. There's a campground there, and some old _deserted_ cabins deep in the woods, by some ancient _abandoned_ mines. I bet they're going to _hide_ out there for a while, until they can figure out what else to do."

"Well," Sadie says with a smile, "Loki told me to let you know, that he was going to let Josh and Samantha know you got here okay, and _where_ Loki and his dad were going. He then told me where _you_ were going and how to get here. So, we said goodbye, and he went running to the alcove to go back home, and I... came _here_.

"When I first _got_ here, after another _really_ interesting and scary ride, I found that I wasn't even _tired_ anymore. Really _weird_! I then found the place that had caved in. I flew up and into the cavern with the _big_ scary face. I flew down and _looked_ it over... I was really scared!

"I saw some footprints in the dirt, leading into the huge mouth. I couldn't see any of you, and I couldn't _hear_ anything either. Finally, even though I was really scared, I went inside. I came to the writing and read the inscription on the tongue about the password."

"Wait!" Thian says holding up both his hands. "You could _read_ what was written on the tongue? And it was about a _password_?"

"Well, _yeah_ ," Sadie says looking to the others with confusion. "It said, 'The way is now shut. No entrance allowed but for the high priest and priestess. Speak the password now... or meet your doom. The way is now shut. _'_ But I guess you didn't take the time to _read_ it, because when I said the _usual_ password, and walked into the back cavern and into the _big_ chamber, the one with the _Pentagram_ , you weren't there."

"You mean, you just _walked_ across the tongue and into some _big_ chamber with a _Pentagram_?" Thian asks completely bewildered. "And, it didn't try to _eat_ you like it did us?"

"Nooo," Sadie says in a small voice. "Once I read the Theban and used the password, I just _walked_ into the cavern."

" _Theban_! Of _course_!" Tia says loudly.

"What's Theban?" Amanda asks looking at Tia.

"It's the old _alphabet_ used by the witches in _several_ realms. Actually, I think Theban was used in _your_ realm Amanda, after the early witches first went there, _thousands_ of years ago. Loki could tell you for sure, but I'm _pretty_ sure it was. It was used instead of the common writing. Kind of like a _secret_ language, known just to those practicing _witchcraft_. It was used to write down _spells_ , incantations, _meeting_ places, and stuff like that. Actually, it was used to write _anything_ you didn't want the common folk to understand.

"Also, since the writing was known to be that of _witches_ , few ever _tried_ to read it, from fear of having some _curse_ which had been placed upon the writing, maybe kill _them_ , or turning them into a _toad_ or something. And _remember_ when Loki was telling us about all those _horrible_ witch hunts on your realm? _That's_ when Theban was _really_ used there a lot I think, to write down _safe_ places for the true _Wizitch_ witches to meet, and plan how to escape."

"I _knew_ I'd seen it before!" Thian says nodding. "I remember we read about it several years ago, in our _Obscure Ancient Language_ s class. _Cool_."

"But Sadie," Tianna asks, "how in _two_ moons, did you _find_ us? We were _trapped_ down in that pile of bones, in the muddy water? There's no _way_ you could have _seen_ us."

"Oh, um, I, well... I used a _transparency_ spell actually. I'm not very _good_ at it yet, but I _can_ make an area about fifteen feet in diameter, _kind_ of transparent, for about twenty to thirty feet or so, so I can see what's behind or inside something."

There are gasps from the others, Amanda looking at their stunned faces.

"You... you're... you're _Keptic_ aren't you?" Thian says, his voice trembling as he tries to force down a swallow.

Sadie looks as frightened as a _trapped_ animal about to be eaten alive. Tears well in her eyes, and are soon flowing down her little face as she begins to cry.

"What's... what's _Keptic_ mean?" Amanda asks, looking at all the shocked faces, then to Sadie who is trembling, trying her best to stop crying.

"The Keptic," Tia says, her eyes still locked on the tiny girl, "are a _very_ powerful and ancient race. They _genetically_ possess some of the most _powerful_ Wizitch of all the known realms. They are said to live for _thousands_ of years, aging very slowly of course, if nothing _kills_ them unnaturally.

"It once was said, that they were _not_ to be trusted, and used their powerful Wizitch for their _own_ end, at the expense of _everyone_ and everything else. We read about them last year in the _Horrors of the Realms_ series. But, it said that there were only a _handful_ of Keptic still alive, after the Tullary war, after _dozens_ of other realms got together and joined in the _Great Battle_ of Zentour."

"The battle was to... _kill_ all the Keptic?" Amanda gasps.

"No," Thian says shaking his head, still staring at Sadie. "The Keptic _had_ joined with the other realms, to fight those on the Dark side of Wizitch, like Taldan and his gang. It was said to have been a _massive_ slaughter, where _tens_ of thousands of people and creatures lost their lives.

"The Keptic told the others that the stronghold of the Dark ones needed to be attacked at dawn. They convinced the other realms _precisely_ where to attack, and _when_. When the attack took place, almost _everyone_ was killed by the Dark ones. It had been a _trap_ the Keptic had set, _along_ with the Dark ones. The Keptic had been promised riches beyond belief. Their _betrayal_ ended up in the _mass_ murders of tens of _thousands_ of those on the Light side... the _good_ side of Wizitch.

"After the few thousand who _had_ escaped returned to their realms, and the word spread about the _Keptic's_ betrayal, the Keptic were declared the _enemy_ of the Light... to be _hunted_ , and killed on sight. The Keptic were sought out over the next few _thousand_ years, throughout all the realms at that time, and from what we learned in class, only a _handful_ were still said to be left alive of their _entire_ race."

"Yeah," Tia says now looking from Sadie to Amanda, "but the hunt for them _ended_ several hundred years ago, when many of the remaining Keptic _suddenly_ appeared in another great battle, and _struck_ down the Dark ones by the _thousands_ , saving the Light from an _assured_ slaughter. The remaining Keptic were declared _friends_ of the Light, and all animosity was to end.

"But, the families of the _tens_ of thousands who had been slaughtered, _still_ carry anger and seek revenge even today. Kind of like the ancestors of _slavery_ on your realm are still bitter, even though it's been over a hundred years since slavery had been abolished."

"But, what makes you think _Sadie_ is Keptic?" Amanda asks confused.

"Because," Tianna says trying to sit up against the cavern wall, " _only_ the Keptic have the ability to _use_ a transparency spell. And, after all, that's the _only_ way Sadie _could_ have found us through _solid_ stone."

Sadie, still crying, gets to her feet and says through her tears, "I'm _sorry_. I can't _help_ who I am, or _where_ I come from. I'm _not_ a bad person... I'm a _good_ person! I just want people to _like_ me, and not be _afraid_ of me and run away all the time when they find out who... _what_ I am.

"I don't have _any_ friends. You don't know what it's _like_ not to be liked when people find out what _race_ you are. Tianna was the _first_ person who was really nice to me, and, and even treated me like I was her _friend_ , and she didn't even know me. Nobody _ever_ did that before. Then, she even wanted me to meet all of _you_ , but there was no time."

With her tiny lips quivering, Sadie says as she stands, turns and begins to walk away, tears _streaming_ down her little face, "But now you _know_ what race I'm from, and don't _like_ me anymore, _just_ like everyone else!"

Sadie stops for a moment, then looking over her shoulder says, "You judge me for my _race_ , and what my people have done in the past. You don't even give _me_ a chance to show you I'm not _like_ them. I'm... I'm just _me_."

Sadie turns and starts to run around the corner of the cavern they are in. The kids look to one another for the briefest of moments, when Tianna yells, "Sadie! Wait! You _are_ my friend! Please, _don't_ go, come _back_!"

Amanda yells, " _Sadie_ , we're _all_ your friends! We don't _care_ where you're from, or _what_ race you are! Come back!"

"Please... _stop_ her!" Tianna gasps, bracing herself against the cavern wall as she clutches her side. "Please! She saved _all_ of us, don't let her go! She's _just_ a little kid!"

Amanda, Thian and Tia get to their feet and sprint off down the tunnel, calling after Sadie as they run, Thian limping badly, quickly falling behind.

They round a corner, then enter a large chamber which has a _huge_ Pentagram on the floor. There, near the far side of the cavern, is Sadie, just mounting her broom. The kids all yell again for her to stop. Sadie hesitates for a moment, looking to them all as they came to a stop on this side of the cavern.

They can hear Sadie crying, as she hops into the air and begins to fly through a large open doorway.

Amanda yells, "Sadie! _You're_ judging us now, by how _you've_ been treated before, _just_ like people have judged you before getting to _know_ you! _Don't_ make the same mistake! We _are_ your friends, and we don't _care_ where you come from or _who_ your people are! We _only_ care about who _you_ are!"

Sadie has disappeared through the doorway, and the kids are not sure she had heard them. After waiting a few moments, all looking to one another, they turn and begin to walk back to where Tianna is, along with all their stuff.

As they approach Tianna, Tianna calls, "Where's _Sadie_? Why didn't you _stop_ her?"

"We _tried_ ," Thian says as they walk up, Thian still pealing dried mud from his shirt and pants. "She just mounted her broom and went through a doorway and, well, we _lost_ her."

"But, she didn't _do_ anything wrong," Tianna says now with tears in her eyes. "If it weren't for _her_ , we'd all be _dead_ now. She _saved_ us all. We don't _care_ what race she is, she's our _friend_! I _really_ like her, we _have_ to go after her... please!"

"You're right," Amanda says reaching down and grabbing her broom, then stepping to her wand, which she notices is the one which had stayed lit. "Come _on_ you guys, let's see if we can _catch_ her before she gets to the _transport_ chamber!"

Thian and Tia grab their broom and wand while Amanda drops her backpack. Tianna is trying to get to her feet when a small voice comes from off to the side. Everyone spins to see Sadie standing there holding her broom.

Everyone just looks at Sadie for a moment, Sadie staring back at them. Tianna says, "Sadie. Please don't go. We don't _care_ about your race or what people say! We care about _you_ , as an individual."

"I know," Sadie says now walking slowly toward them. "I was just about to the tunnel leading to the transport chamber, when I _thought_ about what Amanda had said... that _I_ was now judging you, like _everyone's_ done to me. Not taking the _time_ to get to know you, for who you all are, and not judging _you_ on how others _like_ you have treated me. I just heard what you all said about me now too.

"And, you were _really_ coming after me, to _stop_ me from leaving... weren't you?"

Tianna has been struggling to get to her feet, and Tia and Thian now help her up.

"Yeah, we were," Tianna says as she walks to Sadie. "Listen Sadie, all of _us_ don't have many friends either, and Amanda said she didn't have _any_ friends at all before she met us. And she's from the _Earth_ realm. She's _human_ , we're _elves_ , and Loki is a _dwarf_. Heck, we even have a friend that's a _goblin_! We've been _picked_ on and made fun of all our lives, so we _do_ know what it's like not to have friends, and be _judged_ all the time for just the way we _look_. The way I see it, _you're_ no different from any of us."

"You're... _human_?" Sadie asks looking at Amanda with wonder. "But, I thought humans were _non_ Wizitch. But, but I've seen you do some _really_ amazing things. How?"

"I'll tell you later," Amanda says with a smile. "But Sadie, you've _got_ to believe us, we _are_ your friends... if you want to be _our_ friend that is."

"Oh yes... _please_ , I'd _like_ that!"

"Sadie," Tia says and then looks to the others briefly, "uh, we really _do_ want to be your friend, but, maybe your joining us _now_ isn't the best idea. We're, uh, on kind of a _mission_ of sorts, and it could get _really_ dangerous. Maybe you should go back home for now. I'm sure your folks are worried _sick_ about you by now. I mean, you've been gone a _long_ time. We can meet up with you when we get back, uh, if you let us know how to _find_ you that is."

Sadie licks her lips and then in a small voice says, "I don't _have_ any parents. My dad was killed in one of the raids he was on just after I was born. My mom... well, uh, _she_ was killed too. So, I'm _alone_ really."

"But, then, how did you get to the convention?" Thian asks. "I mean, you're underage so, you need your parent's permission, or a _guardian_ or something."

"Where I come from, if you don't _have_ any parents or other family that will take you in, you're put into a _home_ with lots of other kids who don't have parents or families either. You have to stay there until you're old enough to leave and be on your own.

"The Mosen of the house _knew_ what race I was, and saw that I was pretty good at using a wand and other things. She is _really_ mean and doesn't _like_ me at all, but thought I might be able to win a couple medals, which would bring _honor_ to her and the house, which means she could get more _money_. So, when she told me she had entered me into some competitions on _your_ realm, I was really surprised, but _excited_ too.

"She brought me to the convention, but wouldn't let me do much or go anyplace on my own. The Mosen and I were in the village when the fighting started with all of you and those men. I was _still_ trying to find Tianna, to say thanks for being so nice to me. But when people were getting _killed_ , the Mosen took out her labyrinth, and set it for our realm. She then just _looked_ at me for a second, pulled out her wand, then... then, instead of _taking_ my hand before she actuated the transflight, she, well, kind of _snarled_ at me, and said, 'Good _luck_ kid,' then took two quick steps away from me and waved her wand."

The kids all gasp.

" _What_?" Amanda asks looking confused. "I don't understand. What's a Mosen? And what do you mean, she set a _labyrinth_ to your realm? And what's, uh, a _transflight_?"

"Oh _Sadie_! That _horrible_ woman! How could she _do_ that to you?" Tianna says, then adds a long string of profanity.

"Do _what_?" Amanda asks loudly. "Will _somebody_ please tell me what all this _means_?"

"It means that Sadie was _left_ behind!" Thian says shaking his head. "And the _Mosen_ went back to _her_ realm! A Mosen is like the _head_ mistress where we come from, or like that lady where _you_ stayed until you were adopted."

" _What_?" Amanda yells completely shocked. "She just... _left_ you there? All _alone_? Why would she _do_ that?"

"Because she doesn't _like_ me," Sadie says looking at her feet. "She said that she doesn't want... _my_ kind around her, or in her house. I think that she thought _I_ might be killed too with all the fighting going on, and she would just go back and tell them that I was killed along with all the others."

"I just _can't_ believe anyone would do that!" Amanda says hotly. "But what does a _labyrinth_ have to do with getting her home? Isn't a labyrinth just a kind of _path_ people walk on? You know, like representing the journey through life, to some _stupid_ thing like enlightenment or something?"

"Well, _first_ of all Amanda," Tianna says snidely, "you're showing your _ignorance_ again. Just because _you_ think something is _stupid_ , doesn't mean that it is. The labyrinth is _not_ just some ancient symbol. It stands for _many_ different things, and is _used_ for many different things, on many realms.

"Where we come from, the labyrinth is actually a _messaging_ and _transportation_ device, which is also used on many _other_ realms. You pull up the curves of what _you_ think are the sides of the paths, and adjust them to vibrate at a _precise_ frequency, when the energy from your wand _strikes_ it. Dependent upon _how_ you use your wand, you can make it vibrate so that it will transmit your _voice_ from wherever you are, across _any_ distance, even to the most _far_ away realm, _right_ to the labyrinth you want.

"Or, you can use a _different_ wand movement, which will transport the _wearer_ of the labyrinth to the intended destination. You can even use _huge_ ones to transport equipment, lots of _people_ at a time, and stuff like that."

"Yeah," Thian says as he runs his hands through his hair, chunks of dried mud falling to the cavern floor. "That's _pretty_ much how a lot of people travel really great distances even now days. The _transport_ chambers, like the ones we used, are _really_ ancient. There are of course, the really _modern_ transport techniques, but the _labyrinth_ is still used in many realms."

"In fact," Tia says now brushing mud from her hair as well, "in _your_ realm Amanda, the labyrinth has been around for _hundreds_ of centuries. The thing is, those with _true_ Wizitch, took the actual _working_ labyrinths with them when they left. The ancient peoples of your realm had seen them, and have been drawing depictions of them, all _over_ your realm. Over the ages, people in different parts of your realm have assigned different _meanings_ as to what the labyrinth really was, and was used for.

"The _original_ use of the labyrinths on earth, come from the ongoing battle of _good_ against evil. The Labyrinth was carved, or _drawn_ in the location where the _Cyrillians_ defeated the Dorjans..."

"The... _who_?" Amanda asks.

"Never mind, that's a _whole_ other story! Anyway, other peoples of your realm, decided that the symbol of the labyrinth, _must_ be mystical, and came up with all _kinds_ of other meanings.

"As for _modern_ working labyrinths like the one Sadie's Mosen used, you _can_ buy them back in our village, if you're of _age_ , and have a _license_ to use them. But only the _highest_ of one's Order can get the long distance ones, and know how to use them correctly. Oh, and _transflight_ is the term used when one transports from one place to another, _using_ the labyrinth."

"Oh," Amanda says considering that for a moment. Then turning to Sadie, "So, you have no place to go then Sadie?"

"Noooo. So, can I come with all of you? I won't _cause_ any trouble, honest."

The kids all look to Amanda.

Tianna then says softly, "Amanda, this _is_ your quest, but we're all part of it because... well, we each have our reasons. Sadie, doesn't have any place to go, or anyone to look out for her, or anybody to _care_ about her. So, if you'll let her come, _I'll_ watch her... okay? She'll be _my_ responsibility. Please, _don't_ send her away all alone."

Everyone is _shocked_ to hear the tenderness and almost pleading in Tianna's voice, her eyes now locked on Amanda's.

Amanda looks from one to another of her friend's faces, then to Sadie's tiny face. Sadie has her head down, but is looking up at Amanda through upturned blue eyes, with her lower lip out and quivering. Actually, she looks so _comical_ Amanda has to stifle a laugh while saying, "Okay, she's _in_."

Sadie runs to Amanda and hugs her legs saying, " _Thank_ you! _Thank_ you Amanda! I _won't_ get in the way, _really_!"

Amanda laughs saying, "Well, you may be thanking me _now_ , but that may change soon. Did you bring a backpack?"

"A what?" Sadie asks as she lets go of Amanda and takes a step back.

"Backpack is _human_ speak for travelers pack," Tianna says with a grin.

"Oh... no. We were just taking a walk in the village when the _fighting_ started. I still had my _broom_ since I just came from one of my competitions. And I've got my wand too, as you know, but that's all."

Tianna lets out a _groan_ and grunt. Sadie turns and runs back to Tianna saying, "Don't worry Tianna, _I'll_ take care of you."

Tianna _laughs_ as she looks down at the tiny girl, who just reaches her waist, her laughing making her _cry_ out in even more pain, along with half a grin, half a grimace.

The others laugh too.

"We need to get _Tianna_ to a hospital, and soon," Tia says walking to her sister.

"So, where _do_ we go from here?" Thian asks emptying his left boot of dried mud.

"Sadie," Amanda asks, "you said you came in through a room that had a _Pentagram_ on the floor? Was there _another_ door in there too? Or some _other_ way out of there, like a tunnel or something?"

"Yeah, there is another door on the left side of the room I think. I don't remember seeing anything else in there though, but I didn't stay to look around."

"Well, it seems like that's the only way we know of to go," Thian says now stretching. "We might as well take a look and see where it leads."

"Great, but _this_ time Thian," Tianna says as she leans against the wall, "if we find some writing on the floor and a _line_... do us _all_ a favor, and don't be _stupid_ enough to step over it okay?"

Thian shoots a quick look at the others, turning a little red, then turns and begins walking toward the chamber where the Pentagram is. He says in almost a whisper, "Yeah, okay. I didn't _mean_ for anything to happen though you know. It was an _accident_."

Everyone wipes as much dried mud as they can from their travelers packs, puts them on and adjusts them.

Tianna scrunches up her face and is about to say something ,when Sadie takes Tianna's hand and says, "Come on Tianna, _I'll_ show you where the room is. Can you walk okay?"

"I'm not _sure_ really. It hurts quite a bit just standing. And all those _bites_ and stings I got are really hurting too."

Tia walks over and hands Tianna her broom. "Here, no sense in _walking_ when you can fly. Can you mount up okay?"

"Yeah, I _think_ so. I'll try anyway." Tianna takes her broom and winces as she steps over the bristles resting on the ground. She gives a little hop, giving a _cry_ as she and the broom rise into the air, her feet just clearing the cavern floor.

"How is it? Any better?" Amanda asks looking concerned.

"Actually, it's _much_ better," Tianna says with a sigh. "The backrest is really soft, so is the seat. _Thanks_ , that was a good idea sis. Well, let's see what kind of a _mess_ Thian can get us into next."

Thian, waiting for the others at the corner, opens his mouth to say something, but thinking better of it, he shuts it, then turns and walks off around the corner shaking the mud from his broom.

Both Tia and Amanda give Tianna dirty looks, then Sadie says, "Come _on_ Tianna, I'll show you where the door is."

Sadie runs off with Tianna floating along beside her. Amanda turns to look at Tia for a second, both of them shaking their heads, then the two of them head off after the others.

They go through the ancient wooden door and find a _pathway_ on the other side and begin following it.

The pathway curves several times both to the left and right, then begins to rise at about a twenty-five degree angle. After eight more minutes, they approach another _large_ wooden door.

"Uh oh." Thian says as he and Sadie come to a stop in front of it on a wide and relatively deep landing. It has _huge_ metal straps crisscrossing its ancient wooden form.

Tia drifts up to Thian and Sadie who have arrived at the door first. "Uh, maybe before we _open_ it, Sadie can use her, um, _skills_ , to see what's behind it. Can you _do_ that Sadie?"

"Uh, well, I can _try_. Like I said, I'm just _starting_ to learn how to do it."

Sadie stands in front of the door and stares for a moment. "Oh. Hmm..."

"What Sadie? What do you see?" Tianna asks trying to see through the door herself.

"I'm not really _sure_ , but it kind of looks like a small _cave_ of some kind, and... I _think_ I see some kind of dim _light_."

"Light? _Really_?" Thian asks now looking at Tia, then back to Sadie. "Uh, is there anything, um, _moving_ in there?"

"Not that I can see. I don't see any _traps_ either, but like I said, I've just started using this ability, so... right now, I just can't see anything but a small _cave_ that gets smaller... I _think_ , then some dim light."

"Okay Thian, _get_ 'er open and let's see what we find," Amanda says pointing her wand at the door. The others then do the same as Thian steps to the door.

"Orathian!"

The door clicks then pops open a little. Thian grabs the bronze ring and pulls it open enough to stick his head around.

"She's _right_ ," Thian says pulling the door fully open. " _Look_. It's just a small cave about the size of my _bedroom_ back home. And it gets smaller further in. I think that light's, well, maybe _moonlight_ or something. I think we _found_ the way out!"

They all grin at each other, then adjusting their traveler's packs and clutching at their brooms, make their way into the cave on the other side.

After reaching the far end of the cave, which has narrowed _considerably_ , they do indeed find an opening which is about eleven feet in diameter.

"Let's leave our packs here and take a look outside," Thian says slipping his pack off and setting it against the cavern wall.

Everyone takes their pack off and sets them aside, Tia helping Tianna with hers.

"Well, let's _take_ a look and see what's out there," Thian says with half a grin.

As they each step through and to the side, they gasp. They find that they are now standing on a rock ledge, that has a _very_ large and slanting overhang above them. The overhang would make the cave almost _impossible_ to find, unless you actually _knew_ right where it was.

They look in awe at the sight before them. Down in the moonlit valley below them, is a lush _forest_ with what looks like an old _broken_ down village, made up of only a few wooden buildings, half _hidden_ among the dense trees, underbrush, _vines_ , weeds and some flowers. There are lights coming from some of the buildings, and some dots of lights scattered around and about for a good distance, possibly houses.

"We've _found_ it!" Amanda says excitedly. "We've _found_ _Arcoma Village_!"

#  Arcoma Village

To TOC

"Amanda, are you sure?" Tia asks bending to look beneath the low overhang to get a better look at the broken down village below them.

"Well, no. Not _really_ I guess, but the _Journal_ says that when you get to _The Realm of The Witches_ , you'll arrive at a place called, _Arcoma_ _Village_. Here, let me show you." Amanda goes back to her backpack and retrieves the old Journal she had found back on earth.

Flipping through it, with everyone next to her, she comes to the page she is looking for and says, "Here it is. _See_ , here's the picture of the village."

Amanda turns the page around so everyone can see. Their eyes go wide at the _very_ detailed, full page color drawing of the village.

"Wow, it's so _real_ looking," Sadie says leaning in a little. "Is it a still or SAMP?"

"Is it a... _what_?" Thian asks looking puzzled.

"You know..." Sadie says furrowing her brows. "Is it really a still image, or is it a **S** pell **A** ctuated **M** otion **P** icture using a _time_ lapse sequence of some kind?"

Everyone just stands there and looks at Sadie like she is speaking a foreign language.

"In our ancient history classes, it said in ancient times, wizards, witches and others would cast a _SAMP_ and use a universal spell to actuate it. Here, let me see if it is," Sadie says pulling her wand and pointing it at the still image in the Journal. "Almoto!" A thin silver strand shoots from her wand and strikes the image. It _instantly_ springs to life, and begins moving, like clicking the play button on an online movie. The image changes from a detailed color drawing, into a _full_ motion color movie, but playing now in _spectacular_ , perfectly detailed 3-D. There are people _flying_ and walking around within the village.

"Wow! I never _knew_ there was a spell to make a still image _move_ ," Tianna says as she looks down at the page. "It's like looking down on the _real_ thing, but like, from a couple hundred feet _above_ it, and about the same distance away from it. Look at all the _witches_ walking around and looking in the windows! Looks like they're _shopping_ doesn't it?"

"Yeah, it does," Tia says with a smile. "And look at the colorful _robes_ everyone's wearing... even matching _hats_! And look at _these_ witches flying on those ancient brooms! Gosh, they haven't made those in _hundreds_ of years - I _think_ anyway," she says with a laugh.

They watch the short movie play through twice, then Amanda says, "And listen to what it says here under the picture..." she turns the Journal around to face her. "' _Arcoma Village_ , just North East of _Ulmorkeen_. After entering _Kelmar_ , take the rock path to the right. Follow it to the lake. Turn and follow it back to the tree line, turn left and enter the _fifth_ tree. Password is _Keltor_. You will arrive in the _third_ tree behind the old pond. Use _this_ tree and _same_ password to return.'"

"Gosh, this must have been a really long time ago you know?" Thian says turning back to look at the overhang at the end of the cave. "I mean, just look at it _now_... if it _is_ Arcoma. I mean, it _did_ say something about entering someplace called _Kelmar_. Maybe _this_ is _Kelmar_ , and we need to do what it says to _get_ to _Arcoma Village_."

"No, this is, or _was_ , _Arcoma Village_ ," Amanda says flipping the Journal shut and putting it back into her backpack. "Over the next few pages, it talks about there being a fairly large city, about twenty-five miles Southwest of _Arcoma Village_ called _Ulmorkeen_. It has a _lot_ of weird stuff about what went on there, but, the Journal says you leave the transport and _arrive_ at _Arcoma Village_. So, I'm _pretty_ sure that this is either where it used to be, hundreds or _thousands_ of years ago, or, this is actually the _same_ village."

"Well, what do you want to do Amanda?" Tia asks. "Tianna's hurt pretty bad and we need to get her some help. Thian's leg is really bothering him, and _my_ arm could sure use some help too. And _all_ of us were bitten and stung _dozens_ of times. I don't know what some of those things were, but the _venom_ may kick in at any time, and many of the bites, stings, _cuts_ and stuff are getting infected. But, do we go down there _now_ , at night, or wait till _morning_ and see what's going on down there, and how many people there are first?"

Everyone looks to Amanda who is rather startled. She is still not used to anyone asking _her_ opinion, or looking to _her_ as to what they should do. She stammers, "Uh... well... maybe we should wait a _little_ longer, and wait for more of the _lights_ to go out. Then we can go down and look around a little. Maybe there's, well, like a _clinic_ or something we can find. But by the looks of it, I don't think so. If we don't find anything, we can always wake somebody up, or go back when it's _light_ , and get directions to a hospital."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Thian says turning to Tianna. "It's just that Tianna has waited too long _now_ you know? She _really_ needs to get help, so does Tia."

"We'll be okay for a while longer," Tianna says with half a smile.

They decide to sit and rest, then sneak down later and have a look around.

It has not been more than twenty minutes when Tia says, "What _is_ that? Sounds like... _yelling_?"

The others hear it too and get to their feet, Thian helping Tianna up. They make their way quickly out and onto the ledge.

"Holy _smokes_..." Amanda says with eyes wide.

Looking down at the village, they count _twenty_ -one black-cloaked riders on brooms, all firing bolts from their wands at the village. Windows are being _blown_ out while small fires flair for a few moments, before quickly being extinguished.

"What in _two_ moons is going on?" Tia asks no one in particular, her eyes darting all around.

"No idea," Tianna says. "But those people in the village won't have a _chance_ without help. They're being _surrounded_! They're _trapped_ , and it looks like some of the flyers are trying to _burn_ them out!"

"Yeah, but _which_ ones are the _bad_ guys?" Sadie asks watching a door get blown away from one of the smaller buildings. "The ones on the _brooms_...or the ones in the _village_? I mean, the village looks _ancient_. Why would _anyone_ actually want to live there? Unless they've done something _really_ bad, and are hiding out... you _know_?"

"Yeah, well, maybe you're _right_ ," Amanda says, as she watches a rider on a broom get hit with a yellow bolt and fall from their broom. The rider drops down behind a tree and she cannot see them any longer.

"Hey! Look! The _back_ building!" Tia cries holding her arm out.

Amanda looks to where Tia is pointing and sees several _children_ running from a broken down building. In a flash, _three_ flyers change formation and fire _yellow_ bolts at the children. All five children are _struck_ and fall to the ground. They lay motionless.

Amanda gives a cry of surprise. "Oh God! Those _poor_ kids! I think those flyers might have... _killed_ them! We've got to _help_ them!" She feels a shock run through her as her vision changes. It is as though she is _sliding_ into a long tunnel, which gets _darker_ and darker as she slides, the light narrowing until it is just a pin point. A second later, her _hair_ shoots straight up and slightly behind her.

"Oh _snippins_!" Thian says as his jaw drops. "Look at _Amanda_!"

The others turn around just in time to see Amanda running back inside the cave. Tianna says, shaking her head, "Great... _here_ we go again."

Thian has to _dive_ out of the way as Amanda _darts_ past him on her broom. She arches down off the ledge and is gone.

"Help me get on my _broom_!" Tianna yells as she heads back inside. "I guess she's decided who the _bad_ guys are. At least, I _hope_ she's picked the right side!"

For a moment, Tia stands there looking at her sister, then licking her lips says, "Come on, let's go _help_ her."

Tia helps Tianna back into the cave. Sadie has dashed in and has already mounted up.

Thian is still looking down at the village from the ledge when little Sadie yells, " _Out_ of my way Thian!" and shoots past him and down out of sight.

Thian stands there for a moment, startled and watching the tiny girl disappear from sight, says in a whisper, "She's _five_... going into battle... and _I'm_ just standing here?"

" _Move_ Thian!" comes Tianna's strained voice. Thian _ducks_ as Tianna narrowly misses him, shooting by with her wand held out in front of her.

Tia then flies past him and disappears as well. Thian spins, runs back in and mounts up, kicks off and shoots out into the cool night air. As he begins heading downward, he suddenly pulls to a hover and _freezes_ for a moment. At least _seven_ more riders have joined the other dark flyers.

There are flashes coming from _everywhere_. Many of the riders are now changing altitude as _Amanda_ and Sadie have just arrived _blasting_ away at them, scattering them in various directions. Tia and Tianna join in and are firing at the dark flyers from a good distance away to the right.

Thian is looking at what resembles a _swarm_ of angry bees, flying _frantically_ and erratically in all directions. Various colored bolts of _lightning_ flashing like a multi-colored _web_ of some kind.

Thian swallows hard at the sight of all the black robed flyers, firing who knows _what_ kind of spells or curses. Coming out of his frozen shock, he quickly looks around. Thian sees Tianna engage two flyers and _blast_ them off their brooms. He smiles, remembering that move was one she came up with herself. Taking a deep breath, Thian shoots down and into the battle yelling, "Here I _come_ you _Blaggers_!"

Amanda approaches at nearly full speed as she watches three flyers dismount. They head quickly for three children who are clutching _tightly_ to a very frightened woman, with a man lying _face_ down on the ground at their feet.

Tia has _two_ flyers after her now, since she had _blasted_ one of their fellow flyers off their broom, using a _vomit_ and hiccup spell.

Tianna _whips_ around a building, coming face-to-face with two dark riders. She shoots _both_ riders from their brooms before they know _she_ is not one of them. Other flyers saw her fire and are now _hot_ on her tail.

Sadie hits three with vomit, _hiccup_ , and itching spells. She _cheers_ as they fall from their brooms.

_Most_ of the flyers that fall are cushioned by the _dense_ foliage that seems to cover most everything. Once they hit the ground, bolts come through windows and doorways, striking the fallen bodies, whereupon they go limp and motionless.

Thian passes _closely_ by a doorway as he hits a dismounted flyer, _just_ as the robed man is about to fire on a man who has his _hands_ up. Thian's spell hits the tall man _square_ in the face when he had turned to look over his shoulder _right_ at Thian. The bolt _flips_ the man off his feet and onto his back, where he begins _screaming_ as his face begins to bubble, with the heaviest _triple_ dose of a bursting _pus_ spell Thian has ever used.

Thian _swerves_ to a momentary stop, yelling back at the stunned man who still has his hands up, eyes _wide_ with fright and confusion. " _Grab_ his wand and _knock_ him out! I don't know _how_ to do that yet! There are some kids on the _other_ side of that building, _go_ help them!" With that, Thian shoots off as twin _pinkish_ bolts narrowly miss him.

Shooting into the air, Thian looks back over his shoulder to see the man who had his hands up, come out of shock, _dive_ for the wand, roll onto his back and blast the _two_ flyers that were after Thian, sending _both_ of them spinning into the air then dropping hard.

Looking around quickly, Thian spots Amanda. She is _not_ that hard to spot, since she has that silvery glow, like a _bubble_ , around her again.

Amanda fires a quick volley of spells at _nine_ flyers. Thian's jaw drops as he sees _all_ nine fall from their brooms, as their brooms spin down into the trees below, the fliers bodies _bounce_ hard as they strike the ground. _None_ of them are moving, and Thian _knows_ those were no pus, vomit or _itching_ spells she had used. Those people, are _dead_. He swallows hard as he watches Amanda speed away.

Amanda rises high into the air and slightly away from the buildings. She swerves to a halt for a moment, looking quickly at the battle. She spots _three_ flyers closing in on Sadie, as Sadie tries to lose them by dropping _straight_ down, and swoops off only a couple _feet_ from the ground. She whips around the corner of a tall building into an alleyway, the robed flyers hot on her tail.

Amanda knows the flyers will _get_ to Sadie before she can round the building and _into_ the alleyway to help. Looking around, Amanda quickly spots an _orange_ glow coming from the window of a building near the _center_ of the alleyway. She _cranks_ her throttle, and while diving quickly, heads _directly_ at the window. Amanda levels off, then _crashes_ right through the large glass window. As she darts through what appears to be a store of some kind, an older man and lady turn to see her shooting _right_ at them. They scream and drop face down, just as Amanda _shoots_ over their heads and right through the _opposite_ window. Glass _shatters_ sending shards flying everywhere.

Sadie had _just_ passed by the window when Amanda had come crashing through. Amanda runs right into one of the robed flyers, _knocking_ him right off his broom, sending him flying across the alleyway and through the side of the old _rotting_ wooden building. He was _dead_ on impact.

The other flyers, _clearly_ startled and confused, break pursuit of Sadie and quickly rise to gather their wits. They never get the chance. Sadie had been looking over her shoulder and saw Amanda _strike_ the one flyer. Sadie, seeing the robed flyers break off and begin to rise, takes advantage of the situation, and while shooting up after them, fires off several bolts. She hits _her_ target, while Amanda had spun around and quickly took out the others.

Amanda and Sadie lock eyes for a brief moment, Sadie's eyes wide at how _frightening_ Amanda looks. Amanda turns quickly and flies off as though being chased by _demons_. Sadie swallows hard, then heads off down the alley, rising as she goes.

A bolt _zips_ past Thian's ear. Giving a cry, he glances over his shoulder to find four flyers are rapidly headed his way. "Oh _fizzlewicks_!" he says loudly, cranking his throttle and shooting off like a rocket. It is obvious _whoever_ these flyers are, must be flying _very_ ancient brooms, because they are _no_ match for the ones he and his friends are on. He heads off into the nearby trees to lose them.

Sadie rises from the alleyway and slows to look around. She immediately sees seven flyers blasting _windows_ from a nearby home, and watches as the front door is _blown_ off its hinges and into the house. Accelerating quickly, she goes in _blasting_ , heading directly into them. They turn and _scatter_ as two of their brethren drop from their brooms. Sadie then soars up and over the house in a blur.

Tiny Sadie is now being approached from all sides. She is doing her best to stay away from them, doing some _excellent_ flying, but knows she is in _real_ trouble, and will soon be taken out. There is just _no_ way she can see to get away. Then from somewhere above and in front of her, Amanda drops _straight_ down firing bolts _quick_ as a cat.

Sadie closes her eyes with a _grimace_ as Amanda's bolts barely miss her on both sides of her body. When Sadie opens her eyes, Amanda is _gone_. Frantically, Sadie looks around her... _no_ one there. She looks down and with a gasp, sees a _ring_ of smoking bodies on the ground.

Many people from the village are rushing to the fallen, as some fire shots, not only to the _robed_ flyers circling above, but at _Amanda_ and her too. She yelps as a bolt _singes_ her hair, then shoots off toward Tianna who looks like she could use some help.

Tia turns around after her spell misses its mark, to take another shot. She is a second too late. A _binding_ spell hits her square in the chest. She is knocked off her broom and there is _nothing_ she can do. Fortunately, she only falls fifteen feet into a _very_ tall, _dense_ green bush. Crashing through and to the edge of the bush, she hits the ground hard, knocking _most_ of the wind out of her. Her momentum has rolled her out of the bush where she comes to rest on her back. She is _completely_ bound and cannot move anything but her eyes.

Tia watches as Amanda is taking bolts from both the ground and from the flyers whizzing past her. Amanda is moving _faster_ than Tia thought it was possible.

Nine _new_ flyers have arrived and are gathered behind her and have formed an _arrowhead_ maneuver. Four flyers positioned down each side, and _one_ at the point. This gives the flyers a _clear_ shot at Amanda, without worry of hitting their own. The leader has his wand raised high, the others doing their best to aim at the _erratically_ flying Amanda. They are waiting for the leader to lower his wand and fire, which is the _signal_ for everyone to fire. It is a very effective tactical maneuver, which _rarely_ fails. Generally, there is _no_ way to escape the arrowhead.

As Tia shifts her eyes, she watches as Amanda has _somehow_ managed to flip the lever on her broom and is now shooting _backward_ at near full throttle, without having _thrown_ her off her broom! The leader is _stunned_ by the suddenly rapid approach of this flyer streaking right at him... in _reverse_!

His face in terror, he _dives_ just as Amanda would have crashed right into him, _still_ flying in reverse. The robed man, not having dropped fast enough, was _clipped_ in the head by Amanda's heal, _flipping_ him off his broom backwards, where he falls like a _rock_ to the hard ground far below.

Tia's frightened eyes follow Amanda as she zooms back between the other flyers, firing as she goes. One after the other fall from their broom as they try to turn to the outside to come around after her. She has _struck_ them all. _Cheers_ erupt from somewhere behind the bushes Tia is laying near.

Four _more_ riders come in blasting at Amanda! She shoots forward with the four riders right behind her. All four flyers fire at once. Tia sees Amanda's silver bubble glow _brighter_ as all the bolts strike it. Amanda shoots up in a backward loop, _spinning_ like a top as she goes. Tia can see the heads of the flyers following her upward movement, then their heads snap back to look over their shoulders. Tia has never _seen_ or even _heard_ of a maneuver like the one Amanda is doing.

The robed flyers only had enough time to see Amanda fire off four quick _red_ bolts. All four fall from their brooms, having _burst_ into flames.

To Tia's horror, she thinks, "Those four were just _killed_! _Burned_ to a crisp... while still _alive_!" Then the realization hit her, "Amanda must have _killed_ the others she struck too! Amanda had read that book, and knows the most _evil_ spells and curses ever created... and I... I just saw her _use_ some! By the _moons_!"

Tia looks around and can see many flyers headed off to her left, away from the village. "There were a lot _more_ of them around then we had first seen, _that's_ for sure!" she thinks.

Amanda hovers for a moment, then turns to look in Tia's direction. Tia watches Amanda quickly fly down and disappear into the trees below her. In a few moments, Tia sees Amanda flying quickly around some trees in the distance. She comes to where Tia is laying and dismounts. Amanda's hair is _snapping_ in the air like _thousands_ of tiny whips.

"Her eyes... are they, _glowing_?" Tia thinks.

Amanda steps up to Tia, points her wand at her and fires a light lavender bolt, striking Tia square in the chest. Tia's _binding_ spell is instantly broken.

Tia watches in surprise as Amanda's hair instantly drops to her shoulders, as though someone has _flipped_ a switch and the wind has suddenly stopped. Amanda staggers back a couple steps, twists slightly as her eyes roll up into her head, her knees buckling, and _drops_ to the ground.

Amanda lays motionless. Tia crawls to Amanda, reaches out and shakes her gently. "Amanda? _Amanda_! Can you _hear_ me? Are you alright?"

Amanda moans then flutters her eyes open. After a moment, her eyes clear and she sits bolt upright. "What... what _happened_?" Then looking around asks, "Where _are_ we? How did we... _get_ here?"

"Uh, I'll tell you later. But now, we need to _find_ the others. Come _on_!"

As they get to their feet, Tia points to Amanda's broom and says, "Grab your broom. Where's.... oh, _there_ it is." Tia walks over and grabs her broom, which is resting on the bush she had fallen into. She quickly mounts up.

As Amanda mounts her broom and kicks into a hover she asks, "Uh, Tia? Did I, um, _do_ something again and I don't remember?"

"Yeah, you _did_. You were really _great_ though! _Scary_... but _great_!"

"Did... did I _kill_ anyone this time?" Amanda asks scared half to death, tears in her eyes.

1Tia looks into Amanda's frightened eyes and says gently, "Come on, we need to find the others."

#  Captured

To TOC

Amanda and Tia fly back into the tree line for cover, then back around to the left. Yelling can be heard and a few yellow bolts of lightning from wands can be seen in the distance through the trees and high bushes.

" _Come_ on, that _could_ be them!" Tia says as she shoots off low, her feet just a couple inches off the ground. Amanda is still confused and really scared, but shoots off after her.

"Move _again_ kid an' the _next_ one'll be a _killing_ curse," says a gruff male voice from the other side of some tall bushes, right in front of where Tia and Amanda have just come to a hover behind. They dismount and kneel behind the bush, listening.

" _Bite_ my _tree_ stump!" comes Tianna's angry voice. "And if you _hurt_ her, I'll _hit_ you with more than a pus and _vomit_ spell, you _idiot_! We were the ones _helping_ you!"

"I thinks yo' ot' ah _shoots_ her again Delten. She hit yo' _real_ good with dat _pus_ spell, and she set me _pants_ on fire she did," says another man's high pitched jittery voice.

" _Shuddup_ Cinobin and _pick_ up that there tiny girl. Brat _hit_ me with a vomit spell wit' _almost_ tore me _insides_ out! If it weren't fo' _yo'_ an' your counter spell, I'd still be _pukin_! Let's take um in and call the others. Find out _why_ they come here and was a _shoot'n_ at us. An what the _heck_ these kids _doin'_ here? And where they _come_ from anyhow? They ain't from around _here_ for sure! We knows _all_ da kids here. And the Cormac's ain't _never_ attacked us wit' their kids. Don' make no _sense_ it don'!"

Amanda looks at Tia with a frightened expression and in whispers, "What are we gonna do? They must have hit _Tianna_ and knocked out Sadie!"

"Don't move a _muscle_ , da _two_ of ya!" says a woman's voice from behind Amanda.

Tia whips her wand arm around and is hit by a yellow _stunning_ spell, where upon she drops her wand and _keels_ over onto her side, eyes wide and unmoving.

" _Move_ and you'll be _next_ dearie. _Drop_ the wand... _now_! Thaaat's a good girl." Then the woman yells, "Hey _Delten_! Cinobin! I got _two_ more kids over here... both _girls_."

The one called Cinobin comes running through the brush, trips over a vine in the dark and falls _flat_ on his face. He scrambles up, _spitting_ and wiping dirt from his tongue with both hands, which just _grinds_ the dirt in deeper. He is _completely_ filthy. He scurries forward with his wand glowing, eyes and hair _wild_.

"What yo' _find_ Beska? Oooooh... lookie _there_! Two _more_ little brats from the sky! Why yo' think them _Cormac's_ brought their _brats_ wit' um?" he asks rubbing his hands together and blinking repeatedly.

"Don' know. Let's get um inside and _make_ um talk. Un-stun dat one and _bring_ her along. Okay dearie, _move_ it and don' _try_ nothin', _got_ it?"

"I, I won't," Amanda stammers as Cinobin picks up her wand and Tia's. He shoots a silver bolt at Tia, who instantly _gasps_ , gulping in air as she rolls over and sits up, clearly frightened.

" _Easy_ now! Don' try nothin' _stupid_ ," Cinobin says with a dirty grin, showing several missing teeth. " _On_ your feet! The _both_ of yo'!"

As Amanda helps Tia to her feet, Beska points toward an old rundown building and nods. Tia and Amanda begin walking, Beska's wand pointed at their backs, as Cinobin collects their brooms.

They can hear Cinobin muttering to himself, "Why them _kids_ come along? What _they_ doin' in a fight? Ain't from 'rond _here_ they ain't! No, no, _ain't_ from 'round here. What kind 'o _brooms_ is these? Never seen _nothin'_ like these here afore."

As Amanda and Tia make their way around the large bush that had blocked their view, they see the _huge_ man called Delten holding both Tianna's and Sadie's wands and brooms. Tianna's hands are bound behind her. Sadie is _just_ regaining consciousness.

"Lookie what _we_ gots Delten!" Cinobin says as they walk over to where Tianna is now kneeling beside Sadie, who is looking around very frightened.

"Is she alright?" Amanda asks worriedly as she and Tia step up to them.

"Yeah, _tree_ stump here just knocked her out. But not before we hit _them_ first." Tianna gasps as Delten _kicks_ her hard in the leg. Tia yells and begins to run forward, but is stopped by the woman, Beska. Seeing Tia's worried look, Tianna quickly says, "I'm _okay_ sis, not much worse than before I guess."

"Uhhhh, so you is _sisters_ is ya?" says the filthy, smelly lady called Beska. "And what about them _other_ two? _Them_ your sisters too?"

"No." Amanda says as bravely as she can. "We're their _friends_. We..."

There is a ruckus and rustling of brush as about a dozen people come running around the bushes with wands lit and wild faces.

"It's _okay_! We's _gots_ um!" Delten calls. "Let's take um inside and see who they is and what they doin' here. Take the others we caught and _hold_ um in the old jail. We'll take care o' them later. First though, we make these here kids _talk_. We can get more out o' _them_ I think, than the adults. Get _everyone_ together, and let's meet in the old theater. Oh yeah. I thinks we can get more out o' these here _kids_ than the others.... easy. _Go_!"

Several groups of people split off to go collect the fallen flyers, or those who had been hit on the ground, and take them to their jail, as well as pile up the bodies of those who were killed.

"Okay. _Move_ it kids," Delten hisses, "and if yo' knows what's _good_ for ya, ya won't cause no _trouble_. I said... _move_!"

Tianna gasps in pain as Tia helps her to her feet. Tianna then sees the blood flowing down Tia's arm saying, "Sis, your shoulder's _bleeding_ again. How are you doing? Did they _hurt_ you?"

"Oh, yeah, I guess it is," Tia says, looking at the streaks of blood making their way down her dried mud and dirt-caked arm. "I'm _fine_. Really tired, and _hungry_ too, but both Amanda and I are okay."

Tianna then looks around and asks, "Where's Th..."

Amanda cuts her off saying, "The _brooms_? They have _all_ of them," and gives Tianna a slight shake of her head, knowing that Tianna was going to ask, 'Where's Thian?'

Tianna looks confused and is just about to ask again when she looks to Tia, who narrows her eyes and gives the slightest perceptible shake of her head.

After a moment, Tianna says slowly, "Ohhhh, ah, _good_. Didn't want to _lose_ them you know." Tianna looks to Sadie who has caught on, and also knows not to ask about Thian.

"Ain't never _seen_ no fly'n like you kids done. Ain't never seen no _brooms_ like these here before neither," Delten says as he herds the kids into the large room in the old theater.

Amanda notices that there are lots of folding chairs inside, and a kind of _stage_ at the far end. It looks like the theater is not _only_ a theater, but is used as a town hall, and maybe a large dance floor at times, looking at all the scuff marks. Amanda and the others are taken to the stage, where it appears they are going to be put on _display_ and interrogated.

Amanda, Tia, Tianna and Sadie are marched up onto the stage. Four folding chairs are passed up and onto the stage as well, and the kids are forced to sit. The large room begins to fill with more people, mostly adults, but lots of kids of varying ages too. Amanda counts twenty-three people, including Delten, Cinobin and Beska.

Many of the people who have taken their seats, are _excitedly_ talking about how these kids had _shot_ down some of the Cormacs, and even _saved_ them from being hit themselves. Some talk about having seen what _looked_ like someone in a kind of silver _bubble_ , shoot several flyers, who _burst_ into flames and dropped to the ground, _charred_ to the bone. Some speculate that the kids may be _slaves_ of the Cormac's, and thought this was their opportunity to get away. Others look more closely at the clothing the kids have on, commenting that they have never seen _anything_ like them. Others are talking about the futuristic looking brooms these kids had ridden, saying they could _not_ have been with the Cormacs. All this talk of course, raises more questions than give answers, and the room is abuzz with theories.

Several minutes pass before the ones who had gone to collect the fallen flyers, and either put them in jail, or had taken the bodies of the dead to the morgue, enter the theater and take their seats, telling those around them, that only _three_ from the village had been killed, and _five_ wounded, but not badly.

After everyone is seated, Delten holds up his arms and yells, "Now _hush_ up everyone! _Quiet_ I said! Hey! _Shut_ your yaps!" The room slowly falls silent.

Delten, Cinobin and Beska are on stage with the kids. Beska stands behind the kids, while Cinobin quickly paces back and forth behind her, rubbing his hands together and talking to himself in a volume too low for any of the kids to understand.

Delten sets the brooms and wands to the side in a pile, then steps in front of the kids and asks loudly, " _So_ , when did them _Cormacs_ start using their _kids_ in raids?"

"We're not _with_ the Cormacs, you _idiot_!" Tianna snaps at him. " _We_ were the ones fighting _against_ them! Or were you too busy _hiding_ to notice?"

Several in the room gasp, while others snicker.

"I see's em _fight_ them Cormac's wif' me own _eyes_ Delten!" a man near the back of the room yells out. "One of them their _gals_ saved me and my _misses_ she did. Be in the _morgue_ if not for 'er I tells ya!"

" _I_ seen 'em too," several others yell. Many are nodding, talking quickly amongst themselves about how the kids had shot down the robed flyers, and saved _them_ or some member of their family.

"Yeah?" Delten snarls at Tianna, "Well then, if ya ain't _wit'_ them Cormacs, then where _are_ yo' from? And what yo' _doin'_ here?"

" _Where_ we're from and _what_ we do, is _none_ of your business!" Tianna growls.

Beska steps up behind Tianna and _smacks_ her hard in the back of the head. " _Mind_ your manners you little _brat_!" she says, stepping back.

"I'm gonna ask yo' _again_ ," Delten says now pounding one huge fist into his other open hand. " _Where_ are yo' from... and _what_ yo' doing here? Or do ya wan' me to _punch_ yo' in the _ribs_ some to get ya to talk?"

" _Leave_ her alone!" Sadie yells, "She's really _hurt_! She needs _help_!"

"Yeah, we think she has some _broken_ or cracked ribs," Amanda says quickly. "Maybe even _bruised_ ribs. She may have _internal_ bleeding too. Please, we just _came_ here to get her some help, and Tia's _arm_ is really hurt bad and it's _bleeding_ too! We don't _know_ any, uh, _Cormacs_! We just showed up here and saw the fighting. We didn't know _who_ the good guys were, until we saw some of the flyers _shoot_ some kids. That's when we came to help. Please! You've _got_ believe me! We just came to get some _help_. Tianna's _really_ hurt! Can't you _see_ that? Please!"

A woman's voice who had just come through the door in the back of the room, rises above the murmuring. " _Delten_ , let me have a look at them for Seema's sake, they're just _kids_ after all, and a lot of us _saw_ them help fight the Cormacs. I really don't think they _are_ with the Cormacs." She walks forward, says something to a young girl who must be fifteen or sixteen, who nods quickly, then looks at Amanda and the others with what is clearly curiosity and excitement in her sparkling eyes, as she takes a seat.

Everyone in the room watches the woman make her way to the stage, climb the old creaking wooden steps, then kneel beside the bound Tianna. The woman is the _only_ one in the place, other than the _girl_ she had spoken with, who looks _clean_. Her clothing is tattered, but clean. Her skin is clean and her hair clean and shiny. She has a kind and friendly face, and when she speaks, it is in a warm soft tone. "Hi. My name's Rayolin. I'm not going to hurt you... or, at least not _intentionally_ anyway. My I ask if Tianna is your real name?"

Tianna, still angry, looks intently at her for a few moments. The woman's kind eyes never leaving Tianna's, as she maintains her warm smile. Tianna licks her dried muddy lips, looks around the crowded room then says, "Yeah. It is."

" _Wha'd_ she say?" yells a voice from the crowd.

"Said 'er _name's_ Tianna. Now _shut_ up till Rayolin here checks 'er out!" Delten yells back.

"Where are you and your friends from Tianna?" Rayolin asks softly as she gently touches Tianna's side, making Tianna yelp.

"Sorry dear... _where_ did you say you were from?" she asks again.

Tianna has just opened her mouth to say something, when there is a loud knock on the back door which startles everyone. The entire room goes quiet, turning as one, looking blankly at the closed door at the back of the building, which is the _only_ door to the building.

"Who in _blazes_ is that, an' why they _nockin_?" Delten asks inquisitively. "Well? _Somebody_ get the dang _door_!"

A young boy at the back of the room jumps up, steps over and opens the door. From the other side, everyone can see a young boy step through, who is _very_ dirty with what appears to be dried _mud_ on his clothing, and in his _matted_ hair, like the other captured kids have. He is holding a _filthy_ broom with caked mud flaking off of it, like the captured kids had been found with, but _this_ one looks as though it may have been in a _fire_ as well.

"Oh... _thank_ you very much," Thian says as he limps into the room full of shocked onlookers, who now get to their feet pulling their wands.

"Hello," Thian says to one tall man. " _Nice_ to see you," he says passing a frightened lady. " _Hi_ there, nice _evening_ isn't it?" Thian says with a huge smile as he nods to people on either side of him, _ignoring_ the wands pointed at him as he simply continues limping slowly down the center isle toward the stage.

"Ah! _There_ you four are!" Thian motions with his broom to the kids on stage, who look at Thian _completely_ dumbstruck. "Thought I _lost_ you there for a bit, in that little _spat_ we got into with those _nasty_ black robed flyers. See none of you got _killed_ in the battle. And it looks like none of you have _died_ from the _plague_ yet either... at least not _yet_ anyway. Well, that's at least _something_ isn't it?"

Everyone in the large room is focused on the filthy boy, limping badly, making his way _very_ slowly toward the stage.

"Good thing we _escaped_ that dreadful _hospital_ though, _that's_ for sure!" Thian says nodding to a woman whose mouth is wide open with a stunned expression on her face. "Those cold _cells_ they had us in were _horrible_ , and just because we're _highly_ contagious too. Well, _that_ and because a couple nurses and doctors _died_ trying to save us, 'cause _they_ caught the plague too. This is _much_ nicer I'd say."

Thian stops for a moment, and while turning in a _slow_ , full circle, pointing to the people in the room with a confused expression, says, "Although, I can't for the _life_ of me figure out why all these _people_ would want to be around us... when we are so _contagious_! Do _they_ all have the plague _too_?"

There are gasps and _stunned_ murmurs around the room, as several people simply _fall_ from their chairs, as Thian reaches out to shake hands with some of them. Others jump up and while _knocking_ those around them down, make their way to stand back against the walls, wands held out toward Thian, shaking so hard they can _hardly_ hold onto them.

"The _plague_! They gots the _plague_!" Cinobin yells, his eyes _popping_ and head moving first to Thian, then to the kids on stage near him. "Look at 'es _face_ an 'es _arms_! _Snippel_ snaps! Look at them there _girls_ on da stage too! Them gots them _bumps_ all o'er ' _em_ too! See? His are _really_ red and bright. I think... I think I sees some _poppin'_ pus too! _Run_ fur it! _Run_ fur yo' _lives_! Them got's the _plague_!"

Chairs instantly begin to topple. People are trampling others, trying to get back out of the way as quickly as they can. The place fills with _screams_ as Thian continues to reach out to those he is passing.

"Stop! _Stop_ yo' dang _fools_!" Delten yells. He then watches Thian hobble up the steps to the stage, grimacing with each step. Once he reaches and steps onto the platform, Thian appears to wipe his mouth, then stops. Suddenly, Thian begins to _shake_ like someone is _shaking_ him by the shoulders. He is making strangled-like _gurgling_ sounds. With eyes bulging, he begins _coughing_. Bending forward, he _spits_ into his hand. When he holds it up to look at it, there is a _thick_ mass of what looks like a _gooey_ wet glob of _blood_ , and what looks like blood now _running_ from his mouth, down his chin, then _dripping_ onto the stage.

The kids gasp, looking _horrified_ , except Tianna, who Amanda notices has a faint look of amusement on her face, before her expression sobers and she says in a frightened voice, "Oh _Thian_ , I'm _soooo_ sorry! It looks like you're in the _advanced_ stages of the... _Morlango_ plague and, and _that_ means..."

" _What_?" Delten asks as he and Beska take several frightened steps back. " _What_ does that mean? What's the... _Morlango_ plague? I ain't never _heard_ of it!"

"It means," Tianna continues, looking very frightened, then glances to Amanda, Tia and Sadie, "our friend Thian, is now at the _highest_ level of contagion there is. And you know how _deadly_ the Morlango plague is! Anyone who _touches_ him, or is near him and _breathes_ the same air he does... or _any_ of us actually, since we're _all_ contagious, could _catch_ the plague easily... break out in these _horrible_ and _painful_ pus popping sores like _we_ all have and... _die_!

"You'll get these _hideous_ red bumps all over you just like we have. And they _really_ hurt something _awful_ on your private parts, let me _tell_ you! The doctors said that it's _much_ worse for adults," she turns her head to look at Delten, "especially _men_! The doctors said something about... their lower _parts_ falling off or something... I don't really know what that _means_ though, being just a kid."

There are cries of _fright_ from the crowd, as more chairs are overturned. Everyone is pressing up against the walls, away from where Thian has walked, and all the kids are now on stage. Most of the village _men_ are looking down their bodies, with their eyes _bulging_.

Amanda stifles a _laugh_ and does her best not to smile. Tia lets out just a little laugh, but turns it quickly into a couple coughs, which sound like she is trying to cough up a _fur_ ball. Sadie just sits there for a moment, looking as _scared_ as the other people in the room, then catches Amanda's quick wink.

Delten yells, "Wha', _wha'_ we needs to do so's not to _catch_ it? Some of us _already_ touched yo'! And we _all's_ breathin' the same air in here!"

Tianna continues. "Anyone who _touched_ us, or is _in_ this room, _breathing_ the same air we are, needs to get in a tub of _hot_ water. The _hotter_ the better. As _hot_ as you can stand it. At least that's what the doctors told the _nurses_ that had been with us... though some of _them_ died anyway.

"Then you need to wash with _lots_ of soap, and _scrub_ your skin with _sand_ or something _really_ rough... till it's _raw_. Then you need to toss in _lots_ and lots of _salt_ , till it _burns_ really bad in the raw skin, you know? Like, till you can't _stand_ the burning anymore. If you scrub and soak _loooong_ enough, and _hard_ enough, and do it... well, in _time_... you _might_ make it. But, if you _wait_..." her voice trails off as she shakes her head slowly looking very sad, then turns and nods to where Thian is standing.

Thian turns from looking at the kids, to look out into the crowd. His eyes bulging, he makes a very odd scrunched up face, with one eye almost closed and starts to gag.

Everyone in the room turns to look at Thian, whose entire body seems to be _covered_ in bright red bumps where the mud has fallen off, and who looks to have a _fresh_ stream of blood coming from his mouth, running down his chin, dripping onto the stage. Thian then holds up his hand with the thick _glob_ in it.

Beska _screams_ and flies off the stage, running for all she is worth, down the center isle and out the door. Cinobin bolts off the stage right behind her yelling, "We're _all_ gonna die! We're _all_ gonna die! It's the _plague_! The _plague_! We're all gonna _die_ we is!" He falls twice before reaching the door. Just reaching the doorway, he is bumped to the side by a _very_ round woman running through the doorway herself. He spins hard to the side and runs _face_ first into the doorjamb, knocking himself out.

Everyone in the room begins screaming and darting for the one small door. Chairs are overturned and people are falling over them in mass. Many are being _trampled_ , as they are thrown to the floor or fall, as others try to bully their way out and _literally_ run right over the fallen.

Delten stands rooted in place, completely _stunned_ watching the chaos before him. For several moments he looks almost as frightened as the rest of the villagers. He does not know whether _he_ should run or not.

Thian then turns and walks to stand in front of Delten saying, " _Hi_. My name's Thian, pleased to _meet_ you, Mr., uh, _what's_ your name again?" Thian extends his bloody hand with the slimy _lump_ in it to shake Delten's.

Delten, surprised by Thian's now calm demeanor, glances down at Thian's extended hand and sees the _thick_ red wad slide down Thian's palm and drop with a _splat_ to the stage floor. Delten's wide eyes briefly scan Thian's face and arms, and notice they are _full_ of very large, _bright_ reddish welts, some of them having _burst_ open, oozing a _yellowish_ pus.

Thian then coughs hard, _spraying_ Delten square in the face with splotches of red flecks.

1Delten staggers back, quickly wiping his face. He looks at his hand, which is now _smeared_ with red streaks. His eyes fly _wide_ as he again looks at the blood running down Thian's chin, as Thian's face begins to distort and his _eyes_ roll back. Delten _bolts_ off the stage running for the door. His huge boots _thundering_ on the old wooden floorboards, sending up clouds of swirling dust as he runs.

He reaches the door just as Cinobin has regained consciousness, and is just now standing, steadying himself in the doorway. Delten runs _right_ into him, sending Cinobin _flying_ through the doorway, landing flat on his face. Delten, in a _complete_ panic, continues to run right over him, leaving a _large,_ clear, _muddy_ footprint square in the center of Cinobin's back.

#  Rayolin and Anastasia

To TOC

When the room is empty and the door has been slammed shut by a frightened Cinobin, Rayolin, who has not left Tianna's side, _bursts_ into laughter, startling all the kids. "I haven't seen _that_ much action around here in _years_!" she says reaching up to wipe a tear from her cheek. "The _Morlango_ plague? Where did you come up with _that_ one Tianna?"

"What? Uh, what do you _mean_?" Tianna says trying to look innocent.

"Listen, it's okay, _really_ ," Rayolin says with a laugh as she unties Tianna's hands. Rayolin gets to her feet and walks to Thian, who is now smiling with his face looking almost normal... well, as normal as it _could_ under the circumstances. Holding her hand out she says, "I'm Rayolin. It's nice to _meet_ you Thian."

Thian holds out his bloody hand looking surprised.

Rayolin looks at his hand and asks, " _Raspberry_... I presume? But, what did you _mix_ it with?"

Thian stands there for a moment, looking like a young _Krispet_ caught in wandlight, eating out of someone's trash can. He stammers, "Oh, uh, _well_ , I..."

"A little dry _grass_ I bet," Tianna says with a laugh. "At least, that's the way I did it to _him_ when we were little."

Rayolin laughs as she shakes Thian's hand. Then, wiping her hand on her skirt, she says, "That was _really_ great! _Well_ done! I've been _trying_ to get all of them to take a bath for _years_." She laughs hard again, and wiping tears from her eyes says, "I can just _picture_ them all filling their tubs, and _ripping_ off their clothing. I bet they really _do_ rub their skin raw and use salt. Ouch! Nice _touch_ though Tianna. Listen, you kids can tell me more later if you like."

Turning to Tianna and speaking more seriously, Rayolin says, "But right now, I need to get you and the others to my home, and tend to your wounds. Look there," she says pointing to the side. "Those _idiots_ left your _wands_ and brooms over there. Really _bright_ people we've got here in the village! Would you kids get them please, and hand Tianna her wand and broom so she can fly over to my place?"

"You... you're going to let us _have_ our wands? And our _brooms_ back?" Tia asks surprised. "Aren't you afraid we'll escape, or, _shoot_ you or something?"

" _Escape_ dear? Where would you escape... _to_? I'm not sure where you're _from_ of course. Certainly not from any place around here, by the looks of your clothing and those brooms. But, it doesn't appear to me, that you were any better off from wherever you have come _from_ , than where you are now. I really don't know _where_ you would go, but if you really want to leave, you better leave now, before _Delten_ finds out you've tricked the entire village. He will _not_ be happy when he finds out, and he and some others, can get _plenty_ mean.

"You may leave if you like, but I do believe that Tianna _does_ have at least a couple cracked, and possibly _bruised_ ribs, which are _really_ painful and can take a _very_ long time to heal... unless treated by a _highly_ qualified medical professional, which I just _happen_ to be. Your choice, but..."

Tia turns to look at Tianna, then at Amanda.

Amanda hesitates for just a moment. Then, licking her lips, steps forward saying, "We'll _stay_. _Thank_ you. Tianna is the most injured. But Tia's arm is hurt pretty bad too. And Thian's leg is _infected_ I think. Sadie and I are okay though. My _name_ is Amanda. We would really appreciate your helping us, if it's not too much trouble."

"Trouble? My _dear_ young lady, it would be my _pleasure_ to have the company of those who do not speak like uneducated _hill_ people... which, by the way, _most_ of them in the village _are_ you know. I look forward to having a _decent_ and civil conversation for once. Now, help Tianna get mounted up, grab your things, and let's get her to my place. _Quickly_ now!"

They all mount and kick off, then drift behind Rayolin to the door. Rayolin slowly opens the door, then steps through taking a quick look around. With a nod, she walks on. They all follow her nervously out into the cool night air. Everyone looks around for any sign of the villagers, or any more _flyers_ who may have decided to come back for another strike. There is no one in sight.

They have not gone far when they hear _cries_ of what is clearly pain, coming from several areas around the village.

Rayolin laughs. "Well, it sounds like _some_ of the villagers have already scrubbed themselves _raw_ , and sounds as though some may have just added a bit of _salt_."

Everyone laughs.

Rayolin leads them down a dirt pathway that winds between some very beautiful trees, until they reach a clearing where all the kids stop flying and simply stare.

Rayolin, sensing they have stopped behind her, turns to see what is wrong.

"What _is_ it kids?" Rayolin asks as a young girl steps out of the house they are facing.

"Uh... _nothing_ ," Thian says, his eyes roaming the beautiful house in front of them.

"It's, uh, well..." Amanda says, looking at the wonderful flowerbed that surrounds the house. "Your home is _really_ beautiful, but the _other_ buildings are... uh..."

" _Not_ so beautiful?" Rayolin laughs as the young girl steps up beside her with a smile.

"Well, _yeah_ , actually," Amanda says with a laugh as well.

" _Thank_ you," Rayolin says turning to look at her home and garden, then back to the kids. "There _are_ a few of us who like nice things, and try our best to take care of the few things we have. Oh! This is my _daughter_ , Anastasia."

" _Hi_. You _weren't_ with the Cormacs, _were_ you? No... I _knew_ you weren't. You're not from around _here_ either are you?" Anastasia asks excitedly. "You have _clothing_ I've never seen, and those _brooms_ aren't like anything I've ever seen either."

"Okay hon, there will be time for all that later, if the kids wish to share, but first, let's get them inside before _Delten_ or some of the others come calling. If we keep you kids inside for a few weeks, while I tend to Tianna, Anastasia and I will _keep_ up the ruse of your having the... _what_ was it dear? The _Morlango_ plague?"

Tianna laughs then grasps her side with a wince. "Yeah, well, as you know being a _healer_ , there's no such plague. At least I don't _think_ there is. I just _made_ it up when I figured out what Thian was doing."

They all laugh and head into the home of Rayolin and Anastasia.

As they enter, Sadie asks, "Who _are_ the Cormacs anyway? And what will you do with the ones that were hit with spells and stuff that _are_ still alive?"

"Oh, the Cormacs is a term used here, to denote _any_ group of people who come to take _whatever_ information we have on the treasure, or anything _else_ they can steal," Rayolin says as she leads the kids into a very lovely living room. She then leads them into a dining area off the kitchen, where she motions for them to sit. "Of course, there _is_ no treasure. People have been searching this area for _centuries_. It's just a _myth_ after all. But once in a while, rumors get started about someone here in the village, finding _gold_ , silver or _precious_ gems from some supposedly lost treasure. Then, a group of _thugs_ get together and come looking for trouble, and they generally come in _blasting_."

"But, why don't they just _ask_ if you know anything?" Thian asks helping Tianna to a chair at the table.

"They don't think we'll tell them the truth," Anastasia says, peeking out from the kitchen, where she and Rayolin are beginning to prepare dinner for themselves and their new guests.

"They think that if they come in _blasting_ away and take over the village, they can _tear_ it down if they have to, to find... _whatever_. Lots of times, they capture people from the village, take them away and _torture_ them, trying to get the information. Many have been _killed_. Others, we never _hear_ of again.

"Those Cormacs can't be very _bright_ though. I mean, _honestly_ , if we _had_ the treasure, _who_ would want to stay _here_? And if we had a _map_ of where to find the treasure, don't you _think_ we would have used it? And as to the ones we and you shot down? Delten and his _side_ kicks, Cinobin and Beska, who think they _run_ the place, will bundle them all together and use our big _homing_ labyrinth, to send each of them back where they first _started_ from. Once he gets their _coordinates_ that is."

"Um.... so... uh, some people get _killed_ in the raids then?" Amanda asks looking very frightened, since Tia had not said whether Amanda had killed some people or not, and she does not remember a thing.

"Well, _yeah_. Most _every_ time they come actually," Anastasia says sadly. "That's how my dad got killed when I was seven. Mom and I don't use any kind of _killing_ curses though," Anastasia says as she and Rayolin look steadily at Amanda for a long moment. "And, well, I don't _know_ how to use any of those anyway. But evidently, _you_ do."

Amanda turns to look at the other kids, who look down or look away.

Anastasia continues. "Mom and I believe that many of those people that come here, are just _desperate_ and down on their luck. As if _we_ aren't," she says looking very sad.

"Mom and I, and most of the other villagers, only use _stunning_ spells, binding spells, _vomit_ , itching and _pus_ popping spells, and _things_ like that. But even then, _sometimes_ people will fall from their brooms and break their necks or something.

" _Delten_ and some others though, _do_ use killing curses sometimes, but _only_ when they feel they need to. No one here wants to be _arrested_ for killing somebody you know. The thing is, those _Cormacs_ don't care _what_ kinds of spells or curses they use. They've killed _lots_ of the villagers over the years. That's why the village is like it is. Most of the people that come to live here, spend _all_ their days looking for the treasure, and don't tend to the village itself. Besides, when the Cormacs come, they've _burned_ down the village lots of times over the centuries.

"By the way, this is _Arcoma Village_ , in case you were wondering where you were - just not the _original_ village of course. It's been rebuilt _hundreds_ of times from what I've read."

After checking that everything is started in the kitchen, Rayolin comes in saying, "There is a tub in the back room. I don't suppose _any_ of you would be interested in taking a nice hot _bath_ would you?"

" _Me_ first!" Tia yells holding up her hand. "I can't _wait_ to get all this mud and _gunk_ off! But, uh, I noticed a waterfall on the mountain we... I mean, on a _mountain_ I saw when we joined the fight. We're _all_ a real mess. Do you think it would be alright if we, uh, flew up and _rode_ through the falls first? To get the really _heavy_ stuff off at least? We won't try to get away or anything. I just don't want to get everything _here_ filthy and clog up your tub."

"That's a _great_ idea!" Amanda says with a smile. "But I'm _still_ looking forward to a _nice_ hot bath... with _soap_! These darn bumps hurt and _itch_ at the same time. They're driving me _crazy_! So... it's okay to get them _wet_ then?"

Rayolin says with a laugh, "Well dear, _I'd_ have to clean them up to get a good look at them anyway, so, better _you_ clean them than me."

Everyone laughs along with her, then Rayolin says, "Well, honestly, you can all fly over if you want." She then looks Thian up and down, focusing on his hair which seems to have some dried _moss_ in it, and says with a laugh, "You _are_ all a mess, _aren't_ you! And, well... what can I say about the _smell_?" She laughs hard again, the others joining in as Thian turns a light shade of dirty pink, then laughs too.

"Well, _alright_ then. Anastasia, show them the _smaller_ falls though would you? You kids can still ride through those falls if you like, but there is a _huge_ pool of water at its base. A _great_ place for... well, for a _pre_ -bath I guess you might call it. It's out of sight from the village, so I don't think you'll have to worry about being seen."

They all agree, mount up and head off through a side door to get somewhat clean.

Other than Tianna, who does not think she can take the _blast_ of the falling water, they ride through the falls several times. Tianna watches as the others all laugh as quietly as they can, chasing each other around and darting through the falls. Afterwards, they all wade into the wonderful moonlit pool at the falls base. They laugh as they play around with their new friend Anastasia. Tia and Amanda help Tianna wash off, and help get the mud and gunk from her beautiful, usually long blond hair. The water _is_ chilly, but they just do not care.

When they are about to mount up, _completely_ soaked and dripping, Sadie asks, "Don't you want to _dry_ off first?"

"What?" Thian says as he grabs his broom, his wet hair hanging down in his face.

Sadie, who is standing next to the _very_ tall Anastasia, draws her wand, points it at Thian, whose eyes grow wide, and gives a _flick_ while saying, "Sosteacia Preta!"

Instantly, Thian is _completely_ dry - clothing, _hair_ , body, boots... _everything_. Everyone has their mouths open and eyes bulging, as they watch the steam rising from Thian, which quickly dissipates in the cool night air.

Thian holds out his arms, looking them over, then down his body. He touches his dry hair and smiles, " _Cool_! I'm nice and _toasty_ too." Everyone howls as Thian does a little _happy_ dance with his index fingers pointing in the air.

"How... _how_ did you do that?" Anastasia asks looking very impressed.

Sadie smiles, and seeing the awe on the others faces as well says, "Oh, uh, it's _just_ something I learned from a _really_ powerful witch when I was little."

Anastasia laughs saying, "When you were _little_ huh. How old _are_ you anyway?"

"Fiiiive. But we learn _lots_ of stuff when we're really young where I come from."

"Yeah? Well, where _are_ you from anyway," Anastasia asks Sadie, then looks to the others.

"I... I _think_ we really need to be getting back," Amanda says as she sees an expression of fear cross Sadie's face. "Rayolin will be wondering if we took _off_ or something. And besides, I want that _hot_ bath with some _soap_! I'm tired of smelling like... uh, well, I'm just tired of _smelling_ like I do."

They all laugh, Tianna grimacing, doing her best not to laugh, then Tianna says, "Do _me_ now Sadie, okay?"

Sadie smiles and with a _flourish_ , dries Tianna, then each of the others. Sadie enjoys everyone thinking she is _really_ special, and can do things that none of _them_ can. Of course, Sadie was _never_ taught how to do this by a _great_ and powerful witch. Everyone in her class at school had learned it at the same time. Where she _originally_ comes from, it is a _simple_ spell, and _everyone_ learns how to do this by the time they are _three_.

They return to the house and Rayolin is _floored_ that they are completely dry. Anastasia tells her how Sadie had used some _unknown_ Wizitch, and had dried each of them off before they came back.

"I'd really like to learn _that_!" Rayolin says with a laugh. "Can you show me how to do it after one of you takes a bath?"

The grin on Sadie's face slides away, and she begins to bite her lip as she looks to the others.

"Oh, I'm _sorry_ , I don't mean to impose," Rayolin says noticing the expression on Sadie's face.

"Oh, _no_ , it's okay I guess. It's just that, I've never taught _anybody_ anything before. Usually, everyone _knows_ everything I do, and a lot more. But, _yeah_ , okay, I'll try to show _all_ of you if you want."

Everyone is thrilled and the grin returns to Sadie's face as she giggles.

"Well, if you don't mind," Tia says with a smile turning to Rayolin. "I'd _really_ like that hot bath now, if it's still okay."

"Of course dear," Rayolin says with a smile. "I've already put dinner on hold while you all get cleaned up. Why don't the rest of us just sit and chat for a bit?"

When Tia is finished with her bath, she calls Tianna, Amanda, Sadie, Rayolin and Anastasia into the little back room, so Sadie can teach all of them how to use the drying spell. Sadie is the _center_ of attention and just _loves_ it as she tells everyone how the _powerful_ witch who taught her, had seen her doing _other_ spells, and was _so_ impressed, she invited Sadie to her _home_ , and gave her _private_ lessons. She had even taught her things she was _sworn_ to secrecy, _never_ to show anyone else... _ever_!

Everyone tried the drying spell on each other as each got out of their tub. They had two tries - one on their _clothing_ and one on somebody else's naked _body_ , to get the hang of it. Since their clothing had been pretty well washed off in the pool under the falls, they each washed their clothes in the tub before stepping out, to finish washing them, and to make them _smell_ a little better too.

Both Rayolin and Anastasia _gasped_ when they saw Amanda's necklace for the first time.

"For the love of _Seema_! Would you look at _that_! It's _gorgeous_!" Rayolin exclaims when she first sees the necklace.

Amanda quickly says, "Oh, uh, _thanks_. It's not _real_ of course. No little _kid_ would have a necklace with _real_ gems and stuff. It's a, um, _replica_ of some famous necklace. I don't remember what it was called. But, I really like it though." Amanda then turns to her stunned friends, grabs her wand and dries her clothing. Tia uses her wand to dry Amanda off, all of them laughing as Amanda's _long_ hair sends up strands of steam.

Thian took his bath last. He, like the others, is thrilled to get the dried mud and other gook off, _especially_ from his hair. The warm bath feels great, but _stings_ a little on his injured leg, the bites, stings and other cuts and scrapes. The _heaps_ of bubbles are fun to play around with, and the soap smells like his _flower_ garden did back home.

"Home," he thinks as the smile fades from his face. "I _have_ no home now," he whispers. "I have _nothing_ at all now but my friends."

Thian steps from the bath onto the bath mat, pulling his clothing from the tub and wrings them out. He spreads the clothing out on the wide marble changing area, then picks up his wand.

Sadie had shown him how to use the drying spell on wet clothing, but since he was a boy, he would have to try the drying spell on _himself_ too if he wanted to try.

Looking at his clothes, he smiles, the thought of his lost home and possessions forgotten for the moment, as he concentrates on performing the new drying spell.

Clearing his throat, Thian points his wand at his clothes. Concentrating, he narrows his eyes and with a flourish of moves Sadie has shown him, says, "Sosteacia Preta!"

An orange bolt _shoots_ from his wand and instantly not only _dries_ his clothing, but sets them on _fire_. He lets out a _yell_ of surprise, snatches his clothing and _tosses_ them into the draining tub. There is a _hiss_ as the flames disappear into the mass of remaining bubbles.

A frantic knock on the bathroom door startles him, making him jump. "Thian!" Tia's frightened voice comes through. "Thian? Are _you_ alright?"

"What? Oh, uh, _yeah_ sure. I'll be out in a _minute_ okay?"

"You _sure_ you're all right?"

"Yeah," Thian says as he now lifts his dripping clothing from the tub. " _No_ problem... be there in a minute or two."

Hearing Tia walk away, he wrings out his clothes, and with a heavy sigh, puts them on. He is still dripping when he opens the door and steps into the doorway. He calls out, "Uh, _Sadie_? Can I _see_ you for a minute please?"

In a moment, the tiny Sadie comes skipping around the corner, stops, and _bursts_ into laughter. In another moment, _everyone_ , Rayolin and Anastasia included, appear in the hallway. They all begin to laugh.

"Thian? What on _Ear_..." Amanda starts to say, then quickly says, "What in _two_ moons happened?"

Tianna and Tia both turn with surprise to look at Amanda. Amanda has just used an _Elvish_ expression. She has never used one before. They know of course, she was about to say "What on _Earth_ happened," but changed it. Amanda looks at them for an instant, shrugs and looks back at the dripping Thian.

Thian, having turned a _very_ deep shade of red says, "Well. Uh, I _put_ my clothes on the changer, aimed my wand at 'em, then I concentrated _real_ hard on what Sadie showed me and... and..."

"Set your _clothes_ on fire?" Tianna asks now laughing so hard she grabs her side with both hands and winces.

Everyone roars.

"Well, at _least_ it's a good thing I tried my _clothes_ first... and not _me_."

They are all in tears. Poor Tianna has to be held up by Tia and Amanda. She is laughing and gritting her teeth in pain at the same time, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Yes, _veeeery_ funny, _very_ funny!" Thian says bright red with embarrassment, but beginning to laugh himself. "Uh, Sadie... would you _mind_ please?"

Sadie, still laughing, steps forward, draws her wand and with a swish says "Sosteacia Preta!" Thian and his clothing are instantly dry.

"Thanks. Not as _toasty_ as at the falls... but, _it'll_ do."

They all laugh again as Rayolin says, "Well, I think your _timing_ is just about right Thian. Dinner should be about ready. I hope you're all _hungry_! We have loads, so eat as much as you like!

"I've treated and bandaged Tianna and Tia, and tended to Amanda's bites and stings, and now, if you don't _mind_ Thian, I'd like to have a look at your bites and stings, and that gash on your leg before we sit for dinner."

Rayolin treats Thian's leg, the bites, stings and other cuts and scrapes, then wraps his leg. They all sit and have a wonderful dinner. They chat about the area, and the kids learn of other attacks from those called the Cormacs.

Soon, Rayolin says, "Listen, it's getting late, and you _all_ look like you're about to fall asleep at the table. We only have two guest rooms. So, I'm afraid you girls will have to share a room. It looks like _you_ get a room all to yourself Thian."

Thian smiles saying, "I guess being the only boy has _some_ advantages."

The girls all look at him with daggers, Tianna putting her hands on her hips.

"Oooor... _not_ , I guess... _actually_ ," Thian says as his smile fades and he looks a little sheepish.

The girls all _burst_ into laughter and Tia tosses her lapkin at him, making him laugh.

"I'm afraid there's only one bed in each room, but _two_ of you could share it... it's big enough I think. We _do_ have enough sleeping sacks for the rest of you though, if you don't mind?"

"That would be _great_!" Tia says getting up. "But let us help clean up first."

"Oh _no_ dear... not _tonight_ ," Rayolin says with a laugh. "But I _may_ take you up on that in a few days though."

"Done!" Amanda says with a grin. "We really are tired. At least, _I_ am anyway. We _really_ appreciate your hospitality!"

"My pleasure dear. Now _off_ you go, we can continue our chat tomorrow."

"Um, would it be alright if I gave my room to them? I mean, would it be alright if I just slept on the _couch_?" Thian asks.

The girls turn and look to him with surprise on their faces.

" _What_? I just thought _you_ should all have a nice place to sleep. _I_ don't mind sleeping on the couch you know."

So, it was settled. The girls would double up in the two rooms, with Thian taking the couch.

It stayed that way for the remainder of their stay.

Over the next month, the kids get to know and _really_ like Rayolin and Anastasia. Rayolin has become a cross between a _mom_ who really cares about them, a _great_ healer who tends their wounds, and a _very_ good friend, who shares what little they have to give.

Delten, Cinobin, Beska and the other villagers, are told that Rayolin and Anastasia have taken the kids in, and are doing their _very_ best to treat the _horrible_ Morlango plague, and keeping the kids in _isolation_. Rayolin has told the villagers that she and Anastasia had been _vaccinated_ years ago against this _very_ rare plague. So, not only could they _not_ get the plague, but they could not _spread_ it either. Which of course, makes _no_ sense whatsoever, but then again, those in the village are _not_ very bright.

Rayolin is quite busy, going from one house to the other, checking the villagers for _any_ signs of the dreaded _Morlango_ plague. She feels a little guilty, because she charges for the visits. But then again, she _has_ to keep up the ruse for the kids' sake, and after all, she has made _more_ money this month, than she had over the _entire_ last year.

Rayolin told the villagers that she needed to let the kids out at night, because they needed fresh air and some exercise. She also told the villagers that _they_ needed to stay inside from just before sunset, until just after sunrise, or they _may_ be exposed to contaminated air, which could have _plague_ particles that could be breathed and... well, _that_ would be a _very_ bad thing indeed!

She told the villagers they needed to continue taking a bath at _least_ every other day, but that they did not have to scrub themselves _raw_ any longer, _nor_ use salt... just a good amount of _soap_ , and that they needed to _soak_ , not just get in and right out again. She had received loud complaints from everyone. That is, until she said that it was _their_ choice. They could either stay _healthy_ , or... there is _still_ a lot of room in the cemetery.

That seemed to be enough to keep them _very_ clean, which made her laugh every time she left their homes. She had even talked them all into washing the _insides_ of their homes, since this particular _strain_ of the Morlango plague, seems to like _dirty_ and messy houses.

When she had first begun to spread that news around, she actually had to keep from laughing as she walked through the village, as people were seen through the windows washing _everything_ in sight... _twice_! She had even noticed that the porches on most of the homes had been swept every day. Even _Delten's_ broken down old house had _spotless_ windows and a well swept porch.

Rayolin decided to sneak over to look through Delten's windows, when she _knew_ he was in the hills, still trying to find that _blasted_ treasure after all the years he had been in the village. She looked in and her jaw _dropped_. It actually looked cleaner than _her_ house. She turned around putting a hand over her mouth, as she hurried away stifling her laughter. When she told Anastasia and the kids, they _all_ had a great laugh.

The kids all like Anastasia too. She is fifteen and _very_ inquisitive. She is learning to be a healer like her mom, and of course, Anastasia, Rayolin and Tia get along really well, since Tia is also studying to become a healer, like _her_ mom had been, before Blaine killed her.

It is only the second week when, during dinner, Amanda surprises everyone when she looks at Rayolin and Anastasias saying. "I think you need to know why we're here, and _where_ we need to get to."

Thian _chokes_ on his Cucuteo, and Tianna actually _spits_ out some Eldorian tea, as she gasped while attempting to swallow at the same time. Embarrassed, she says, "Uh, _sorry_ ," and wipes her face, then dabs where the tea sprayed over the table.

"Amanda..." Tia says looking at her with a worried expression, giving a slight shake of her head.

"Yeah... I know." Amanda puts her glass of tea down. "But listen, Rayolin and Anastasia haven't only taken us into their _home_ , they've _fed_ us, made _new_ clothing for us, and are _treating_ our wounds, bites and stings, and they haven't _asked_ for a cent... I mean, any _money_ at all. They've only asked us _twice_ where we're from, and what we're doing here. They haven't pressed us at all, even when we _didn't_ answer. They haven't treated us poorly in the least. And even though it's only been a couple weeks, I _really_ consider them our friends.

"Besides, they _live_ here, and have for a _long_ time. I mean, Anastasia was even _born_ here in the village. So, _they_ know the land around here and we don't. I think we _may_ need their help. You know?"

The kids all look at Amanda for a moment, then to both Rayolin and Anastasia, who are looking back a little surprised, but most expectantly.

"Yeah, you're right." Thian sets down his fork as he licks a piece of Cucuteo dangling from his lower lip. "They didn't _have_ to take us in, and I'm not really sure _what_ Delten and Beska would have done with us. I mean, it's not like we could give them _coordinates_ to where we come from. And I don't _like_ them much either you know. So, yeah, _I_ vote we tell 'em. Well, _some_ anyway. _However_ much Amanda wants - that's okay with me."

After a few moments, everyone agrees. Amanda begins, "I don't mean to sound, _mysterious_ or anything, but we can only tell you that you're right. We're _not_ from around here."

"And I _bet_ you're not even from this part of the _realm_ either are you?" Anastasia asks very excited. "Your _clothing_ material wasn't _anything_ like we have around here. And your _brooms_... I, uh, was looking at them yesterday. _They're_ nothing like what we have here either. So, you must be from some place _really_ far away."

"You can say _that_ again!" Thian says with a laugh. "We're not even from this..."

" _Half_ of the realm," Tianna says cutting Thian off. "You're right. We're from, like the _opposite_ side of the realm."

"We _have_ come a very long way," Amanda says with a smile. "So, of _course_ our clothing and other things _would_ be different than they are here. But we need to find someplace called... _Kelmar_. Have you ever heard of it?"

" _Kelmar_? _Sure_ ," Rayolin says glancing at Anastasia who has her mouth open and eyes wide. Rayolin, looking back to Amanda, asks in a suspicious tone, " _Whhhhhy_ are you looking to go to _Kelmar_?"

Amanda looks at the stunned face of Anastasia, then to the furrowed brows on Rayolin. "Uh, well, we have to get to someplace called _Witch_ Mountain."

Both Rayolin and Anastasia gasp with eyes wide.

" _What_?" Thian asks a little startled. "What's _wrong_?"

" _They're_ looking for it too momma! I _know_ they are!"

"Looking for... _what_?" Tianna asks just as surprised as anyone.

"The _treasure_ of course!" Anastasia says very excited, a huge grin spreading across her face.

"Treasure? _What_ treasure?" Sadie says leaning forward on the chair stacked with books, so she can see over the top of the table.

"The _Tal'_ Reann treasure of course," Anastasia says with excitement. " _That's_ why this village _still_ exists. It's been here for _thousands_ of years like we told you. _Remember_? That's why the _Cormacs_ come. Of course, like we _said_ , the village has been torn down and rebuilt _lots_ of times. But, _that's_ why the village was built way out _here_ in the first place!"

"I don't understand," Amanda says. "There really _is_ some treasure buried around here? And people have been _looking_ for it for _thousands_ of years? And _no_ one has ever found any of it?"

"Well, maybe _some_ of it, or so they think," Rayolin says, taking a sip of her tea, as she studies the kids. "Twenty-three _hundred_ years ago, or there about, over _ten_ Kellakos in gold were found in... _Kelmar_. Most scattered around here and there, but the _majority_ of it was found against the mountainside. But the ones who _found_ it, never told _exactly_ where they found the mass of it, and were said to have been _kidnaped_ and killed before they talked. People have been looking for that _fool_ treasure for centuries. The _Tal'_ Reann treasure, is said to be worth over _thirty_ -three Gumptars." The kids gasp.

"Uh, how much is _that_?" Amanda asks looking to her friends. "I mean in, uh, _dollars_ you know?"

" _Dollars_?! Rayolin asks. "What do _you_ know about _dollars_? And _why_ would you ask about a currency _not_ of this realm?"

Amanda's eyes go wide as she looks to the others, who also look startled.

1"You're... you're from the _Earth_ realm aren't you?" Rayolin says as the color drains from her face. "But... that can't _be_..."

She turns to look at Thian, Tia and Tianna. "You're _elves_ of course... yes, I can see that. We have _lots_ of elves here from other realms." Turning to look at Sadie, who slumps lower in her chair, she continues, "I'm not sure what race _you_ are though, but not elf and not _Vehas_ as we are."

Turning back to Amanda, " _You_ are neither elf _nor_ Veha either. I needed to study the physiology of _many_ kinds of peoples, from _many_ realms when I was in medical school. I was fascinated by several realms, _Earth_ being one of them. I remember _distinctly_ hearing the word _dollar_ tied to the currency of some place on Earth. I don't remember what _area_ of Earth, but there is _no_ other realm I know of that uses that word for their currency. _Are_ you... are you _really_ from there?"

#  Learning About Witch Mountain

To TOC

Everyone looks scared as Amanda says, "I, uh, well..."

"No! Don't tell her you _are_ Amanda!" Thian cries out.

"I think you just _did_ you _idiot_!" Tianna hisses at Thian.

"But... _how_? How could you _possibly_ have traveled here from... _earth_?" Then looking at Thian, Tia and Tianna says, "And you _elves_ are from earth too?" Then looking at Sadie, "And _you_?"

"Rayolin," Amanda says with a shaky voice, "we can't tell you _how_ we got here, or exactly _why_ we're here. It's for _your_ safety as well as our own. _Please_ believe me. We didn't come here looking for the treasure. We need to find a witch named _Bellinora_ who we were told lives in someplace called, _Witch_ Mountain. We were told that the way _into_ Witch Mountain was in a place called _Kelmar_."

"Stutterin' _Snorkrats_!" Anastasia says looking wide eyed with a grin. "Momma, I _told_ you all the stories I read about Witch Mountain were _true_! It _does_ exist inside, I _knew_ it! And Bellinora is said to be one of the most _powerful_ witches in the mountain! I've read _all_ about her, _both_ Cassandrea and I have been looking for the entrance to Witch Mountain for _years_!"

"They're just _stories_ folks have told over the years," Rayolin says crossing her arms with a frown. "Folks have been talking about the _strange_ things you could find in Witch Mountain, for as _long_ as I can remember. My _folks_ used to talk about the stories _they_ were told as kids themselves. They're just, _stories_ , that's _all_! People have looked for that _entrance_ even longer than they have looked for the _treasure_."

"But momma, it _has_ to be true doesn't it? I mean, if _they_ were sent here, and know the way _in_ , and are _really_ going to find Bellinora..."

" _Do_ you know the way into Witch Mountain?" Rayolin asks uncrossing her arms and leaning forward slightly.

"Uh, well, not _exactly_ where," Amanda says nervously. "I mean, we're not _really_ sure. We need to get to _Kelmar_ , then, uh, do some _other_ stuff, and then, well, _maybe_ we can find the entrance. But, the thing is, we have no idea _how_ to find Bellinora."

" _I_ do!" Anastasia says excitedly. "That is, I _think_ I do. I've studied everything I could _find_ about Witch Mountain! I know _lots_ of places in there too, if they're _real_ and all, and some of the books I read talked about a cave, _high_ in a mountain where Bellinora is said to live. If we could get _inside_ Witch Mountain, I really think _I_ could find the way to someplace they would know her for _sure_!"

"Anastasia," Rayolin says shaking her head. "You and Cassandrea have been looking for that entrance since just after you learned to _fly_ , and have _never_ found it! Neither has _anyone_ else. And, you have looked all _over_ _Kelmar_ and even the surrounding area.

"You two have also looked for, and _talked_ about the treasure, ever since the two of you could _talk_. There _is_ no treasure, and there is _no_ entrance to someplace called... _Witch_ Mountain! "They're just _myths_ , and _tens_ of _thousands_ have lost their lives looking for _both_ over many centuries!"

"Well, I don't know about this _treasure_ you're talking about," Amanda says now a little calmer, "but we have it on _very_ good authority, that not only _is_ there an entrance to Witch Mountain, but that _Bellinora_ is real too. We were sent here _specifically_ to meet her."

"I _knew_ it! I _knew_ it was true. _All_ of it!" Anastasia cries as she jumps up from her chair and starts pacing.

"Amanda, I'm sorry, but this is just _too_ hard to believe," Rayolin says shaking her head, but you can begin to hear the doubt in her own words.

Tianna says, "Then what about us? How did _we_ get here? How did Amanda get from _earth_ , to our realm, and then all of _us_ from our realm, to _yours_? You haven't seen _clothing_ like ours, because they're not made of _materials_ found here on _your_ realm."

"Yeah, and what about our _brooms_?" Thian asks. "You've never seen anything like _them_ , because the _Wizitch_ technology doesn't exist here. Amanda's _telling_ you the truth. We were _sent_ here to look for Bellinora, by people we _trust_ with our lives. In fact, we _owe_ them our lives."

Rayolin has a hard time believing they can find the entrance to the fabled Witch Mountain, but she does have to accept that they are _not_ from this realm.

Over the next three weeks, the kids get to know a girl named Cassandrea, who is Anastasia's best friend, and the same age as Anastasia, fifteen. Her clothing is a bit shabby, and reminds Tia, Tianna and Thian of the clothing they had worn all their lives, and had been made fun of for wearing.

It does not take long to figure out that Cassandrea is the village _gossip_. She has the latest _dirt_ on everyone, and will _tell_ anyone who will listen... which, according to Anastasia, is just about _everyone_ in the village. Cassandrea lives with her uncle. Her mom and dad had been killed in the same raid on the village as Anastasia's dad.

As Tianna's bruised and cracked ribs began healing, thanks to Rayolin's use of some powerful herbal applications and some healing spells, the kids begin to enjoy their time out at night. The entire _village_ is scared to death of catching the plague, so all doors and windows are shut _tight_ from just before sunset, to just after sunrise each day.

The kids would all laugh as sunset approached, because they could actually _hear_ doors slam, windows _banging_ shut and latched, and when they looked out, even all the _drapes_ were being pulled shut.

Anastasia and Cassandrea would take the kids on flights around the area, telling them of their lives here, and how they both wished they could get away, but there is no money to go anywhere. It turns out that the man Rayolin had been married to, was killed in a raid upon their village when Anastasia was seven. He had been a carpenter in a very large city, and had met a man from this little village who told him he could make a good living repairing the buildings in the village, and building _new_ homes and such.

Rayolin loved him so much, she gave up her very successful medical practice in the same large city, and moved to this area just after they were married. He built this house for them with his own two hands, with only Rayolin helping him as she could. He had built many other houses for some of the other village folk over the years, but then the raid hit and he was killed defending Rayolin and Anastasia.

The money they had saved was _long_ gone. The only money they had now was the little Rayolin brought in as the village healer. Everyone raised or grew their own food, or swapped for what they needed. Without any money to leave this _dump_ of a village, as Anastasia calls it, they were stuck here for good.

Anastasia and Cassandrea had taken the kids many times to fly around _Kelmar_ , which is only a mile or so away from Anastasia's home. The far side of _Kelmar_ is nestled against a _huge_ mountain which has to be at _least_ twenty-five-thousand feet high, and extends all the way to the horizon. Anastasia told them, that the ancient peoples of this land had named the mountain, Uboto Geta, which meant 'Witch Mountain.'

It did not take long to spot the area near the lake the ancient Journal had mentioned. It was strange, but even the _trees_ it described were still there.

Tianna asked why no one ever built here at the lake, and was told that people had tried, but that you could not cut down the trees anywhere _near_ the lake, and that people who tried _always_ died. You could swim in the lake, take water from the lake, and _fish_ in the lake, but you could never _build_ by the lake, nor cut the trees. Many people thought that some _spell_ had been cast ages ago, to protect the area so it would look just like it did when whoever _hid_ the treasure returned, so they could find it again.

A lot of people thought the treasure was someplace at the _bottom_ of the lake, and many had looked for it, but never found _any_ trace of it. Many died in their efforts, having drowned.

One night late in their fourth week, Tianna is _finally_ proclaimed healed. So was Tia's arm, and Thian's leg, which only took a few days to heal. All of their bites and stings had _long_ since healed too. They never told Rayolin or Anastasia _how_ they got them. They had only been asked once, but Thian said, "You'd _never_ believe us, and actually, for your _own_ good, I think we better not say."

This night, after dinner as usual, Cassandrea came over to give the days gossip. Then, everyone but Rayolin, mounted up as they did each night, kicked off, and flew through the trees to go _exploring_ in the cool night air.

"We've got to be moving on, now that everyone's healed," Amanda says as everyone slows to a hover just over the glimmering lake, dangling their feet in the cool water.

"But, you haven't _found_ where the entrance to the _mountain_ is yet!" Cassandrea says rather snitty.

The kids really like Anastasia, but _not_ so much Cassandrea. Cassandrea, besides being a _gossip_ , _thinks_ she knows everything, and the kids do _not_ trust her.

They asked Anastasia _not_ to say anything about where they had come from, or _why_ they wanted to get inside Witch Mountain - just that they did. Cassandrea had tried _repeatedly_ to get information from the kids and Anastasia, but neither the kids nor Anastasia would reveal a thing.

"Yes, well, I _think_ I have an idea of how to find it," Amanda says looking to the others for a moment, then at Anastasia and Cassandrea. "We need to go and get some things we didn't bring with us, when we came to the village. It'll only take us a little while to get 'em. We need _you_ two to stay here, and keep a _lookout_ for anyone that may be out watching us okay?"

"Yeah? Well, why can't _we_ come with you?" Cassandrea asks rather hotly.

"Because we _say_ you can't! _That's_ why!" Tianna shoots back.

Cassandrea is fifteen like Anastasia, and _much_ bigger than Tianna and the others, but somehow, Cassandrea _knows_ she is no match for Tianna. The two of them do _not_ get along well, and everyone knows it.

"Listen, this is _really_ important," Amanda continues. "We need the _two_ of you to be our lookouts for now. We don't want _anyone_ watching or following us."

"If you find the entrance, can _we_ go with you?" Anastasia asks hopefully.

"Oh, uh, well..." Amanda stammers.

"I _know_ I can find the way to Bellinora's cave, I just _know_ I can!" Anastasia pleads. "I've read _everything_ I could find about Witch Mountain, and there was _lots_ about the powerful witch Bellinora too. Please, if you really _can_ find the way in, _we_ want to go too! We've been _looking_ for it all our lives... _please_!"

Amanda looks at the two of them for a moment, then to the others.

"Well, if they _do_ know how to find her," Tia says looking rather skeptical, "it _would_ really speed things up you know."

"I don't _like_ it." Tianna says glaring at Cassandrea.

Cassandrea shoots back, "Whether _you_ like it or not, _we're_ coming with you, or we'll _follow_ you wherever you go! And I'll tell _everyone_ you don't _have_ the plague anymore and _never_ did! I'll tell them, that you _know_ how to get into Witch Mountain, and you'll _never_ be left alone!"

"Cassa!" Anastasia says quickly, "We are _not_ going to tell anybody _anything_ about this!"

"Well, maybe _you_ won't, but _I_ will! Either we _all_ go... or _no_ one goes!"

"I _really_ don't like you ya know?" Tianna says pulling her wand quickly before Cassandrea has a chance to move. "We could _blast_ you into _oblivion_ and just leave. Where we come from, we learn Wizitch you've never _heard_ of when we're _really_ young. _Right_ Sadie?"

Sadie smiles and quickly nods.

Cassandrea's eyes go wide looking at Tianna's outstretched wand, as she and Anastasia both turn pale.

"Oh for _heaven's_ sake!" Amanda says. " _Put_ that away Tianna. We're _not_ going to hurt _either_ of you. Look, we _need_ to get into Witch Mountain and find Bellinora. I think we _can_ find the way in, but from then on, I don't know _how_ or where to find her, and I'd _really_ like to call as little attention to us as possible, by _not_ asking lots of people a lot of questions. If you think you can find her, and you _want_ to come with us to find her... okay."

Anastasia and Cassandrea cheer.

" _But_... once we _find_ Bellinora," Amanda continues, "we part ways. _You_ can go or do what _you_ want, but _not_ with us. We go our separate ways... _agreed_?"

"Agreed," Anastasia says immediately.

Cassandrea hovers for a moment looking intently at Tianna. Tianna tilts her head forward a little and scowls, then twirls her wand. Cassandrea, looking nervous, says, " _Yeah_. Okay, agreed."

"If we do somehow find the entrance tonight," Amanda says looking at Anastasia, "we'll fly back to your house and say goodbye to Rayolin."

Then looking from Anastasia to Cassandrea, continues, "It will be up to the two of _you_ to get permission to come with us. Rayolin _may_ agree to let you come Anastasia, but don't _count_ on it." Turning to Cassandrea Amanda says very seriously, "As for _you_ Cassandrea, _how_ you get away to come with us, must _not_ in any way, reveal to _anyone_ , _where_ we're going, or _who_ we're going to see. Understand?"

"Of _course_ I understand! I'm not _stupid_ you know!"

"That's _yet_ to be proven," Tianna says with a shake of her head.

"Alright then," Amanda says quickly before an argument breaks out. "We may not even _find_ the entrance tonight, or, maybe, we won't find it at _all_. But if we _are_ going to find it tonight, we need to get started. Again, you two keep a close lookout for anyone that may be out and about tonight, even though they _think_ we have the plague... you _never_ know. We'll meet you back here just as soon as we can."

Amanda, Thian, Tia, Tianna and Sadie turn and fly off to retrieve their traveler's packs.

The kids fly as close to the ground and within the trees as they possibly can. They soon reach the tree line back to the mountain, and slow to a hover. After looking around to see if it is safe to continue, they head off again, this time in single file, flying about fifty-feet behind one another.

Once at the overhang, they all enter, dismount and head into the cave to gather their packs.

Tianna is the last one to fly in, as she has been watching their backs. Sadie, who had flown in just before her, is standing next to Amanda.

As Tianna dismounts, Amanda who now has her pack on, turns to face everyone. "Listen. I don't have _any_ problem with Anastasia coming with us, although I don't want to put her in harm's way if, well, things _don't_ go so good. But as for _Cassandrea_... that's _another_ story. I don't _trust_ her any further than I can _drool_." Everyone laughs.

Amanda continues. "But, the thing is, Cassandrea _does_ know that we don't have the plague and never did. She _also_ knows that we're looking for the entrance to Witch Mountain, and _who_ we're going to try to find. I have _no_ idea how she thinks she is going to be able to get away, and _not_ tell her uncle, or _half_ the village, _where_ she is going, knowing her as we do now.

"If... Cassandrea _does_ manage to come with us, we need to keep a _very_ close eye on her. She likes to gossip, and she knows _enough_ to get us all in a _heap_ of trouble. So, _watch_ her like a hawk."

"Like a _what_?" Thian asks.

"What? Oh, uh, like an _eagle_. You know?" Then shaking her head says, "Just keep a _sharp_ eye on her is all."

Everyone has their packs on - all but Sadie who does not have one.

"But Amanda," Tia says walking over holding her broom. "You said that you thought you knew of a way to find the entrance. Are you talking about what it says in the Journal?"

"Well, yeah, to a point anyway. I mean, the Journal says, after entering _Kelmar_ , take the rock path to the right. Follow it to the lake. Turn around and follow it back to the treeline. Turn left and enter the _fifth_ tree. _Remember_? And it says the password is 'Keltor.' It then says that we'll arrive in the _third_ tree behind some old pond. Then it says to use _that_ tree and same password to return."

"Yeah, well, what if we can't _find_ the rock path?" Tianna asks with a frown. "I mean, we've been flying over the village, lake and along the mountain _every_ night for weeks. The trees are still there, since it seems someone cast a _spell_ that won't let you cut them down. But, I don't remember seeing any rock _path_ leading to the lake. And there must be _thousands_ of trees around the lake too. We have _no_ idea where the rock path begins, and it could wind its way to meet the lake at _any_ point at all, anywhere around it. It could take _years_ to try the password on every tree."

"You know, you're _right_!" Tia says looking worried. " _I_ don't remember seeing any rock path either, and we've flown all around the lake, _and_ around the village. If there _is_ a rock path, I really think we would have _seen_ it, don't you?"

Amanda is holding her broom with a huge smile on her face when Thian asks, "What? Why do _you_ look so happy? Did _you_ see the rock path?" Thian asks hopefully.

"Nope. And I was looking _really_ hard for it too."

"Well, _something's_ up," Tianna says with a sly smile, "so let's _hear_ it."

Amanda laughs, "I think we now possess the _secret_ key to find the rock path, and, if we _can't_ find the entrance when we get, uh, _out_ of the tree near some pond, I think our _secret_ key may be able to _find_ the entrance."

" _What_ key?" Thian asks looking from Amanda to the others. "You mean that old _skeleton_ key you found? But I thought it only opened that huge door back on _earth_."

"Well, that key _did_ open that door, but that's _not_ the key I'm talking about. _I'm_ taking about, our _secret_ key. The one that I think will not only _find_ the path, but find the _entrance_ for us too."

"Wait..." Thian says shaking his head like he is trying to clear it. "How can a key _find_ anything? A key just _unlocks_ something... err, _doesn't_ it?"

Amanda laughs and tilting her head slightly says in almost a whisper, "Not _this_ one. _Our_ key can find things _no_ one else can see, unlocking the _mysteries_ of the unseen." After a short pause, everyone looking at Amanda like she has gone mad, Amanda shifts her eyes to Sadie, tilts her head forward and fixes her stare on her.

Everyone turns to look at Sadie, who looks rather startled as she looks from one confused face to the other. "What? Why are you all staring at _me_? _I_ don't have any secret key... _honest_."

Amanda smiles as she walks to Sadie, and while resting a hand on Sadie's shoulder, turns to face the others confused expressions. "No, Sadie doesn't _have_ a secret key... she _is_ our secret key!"

" _What_?!" Thian asks, looking at the tiny Sadie.

"What are you _talking_ about Amanda?" Tianna asks coming to stand with Amanda and Sadie.

"Remember how Sadie was able to _find_ us, _trapped_ in that well, near that huge face, and was able to get us out?" Turning to look down into Sadie's puzzled eyes, she asks, "Sadie... do you think you can use your powers, to see through things like overgrown _foliage_ , and layers of _dirt_ and stuff, to _find_ the rock path hidden beneath all of it?"

Sadie blinks several times, then looks from Amanda to the others who seem to have caught on to what Amanda has in mind. "Uh, well, I don't know. I've never _tried_ that before. But... if I can see fifteen to thirty feet, sometimes through _solid_ rock..." then after several moments of biting her lower lip, with an expression of intense concentration, "Yeah, you know, I think I _might_ actually be able to do it!"

Everyone cheers, as Sadie beams.

"Sadie," Amanda asks, "If we come out of the tree where there is _supposed_ to be an old pond, and it's not there anymore, do you think you might be able to see where it _used_ to be?"

"Oh, um, well, I'm not sure what that would really even _look_ like. But, uh, I could give it a _try_ I guess."

"Great. But whether the pond is there or not," Amanda continues, "we know the _entrance_ will be hidden. What I'm hoping, is you can use your powers to look _inside_ the mountain near the base, where we come out of the tree. I'm _hoping_ you may be able to spot some hidden _cave_ that may lead us inside. Can you _do_ that?"

Sadie is excited now, as are the others and smiles. "Well, that I _know_ I can do! If there is a hidden opening of some kind, _I_ can find it!"

Everyone cheers again. Amanda holds up her hands for quiet. "Great. I thought you might be able to. But here's the thing... we can't let Anastasia or Cassandrea know how we find the way to the tree at the lake... _if_ Sadie can _find_ the rock path that is. Nor can we let them know Sadie is the one finding the way into the mountain. It would raise too many questions, at least for now."

"You know, I've been _thinking_ about Cassandrea," Tianna says as she begins to pace. "What if Sadie looks for the rock path on our way _back_ to Anastasia and Cassandrea? If she _spots_ it, we can follow it to the lake, and make a _note_ as to where it meets the lake. Then, we can fly over to them, telling them we got _lost_ for a little bit, and that's why it's taken us so long.

"Then, _why_ not just fly around back to that spot, and go left like the Journal said to. We don't _have_ to tell them why we want to fly in that direction, just that we _want_ to. We'll know if the trees the Journal mentions are still there anyway. Then, since we don't know _where_ the old pond is, maybe as we fly around the lake, Sadie can be looking for any signs of _it_. If she _does_ spot it, Sadie can say some _code_ word or phrase. You know, like... 'Was that a _Hollydink_ in that tree?' or something like that. We would then know that the entrance _had_ to be somewhere nearby. We can make a slow flyby of the mountain's base too, to see if Sadie spots the entrance, and if she _does_ , we use another code word or phrase."

"That's a _great_ idea sis!" Tia says smiling along with the others.

Tianna continues, "You know, if Sadie _does_ find the entrance, we don't have to tell either Anastasia _or_ Cassandrea. We can just pretend that we couldn't find _anything_. We then fly back, spend the night, but get up _really_ early. It would have to be _just_ before dawn, before the villagers venture outside though. We could let Rayolin and Anastasia know we really _did_ find what we were looking for, and _only_ take Anastasia with us, if Rayolin will let her come that is. Cassandrea won't know and we won't have to have _her_ tagging along."

Everyone eagerly agrees. They decide to have Sadie look for the rock path. If she finds it, the code phrase will be, "Little dots. I _miss_ little dots." Little dots, Sadie told them, was one of her very favorite candies back home. And, that since a rock path would more than likely look like lines of little dots, it would tie into the meaning of the pathway.

They decide that " _Puddles_ " will be the code word for the pond, since it _would_ look like a puddle next to a huge lake. Also, Sadie once had a _pet_ named puddles. The code phrase for the entrance, should she find it, will be, "Flash In The Pan," which is the restaurant she had visited in the realm of The Deep Elves. It was also someplace all the kids knew and loved, and has a hidden lake beneath the building.

"Okay, let's get going. And Sadie, see if you _can_ do your thing okay?" Amanda says as she mounts up, the others following her lead. "I hope this _works_! I really _don't_ want to take Cassandrea with us! And, since the path is _supposed_ to end at the lake, I don't think we need to try to find the rock path _before_ we get to the lake. It'll save time. Either it's still somewhere around the lake, or... well, we'll worry about that later.

"Let's fly back to where they say _Kelmar_ begins. You can start looking there if you want Sadie, since we have to fly that way anyway. We'll then fly a large 'Z' pattern, looking for the path. When we reach the lake, well, I _guess_ we'll just have to continue flying around with _them_ , but we don't' have to tell them why. Let's go."

As they reach the base of the mountain, they head around the village, keeping out of sight. They then head for _Kelmar_. They have only gone a short distance when Sadie yells, " _Little_ dots! I _miss_ little dots! I mean, I think I _found_ it!"

"What? _Where_?" Thian asks as everyone comes to a hover around Sadie, who is looking below them.

Pointing her little arm downward, she turns to Amanda and says, "I _can_ do it Amanda! I _did_ it! I never _knew_ I could do it while _flying_!"

Amanda smiles and asks, "What do you see? Are you _sure_ it's a path and not just a couple of _rocks_ or something?"

"Oh, it's a _path_ alright. It looks like _most_ of it has been buried in layers upon layers of decaying underbrush. And the _rest_ looks like it's just been buried from mud slides, or just settling dirt over the centuries. But it's a rock pathway for _sure_ , and it heads _that_ way," Sadie points off to the right and they all begin to follow her, as she flies slowly forward, looking intently at the ground a couple yards below them. To the others, the ground looks just the same as it does most everywhere else. _They_ cannot see any difference at all.

In a few minutes, they break through the trees and are headed directly at the lake. As they approach the lake, Anastasia and Cassandrea spot them and fly over to meet them. By the time they arrive, Sadie and the others are hovering right at the water's edge, looking at the trees _just_ behind and to the left of them, and making a mental note of how to quickly find this spot again.

"You guys were gone a _long_ time," Cassandrea says suspiciously, gliding to a hover beside them. "I _thought_ you said it wouldn't _take_ you very long!" Narrowing her eyes and speaking very softly, she says, "We were _beginning_ to think... you _may_ have left without us."

"Well, we can't exactly _sneak_ off now can we?" Tianna sneers at her. "It just took _longer_ than we thought is all, and we got _lost_ in the dark trying to find our way _back_. So, _get_ over it!"

Cassandrea and Tianna glare at each other for a very tense moment, then Sadie says, "Uh, I'd really like to fly around _that_ side of the lake again. Isn't that where you _think_ we might find something Amanda?"

Since they just found where the tree _is_ they are supposed to enter, but seeing that those trees are on the side of the lake furthest _away_ from the mountain, Sadie decides they may as well look around the side of the lake that is _closest_ to the mountain, thinking she might be able to spot either something that _looks_ like a buried pond, or, maybe even the _entrance_ to the mountain itself, while flying against the mountain's base.

"What? _Oh_ , uh, _sure_! Yeah let's look around over _there_ and see what we can find."

"What are we _looking_ for?" Anastasia asks quite excited.

"We'll know it when, and _if_ , we see it," Tianna says with a slight grin.

They head off around the lake to the other side. Sadie, looking as _hard_ as she can, cannot see _anything_ at all that looks like a pond, as they make their way along the area between the lake and the mountain. On their way back, they fly close to the mountains base, but again find nothing.

When they have covered the _entire_ length of the mountain near the lake, and about a _mile_ in each direction beyond it, not finding anything, they all come to a hover.

"Well, _this_ was a little discouraging," Thian says with a sigh. "We didn't find _anything_ at all."

Cassandrea narrows her eyes as she studies each of the kid's faces. "Soooo. You _didn't_ find... anything? Are you _sure_? You're not _lying_ to us are you?"

"No, we're not _lying_ to you!" Tianna snaps. "Do we _look_ happy to you? We _thought_ we would find... _something_ , but we _didn't_! Is that okay with _you_?!"

"We'll just have to look again _tomorrow_ night is all," Amanda says also sounding very disappointed. "I'm bushed. Let's get back and get some sleep. We need to rethink this some."

Cassandrea snorts. "Yeah, well... _whatever_. See you tomorrow Anastasia." Then looking briefly at the others, " _Later_..." and turns and flies off toward home.

"I really, _really_ don't like her!" Tianna snarls.

The others nod. Thian yawns. "Well, tomorrow _is_ another night. Maybe we'll do better then. It's gettin' light, we really need to get back before people start coming out and spot us."

They turn and head for Anastasia's house. As they fly, they do not talk. Everyone is very disappointed and tired... Sadie, the _most_ disappointed of all, feeling she has let her friends down, and that _maybe_ , she is not _good_ enough to be part of the team.

They arrive at the house and enter. The kids say goodnight to Anastasia, then to Rayolin, or actually, more like good _morning_ to Rayolin, who has just finished her breakfast and is getting ready for her rounds in the village. The kids in the village are all home schooled, so Anastasia has no school to go to.

Thian takes his place on the couch, curls up and is instantly asleep. The girls head to their rooms to get some sleep as well. It is after midday when the girls come in to wake Thian, who rolls off the couch and lands _hard_ on the floor with a cry of surprise.

Rayolin is in the village as usual, tending to the villagers almost daily cuts, scrapes, bruises and broken bones from searching for the treasure. Anastasia can be heard _snoring_ in the other room.

"Wha..." Thian starts to say as a hand _clamps_ over his mouth. Tianna leans down and whispers, "Come on, we all need to talk."

Thian says he has to go potty first, and trots off for the hallway, running _squarely_ into the doorjamb, darn near _knocking_ him silly. Tianna shakes her head as she watches him stagger further down the hall and round the corner, then hearing the bathroom door shut.

" _Honestly_!" she whispers, "It's a _wonder_ that Thian is _still_ alive. I mean, it's not like he couldn't _see_ the doorway. _Geez_!"

The others giggle.

A couple minutes later, Thian meets the girls in one of the rooms.

"What's up?" Thian whispers, shutting the door, still looking sleepy.

"Well, I was _really_ hoping that Sadie would be able to find the rock path, which she _did_ ," Amanda says with a yawn. " _But_ , she wasn't able to spot anything that looked like a _pond_ or a hidden _entrance_ into the mountain near the lake. So, I _guess_ there's only one thing left we _can_ do now."

"Yeah, use the _password_ to get inside the _fifth_ tree to the left of the pathway at the lake," Tia says working a kink from her neck. "But what about Anastasia and _Cassandrea_? Anastasia says she _may_ be able to find her way through Witch Mountain, without having to ask _too_ many questions. She says she thinks she knows where _Bellinora_ lives too. If she does, it really _would_ save time, and lessen the _attention_ on us and our chances of getting caught."

They talk things over for a while. At times with _raised_ voices, as Tianna voices her _objection_ to taking Cassandrea along.

Suddenly there's a knock on the door. Everyone falls silent for a moment. Amanda gets up off the bed and opens the door. Anastasia looks at Amanda, then to the others all gathered on the bed.

"Uh, I heard _loud_ voices and was wondering if something's wrong."

"Well, _actually_ , I'm glad you're here," Amanda says motioning for Anastasia to enter. "We were just talking about what we need to do now, and, well, about taking you and Cassandrea with us."

"What about us? You _said_ we could come. You're not backing _out_ are you?"

"Oh, well, we really like _you_ Anastasia. It's just that, well..."

"We can't _stand_ Cassandrea!" Tianna hisses. "And we don't _trust_ her either! We _don't_ want to take her with us!"

Anastasia strides over to stand directly in front of Tianna with a stern expression on her face. "But she's my _best_ friend. _We've_ been looking for the way in all our _lives_. You _said_ we could come!"

Tianna holds her hands up and shrugs. "Well, we don't want _her_ to come."

Anastasia glares at Tianna saying, "You _all_ agreed the other night. You _all_ agreed that Cassa and I _could_ come with you, as far as _finding_ Bellinora. _Then_... we go our separate ways. _Now_ you're telling me that you... _lied_? You _gave_ us your _word_!

"Where _I_ come from, we _honor_ our word. Or do you _elves_ just say _anything_ to get what you want, then _dishonor_ yourselves and your _kind_ by backing _out_? You should _never_ give your word if you're not going to _keep_ it! You are either _honorable_... or you're _dirt_! _Which_ is it?" and glares at Tianna.

Tianna, being a right fighter, someone who has always stood up for what is right, even when it gets her in _deep_ trouble from time to time, feels as though she has just been _slapped_... hard, across the face. Her eyes go wide as she turns several shades of red. Not from anger, but _embarrassment_. Anastasia is right. Tianna and the others _had_ all agreed that day, and settled on the fact that _both_ Cassandrea and Anastasia could come.

Tianna looks to the other startled and somewhat reddened faces. Then swallowing hard and licking her lips, she looks back up and into Anastasia's probing eyes. "Uh, I'm... I mean... you're _right_. We _did_ give our word, and where _we_ come from, our word represents the _honor_ within us. I... you... _yes_ , you _and_ Cassandrea can come."

"But, you _still_ need to get Rayolin to agree to _let_ you come, _remember_?" Amanda says. "And _Cassandrea_ has to get permission to come too. If she doesn't..."

" _Then_ she doesn't come with us," Anastasia agrees.

"Listen," Amanda says after a pause. "You and Cassandrea have the _rest_ of today, tonight, _and_ tomorrow, to convince Rayolin and Cassandrea's uncle to let you come with us. _Tomorrow_ night, we leave... _with_ you, or without you, _okay_?"

"Yeah, okay, _thanks_ ," Anastasia says with a smile returning to her face. Come on, let's have something to eat, I'm _starved_. After that, I'll go find Cassa and tell her what's up. Oh, and I'll _remind_ her that she can't tell her uncle _where_ she's going, or for _how_ long, just that she is. I've got _no_ idea how she's going to do it though. I mean, where can she say she's _going_? None of us have any money to go... well, _anywhere_ at all. Her uncle doesn't _like_ her much though, so, maybe. I just don't know."

They all have a good breakfast and in no time, everyone is laughing and all feel like friends again. Soon, Anastasia leaves to find Cassandrea and tell her what is planned.

The kids talk for some time, then decide to get some more rest. That night after dinner, Anastasia and the kids are helping Rayolin with the dishes, when Anastasia says, "Uh, _mom_? Can we sit and talk for a minute?"

"Sure honey. What's up?"

Anastasia looks to the kids and nods. Amanda turns and says, "Oh, well, I think we should leave the two of you alone," and turns and begins walking away. "Come on, let's go in the other room and have a _chat_ of our own."

It is only a few minutes later, when the kids all sitting on one of the beds, hear raised voices. This goes on for over an _hour_. Then there is a few moments of silence, followed by the _slamming_ of the front door, which rattles the entire house.

"Oh _God_!" Amanda says looking frightened. "Sounds like Anastasia is _really_ upset and left the _house_. Or _Rayolin_ maybe. Guess Rayolin _won't_ let her come after all. I really can't blame her though. I _really_ like both of 'em, and feel bad about getting them _mad_ at each other. I hope Rayolin isn't to mad at _us_. She's been _wonderful_ to us you know?"

"Yeah, she really has," Tia says sadly looking down at her hands resting in her lap. "I hope that..."

There is a knock on the door making everyone jump. They look to one another with frightened expressions. Tia gets off the bed and opens the door. Rayolin is standing there rather flushed, with somewhat of a blank expression. "May I come in?" she asks evenly.

"Yeah, _sure_... please," Tia motions towards the bed.

"Thank you." Rayolin walks to the bed and takes a spot. "I hear you're all going to be leaving tomorrow night, is that correct?" The kids nod slowly, but do not say anything.

"Anastasia tells me, that _she_ and Cassandrea were invited to come along. I assume that's true, because Anastasia _doesn't_ lie to me." Tianna swallows and turns red from embarrassment as she nods along with the others.

Rayolin sits silently for a moment, looking down at her hands clasped in her lap, then continues in a calm, soft voice. "I see. I want you to know something," she says looking up into their expectant faces. " _I_ don't believe that _any_ treasure exists here. Nor do I believe that the _majority_ of it is hidden in some place called _Witch_ Mountain, which is said to actually be _inside_ the huge mountain near the lake, which has the same name.

"Which is _ridiculous_ of course! I mean... a mountain _inside_ another mountain? How _foolish_! _Tens_ of thousands of people have spent, and _lost_ their lives over the centuries, _looking_ for both. _None_ , as you know, have _ever_ found neither the treasure, said to have been buried on _this_ side of the mountain, _nor_ , of course, a way _into_ that mountain.

"I don't want Anastasia to _waste_ her life looking for something that _doesn't_ exist. Simply _wasting_ her life, looking to fulfill a _dream_ which will _never_ come true. A dream to find things that are simply _myths_. Nothing more than _stories_ that have become more and more exaggerated over time. I _love_ her... more than _anything_ , and I don't want to see her get hurt. She's all I _have_. She's all I live for."

For a moment, no one speaks. All the kids feel _horrible_. Looking at Rayolin's saddened face, they see tears make their way down her cheeks. They all begin tearing up too.

Wiping her eyes and clearing her throat, Amanda says softly, " _We_ don't want her to get hurt either. We really like Anastasia, _and_ you. We wouldn't do _anything_ to cause either of you any pain, if we could help it. We don't know _anything_ about any treasure either, on this side of the mountain, or, uh, _inside_ it. But, we _do_ know that there _is_ a way into Witch Mountain, and ,well, have a kind of _map_ to get inside."

Rayolin snaps her head up looking confused. "What?"

The kids look nervous, as Amanda continues. "I can't tell you the whole story, but we have a kind of map, which was written hundreds, or maybe _thousands_ of years ago. It shows how to get into Witch Mountain... if the way still _works_ that is.

"We didn't say anything before, and we haven't told Anastasia or Cassandrea about it either. We don't want _anyone_ to know. I'm only telling you because we don't want you and Anastasia to fight.

"Anastasia said she's read _everything_ she could about Witch Mountain, and thinks she can find the way to Bellinora's cave. We have it on _very_ good authority, that Bellinora not only _exists_ within the place _called_ Witch Mountain, but that we must meet with her. I can't tell you why. _Please_ , don't be mad at Anastasia. She just wants to help us, and to find something she has been looking for, for, like... _forever_. She's talked a lot to us about wanting to go on adventures, and _look_ for lost treasure and stuff. Didn't _you_ ever want to do those things?"

Silence.

After an uncomfortably long pause, Rayolin wipes her tears away and looks up into all their faces. Softly, sadly, she says, "Yes. _I've_ wanted to do those things too. And in a way, I _guess_ I have. When I was first married, my husband was _so_ excited about coming here, I just _couldn't_ refuse. I soon became as _excited_ as he was. Coming here was one of my _greatest_ adventures. Filled with joy, adventure, _excitement_... then sorrow so _deep_ I thought it would take my spirit.

"The excitement of the unknown. The _promise_ of wealth. The opportunity to _learn_ new things, and meet new people. We came here, my husband and I. Excited to _explore_ our new surroundings, make a home for ourselves, start a family... be happy. And at first we were. The excitement every day we woke was _exhilarating_. We were _filled_ with the wonder of what each new day would bring. The excitement in the village, among the villagers as they _constantly_ talked of the treasure supposedly buried here, became contagious.

"My husband built our home here, with his _own_ two hands. I helped as best I could of course. He built many other homes here too. He repaired many of the buildings when he could, _ages_ ago now it seems. _I_ became the only healer within _three_ hundred miles, even though there is a city not far from here. We were both very busy.

"After a time, he became _more_ and more interested in the treasure, just like the others in the village. After Anastasia was born, I saw less and less of him. He began spending more time looking for that _blasted_ treasure than he did building. Then the attack came... and he was taken from us forever. If it weren't for Anastasia, I would _never_ have survived the loss of him. I loved him soooo much."

The tears are freely flowing down Rayolin's face. "I _miss_ him so much. I don't think I could _survive_ if something happened to Anastasia. I just _couldn't_ take it."

Everyone is in tears. Amanda looks at Tia and Tianna, knowing they are thinking of their mom, who _they_ have just lost, and knowing they are thinking about how _they_ are going to survive without her. The hole in their hearts is as _deep_ as a bottomless pit. The _ache_ of wanting her, _missing_ her... always burning within them.

"Wiping her eyes and sniffing, Amanda says, "I, I'm really sorry Rayolin. We just didn't _think_. We _never_ should have offered. I hope she doesn't hate us, or you, because you won't let her come. But we understand, really."

"What dear?" Rayolin says, dabbing at her eyes with a white cloth she pulls from her dress pocket. "Won't... oh, _no_. You misunderstand. I told her she _can_ go with you!"

They all look to her in surprise. Tianna stutters, "You... you told her she can _come_?"

"Yes. We had _quite_ a discussion, as I'm sure you heard. But like we just discussed, _she_ wants to go on her own adventures, explore _new_ places and discover _new_ things, _learn_ new things, meet other people from different places. I've never _seen_ her so excited before... _ever_ ," Rayolin laughs then continues. "And she's been _excited_ about a lot of things over the years, let me _tell_ you." She laughs again as the others laugh nervously with her.

"But, we heard the _door_ slam," Thian says looking confused. "We thought she ran off _really_ upset, because you wouldn't let her come."

"Oh, no! After we hashed things over for a while, I realized she was _right_ , and this _may_ be her one chance to get away from here, and to have her _own_ adventures with people she likes and _trusts_."

Tianna turns a little red and looks away for a moment.

"I told Anastasia that if she was going to go off on an _adventure_ , she had better get into the village and pick up a few things for her traveler's pack. Oh, and Sadie... she's getting a traveler's pack for _you_ too, along with several things to put in it. We can fill in the _rest_ when she gets back."

The kids are _thrilled_ and Amanda walks to Rayolin and gives her a long, warm hug, followed by each of the others giving her a hug too, with little Sadie _hugging_ her to the point everyone is beginning to think she is _stuck_.

"Now now! _Enough_ of this," Rayolin says wiping a tear and sniffing.

"Rayolin," Amanda asks seriously, "why don't _you_ come with us too? You could have, well, _another_ adventure. That is, if we really _find_ the way in."

"Oh, _thank_ you for asking dear. I wish I _were_ coming with you, but of course, I can't. The villagers, _believe_ it or not, not only _like_ me, but _need_ me too. Besides, _this_ is our home. At least until we get enough money to leave, which, most likely, will _never_ happen. And, you will need someone here to tell the villagers not only _where_ you have all gone, but _why_ Anastasia went with you."

All the kid's eyes go wide. Rayolin continues quickly. "Don't worry. I'm going to tell them that you finally told us where you're from, and that I've convinced you that you need to get _back_ to the hospital you, uh, _escaped_ from, or _die_. That I have done _all_ I can for you, but that it _isn't_ enough.

"I'll tell them that you didn't know the way back, so I sent _Anastasia_ with you. I'll tell them you came from the same city _I_ had come from, a _loooong_ time ago, with my husband. Also, that Anastasia is going to _stay_ in the city with an aunt, for an unspecified length of time.

"Of course, I _have_ no other family at all, and my husband's family is on another realm, and there is no way for Anastasia and I to _ever_ get to them. So, we have no place to go, and no one to worry about us.

"It's just Anastasia and I now. But, since I've _never_ talked about my family, since I don't _have_ any, I'm sure the villagers will believe me. And I'm sure they'll be glad to be rid of _you_ , so they can _once_ again get together in the evenings, and _party_ like they used to, swapping stories of the _treasure_ and of their exploits of the day."

They all laugh.

#  Beneath The Tree

To TOC

When Anastasia returns home, she is very excited. Using Wizitch, she had sent back to the house earlier, a really nice traveler's pack for Sadie, _loaded_ with lots of goodies. Sadie is _thrilled_. Rayolin helps Sadie pack more things from around the house.

Over the weeks, Rayolin had made several sets of new clothes for each of the kids. Rayolin checks the other kid's packs and adds various items she thinks they may need, including a new, very large, _self_ -expanding first aid kit, which made Amanda laugh.

At dinner, Anastasia talks about how _exciting_ it is going to be - setting off on a _grand_ adventure, into the unknown. The others tell her that _sometimes_ , even though adventures _were_ usually exciting, they did not _always_ go as smoothly and uneventful as one might like. It did not matter. Anastasia is too _worked_ up to worry.

Anastasia tells everyone that she talked to Cassandrea, when she had gone into the village for supplies, and Cassandrea was really excited too. "The thing is," Anastasia says tilting her head slightly, "when I asked her _how_ she was going to convince her uncle to let her go away someplace, not being able to tell him _where_ she was going, or _how_ long she was going to be gone, she just smiled and said, ' _No_ problem. Don't worry. I'll meet you at your place at the usual time. Really, I've _got_ it covered.' When I asked her about it later, she wouldn't talk about it. But, I _guess_ she'll be coming too."

That night after dinner, Cassandrea shows up at the usual time. This time, everyone including Rayolin, sits around the table talking into the night when, finally, everyone says their good nights, and all go to bed.

The next day, Anastasia and the kids sleep in till around noon. They get up, eat and recheck _everything_ for like the tenth time, then busy themselves for the rest of the day, waiting for nightfall.

They have a good dinner, with lots of laughing at the stories Rayolin told, of how the villagers would get home after searching for the treasure, then jump into a _hot_ tub full of soap. "I really have to try _hard_ not to laugh every time I see them in the mornings. They're _spotless_. I've never _seen_ the entire village this clean. Not even when we first _came_ here. I think they're actually getting _used_ to it!"

They all laugh again, when there is a knock at the door. The laughter stops and the smiles fade, knowing that the time to say goodbye has come. Anastasia looks at her mom, gets up, goes into the other room and opens the door. They hear Cassandrea's voice saying as they approach the kitchen, "Really, I'm _telling_ you, it was _no_ problem!"

They enter the kitchen and Cassandrea drops her traveler's pack and sets her broom aside. They take their seats. "I was just telling Anastasia, that my _uncle_ said it was okay if I went off with her for _however_ long we wanted. You know, like going _camping_ or something. Don't worry, I didn't tell him _where_ we're going! We, uh, don't get _along_ very well. So, he _really_ doesn't care if I go and _never_ come back."

"Cassa, you _know_ that's not true!" Rayolin says, but with a smile. She and everyone in the village _know_ that the two of them cannot _stand_ one another.

"Well, when _do_ we leave anyway?" Cassandrea asks with a grin.

The room falls silent.

After a long pause, everyone looking to one another, Rayolin is the first to speak. "Actually, don't you think you should get started _now_? I really think you should get a good start. You don't know what _obstacles_ you may find after all. And, of course, if you, well, _do_ have any problems, you need to come _straight_ back."

Cassandrea is the first on her feet. Anastasia and Rayolin lock eyes for a moment, then Rayolin slowly gets to her feet. "Well. I guess this is it then. We've never been apart before. But, I know you'll be _fine_ honey. And don't _worry_ about me, _I'll_ be fine here. You just take care of yourself, and _stay_ out of trouble okay?"

The two hug for a long time, and with tears in both their eyes, they part. Tia steps up to Rayolin and hugs her, and thanks her for teaching her about the healing herbs and spells she had taken the time to show her. One by one, the kids hug and thank her for her hospitality, _generosity_ , tending to their wounds, and _possibly_ saving their lives.

Everyone gathers their things and go outside. They have their packs on, mount their brooms and kick into a hover. Everyone waves at Rayolin, who waves back, looking like she will _burst_ into tears any second. With a final wave, she turns and goes inside, closing the door behind her.

Other than Cassandrea, they _all_ have tears in their eyes. Cassandrea asks impatiently, " _Well_? What are we just _sitting_ here for? Let's get _going_!" and with that, she begins heading up and over the trees, in the direction of the lake.

After a few moments hesitation, Anastasia wipes her eyes, turning her gaze from the closed door, looks to the tree tops, and heads off, the others following close behind. It is a _very_ quiet flight over to the lake.

The night is clear and cool, and the light of the huge moon lights their way. Amanda and the others again look in wonder at all the _thousands_ of fire-bugs, with their orange glow illuminating the land below them. The landscape is _alive_ with the glow and movement of the tiny fire-bugs. As the fire-bugs fly over the lake, the light show is simply _dazzling_. The reflections of the glow from the bugs _dancing_ across the glistening water, make constant, almost _hypnotic_ patterns.

When they get to the lake, Sadie takes the lead. She uses her Wizitch power to look into the ground and spot the ancient rock path. In no time, she lowers to the ground and dismounts. The others do the same.

"Why are we stopping _here_?" Cassandrea asks looking around confused. "Isn't the entrance to the mountain, uh, well, at the _mountain_? We're on the _opposite_ side of the lake."

Ignoring Cassandrea, Amanda says, "Okay Sadie." Sadie nods, then turns and begins walking away from the lake, staring at the ground as she walks. In less than five minutes, after Sadie has followed the hidden rock path to the right for some distance, before it _twists_ and turns toward the tree line, she stops and leans on a tree looking back to the lake, like she is resting. She then says, "The lake is really beautiful... _from_ here."

Cassandrea and Anastasia both look at Sadie with blank expressions, then turn around to look at the lake, and back again. Cassandrea asks with a rather confused look on her face, "Yeah, _so_?"

Sadie just grins saying, "Nothing. It's just a really _beautiful_ night to be starting an adventure is all. And you may not _see_ this lake again for, well, who _knows_ how long."

Amanda understands that what Sadie is actually saying is... _this_ is the first tree, start counting over to the fifth tree ' _from_ here.' Amanda gives a slight nod and begins walking past Sadie, counting the trees as she goes, but not looking directly at them, just walking in a line a few yards in front of them to the left. She does not want to let Anastasia nor Cassandrea know she is counting trees.

Cassandrea and Anastasia have been looking at the lake, watching the fire-bugs, and back toward the dim lights of the village. They turn to see that Amanda, Sadie and the others have all walked away and are now gathered in front of a tree a little ways off to the left. The two of them jog over to join the others.

Amanda looks around nervously, to see if there is anyone around, which makes everyone _else_ look around nervously too. Amanda holds up her arms, holding her broom in her left hand and says, "Keltor!" There is a short pause, then a thin, _very_ dim blue outline in the shape of an arched door appears. Everyone gasps, their eyes growing wide and jaws dropping. Cassandrea and Anastasia let out a _cry_ of surprise as each takes a few steps back.

Amanda turns to the others with a smile, as her friends grin back at her. Amanda then holds her hands up again saying, "Orathian!" The door in the tree pops open a little. _Just_ enough to get her fingers on it and pull it open.

Thian says quickly, "Since we don't really know _what's_ inside, um, I think _one_ of us should check it out before we _all_ go in."

"So what? _You're_ the one who wants to go in and check things out?" Tianna snickers. "Just don't set the place on _fire_ if you have to use your wand."

Thian looks like he has turned a little darker in the dim light of the trees. He purses his lips and says, "Actually, _no_ , _I_ hadn't planned to be the first in. I was thinking that _you_ should be the first. You're the best _shot_ of any of us, and if something _is_ in there, _you_ have the best chance of stopping _it_ , before _it_ gets you... or _us_."

Amanda wished she had a camera right then. The stunned expression on Tianna's face is _priceless_.

"Oh. Uh, well..." Tianna manages to stutter as she steps forward, placing her broom in her left hand. She draws her wand and says, "You might all want to do the _same_ until we know it's safe."

Everyone draws their wand and you can _feel_ the excitement, _tension_ and apprehension. Tianna motions for everyone to move to the sides... just in case. Drawing a deep breath, she lets it out and nods to Thian, who pulls the door open. Tianna _drops_ into a crouch, aiming her wand inside.

Tianna is _instantly_ illuminated by a silver-blue light from within the tree. Amanda sees Tianna's mouth open as she slowly stands, lowering her wand. Everyone steps forward to look inside too.

"I, I don't _believe_ it!" Anastasia says in awe. "It's _been_ here all the time, and we never _knew_ it. It's absolutely _beautiful_!"

The inside of the tree is glowing with a dim silver-blue light. The wooden surface of the inside, looks like it has been _hand_ polished to a glass-like smooth sheen. In the center of the huge pine like tree, is what appears to be a _solid_ silver, _spiral_ staircase, with an elaborate, intricately carved handrail.

Tianna steps inside, once again raising her wand. Slowly moving forward, she steps to the silver staircase as the others come in and spread out around the stairs.

Cassandrea steps to the staircase and running her hand over the silver handrail, looks over the side and down the spiral to a small dot of light far below. "You know, I'm sure this is _solid_ silver," she says with a grin. "This _alone_ is worth a _fortune_! It will take a while to _cut_ it all up and get it outside of course, but, we'll be _rich_!" Turning around, she looks to the others. No one has a smile on their face, not even Anastasia.

" _No_ one is going to _cut_ up these stairs!" Tianna snarls.

Cassandrea's smile fades quickly as she sees that they all feel the same way Tianna does. "Oh, uh, well, no, of _course_ not." Then in half a whisper, "Not right _now_ anyway." She turns and looks back down the staircase. "So, um, what's _down_ there anyway?"

"We don't know," Tia says stepping between Tianna and Cassandrea. "But _that's_ where we need to go. So, I guess you can close the door Amanda. Then Tianna, why don't _you_ lead the way down?"

Amanda turns and faces the door. Holding her arms up, she says, "Neldor!" and the door _slams_ shut, the blue outline fading until they are looking at a _solid_ , smooth interior.

Both Anastasia and Cassandrea yell and begin pounding on the sealed doorway, afraid they cannot get out again. Amanda and the others are scared too, but not that they could not get out. They have come to _trust_ the password spells for opening and closing doors. They are simply _afraid_ of the unknown, which is natural.

After everyone assures Cassandrea and Anastasia, that they can _indeed_ get out again if they needed to, and that they have used these kinds of spells to open and close doors many times before, they calm down.

"I've never _heard_ those spells before," Anastasia says with a shiver as she looks around nervously.

"They're _special_ spells we learn where _we_ come from," Sadie says as if she has used these all her very short life.

Tianna, stifling a laugh, begins making her way down the stairs. After she has descended fifteen steps, Tia follows. After Tia has covered fifteen steps, Sadie begins. The others follow in kind until Thian brings up the rear.

It takes almost half an hour to reach the bottom, which ends in a small cavern. It has what looks like a single set of something like _railroad_ tracks, with two _ancient_ looking carts sitting on them. The kids grin and walk to the thick, tarnished copper carts. The carts have a _beautiful_ patina in various shades of greens and blues. Everyone walks around the carts as they look them over.

"Wow! These are _gorgeous_!" Anastasia says running her hand over the smooth surface on the top edge of the door. "And look at the wonderful _carvings_ on the door panels! I've never seen _anything_ like _this_! Not even in all the _books_ I've read. Have _you_ Cassa?"

Cassandrea has stopped a few feet from the carts, and is staring at them with her mouth open. She slowly shakes her head, and seems to come out of her trance-like state. "No. _I've_ never seen anything like them either. I can't believe this is all... _real_. There was a _hidden_ Wizitchal door, in a tree that's been at our lake for _centuries_. And we must have _flown_ by that tree _hundreds_ of times! Then we find a _solid_ silver spiral staircase, that takes you to some kind of underground _transportation_. I just... don't _believe_ it! It's like I'm _dreaming_ you know?"

Everyone laughs nervously, which seems to ease the tension.

Looking around the cavern, they cannot see any other way in or out. The only things there are the ancient looking carts resting on the old tracks, that lead into a _dark_ cave-like tunnel, like entering an old _mine_.

"Well, I guess we get in and see where these take us," Sadie says as she steps up to the open air cart and faces the door. This is the front cart which faces the tunnel. She tugs on the door handle but it does not move. Tianna steps up and gives it a good _pull_ and it pops open.

Tianna lifts Sadie up, who steps inside and moves to the back seat. There, Sadie sees a kind of latch behind her, and notices a long hinge about three feet further back. Amanda said it reminded her of something called the _trunk_ of a car. Sadie flips up the latch and lifts the lid. It is a type of storage area. She takes off her traveler's pack, and puts it and her broom inside. Sadie then takes Tianna's pack and broom and places them inside as well. Taking Amanda's and Thian's things, she stores them in the compartment too, then shuts and latches the lid, turns and sits with a smile on her face. There are two bench-like seats in each cart, one in front, one in back, and each seat can hold two good sized adults. Tianna steps in and takes the seat in back, beside Sadie.

"Hey, that _storage_ place Sadie found is a _great_ place to put our stuff," Anastasia says smiling at Sadie, who can _just_ see over the front of the cart.

Amanda steps in and takes the far end of the front seat. Thian steps up and in, then takes his seat and closes the cart door.

Tia has already opened the second cart, and has stowed her pack and broom. She then steps over into the front seat, and sits in the _middle_ by herself. Anastasia and Cassandrea get in the back, store their things and take their seats, then Tia closes the cart door.

Thian and Amanda have found that the only thing in front of them, on a kind of dashboard, is a curved panel with a _single_ glowing blue button. Thian turns around and looks back to Tia in the cart behind them and calls, " _You_ have a glowing button on _your_ panel?"

" _What_ panel?" Tia asks looking around. "The only thing in _here_ is a bar near my feet, which I can slide my feet under, and a bar in front of me. Like something to hold _onto_ you know?"

"We have those bars in back _here_ too," Anastasia says as she slides her feet under the bar.

"We have the same thing back here with us," Tianna says. "Just the two bars, _both_ in front, and in the back."

Amanda laughs and says loud enough for everyone to hear, "We have the two bars too, but we have a glowing _button_ on a small panel. I guess we _start_ this ride Thian. Give it a _push_ and let's see if anything happens," saying softly to herself, "I sure hope this doesn't end up like some, Indiana _Jones_ ride through the _mines_."

Thian looks behind him to the others, who are all holding onto the upper bars with worried but excited expressions. Thian turns back and faces into the somewhat darkened tunnel.

Amanda is looking around. The only thing she sees at first are the tracks which seem to bend off to the left some way ahead. Looking up, she notices there is some kind of sign on one of the large wooden supports. Swallowing hard, she focuses on the writing for a moment, and while concentrating, watches the letters morph to read " _danger_."

Looking at Thian, she notices he must have just read the sign too, because his eyes just went _wide_.

Amanda looks around some more. There is a strange old _rusty_ drum laying on its side off to the left, but has no writing on it. She thinks she can see some kind of heavily textured _brass_ or bronze box on the right, just where the tracks bend to the left up ahead. Swallowing hard, she glances at Thian who nods, licks his lips, faces forward and holds on tightly to the bar in front of him.

Looking nervously into the darkened tunnel, Thian _presses_ the button.

1There is a loud _clank_ and the carts _lurch_ forward, making everyone cry out with surprise. The carts slowly begin to move forward across the cavern and into the darkness of the mine. All eyes are wide with frightened expressions. Everyone is now gripping _tightly_ to their handrails, as their feet slid under and press _firmly_ up against the bar at their feet, not knowing _what_ is to come.

Another sudden _jerk_ of the cart sets their hearts racing, as they pick up speed.

#  One Wild Ride

To TOC

The clickety-clack of the carts moving over the tracks begins to _echo_ in the darkness of the mine, as Amanda turns around and looks over her shoulder. Sadie and Tianna give a nervous but excited smile. Amanda looks around Tianna and back to the next cart which is fifteen feet behind hers. She sees Tia's frightened expression, and catches a glimpse of Anastasia's _wide_ eyes before they too, are _swallowed_ by the blackness. Amanda's cart _jerks_ and begins to turn to the left. Snapping back around to face the front, Amanda can see _nothing_ in front of her at all now. It is _completely_ black which startles her.

Amanda is about to reach for her wand to get some light, but as she begins reaching down, she _screams_ and grabs the handrail, holding on for _dear_ life. The cart has _tipped_ forward and dropped _straight_ down. Amanda hears the others scream as well. Her heart _instantly_ pounds painfully in her chest. Her hair is streaming out behind her, as she feels the cart _continue_ to plummet. Down, _down_ they fall as though falling through a vertical shaft in some _long_ forgotten mine.

The nose of the cart _suddenly_ begins to tip up. Amanda's head _snaps_ back as she is pressed hard against the back of the seat, the cart straightening out and feels once again to be moving _horizontally_ in the total darkness.

The cart snaps _hard_ to the right. Thian lets out a cry as Amanda is sent _screaming_ and crashes hard into him as she slides across the seat. Screams from them all are now filling the void. Amanda knows they must be in a _larger_ cavern, from the distant echoes.

The cart snaps left, sending Amanda _quickly_ sliding to her right and against the side of the cart. Thian then _crashes_ into her, pinning her against the side.

In a moment, the cart straightens out and Thian scoots back to his side. Everyone is crying and _scared_ to death, since they cannot _see_ a thing. The cart makes an abrupt tilt upward and they all find themselves pressed _back_ against their seats, as the cart goes _absolutely_ vertical, still picking up speed. All Amanda can think of _now_ is that at any moment, they are going to go _crashing_ into the ceiling of the cavern and be killed.

Thian lets out a _terrified_ scream as the cart tilts almost _completely_ onto its right side. Thian _slams_ into Amanda so hard it knocks the wind out of her. The cart flips back down for a few seconds, then tilts on its side to the _left_. Both Thian and Amanda scream _again_ as they both slide quickly across the slick seat, and strike Thian's side.

The cart does this _over_ and over until it suddenly tilts upward. They rise for some time, then go through _three_ , _very_ large, vertical _forward_ loops, like Amanda had seen on some roller coasters, where the cart rides on the outside of the loop, so your head is upright at the top of the loop, and you're upside down at the bottom. The _screams_ coming from Thian and the others, as they _speed_ down the face of the loop and begin to be whipped upside down, _chills_ Amanda to the bone.

Coming out of the third forward loop, as they reach the bottom, they straighten out for a few moments. Without warning, the _front_ of the cart rises and the cart begins to loop _backward_ , with the cart now on the _inside_ of the loop. Their heads point down as the cart shoots across the top of the loop at the _ceiling_ of the cavern, although they cannot _see_ it.

Amanda screams along with her friends and presses her feet _tightly_ under and against the foot rail. Everyone is now _completely_ beside themselves, their screams are screams of _pure_ terror as they feel their bodies trying to _fall_ from the cart in the total darkness. Of course, the carts are moving _far_ too fast now for them to fall out. They are gripping the handrails _so_ tightly their fingers are _numb_.

After the third reverse loop, the cart once again points _straight_ down, but as they fall at tremendous speed, the cart begins to _spin_ , as though they are speeding down a _corkscrew_. Amanda feels as though she is going to be _thrown_ out of the cart at any second, to become a splattered _bloody_ mass on the cavern wall.

As the cart straightens out and begins to speed horizontally again, Amanda finds that she has been holding her breath. She lets it out in one great _whoosh_ , and begins taking short shuttering gasps. Looking forward, she thinks she sees something.

"Thian!" Amanda yells, her voice hoarse from all the screaming. "Is that, like a bluish _light_ up ahead?" She still cannot see Thian, even though he is sitting not more than _two_ feet to her left.

"Wha... _Yeah_! Yeah I _do_ see something! What _is_ it?"

"Don't know, but it's coming at us... _fast_!"

Amanda watches the light as her teeth jar with the constant vibration of the cart's wheels grinding on the ancient tracks beneath them.

All Amanda can do is stare at the dim blue light that is growing larger by the second. They are shooting from absolute darkness, into a very dimly lit, _gigantic_ cavern.

Amanda's eyes go wide as she begins looking around. The first thing she sees is _Thian's_ frightened face beside her. It looks like his eyes will actually _pop_ right out of his head. She has never _seen_ eyes this wide before. Thian turns his head to her for just a moment, then begins to look around with sheer _terror_ on his face.

Amanda is _so_ scared, she can _hardly_ breathe. The others must feel the same, because the only sounds she can hear from them, is their crying, along with shuttering _gasps_ for breath and sniffing.

There are ancient and _decaying_ scaffolding over their heads, which seem to crisscross for _hundreds_ of feet, until they disappear into the darkness far above.

Amanda hears a scream from behind her and _spins_ to look over her shoulder. Tianna is looking over the side of the cart, downward. Amanda turns around and looks over the side of her cart.

Her heart _jumps_ to her throat.

There are _dozens_ and dozens of what look like narrow rock columns below them. The columns are made from stacked rocks of varying sizes, making the columns look like they would _crumble_ and collapse at any second. The columns are crisscrossed with some types of rope bridges that have wooden planks. _Most_ of the bridges are _broken_ and hanging at odd angles. Amanda can see that many planks are _missing_ from all of them. Many of the bridges are _dangling_ down into the abyss, so _dark_ below that she cannot see any bottom.

Looking harder, Amanda can make out several sets of tracks, like the one they are speeding on. But many of the tracks which make their way from one stacked rock column to the next, are _mangled_ almost beyond recognition.

Amanda can see that several of the tracks, which have left one column or another, extend for some thirty feet or so, then _end_ in a broken or _missing_ section. Below _these_ breaks, are what looks like at _least_ a two-thousand foot drop, before the darkness below blocks her view any further.

Her stomach sours as she sees there are _many_ such broken and mangled tracks, many stretching out around them for great distances, before _vanishing_ into the surrounding darkness, all at various levels both _above_ and below them.

Amanda snaps her head up, frightened out of her mind, as she realizes _they_ are now speeding over the _same_ ancient tracks, moving from the top of _one_ very unstable rock column to another. Each of these spires are _thousands_ of feet high at least, though she cannot tell for sure, because there is no _bottom_ she can see... only the pitch blackness far below.

Looking forward, too afraid to look down, Amanda's eyes fly wide as she yells, "Thian! _Look_! _Where'd_ the tracks go?!" focused on a spot just appearing out of the darkness ahead, a good distance away, where the tracks simply seem to have _ended_ on the far top side of one of these _giant_ stacked rock columns.

Before Thian can answer, they shoot _right_ to where their track ends.

Everyone screams as the cart _flies_ off the broken and twisted tracks and into _nothing_ but air, now _tilting_ at a slight angle. After a _terrifying_ moment, their momentum slows and the cart begins to arc _downward_.

Amanda's hair streams out behind her, her knuckles _white_ from gripping the railing _so_ tightly, she is shutting _off_ her circulation. With eyes wide, she can see nothing but more broken tracks and _dangling_ rotted bridges around them as they continue to drop. Arching down more, she now sees below and in front of her, _another_ set of broken tracks that are bent _up_ at an angle, protruding some _fifty_ feet from the rock spire those tracks continue on.

Amanda's cart, high above, seems to pass over those broken tracks below, as her cart continues to arc down as it falls, picking up _more_ and more speed.

Amanda _screams_ as does Thian, Sadie and Tianna, as their cart suddenly _strikes_ something, _jarring_ their teeth and sending them _flopping_ around in their seats. Within a few heartbeats, they find themselves _whipping_ along a new set of tracks. It takes Amanda several moments to realize, that _somehow_ , their cart had flown off the set of broken tracks, _fallen_ through the air for hundreds of feet, and had actually _landed_ on the other upturned broken set of _tracks_. Her mind is reeling, trying to figure out if it was by _luck_ , or _Wizitch_ that they had landed on these tracks, and not have continued _plummeting_ into the dark abyss below to their doom.

Amanda's heart is _pounding_ so hard, she thinks it will _burst_ , and that will be the end of her.

Looking forward as the tracks straighten out, she can see the tracks go from _this_ cavern, into _another_ some distance ahead. Her mouth is _so_ dry she has a hard time swallowing.

They whip up a slight curve to the right, and head into the next cavern. Amanda has been crying so hard she can _barely_ see, but there is _no_ way she is going to let go of the handrail to wipe her face. This new cavern is a _narrow_ but long one.

They have only gone about a thousand feet when Thian screams, "Oh _no_! _Not_ again!"

Amanda, who had been looking around behind her to see if the other cart had made it or not, sees Tia's frightened face streaked with tears staring in terror back at her, then whips back around to see what Thian is talking about.

Her eyes fly wide as she sees what _appears_ to be the _end_ of the tracks, just _ending_ out over the rock column they are rapidly approaching. She tightens her grip on the handrail _just_ as the cart tips down and they once again _scream_ as they head straight down, eyes _bulging_ and hair _snapping_ in the air. Amanda feels like she cannot _take_ anymore and will soon pass out.

They shoot down into a kind of round shaft for almost a full minute. The cart then curves up and shoots forward, once again horizontal, as they _whip_ into another cavern. _This_ cavern, is _huge_!

Amanda is _instantly_ assaulted by the stifling heat, sweat begins to form on her face and arms. She can _feel_ her damp clothing stick to her.

Amanda's jaw _drops_ as she looks around in _shock_ and horror. The walls, several _miles_ away in all directions, are _glowing_ a dull orange. She sees what looks like more than a _dozen_ orange waterfalls. "No, wait..." she says to herself through her somewhat blurry vision. "Those are _fire_ -falls! Oh my _God_ , _Thian_ , those are _fire_ -falls, that's _lava_! Oh God... Oh _Jesus_!"

She cannot take her eyes from the sight of the huge, wide _cascading_ fire-falls of lava. The cavern appears to be _rippling_ in her vision, from the rising heat, like looking at pavement on a hot day. The lava _falls_ several thousand feet, before flowing into a _giant_ lava lake at the bottom.

The tracks that the carts are now screaming over, are again making their way over the tops of giant stacked rock spires, then whipping out over long expanses of _nothingness_ , many for several _hundreds_ of feet before reaching the next flattened top of a rock column. Over these long, _terrifying_ gaps of open space, the tracks are suspended as though they _themselves_ are some kind of bridge, bowing _down_ in the middle from the weight. The sight makes Amanda _shiver_ , even though it is _well_ over a hundred degrees in the huge cavern.

Amanda does not want to look down, but she just cannot help it. Shaking uncontrollably, she looks over the side. Her lungs _burn_ from the searing, rising heat, as she _gasps_ at the sight below her.

The rock spires they are making their way over, look like _twisted_ and misshapen rocky cones, their fine points _vanishing_ into the massive lake of lava _thousands_ of feet below them. The sight makes her dizzy.

"How come the spires aren't _melting_? Or... or _are_ they?" she says to herself with a shudder. Just then, she sees one of the many spires _collapse_ in the distance, as the hundreds of stacked boulders comprising the spire, tumble down several _thousand_ feet before striking the molten lava lake below. Amanda tries to swallow, but there is no _moisture_ in her mouth.

Thian shakes his head hard to get his sweat drenched hair out of his face, covering Amanda with a _stream_ of spray. She cringes and _instinctively_ reaches up and wipes her eyes with her sleeve.

She can see _much_ clearer now, but almost wishes she could not. Everywhere she looks, it is _raining_ fire-falls and _glowing_ cavern walls. Feeling somewhat faint from the heat, she turns her head slightly to see three _more_ of the very tall rocky spires collapse and tumble into the fiery lake below, each _twisting_ and _breaking_ the tracks which they had supported, leaving the tracks bent and broken, pointing to the molten abyss below.

As her cart suddenly veers to the left, something catches Amanda's eyes and she glances back down. Her jaw falls _fully_ open and her eyes almost _pop_ out of her skull. Amanda shakes her head as though to clear it, squeezing her eyes shut, then reopening them. Looking back down, she gasps. She is too _stunned_ to speak, and while trembling, reaches over and taps Thian on the shoulder, making him _jump_. He has been facing forward, too _frightened_ to look over the side himself again.

Thian turns his frightened face to Amanda, who is still looking down over the side of her cart, with a stunned expression she stutters, "Rock... fire... _people_... down... Thian, look _down_!"

Thian tries to swallow but, like Amanda, there is no moisture left. He does not want to look down, but as he sees Amanda turn for a brief moment to look at him with shock and _wonder_ in her eyes, then turns back to the side of the cart, and leans to look over his side.

Amanda quickly wipes her eyes on her sleeve to get the stinging sweat out of them. She stares in disbelief at the unbelievable sight below. _Hundreds_ of glowing and flaming rock formations in the rough form of _people_ , are moving around on _red_ hot glowing rock bridges! Most are carrying large _flaming_ rocks in their own _flaming_ rock hands!

The cavern begins to narrow quickly as Amanda looks up and forward, just in time to go _completely_ ridged.

More than a dozen of the flaming _rock_ people are moving across a blazing stone bridge just to her right. She knows Thian has seen them too, because he lets out a _terrified_ cry of surprise, as do the others behind her.

Amanda leans _hard_ against Thian as the cart speeds past the strange _fiery_ rock creatures. They have an almost square, _rough_ rocky head, short neck, _huge_ rough flaming rock chest, and two flaming _arms_ and legs. Deep, _slanting_ red glowing slits, like _hot_ coals, are where their _eyes_ should be. They have a rock _chunk_ for the nose, chin and ears, and a jagged and _crumbly_ looking mouth.

The creatures have all stopped walking, and have turned to look at the ancient cart as it speeds by.

Amanda, Thian and the others all _spin_ in their seats to look back over their shoulders at the fire creatures. The creatures are placing rocks on, and _within_ some of the crumbling spires. This is happening all throughout the huge glowing cavern.

As Amanda turns to face the front again, she whispers to herself, "They... they're _fixing_ those crumbling spires. They're like, like _maintenance_ people. But, no, not _people_... flaming rock- _fire_ people! Oh my _God_!"

The cart turns away from the side of the cavern where the rock people are, and heads out further into the vastness of the glowing cavern.

The cart makes a sudden drop, scaring the _begebbers_ out of everyone, as they see the lava lake come _screaming_ up at them. The tracks they are whipping down make an arching curve to the left, then the cart straightens out and they begin rising quickly at a slight angle.

Amanda is looking over the side of the cart, watching dozens of fire people carrying the flaming rocks across the many glowing rock bridges. She looks far above her to the right, some way in front of her. She _gasps_ , burning her lungs, as she sees one of the flaming rock bridges _collapse_ , headed toward the fiery lake below, sending a rock person _tumbling_ down after it.

The rock person lets go of its flaming boulder and begins _flailing_ its arms and legs, as the flames on its body rises high into the surrounding air. Amanda watches in disbelief as the rock person drops quickly and is almost at the level of her cart, though quite some distance in front of her.

Amanda _whips_ her wand out of its holster, and with her eyebrows furrowed, aims her wand and yells "Ascendo!"

The falling rock person's descent slows until it becomes stationary, though he is still flailing. Amanda moves her wand up, seeing the rock person rise. She raises her wand quickly and the rock person _shoots_ up through the air and toward a rock ledge holding several other rock people on it, _all_ of whom stopped when they heard the bridge collapse. In a moment, as Amanda's cart turns and is heading toward the same ledge, Amanda lowers the rock person onto it, where it quickly looks around, _clearly_ surprised.

The rock people point to Amanda as her cart quickly nears the ledge, now running parallel to it. In a moment, her cart passes fifty feet from the ledge and the staring rock people.

As she approaches, all the rock people _bow_ low. As she passes, she and the others look back over their shoulders to see them all rise, the one Amanda had saved, giving a kind of wave, Amanda, still stunned, gives a small wave back. She returns her wand to its holster, as the cart makes another turn back out over the rising heat of the lava lake.

About to pass out from the severe _heat_ and excitement, she notices that they are rapidly approaching the end of this _huge_ glowing cavern, where there is a hole in the wall up ahead. Dizzy, head beginning to bob, moving _in_ and out of consciousness, the cart shoots into the tunnel and _everything_ goes black.

It is _wonderfully_ cool in the dark tunnel, and Amanda feels her _breath_ returning to her. She shakes her head to clear it. Amanda is about to turn, to see if Thian is alright, when the cart shoots _straight_ up into total darkness, making everyone scream.

They again find themselves being whipped _right_ and left, _up_ and down, turning on their side, making _loop_ after frightening loop, some _forward_ loops, some backward. Their stomachs are now in their _throats_. They have all _thrown_ up so many times on this ride, there is nothing _left_ to throw up!

The cart shoots straight up again in the total darkness, and continues for almost a _full_ minute before straightening out and traveling once again horizontally.

Amanda leans to the side, yelling to Thian over the noise of the wheels clacking on the ancient rusted tracks, "Is that _light_ up ahead again Thian? Do _you_ see it too?"

Thian squints into the darkness ahead of them and, sure enough, there _is_ a growing pinprick of dim bluish light. "Yeah, I _do_ see something! I hope it's the _end_ of this ride... I've had _quite_ enough excitement for _now_ thank you!"

Amanda cannot help but laugh, which instantly makes her feel somewhat better.

The light grows brighter and larger, until Amanda can clearly see that it _is_ the end of the tunnel, where the tracks enter a dimly glowing cavern.

In a few more moments, the carts rapidly begin to slow, everyone feeling themselves leaning forward due to the rapid breaking. They slow to a crawl just as the carts reach the end of the tunnel, then slowly roll into the cavern. This small cavern looks _very_ much like the one they had originally left from, _including_ what looks to be a solid silver spiral staircase leading up to... who knows _what_!

The carts come to a stop, but they are all shaking too hard to get out. Everyone is still crying, even though they have no _tears_ left, but there is also a mixture of nervous _laughter_ and sniffles.

Amanda, trying to swallow, slowly turns to Thian, "Are you okay?" He looks at her and says, "Yeah. Well, I _think_ so. If my _heart_ doesn't explode!" Then pulling the shirt away from his body says, "But I'm afraid I _really_ need a change of clothes... I'm _soaked_ to the bone and I've got _vomit_ all over me."

Amanda smiles wiping her face, "You're not the _only_ one! I'm _drenched_ in sweat too, and, uh, well, I don't remember _how_ many times I threw up." They both laugh. Amanda then turns around to see if Tianna and Sadie are okay, which they are, but covered in sweat and not only their own vomit, but from Thian's and Amanda's too. What a mess!

The four of them gather their things from the trunk, then get out of the cart on wobbly legs, all of them in soaked and _vomit_ -covered clothing. _They_ are not alone either. Tia, Anastasia and _Cassandrea_ are in the same shape. Gathering just outside the carts, finding that everyone is okay, they all laugh nervously, but still scared. Slipping on their packs, they look around a little.

"I can't _wait_ to take a bath and have a change of _clothes_!" Thian says looking around. Sniffing loudly, his nose running from all the crying, he continues, "What's that _horrible_ smell?" After a moment of looking around, he lifts his arm and puts his nose near his arm pit. "Oh... it's _okay_... it's just _me_." Everyone howls, as they all walk off after him, their soaked clothing sticking to their bodies, everyone still wiping the vomit from their faces. Anastasia and Cassandrea, being in the rear during the ride, have been _covered_ in the vomit from everyone else, and their hair and faces are thick with chunks of, well, whatever, and dripping onto the cavern floor.

It takes about ten minutes to climb these silver stairs. On their way up, they are all excitedly talking about the ride and what they had seen - _especially_ the _fire_ -rock people. None of them can believe they had actually seen them, and never _imagined_ that such creatures really existed. They kept talking about how Amanda _saved_ the one that had fallen, and just could _not_ believe she had reacted so quickly. Everyone else was just too _scared_ to even move. The usual _talkative_ Cassandrea is the most quiet of all of them. She is still _quite_ shaken and trying to compose herself.

When they reach the top of the staircase, they step out and around to the sides. They are once again in what appears to be the inside of a hollowed out tree. No door is to be seen anywhere.

Amanda, looking at the smooth glass-like interior, holds up her arms and says, "Keltor!" Nothing appears to happen. Looking startled, she is about to try again when Cassandrea says, "Hey, _look_ , behind us!"

A faint blue image of an arched door is clearly shining. Amanda walks around the stairs, then over to the glowing arch. Holding her arms up she says, "Orathian!" The door pops open, swinging outward about an inch. Looking a little nervous, Amanda says, "Okay, get your _wands_ out. I have _no_ idea where we are, or _what_ we may find, but there's only one way to find out."

Amanda draws her own wand, swallows hard and takes a steadying breath. She looks to the others. They have their wands at the ready, and all nod back to her. Chewing her lower lip for another moment, looking the door up and down, she takes one last steadying breath, lets it out and _shoves_ the door open.

There are _gasps_ from everyone as their _jaws_ drop.

#  At The Pond

To TOC

Amanda steps out and to the side, to let the others through. Taking several steps forward, feeling the cool night air gently blowing against her, she moves a strand of hair away from her eyes, taking in the view before her.

There is a very large, moonlit pond glistening in the silver-blue of the huge moon, as a gentle breeze makes little waves slap against the sandy water's edge. There are _lots_ of various sized reeds around the pond, many of which look like some odd form of _cattail_ , which Amanda had seen back on the earth realm. The difference here though, is that the reeds are _glowing_ , some glowing various shades of blue, others shades of green. Many are in shades of _lavender_ and pinks.

There are _thousands_ of fire-bugs flitting around the pond, darting in and out between the reeds, and _dancing_ deep into the surrounding forest trees all around them and the pond. The sight is _breathtaking_. They all stand completely mesmerized for several moments.

"Thian?" Amanda asks in a whisper. "Do you..."

"Uh huh."

"Can you _believe_..."

"Uh-uh."

They all walk about twenty-five feet to a break in the reeds and look at the shimmering pond.

Tia says in awe, "The _fish_ are glowing too. _Look_!" pointing into the rippling water.

As Amanda changes position to get a better look, she inhales deeply with a huge smile. Sure enough, they all see various sized fish _glowing_ light shades of blues, _pinks_ and lavender.

After a moment, everyone begins to laugh and look around, breathing in the cool, clean night air. Amanda walks back to the huge pine-like tree they have come out of, and holding up her arms says, "Neldor!" The door slams closed and the faint blue outline of the door fades, until nothing but the rough bark is left showing.

Amanda turns around and sees Thian taking off his boots.

"Thian?" Tianna asks, "What _are_ you doing?"

"Are you _kidding_?" Thian says with a huge grin. "I'm gonna _dive_ in and get _clean_ , _that's_ what I'm gonna do! I'm sure as _heck_ not gonna continue with my clothes soaked in stinky _sweat_ and _vomit_ all over me! Besides, I _gotta_ see what those fish look like _under_ water!"

They all laugh. Tianna says, "Oh, well, then _I'm_ with you. I feel really _icky_ too. Why don't we _all_ have a dip to clean up and cool off? Then we can _dry_ off and have a look around."

Everyone agrees, dropping their traveler's packs and brooms, then slip out of their boots. As Thian wades into the water, he lets out a little cry saying, "By the _Oak_ and Ash this water's _cold_! Feels pretty _good_ though actually... come on in and _splash_ for a while."

The others laugh as they all wade in too. Soon, they are splashing and laughing, having a _great_ time. Amanda, now a very good swimmer, dives deep and marvels at the softly glowing fish all around her, lighting the pond.

After they spend about half an hour splashing around in the clear water of the old pond, they make their way out. Using their newly learned _drying_ spell that Sadie taught them, they all dry off and have a good _laugh_ looking at each other _steaming_ in the cool night air.

"Why don't we mount up, fly around for a while and see if we..." Amanda turns and looks directly at Sadie, "can _spot_ anything?"

"That sounds like _fun_!" Sadie says walking back to her pack and broom. "Looks like a _beautiful_ night for flying too."

They all go back, put on their packs, mount their brooms and kick into a hover.

"Which way should we go though?" Cassandrea asks looking around.

"Well, why not start directly in front of us?" Tianna suggests, looking at the base of the mountain about a mile away. "Then, fly _left_ for half an hour, then back and go the _other_ way for about the same length of time, then _turn_ in for the night. What do _you_ say Amanda?"

"Oh, uh... well, _sure_ , sounds good to me. Let's go!" Amanda is still having a hard time getting used to being asked _her_ opinion, with people actually _listening_ to her - as well as being looked to as some sort of leader. But she _likes_ it, and really feels like she is part of something _special_.

With that, they head straight ahead for the base of the mountain. When they get to the base, they hover about five feet above the ground. Sadie is looking intently at the mountain, while Thian, Tia and Tianna watch her with interest. Cassandrea and Anastasia look to one another with confused expressions, then Cassandrea asks, "What are you _looking_ at? There's nothing _there_ but... _mountain_. I don't see anything."

Sadie says as she continues to stare at the mountain, "This isn't working for some reason. Maybe it's too _dark_ or something. Maybe I need some _contrast_ to make out any difference, though I don't know _why_."

"Difference?" Anastasia asks looking to the others. " _What_ difference?"

Ignoring the question, Amanda says, "Yeah, I think it _may_ be too dark here in the shadow of the mountain to see much tonight. We may have to wait and look _harder_ in the morning when it's light. But, since we're here, let's continue with the plan anyway. Maybe we'll get _lucky_ and find some _cave_ opening or something."

They head off again, flying for half an hour down the left side of the mountain, back to where they had started, then half an hour to the right. Discouraged at not having found anything, they return to the pond to set up camp for the night.

Thian opens his travelers pack and takes out a small can. He walks some distance away, then sets the small three inch diameter, by one inch thick can on the ground and pops off the top.

"What are you doing Thian?" Amanda asks as she steps over to him looking down at the little can.

Thian says, "Well, you don't want to sleep on the _ground_ do you? It can get pretty cold and _damp_ at night in the forest you know? _Especially_ near water... can get _foggy_ too."

"But, uh, what does that little _can_ have to do with it?" Amanda asks looking puzzled.

Anastasia and Cassandrea walk over and are looking down at the little can as well. They also look at Thian with puzzled expressions.

" _Snippens_! Haven't you _ever_ used Instant _Tent_ , or Instant _Cabin_ before?" Thian asks as Tia, Tianna and Sadie come over to see what is going on.

"Instant... _what_?" Sadie asks looking puzzled along with the others.

"By the _moons_ ," Thian says shaking his head with a laugh. "Haven't _any_ of you ever gone _camping_ before?"

"Well, _yeah_ , lots of times," Amanda says looking to Thian. "And we _always_ took our tent or sleeping bags with us - and, uh, not in a little _can_ either. Tents are pretty _big_ you know, and _heavy_ too. Heck, even a one _person_ tent couldn't possibly fit in..." Looking back down to the little can, "in... _that_!"

Tianna laughs, "Well, you'd be _surprised_ what could fit in there. Thian, what did you bring?"

"Well, I wasn't sure what we might need, or _where_ we might be going, or for how long. So, I decided to bring both my four person _tent_ , like we all used when we went camping with..." Thian's smile fades and he looks down at the ground.

"When you, mom, _Tianna_ and I used to go camping," Tia says beginning to tear up.

"Yeah. Sorry," Thian says quietly.

"You mean that you have a _four_ person tent in that little _can_?" Anastasia asks.

"What? Oh, _no_ , no! This one isn't a tent...it's a _cabin_ ," Thian says with a slight smile returning to his face, as he sees Tia wipe her eyes and begin to smile as well.

"A _cabin_?!" Sadie asks with her mouth hanging open. "Are you _kidding_?"

"Well... let's _see_!" Thian says with a good laugh. "We all need to move back about five feet or so. Well... _go_ ahead, move _back_ a little." Thian motions with his arms.

With that, Thian bends back down and rotates the red arrow on the can, so it points directly _away_ from them. He then stands and looks around at the nearby trees, judging distances. He nods to himself and takes his place with the others, facing the little can on the ground, the pond off to one side about fifty feet away.

Thian draws his wand, smiles at Tia and Tianna, then with a flick of his wand says, " _Immuto_ Teaconna!"

Amanda, Sadie, Anastasia and Cassandrea all _gasp_ and cry out in surprise, as right before their eyes, the can begins to _smoke_ and bubble, as smoky mist begins to spread out and rise. In a few moments, the mist begins to _morph_ into the wavering shape of a cabin, becoming more distinctive, and begins to turn solid. In another few moments, a _full_ sized cabin forms from the tiny can, rising, and growing larger by the second, stretching out away from them, finally turning into a _solid_ , fully assembled Log cabin.

There is a closed door facing them, and Amanda, _completely_ stunned, just points and stutters, "It's... how... _huge_!" She steps slowly back and to the side, to look around the side of the cabin.

The others follow her, Thian, Tianna and Tia giggling.

As Amanda steps around the side, she sees several _wonderfully_ curving windows. Movement catches her eyes and she looks up to see _smoke_ drifting from a curving brick chimney, the smoke wafting _gently_ in the night air as the stars twinkle in a dark velvet sky. Her jaw drops. "A... brick _chimney_? And _smoke_?"

Anastasia, Sadie and Cassandrea have their mouths open as they follow Amanda to one of the large, curving _leaves_ and vine shaped glass windows.

"Holy _cow_!" Amanda says to no one in particular. "It's... it's full of _furniture_! And, are those other _rooms_ back there? Oh... my... _God_!"

She turns as Thian, Tia and Tianna break into laughter. The others begin laughing too. "Come _on_!" Amanda says with excitement, walking back toward the front, "I wanna see _inside_!"

They go back to the door, where Thian is standing with his hand on the doorknob. "Welcome to your little home _away_ from home!" He pulls the door open and the girls step through.

Amanda once again inhales sharply as she takes several steps inside. They have stepped into a rather large room, with two very _large_ couches and five very large, _fluffy_ and comfortable looking chairs. Several tables are arranged around, or near the couches and chairs. There are several tall, curved and _twisting_ crystals standing near the couches. They are about fourteen inches in diameter and about five feet tall, mounted on carved wooden bases.

As Amanda looks at the _roaring_ fire in the fireplace, her eyes drift up over the fireplace mantle. There she sees what looks to be two fishing poles of some kind, mounted to the brick chimney stack.

Tianna steps forward pulling her wand. She points it at one of the tall crystals near a couch and says, "Lumino Crystia." The tall crystal _instantly_ begins to glow, emitting a soft light as though from a sixty-watt lamp.

There are oohs and aahs from the others, as Tianna sets the glow spell on several other crystals as well. The cabin is now _awash_ in soft light, and warmed from the fire in the fireplace.

"Wait till you see the _kitchen_!" Tia laughs.

"The... the _kitchen_?" Cassandrea says half in a daze.

Tianna laughs and says, " _Come_ on, take a look."

Tianna casts a spell at the _ceiling_ glow crystals, and the kitchen comes to life. The kitchen is _fully_ stocked. The stove has a _Wizitched_ smooth top glow stone surface, with an _oven_ that has _infrared_ emitting crystal slices and combination _vibratory_ crystals, which Amanda later learns works something like a microwave oven.

There is a _double_ , polished marble sink, and all _marble_ counter tops. The island in the middle of the kitchen, even has a pot of beautiful _flowers_ on it. Amanda steps up to what looks like hand polished wooden cabinets and opens one of the doors.

"Jumpin' _Skeeters_!" Anastasia says with a laugh. "Look at all that _canned_ food!" She steps to another cabinet door and opens it. "And look! Loafs of _bread_ , crackers and... are those _cookies_?"

Everyone laughs. They have a great time looking through the cabinets, cupboards, drawers and the _fully_ loaded pantry.

"Come on, I wanna show you the _bathroom_ , then _your_ rooms too!" Thian says with a huge grin. He is _really_ enjoying everyone's stunned reactions.

The bathroom is _huge_. Double sinks, cabinets, _shower_ with a large tub, a really nice toilet, drawers filled with towels and hand cloths, and _lots_ and lots of toilet paper, along with _dozens_ of cans of some sort, and even a _fluffy_ floor mat.

They laugh as they walk down a short hall and find two very large rooms, one on each side of the cabin. Both rooms have, what to Amanda, look like two _king_ size beds. There are dressers, crystal glow lamps, _extra_ bedding, a walk-in closet... _everything_ you could ask for. They even have a _desk_ , three large very comfortable chairs, and a _couch_ which has a pull-out bed.

The girls _cannot_ believe it.

They are all hungry and decide to have something to eat. Thian says, "Well, as you saw in the kitchen, we have _lots_ of canned and packaged stuff, but no _meat_ or fresh vegetables. There _are_ lots of canned veggies though. Refrigeration units were too expensive for my mom and dad to buy, when they were really young and bought this cabin. They always kept it fully stocked, at least as best they could.

"After my dad died, my mom and I would go camping from time to time, but, we never had enough money to get a Wizitched refrigerator. We _tried_ to restock everything after each trip, but it's been a long time since I've been in here, so, I don't know what we might be missing. Everything's a little, old... but..."

Amanda walks to Thian and gives him a big hug. "Are you _kidding_? This is _great_! Oh my gosh, now _this_ is _camping_! Magic can't _touch_ Wizitch, _that's_ for sure!"

Thian is not sure what kind of animals may be around, and decides that fish would be the easiest and quickest meat to get. Amanda does not like fish, other than _tuna_ , which she cannot find a can of in the kitchen, and _no_ one else seems to know what tuna _is_. But Amanda does find something that tastes like _peanut_ butter in a large jar, and finds some jars of honey too. So she makes herself a kind of _gooey_ sweet sandwich, which tastes absolutely _wonderful_. She finds a can of some kind of mixed vegetables, which to her delight, are delicious. There are several canisters of various flavored beans and teas, so she makes some tea for herself and the others.

It turns out that you need to _Wizitch_ water from some source, to a _holding_ tank in the back of the cabin. Tia and Tianna take care of that, while Sadie, Amanda, Cassandrea and Anastasia, watch transfixed as a _stream_ of water rises out of the pond, arches through the air and enters an open pipe at the rear of the cabin.

Tia explains that there is a _very_ advanced filtration system which purifies the water. It seems that the waste from the _potty_ is Wizitchly vaporized, so there is nothing to empty or wash out. The sink, _shower_ and tub water is also somehow vaporized. None of them understand how all this works, they just know it does.

Thian grabs one fishing pole and hands Tianna the other. They then head out to the pond to try their luck. The others busy themselves in the kitchen preparing the rest of the dinner, each to their own liking.

About half an hour later, Thian steps through the kitchen door. He proudly holds up his two, _small_ , slightly glowing _blue_ and lavender fish. Tianna then steps in beside him, holding up a string of _ten_ fairly _large_ glowing and _wriggling_ fish. Everyone laughs, looking at the two of them grinning and standing side by side with the dripping fish.

Thian looks at his two puny fish, then at Tianna's string of _huge_ ones and says somewhat embarrassed, "Well... _she_ got the _good_ pole you know!" They all laugh. Thian once again looks at the large string Tianna is holding, then back at his two twitching little ones. He smiles after a moment, then breaks into laughter along with the rest of them.

Thian and Tianna go out back to clean the fish, then Tia prepares and cooks them. Tia is a _fabulous_ cook. Anastasia and Cassandrea set the table, and soon, everything is ready. Everyone sits and has a _marvelous_ dinner and afterward, cleans up, and heads into the living room by the fire to relax. They spend the next couple hours going over all the things that have happened on their very first day out.

"Well, if _this_ is what we got on day _one_..." Anastasia says with a laugh, "and we haven't even _found_ the entrance yet... I can't _wait_ to see what happens _tomorrow_!" They all laugh.

After a few more minutes of chatting, they all decide it is time for bed so they can get an early start in the morning. They all take turns taking a nice hot bath, then the girls split up and go to their rooms, while Thian takes the pull out couch near the fire in the living room.

Thian looks around the cabin with a smile, pulls the covers up to his neck, waves his wand and puts out the glow lamps.

Rolling over, he cuddles down, eyes closed listening to the crackling of the fireplace. In no time, he and the others are fast asleep.

#  The Glass Puzzle

To TOC

Early the next morning, Thian is awakened by Sadie, who gently shakes him. The girls had let him sleep in, and have already made breakfast. They had found some " _Instant_ Dehydrated Cucuteo Eggs," which Amanda learns you only need to add water to, and they actually return to an original egg... _shell_ and all. They have eggs, re-hydrated _Kiki_ strips, bread and cookies. _Lots_ of cookies.

After everyone cleans up, Amanda puts all the trash into the Wizitch vaporizer, closes the door and pushes the button. A red crystal _flashes_ several times, then goes off as a green one glows. Amanda opens the door and is _surprised_ to see that the inside of the large bin is absolutely _spotless_ , the cans and empty glass _bottles_ gone too. Thian had told her that it vaporized _everything_ but what was recyclable. Those items are Wizitched to the nearest recycling facility, _regardless_ of how faraway it may be.

Everyone goes potty, then gathers in the living room. Thian asks, "Anybody need any cans of 'Instant _Toilet_ Paper'? We might as well stock our packs before leaving. I mean, we really don't know what we'll find, and I _really_ don't like to be without toilet paper. Oh, and I've got like _thirty_ 'Instant Outhouses' too. Some guy gave my dad like two- _hundred_ of 'em, in exchange for some work he did at their factory in some city, before he and mom came to... well, where I come from. The guy didn't have any money at the time, since his business wasn't doing so well, so they paid my dad in 'Instant _Toilet_ Paper' and 'Instant _Outhouses'_. He sold a lot of 'em, but kept a lot here in the cabin too. These are all that's left. The others were stored in the house, which, well..."

" _Wait_ a minute!" Amanda says with a laugh. "You mean to _tell_ us, that you have _toilet_ paper... in a can _too_? And an actual _outhouse_... in a can? Like the _cabin_?"

Thian looks at the stunned faces on Amanda, Sadie, Anastasia and Cassandrea, then at the smiles on Tia and Tianna. Thian laughs. "Well, what do _you_ do when you're out someplace in the _woods_ or something, and you have to... uh, go _potty_? I know _some_ people go behind some bush or tree, and use _leaves_ and stuff, but, personally... I prefer some _privacy_ and something that won't scrape my _butt_ raw. And once, mom said that, when I was _really_ little, and she and I were out camping, and _forgot_ to bring toilet paper, I used some kind of _poisonous_ leaf for toilet paper, and, well, my _butt_ broke out in a _horrible_ itching rash! Dang near scratched my _ass_ off. Since then, I take a can of Instant Toilet Paper with me _wherever_ I go!"

They all howled.

Thian turns his head slightly, bats his eyes, and while patting at his face says in a higher girly voice, "For _my_ sensitive skin...I prefer the _nicely_ scented, _extra_ soft toilet paper, if you don't _mind_."

They laugh so hard they are in tears. Amanda holds a stitch in her side as Thian tosses his hair back like in a beauty commercial.

After wiping his eyes on his sleeve, Thian continues. "Well, by the looks on your _faces_ , I'm guessing you've never _seen_ Instant Toilet Paper, or an Instant _Outhouse_ either. Here, let me show you."

After trotting out of the living room, they hear Thian rummaging around under one of the bathroom sinks. In a couple of minutes he comes back with his hands full of very thin cans, about three inches in diameter.

Dumping the handful of cans on a chair, he takes one of the cans and puts it on the living room floor, then takes the lid off.

"Uh, _Tia_ , maybe you better show 'em how these work. For some reason, about a _third_ of the time I do it, I set _fire_ to the toilet paper. The outhouse works... _most_ of the time... although there was that _one_ time, when mom had to use a cascading _water_ spell to put that one out... but anyway, I always keep a couple _extras_ with me, _just_ in case."

Amanda, Tia and Tianna laugh, knowing Thian's mishaps with his wand, and his uncanny ability to set _fire_ to things without meaning to.

Tia pulls out her wand as she steps to the little can. With a wave she says, "Tacume sa' soft." There is a small _flash_ from the can, and when Amanda looks back, there is a _fully_ packed, clear package with _eighteen_ large rolls of soft toilet paper.

Everyone laughs and has to _squeeze_ the package to be sure it is real. Tia waves her wand again and says, "Incantu!" There is another flash, and _this_ time when Amanda looks back, the package has re-packed _flat_ into the tiny can.

Tia puts the lid on and stands up. "Now, let me show you the 'Instant _Outhouse'_ \- you'll _love_ this! But, let's move outside for a minute to do this one." They all head outside.

Tia walks a short distance and taking a different can from Thian, pops the top off and sets the can on the ground. Smiling she waves her wand and says, "Tacume O'."

Everyone _jumps_ , when with a flash, the can begins to bubble, then _overflows_ with a brownish liquid. It spreads out for a few feet, _then_ begins to fume. The fumes thicken into a reddish brown _smoky_ mist. It continues to swirl and rise, getting thicker with each moment, until in the last few seconds, it _morphs_ and changes form. Amanda's jaw drops. There stands a _wonderfully_ carved wooden outhouse, with the typically carved flying _dragon_ on the upper part of the door. The outhouse is about _seven_ feet tall and about six feet square, with a crooked _peaked_ roof.

"That is _soooo_ cool!" Sadie says laughing along with everyone else. "They don't have _these_ where I come from!"

"Ahhhh, but _that's_ not the best _part_!" Tianna says stepping to the door. "Take a look _inside_."

Tianna opens the door and everyone gasps. Amanda immediately steps to the side and looks around the left side of the outhouse. Her jaw drops further. Walking all around the outhouse, with the others following her, nothing looks different outside at all - the outhouse is still the same size. But arriving back at the door, Amanda shakes her head saying, "I can't _believe_ this! Can we go inside?"

Thian is laughing so hard he can hardly stand. "Sure, _go_ ahead."

Amanda steps through the door and into a _full_ sized bathroom. There is a single marble sink and counter top, with a large drawer and _twin_ cabinets below to one side. A _beautiful_ mirror hangs over the sink, with a wonderfully carved wooden frame. There is a _full_ sized, Wizitched vaporizer toilet, _plus_ , a _full_ sized tub and shower!

The shower curtain has a full-motion scene of a forest, with birds flying overhead and landing in the trees. There is also a beautiful and _glistening_ lake, with fish jumping a ways from the shoreline. There are even towels hanging on one wall.

"But... but how is this _possible_?" Amanda asks, her mouth still hanging partly open, as are Sadie's, Anastasia's and Cassandrea's.

"Well, _Wizitch_ of course!" Thian says looking in at the girls. "The toilet is good for about _fifty_ -three flushes before you need to refill the tank with water. You can get about the same usage with the tub and shower too for some reason... well, dependent upon how long you take a shower that it. It has both _hot_ and cold running water in here too. I can't figure how they _store_ all the water in the little can, but... _they_ do. And with the _advanced_ Wizitch technology, the whole thing only weighs _seven_ -ounces in the can. Pretty _cool_ huh?"

They are all _speechless_. Once they step out, Tia returns the outhouse to the little can and hands it to Amanda, along with _two_ cans of 'Instant Toilet Paper, figuring that _thirty_ -six rolls should do for now.

Everyone gets an _outhouse_ and two cans of 'Instant Toilet Paper'.

They go back into the cabin, put on their traveler's pack, grab their broom and go back outside, into the cool morning air.

Tianna empties the water from the cabin's holding tank. This time the water flows out of the pipe at the back of the cabin, through the air and back into the pond. She then secures the lid.

They all stand a little distance from the cabin, as Thian draws his wand. With a wave he says, "Incantu!" The huge cabin begins to smoke, morph, _shrink_ , then settles and solidifies into the little can. Thian steps over, drops his pack, puts the lid on the can and puts it in a side pocket of his pack. He puts his pack on, turns and is greeted by all their smiling faces.

"I've _got_ to get me one of _those_!" Anastasia says laughing. Then turning to Amanda, asks, "So, do we start off like we did yesterday? I mean, start our search... over _there_?" she asks pointing to the mountain behind them.

"Yeah, I think that's as good a place as any. Sadie? Care to lead the way?"

"Okay, _sure_ , let's go."

They all mount their brooms, kick off and head for the mountain. Once there, Sadie begins her scanning of the mountain's base. They end up flying the same route they did yesterday, with the _same_ result... _no_ sign of any entrance.

"I just _don't_ understand it!" Amanda says as they hover at their starting point at the mountain's base. " _Why_ didn't we find anything?"

"Maybe it really _doesn't_ exist after all," Cassandrea says looking to Anastasia. "Maybe it really _is_ a myth you know?"

"I don't think so Cassa," Anastasia says looking at the mountain. "Amanda, are you _sure_ the entrance is here at the _base_ of the mountain, and not, well, further _up_? I mean, I've read where _most_ entrances are actually a ways _up_ a mountain. You know... so if there's _rock_ slides and stuff, the entrance isn't covered up or buried."

Amanda looks at Anastasia for a moment, thinking back to when she had arrived on the realm of _The Deep Forest Elves_. She _had_ come out on a ledge of the mountain, and it _had_ been a good way up. When they arrived _here_ , on _The Realm of The Witches_ , they _also_ came out on a ledge from _that_ mountain, roughly the _same_ distance up its side.

"You know..." Amanda says now looking up the mountainside. "I think you might be _right_." After looking up the mountainside, to about the height she remembers arriving _twice_ before, she scans left, then right. Almost immediately, she sees something that catches her eyes. " _Follow_ me, and Sadie, keep your _eyes_ open okay?" Sadie nods.

They all fly up the mountainside to the right, Sadie sticking right beside Amanda, as the others follow behind. Amanda leads them to what looks to be a slight outcropping. They are about thirty feet from it when Sadie yells, " _Flash_ in the pan! _Flash_ in the pan!"

Amanda, Sadie and the others, come to a hover in front of a ledge which leads back to the solid face of the mountain.

"What's a... _flash_ in the pan?" Cassandrea asks looking puzzled.

"Huh?" Sadie says looking startled. "Oh, I always _liked_ a place back home called _Flash_ In The Pan. It's a restaurant. I, uh, I've been _trying_ to remember the name of the place all day." She turns and smiles at Amanda, who smiles back and nods.

"Well... that's _great_ Sadie!" Cassandrea says sarcastically as everyone lands and dismounts on the ledge. "But _why_ are we standing _here_ , looking at the mountain?"

Sadie narrows her eyes glaring at Cassandrea. Tianna asks, "Can you see a way _in_ Sadie?"

Anastasia and Cassandrea turn to look at one another, then back to the tiny girl, who is leaning forward and _staring_ at solid stone. Sadie tilts her head up, looking across an area of the stone, then down the other side.

"No, but there _is_ a pathway inside that leads back and off to the left."

"Wait! Are you _telling_ us, that _she_ can see through _solid_ rock? No _way_! _Nobody_ can do that!" Cassandrea says curling her lips and crossing her arms.

Amanda sees Anastasia's eyes suddenly go wide and her mouth opens slightly as she looks at Sadie, who catches her look and lowers her eyes. Anastasia turns to Amanda and is about to say something, when Amanda gives a subtle shake of her head, with pleading in her eyes.

Amanda knows Anastasia is a _voracious_ reader, and must have figured out what _race_ Sadie is from. _Cassandrea_ does not have a clue. Amanda gives a slight tilt of her head at Cassandrea who is looking back over the ledge, to the valley below. Anastasia looks at Cassandrea, back to Amanda and nods her understanding.

"Of _course_ she can't see through solid _stone_!" Anastasia says with a forced laugh. "She's just _playing_. I bet you guys _knew_ to look for some kind of ledge, and that there's _supposed_ to be a... a hidden _door_ with a passage leading off to the left... right?"

Thian laughs and says, "Well, _yeah_ , of course."

"Then why did we _waste_ our time last night and this _morning_ , looking at the _stupid_ base then?" Cassandrea asks hotly turning to face them.

"Because... uh, there are _two_ ways in," Tia lies crossing her fingers behind her back. "One at the _base_ of the mountain, and one, uh, somewhere _up_ the mountain. We looked for the one at the bottom, um, because..."

"Because, look how _tall_ this mountain is!" Thian says pointing up the mountain to its top, which is at least twenty-five thousand feet or more above their heads. "Heck, it could have taken us _weeks_ , maybe _months_ , to cover all _this_ , and only in the width we flew at the _base_!"

"Yeah," Amanda says nodding her thanks to Thian and Tianna. "Then I just started looking for something that _looks_ like ledges, and, well, I saw _this_ one. We _know_ there's a hidden doorway at the entrance. So, um, let's see if this is it, and if we can get in. We _might_ get lucky. If not, we'll move on looking for other ledges."

Cassandrea narrows her eyes, staring at Amanda for a few moments, then shrugs.

Amanda turns, clears her throat, raises her arms and says, "Orathian!" There is a _clank_... _clank_... _clank_ sound, which Amanda recognizes from the many other doors she has opened with this ancient, universal unlocking and opening spell.

In a moment, a section of _solid_ stone begins to swing back into the mountain, revealing a cavern inside. The cavern floor clearly goes back about twenty feet and bends off to the left and disappears.

"Jumpin' _Skeeters_!" Anastasia says with her eyes wide, a smile spreading across her face.

"You can say _that_ again," Cassandrea says with a laugh.

They all enter, then Amanda whispers, "Get your _wands_ out and light 'em up."

Once Amanda and the others have their wands emitting the soft blue glow, Amanda turns back and faces the door. Holding her arms up, she speaks, "Neldor!" The massive rock door swings shut and they can all hear the locks _snapping_ into place.

Anastasia and Cassandrea look _scared_ to death, but seeing that the others are heading off toward the back of the cavern, they nervously follow a short distance behind.

The pathway winds first to the left, then to the right a short distance beyond that. It again winds left, then begins turning to what seems to Amanda, to be leading _directly_ into the mountain.

As the make their way around a curve, an ancient, _perfectly_ round door set into the rock wall appears. _Everyone_ inhaling sharply, come to a stop in front of it. There is raised lettering on the door. Amanda recognizes it right away. It is _Theban_ , the Witch's alphabet Sadie had read on the tongue, at the face they had first found on this realm.

This is what the door looks like:

The writing looks like this:

Amanda puts a hand on Sadie's shoulder, as Tia steps up and rests her hand on Amanda's. Sadie looks at the text, "It says, 'Welcome to...'"

Amanda gets a _jolt_ from her necklace, followed by the odd _buzzing_ she gets when someone speaks a language she does not know.

Suddenly Amanda can not only understand Theban, but she can _speak_ , read and _write_ it too. The odd writing seems to _morph_ and change, right before her eyes, and she can read it as _easily_ as her native English.

Amanda continues reading out loud, cutting Sadie off. " _Witch_ mountain. Should thou be worthy to enter..."

_Tia_ feels a jolt, like a _static_ discharge course through her, and she too, can _instantly_ read Theban, although there is a slight _fuzzy_ buzzing in her head. She continues reading out loud, cutting _Amanda_ off, "...a _puzzle_ you must solve." Tia then turns to look into the stunned faces of Amanda, Sadie, Tianna and the others.

"Sis? How did you _do_ that?" Tianna asks, a look of wonder and surprise on her face.

"I... I _don't_ know. I felt a kind of, well, _shock_ I guess. Then, uh, the writing _moved_ around some, and I could _read_ the writing just like _Elvish_. But..." Looking back at the writing, she reaches up and touches her temple, shaking her head.

"Do... do you hear a _fuzzy_ sound? When you _look_ at the writing?" Amanda asks in surprise.

"Yeah, I _do_... how'd _you_ know that?"

Amanda looks into Tia's questioning eyes, then looks to Sadie. "Sadie was the _only_ one who could read the ancient script. I had _my_ hand on her shoulder when she started reading, and _I_ got a shock, like I did when I first knew how to speak _Elvish_... and like when I touched Loki's _dad_ and could suddenly understand Dwarvish, _remember_?

"I _always_ get that fuzzy sound when doing _anything_ other than in my own..." Then looking at Anastasia and Cassandrea, "uh, my own realm, um, _stuff_."

"But why can _I_ do it now?" Tia asks.

"I don't know...," Amanda says thoughtfully. "But, let's _try_ something okay? Everybody hold hands."

" _Why_?" Cassandrea asks suspiciously.

"Cassa, just _do_ it okay," Anastasia says grabbing Cassandrea's hand, then Thian's.

They all hold hands. Amanda turns saying, "Okay, I want _all_ of you to look at the writing and just keep _looking_ at it okay?" They turn their eyes to the text. Amanda looks at the text as well and begins reading it _silently_ to herself. There are instant _gasps_ from the others as everyone drops hands and takes a few steps back away from Amanda.

"Slimy _wessel_ worts!" Cassandrea stutters. "How'd you _do_ that? I... _I_ can read it really easily now _too_. The _letters_ moved around, changed form and...

"Hey! _I've_ got that fuzzy little... _buzz_ when I look at the writing too! But as soon as I look away, the buzzing _stops_. _What's_ going on?"

"Amanda," Tia says, "it looks like you can somehow, well, _transmit_ to others by touch, some of the _same_ abilities _you_ have. Maybe all _we_ need to do, when _you_ learn another language, or maybe even some you _already_ know, is just _touch_ you when you're speaking or reading them, and _we'll_ know them too! Do you think it's _possible_?"

"Maybe." Then turning to Anastasia and Cassandrea asks, "Do either of you know Dwarvish?"

"No. We were both born in the village," Anastasia says. "And we've never even _met_ a dwarf. But we've read about them though."

"Listen, I know this _sounds_ weird," Amanda says very excited. "But I want to _touch_ you once I start speaking Dwarvish, okay?"

After a nervous hesitation, both Anastasia and Cassandrea agree. Amanda begins speaking Dwarvish, and while speaking, reaches forward and places her hands on their shoulders. _Instantly_ both Anastasia and Cassandrea gasp and _jump_ back as Amanda is still speaking.

"What... what just _happened_?" Cassandrea asks looking startled. "You're still speaking the same language, but now there's a faint _fuzzy_ buzz."

"How about now?" Amanda asks returning to Elvish. They shake their heads. Amanda then speaks in Dwarvish.

"Yeah, now it's _fuzzy_ again," Cassandrea says. "But... you're still speaking _Elvish_... _aren't_ you?"

"No, I'm _not_. I'm speaking _Dwarvish_. The buzz you hear is the Dwarvish being _translated_ into your native language. I'll switch back to Elvish. Any buzz _now_?"

Neither of them hears the buzzing. Amanda then asks excitedly, "Do either of you know any _other_ languages?"

"Well, yeah," Anastasia says looking first at Cassandrea, then back to Amanda. "We speak Elvish, _Kolin_ , Santor and the three forms of _Veha_... the languages of the _old_ witches here.

"It's really weird, but from time to time, we get people passing through our village heading to the other cities, and they _all_ speak one of the three ancient witch languages. No one ever says _where_ they're from though. So, we learned those three variations so we could _sell_ to them. Why?"

A huge grin spreads across Amanda's face. She turns to look at Thian, who smiles and nods his understanding. He then takes Tia's hand as Amanda says. "Okay, everybody hold hands. I think I need to hold _your_ hand Anastasia, since you'll be the one speaking. Okay, good. Now, Anastasia, I want you to say _anything_ you want, in _all_ of those languages you just told us about okay? Do them _one_ at a time."

Not fully understanding, but doing it anyway, Anastasia begins to speak. The eyes on Thian, Tia, _Tianna_ and Sadie fly wide as their mouths fall open. Anastasia stops, but Amanda tells her to keep going. In a few moments, everyone drops hands. Amanda turns to her friends and asks, "Well? Did it _work_?"

"You _bet_ it did!" Thian says laughing and doing a little dance, making the others laugh too. "I can understand _and_ speak Kolin, Santor and the _three_ languages of the ancient witches! Listen to _this_!" Thian speaks several sentences in each of his new languages, enjoying the surprised looks on both Cassandrea and Anastasia. Then, switching back to Elvish, he says, "By the _moons_ Amanda, this is _really_ cool!"

Cassandrea and Anastasia look a little frightened of Amanda now, and both take a couple steps back, clutching at one another. Cassandrea then asks, "Who... what _are_ you? How did you _do_ that?"

Amanda looks startled and does not know what to say.

Thian quickly says, "Well, where _we_ come from, we learn _lots_ of really cool stuff. Amanda is, well, in an _advanced_ Wizitch class, and she, um, has learned _lots_ of stuff we haven't yet. You'd know all this stuff too, if you lived in one of the _big_ cities and went to one of the really _good_ Wizitch schools. Here, you said you're _home_ schooled. And _this_ kind of Wizitch isn't taught in _books_ either. You have to learn it in a _class_ , with someone who, uh, _you_ know... someone who already _has_ the abilities and can pass them on... from _touching_... or, uh, kind of like that. Anyway, it _works_ , and this could come in _real_ handy you know?"

"Yeah, well, let's get this door _open_ and see what's inside," Tianna says drawing her wand and stepping up to the door, trying to change the subject. "Let's see what kind of a _puzzle_ they're talking about."

With that, wands at the ready, they turn to Thian. Stepping to the door, Thian pulls on the old tarnished ring. It does not budge. Taking a step back, Thian raises his arms and says, "Orathian!" They all hear the _clank_... _clank_... _clank_ of the locks disengaging. The door pops open just a little. Thian glances at the others, then grabs the ring and pulls the door open.

As they enter a large square room, it begins to glow a light blue. The walls are lined with doors. Five doors per wall, on the left, back and right. The only other things in the room, are a tall pile of glass rectangles with patterns on them, and a _huge_ lined grid on the smooth and polished cavern floor. The flooring looks like _polished_ white rectangular marble tiles.

The stack of glass rectangles look something like this:

"Wow... _look_ at all those _doors_!" Thian says to no one in particular as his eyes scan the room. "I wonder what's behind 'em?"

"Well, why don't we _open_ them and find out?" Cassandrea snorts standing next to one, about to open it.

"No! _Wait_!" Sadie shouts. "In ancient times, only _true_ witches could read Theban _and_ understand it. The witches would use elaborate _traps_ to keep the... _unworthy_... from gaining access to their covens. We learned in class, that they liked to use doorways to entice the _unsuspecting_ into their traps. They were _filled_ with all kinds of _horrible_ things... shooting _spikes_ , collapsing ceilings, hidden _holes_ in the pathway you fall into and are _impaled_ on sharp spikes. They even have _water_ -well traps..."

Sadie looks at Amanda, Thian, Tia and Tianna, whose eyes go slightly wide with understanding. "And _lots_ of other stuff _too_! I think, maybe, _whatever_ puzzle they're talking about, will give us the _answer_ to which door we need to take.

"Remember, only the _worthy_ , meaning those who can _understand_ the puzzle, will be able to pick the right door after solving the puzzle. They even used hideous _creatures_ that would hide behind the doors, then kill and _eat_ whoever opened them."

Cassandrea jumps away from the ancient wooden door, swallows hard as she takes a couple steps back, and turns to face the others with a very frightened expression.

"Well, _this_ is interesting," Sadie says walking to the large pile of glass rectangles. "What do you think _these_ are for?"

The rest walk over and look at the large stack. Thian bends and tries to pick one of the large glass panels up. "Whoa! These things are _really_ heavy! I can't even pick _this_ one up. They're about an inch thick too."

"Hey, this one's got that _Theban_ writing on it," Anastasia says. "How come I can't read it now? I did _before_."

"Oh, don't just _look_ at the writing," Amanda says walking over to her. "Look at it and _think_ about what it says. That's how I do it anyway. As you concentrate on _understanding_ it, well, it just somehow _becomes_ readable, or, you can then understand what someone's saying an' stuff."

In a flash, Anastasia smiles and says, "Yeah! I _can_ read it now... Wow! The letter just, like, _morphed_ into a letter I can read!"

"Looks like _some_ of the glass panels have a single letter on 'em, and _some_ of the panels are blank, with only some kind of _pattern_ on them," Tianna says kneeling beside the stack. She stands and looks at the large inlayed gold grid on the marble floor. "You know, I think our greeting is actually talking about a _real_ puzzle - one we have to put together.

"Look at the grid on the floor. Each floor rectangle is the _same_ size as one of these _glass_ rectangles. I think we have to arrange all the pieces to get another message or something."

They talk it over for a while, then decide to use their wands to move the heavy glass panels to each of the grid rectangles. They drop their traveler's packs and brooms, and get started.

As they begin moving some of the glass pieces, Sadie says, "Our teacher said that there weren't many people who could _do_ Wizitch back in the ancient times... on _this_ realm anyway. So, for the _non_ -Wizitch folk, they may _never_ have been able to move these heavy glass pieces, since they wouldn't know _how_ to use a wand."

It takes almost an hour of trial and error, with lots of heated disagreements, as to where some pieces went in the process.

When the puzzle is finished, it looks like this:

Standing back and looking at the finished picture, Sadie says, "Wow! That looks _just_ like the track our _carts_ were on, you know... when we got _close_ to the end of the last tunnel? I remember that brass box on the right. All the panels are written in ancient Theban too. Just like the greeting was."

"Okay everybody," Amanda says with a smile. "Now, don't look at the Theban as, uh, _Theban_ , but concentrate on what it... _means_. You need to _concentrate_ on what you want to happen before it does."

Everyone focuses on the glass puzzle when Cassandrea says with surprise, "Oh _wow_! The Theban letters just, uh, like morphed into new letters I can _read_. This is _crazy_!" Everyone begins to giggle.

The finished puzzle looks like this, as Amanda concentrates on seeing it in English:

"What's it mean, 'Take the door _second_ from the left, then the _third_ right, then second left?" Thian asks.

"Well, it sounds to _me_ , like we may find something behind _one_ door," Cassandrea says pointing to the second door from the entrance to the room. " _Then_ , we need to find what's behind the _others_. Maybe then, whatever we _find_ will tell us what to do next."

"Maybe," Tianna says walking toward the second door from the entrance. "But we won't know until we _open_ it. Grab your wands and get ready. Just in case."

Tianna raises her arms and says, "Orathian!" The usual _clank_... _clank_... _clank_ comes from around the left side of the door. The door pops open about an inch. Tianna looks to see that everyone is pointing their wands at the door, ready for whatever may be behind it. Turning to Amanda, Tianna nods. Amanda steadies herself, grips her wand tighter, and nods back. Tianna yanks the door open jumping back.

"By the _moons_!" Thian says lowering his wand. " _Doors_... along _both_ sides of the pathway! Look how _many_ there are! They like, _disappear_ into the distance."

"Well, I guess we know what the puzzle means _now_ ," Tia says nodding her understanding. "We needed to open this _second_ door from the entrance, to find these _other_ doors. Now, I think it means we need to go through the _third_ door on the _right_ side of the path. Then..."

"We take the _second_ one on the left inside the doors we'll _probably_ find in there!" Amanda says nodding with a smile.

"Wait! No... _no_...no! You're _wrong_!" Cassandrea says impatiently as everyone turns to her. " _Look_!" pointing to the doors, "There's no _room_ between these doors and the other doors in the main room. Honestly, _look_! Here in the _main_ room, the doors are only like, a _foot_ apart! _This_ one we opened, has doors down _both_ sides of the pathway inside, but if you opened one of _those_ , there is only about a _foot_ before you would reach the back of it. So just tell me exactly _how_ there can be a _huge_ monster behind them? There's no _room_!"

Just as Tianna opens her mouth, Sadie says, "Instant Outhouses."

Cassandrea turns to Sadie and snorts, " _What_ are you _talking_ about? I said..."

"I _know_ what you said," Sadie retorts, "and I _answered_ your question."

Just as Cassandrea folds her arms across her chest wearing a look of condescension, ready to say something _snide_ , Sadie continues, "Thian has Instant Outhouses... and Instant Potty paper... and even an Instant _Cabin_! They're _Wizitched_... so really _big_ things can be made _very_ small until you use a spell on them to return them to their normal size. I _think_ that's what's happened here. _Remember_... Wizitched things can have their dimensions _changed_ , so they can be made to be _bigger_ or smaller, and in _this_ case, compressed until you _open_ the door. _That_ triggers a _new_ spell and, well, _bang_! A _monster_ jumps out and _eats_ you! _Think_ about it. It's sort of like Thian's Instant _Outhouse_. It looked _small_ and square on the _outside_ , but when we opened the door, it was a _lot_ bigger on the inside, with a nice sink, _toilet_ , and even a full sized _tub_ and shower!

"You _open_ that door Cassandrea, and there could be _hundreds_ of monsters behind it, for _miles_!"

Thian swallows hard as he looks at Sadie, then turns to Cassandrea. "She's _right_. Uh, let's not plan on anything being what we expect – not _here_!

"Well, let's grab our packs and _brooms_ and see where we go from here," Thian says, walking back to where they had all dropped their packs. He picks up his pack, slips it on, then grabs his broom, looking nervously at all the doors, wondering how many creatures are behind each.

They all put their packs on, grab their brooms, and head to the open tunnel with all the doors.

Tianna steps through the doorway, and begins walking down the pathway looking at the ancient carvings on each of the doors. It is deadly quiet. Not a sound can be heard but for her boots crunching on the gravel floor, and her own nervous breathing.

The others hesitate for a moment, then nervously follow her, _Cassandrea_ being the last to enter, having to work up her courage. She has just walked up to Anastasia, about _fifteen_ feet from the open doorway, when the door behind her _slams_ shut, making everyone _jump_ and spin around in surprise.

As _soon_ as the door seals itself, a dim red glow illuminates the dirt pathway within. The ground _shakes_ , as they hear what sounds like something _huge_ running from somewhere _way_ off behind one... or _more_... of the many doors.

There is a thundering, _crashing_ sound as one of the doors bows _outward_ from the impact of something huge _slamming_ into it.

The kids _scream_ and spin around, wands pointing at that door.

Over and _over_ again, something huge _pounds_ against the door as billowing _howls_ scream behind the door. It sounds as though the creature is trying to _tear_ its way right through the door to get to them.

A sound like _hundreds_ of running feet, comes from behind a door back near the entrance, followed by _horrible_ screams of _torture_ and agony beyond _anything_ they've ever heard. The kids spin to face the screams, everyone _shaking_ uncontrollably.

In less than a second, there are _terrifying_ screams, howling, _growling_ and fierce pounding noises coming from every door.

Tianna and the others are all screaming, everyone _spinning_ in circles, pointing their wands frantically, looking for something to come _bursting_ through the dozens upon _dozens_ of doors to attack them.

Tianna, after coming out of her momentary shock, runs back to the door they had entered from, and screams, "Orathian! _Orathian_!"

Nothing.

Amanda runs over screaming, "Let _me_ try it! Move!" She skids to a stop in front of the door, holds her arms up and yells, "Orathian!"

Nothing.

"Oh _God_... oh Jesus, _no_! It _has_ to open, it _always_ works! Orathian!"

Nothing.

Amanda spins to look back down the pathway to the dozens of doors on each side. Many are _bulging_ as they are repeatedly struck by something huge, followed by howls and _fierce_ growling.

"Amanda! _Do_ something!" Tianna yells, wand pointing first to one side of the pathway, then to the other.

"I'm _trying_ , but the door won't _open_! I don't _know_ why! It's always worked _before_!"

"Use the _necklace_!" Tia cries. "Amanda, _use_ the necklace!"

"I... I don't know _how_ yet!"

"Get _out_ of the way Amanda!" Tianna yells over the din of the howling, growling, _pounding_ and screaming from what sounds like _hundreds_ of tortured souls. "I'm gonna _blast_ it open! Everybody... _back_!"

Amanda hurries over to where the others are clustered in a circle, everyone shaking with expressions of _pure_ terror. Tianna takes a few steps back from the door and fires off two quick _blasts_ from her wand. They burst into _harmless_ glittering sparks... inches from the door.

"By the _moons_!" Thian yells. "It's got a _blast_ shield spell on it! We're _trapped_ in here!"

"Sadie!" Tia yells over the horrifying pounding coming from the door beside her, as it bulges with each hit. "Can you see _inside_ these doors?"

Anastasia and Cassandrea look at one another with frightened, _questioning_ expressions, then to Sadie, as Sadie cries out, "I'm... I'm too _afraid_! I'm _scared_!"

"Sadie. You _have_ to try okay?" Tianna says, bending down and putting her face inches from Sadie's. " _Please_ , we need to know _which_ of these doors has something behind them that will be the _easiest_ to fight. Maybe then, we can get inside and at least close _that_ door, and find a way out... or... or, _something_!"

A _thundering_ crash bows the door beside them. "Sadie, try it... _now_!"

Sadie's tiny body is shaking violently as though someone is _shaking_ her by the shoulders. She licks her lips, _leans_ forward and looks at the door directly across from her.

Concentrating with all her will, she shakes her head and says, "I _can't_! I can't _see_ through the door! I don't know _why_!"

"These doors must have some kind of anti- _sight_ penetration spell on them!" Thian yells as he spins, hearing a _terrifying_ growl right behind him. Then, after chewing on his lower lip for a moment yells, "Wait... the _puzzle_! It says to take the _second_ door from the left... we _did_. It then says to take the _third_ right. I think it means, to take the _third_ door on the right side of _this_ pathway!"

They all turn to look at that door, where _horrible_ howling and _scratching_ noises are coming from... like something is trying to _dig_ its way through the door.

"Are you _crazy_?!" Cassandrea yells. "There's no _way_ we're opening _that_ door. No _way_!"

"We _have_ to!" Thian yells back. "The _only_ clues we have, as to what we need to do, are on that _puzzle_ we put together! We _have_ to do what it says! We _have_ to!"

"But what if you're _wrong_?!" Cassandrea screams at him.

"Well, we sure can't wait _here_ for something to _burst_ through these doors, _that's_ for sure!" Anastasia yells at Cassandrea.

"I'm with _Thian_ on this one!" Tianna yells. "Amanda, see if you can open the third door from the _right_ of the entrance. Everyone else, get ready to _blast_ whatever might be in there. _Move_!"

As Amanda steps forward, she sees little Sadie throw up, which starts Anastasia and Cassandrea doing the same thing. Their _nerves_ are simply overwhelmed.

Forcing down the bile Amanda feels rising in her _own_ throat, she holds up her shaking arms and yells, "Orathian!"

Nothing.

"Amanda, get _closer_ to the door!" Thian yells. "It might have a _proximity_ spell on it, so you have to be right _next_ to it for the spell to work!"

Amanda, shaking hard, steps right in front of the door. "Orathian!"

_Clank_... _clank_... _clank_.

The door pops open about an inch as Amanda jumps back. Everyone crouches, pointing their wands at the door, _waiting_ for the attack. However, _nothing_ comes crashing through... _yet_.

Amanda looks nervously to the others. Thian and Tianna both nod at her at the same time. Amanda turns back to the door. Forcing down a dry swallow, she approaches, places her trembling hand on the door, then _yanks_ the door fully open as she jumps back, pointing her own wand inside, heart _thundering_.

To everyone's surprise, there is _nothing_ there trying to get out - only another tunnel with the pathway _again_ lined with _dozens_ of other doors on each side. Many of the doors are _bulging_ again and again, as something huge _thunders_ repeatedly against them, accompanied by horrifying cries and _deep_ growls. The screaming sounds like people being _tortured_ , and their _cries_ for help, tear at everyone's soul.

Coming from the door just inside and to the left within this new tunnel, are sounds of _dozens_ of people screaming.

But there is _one_ voice that is louder and _clearer_ than the others. A _woman's_ voice. It sounds like she is trying to _scratch_ her way through the ancient wooden door.

Amanda can hear the woman's _fingernails_ frantically scratching against the wood, and what sounds faintly like wood _splintering_. Amanda gives a shudder as she thinks about the woman's fingernails being _torn_ away, or long _sharp_ splinters digging in under her nails, and into her fingertips.

The woman is _screaming_ in one of the old witch languages Amanda had just learned. As Amanda concentrates on understanding the words, she suddenly _cries_ out as the strange language turns into clear English.

The woman is screaming, "Please! _Help_ us! Please, we're _trapped_ , we can't get out... and they're _coming_! They're coming to _get_ us! Please, _help_ us! They suck out our _eyes_ then eat us while we're _still_ alive! Please, we _have_ to get out! They're _hungry_ and... No! _Stay_ away! _Please_ not _me_! Noooo!" There is a strangled scream, then the woman's voice goes... silent.

Amanda turns her head and _throws_ up, as does Thian, who has also translated the woman's cries. He has heard the same thing Amanda has, and is overwhelmed by it all.

Of course, both Cassandrea and Anastasia know the language already, and heard the woman as well.

" _Now_ what?" Tia cries, tears streaming down her face, as the others look through tears of their own.

"The _puzzle_ says to take the second door on the left," Thian cries pointing to that door.

Everyone looks to the door, which is _repeatedly_ bowing as terrifying howling and growling follow each hit. Something huge is _crashing_ again and again against the ancient wooden door.

"But... there's some kind of _monster_ in there!" Sadie screams and runs behind Tianna, peering out from around Tianna's hip.

"Amanda!" Thian cries pointing to the door. "See if you can _open_ it!"

Amanda, eyes bulging, heart _painfully_ pounding in her chest, body shaking, asks just loud enough for everyone to hear, "Are... are you _sure_ Thian?"

"No... but what _choice_ do we have? We can't wait for all the _other_ monsters to come crashing through these other doors to get _us_ too! Better to fight only _one_ , then who knows _how_ many!"

A woman's _scream_ comes from the door Amanda is standing near, sending Amanda darting to the second door on the left within this new tunnel.

Feeling as though she may _pass_ out at any moment from fright, and an overdose of adrenalin, Amanda holds her quaking arms up, just as there is a _thundering_ crash against the door, which bows toward her, making her jump back with a scream, her throat so dry, she can no longer swallow. Tears are making it hard to see. Quickly wiping her eyes on her sleeve, she yells, "Orathian!"

_Clank_... _clank_... _clank_.

Amanda and the others jump to the side, their eyes bulging, everyone holding their breath, pointing their shaking wands at the door as the door _explodes_ outward, swinging fully open, _slamming_ against the cavern wall, with so much force, it rebounds to become almost fully closed again, remaining open but a crack.

Then nothing.

Hearts _thundering_ , with legs so weak they are all having a hard time standing, they wait several more heart pounding moments, but _nothing_ comes crashing through the door.

Reaching up with a trembling hand, Amanda grasps her fingers around the inch of open door. Glancing to the others, she gets a nod from Tianna. Amanda bites her lower lip so hard, it begins to bleed. Yanking the door open, she jumps back with a yell, eyes darting frantically around the inside.

Nothing.

Everyone's wand is whipping in all directions, looking for whatever giant creature has been crashing into the door and making it bow out.

There is nothing waiting for them.

It's just another long tunnel, but this time, there are no other doors to be seen.

After several moments' hesitation, Thian yells, " _Pick_ up your brooms and let's get inside! We need to see what's _further_ in! Well? _Move_!"

Everyone looks around for their broom, which they dropped to fight whatever might come charging out at them. Cassandrea, Anastasia and Sadie have to run back into the other tunnels to get theirs, which they had dropped almost right away when the screaming first started.

When everyone is gathered in front of the new tunnel, Thian yells over the almost _unbearable_ screaming, _howling_ , growling and _pounding_ of the two other tunnels, " _Come_ on, let's go!"

They all hurry inside. Amanda spins, raising her arms as she yells, "Neldor!" The ancient wooden door instantly slams shut.

At the _instant_ the door locks into place, _everything_ becomes dead quiet. The only sounds that can be heard are the crying, sniffing and panting sounds coming from themselves. All eyes are wide with fright, mouths open panting for breath, everyone shaking hard.

"By the Oak and _Ash_!" Tia says clutching her chest, her face drained of color and visibly shaking, still trying to catch her breath. "It sounds like those people are being _tortured_ , and, and..."

" _Monsters_ of some kind _howling_ and... did you hear that _growling_?" Tianna asks with her back pressed against the tunnel wall, trying to catch her breath as well.

"Yeah, I _did_ ," Thian says forcing down a dry swallow. "And something _huge_ was pounding on some of those doors too. They kept _bulging_ out with each attack. Scared the _heck_ out of me."

"Did... did you hear what that _lady_ was screaming?" Amanda asks as tears begin to stream down her face again.

All the others nod. They had all wanted to know what the lady was screaming from behind the door, and now, they all wished they had not.

"Those _poor_ people!" Tia cries, wiping her eyes on her sleeve. "We need to _help_ them, but... _how_?"

No one says anything at all for several moments, then Thian quietly says, "Listen. There's _nothing_ we can do for them now. If we stay around here, _we_ may end up with _them_ you know?"

"He's right," Cassandrea says wiping the hair from her eyes. "We don't even know how many... uh, _whatever_ they may be... are waiting behind those doors either. It would be _stupid_ for us to try anything. We're _still_ alive, and I'd like to _keep_ it that way."

"Besides, there may be _nothing_ behind any of those doors you know?" Anastasia says looking around nervously. "I mean, the door _we_ went through sounded like it had some _huge_ monster behind it... but there wasn't _anything_ here. The door has been _Wizitched_ to bow outward, and make all those _horrible_ sounds. It's just a _trick_ to keep people from opening the door."

"Yeah, well..." Tianna says looking around a little. " _Some_ may not have anything behind them, but, I'm pretty sure Sadie's right. I'm betting that there are things behind _some_ of those doors, and I'm not too _keen_ on finding out what. So, what do we do now?"

They all debate what to do for a few more minutes, when Thian says, "Well, I really do think we need to move on. But first, I've got to use the _outhouse_. I darn near _wet_ myself. And I can really do with a _splash_ of cold water on my face too."

Thian drops his pack, pulls out his can of Instant Outhouse, sets it on the pathway and pops the lid off. As he waves his wand and the outhouse appears, he grabs the door and yanks it open, hurrying inside, as the door slams, locking behind him.

When Thian steps back through the door, he cannot help but laugh. There is a line of _seven_ outhouses spaced along the pathway.

Once everyone has freshened up, and have re-packed their outhouses in their travelers pack, they nervously make their way down the tunnel pathway.

#  Into Witch Mountain

To TOC

The pathway winds in a snake-like fashion for about a thousand feet, slowly turning into a _spectacular_ sparkling pathway. The walls, ceiling and floor, all sparkle in hues of greens and blues. It is absolutely beautiful. Then, as they round a corner, they walk into a small sized cavern, and face another large, ancient round wooden door. The door is set inside a red and black circular polished stone. The door has Theban writing on it in a circular fashion, around the outer edge. The door looks like this:

This is what the writing around the door looks like:

Amanda and the others step up to the door and concentrate on understanding what it says. In a moment, Amanda sees the ancient Theban letters morph and change into English. This is what it says:

welcome to witch mountain portal nine

"Portal... _nine_?" Anastasia says looking at Cassandrea. "There are at least eight _other_ ways into Witch Mountain? We've looked for _years_ and never even found _one_!"

"Well, we've all found _this_ one!" Cassandrea says with a smile. "We _knew_ the stories were true and not just _myths_ or legends. But I've got to tell you, I always thought we'd just find some _cave_ that led into the mountain. Then, _maybe_ a door or something, but not... not all we just _went_ through! There was nothing in the stories about any of _this_!"

"Yeah, and let's hope that _whatever's_ on the other side of this door, isn't something _else_ that's going to scare us half to death!" Anastasia says with a nervous smile.

"Sadie," Thian says turning to look down at Sadie's little face, as she looks up at him. "Can you see anything on the other side of the door? Or does it have an anti-sight penetration spell on _it_ too?"

Tianna gives Thian an "Oh _Thian_ , why did you _say_ that?" kind of look. Then Thian remembers that Cassandrea does not know Sadie _can_ actually see through solid objects, and that Anastasia thinks she knows what race Sadie is from, but has not said anything.

For a moment, Sadie just looks at Cassandrea with a frightened look on her face. Then Cassandrea's eyes fly _wide_ with understanding as she says, "You... you're... you really _can_ see through doors _can't_ you? And, you really _did_ see into the mountain, through _solid_ stone! You're _Keptic_ aren't you?"

Sadie turns quickly to look at Tianna. Tianna walks to Sadie and puts her hand on Sadie's shoulder. She then turns to Cassandrea saying, "Yeah, she _is_. What of it?"

Cassandrea stares at Sadie with her mouth hanging open. After a moment Cassandrea says, "Wow, with _your_ abilities, I bet we could find the treasure for _sure_! When we get back, uh, maybe you could help us _find_ it! You'd get a _cut_ of course... or at least _something_ anyway. After all, your kind _owes_ us for those _horrible_ things you did to... _our_ people."

Tianna steps forward saying angrily, "Just what do you _mean_... _her_ kind? Sadie owes no one _anything_ at all. _She_ hasn't done anything _wrong_ at all! She owes _no_ one anything for what her _ancestors_ may have done to... _your_ kind. Just as _your_ kind owe no one anything at all for whatever _your_ ancestors may have done.

"Times change, _people_ , cultures and _laws_ change. When we finish what we've started, it will be _Sadie's_ decision if she wants to go with you or not - _not_ because she owes _you_ or anybody else _anything_. But for now, she has _freely_ chosen to be one of our team members, and she will stay with us as long as _she_ chooses to... _got_ it? And if you say _one_ word to anyone we meet about her race, _or_ her abilities while you're with us... I _promise_ you... you'll _very_... much... _regret_ it!"

The smile slides from Cassandrea's face, as she glares at Tianna with a snarl on her lips. Tianna takes another step toward Cassandrea and says, "Or would you like us to _tie_ you up and _leave_ you here? Or actually... maybe we should _toss_ you back into the tunnels, and have Sadie put an anti-unlocking spell on the _exit_ doors, so you _can't_ get out. And you'll have to try to fight _whatever_ comes crashing through all those doors on your own."

"You wouldn't _dare_!" Cassandrea shouts in challenge. "You don't have the _guts_ to..."

Tianna draws her wand so fast, Cassandrea never even sees the orange flash of the binding spell. Cassandrea goes _ridged_ , as a coil of rope appears out of thin air, instantly winding itself around her and tightens. As the coil tightens around her ankles, _snapping_ them together, she topples over, falling _hard_ onto her back with a cry of surprise, her eyes bulging."

"Tianna! _Stop_ it!" Tia shouts looking startled.

"You just _wait_ till I get up! You _filthy_ , _stinking_ , lowlife _Elf_!" Cassandrea screams. "I'll teach you and your _filthy_ race a lesson or two!"

Tia gasps, and before Tianna can even raise her wand, Amanda is shocked to see Tia draw her wand and fire off a _silencing_ spell, instantly cutting off Cassandrea's ranting in mid rant. Cassandrea's eyes widen, finding her lips are moving but nothing is coming out.

"Sadie..." Tia says turning to her with a stern expression and steady voice. "Turn her... into a cavern _spider_ , like you did that really _huge_ , tall, _mean_ man that said bad things about you."

Sadie looks both frightened _and_ confused. She has never turned anybody into _anything_ , and has no idea even how to _do_ such a horrible thing. Sadie looks over at Amanda who is standing off to one side, and sees Amanda give her a quick wink, trying not to burst into laughter. Sadie instantly knows what they are doing.

"Oh, uh, well, I've used _that_ one a few times now. Maybe I should... turn her into a cave _slug_ , you know? I mean, she is kind of _slimy_... so, maybe she'd _really_ like to be slimy, and stay in here, like... _forever_! Yeah, I'll turn her into a _green_ cave slug, with hideous _warts_ and _pus_ popping sores."

Sadie draws her wand, veeeery slowly, with an almost _wild_ and hungry look on her face, while doing her best to keep from laughing. She points her wand at the very still and wide eyed Cassandrea, and begins to _growl_.

Cassandrea's head begins _thrashing_ from side to side, tears filling her eyes.

"No! You _can't_! _Please_! She'll be good, _won't_ you Cassa?" Anastasia yells. She had caught Amanda's eyes and wink too, and knows that they are only trying to _scare_ Cassandrea enough so she will not give them away, or do something _stupid_... which Cassandrea is well known for doing.

Cassandrea nods quickly, looking pleadingly to Sadie. Sadie looks to Amanda who _hesitates_ for a moment, as though deciding Cassandrea's fate, then shrugs followed by a nod.

"Well... okay," Sadie says lowering her wand. "For _now_ anyway."

Tia fires off a spell to reverse the silencing spell she had cast, quickly followed by Tianna firing off an unbinding spell.

For a moment, Cassandrea just lays there on the cavern floor, looking frightened, and not sure whether she should get up or not. Tianna steps over to her, bends and extends her arm. Cassandrea lets out a cry, turns her head and _clamps_ her eyes shut, while scrunching up her face, _waiting_ to be struck. After a moment, Cassandrea opens one eye, to find she is looking at Tianna's extended hand. For a moment, Cassandrea just looks at it, then reaches up and grasps it. Tianna pulls hard, helping her to her feet.

Thian says, "Sadie, see if you _can_ see what's on the other side of this door okay?"

Everyone ignores Cassandrea, knowing she has gotten the message. Sadie puts her wand away and walks to stand in front of the door. Narrowing her brows, she leans forward and concentrates.

"Well, there's a short pathway and, uh, what looks like... _vines_ maybe? I'm not sure... but _some_ kind of foliage anyway. I don't see any _traps_ or animals though."

"Okay, well, that's _something_ anyway," Thian says stepping to the door. "But, I think we better have our wands at the ready anyway... just in case there _might_ be something outside the cave we can't see." After everyone has drawn their wands, Cassandrea's shaking a little more than the others, Thian holds up his arms and says, "Orathian!" There are several clanks, then the door pops open about an inch.

Thian grasps the tarnished circular ring, and pulls the door wide. Sure enough, there _is_ a short pathway, which ends in a partially covered cave opening. It is covered about _half_ way down with hanging vines. Extending up from the ground outside, is some kind of grass, about six feet tall.

"Well, let's see what's outside," Tianna says as she steps through the doorway, Sadie holding onto her hand and skipping along beside her.

Everyone walks down the pathway to the vines. Tianna pushes the vines out of her way, as she begins walking into the tall grass. Thian has just caught up with Tianna and Sadie, and both Tianna and Thian begin doing their best to make a path through the tall grass.

As they look above them, there is a _very_ large, curving overhang of rock. It is as though they have left the cave, only to enter a portion of land that is _covered_ by a huge overhanging rock arch.

After a few moments, they break through the tall grass and step out onto an area of short green grass.

They are standing on a ledge that looks down into a small, lush valley surrounded by forest below them. There are trees, wildflowers, a small _stream_ , and what looks to be five _roads_ branching off in various directions, at the base of the hillside-like landing they are standing on.

Tia looks up and gives a gasp in surprise. "By the _moons_ , look!" she says pointing up.

Everyone looks up and gasps as one. There is _no_ sky... at least not the kind _they_ are used to.

They see that they are truly _inside_ the gigantic mountain that is _hollow_. It looks like a solid mountain from outside, but, in reality, it is _not_.

The mountain hides an entire _sub_ -realm. There are many types of birds, dozens flying far overhead, and many over the trees far below. The arch of the _gigantic_ interior is glowing a soft orangish-yellow... reminding them of outside the mountain, in the _real_ light.

"It's _true_ Cassa!" Anastasia says breathlessly, looking around. "Everything we've read... it's all _true_! The stories talked about a _giant_ mountain which is hollow... the mountain was called _Witch_ Mountain, because that's where the many powerful witches _fled_ during the Horation war.

"It said _that_ war lasted for _seven_ centuries. That the most powerful witches of the time had banned together, and using some _long_ lost spells, used Wizitch, to hollow out an _entire_ mountain, to make a refuge for their kindred. It is legend that it is _completely_ self-sustaining, having its own food, _water_ , air and stuff. It says the _inside_ of the mountain has been Wizitched to change _its_ lighting, to match that which is outside the mountain, allowing crops to grow and providing _heat_ and light. I've read that as the day goes on, the inside glows _brighter_... just like sunlight. In the evenings, it changes colors, and looks like a _real_ sunset. It says, because the mountain is so _huge_ inside, it has its own _climate_ , and you get _clouds_ , even rains and stuff. It's all _real_. I never thought I'd _really_ ever get to see it." Turning, smiling to the others, she says, "This... is _awesome_!"

Everyone laughs - even Cassandrea, who is just _too_ excited to care _what_ Sadie or the others could do to her.

"But, where do we go from _here_?" Amanda asks. "The Journal says _nothing_ about what to do once inside. I see _five_ roads leading away from the base of where we're standing. Which one do we take? They _all_ disappear into the forest. It could take _months_ at least, to explore each one... maybe _longer_."

"The _second_ from the left," Anastasia says with confidence and a smile. "Like I told you... I've read _everything_ I could find on Witch Mountain, and in one of those books, it talks about someone having found an entrance into the mountain, _close_ to where Cassa and I live. _That's_ the book I read the most. I bet _this_ is where they entered too."

"But, the greeting says this is portal _nine_ ," Tia says looking around. "What makes you think this is the _same_ portal as the one in your book?"

"Because... it talks about the traveler finding _five_ roads at the base of some kind of landing they found, when _they_ first entered the inside portion of the mountain.

"And you're right Amanda, _they_ spent months traveling each road, and there are all _kinds_ of stories, about what they found down each road. They had started down the first road on the _right_. But, _you_ said you needed to talk to the really _powerful_ witch named Bellinora. I've read and _reread_ those books so many times, I've practically got them _memorized_! The traveler said that when they had taken the _second_ road from the left, it led to a place called _Darkwoods Village_ , which wasn't too far away. Whatever ' _too_ far away means.'

"Three of the books I read, mentioned that the old witch Bellinora had lived in a cave, up in _another_ mountain, just outside someplace called... _Darkwoods Village_. If this _is_ the same entrance I've read about, then we need to take the _second_ road from the left."

After talking it over for a few minutes, they decide that since they need to take _one_ of the roads anyway, if Anastasia _is_ right, it could indeed, possibly save them _months_ of searching.

They mount up and begin flying down the mountain, hugging it as tightly as possible, to keep out of sight of whoever, or _whatever_ , may be in the area.

#  Journey To Darkwoods Village

To TOC

As they reach the branch of roads, they hover for a few moments and listen. The sound of birds chirping and the rippling of the water in the stream, as it tumbles over the many stones is all they can hear. The air is _fresh_ and clean, and the beautifully colored wildflowers scattered everywhere make them all smile.

They begin flying off very low, a few feet above their chosen dirt road, along its winding path as it enters the forest.

There are many hills and what looks like _taller_ mountains in all directions away from this side of the mountain entrance. One mountain, _far_ in the distance, in the direction they are now flying, looks to be _ten_ thousand feet high at least.

"This... is _unreal_ , you know?" Thian says looking up at the clouds high above them. "I mean, there are _mountains_... inside _this_ mountain! I wonder if they're hollow too?"

"Don' know," Tianna says shaking her head, looking up as well. "But it is _truly_ remarkable. I never would have thought all _this_ would be inside a mountain. Kind of makes me wonder if _ours_ back home are hollow too - and what might be in _them_." They fly for about an hour, all enjoying this new environment.

"Hey, look!" Tia says pointing further down the road. "It looks like the road branches off in two directions, _doesn't_ it?"

"Yeah, it does," Thian says looking over his shoulder to Tia. "Come on, let's speed up a little. I think I see a _sign_ on a post there too."

They fly faster and soon come to a "Y" in the road. There is an old, _partially_ rotted away signpost stuck in the ground, between the two roads. This is what it looks like:

"It's in that ancient _witch_ writing... I mean, _Theban_ ," Tia says coming to hover beside Tianna. "Looks like it's a really good thing _Sadie_ came along, or we'd _never_ be able to read any of it! And if not for _Amanda_ , doing... _whatever_ she did to us, _we_ wouldn't be able to read it either. Let's see what it says."

They all concentrate and the Theban text morphs into their native language. Amanda says as she reads it in English, "' **Darkwoods Village... Take road left**.' You _did_ it Anastasia! You _found_ the way to _Darkwoods Village_!"

They all have grins as they head off along the partially overgrown dirt road to their left.

"I can't _believe_ I really found it!" Anastasia says with a laugh. "It really _does_ exist! This is _soooo_ exciting! I've always dreamed of _finding_ Witch Mountain, and _exploring_ all the things I've read about too. But I _never_ really thought I'd actually end up _doing_ it. Cassa... we're _really_ here."

Cassandrea smiles and nods. "Yeah, I know what you mean. I never thought _I'd_ ever really be here either. I can't _wait_ to see what we find."

They fly on for about five minutes, chatting about their luck at finding the right road, when Amanda suddenly slows, then stops in a hover. Turning she looks over her shoulder, back along the dirt road.

Tia, flying beside Amanda, slows and stops. "What is it Amanda? Do you _hear_ something?"

Everyone comes to a stop, then turns around to listen to what is going on.

"No. I don't _hear_ anything. But..."

"But _what_?" Thian asks as he drifts over to Tia and Amanda.

"Something _bothers_ me about that sign back there," Amanda says with a slight shake of her head and a puzzled expression.

Cassandrea asks with a sigh and irritated tone, "What _about_ it? We _all_ read it, and it _said_ the way to _Darkwoods Village_ is _down_ the left fork. _That's_ the one we took, and are _still_ on! So, _what's_ the problem? We're just _wasting_ time."

Tianna drifts over beside Thian, and looking at Cassandrea, says with a concerned look, "Believe me, if _Amanda_ thinks something's up, _I'd_ like to hear what she has to say, _before_ going any further." Turning to Amanda, she asks, "What is it about the sign that bothers you?"

"Well... it's _probably_ nothing... maybe. But, I got like a... _tingling_ when I looked at the sign."

" _What_?!" Cassandrea snorts with another look of irritation. "You stopped _all_ of us, because you felt a _tingling_ when you looked at the sign? Give us a _break_!

" _Forget_ the _stupid_ sign, and let's _go_ and see what we can find in _Darkwoods Village_. They might even have _other_ stories we haven't heard, about the _Tal_ ' Reann treasure. Who _cares_ if you felt some _stupid_ tingling, looking at some _stupid_ sign? What _difference_ does it make anyway?"

Tianna shoots Cassandrea a look that makes Cassandrea flush, then turn away.

Amanda has turned her broom around, and is facing back down the road in the direction they have flown.

"Amanda, was it something about the _writing_? Or... or how it was _written_?" Tia asks. "I mean, we _all_ saw it, and it looked okay to us."

"Well, I can't really explain it... but, uh, when I looked at the sign when we first came to it, I got a kind of... _tingling_. But then, as I was turning away to fly with you guys down this road, I, uh, kind of got a... _shock_."

Then leaning forward some and tilting her head slightly, looking her friends in their eyes, continued, "You _know_ the kind of shock I'm talking about." Then reaches up and touches her clothing, which her necklace rests just beneath. Her friends inhale sharply.

Sadie is not sure _what_ is going on, but as Amanda touches where her necklace is, she thinks about how _powerful_ they said it is, and puts two-and-two together. Sadie knows it has _something_ to do with the power of the necklace. Of course, neither Anastasia nor Cassandrea have _any_ idea what Amanda is talking about.

" _What_... shock?" Anastasia asks.

"And what does _that_ have to do with the sign?" Cassandrea asks holding up both hands.

"Amanda, do you want to go back and take another look at the sign?" Thian asks looking back down the road.

"Yeah. I do. I'm not sure why, but... yeah, I do. You don't have to come with me if you don't want to though."

"Uh-uh. We _stick_ together for now," Tia says. "Come on, let's go back and take a closer look."

They fly quickly down the old road, and soon arrive at the "Y." They all dismount and gather behind Amanda in front of the sign.

"Just looks like _any_ old sign to me," Cassandrea sneers. "Except for the _Theban_ writing. But I guess that's what they use here. After all, we _are_ in Witch Mountain."

"No... there's _something_ about this sign that's not right," Amanda says softly leaning in toward it a little. "I'm getting that kind of _tingling_ again." After a short pause, she gives a little _cry_ and jumps back right into Tia, startling the others.

"What _is_ it?!" Thian cries, pulling his wand, as do the others, looking around with eyes wide. "What's wrong?"

"The _other_ Theban writing and the arrow, just... _popped_ out at me. It's in _full_ 3D too. It startled me is all... sorry." Then laughing, "Everything's okay Thian. You guys don't need your wands."

" _What_ other writing?" Anastasia asks leaning in to see if there is tiny writing she missed.

Amanda laughs as she looks at the sign again and says, "Oh... my... _God_... it's a _stereogram_! I can't _believe_ they use stereograms here. I _love_ stereograms!"

"What are... _stereograms_?" Thian asks looking at the sign. "I can't see anything at all but the _plant_ like pattern and the _writing_ we've already read."

"What do _you_ see Amanda, when _you_ look at the sign?" Sadie asks with wonder, looking wide-eyed up into Amanda's striking green eyes.

"Well, just under what we read before, in the larger _blank_ area, is a _hidden_ message. The writing is in Theban too, and there is a large arrow next to that writing, pointing to the _right_. The text says... 'Go.' That's _it_. Just the word 'go' and a _right_ facing arrow. It's telling us to take the road to the _right_... and _not_ the one to the left!"

"But _I_ don't see anything at all!" Tianna says squinting at the sign. "How can _you_ see it, and we _can't_? Is it because of the neck... well, _you_ know?"

Amanda laughs, seeing all of them leaning in and squinting. "No. Most _anyone_ can see stereograms, if they don't have eye problems, and you take some time to learn _how_ to see them. All you have to do is _not_ focus on the sign, but, like focus a little way _through_ it. Like you're looking through a _glass_ sign to something else a little further away.

"Um... try focusing on that _tall_ weed, or _whatever_ it is, that's just beside the sign, and a little ways back. _See_ it? Then, keeping your eyes locked with that _distance_ of focus, move your eyes back to the sign... but _don't_ change your focus. If you focus back on the _sign_ , you'll _never_ be able to see the hidden stuff. _Try_ it."

They are soon laughing at how _silly_ they each look, staring at the plant, then slowly turning their heads back to the sign, leaning in like they are having trouble seeing.

"Another way people learn to see these, is to look at the sign, then _un_ -focus your eyes," Amanda says with a laugh, watching them all squinting at the sign. "You know? Like when you're reading something when you're _really_ tired, and the text blurs. That's how _I_ was first able to see them. I looked at a stereogram, then made my eyes go... well, _blurry_. The image just _popped_ right out at me."

After several minutes, Tia gives a gasp and jumps back clutching her chest. "By the _moons_! I think I just _saw_ it!" A huge grin spreads across her face. "It was _only_ for a second, but I _saw_ the Theban text, and there _was_ an arrow pointing to the right. By the _moons_ Amanda... that _scared_ me half to death! They were like... like _floating_ right out in front of me, away from some background. Like they were _suspended_ in space! I have _got_ to do _that_ again!" Everyone laughs and redoubles their efforts.

After several more minutes, Tia can see and hold the 3D image of the text and arrow, and is now practicing on getting faster at doing it. It takes almost half an hour more for Tianna, Thian, Sadie and Anastasia to get the hang of it. All are surprised and filled with wonder when they first see it, and are able to hold the image. Only _Cassandrea_ cannot do it, and she is _not_ happy in the least.

Finally, Tianna says, "Well, this was _really_ interesting. I heard that wizards and witches used codes, _invisible_ inks and things like that. And we've seen some of them too. But I've never heard of these... _stereogram_ thingies. They're _really_ cool. But, I really think we better be moving on now you know?"

Everyone agrees, other than Cassandrea, who is _determined_ not to be the only one who cannot do something everyone else can.

Tianna says mounting her broom, "Well, _you_ can stay here as long as you like Cassandrea. But the _rest_ of us are moving on."

The others mount up, and begin moving off along the road that branches off to the right.

After a few moments more of intense concentration, Cassandrea mumbles something under her breath, mounts quickly, and speeds off after them.

They have flown for almost three hours through the dense forest, when they come to _another_ "Y" in the road, with two signs. One sign says to take the road to the right, for _Darkwoods Village_ , and the _left_ road to someplace called _Tillies Lake_. They all laugh as they look for a hidden stereogram, other than Cassandrea, but cannot find one. So, they head off along the right hand path.

It is another three and a half hours, of winding their way carefully through the now _very_ dense forest, following the somewhat overgrown old dirt road, before they come to a "T" in the road, where they find another sign.

The sign looks like this:

Everyone but Cassandrea studies the sign. Amanda can spot a stereogram _instantly_ when she blurs her eyes. So, she sees the hidden message right away. It is Thian who spots it next, followed by Tianna, Tia and Sadie.

It takes Anastasia about three minutes longer than the others, but she then gasps. "Well the sign says, ' **Bridge out take road right**.' But, there's a _hidden_ image of a _large_ arrow pointing to the _left_. So, I _guess_ it wants us to go _left_ instead of right, like the visible writing says."

They all turn to look to the road on their left. It is _completely_ overgrown with weeds and creeping vines. They look to the right, and the road looks _fairly_ well traveled. Only a few weeds and some tangles of creeping vines.

"Wait! You're telling _me_ that _just_ because some _stupid_ message is hidden in that sign, that we are going to go... _that_ way, instead of what the _sign_ says?" Cassandrea asks in an irritated tone. "For all _we_ know, we've been following the _wrong_ roads all this time. I mean, just _look_ at the road you want to take _now_. It's _completely_ overgrown. It doesn't look like _anyone's_ gone that way in _years_! But the road the _sign_ says to take, looks in _pretty_ good shape. At least it looks _traveled_. And we don't know how _old_ any of these signs are either. Look how old and _faded_ they are! They may not even be _good_ now!"

"She's right you know," Anastasia says looking at the overgrown dirt road. "How _do_ we know which road to follow? The book I told you about with the traveler, never said _anything_ about these other roads. It just said, he took the _second_ road from the left when he first arrived inside the mountain."

"We don't." Tia says looking at Anastasia. "But, if Amanda _felt_ something, and it bothered her enough to turn around and take another _look_ at the sign, and she found that _stereogram_ thing... that's _good_ enough for me."

Turning to look at Amanda, Tia asks, "Have you gotten, uh, anymore _shocks_ when we ride away from the signs?"

"No. So, _actually_ , I think we've been going in the _right_ direction each time. I don't know for _sure_ though, but, I _think_ so."

"Well, we're here now, and I say let's _keep_ going," Thian says as he turns and begins flying just over the weed-filled dirt road. "If things _don't_ work out, we've just lost some time. We can always come back and start _over_ you know? Come on, let's keep going."

They all head off and find that the overgrown road leads them _right_ into the trees of a thicker area of the dense green forest. The old road winds its way between the trees, and from time to time, everyone will _laugh_ at some of the animals that peek out from behind a tree or boulder, to look at them.

They have stopped _several_ times during the long day, to use their Instant Outhouses, and to take a break. It is now approaching evening and the inside of the mountain has dimmed to reveal a _beautiful_ sunset... without a _real_ sun. The coloring in the clouds of rich oranges, yellows and _pinks_ is stunning, that is... when you could _see_ them through an occasional clearing in the trees.

Coming around a bend in the trees, they spot a fairly good sized stream with a large clearing there. Tired and _hungry_ , they decide to stop, move off the old road and set up Thian's cabin by the stream. Once the cabin is up and filled with water, they refill their Instant Outhouses too, not knowing _when_ they may find water again. They enter the cabin and take turns taking a _long_ hot bath, then have a great dinner of canned goods, and _lots_ of packaged cookies and re-hydrated _marshmallows_ for desert.

Amanda laughs as she pours water into a large bowl filled with powdered marshmallows. In a moment, the water begins to bubble, then full sized, _fluffy_ , dry marshmallows begin popping up like popcorn, until the entire bowl is _filled_ with yummy marshmallows.

"So, did any of your books say how long it would _take_ to get to _Darkwoods Village_ , from the entrance that is, Anastasia?" Tia asks, speaking around a mouth full of marshmallows, reaching for her glass of tea.

"Well, actually, I've been _trying_ to remember. I'm pretty sure it said that it took _just_ about a full day to get there, so, honestly, I _thought_ we'd be there by now. But anyway, I don't think it can be _too_ much further you know? Well, if it's _still_ there... or ever was."

"Well, I hope it's not _too_ far off," Cassandrea says stabbing her second helping of a Cucuteo egg with her fork. "I'd really like to see the _village_ , if it's still there. I mean, we haven't seen a _single_ person yet. Maybe they aren't really here anymore you know. And we're getting pretty close to that _huge_ mountain inside this one too. I hope we find the village, or _something_ soon."

"Maybe we haven't seen anybody," Amanda says thoughtfully, "because all we've been doing is flying along inside this really _dense_ forest. Heck, there could be people _flying_ all over the place, and we'd _never_ see them from down amongst these trees."

"Yeah, well maybe," Thian says pushing his plate away. "I think I'm going to fly to the large hill we saw in the distance, and have a look from the top of it," Thian says taking his dish to the sink. "It's about five-hundred feet high or so I think, spotting it from time to time when the trees thinned some. And I'd just like to see what's on the other _side_ before calling it a night. It looks like the forest is thinning out some about there too. Anyone wanna come with me?"

"Yeah, _I'll_ go with you," Tianna says taking her dish to the sink as well.

"I'll do the dishes," Amanda says getting up. "You two go have a look, and the rest of you, go relax a little. It's been a _long_ day."

Thian and Tianna grab their brooms and head off down the road in the dimming light within the mountain.

In about an hour, the door _flies_ open, making everyone jump. Thian and Tianna rush in all excited.

"We _found_ it! We _found_ the village!" Tianna yells as everyone turns to look at them.

"Yeah! And it's only about _five_ miles from that tall hill too!" Thian says wiping his nose on his sleeve. "And there're a _lot_ of people there too! It's a pretty _good_ sized village with lots of shops. Has to be at least _three_ times the size of _our_ village!

"We saw a lot of people flying on _old_ style brooms, a few using animal drawn carts on the old dirt roads, and a _lot_ of people wandering around the shops. There are a lot of _houses_ scattered out and away from the village too. It looks like there are houses scattered from the village, out to _around_ where that huge mountain is that's inside this one, which looks like it may only be twenty-five miles or so from here.

"We flew around the outside of the village and found _several_ roads leading in. I think we should keep to the forest like Tianna and I did, then fly down one of the _side_ roads into the village. That way, it will look like we're just coming from a _normal_ direction. I mean, I don't know how many people they may be used to seeing coming out of the _forest_ , from some _unused_ road you know?"

"Can we go to the village and take a look around... _now_?" Cassandrea asks excitedly. The others look just as excited.

Tia turns to Amanda, "It's _your_ party. What do you say?"

Amanda smiles at them. "I say... what are we _waiting_ for?" Everyone cheers, then Amanda continues. "Thian, do you think it would be alright to leave our packs in the cabin, while we have a look around? All of us coming into the village wearing _travelers_ packs may draw a little more attention than we want for now...would make it rather _obvious_ that we're new around here and all."

"Yeah, _no_ problem. We're some distance off the old road anyway. And we're pretty well hidden here in the forest. We can come back for the night and pack things up in the morning, if we've found out where to go next that is. Come on, let's get our brooms and have a look around."

With that, they all head off to get their brooms.

In no time, everyone is gathered outside. They mount up with Thian and Tianna leading the way to the big hill, then off to the right through the forest.

As they fly, Amanda wants to know more about what Anastasia and Cassandrea have read about Witch Mountain, and the people who live inside. Amanda and the others are told that Witch Mountain is said to be home to mostly outlaw wizards and witches, who are wanted for various _crimes_ , and many who are, or had been, the _family_ members of criminals.

It sounds like what Amanda calls a kind of old _wild_ west of sorts. Anastasia says that no real law has been established, and in a fight, _anything_ goes, even the _killing_ curses. You need to be _tough_ to survive inside Witch Mountain.

They fly about fifteen minutes until they come to a hover just inside the tree line, to be sure no one is on the dirt road in front of them, which leads into the village.

#  Exploring The Village

To TOC

When they arrive at the road, they are surprised to see two _creature_ -drawn carts loaded with people. None of the kids know what _kind_ of animals are pulling the carts, but by the _looks_ of the animals, you do _not_ want to get very close to them.

The people in the carts are _dirty_ , like they have been sleeping outside on the dirty ground for _weeks_. They also look really _mean_ , even the _kids_. Not a smile on the lot of them.

As Amanda looks at the sky, she gives a short gasp, causing the others to look at her, then up into the sky as well. Far above at various levels, are _layers_ of flyers on brooms. Most seem to be headed _for Darkwoods Village_ – there are dozens upon _dozens_ of flyers.

"Let's wait for that last cart to go by, then fly into the village behind them okay?" Thian says pointing to a cart just coming into view. They watch the people in the last cart pass, and watch as they begin to round a corner in the road, disappearing around the high grasses and many trees.

Thian nervously looks around, then quickly flies out, leading the way to the road. As they turn onto the road, and begin to follow it, they all chat excitedly about what they will find in the village.

Soon, they are passed by two men, flying _very_ fast on brooms, who zoom past them, almost _striking_ Cassandrea, making her and the others cry out in surprise, laughing as they _speed_ by.

Cassandrea screams after them, " _Watch_ it you _idiots_!" Almost immediately, the two flyers veer off the road, one on either side, making a _wide_ arc and quickly begin flying straight back to the kids.

"Cassa! What did you have to go and say _that_ for? Now they're coming _back_ , and they look really _mad_ too!"

Cassandrea begins to draw her wand when Anastasia yells, "No! Cassa, remember what it said in the _books_? If you draw your wand inside Witch Mountain, you had _better_ be ready to _use_ it, because in here, if you _draw_ a wand, it's as good as a formal _challenge_ , or more likely, with intent to _kill_. _Remember_? It said you _never_ draw a wand in here unless you're _prepared_ to die!"

Cassandrea, wide-eyed, lets go of her wand immediately. The others, who have their hands resting on their wands as well, let them go and keep their hands on their handlebars in plain sight.

The kids come to a hover as the two flyers quickly _swerve_ to a stop on either side of them.

"Which one of you _filth_ called us _idiots_?" a very large man on the right says, scowling at the kids as he _quickly_ draws his wand, the other rider doing the same.

No one speaks.

"I said... which one of you _brats_ called us _idiots_? Or do we need to teach _all_ o' you some manners?"

Amanda feels a _jolt_ shoot through her, and she reaches up and touches the neckline of her robe, where her necklace lays just beneath.

Tianna, catching a movement from the corner of her eyes, turns slightly to see Amanda running her fingers across her chest, just below her neckline, at the level of the necklace.

Tianna's eyes grow wide as she sees Amanda's hair beginning to _rise_ slowly off her back, and _flutter_ slightly in the air. Amanda's hair did not shoot _straight_ up and back as Tianna had seen it do before, but she knows, things could get _really_ interesting, very quickly.

"Yeah, and look at them there _brooms_ they's ride'n. Ain't never _seen_ no brooms like them before."

"Must be some kind o' _training_ device, so these here stupid kids don' _fall_ off," the two men howl.

" _I_ think we needs to teach these brats some _manners_ Jake. A few hits with the _torture_ curse should do it, don' you think?"

The large man laughs saying, "Yeah, _that_ ought to do it alrigh'."

"I wouldn't _do_ that if I were you," Tianna says very seriously but calmly. " _That_ could get you both _seriously_ injured, or _killed_. We don't want any _trouble_ here, so, why don't we all just go our own way and _enjoy_ the village."

"Oh, it's really no _trouble_ for us at all," the one called Jake laughs. "And, since _you_ opened your yap first, I guess we ought to start with... _you_! Yarro? You wanna have some _fun_ with this one first?"

The somewhat thinner one named Yarro, grins with yellow and decaying teeth, then tips his tall pointed hat saying, "Why _thank_ you Jake. Don' mind if I do," then gives a hideous sneer as he slowly raises his wand.

Tianna, turns slightly, quickly looking around the other kids to Amanda, and sees that Amanda's hair is now _snapping_ in some unseen breeze. The rest of the kids are _completely_ focused on the two men, and have not noticed Amanda, who is at the back. Neither of the men have paid any attention to Amanda either, and are both focused on Tianna.

Tianna turns back to the two men and says calmly, casually cleaning some dirt from beneath her fingernails, as though she has not a _care_ in the realm, "This is your _last_ chance to leave, or I can't be responsible for what happens to you."

The two men are taken aback by her calm and disinterested demeanor, but both soon laugh. Yarro says, " _Cocky_ little Elf ain't ya? Maybe _this_ will teach you and your friends to keep your _mouths_ shut." He raises his wand back over his shoulder, and begins to snap it down at Tianna.

_Quick_ as a cat, Amanda _snatches_ her wand from its holster. Without speaking a word, nor any _visible_ bolts from her wand, she fires off _two_ blazing spells. Neither _Yarro_ nor the one called Jake, knows what _hit_ them.

Both Jake and Yarro are sent _flying_ off their brooms and hang suspended _upside_ down. They are completely _bound_ by rope, from _shoulders_ to ankles, and both have a cloth _gag_ stuffed in their mouths. They have been suspended with their heads about six feet off the ground, one on either side of the road. Their eyes are _wide_ with surprise, as they look around for who has done this.

The kids, other than Tianna and Amanda, are frightened, as they all look around to see who saved them.

"I _warned_ you," Tianna says shaking her head at them as she casually bites a hangnail. There is then the sound of something _heavy_ hitting the ground behind them. Tianna turns quickly to see Amanda lying on the dirt road, her broom resting beside her.

The others turn as well, gasping as they spot Amanda, unmoving on the ground.

"Amanda! Thian yells as he dismounts and runs to her. The others dismount quickly as well, and all kneel beside her.

Thian, clearly shaken, gently shakes Amanda. Amanda opens her eyes slowly, looking up into all the frightened faces looking back at her.

"Wha... What _happened_? Did I _faint_?"

"Uh... weren't her eyes _green_?" Cassandrea asks looking at Amanda rather confused.

Tianna says quickly and evenly, " _Stress_ can change the color of your eyes - where _she_ comes from anyway." Tianna and Thian help Amanda unsteadily to her feet.

Amanda, inhaling sharply, spots the two men hanging upside down, bound and gagged. "Oh _God_. Did I, did I use the..."

Tianna cuts her off, "You _fainted_ is all. We don't know _what_ happened to those two, but let's get into the village before something happens to _us_ too, _okay_?"

Amanda mounts her broom, her eyes constantly drifting to the two men. The kids all mount and fly past the stunned and frightened faces of the two men hanging upside down. Amanda _shudders_ as she passes them, knowing full well, that _she_ is the one responsible, but cannot remember having done it.

Once the kids are a little way from the dangling men, Anastasia asks, "Which _one_ of you did it? Which one of you _hit_ them with those spells? I didn't see _any_ bolts, and _no_ one said anything."

Thian, Tia, Tianna, Sadie, Cassandrea and Anastasia, _all_ deny having had anything to do with it. When they turn to look at the startled Amanda, Tianna quickly says, "Well we _know_ it wasn't her, after all, she had _fainted_ you know? Besides, you would have to be really _advanced_ to do something like _that_ , without _speaking_ the spell aloud, and _especially_ without even a bolt from your _wand_. Only the _elite_ can do that. And, we're just _kids_ after all. Come on, let's go before whoever _did_ do it, decides to do the _same_ thing to us."

As they approach the village, they hear music, and smell the wonderful smells of cooking coming from the various restaurants scattered about.

It is dark out now, but the sky far above inside the mountain, has been Wizitched to look _just_ like the night sky _outside_ the mountain. There are stars, and even a huge _moon_ , scaled down for the size of this inner mountain, which is sending its silver-blue light down on the village.

When they round a curve in the road, the village comes into view, off in the distance.

"Oh _wow_!" Amanda says to no one in particular. "It's _beautiful_! It's all lit up like a _fairyland_."

All the trees within the village have twinkling lights in them, and of course, there are _thousands_ of fire-bugs, creating a constant change in patterns. The shop windows are _filled_ with merchandise, and all the windows are emitting a soft orangish-yellow glow from flickering lanterns.

As Amanda looks up, she can see quite a few people on brooms, each with a _small_ lantern hanging from the broom, flickering a soft orange glow. Thian had told her that _in_ or around villages, towns and even well-lit cities, the lamps were required if you flew more than house height, so flyers would not _run_ into each other in the dark, and of course, so those on the ground could see someone approaching. The sight of the illuminated flyers is _breathtaking_.

The kids, flying low, enter the main open portion of the village, like a town square. Thian spots the universal sign for a _broom_ closet, which is of course, an image of a _string_ of hanging brooms in something resembling an odd _closet_. They fly down the little alleyway on the right, to the closet, get their automated tickets, and store their brooms.

"This is _so_ exciting!" Anastasia says as they walk from the alleyway toward the nearest shop. "I can't _believe_ we're really _in_ Witch Mountain! We are actually _inside_ a mountain, and there's an entire _village_ here too, and _lots_ of other people! My mom would _freak_ out!"

They all laugh as they approach the first shop. The sign says, 'Mr. Kimberley's Wands, Staffs and Brooms Shop.' They all step up to the window and peer inside. They are surprised to see that _most_ of the brooms inside are of a _very_ old type. Nothing in the shop comes _close_ to the ones Thian, Amanda, Tia, Tianna and Sadie have. They all give each other knowing looks. They know the brooms Amanda, Thian, Tianna, Tia and Sadie are riding, would cause _quite_ a stir. The technology here, is like going back into the _dark_ ages. The brooms in the shops are even _older_ than the ones Cassandrea and _Anastasia_ are riding.

As soon as they step into the shop, many people turn to stare at them. It then dawns on the kids, that _everyone_ in the shop, is dressed rather shabbily, and everyone is really _dirty_.

After a moment, a witch who looks like the ones Amanda had read about back on earth, comes over and stands before them, looking each of them up and down slowly. She has a narrow face, sunken eyes, long nose with a large _wart_ on it, and a pointed chin. When she speaks, it actually makes Amanda _jump_ , because she speaks in a high _shrill_ voice, like the witches she had watched in cartoons.

"And what can I do for _you_ dearies this evening?" Then, looking them over very carefully once again says, "You kids don't seem to be from around _this_ end of Witch Mountain... where might you be _from_ , if I might ask?"

"Oh, uh, we're here with our _parents_ actually," Thian says looking around nervously, noticing at least half a dozen customers now eyeing them.

"Yeah, they're around here _someplace_. We, uh, _thought_ they might be in here, but I don't _see_ 'em," Tia says looking around as though searching for them.

"Actually, we better go _find_ 'em. We're not _supposed_ to wander off on our own." Sadie says looking like she does not want to get into trouble. "Come on you guys, let's go find 'em."

"Sorry to have bothered you," Amanda says as everyone turns and leaves the shop.

Once outside, Anastasia laughs saying, "Fast _thinking_ you guys. Uh, we really stand out you know? We're too _clean_ , we don't blend in at _all_. We need to, well, get _dirty_."

"No _problem_ ," Sadie says smiling. "Let's step around the side of the shop, back in the alleyway toward the broom closet. _I'll_ fix us up."

" _You'll_ fix us up?" Cassandrea laughs looking down at the tiny girl. "Just what do you think _you_ can do? You're just a little _kid_."

"You mean, other than see through _solid_ rock, and turn you into a _cave_ slug?" Tianna taunts, glaring at Cassandrea, whose smile instantly vanishes.

As they step back around the corner of the shop into the alleyway, Thian takes a quick look around and nods to Sadie. Sadie pulls her wand, points it at the ground next to Thian and says, "Dustto Deo!"A thin vermilion bolt shoots out of Sadie's wand, striking the dirt, which instantly begins to vibrate. Sadie _flicks_ her wand at Thian. Immediately, the dirt from around him _leaps_ into the air and _covers_ him from head to toe. His hair is being _messed_ up, as though someone is frantically rubbing their hands through his hair.

He is _completely_ covered now - his face, hands and clothing have _layers_ of dirt and dust covering them, as some _thicker_ dirty smears appear on his face. Surprised, Thian _coughs_ as he takes several steps back, while everyone laughs.

"Uh, well... guess I'll blend in _now_!" Thian says spitting dirt from around his lips.

Sadie then does the same thing to the others, leaving _Cassandrea_ for last.

Turning to Cassandrea, Sadie points her wand and says, "Dustto Deo _Beko_ Treo!" After the expected dirt and dust, like that which the others experienced covers Cassandrea, a _huge_ bucket appears out of thin air, _directly_ over Cassandrea's head. It tilts forward. The bucket is _filled_ with dust, _dirt_ , leaves, grass clippings, along with small twigs, and what appears to Amanda, to be some kind of _smelly_ , greenish... _dung_.

For a moment, Amanda cannot _see_ Cassandrea. Cassandrea is completely covered by all the dirt, dust, and other things - she is covered from head to foot, in a very _thick_ coating of _gunk_.

Cassandrea begins coughing and _shaking_ her head, as the others take several steps back, laughing _hysterically_ and curling up their noses at the stench.

Cassandrea shakes herself hard, while mounds of dirt, dust and debris fall away. She takes both her hands and begins shaking them _frantically_ through her hair. Clouds of dust rise into the night air. She begins _patting_ her clothing as huge amounts of the dirt and dust either fall away, or rise into the surrounding air. When she pulls her hands away, they are coated in streaks and chunks of the green _poop_ , mixed with dirt, _twigs_ , and dry grass.

Spitting several times, and _stomping_ her feet, her boots completely _filled_ with gook, she hisses, "You little _brat_! You _did_ that on _purpose_ , I ought to..."

" _See_ yourself!" Anastasia laughs. "Actually, now _you_ fit in better than _any_ of us. And you, uh... _smell_ more like some of them in the shop too."

Everyone laughs as they all look at each other, covered in dirt and dust themselves. In a moment, even _Cassandrea_ begins to smile, even though she really tries not to.

"Uh, Sadie?" Tianna says with a grin. "As _amusing_ as this is, don't you think you may have... _overdone_ it a little?"

"Oh, yeah, _sorry_. Actually, I'm not _done_. That's just the first part of the spell." She points her wand at Tianna saying, "Adapto!" There is a slight _cloud_ of dust, then as it clears, Amanda sees that Tianna is now only _lightly_ dusted, with _some_ streaks of dirt on her face and arms. Her hair is ruffled and dirty, but not _overly_ done, and her hands are fairly clean. Sadie has adapted the amount of dirt and dust, to _average_ what she had seen on the people in the shop.

Amanda remembers when Tia had used the spell 'Adapto Forma' on her, when Tia and Tianna had made her new clothing that did not fit very well. Amanda remembers them telling her that the spell word 'Adapto' means, 'fit, adjust or modify.' Nodding to herself, Amanda understands that Sadie is concentrating on the meaning of _both_ adjust and modify, to adjust the amount of dirt and dust, and to modify how it is applied to them.

Sadie uses the spell on the others... _even_ Cassandrea, who is the most grateful, although she still _smells_ horrible. They now look more like _street_ people, as though they have been sleeping for days in the forest.

"Wow, this is _great_ Sadie! You'll have to teach us _that_ one!" Thian says still laughing. "Okay, let's go have a good look around. Maybe we can find out if anyone knows where Bellinora's _cave_ is before it gets really late. We can always come back in the morning if we don't."

They walk back around the corner and down the old wooden walkway in front of the shops. They quickly pass the first shop, and step up to the next one, a _candy_ shop. They all grin, and then step inside.

Amanda smiles as they enter, thinking, "This is _nothing_ like _Cassandra's Sweet Treats_ back on the realm of _The Deep Forest Elves_. I don't think _anything_ could compare to the _aviary_ there. Now _that_ was something!"

They have a good time looking at all the treats, but when Thian looks around for the aura scanner used to pay for goods, he stops cold. He nudges Tianna and nods to the tall lady at the counter, who is paying the clerk for the sucker her daughter is now sucking on.

"What?" Tianna asks in a near whisper, causing the other kids to turn to see what is going on.

"She's using _coins_ to pay," Thian says in a whisper. "So is that man over _there_. I don't think they use the same _system_ we do. Let's go take a look around the rest of the village. Maybe there's a banking _kiosk_ here someplace we can use."

"Wait. You mean to tell us, you have _enough_ money to have a _bank_ account?" Cassandrea sneers. "Nobody in _our_ village has a bank account. And even if we did, the nearest _bank_ is a couple days away. That's why we use _coins_ in the village you know. We don't _have_ a kiosk in our village, because it wouldn't _do_ us any good."

"Yeah, well, we each have, uh, _enough_ money anyway," Thian says with a huge grin. "But, I don't remember seeing a _bank_ sign, or a _kiosk_ either when we headed into this village. It could be on one of the other streets I guess. But, usually, they're pretty _easy_ to spot, and usually one of the first buildings when you enter someplace. I really don't think they _have_ a bank or kiosk here inside the mountain."

"Don't be _silly_. Of _course_ they have a bank or kiosk here. This is a really _large_ village, and there are _lots_ of people here. We even saw lots of _lights_ scattered around, so we know there are lots of _houses_ nearby too," Cassandrea says pushing past Thian and Tianna.

Anastasia reaches out to stop Cassandrea, but Cassandrea just pulls away and strides up to the nearby counter saying, " _Excuse_ me. But could you please tell me where the _bank_ or banking kiosk is."

Everyone around them falls quiet, all turning to look at her. Amanda and the others, are suddenly very uncomfortable.

"A _bank_? Here in _Witch_ Mountain? Are you _crazy_?" The odd looking witch cackles. The others around her are laughing too. "You know _full_ well those kinds of transactions can be _traced_ by the Aurors Office.

"Now, _stop_ your foolishness and either _buy_ something or move along. Really... _very_ funny... a _bank_ ," the lady and the others around her all laugh again, then go back to what they were doing, leaving a very embarrassed, _red_ -faced Cassandrea, walking back to the others.

"Oh, _this_ isn't good," Tia says looking at Tianna as everyone steps out of the shop and onto the walkway. "We don't _have_ any money at all. Well, not _with_ us that is. What are we gonna do? We don't know _how_ long we'll be inside Witch Mountain. The only _food_ we have, is what's in the cabin, and the _little_ we have in our packs."

Tianna looks at Anastasia and Cassandrea, "Do either of _you_ have any, uh, _whatever_ kind of money you use here?"

"I've got _some_ ," Anastasia says reaching into her dress pocket. "It's not a lot, but _maybe_ it will help. Did _you_ bring any Cassa?"

"Yeah, but it's not enough for _everyone_ ," she says pulling out what she has and showing it to everyone. Turning to look at Thian and the others, she asks, "If _you've_ all got _bank_ accounts, how come you didn't bring any money _with_ you?"

"It's a _long_ story, which we really can't go into now," Tia says looking worried. "Even combining what the _two_ of you have, it won't last for more than a few days or so, once our _food_ runs out."

"Well, maybe we'll get _lucky_ and someone will know where we can find Bellinora," Amanda says watching a tall woman descending from the sky, wearing a bright violet robe with matching hat. The little lantern on the front of the broom waving as she now hovers just above the ground a few yards away.

"For now, let's just look around some," Thian says walking toward the next shop. "If we see somebody that looks _nice_ , we'll ask them if they've heard of, or know Bellinora."

They turn toward the courtyard, and stop as one, all eyes transfixed at the massive tree in the courtyard square. The branches seem to be _moving_ , but as they begin walking closer, they see that the movement is actually _thousands_ of glittering fireflies, darting in and out among the leaves.

Shops line both sides of the street, each one with a glowing lantern over its door, illuminating a sign.

"Oh, _look_!" Tia grabs Tianna's arm and points to a shop a little way ahead. The sign reads, 'Can't Wait to Dye, Hair & Nail Shoppe.' They all laugh and go to look inside.

The tall windows are covered with pictures of men and women, blinking and smiling as their hair keeps changing styles and colors.

They walk closer, and see that a table on the inside of the shop has been pushed up against the window, mirrors of all sizes facing the street. Sadie laughs as she looks at her reflection in one of the smaller mirrors. As Sadie peers in at herself, her reflection keeps changing. She goes from long _blonde_ hair, to a dark _red_ bob, to a _brilliant_ blue pixie cut. She turns her head to one side, then to the other, seeing how the styles look on her. She looks at Tianna and laughs.

Thian walks past them calling out. "Hey... look at _this_! Really _awesome_!" He stopped a couple shops away, the sign over the door reading, 'Darkwoods Village Hats Emporium, 1001 Hats for Any Occasion! If You've Got a Head... We've Got You Covered!'

Amanda stops next to him and laughs. They look in the window and see _hundreds_ of hats lining the walls, _hanging_ from the ceiling and stacked on counters. Amanda recognizes many styles: _bonnets_ and berets, _bucket_ hats and helmets, _turbans_ and Homburgs, caps, balaclavas and even, Amanda is sure of it, something that resembles an odd sort of _cowboy_ hat.

"Are those... _crying_?" Amanda looks at Thian in disbelief. Thian turns to where Amanda is pointing. Sure enough, they see hats hanging on the wall, lifelike _eyes_ on the brim or crown, red with tears. She looks up at the sign above them which reads, 'Perfect for a Funeral! Wear 'em and weep... Even if the recently deceased didn't deserve it!'

Tianna and Tia join them and point as they see hats for traveling, which come with maps and compasses, hats for _fighting_ , which drip a red _blood_ -like substance from the brim, along with _wild_ and colorful hats for partying, that _hiccup_.

Sadie calls out to them with a giggle. She is looking in the window of a large shop nearby, with a sign reading, 'Sew Many Clothes & Robes.'

"Oh... they're so _pretty_!" Sadie's mouth is open as she looks at bolts of fabric strewn across the display window. Some of the fabrics _shimmer_ and glow, some have spots that sparkle, as though _fireflies_ are part of the fabric, while still others turn from black, to blue, to _red_ , dependent upon how you turn your head.

"Why is that area _empty_?" Cassandrea says, pointing to an area in the middle of the window.

"Look!" Anastasia points to a woman coming toward them. The woman smiles at them, reaches down to the area Cassandrea had thought was empty, and _looks_ as though she is picking up empty air. Her arms now slightly in front of her, palms up. The woman begins to turn away, but catches their bewildered expressions. She hesitates a moment, smiles, and nods her understanding. With one hand, leaving her other arm still sticking out in front of her, takes her wand out of her pocket and _waves_ it over the empty space of her outstretched arm. A fabric of _intense_ beauty, suddenly appears draped over her arm. She holds out a white label from the spectacular fabric, so they can read it:

'Fabric spun from the elusive Elemental Air Fairy, the Aeval,

Who, once captured, gives millions of cast-off fairy wings as payment for her release.

'These wings are carefully woven to create:

The Fabric of Concealment.

Always Conceals... Never Reveals!'

The lady, smiling at their reactions, turns and walks away.

"That's _amazing_! I could really use _that_!" Cassandrea declares, greedy eyes never leaving the woman approaching the counter with the precious cloth.

"Now _why_ would you want that?" Anastasia counters. "That's got to cost a _fortune_ and, besides, why would _you_ want to conceal yourself?"

"Are you _kidding_? Can you imagine what I can find _out_ about people, when they wouldn't even _know_ I was there? I could make a _fortune_!"

Anastasia looks hard at her friend. Even though Cassandrea _is_ her best friend, there are times that she just does _not_ understand her. She shakes her head and pulls Cassandrea away from the shop.

Tia and Sadie are strangely silent as they look in the next shop. The sign reads, 'What Do You Wand? Wands Made While You Wait.'

The others surrounded them. "I could really _use_ another wand," Thian says fingering his wand.

"Uh... you might want to reconsider getting one _here_ , even if we _had_ any money... have you _seen_ the wands they carry?" Tianna has her forehead pressed up against the window. Thian mimics her, and _immediately_ understands what she means. Three cages line the display area. Each cage named the wands within.

'The Wandering Wand:

Wands with Chains so They Don't Go Astray'

Tianna laughs, as she watches wands _throwing_ themselves against the cage walls, while others try _desperately_ to push themselves between the holes of the cage.

'The Wand of Fortune:

Will Always Make Sure Yours isn't Mis!'

Cassandrea has a strange, _eager_ look in her eyes as the wands make small pots of gold appear, then looks disappointed as they dematerialize.

'The Never Wand:

Will Never Get Your Spell Wrong!'

'Just Created!

The A.T.C. Wand:

The Wand You Need When You Can't Decide Which Spell to Use...

All Things Considered... It Will Decide For You!'

This cage prompts the most interest. A _spectacular_ hologram of two figures play the same scene repeatedly. One, a _sinister_ -looking man wearing a black cloak and hood, withdraws a wand and points it menacingly at the hologram of a boy. As he does so, the boy looks _scared_ and closes his eyes, like he is praying. The next moment, the boy's wand _pulls_ his arm up and _blasts_ the threatening man to bits.

On the bottom edge of the cage is a large label:

'Confused by so many spells?

Is your memory not what it used to be?

Do you have a hard time making quick decisions?

Often find yourself in a precarious position and unsure of what to do?

Tired of visiting the Mendors to have your various bodily parts put back together?

Don't fret... get the A.T.C. wand (All Things Considered) today!

And let your wand decide for you!

Never make another wrong decision!'

"I could use _that_!" Thian says, looking at these last wands with keen interest.

Tianna looks at Thian shaking her head. "Ow!" Thian says as she _smacks_ him in the arm.

"Why'd you do _that_?"

"Remember what happened the _last_ time you decided to get a new wand?"

Thian opens his mouth to say something, then with his eyes growing large, shuts it for a moment, then says, "Well _yeah_ , but..."

Tianna ignores him and starts to cross the street as Sadie runs up to her. Thian rubs his arm and follows Tianna, looking back at the A.T.C. wands wistfully.

Tia and Amanda look at one another and smile, as Amanda pats at her eyebrow, as if to check to see if it is _still_ there. They laugh again, then move up to either side of Thian. "You don't _need_ those wands, Thian," Amanda says kindly. "You're really _good_ with wand-work."

Thian sighs, gives one last bittersweet look behind him and smiles back at Amanda. "I _liked_ that store. It would have been fun to go in and at least _try_ a few out. Was always a _hoot_ before." They all laugh, remembering Thian's _last_ adventures in a wand shop.

They walk around the other side of the street, looking at those shops, then go down an alley to the next row of shops behind them, on another street further back.

The first building they come to is _large_ , painted dark blue, with steps leading up to a bright _pink_ double door.

A large sign is nailed above the doors which read, 'Where the Cat was Dragged Inn - to.'

Sadie giggles. They keep moving and soon find themselves standing in front of a dark, _dreary_ little shop. It looks closed.

They read the swinging sign under the portico, 'Spit & Shine Shoe Repair.'

"I wonder how _business_ is..." Thian muses out loud, looking at his dirty boots.

Amanda peers in. She turns to Thian with a grin. " _Booming_. Not an _empty_ spot anywhere..."

They hurry on, looking at the shops on this street, which bent around behind the others they had already seen.

The next shop has the same type of exterior as the previous one.

The sign reads, 'Casket's Shoes -The last pair you'll ever need!'

"Wow," Thian says looking at the sign. "Looks like the owner has 'em _comin'_ and _goin'_."

Amanda and Tia laugh along with Thian.

The next business makes them all stop and consider. It looks _identical_ to the previous two.

The sign reads, 'D'Mise, Graves & Sons Funeral Home. You Do Your Part and We'll Do Ours. Visit our Childcare Center for the Kids!'

Thian looks up at the swinging sign, turns and looks back, then looks at Tia and Amanda. They are all _thinking_ the same thing.

They move on to the next street behind what they have already seen. There is quite some distance between the area of the _last_ shops and these new ones. The shops are beginning to thin out, and are getting spaced further and further apart, as they stretch into the distance toward the tree line of the forest.

As they approach the next shop, the sound of high-pitched _howls_ assaults them. Once they can read the sign from the very dim light of the little lantern over the door, they know why.

The sign reads, 'The Dead Kat Market & Meat Bizarre. Watch 'Em Squeal... Then Get Your Meal! Butchered While You Wait!'

The sign is bizarrely pretty, letters in rainbow colors against a bevel-cut oval frame of marble.

"Can we go in and _watch_ for a while?" Cassandrea asks, looking in the window, her eyes glinting.

"What is the _matter_ with you?" Anastasia says pulling her away.

"Look!" Sadie says, pointing to the last shop on the street which does not have any windows, and runs toward it. Tianna, running after her, is followed closely by Thian, Tia and Amanda, then Cassandrea and Anastasia.

When Amanda gets to the shop, she looks at the sign which reads, 'Krystal Ball's Crystals. You sure you want to know...?'

"I bet _she'll_ know something about Bellinora!" Tianna says excitedly walking toward the door. She twists the knob and pulls, but it is locked. "Oh no! By the _Lord_ and Lady, I don't _believe_ it!" Tianna steps back from the door, frowning at it, as though she could will it open with her look alone.

"Here... let _me_ try!" Cassandrea says pushing past Tianna. Cassandrea twists the knob hard, then shakes it. Nothing. She then _pounds_ on the door with her fist.

" _Stop_ that!" Tianna says pulling her away. "You can't _strong_ -arm your way in, you know! They're just _closed_ is all."

"Yeah? So what do we do _now_ , if you're so _smart_?" Cassandrea growls, the corner of her mouth twisting up as she crosses her arms.

Tianna walks past her and looks at the sign. "It's _closed_. So..." she turns back to Cassandrea, "we keep looking around for a while. If we don't see anything tonight that looks promising, we'll just come back in the _morning_ and ask around then. _That's_ what we're going to do!" She extends her hand to Sadie, who takes it immediately, and they turn their backs to Cassandrea.

"Well, this is _just_ great!" Cassandrea moans and turns to the others. "I don't know where she thinks _she's_ going!"

"Well, _wherever_ she's going, _we're_ going too. Wanna _come_?" Amanda is getting tired of Cassandrea's tone and makes her feelings known.

Cassandrea unwraps her arms and starts to say something, then stops as she looks into Amanda's fixed and unblinking eyes. Cassandrea blinks and lowers her eyes, unable to hold Amanda's steady gaze.

"Sorry," Anastasia says quietly to Amanda, as she takes Cassandrea's arm and moves her away from Amanda and the others.

"Okaaay, then," Thian says, looking at Amanda and smiling. "Let's go."

They walk past these shops, then further away from the main square, following a pathway as it curves to the right, toward more shops in the distance. They soon see shops with hanging lanterns next to or above their doors, but decide to keep walking.

They pass fewer and fewer people on their way, some looking back over their shoulders as they walk past, others giving them _curious_ glances as they walk around them.

"We're _definitely_ catching peoples' attention," Tia says, turning around to see passers-by watching them. "But I'm not sure _why_. We _look_ pretty much like everybody else."

"They look even _dirtier_ than most of the others we've seen," Cassandrea says, her expression showing disgust as she nods to several people walking nearby.

"Uh... Cassa... I don't think _we_ should talk..." Anastasia says, looking down at her soiled dress.

"No. It's _different_. I mean, these people _look_ dirtier and... _meaner_ ," Cassandrea says pointedly.

After another four blocks of scattered shops, the shops become increasingly sparse. Trees begin to fill in the open spaces. It becomes _much_ darker as the night draws on.

"We haven't really seen _anybody_ we want to ask about Bellinora yet, or anyplace we want to stop in and _ask_ either," Tia says looking behind her. "Should we go back to the cabin and start again tomorrow?"

"No use going back yet, since we've come so far," Tianna sighs, looking back at the long stretch of open space they just traveled. "Let's keep going a bit longer, and see what else we can find. Maybe we'll _still_ find someplace, or someone who'll tell us where Bellinora is, or, at least how to _find_ her." She looks down at Sadie. "Shall we move on a little longer, Miss Sadie?" Sadie nods solemnly.

Amanda looks behind her where the twinkling lights now look like pinpricks. She realizes the streets have vanished, and they are now far from the main village. The area around them is almost _completely_ deserted. Shops are more scarce and harder to see as they peek-a-boo with the many dark trees.

Walking for quite some distance into the darkening night, Anastasia suddenly stops. "Look." She points to what looks like it may be one of the _last_ two shops before actually reaching the tree line of the massive forest. With a move of her head, the others all turn in the direction she indicates.

Leaning carelessly against the doorway of a shop, almost _hidden_ between the low over-hanging branches of a tree, is a tall man wearing a long, _black_ cloak, the hood pulled far down over his face. The sputtering light of the lantern over the door, shows his arms are crossed, one near his face. A thin waft of _white_ smoke floats in front of the little that can be seen of his face.

The thought crosses Amanda, that if the door's lantern had not been lit, he would have been just another shadow.

Amanda suddenly catches two pinpricks of light moving around his legs, appearing then disappearing. As she squints, she realizes a _cat_ is weaving its way between his legs. The man holds an arm down. The cat _jumps_ and runs up his arm as the man straightens, to perch itself on his shoulder. The cat has to be as _black_ as the night, for the only thing showing are its two _glowing_ eyes.

"Should, uh, we ask _him_ about Bellinora?" Anastasia asks in a whisper, every syllable begging not to.

"No," Tianna says in a hushed tone, holding Sadie tighter. "Uh, let's wait and find someone else okay."

Everyone seems relieved as they keep their distance and walk on past. Everyone except... _Amanda_. She keeps looking at him and notices that he turns his head, then body, following their progress toward the tree line.

"What _is_ it about him?" Amanda thinks as she turns back to the others. A question pops into her mind, "No _question_ he's been watching us. But for _how_ long?" He only stands there and yet, seems _threatening_ somehow. Thinking about the cat... Amanda looks back and is _startled_ to see empty space. He and the cat... are _gone_.

Still looking behind her, Amanda bumps into Thian when he abruptly stops. His chin shoots up. His eyes close as he inhales deeply. His stomach _growls_ loudly. "Mmm... do you _smell_ that? Where's that coming from?"

"There... up ahead... I see some _lights_ near the tree line," Cassandrea turns to the others. "See them? I bet someone'll be _there_ for sure, and maybe we can ask _them_ about Bellinora. _Race_ ya!" Cassandrea runs ahead, quickly followed by the others.

Laughing and out of breath, they stop in front of what is _indeed_ , the last shop before the tree line. They look up at the dilapidated building. There is a worn sign, dangling from one peg with an old _rusted_ and filthy lantern flickering dimly over the door. They all have to _squint_ up at the dirty and dusty sign which reads, 'The Rat Hol, Brewe Pub & Eateri, 'Eat 'til Ya Buste!'

Weeds creep up the buckled stairs and fight for purchase with small _rats_ that force their way through holes between the splintered wooden planks, looking for _food_ scraps, sending Sadie scooting behind Tianna.

Two small windows, one on each side of the door, are _thick_ with years of grime, yellowed and _crusted_ with a dark brown substance in the corners, which has attracted a large number of _spiders_.

As revolting as the outside looks, there is no doubt, that the most _mouth_ -watering, tantalizing smells are coming from inside. Thian is torn between _revulsion_ and his stomach aching for nourishment.

Cassandrea gingerly side-steps up the porch and rubs her hand _briskly_ against the grimy window, trying to see inside. " _Snarkins_ , it looks worse _inside_!"

She cries out and _jerks_ away from the window as a large _spider_ lands on her hand. She shakes it off quickly, rubbing her hand against her dress, when Thian comes up the stairs to stand beside her.

"Let _me_ see too." He looks through the window pane that Cassandrea has smeared. "The window's so _dirty_ , it's hard to see much of _anything_. Listen, I don't know about any of you, but I'm really _thirsty_. I brought a few coins from my mom and dad's cabin, which my dad had gotten from some guy years ago, for some work he did for him. I _think_ I've got enough for all of us... for a _drink_ anyway." They are all tired and thirsty, and so quickly agree. Thian steps around Cassandrea.

As Thian reaches for the broken door handle, the door _flies_ open, smacking him _square_ in the face. Thian falls backward against Cassandrea, then lands _hard_ on the porch, as three men stumble out. The men _roughly_ push against Cassandrea, and stumble past Thian as they share a dark _bottle_ between them, talking loudly, their speech _slurred_ and interrupted by each trying to out _belch_ the other.

Tianna pulls Sadie behind her, moving aside to let them pass as they reach the bottom of the stairs, as do the others.

"Hey! Didn't you _see_ me?" Cassandrea yells at them, her hands on her hips.

The men stop talking and, as one, _turn_ toward her. They glance down at Thian, surprised to see him there and quickly ignore him.

Their smell is _nauseating_... a combination of liquor, dirt, _sweat_ and something that had _died_ some time ago. The smallest of the men is wearing an ill-fitting jacket covered in dirt, heavily stained both front and back.

The man's bloodshot eyes narrow as he sees Cassandrea. " _Wha'_ ya say, dearie?" he spits out, swaying closer. The other men laugh. He smiles at Cassandrea, showing a few dark yellow teeth in a black hole. Thick, _yellow_ spittle runs down the side of his mouth. He runs his tongue against the drool, while slowly looking Cassandrea up and down, with a hungry expression.

Cassandrea drops her hands. She looks at the scarred face of the man, wiry bristles against his _flushed_ skin and swallows hard. "Nothing... I, I just meant..." she wavers as the man moves in front of her.

"Meant _wha'_? _Huh_ , dearie?" his eyes once again slowly gliding over her curved form.

Cassandrea takes a step back as the man advances, enjoying the play. "Never mind. I'm... I'm _sorry_ ," she says and tries to move to his side, but as she moves, he blocks her.

"Aw... _leave_ her be Stimson. She ain't got enough _meat_ on her to make it worthwhile," the tallest of the men says as he hiccups.

"I dunno... looks like she got ' _nuf_ to me," Stimson says turning to the others.

Thian gets up, and moves to Cassandrea's side. " _Leave_ her alone okay. She didn't mean anything. We don't want any _trouble_ with you okay."

Stimson looks at Thian. Never taking his eyes off him, he says, "Hear tha', Gorth? This _boy_... he don' wan' no _trouble_ with us," mimicking Thian's tone.

Gorth, the tallest and _meanest_ looking of the men, pulls his wand from within his jacket. It is thick, black and looks like _trouble_. "Yeah, I _heard_ 'im."

Gorth walks forward, threatening to collapse the wood plank flooring with each step, and stands next to Stimson, while the _third_ man turns toward Amanda and the others. "Musache, _watch_ them others. We wan' to have us a little _talk_ with her boyfriend, here."

Musache, shorter than Gorth, but wider and heavier, first looks at Tianna, then Tia, then eyes Anastasia and Amanda.

Sadie peeks around Tianna's legs, and as she does so, Musache sees her and grins. "Sure. I _watch_ 'em. Take your time," and slowly walks down the stairs. The girls back away, and as they do, Amanda slowly reaches down and slips her wand from its holster.

Neither Thian nor Cassandrea can reach for their wands without being noticed. Thian moves back into Cassandrea, who moves back until her back is pressed against the Pub's wall. Thian's heart is _pounding_ as he breaks into a cold sweat. He realizes this is going to be _bad_ , and as he frantically looks around, realizes there is _no_ one he can call for help. He steals a look at Amanda, and sees she has her wand out.

With some hope, Thian turns his head back to the men advancing toward him, ready to try and reason with them. As Thian opens his mouth, Stimson's fist _slams_ into Thian's stomach, knocking the wind from him. He buckles under the impact and _drops_ to his knees. Cassandrea screams and quickly tries to move away, sliding against the wall.

"Not much of a _boyfriend_ , are ya' now?" Stimson laughs, looking down at Thian. "Think you're her... _protector_ , do 'ya," and kicks Thian in the stomach, as Thian tries to get to his feet.

Thian gasps and drops again, curling into a ball. " _Leave_ him alone!" Tianna screams.

Musache advances. "Or _wha_?" he says, smiling a deadly smile as he pulls a _huge_ knife from under a fold in his robe.

Cassandrea is frozen in place and cannot move. She looks down at Thian and sees Stimson kick him again. She starts to whimper, and turns to run, when a heavy arm _grabs_ her hair from behind, stopping her. She _screams_.

"Or _this_!" Amanda yells, raising her wand toward Musache. But she is not _quick_ enough. He sees the movement out of the corner of his eye, and with a whispered spell, Amanda's wand _flies_ out of her hand, landing several yards away.

Just as Stimson readies to kick Thian a _third_ time, a whirl of _black_ shadow and wind engulf them all. Gorth, Stimson and Musache look all around them, _clearly_ confused and _frightened_.

Musache is the first to drop, his wand and knife _vanishing_ into thin air. Suddenly, through the isolated tornado-like wind, _rope_ appears from thin air, first binding him from shoulders to ankles, then _gags_ him.

Amanda looks around, confused and frightened herself, as no one seems to be there.

Gorth yells and advances toward Musache, but is _tripped_ as he runs down the stairs. The black wind swirls violently, and is upon Gorth, who _screams_ as he is bound by rope as well. His scream is cut short, as a black cloth _wraps_ around his mouth, cutting short his scream as _he_ is gagged as well. His body is unceremoniously _dumped_ next to the writhing Musache.

Stimson, seeing what is happening, shoves Cassandrea roughly out of his way and runs to the side of the building, _jumping_ down the porch. Getting to his feet, he has only gone a short distance, when Amanda sees the black wind _lift_ him off his feet, and as he _wriggles_ in the air, the black wind brings him over to the other two, _bound_ , but not gagged. Stimson drops to the ground next to the other two, then rolls onto his back, looking up with wide _frightened_ eyes.

Thian is still on the floor as Tia, Tianna and Sadie run to him. Anastasia runs to Cassandrea. Amanda looks at what has just happened, and knows she is witnessing _extraordinary_ Wizitch. The only trouble is, she cannot see who, or _what_ is actually doing it.

"Aw, _Wind_ _Rider_ , we didn' _mean_ nothin'!" Stimson yells. "Let us _be_! You kin ' _av_ the girl! Take her, aw _righ'_! She weren't no good _anyway_! It was jus' some _fun_ , thas all!"

The black swirling tornado turns inward on itself, as black _fabric_ spins high into the air, then slowly stops whirling around and changes form.

Everyone is _mesmerized_ as a tall man materializes, between the swirling material of his long, black cloak. He walks over to the men and looks down at them, as he throws his hood back. "Now haven't I told you boys _over_ and over again, that I just don't _like_ your type of fun? _Haven't_ I?"

Stimson stammers as he looks up at the man he calls Wind Rider, clearly frightened. "Come on, Wind Rider, _let_ us go... we'll leave 'em alone. I _swears_... I _swears_!"

The tall man walks around the three on the ground. "Hmmm... you _swear_ , Stimson?"

"Yeah... _yeah_ , I do! I do! Oh, _thanks_ sir!" Stimson looks relieved. "For a minute, I was thinking that you might jus'... _make_ us go back to that cave with the _Vorla_... bu' you wouldn't do _tha'_ again to us! Them Vorla, they're _crazy_! They almos' _killeded_ us they did! Nah... you... you wouldn't do _tha'_ again, huh, Wind Rider, uh, _Mr_. Rider. Jus' let us go, and we'll be _outta_ here... I _swear_!"

"The _Vorla_... I forgot about them... until _you_ just mentioned it. How did you get away from them anyway? Well, never mind... but since you _swear_..." He brings his right arm up, holding a black wand, and speaks a spell that Amanda and the others cannot make out. With a sudden _rush_ of wind, the three men are _gone_.

The tall man turns looking directly at Amanda. He has a strong face, young and yet _old_ at the same time. It is a face that has seen _many_ realms, _scarred_ to attest to the many battles he has survived.

For some reason, Amanda likes him. Their eyes meet and she smiles as he gives a small bow.

He turns, walks a short distance and retrieves Amanda's wand. After presenting it to her, he moves up the stairs and helps Thian up.

"This can be a _dangerous_ place. You need to watch your _step_ around here," he says to Thian, "and your _tongue_!" turning to look at Cassandrea, who blushes a fierce red and turns away.

"Thank you... Mr. ... Mr. ... _Rider_ , for helping us... we... we..." Tianna stammers, feeling strange as she searches for words.

"We _saw_ you back there," Amanda says pointing back along the open area, to the other small building. "I was watching you and then... you _disappeared_."

The man smiles. "Good thing _I_ was watching too."

He lifts his head as though he hears someone calling his name, but no sound is on the air. Nodding, he brings his hood quickly back down over his face. "You'll be safe... for _now_. I've got to go... my feline friend is calling."

"Your... _cat_?" Amanda asks quickly.

"No, not _mine_ , unfortunately. She is _bound_ to a very dear friend." He catches sight of Sadie smiling at him, and he smiles back, a look of recognition crossing his face. "I know your people well, Miss. I lived with them for a short time. They are a _great_ and powerful people. I hope to see them again."

Sadie moves closer to him. "They called you... Wind Rider... is that your name?"

"It's what I'm called here. But I have _many_ names... it changes as I travel through the realms. My given name is Melteme."

"I thought you were just a _story_ , or a legend or something. I didn't know you were _real_."

Sadie looks more intently at the man and speaks quietly:

"Faster than fire or water that flows

Strongest of all who wreak havoc and woe.

Faster than thought, and stronger than might

My anger is fearsome and quick to ignite.

I surround you... pursue you... you cannot escape

Your actions alone will determine your fate."

Sadie speaks the last sentence quieter still.

The man completes the poem for her:

"Look hard if you dare for I ride on the air

The Wind Rider comes... so now beware.

Look hard if you dare for I ride on the wind

When the Wind Rider comes, he best be your friend."

He smiles at Sadie and tousles her hair, as dust from her matted hair rises into the cool night air, while a clump of dirt falls to the ground. He nods to the others, then walks down the stairs and away from them. Somewhere between the _Pub_ and the next distant building, he _melts_ into the darkness and vanishes.

No one speaks at first. Then Thian looks back at the Pub. "We were _lucky_. Uh, I'm really not so thirsty anymore. Let's finish looking around here, then get back to the cabin okay?"

Amanda asks worriedly, "Thian, are you okay? We can go back _now_ if you want. They _hurt_ you pretty bad. We can always come back in the morning you know."

"Nah. I'm okay. A little _sore_ maybe. They just got the _jump_ on me is all... _I_ could've handled 'em... mostly."

Tianna and Tia hug Thian, and walk a little distance from the pub to see if they can see any shops they have not spotted.

A strangely quiet Cassandrea walks arm-in-arm with Anastasia, following them.

Amanda follows, every so often looking back over her shoulder when she feels a breeze, hoping to see the tall man still keeping an eye on them.

"What's _that_?" Tia asks, a small fear prickling at her words.

" _Lights_... up ahead between the trees," Tianna says.

"Oh great, not _again_!" Thian says shaking his head.

"Well, let's go have a _quick_ look as long as we've come this far," Tianna says and leads the way.

Sadie moves closer to Tianna who holds her hand tightly. No one speaks as they walk, even Cassandrea seems at a loss for words.

There is only open space here, with the occasional majestic trees scattered about, but growing closer together, the closer to the tree line they get.

As they get to the tree line, the trees look as _old_ as the realm itself. They are approaching a wide tunnel in the trees, made by the arching branches.

Amanda looks above her, and sees the tree's branches are curved far above them forming a dense arching canopy, meeting in the middle like clasped hands. After they have walked in a ways, Amanda turns and looks behind her. It looks as though they have walked into a _dark_ tunnel, the path they are on only some thirty feet across.

As Amanda looks further into the dark in front of her, she thinks her eyes are playing tricks on her. The tunnel of trees seem to _race_ toward her for a moment, as though she were looking through a zoom telephoto lens. An image, like something _lurking_ in the shadows, appears for a brief moment, then the scene _zooms_ back, once again becoming just the darkened tunnel within the trees. Feeling disconcerted, she shakes her head to try to clear it, and looks forward at her friends. The strange effect is gone.

It is dark here... _very_ dark. Where the courtyard had been blazing with lights from fireflies, as well as lanterns at every shop, there are almost _no_ lights here... nor _sounds_.

It is as though they have entered another realm.

"The _Legend_ of Sleepy Hollow," Amanda says aloud.

"What?" Tia asks, looking at Amanda, obviously startled at the sudden sound.

"Oh, sorry. I just remembered what this road _reminds_ me of. It's a _kid's_ story back on... well, where _I_ come from. It's called The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, and this road reminds me of the _scary_ road that the character, Ichabod Crane, was on before he almost _lost_ his head... or maybe he _did_ lose his head...don't remember."

"And this is a _kid's_ story?" Tia asks in disbelief. "Wow... your realm must be a _scary_ place for kids, if _that's_ a story you tell 'em!"

Amanda thinks for a moment. "I never really thought about that before. But, yeah, it _can_ be a scary place for kids..." thinking about her own past.

They look from side to side and see small shops cloistered between the trees, barely visible in the deep blackness. They look rundown and seedy.

"Look... there are _lights_ glowing between some of those trees down there," Cassandrea says turning to the others, pointing down a _small_ pathway that turns off to the side, and showing another tunnel made within the dense trees.

"It _looks_ like that sign down there says something about... _Apothecary_. You know... _herbs_ and stuff witches use for _spells_ , potions and things. Let's just go see what it is. _Maybe_ we can find out about _Bellinora_ , and then we can get _back_ to the cabin!"

There is a small sign at the intersection of the two paths. It must have fallen from the tree it had been nailed to _ages_ ago, pointing to the new side path. But it is _so_ dark, and with the sign almost _completely_ covered in vines, no one sees it.

The dim lights lead them to the small shop. A dingy sign decorated with something resembling a Venus _Fly_ Trap near the door reads, 'Master Apothecary. Potions, Medicines and Poisons. Cure Your Ills and Ill Your Cures.'

Cassandrea hesitates for a moment, then tries the door but it is locked. "I don't _believe_ this!" and turns to her right facing Tianna. "What should we do _now_?"

"I don't _like_ it here. I know we need to see if we can find somebody who knows Bellinora, but, I don't _like_ this place at _all_. I think we should just _get_ the heck out of here and come back _tomorrow_ in the daylight."

They start to turn around to leave when Cassandrea says, "Wait! _Look_ , there're a couple more lights down _there_ ," pointing further along the dark tunnel. "Since we're here _anyway_ , and you say you _really_ need to find Bellinora, let's just _finish_ looking at those last few shops, _then_ we can get the heck out of here. I'm with _you_ for once," looking at Tianna. "This place gives me the _creeps_!"

Without waiting for a response, Cassandrea turns and begins walking quickly down the new tunnel of trees, moving further into the _suffocating_ darkness.

After a moment, Thian shrugs and heads off after her, the others soon jogging to catch up.

A _midnight_ black cat edges out from the brush and vines at the intersection to the path they are now heading down. The cat watches them _curiously_ for a few moments, then spots another cat some distance away, scampering across the pathway into the darkness of the trees.

The black cat _springs_ forward, chasing off after the other cat.

As it does so, it rubs its body against the old vine covered sign resting on the ground, uncovering the faded words... _Shadow Alley_.

#  Shadow Alley

To TOC

They walk on, the close call at the Pub weighing heavily on their minds as each wonders what they will face next.

_Chills_ slide up and down Amanda's arms and back... chills she feels _sure_ are not from the warmth of the day, making way for the cold of the night. She does _not_ like the looks of this pathway.

Looking behind her for the _tenth_ time in two minutes, she is _sure_ someone is following them. But every time the feeling overwhelms her, she turns around, ready to confront someone she is sure is about to _snatch_ her, only to find no one there.

Looking over her shoulder yet again, Amanda almost _jumps_ out of her skin when Tia _grabs_ her arm. " _Look_ ," pointing with her head to a dark area next to a run-down building just a short way down the pathway. Amanda looks in the direction Tia indicates, not seeing anything at first, then a _shifting_ within the dark shadows tells her _someone_ is standing there. Turning to Tia, she nods her acknowledgment.

"I don't think our luck would hold with whoever _that_ is being another Wind Rider... do _you_?" Tia whispers.

Amanda looks at Tia and shakes her head slightly.

Slowly making their way further along the path, Amanda sees _several_ pairs of eyes shining in the complete darkness between buildings on both sides of the pathway. As Amanda turns to look at Thian and Tianna, she notices _they_ are looking at the dark space between the buildings they are approaching. Amanda sees a pair of _shining_ eyes in the shadows. Something _glints_ just below them for a brief moment. The eyes _blink_ out, and all goes dark. Amanda swallows hard, then turns to look ahead.

Tianna and Thian are speaking _quietly_ to one another when Thian turns around and whispers, "Everyone keep your _eyes_ and ears open. We seem to, uh, be generating a _lot_ of interest."

"Well, at _least_ we won't have to worry about those three _idiots_ that the Wind Rider took care of back there, you _know_?" Cassandrea says, sounding as though she had a hand in their rescue.

Tianna turns around, her eyes shooting fire. She is just about to say something when Anastasia beats her to it. " _Shhh_! Don't _talk_ so loud! We may not have to worry about _them_ , Cassa, but I have a feeling there are _others_ around here that are _just_ like them."

Cassandrea makes a dramatic show of looking around. " _I_ don't see anyone around here! It's like the place is _deserted_ or something... like people are _afraid_ to come in here or something... and don't _shush_ me!"

Thian turns to look at Cassandrea. "Just because we don't _see_ anyone walking around in here, doesn't mean it's _deserted_..."

He catches Amanda's eye and senses her unease. They lock eyes and in that moment, Thian could _swear_ he knows her thoughts. He turns to look into the shadows next to the stores and sees movement. He turns to Amanda and _she_ knows he saw it too.

A loud _howl_ breaks through the quiet like a _shot_ from a cannon, bringing them up short, their hearts _pounding_ as they turn to see where the sound came from. Two _cats_ , one chasing the other, race around the side of a building up ahead, as a large barrel _tumbles_ after them into the deserted pathway. Both cats _hissing_ loudly, race past them in a cloud of rising dust.

Sadie gasps and grabs at Tianna, who holds her close. Cassandrea jumps behind Anastasia. Amanda, Tia and Thian quickly draw their wands.

" _Cats_!" With heart pounding, Thian gives a short laugh, putting his wand away, as does Tia. He places a comforting hand on Sadie's shoulder as she looks up at him and smiles.

Cassandrea _snorts_ as she walks around Anastasia. "Stupid _cats_! I _hate_ cats. They're a _waste_ of space!"

"I _like_ those animals!" Sadie flashes anger as she rounds on Cassandrea. "And they're _not_ stupid!"

Cassandrea, _fuming_ , opens her mouth, then shuts it quickly when she sees Tianna look at her with a _promise_ in her eyes.

Amanda, still holding her wand, turns around to see the cats disappearing around the corner of another building. Turning back, she peers toward the darkened area of the large building from where the cats had come.

Cassandrea catches her movement. "What's the matter _now_? They're just _cats_. Probably fighting over some stupid _fishbone_ or something."

Amanda is quiet for a moment, feeling even _more_ uneasy. But why? "Yeah, maybe they _are_ just fighting over a fishbone... or _maybe_..." she thinks looking around.

Quietly, Amanda says, "Maybe it _was_ a fishbone. Maybe it's nothing... I don't know... but somehow, it just doesn't _feel_ right. I keep thinking that..."

"Oh, puh _leese_! Not _again_! What's _with_ you? It was just two mangy _cats_! Why do you have to make _everything_ menacing?" Cassandrea faces Amanda looking peeved.

"Hey! Don't _talk_ that way to Amanda!" Thian is livid. His hand goes to his stomach, still sore. He turns to face Cassandrea, his face _inches_ from hers, breathing hard. "And if your memory is that _short_ that you don't remember what _happened_ to us back at the pub... that _you_ caused ... which was about as _menacing_ as you can get... then you need an Elixir of _Sapience_ to get your mind working again!" Cassandrea takes a step back bumping into Anastasia.

"I, I didn't _mean_ anything... okay! I just meant..."

"I _know_ what you meant, and I'm getting _sick_ of it!" Thian's anger is mounting.

Amanda has never seen Thian like this. Quickly, she puts her wand away and steps in. Pulling Thian away from Cassandrea, she says, "Thian... _Thian_... stop! It's okay. _Really_."

Tianna puts her hand on Thian's other arm. "We can't _afford_ to argue with each other Thian, especially not _here_. It's taking our focus away from where we need it. And..." she looks at Amanda, then at the darkened buildings edging them, her voice lowering, "we're being _watched_."

Thian looks at Tianna, then Amanda, his breathing quieting. He turns away from Cassandrea without another word, puts his hand on Sadie's shoulder, and starts to walk on.

Anastasia puts her hand gently on Cassandrea's arm. Cassandrea looking sour, _pulls_ away. Anastasia sighs, shrugs and walks on next to Tia.

There is an uneasy truce between them all as they make their way onward. It's getting darker and _colder_. Dim lights can be seen flickering in some of the buildings, though no one wants to stop and peer inside.

They had just seen another _Apothecary_ sign further along the alley and want to see if the shop is open, and if someone _there_ knows a great witch by the name of Bellinora. They decide that if _no_ one knows her, they would get the _heck_ out of there, coming back in the morning to ask around.

Amanda looks from side to side, searching the shadows neighboring the buildings, her eyes _slicing_ through the darkness.

She swears shadows are actually _shifting_ within shadows, sending a chill up her spine.

The only sound seems to be their footsteps _crunching_ on the gravel of the pathway... and yet, there is _something_ more. She _knows_ it... she _feels_ it... she _smells_ it. She blinks hard. "Smells it?" she thinks. Her heart skips a beat. The smell - _that_ smell. The smell of _threats_... of _fear_... of impending _pain_.

The memory races through her mind, as she is taken back to the basement closet in the orphanage she hid in when she was little, hearing the _footsteps_ of the kids that were looking for her, _searching_ for her... the thrill of the hunt to find her, _beat_ her as they laughed. And as she waited for them to find her, the _smell_ of the closet impaled itself into her mind. She'll _never_ forget that smell.

A slight sound suddenly _snatches_ her from the nightmare of the past and back to the present. She shivers as she feels the sweat run down her neck, and along her spine.

The pathway, the buildings, the _night_... all are altogether foreboding.

They walk on and still no one speaks, as though their very words will draw danger to them.

The feeling of _dread_ grows in Amanda as her breathing becomes shallow. She has an overwhelming feeling that if she turns around, she will confront that _very_ danger. Not being able to stand it another second, she _snatches_ her wand, spins around quickly, _dropping_ into a low crouch and faces... an _empty_ pathway.

"Got to get a _grip_ , girl," she mutters to herself, shaking her head as she puts her wand away. She winces as she is assaulted by the smell again, _heavier_ this time, more potent. The hairs on the back of her neck suddenly _stand_ on end.

" _Where_ you all headed?" a deep voice booms from behind Amanda.

Amanda _snaps_ her head around so fast her _neck_ cricks. The others stop and spin around as one, Tianna pushing Sadie behind her as she draws her wand. Cassandrea quickly moves behind Anastasia and Tia, as they pull _their_ wands. Thian moves to stand next to Amanda, his wand gripped tightly in his hand.

They see a _figure_ wrapped completely in a black cloak. A tall, _pointed_ , wide-brimmed hat is settled deep over his eyes. The only thing visible are his _silver_ teeth, smiling at them.

Amanda thinks wildly, her heart ready to _explode_ out of her chest. "The _smell_ is coming from... _him_! Where did he _come_ from? He wasn't there when I looked... _no_ one was there when I looked around!"

No one answers the stranger.

"Now, _now_... those _cats_ get your tongues, did they?" He asks, smiling even more broadly.

"Who _are_ you? _What_ do you want?" Thian asks aggressively, his stomach starting to throb again.

In a slow, calm voice, the stranger says, "I don' want _nothin'_. Jus thought that you all might need some directions... some help. Ya all don' look like you're _from_ roun' here. Jus' offerin' some _help_ , thas all." He shrugs carelessly. "But... if you wanna _keep_ goin' and maybe go somewhere's ya _shouldn'_... then _thas_ up to you," he says, making no movement to leave.

"What do you mean, 'somewhere we _shouldn't'_? _You_ don't know where we're going, so why would you even _say_ that?" Tianna's voice sounds braver than she feels.

The Black Stranger gives a deep humorless laugh. "You all headed _straight_ up da path, it looks to me. No _stopping_ , no _looking_ in the buildings. You all been headed _straight_ up this here pathway since you came _into_ _Shadow Alley_. Not too many of _us_ do tha', knowing whas _up_ ahead. So... jus' being _friendly_... thought I migh' _offer_ my assistance..." The Black Stranger tilts his head toward the sky and still his face is hidden, " _specially_ on a nigh' like... _this_." He turns his head to the group but still does not move.

"Well... what's _ahead_ that we, uh, might need _help_ with?" Amanda asks, her wand hand shaking slightly.

"Oh... _lots_ , little lady." His head finds each one in the small group. He speaks quietly, deliberately, drawing out each word. " _Quick_ with them wands of yours, I see. _Umm_... umm... umm... _drawin'_ wands in _Shadow Alley_... umm... _umm_... umm," he continues shaking his head slightly. "Good way to get yaself _killed_ in these parts... ' _specially_ in these parts."

No one speaks. No one moves. The silence wraps its _thunderous_ voice around each in the group, until the air itself seems to _vibrate_ with its intensity.

Amanda knows this danger... _recognizes_ it. Tightening the grip on her wand, she steels herself. "We'll _take_ our chances and keep our wands _out_ for now. Now... what do you _really_ want and why would we need your help?"

The Black Stranger slowly turns toward Amanda. "Like I said... only wan' to help. Where you all goin'? I _migh'_ be goin' in the same direction. I could _take_ you there... keep you... _safe_. You're 'n a place that... well... can _harm_ the unwary, the _unprepared_. Folks can go... _missin'_ here in _Shadow Alley_ ," he chuckles. "Only few of us go _straight_ up the path - but if thas where you all goin', I can make sure you all _get_ there... _together_... safe... an' in one _piece_ , so to speak."

Sadie looks around Tianna's legs and moves out to stand next to her. The movement catches the Black Stranger's attention. "Well... well... _well_. Now _what_ do we have here?"

Amanda turns around quickly and sees Sadie looking defiantly at the stranger. Turning back, Amanda gets ready to _attack_ if he takes so much as a _step_ toward Sadie.

But the Black Stranger does not move. It is as though he _knows_ her thoughts, and remains as still as stone.

Still looking at Sadie, the Black Stranger tilts his head slightly as if considering something. "Now... this _here_ changes things. _You_ all are one thing, bu' that little _girl_... umm... umm... _umm_... _well_ now, _she's_ quite another, _ain't_ she? Didn't _see_ her before."

He turns back to Amanda. "Up 'head is an area we call... the _Abyss_. Not nice. No, not _nice_ at all... ' _specially_ for little girls. You all won' make it past that big _tree_ yonder. You all bein...' _watched_... _been_ watched ever since you turned _inta_ _Shadow Alley_.

"But once you all come strollin' in _here_... headin' _straight_ up this here path, like it weren't _nothin'_... you all bein' watched _real_ close... 'specially since ya all a headin'... _straight_ for the Abyss yonder there. "

Amanda looks where the Black Stranger is indicating, and notices that the Apothecary shop is _two_ shops on the other side of what he calls the _Abyss_. She shudders as she sees three men, wrapped _completely_ in black cloaks, dash across the pathway, disappearing into the _shadows_ between two shops beyond the Abyss, _just_ before the Apothecary shop. Amanda forces down a dry swallow, then nervously turns back to him.

"Like _you_ watched us?"

" _Jus'_ like me. An' a whole lot _worse_ than me," the Black Stranger says quickly lowering his voice. "So... you all got a _choice_ , as I see it. You can make your _own_ way on..."

"Or we can go _back_! You can't _stop_ us!" Cassandrea shouts, her voice shaking. Anastasia drops her head and groans.

The Black Stranger _slowly_ turns and sees Cassandrea standing behind and to the side of Anastasia and Tia. He had not _seen_ her before, but now studies her.

"No... you _can't_ ," the stranger answers, a dangerous smile playing in his voice. "You won' go _two_ minutes before 'em watchin' eyes'll _grab_ you - 'specially _you_. There's a good _market_ for girls like you."

Cassandrea takes a step back, the color draining from her face.

"Now, where was I... oh yeah," and turns his attention briefly to Sadie, then full to Amanda. His gaze is _so_ fierce that Amanda knows he's not looking _at_ her, but _into_ her. She begins to feel dizzy as he tilts his head slightly from one side to the other.

Slowly nodding to himself, he says, "You _know_... I know _you_ know wha' I mean, _don'_ ya, little lady?"

Amanda, not answering, holds his gaze steadily. But what he says next, _rocks_ her to her very core.

"Jus' like when _you_ was small. _Remember_? I _know_ you do. _Jus'_ like that... but _worse_ , so much worse. 'Cause it'll be _all_ of 'em here. _All_ your friends this time... that they be after now too. And _specially_ that little girl back there. Not jus' _you_ this time... hiding from them... _waiting_ for them to find you... and they _did_ , didn't they? You was _never_ safe... could _never_ hide from them for long, 'specially the _big_ one, _Tommy_ , righ'? Knowing what they'd _do_ to you when they found you.

"But _worse_ here... so _much_ worse now. You're 'n _Shadow Alley_ , little lady. Not in some dark _closet_... waitin'... always _waitin'_... for what was comin'. 'Cause like them, they's _here_ now... righ' now, _hidin'_ , waitn'. Close. _Real_ close. All around ya in the dark. Ya'll can _feel_ their eyes on ya, can't ya? So, _you_ decide... you wan' some _help_?

"I'm just offering my services. I _know_ _Shadow Alley_ like the _back_ o' m'hand. _Have_ to ta survive here. Thas' all. Jus' trying to help. Not many folk 'round here would _offer_ ya tha'."

Amanda is _beyond_ stunned. She feels everyone's eyes on her. Her wand hand is slick with sweat and _shaking_ so badly, she changes hands, which does not help. Her mind screams, " _How_ does he _know_? He must be able to look _into_ my mind... my memories... my _thoughts_!"

As she watches him, she is taken back to the small, cramped, basement closet of the orphanage... the _smell_ of fear... of the _pain_ that always came.

The Black Stranger says nothing. He waits for a few moments, shrugs, then turns around and begins walking back into the dark shadows between the buildings where he first appeared.

Amanda's mind is racing. "I _can't_ let something happen to the others! Not _Sadie_!" she thinks frantically. Biting her lower lip, she _knows_ she has to do something.

Turning, Amanda looks over at Thian's stricken face. Looking pale, he nods. She knows he understands and nods back.

"All right! All right!" Amanda calls after the Black Stranger. "You can come with us. But we want to go _back_ to the village. We... we just want to _leave_ here."

The Black Stranger stops, as though considering Amanda's words. Turning slowly to face them, he tilts his head slightly and shrugs. "An _leave_ here ya will. I sugges' ya all put them _wands_ away." Shaking his head slowly, he continues, "Drawn _wands_ in _Shadow Alley_... umm... umm... umm. Get ya all _killed_ on th' way ou' that will.

"We need ta make a qui' _stop_ before leavin'. Get ya all some _lanterns_ fo' the long dark walk back to the village. Folks in here, they don' _like_ the light much."

They all look nervously at one another, then seeing Thian put his wand away, the others do the same.

The Black Stranger nods as he smiles, his silver teeth glinting in the dim light from a nearby lantern, hanging over a sign tilted at an odd angle making it unreadable.

He walks around them, taking the lead down the pathway. As he passes Sadie, he tips his hat to her. Tianna pulls Sadie quickly behind her, her look as _sharp_ as daggers.

Amanda and Thian turn to follow. Thian briefly squeezes her arm, then steps forward to take his place next to Tianna.

Amanda and Tia catch each other's eyes. Neither has a good feeling about this.

They walk on, following the Black Stranger, no one speaking. Amanda wonders if they will make it out or are walking to their _doom_ , but she cannot think of anything else to do. After all, she decides, if the man had _wanted_ to hurt them, he could have done it _easily_ from the shadows, before they would have had a chance to react. But still...

Amanda's mind races, searching for the possibilities of escape, but nothing seems right. "Especially, if somehow, he _knows_ my thoughts," she thinks, stumbling over a rock.

The wind rustles through the leaves. Amanda pushes some of her long hair away from her face, and as she does, her hand brushes the necklace. "The _necklace_!" she thinks with a start. She had _forgotten_ about the necklace! "But why didn't the necklace _help_ us... help _me_?" she thinks furrowing her brows.

Glancing at the Black Stranger, she immediately stops thinking about it, trying to clear her mind of _any_ thought of the necklace, and concentrates hard on the wind blowing through the trees... just in case.

They walk along the dark pathway toward the village, until the Black Stranger stops in front of an old, half broken down building. Amanda looks up at the sign above the door:

The Lost Soul

Ultimate Wizitch Powers Revealed

What Would You Give to Have Them?

G. Capp & Associates

The Black Stranger turns around. "We's here. Jus' be a minute ta grab them lanterns. Like I said, folk in them shadows don' _like_ the light."

"But... the _sign_ in the window says it's _closed_! What are we supposed to do _now_? It's really _dark_ out, you know?" Cassandrea's voice raises an octave with each sentence. Her panic is evident as running footsteps can be heard from somewhere within the surrounding shadows.

The stranger looks at her for a minute before speaking. "Not _everythin's_ as it seems in _Shadow Alley_. It only _says_ it's closed for the nigh'. Wait here and I'll get Mr. Capp an' his... _associates_. He'll open the store for _me_ , he will, and then... you _leaves_ this place. Wai' here." And with a swish of his black cloak, he strides past them, disappearing into the alleyway that borders the store.

After a few moments hesitation, Tianna asks Thian quickly, " _What_ should we do?" fear etched in her face. Thian shakes his head, lost for words.

Another few moments pass, then, "Amanda?" Tia asks, "What do _you_ think we should do?"

Amanda shakes her head. "I don't know. And I don't know why my neckla..."

Abruptly, Amanda stops as three men round the corner of the building. There, smiling broadly, stride _Stimson_ , Gorth and _Musache_ , the three who had _attacked_ them in front of The Rat Hol Pub.

For a moment, the kids freeze, stunned _speechless_.

Thian snatches his wand from his belt and moves quickly in front of the group, his wand at the ready this time. Amanda joins him, grabbing her wand as well, prepared to _fight_ , as does Tia and Tianna.

Stimson and Musache separate, each walking around and _behind_ the kids.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Cassandrea shrieks at the men. "Help! _Stranger_... Black Stranger... _Help_!" and shrieks even louder.

Anastasia turns to her. " _Shut_ up, Cassa! _Stop_!"

"No, I will _not_ shut up! He _said_ he would keep us _safe_! We need _help_! Stranger!" and screams even louder.

Cassandrea stops screaming as _Gorth_ steps aside, and from behind him is the _Black_ Stranger, smiling with his _silver_ teeth.

"Oh... you're _here_! Help us! _Please_ help us!" Cassandrea yells at him. "We _know_ these men, and, and, they're really _bad_ , bad men!"

"Doka'asi y meni," The Black Stranger says quietly with a wave of his wand. As one, _all_ the kids' wands fly from their hands to him. He catches them all easily, smiling at Cassandrea. "Didn't I _say_ tha' not everythin's as it _seems_? Mr. _Capp_ here will open his establishment for us now, _won'_ you Mr. Capp?"

Gorth smiles widely as he takes a key from his pocket, steps forward and unlocks the door. Stimson cackles, rubbing his hands together as he and Musache, _roughly_ begin pushing the kids inside. Once through the doorway, Thian pulls everyone behind him into a tight group and stands in front next to Amanda.

Gorth locks the door and puts the key in his pocket. Taking his wand out, he lights a number of old candles on the wall, while Stimson goes quickly into a back room.

The Black Stranger sits down on a chair in a shadowed corner of the room. The only thing showing are his _silver_ teeth.

Cassandrea starts to cry. Tianna keeps Sadie behind her.

"What do you _want_ with us?" Thian asks grimly.

Returning from the back room, Stimson walks up to Thian and says, "Well, for starters... _this_!" and slams his _fist_ into Thian's stomach. Thian cries out in pain, doubling over from the blow, dropping to his knees. " _Owed_ you tha', didn' I, 'cause _you_ brung the Wind Rider, and we got _sent_ back to them crazy _Vorla_ , 'gain."

He picks up a large black bag he dropped when he hit Thian, and places it on the table near the Black Stranger. The Stranger places all the kids' wands inside it.

Amanda kneels down to help Thian. Stimson takes a step forward as Tianna cries out, " _Leave_ him alone! He didn't do _anything_ to you!"

"Oh... he didn' do _nothin'_ , did he?" mimicking Tianna's cry. "Well, _I_ say he _did_ and he's gonna learn his _lesson_ , 'is wha' I say!" Stimson advances toward Thian. He violently pulls Amanda away and shoves Tianna hard, back against the wall.

Stimson grabs Thian by his hair, pulling him up. He hits Thian again, _hard_ in the stomach. Thian drops heavily, rolling onto his side and moans. He curls up, holding his stomach. Stimson _kicks_ Thian in his upper arm, then his upper leg, as Thian _cries_ out in pain.

Tianna _screams_ for Stimson to stop and runs at him. Gorth _grabs_ her by the waist as she passes him, lifts her off her feet, _flinging_ her into a nearby chair. The Black Stranger throws something he pulls from the bag to Gorth, who catches it, and _jams_ it into Tianna's mouth as she springs to her feet. She _instantly_ faints, dropping back into the chair, her chin dropping to her chest.

Scared, not knowing _what_ else to do, Amanda _bolts_ for Stimson. Launching herself into the air, she lands on his back, _locking_ her arms tightly around his neck. He staggers for a moment, making _strangling_ sounds as he tries to pull her arms from his neck.

Suddenly, Amanda is _flying_ backward through the air and _slams_ into a wall. Dazed, she slides to the floor. Shaking her head to clear it, she looks up and sees the Black Stranger pointing his wand at her. He mumbles something and she is _thrown_ like a rag doll into a nearby chair.

Immediately, she _tries_ to get up but finds she is somehow _bound_ to the chair. Looking down, she sees _nothing_ there, yet her arms and legs are _firmly_ restrained. She tries to talk, but finds her arms and legs are not the only _things_ bound.

"Anyone _else_ feelin' brave?" Gorth asks, his eyes looking wild and possessed.

Cassandrea is whimpering as she makes her way behind Anastasia and Tia, hugging at the wall trying to disappear. Unfortunately for _her_ , this just makes her movements more obvious.

"Oh, I remember _you_... you're the one with the big _mouth_!" Gorth walks over to Cassandrea and pulls her away from the wall by her hair. Cassandrea screams, holding her head as she is dragged to a table near Tianna. "You got somethin' to say _now_? Leapin' _Stumprats_... you _stink_ somtn' _awful_!" Gorth throws her into another chair.

"It wasn't _me_ ," Cassandrea cries. "It was... it was... _her_!" and points to Anastasia. Anastasia's eyes widen as she holds tightly onto Sadie.

Gorth looks at Anastasia, then turning back, _backhands_ Cassandrea hard across the mouth. Her head is thrown back as blood _spurts_ from her split lip. "It _was_ you, you _stupid_ girl! Wha'? You think I don' _know_ it was you? I was _there_ , remember?" and as Cassandrea tries to get up, Gorth _backhands_ her again, harder. Cassandrea slumps down into the chair, half conscious.

Stimson, hearing Thian softly say, "You _cowards_ , leave her alone..." begins viciously _kicking_ every part of Thian, sending him _writhing_ in agony with each assault as the Black Stranger calmly looks on, with an odd crooked grin.

Tia screams, "Stop! _Stop_ it! You'll _kill_ him!"

" _Wait_! She migh' be righ'," the Black Stranger says calmly. Seeing that Stimson is _crazed_ and keeps his assault on Thian, he _snaps_ his wand at Stimson, who is thrown backward, slamming _hard_ into a wall.

Stimson turns to the Black Stranger, "Aw... why'd you _stop_ me, eh... _why_? He had it _comin'_ he did! Them _Vorla_!"

"I _thought_ we had a plan for 'em, Stimson... _don'_ we have a plan? Now _why_ would you want to go ahead and _spoil_ the plan by _killin'_ one of 'em? You'll get your revenge soon enough... once we take 'em all to the _Kiladree_. _Then_ , you'll get your revenge and a nice _bit_ of change for your trouble. But they won' be no _good_ for the Kiladree if they're too _banged_ up... you know tha'." With a grin, his silver teeth sparkling in the candlelight, continued, "They like to do _that_ 'emselves."

Stimson stops and seems to be working that out. "Yeah... _all_ righ'. Jus' had to pay back that _Elf_ scum for the Vorla," and spat on the bleeding and moaning Thian.

The Black Stranger stands surveying the scene before him. He stretches. "All righ', 'nough fun for _now_ boys. It's time. Let's get em' _downstairs_ where we can get 'em ready, and prepare em' for the _journey_... their one- _way_ journey ta be sold for the pleasur' o' their new _masters_." Stimson cackles.

Stimson grabs Thian's hair and pulls him up, but Thian drops hard. Stimson looks quickly at Tia, Anastasia and Sadie. "Well... wha' ya all _waitin'_ for? Come ' _ere_ an' get him up or _you'll_ taste the same!"

They run to Thian and gently support him, crying and talking softly to him. "No _yappin'_ you three!" Stimson says and _smacks_ Tia hard on the back of her head.

" _This_ way," Gorth says as he walks past them and opens a small door. The girls move Thian toward the door, but just as they reach the threshold, the Black Stranger speaks.

"Stop! Not _her_. _She_ stays here." The Stranger is pointing at Sadie. "She stays _here_ for now... that is, if she don' want nothin' _horrible_ happenin' to her friends."

As he finishes his last words, Sadie hesitantly begins to move away from Thian's side, and is forced into the chair the Black Stranger had occupied. The Black Stranger _flicks_ his wand and just like Amanda, Sadie is bound tightly.

"Why _her_ , eh?" Stimson asks the Black Stranger. "She's going to the Kiladree _too_ , _ain't_ she?"

"Oh, _indee'_ she is. But she a _young_ 'un, she is. Need to be _untouched_ to be valuable. She'll bring us _more_ than all the others put together."

Stimson cackles loudly rubbing his hands together again. He turns back to Tia and Anastasia who are supporting Thian's weight, although he is beginning to recover. " _Get_ in there... _now_!" and pushes them over the threshold of the small doorway.

Tia and Anastasia see nothing but a long stairway leading down. It is completely dark at the bottom. Tia feels Stimson's _shove_ and half drags, half _lifts_ Thian to the stairs. "I can't _see_ anything. Can you at least cast some _light_ down there?"

Musache brings Tianna back to consciousness, as she gasps and looks around, completely confused. Pointing his _wand_ at her, he motions for her to stand. Pointing his wand at Amanda, he mumbles something Amanda cannot quite hear, and she _immediately_ gets to her feet, feeling the bindings she has been _fighting_ against vanish. Her eyes are wide and her heart is _pounding_ wildly.

Stimson cackles even louder. " _Go_ on... go _on_... if you don' wan' _more_ things to happen to your little _friend_ there!"

Behind him, Gorth steps forward and grabbing Amanda and Tianna by each arm, pushes them through the doorway. Tianna, still dizzy, sways a little but is supported by Amanda.

Gorth goes back for Cassandrea and pushes her _roughly_ through the doorway after the others. She moans loudly, her face _bruised_ and mouth still bleeding and lips puffy. "Can' _wait_ to be rid of _this_ 'un! She stinks _fierce_! She tries an pulls her mouth with the _Kiladree_ , an' _they_ won' be as _patient_ and understandin' as _us_!"

Tia and Anastasia have felt their way down the stairs with Thian, when Gorth _slams_ the door and locks it. They are thrown into utter and complete darkness.

Cassandrea starts to cry as she trips at the top of the stairs, falling against the railing, where she freezes in place.

Amanda, now at the bottom of the stairs, turns to the side and walks a short way, then gently lowers Tianna to the floor, and begins feeling her way back to the stairs. She wants to make her way back up, to see if she can hear what the men are planning, and if they are _hurting_ Sadie. In the darkness, she bumps into several boxes, then walks _straight_ into the wall on her way to the stairs. Finally finding the stairway, she slowly makes her way up the steps. Suddenly, she bumps into a _startled_ Cassandrea.

"Ow! Didn't you _know_ I was here! I'm _hurt_ and I need help!" Cassandrea hisses angrily.

"Of _course_ I didn't know you were still _up_ here... it's completely _dark_ in here! I _thought_ you were already down," Amanda says, _not_ in the mood for _anything_ Cassandrea. "Oh... for _heaven's_ sake! _Here_ , give me your arm and I'll help you down."

Cassandrea shoves her arm up and outward, _smacking_ Amanda square in the face. "Hey! _Watch_ it Cassandrea. You just _punched_ me in the face! I'll put my arm around your waist, and _you_ hold onto me too." Slowly, each holding onto the other, they make their way down, using the wall and railing as their guide. As soon as there are no more stairs, Amanda helps Cassandrea to the side and gently to the floor.

Amanda _squints_ as she looks around, hoping her eyes will adjust to the blackness. But, the more she strains her eyes, the _darker_ it seems to get. She decides not to attempt the stairs again.

" _Tia_... Anastasia... where _are_ you?" Amanda asks as she blindly walks forward slowly, her arms held out in front of her. She trips over a small wooden box, _almost_ losing her balance, when she hears Tia call back.

" _Here_... we're over _here_. It's so _black_ in here I can't see a _thing_."

"Keep talking. I'll try to follow your voice."

"Where's _Thian_?" Tianna asks from nearby. "We haven't heard him since he came down. I need to get to him - he's _really_ hurt."

Tianna's voice startles Amanda. "Tianna, I _think_ I'm right beside you." Amanda feels something touch her leg, making her jump.

"Is that _you_?" Tianna asks with a shaky voice.

"Yeah." Reaching down blindly, Amanda's hand finds Tianna's head. "Take my hand and I'll help you up. Are you okay?"

Getting to her feet, Tianna says, "Yeah, well, I am _now_ , kind of... _you_?"

"I'm alright. _Tia_? Talk to us and we'll _both_ come over to you."

"Why didn't you do your... _Wielder_ thing?" Tianna asks crossly. "Why didn't you _do_ something to help us? To stop them from _hurting_ Thian?"

"I _couldn't_ Tianna!" Amanda says feeling horrible. "I don't know _how_ , remember? I'm _sorry_. I don't know _why_ I can do it sometimes, and _not_ others. I just... _can't_."

"Well, what did you _expect_ her to do anyway?" Cassandrea asks loudly with _ill_ -disguised bad temper, from somewhere nearby. "It was all _Tianna's_ fault with going into Shadow Alley!"

"If it was _anyone's_ fault, Cassa, it was _yours_!" Anastasia says heatedly. " _Yours_! _You're_ the one who wanted to come _down_ this way! _You're_ the one who just started _walking_ off by yourself. _We_ had to go after _you_!"

" _Yeah_? Only because _Tianna_ wanted to find that _stupid_ Bellinora witch! And _why_? Just tell me _why_? This whole _thing_ is stupid!" Cassandrea yells back at her.

" _You_ only came with us because you wanted to find the lost _treasure_ Cassa! _Not_ because you wanted to help them find her.

"And _thanks_ a lot for telling that _maniac_ Gorth upstairs, that _I_ was the one who _yelled_ at them at the pub, when it was _you_! Why'd you _do_ that? I _thought_ we were _best_ friends!"

"Well, what did you _want_ me to say? That it _was_ me? He was going to _kill_ me!"

"So... _what_? It would have been _better_ for him to kill _me_ , Cassa? I've _always_ stuck up for _you_ when you say or do things... it's always been _me_ backing _you_ up. And now you just _throw_ me to a pack of _Handreens_ , like I'm _nothing_ to you!"

"Stop!" Thian's weak voice echoes through the room. "Stop! Nothing matters now but trying to think of how we..." his voice wavers, "how we can get _out_ of this mess."

"Oh, _Thian_..." tears are in Tianna's voice. "I thought they... that you might be... are _you_ okay? I'm coming," Amanda hears Tianna shuffle past her toward Thian's voice.

"I'll _live_ I guess. I must have _passed_ out there for a minute. I'm doing _better_ now, really. Is everyone else okay? I need to hear your _voices_ so I know that everyone's here. Cassandrea and Anastasia, I already know _you're_ both here....and Tianna. _Tia_?"

"I'm somewhere _next_ to you Thian. I'm okay."

" _Amanda_... you here?" Thian asks as he works a kink from his neck.

"Yes. I'm coming to you too."

" _Sadie_? Sadie... are you _here_?" Thian asks urgently.

"They've _still_ got her upstairs," Tia says sadly. "The Black Stranger said he wants to keep her _with_ them for some reason."

"What are we gonna do? _How_ are we going to get out of here and _rescue_ Sadie?" Tianna asks desperately.

"Does anyone have _anything_ we can use as a weapon?" Thian asks. "The _Stranger_ took all our wands. Feel around on the floor, or _whatever_ else is down here, and see if you can find anything."

Everyone is quiet as they begin their search. Anastasia is edging around the walls when she bumps into someone. "Will you stop _doing_ that!" Cassandrea's voice rings out.

"I couldn't _see_ you! Aren't you going to help?"

"I'm _hurt_! I can't see anything _anyway_. I just need to..."

The door opens at the top of the stairs, flooding the room with dim light. The sudden introduction of light blinds everyone as they all put their arms up, shielding their eyes.

They hear the Black Stranger's voice. "Your _discomfort_ won' be for long. But I must ask you to _not_ do anythin', for which you'll be _sorry_ , or for which..." he drags Sadie next to him tightening his grip on her neck. Sadie _cries_ out in pain, grabbing at his hand.

"Sadie!" Tianna screams.

"...she'll be _sorry_. Have I made myself... _clear_?"

No one speaks. The Stranger tightens his grip on Sadie's neck again, _pinching_ her skin hard, and making her scream louder.

"Yes! _Yes_! We understand! Please... _please_ don't hurt her... she's just an _innocent_ little girl!" Tianna begs.

The Black Stranger laughs. "Yes... thas' wha' I'm _countin'_ on. An _untouched_ , unspoiled little _girl_!" He ruffles Sadie's hair. "Jus' a _sweet_ chil'. So we _have_ an understandin' then? Good."

The blackness returns as he slams the door. They all hear the lock turn and the bolt snapping into place.

" _Forget_ him. Keep _looking_ ," Thian says gruffly.

They have just resumed their search when something _heavy_ crashes against the door at the head of the stairs, startling everyone.

"Do you _have_ to make all that noise?" Cassandrea accuses the room.

"No one down _here_ made that noise. That was _upstairs_ ," Amanda says as new fear envelops her. "I don't know for _sure_ what they have planned for us, but I've got some ideas, and _none_ of them are pleasant. We better keep looking for _anything_ we can use, once they come for us."

A huge boom _shakes_ the room, as everyone lets out a scream of surprise. A large stack of boxes topples over, striking _Tia_ and Tianna. There is a short pause, then another loud _crash_ and the walls begin to shake.

"What's _happening_?" Cassandrea screams.

The room becomes quiet. They all wait for the shaking to resume but when it does not, they quickly resume the search, fearing the men will _come_ for them at any moment, and that something has happened to Sadie.

Suddenly, the walls _shake_ so violently that Amanda feels as though the entire _building_ is being torn from its foundation. Anastasia _screams_ and falls against a nearby wall, splitting her lip open. Amanda is _thrown_ against Thian and Tianna, knocking them to the ground. The basement walls begin to _crumble_ , as part of the _ceiling_ caves in, crashing down on Tia who becomes _trapped_ by the heavy debris. They all begin choking on the dust and debris-filled room.

"It must be an _earthquake_!" Amanda screams. " _Hold_ on!"

The walls shudder as they are _torn_ apart. More of the ceiling falls in on them as everyone covers their heads with their arms.

It is complete _bedlam_ and chaos. The sounds are a _terrifying_ mixture of crashing, rending, _ripping_ , bursting and _shattering_. It becomes _so_ loud, they all hold their ears tightly feeling as though their _heads_ will explode.

Just as Amanda feels this will surely be their deaths, the shaking _abruptly_ stops. At first, Amanda is not sure whether everything has really stopped, or if she may have _died_. She drops her hands from her ears and feels the pain from her head start. "Can you _feel_ pain if you're dead?" she wonders.

When Tia moans, Amanda knows for sure that she is _not_ dead. As Amanda opens her mouth to speak, she begins coughing violently as she inhales dust and crushed rock from the demolished ceiling and walls.

The door above them _bursts_ open. They suddenly find themselves in the grip of a _torrential_ and violent windstorm. Amanda thinks crazily, "First an earthquake, now a _tornado_?" as she tries to hold onto a heavy box next to her, so she will not be blown away.

The wind quickly dies as she hears a familiar voice. "I hope I did not do _too_ much damage down there. Here, let me help," and the Wind Rider blows downstairs.

Even with light flooding in from above, the heavy dust and dirt in the air makes it hard to see the Wind Rider, but his _presence_ can clearly be felt. In a moment, _hundreds_ of pounds of ceiling and debris are easily lifted up and moved to the side, freeing Tia.

"I will move each of you upstairs. It is alright. You are all _safe_. I will take you first Miss."

Tia groans loudly as the Wind Rider lifts her gently and takes her upstairs, placing her carefully on the floor.

He makes the trip five more times. When he brings Tianna up and places her in a chair, she grips her side and looks around _frantically_ for Sadie. Sadie who has been kneeling beside Tia, runs to her and _hugs_ her tightly. They hug and cry and laugh nervously, making sure each is okay.

His last trip is Amanda, who he places next to Thian.

Their eyes are still sensitive to the brighter candle light, but adjust quickly. Wind Rider brings water for them all to drink. He finds a large bowl and fills it with more water, then washes and tends to their wounds. He pays _close_ attention to Thian, and after using some special herbs he pulled from a pouch on his belt, along with setting several _healing_ and anti- _pain_ spells over him, Thian soon feels strong enough to sit up. Thian continues to feel his strength quickly returning, as he looks around at the _completely_ demolished room.

The Wind Rider sits on the floor in the devastated building, patiently waiting for their strength to return from the applied Wizitch.

Amanda is the first to speak. "How... _how_ did you know..." and begins to cough.

"The _cat_. She _sees_ and knows _much_ and told me. She had a run-in with an old _nemesis_ , and while chasing _him_ , saw _you_ all. She knew that this was _not_ going to end well... _Shadow Alley_ and all... where only the _Darker_ of souls dare to enter.

"And, she told me... you had _drawn_ your wands. Now, didn't I _tell_ you that you do _not_ draw your wands in _this_ place, unless you are ready to _lose_ your life?"

"That was _my_ fault," Thian says softly. "I'm sorry, but those cats..." his head jerks up with dawning comprehension, "So... _one_ of those cats was... _your_ cat then? The one who _told_ you about us?"

"Well, what _other_ cats would I mean? But," he sighs, "actually, she's not _my_ cat. Wish she _were_ though. _Smarter_ than me a good deal of the time too. But no, she is _bound_ to a dear friend.

"When she told me where you were... with _wands_ drawn... she knew there would be _more_ trouble than you all could handle on your own. And, of course, as _usual_ , she was correct."

"But how did you know where we _were_? With those _horrible_ men..." Amanda's voice trails off.

" _That_ was not difficult. I wanted to make sure Gorth Capp, Stimson and Musache, his _Associates_ , were still where I sent them... to the _Vorla_. I made a quick trip to see them, and the Vorla told me they had _escaped_ for a second time. Then, I knew.

"So, putting everything together, I knew they would come to their place of... _business_ as they call it. As you can see, when I paid them a _friendly_ visit, we had... a little _chat_."

They all look around the decimated building and understand the _chat_... had gone badly. "But, where _are_ they?" Amanda asks nervously looking around for them.

The Wind Rider raises his hands slightly. " _Not_ my decision. The _Vorla_ wanted them back, plus their _silver_ toothed friend. And this time, they _won't_ be leaving. _Ever_. So you have no need to worry about them any longer.

" _Shadow Alley_ is _no_ place for ones such as yourselves. I'll take you back to the village... I don't know _why_ you're here, but you don't _belong_ here. There are others _gathering_ in the darkness outside. We need to leave, _now_ ," and turning around, opens the large black bag the Black Stranger had dropped their wands in, and returns all their wands.

"No... we _can't_ go yet," Sadie says, speaking for the first time. "We came _all_ this way and went through _all_ this, and we _still_ haven't found her yet. We _have_ to find her... for Amanda. I don't want to come back here _tomorrow_ to look for her."

The Wind Rider, looking puzzled, looks to Amanda. "Find her? _Who_?"

Amanda hesitates. "Uh, well, we're looking for someone named _Bellinora_. She's _supposed_ to be a really _powerful_ witch, who lives in a cave in some _mountain_ near here, or something... we think."

" _Bellinora_? Why in _all_ the realms do you want to find _her_?"

"Our reasons are our own. Do you _know_ her?" Amanda asks hopefully. "There's something I... I've got to _ask_ her. It's _really_ important. Please... if you _know_ her, or know where we can _find_ her, please tell me." Amanda asks quickly, her heart suddenly racing.

He looks at her, smiles, then nods slowly. "Yes, of _course_ I know Bellinora. _She's_ the dear friend I spoke about. And you are correct, she _is_ a very power witch. She is also a _great_ herbal healer. Bellinora is _known_ for her potions, and writes and casts _spells_ of all kinds and such.

"If you would have _told_ me you sought her when we first met, I would have directed you to her _long_ ago. Are you all feeling fit enough to walk?"

They all agree they are. Wind Rider stands. "Come..." and walks outside.

Amanda and the others follow, making their way around the heavy rubble.

Once outside, Amanda and the others look nervously around the pathway. Amanda notices _shining_ eyes peering at them from the darkness between the buildings. The others see them too.

"Not to worry. They _know_ better than to try anything while _I_ am with you, at least for _now_. Come. I will take you back to the village. It's alright. No need to be afraid."

"A little late for _that_ now," Amanda thinks as she and the others stick closely grouped behind the Wind Rider.

They're all feeling much better as they pass out of the tree-lined tunnel and back into the open. In no time they make their way back to the village buildings, and back into the lighted areas.

There are many people milling around the shops, who look at them curiously, _especially_ being led by the Wind Rider, who _everyone_ seems to know, but who _obviously_ wish to keep their distance from.

As they round the last building and enter the open square, the Wind Rider turns and faces the far end of the village, where there is a road leading toward the large mountain in the distance.

"You _see_ that dirt road there? Fly along it until you reach the "Y" at the base of the mountain. Fly _straight_ up the mountain, _directly_ between the "Y." You will find her cave a _good_ way up, somewhat _recessed_ into the mountain itself. _Very_ easy to find.

"Once you get there, fly in, dismount, and follow the path between the huge rock structures. Once you find the sign with the _green_ arrow, just follow the path it indicates back to her place."

Amanda looks at the road and sees the dim outline of the mountain in the distance. She turns to the Wind Rider. He smiles down at her and she smiles back, "Thank you. Looks like you saved us _again_. We owe you so much," and is so overcome with emotion, that she falls into his arms hugging him tightly.

Startled, he smiles as he pats her back and waits until she is ready to let him go.

As Amanda finally pulls away from him, he says gently, "Then _here_ is my price. When you see Bellinora, please tell her that _Melteme_ sends her his regards, and hopes for another of her _fabulous_ stews."

Everyone laughs, and after they have each thanked him, they walk back along the boardwalk to the end, turn left, and make their way into the alley, heading for the broom closet.

As Amanda reaches the corner of the building, she looks back along the square, seeing the Wind Rider raise his arm to her in farewell. He spins quickly in a circle, turning into a black _vapor_ , and disappears in a _swirl_ of rising black mist.

Thian, feeling much better, retrieves all their brooms, then says softly, "I don't know about all of _you_ , but I've _had_ it. I say we go back to the cabin, take a _hot_ bath and get some sleep. We can look for Bellinora in the morning, now that we _think_ we know where to find her. I just want to get the _heck_ away from here for now."

No one objects. They all mount and kick off, heading for the cabin.

Finally there, intense fatigue overwhelms them all, as they struggle to clean up, and spend a _very_ restless night, causing them to sleep late into the following morning.

#  Finding Bellinora

To TOC

In the morning after breakfast, Sadie does her thing to make them all look _dirty_ and grungy, being somewhat kinder to Cassandrea this time, not knowing _who_ they may meet along their journey to the mountain.

Thian and Tianna pack up and secure the cabin, then Thian puts the can into his deep pants pocket, along with a can of Instant Outhouse, and a can of Instant Toilet Paper. He has each of the others do the same. The pants they are wearing have _many_ pockets down each leg - one _deep_ one on each side near the top, plus several others.

When everyone has their traveler's packs on and adjusted, they head off toward the village. Once they spot it, they fly around the outer edge, then along the old dirt road that leads out of the village, and supposedly, will lead them to a "Y" in the road. They then fly up the mountain to the cave where Bellinora is said to live, somewhere high up within the nearby mountain, which they still cannot believe is within _this_ mountain.

Looking around as they fly, their spirits rise as the road winds its way once again into the lush forest away from the village. The pine-like trees are _huge_ and the smell, mixed with the wildflowers, is _wonderful_. They laugh at all the little animals that scamper across the road, or peek out from behind a tree, log or boulder.

After a time, Amanda _cries_ out when a small, _strange_ looking creature leaps _high_ from the bushes near the side of the road, with a _high_ -pitched cry of its own. Amanda is _so_ startled, she almost _falls_ off her broom.

The little critter _scampers_ to the middle of the road, and then begins _leaping_ into the air about three to four feet, _over_ and over again. Suddenly, it runs around frantically in circles, then once again, leaps _repeatedly_ , spinning wildly in the air as it does so. It is _constantly_ making a kind of stuttering _snork_ -like sound.

Everyone comes to a hover as they watch the strange animal leap, spin in circles and stutter "sn... sno... snor... _sork_ ," over and over.

Amanda laughs as the sound reminds her of the cartoon character _Porky Pig_. The animal is about the size of a large _house_ cat on earth, but with _short_ gray fur and stubby short _springy_ legs. Its tail is _longer_ than its body, which is very thin and furless. It has _tall_ pointed ears and a very long pointed face, with a nose sticking out _six_ inches that _twitches_ and waves around in all directions. The nose reminds Amanda of the trunk on an _elephant_... but in miniature.

After about twenty seconds, the little creature shoots across the road, leaps _spinning_ high into the air, and disappears into the tall grass and bushes. All that can be heard is a fading "sn... sno... snor... _sork_ " repeated over and over.

"What the _heck_ was _that_?" Amanda asks, laughing, still clutching at her chest. " _Scared_ me half to _death_!"

" _That_ was a Stuttering _Snorkrat_ Amanda," Anastasia laughs along with everyone else.

"Yeah... that's where the phrase, ' _Stuttering_ Snorkrat!' comes from," Cassandrea says smiling. "You know, like when you're _startled_ or surprised, and you say, 'Stuttering _Snorkrat_!' They only do that when they're _startled_. _Usually_ scares their predators away too."

They all laugh and head off along the road once again, talking about where all the _strange_ phrases everyone uses comes from, as they all try their _best_ to come up with as many as they can. Some Amanda brings up are: holy smokes; holy cow; holy moly; Jesus; Jesus Christ; oh god; bless you; for heaven's sake; for the love of god; for the love of Christ and darn it.

There are many from the others, including: two moons; two moons over the mountain; by the moons; stuttering snortkrat; by the lord and lady; by the oak and ash; and the list goes on till they just cannot laugh any more, and fly on in silence for a while.

"I sure hope this _is_ the Bellinora we're looking for," Tia says laughing as she points to what looks like a kind of _rabbit_ scurrying across the road. "I mean... Wind Rider _did_ say she lives in a cave in the mountains. And he said she _is_ a very powerful witch who makes potions, writes and casts spells and stuff, and is a great _herbal_ healer too! So, she _sounds_ like the Bellinora we're looking for, but _who_ knows."

"Yeah, I hope it's her too," Amanda says, becoming serious, reaching up and feeling the necklace beneath her robe. "I'd _really_ like to find out how to get..." then glancing at Anastasia and Cassandrea who are looking intently at her, "uh, what we _came_ for, you know."

"But you've never told us _what_ you came here _for_ ," Cassandrea says suspiciously. "Don't you think you can tell us _now_? After _everything_ we've been through together? I mean, _come_ on, we could have _died_ being with you, you _know_!"

"No!" Tianna snaps quickly. "Like we said back in your village... you can come _with_ us to help us _find_ Bellinora, _then_ we part ways. You go _your_ way... we go _ours_. _That_ was the deal, and if this _is_ the Bellinora we're looking for... that's as _far_ as _you_ go with us."

Cassandrea purses her lips as her eyes narrow, but does not say anything more.

The road they have been following, suddenly branches off in a "Y" to either side of a huge jetting section of rock, at the mountains base. They all come to a hover.

Thian looks straight up the mountain between the forks of the "Y." After a moment's thought he says, "Well, Wind Rider said that when we come to the fork in the road, to fly _straight_ up the mountain between the fork. _Someplace_ up there, we should find the _large_ opening to her cave."

"Yeah," Anastasia says looking up the mountain too. "He said to fly into the cave, _dismount_ , then follow the path between the _huge_ rock structures..."

"Then follow the sign we're supposed to find, that has a _green_ arrow on it," Amanda says looking at Tianna. "And it's _supposed_ to lead us back to her, well... her _place_ I guess."

"Well, let's see what we can find okay?" Thian says nervously. "But... I don't know about _you_... but from _this_ point on, I'm keeping _my_ wand at the ready. After what we've been through, I don't trust _anybody_ in that village. And even though that guy Wind Rider may have saved us.... even _he_ could be sending us into another _trap_ you know - to _sell_ us off for whoever _he_ works for or something."

"I'm with _you_!" Cassandrea says pulling her wand. "This _adventure_ hasn't turned out to be as much _fun_ as I thought it would be."

"You're free to leave _now_ if you want," Tianna says hopefully.

"You'd _like_ that wouldn't you?" Cassandrea says with a snarl. "Nice _try_ , but I'm _staying_ till we find the _fabled_ Bellinora. When I go home, I want to be able to tell _everyone_ that I not only got _into_ Witch Mountain, but that I actually _met_ the great witch herself... in _person_!"

"I really don't believe Wind Rider _is_ one of the bad guys," Amanda says softly. "But, I guess he _could_ be. I mean, we really don't know _what_ we'll find... or _who_ might be waiting for us up there."

"Well, we won't find her sitting here," Thian says as he flies off looking up the mountain. "Let's go, and _keep_ your eyes open."

Everyone has their wand out as they head off after Thian, looking around nervously, expecting to be _ambushed_ at any moment.

They slowly fly up the mountain, weaving between the tall pine-like trees in a horizontal line. By keeping about twenty feet between themselves, they figure they have a better chance of spotting the cave entrance and not missing it, not knowing how _large_ the cave entrance will really be.

They need not have bothered though, for once they climbed about two thousand feet, they see an _indentation_ in the mountain, bowing back slightly into the mountainside where the trees quickly thin out. The opening of a _large_ cave becomes clearly visible a distance back from a huge overhang of rock.

"Well, it looks like we _found_ it okay," Anastasia says as they all drift together, stopping in a hover, about a hundred feet in front of the opening.

"Looks like it has a light blue _glow_ inside, so I guess we won't need to ignite our wands," Tia says slowly moving forward, following Thian and Tianna further in. "But, I'm _keeping_ my wand out anyway. I don't like the _looks_ of this. Nice place for an _ambush_."

"Yeah, who knows what we'll _really_ find in there," Cassandrea says, flying slowly behind Amanda and Anastasia.

They fly into the large cave which looks to narrow as it continues further in. Reaching a narrowing section, Thian and Tianna dismount first, then wait for the others to join them.

Looking around the inside, Amanda sees it is a nice sized cave, with _wonderful_ rock formations. Tilting her head slightly, she hears _dripping_ water coming from someplace within the darkness of the huge gaps, between some of the giant columns of rocks. The floor is _so_ worn, it has become somewhat shiny.

"Well, so _far_ so good," Tianna says in a whisper. Then pointing says, "That's _obviously_ a path leading further into the cave, so, let's follow that. But _keep_ ready."

"Listen," Thian says in a low whisper, the others having to lean in to hear him. "Sadie, Tianna, _you_ two take point. Tianna, _you_ scan front and slightly to the sides. _Sadie_ , if you can, do your _thing_ and see if you can spot anybody, or, _anything_ , hiding behind those huge rock structures. Try left, then _right_ , then repeat.

"Tia, Amanda, _you_ two keep your eyes _glued_ to the left, and I want you walking at an _angle_... Tia, you watch from slightly _forward_ and to the left, back to about where your left shoulder will be. Amanda, _you_ turn more to the _rear_ walking at an angle. You'll scan from about where Tia will be ending _her_ scan, and then scan back to about where _I'll_ be, then repeat.

"Anastasia, Cassandrea, watch the _right_... same thing, Anastasia in _front_ of Cassandrea. _I'll_ watch our backs. If any of you see _anything_ , call out. _Got_ it?"

They all nod. Thian nods back and says, "Okay then, everyone keep sharp. Tianna, Sadie... _move_ out."

Tianna nods to Sadie, who looks scared to death, as do the others. Tianna takes point with Sadie nervously looking first to one side, then the other. After about fifteen feet, Thian says, "Okay, _move_ out." Tia and Amanda turn somewhat sideways and begin to move slowly along the path, watching for _anything_ within the pitch dark spaces between the huge rock formations, looking for anything that may _jump_ out from behind the many boulders on the left side of the path. Anastasia and Cassandrea do the same, but on the _right_ side. After the four of them have moved off about fifteen feet, Thian begins walking _backward_ , waving his wand from side to side as he scans behind them.

After following the winding path for about five minutes, Tianna and Sadie round a corner and enter a _large_ area of the cavern, where they spot an old _wooden_ sign some distance away. Tianna halts Sadie, turns and catches Tia and Anastasia's eyes, who halt Amanda and Cassandrea. Amanda waits for Thian to walk up to them. Thian had already heard them all stop, but keeps walking backward, watching their backs, till he reaches them.

When the others round the corner, they are all facing the old wood sign. They look around the large cavern nervously, listening for any sounds of movement. This _slick_ cavern has more of the wonderful, huge _glistening_ rock formations.

"Well, looks like this _might_ be the right place after all," Amanda says looking at the wooden sign which has a large _green_ arrow pointing to one of the pathways within the cavern. "Let's see what the sign says okay?"

They all walk cautiously to the old sign.

This is what the writing looks like:

"The writings in that old _witches_ Theban," Amanda says looking intently at it. As she concentrates on what the writing means, the letters change and morph into her native English. "It says, ' **Bellinora's Wizitch wonders**.'" Then turning to face the others who are also intently concentrating on the translation, Amanda smiles, "Oh my _God_... I think we've really _found_ her! I think we've really _found_ Bellinora!"

The others are excited too, but Tianna says, "Yeah, well _maybe_. But there could be _hundreds_ of witches named Bellinora, _couldn't_ there?"

"Sure," Amanda says with a laugh, "but _how_ many do you think live _high_ up in a cave, just _outside_ _Darkwoods Village_ , where the great witch we're looking for is _rumored_ to be? This location fits what the _Journal_ says too, and everything Anastasia told us about what she's read. Honestly, I think this _is_ the place. Come on, let's follow the arrow and see what we find."

They all agree, and since the path is narrow as it makes its way between two huge columns of rock, they are forced to walk in single file. Tianna is in the lead, but Thian is right behind her, followed by the others. _Cassandrea_ finds herself in the rear, and is _constantly_ looking behind her nervously, waiting for something to _jump_ out at her.

It is not long before they step out from between some _gigantic_ mounds of rocks that reach _hundreds_ of feet overhead, and into a clearing. There is another, _smaller_ opening to a cave, about twenty-five feet in front of them, emitting a _soft_ orangish-yellow glow.

" _Lantern_ light by the looks of it," Thian says in a whisper.

Thian no sooner finishes, when a _huge_ , deformed _shadow_ appears on the right inside wall of the glowing cave. It appears to be a _hideous_ creature walking on four legs, and the shadow becomes _almost_ as large as the tunnel itself.

Its form _ripples_ over the large stones and cracks within the jagged tunnel wall. The kids crouch, pointing their _wands_ at the opening, expecting the _giant_ creature to _charge_ them the moment it spots them.

In a second, Amanda and the others are surprised to see a small black _cat_ , walking calmly around the curved opening, and stands in the center of the pathway, _directly_ under the entrance.

The kids exhale as one, breaking into nervous laughs, as they realize the light from within the tunnel had _magnified_ and distorted the cat's shadow as it passed a _floor_ lantern.

Sadie giggles, points to the cat saying, " _Krispit_!"

"What?" Amanda asks. "You mean... the _cat_?"

"What's a _cat_?" Sadie asks looking confused. "You all kept _calling_ those two krispits we saw before _cats_ too. Where I come from, we call them a _krispit_."

"Actually, they're known by _hundreds_ of names on different realms," Tia says smiling at the small cat. "And even in different _areas_ on the same realm. _We_ call them cats too, where we come from."

"So do _we_ ," Anastasia says with a laugh. "Look how _cute_ it is."

The cat is sitting up, watching them intently, with its tail curled around it. After several more moments, the cat gets up, turns around and begins doing a _strange_ rocking motion, forward and back, while looking over its shoulder at them.

"I... I _think_ it wants us to _follow_ it," Anastasia says looking at the cat still rocking forward and back, staring at them.

"I think you're _right_!" Amanda says walking forward with Tianna and Sadie right behind her. The others follow closely behind, as the cat turns away and begins walking around the corner and into the tunnel.

Amanda steps through the opening, into the softly lit short tunnel. After about twenty-five feet, the tunnel ends into a _wonderful_ cavern, _filled_ with wooden shelves, every inch _jammed_ with small jars, filled with powders, _liquids_ and other strange items. One wall is filled with _hundreds_ and hundreds of drawers, which rises at _least_ a hundred and ten feet. Everyone's mouths are open as they look around at all the _strange_ and wonderful things. Amanda decides this must be a _showroom_ of some kind.

Footsteps sound, coming _closer_ from the far side of this cavern, from yet _another_ tunnel. A woman's voice reaches them.

"It certainly _took_ you kids long enough to get here. Jasmine tells me she has been _watching_ you for over an hour - _ever_ since you left the village."

Amanda's eyes widen as a _breathtaking_ woman with _beautiful_ long black braided hair, draped over her right shoulder, comes around the corner and casually leans against the tunnel wall. She is wearing a _spectacular_ robe of _brilliant_ royal blue velvet, with satin inserts. Fine _silver_ and gold threads run through the fabric, depicting what appears to be, various _solar_ systems. As Amanda looks at the robe, she realizes the planets are actually _moving_ in their respective orbits around golden suns. The woman looks altogether _otherworldly_.

She smiles at them with _striking_ green eyes, as she steps forward and to the side of the entrance, moving her eyes over each of the kids in turn. Her cat, jumps up on a tall pedestal beside her, and purrs _loudly_ as the woman strokes its head with her long slender fingers.

" _Welcome_ to Bellinora's Wizitch Wonders. _I_ am Bellinora, and this is _Jasmine_ my familiar. Please, put your _wands_ away, you will not need them here.

"We have never _had_ visitors from _outside_ Witch Mountain before. I have _no_ idea how you found the entrance at _portal_ nine, nor, _how_ you managed to take the _right_ roads, once you left the ledge, and _not_ end up in the many _traps_ that have been set over the ages. And as to how ones as _young_ as yourselves, managed to _avoid_ the ancient traps along the roads, is a _puzzle_. But when you entered _Darkwoods Village_ the first time, and were unusually... _clean_ , according to Jasmine, _that_ peaked my interest greatly.

"Jasmine tells me, you all had _quite_ an exciting time in the village yesterday. And met a _friend_ of mine, who Jasmine tells me, came to your aid... _twice_. I would like to hear all about that. But first, I am _most_ curious to hear what brings the _seven_ of you young folks, in search of _me_."

Everyone turns as one to look at Amanda. Amanda closes her mouth, swallows and takes a couple hesitant steps forward. "Well, _actually_ , we're looking for someone _named_ Bellinora, but now that I see you, I don't _really_ think you're the one we're looking for."

"Oh? And why is _that_?" Bellinora asks, looking more intently at Amanda. Actually, it appears as though she is _studying_ Amanda closely.

"Well, the Bellinora _we're_ looking for, is supposed to be, well, really _old_. And, obviously, you're _not_."

"Why _thank_ you... Miss..." the woman tilts her head forward still looking intently at Amanda.

"Oh, _sorry_ , my name's _Amanda_."

The moment Amanda says her name, the woman's eyes fly wide. She takes a couple quick steps toward Amanda, _startling_ not only Amanda, but everyone else.

"Amanda?" the woman asks in a low whisper, stepping up and reaching out with a trembling hand to her, before _snatching_ it back. "No... it _cannot_ be... she is..." The woman stands straight and shakes her head slowly, staring at Amanda _so_ intensely, that Amanda turns red from embarrassment, although she has _no_ idea why.

Turning, Amanda says, "Um, these are my friends - Tianna, Tia, _Sadie_ , Anastasia, Cassandrea and _Thian_."

The woman's eyes never leave Amanda's face, as Amanda introduces the others. But when Amanda says _Thian's_ name, the woman's eyes _snap_ to him. After a short pause, her eyes go _wide_ again as she inhales sharply, and looks him up and down slowly.

Thian looks at the others quickly, then looks down the front of his body, thinking something must be _crawling_ on him, or he has not _dressed_ properly.

The woman slowly moves to Thian and stands before him. Her eyes are still wide as they study Thian's _very_ dirty face, as a clump of dirt falls to the floor from his hair. After a few heartbeats, Thian smiles and says, "Uh, _hi_. Sorry we're so dirty. I guess we _should_ have cleaned up some before coming to see you."

The woman shakes her head slowly as in disbelief, then takes a couple steps back, the color having _clearly_ drained from her face. "By the _moons_ of Elentar... can it _possibly_ be?" she says in a whisper so low Amanda barely hears her.

Bellinora steps to Tia and Tianna, and looks them over slowly for a moment, then turns to look to Amanda and says again, in a whisper so low Amanda has to strain to hear, "And... _together_? No, it _cannot_ be. It is but the _demons_ of my past, come to torment me."

The kids are feeling _very_ uncomfortable, and all look it. _Sadie_ has moved back behind Tianna, and is peeking out from around her legs.

The woman, looking at the others, sees the frightened expressions on all their faces. She quickly collects herself, smiles and says calmly, "I am _sorry_. _Some_ of you remind me of those I miss _very_ much. _Forgive_ me. Tell me, _why_ are you looking for someone named Bellinora?"

Licking her lips, Amanda says, "Well, we, or actually _I_... was sent here to _speak_ with you... uh, _her_."

" _Sent_ here dear? By _whom_? For what _purpose_?"

Amanda stands there for a moment, not knowing whether she should say anything or not. But somehow, even though she _is_ afraid and does not _know_ this woman, she _likes_ her, and for some reason, _trusts_ her too, though she has no idea why she feels this way.

Struggling with her feelings, she decides to be cautious. This _is_ a witch after all, and she _might_ have put a spell on them, when they first came into the cave, _making_ them like and trust her.

"Before I tell you who sent us and why, I'd like to know if you _recognize_ something. Tianna, may I _have_ it please?"

Tianna looks at Amanda with an expression of confusion for a moment, until Amanda reaches up and touches her robe where her necklace lay hidden.

"Oh! _Yeah_. Sorry, I _forgot_. Sure..." Tianna reaches into the top of her robe, and takes off her necklace. Amanda walks over as Tianna slips something from the necklace chain, then places it in Amanda's hand, where she closes her fingers _tightly_ around it. Tianna and Amanda lock eyes for a moment, then Tianna nods. Amanda turns and walks to where the woman is standing with a curious expression.

Holding out her hand, she opens it asking, "Do you _recognize_ this?"

Amanda no sooner opens her hand, when the woman lets out a _cry_ , taking several _staggering_ steps backward, placing her right hand over her mouth. Her eyes are _wide_ , as the color once again leaves her face.

The cat, _Jasmine_ , leaps off the pedestal and _scrambles_ quickly into the tunnel where the woman had come from. The cat runs _so_ fast around the corner, it _flips_ off its feet, landing on its side, where it quickly slides and _slams_ into the cavern wall with a cry. It springs to its feet and _tears_ down the tunnel, tail sticking _straight_ out behind it, as it disappears around a corner.

The kids, _very_ scared, take several steps back away from the stunned woman, who is _still_ staring at the odd ring resting in Amanda's outstretched and _trembling_ hand.

"Where... _how_ did you get that?" Bellinora asks, reaching for, and taking the ring in her _own_ shaking hand.

"From... _friends_ , actually. You _recognize_ it then? Is it... _yours_?" Amanda asks with a shaky voice.

"Mine?" Bellinora says in a low whisper, as though she were _thousands_ of miles away in thought. "No. No, it _belongs_ to..."

Jasmine comes _scurrying_ around the corner of the tunnel, with a rolled up parchment _clenched_ between her teeth. Jumping onto the pedestal, Bellinora quickly walks to her, takes the parchment and unrolls it.

Looking over the script for a brief moment, Bellinora takes the ring in the tips of her fingers, and _slowly_ lowers it toward a raised area on the old parchment.

Amanda watches in wonder, as the ring _jumps_ out of Bellinora's fingers, and seems to _stick_ to the parchment. The ring _immediately_ begins to glow a _brilliant_ blue. Bellinora, giving a short _gasp_ , takes the ring and parchment in her left hand, raises her right hand and holds it over them.

_Without_ a wand, _or_ spoken word from Bellinora, the parchment _rises_ into the air and away from her and the others. It rises eight to ten feet, hovers for a moment, then _bursts_ into blue flames, the ring pulling lose, as it slowly _rotates_ above the flaming parchment.

The kids gasp and step away as the parchment _bursts_ apart into _hundreds_ of glowing pieces. The glowing pieces quickly form a _complete_ fiery sphere around the _pulsating_ ring.

"Great _Mother_ of Creation... this _is_ the real ring. It belongs to..." Bellinora spins around, looking _intently_ at Amanda, then to Thian who is standing next to her, and finally to the others.

After several very _tense_ moments, Bellinora fixes her stare on _Sadie_ , causing Amanda to look at Sadie too.

Bellinora waves her right hand and the parchment _reforms_ into one solid piece. The flames _vanish_ and the ring slowly floats to Bellinora's trembling outstretched right hand. The ring stops glowing as soon as it touches her palm. She closes her hand over the ring, as the _unburned_ parchment rolls itself up as it descends to Bellinora, coming to rest in her left hand.

Bellinora takes a _deep_ steadying breath, lets it out slowly, then says calmly, "Please, follow me. It seems we have _much_ to discuss. Josh and _Sam_ would not have sent you here, _unless_..." she is silent for a moment, then says, "Unless there is _quite_ a story to be told."

#  The Face In The Vapor

To TOC

They nervously follow Bellinora through the softly lit tunnel, with Jasmine leading the way. They soon come to a wooden door set into the solid rock of the cave. Bellinora waves her hand and the door swings out. Jasmine dashes into a large, warmly lit room, and jumps up onto a low padded pedestal, next to a _wonderfully_ carved wooden chair. A large roaring fireplace blazes within one wall, its warmth _inviting_ on this cool morning. There are many shelves of ancient looking books rising thirty feet, with _hundreds_ of bottles and jars on other shelves, filled with strange and unusual items.

Amanda stops as she looks down at the very beautiful, _huge_ round rug in the middle of the room. It shows a close-up of some wonderful _trees_ on a hill. She gives a short _gasp_ as she realizes she is looking at _tree_ houses high within the branches, with numerous people inside. Looking closer, she notices that the people are dressed in colorful robes and gowns. Some are walking up _spectacular_ circular stairways, leading to the upper floors within the trees. Many seem to be _dancing_ high in the trees on the many platforms.

But what _really_ strikes Amanda, is in the center. There she sees a tree sticking up _far_ higher than any of the others. She sees the tree house spaces are closed in, with _wonderful_ windows everywhere. Some of the windows have _colorful_ closed window drapes, while others are open. The limbs, _branches_ and leaves of the tree look to be _gold_ and silver.

Amanda whispers softly to herself, "I've _seen_ this before... in the _city_ with the..."

With a wave of Bellinora's hand, all the _dirt_ , dust, twigs, and _other_ things covering the kids, vanish. They are _completely_ clean, as though they had just taken a _long_ bath - they even _smell_ good.

"Wow! I've _got_ to learn that one!" Thian says with a laugh.

Bellinora smiles, waves her hand and a large _fluffy_ couch appears to the left and in front of her chair, about eight feet away, making Amanda jump. It is _easily_ large enough for four people to be seated comfortably. A small table appears in front of the couch. With another wave of her hand, a _single_ fluffy chair appears _directly_ in front of her chair, with an end table to its right. Again she waves her hand and _another_ fluffy couch appears to the right and in front of her chair, with another small table in front of it. The kids gasp as the couches and chair suddenly _appear_ out of nowhere.

"Please, take off your traveler's packs and store them, along with your broom in the hall closet," pointing to another large tunnel where a door can be seen _opening_ all by itself, a few feet inside. The kids walk to the closet and store their things, looking at one another nervously.

As they return to the room, Bellinora smiles warmly and motioning to the couches and chair says, " _Please_ , take a seat and get comfortable. Amanda, since _you_ were the one sent here, would you be kind enough to take the _chair_ please?"

Amanda, feeling somewhat apprehensive, takes her seat. Thian, Tianna and Tia take one couch, while Sadie, Anastasia and Cassandrea take the other.

Looking at all the nervous faces on the kids, Bellinora smiles saying, "Please, _relax_ , I am not going to hurt you. If Josh and _Samantha_ sent you here, it would be for my _help_ , and yes, I _am_ the Bellinora you seek.

"You must be _hungry_ and thirsty after your flight." She makes a _sweeping_ motion with her arm, and _sandwiches_ on plates, along with tall _cool_ bubbling drinks with _ice_ -cream, appear on the tables in front of everyone, along with a stack of lapkins.

Amanda looks at the plates whispering to herself, "I wonder if she has _house_ -elves..?" Smiling, she looks back at Bellinora.

Bellinora says, " _Please_... help yourself, and please do not _hesitate_ to ask for more. You may have as _much_ as you like."

The kids' eyes go wide and everyone smiles at one another. Thian's stomach lets out a loud _growl_ , which breaks the tension as everyone laughs.

"Well, it seems _you_ may be hungrier than I _thought_!" Bellinora says with a laugh. She waves her hand and _Thian's_ sandwich _doubles_ in size. The others _roar_ with laughter, as Thian rubs his hands together with a _huge_ grin.

"I hope you can all _eat_ while we talk. I am most _anxious_ to hear why Josh and Sam have sent you here. It must be of _great_ importance, and of some _urgency_ , not to have brought you here themselves. And, _perhaps_ , a great need for _secrecy_ , not to have sent me _any_ message prior to your arrival."

Amanda has just taken a big bite of her sandwich. Swallowing hard, she turns to look to Thian, Tia and Tianna. Looking back at Bellinora, Amanda dabs her mouth then says, "Well, yeah, it's really _important_ for sure. And, it's pretty _urgent_ \- for _me_ anyway."

"I see," Bellinora says as Jasmine mews. "Oh, _sorry_ Jasmine, of _course_!" Bellinora waves her hand and the end of the pedestal Jasmine is perched on, extends some and _flares_ out in an arc. A bowl _filled_ with some kind of meat appears, along with a bowl of white liquid. "Is that alright?" Bellinora asks with a smile. Jasmine mews _twice_ and begins to eat.

Everyone laughs and begins eating as well.

"I _love_ your Familiar," Tia says smiling at Jasmine.

"Why do you call Jasmine... a _Familiar_?" Amanda asks confused, as she takes a sip through her straw, of what to her delight, tastes like a _root_ beer float.

Bellinora looks at Amanda with an _intense_ questioning expression, saying softly, "Interesting."

She then looks to Jasmine who is _also_ staring at Amanda, and says, "I have a _feeling_ that this is going to be a _much_ more interesting story than I _thought_!" Jasmine mews and begins licking her paw.

Sadie giggles.

"A _Familiar_ , Amanda," Bellinora says smiling at Jasmine, then turning to Amanda, "can be most _any_ animal or insect at all. Cats... or _krispits_ as Sadie calls them, _dragons_ , eagles and various other birds - _rodents_ , cucuteos, kikis, _toads_ , lizards, snakes, etc. And they may be either _evil_ in spirit, or _good_... just like the _witches_ or _wizards_ they serve."

Jasmine looks up and _mews_ loudly, then seems to _mumble_ to herself before continuing to eat.

"Oh, _sorry_ Jasmine! I meant ' _assist'_ in your case... not _serve_ of course!

"The definition of a Familiar _varies_ from realm to realm Amanda, and _even_ from location to location _within_ a realm. _Dark_ witches, wizards, sorcerers and _sorceresses_ , and other creatures, use the _Darker_ side of Wizitch, and even call upon Dark _spirits_ to serve them.

"Others, like _me_ , serve the _Light_... the _good_ side of Wizitch. _Our_ Familiars are not of evil spirit, but spirits of the _Light_."

"Where did you _find_ her?" Amanda asks smiling as she watches Jasmine slurping from her bowl of what looks to be milk.

"Oh, one does not _find_ a Familiar Amanda. The Familiar... finds _you_... well, if you are _lucky_ enough to be _chosen_ by one. Jasmine found me _ages_ ago, while I was walking in the village a short way outside the palace." Bellinora looks down at her hands and says sadly, "That seems like a _lifetime_ ago now."

After a pause, Bellinora looks up smiling and continues, "Jasmine told me she had been _watching_ me for weeks, before making her decision to seek _Bonding_ with me.

"You see, there is a _very_ special connection between one and their Familiar. It is a _Wizitch_ Bond, which will actually connect the _soul_ of the Familiar, with their _Chosen_. Being a _very_ smart feline, and not really being _sure_ about me, she asked me if I would consent to a _trial_ Bond of one year. I was _thrilled_ , and gladly accepted.

"As soon as the Bond was made, we felt an _immediate_ oneness. It was not _two_ weeks later that she asked if I would _accept_ her as my Familiar, _permanently_. I have _never_ forgotten that day, and I will _always_ be most _grateful_ , for the _honor_ to Bond with her."

Jasmine stops drinking and sits up. She and Bellinora lock eyes for a moment. Jasmine tilts her head slightly and begins to purr.

"Jasmine and I have been _together_ ever since, and have traveled extensively. A Familiar... _assists_ their chosen in any way they can. And through the Bond, the _Familiar_ takes on _many_ of the powers of their Chosen. Jasmine is a _pretty_ powerful Familiar."

Jasmine tilts her head again and mews several times, then rolling her head up, nose in the air, looks back at the kids and purrs.

Bellinora laughs saying, " _Sorry_. Jasmine says that she is a _very_ power Familiar, and that she likes to be _scratched_ on her head, _behind_ her ears, and _along_ her back, should _any_ of you get the urge to do so."

Sadie giggles, scoots her way off the couch, runs to Jasmine, and begins scratching her behind her ears and along her back. Jasmine _lifts_ her head, arches her back, and purrs _loudly_ as everyone laughs.

After laughing along with the others, Bellinora says, "Now, if you do _not_ mind, I would _really_ like to know what brings you here Amanda."

Amanda glances nervously to the others, then looking at Bellinora, reaches up with both hands into the top of her robe.

"Well... _this_ actually," and flips the necklace out from under her robe.

After the _slightest_ hesitation, Bellinora gives a loud _cry_ as her eyes fly wide. _Jumping_ from the chair, she takes several _staggering_ steps to the side, then stands back behind the chair, clamping _both_ hands over her mouth.

Jasmine _leaps_ from the pedestal with a cry of her own, then _shoots_ down the long tunnel and out of sight, leaving poor _Sadie_ standing frozen in place, her hand still where it was while scratching Jasmine's back.

All the kids _jumped_ to their feet as well, Anastasia and Cassandrea _dumping_ the plates on the floor from their lap. Thian jumped up _so_ quickly and moved away _so_ fast, that he knocked the _table_ over that held their _drinks_ , sending their contents across the floor and soaking into the _wonderful_ rug.

Amanda jumped to her feet as well, looking even _more_ frightened than anyone else.

Bellinora looks as though she may _faint_ , eyes still wide and _staring_ at the necklace around Amanda's neck, the color _completely_ gone from her beautiful face.

"What... what _about_ her necklace?" Cassandrea stutters swallowing hard. "It's _just_ some pretty _necklace_ is all. It's not _real_ you know... Amanda _said_ so herself."

"She _lied_ ," Tianna says calmly, bending to pick up her plate and scattered sandwich. "Thian, help me clean this up would you?"

Bellinora seems to come out of her frozen, _shocked_ state, waves her hand and _all_ the plates, _sandwiches_ and drinks disappear. The tables jump back to their upright positions, and _new_ plates, sandwiches and drinks reappear, the floor and rug, once again _spotless_.

"Soooo... I guess you _recognize_ what this is then?" Amanda asks touching the necklace.

Bellinora quickly regains her composure, rounds her chair slowly, motioning for everyone to sit. She takes her seat _just_ as Jasmine trots around the corner of the tunnel, a small _rolled_ up scroll in her teeth. Trotting over to Bellinora, Jasmine jumps up onto Bellinora's lap, drops the scroll and _hisses_ as she turns to look at Amanda, the _hair_ on her back _bristling_ as her tail flicks from side to side, _slapping_ Bellinora _repeatedly_ in the face.

" _Settle_ ," Bellinora says softly to Jasmine, who then curls up in Bellinora's lap, never taking her eyes from Amanda's necklace.

Bellinora stares intently into Amanda's eyes, then to the necklace, then back into Amanda's pleading eyes.

After a few tense heartbeats, Bellinora picks up the scroll then hesitates, taking a _steadying_ breath. Unrolling the scroll, she begins to read _silently_ to herself. The only thing Amanda can _hear_ , is her _own_ heavy breathing, and that of the others, as well as the _crackling_ from the logs in the fireplace.

Slowly, Bellinora looks up from the scroll, then stands. Turning, she walks to a wall with _hundreds_ of bottles packed tightly together. Without a word or _sound_ , she _rises_ off the ground to a height of about _twenty_ -five feet. The kids all _gasp_ , nervously looking from one to the other, as the woman continues _floating_ up the wall.

"Stutterin' _Snorkrats_!" Anastasia says as she watches Bellinora floating higher up the shelves. Then in a lower voice says, "She's... she's a _Wizress_!"

"She's a... _what_?" Amanda asks in a whisper, turning to Anastasia.

"A _Wizress_!" Tianna answers in a low whisper. Amanda turns to look at Tianna as Tianna continues. "Remember when we all told you about what you call _Magic_ , or _Magick_ with the 'k' on the end, where _you_ come from? And about the _difference_ between a wizard, _sorcerer_ and a sorceress? That the most _evil_ wizards, who call upon the _Dark_ side of Wizitch, and use _evil_ spirits to do their bidding, were called _sorcerers_ if they were male, and a _sorceress_ if they were female?"

"Yeah..."

"Well," Tia begins softly as she looks around Tianna, "on the _Light_ side of Wizitch... the _good_ side... the most _powerful_ witches, who have _all_ the powers of the _greatest_ wizard, _plus_ , all the abilities of the most powerful _witch_ , are called a _Wizress_. It's kind of like the _Light_ sides word for a _good_ sorceress.

"I've read and _heard_ about them of course, but they're _extremely_ rare. It seems their _abilities_ are passed from _generation_ to generation in their genes. It's actually become _part_ of their DNA."

Watching Bellinora float to another shelf, Tia whispers, "Although, it's not like she's shooting _bolts_ from just her _hands_ or anything, which only a _true_ Wizress can do. But, she _is_ floating without a broom or _wand_ , and she didn't say a _word_ either. So... I think she _could_ be one... maybe."

Bellinora searches through the bottles on a shelf for a moment, before retrieving an old dusty green one. Studying it for a moment, she floats to the right as she descends several feet to another shelf.

Rummaging around in _that_ shelf, she retrieves another bottle, then floats around the room collecting several more bottles of various colors, _slipping_ them into pockets within her gleaming robe. She then drifts to the cavern floor, turns and walks to a table that has a small _cauldron_ sitting on it. Placing the bottles on the table, she waves her hand and a _bright_ blue flame _bursts_ into view beneath the cauldron. After several minutes, while Bellinora intently studies the writing on the scroll, Amanda sees _steam_ rising from the inside of the cauldron.

Everyone is scared, but _transfixed_ as they watch Bellinora. No one speaks - just sit and watch, looking occasionally at one another with worried or _wonderstruck_ expressions.

Bellinora puts the _carefully_ measured contents from several bottles into the cauldron. Each time something is added, there is a _flash_ of various colors, accompanied by a _hiss_. Bellinora is mumbling something as she stirs, first in _one_ direction for some number of turns, then in the _opposite_ direction, counting aloud the number of turns. Lifting the last bottle, she uncorks it, and a _greenish_ vapor begins to rise. She tips the bottle and _pours_ the contents into the cauldron.

There is a brilliant _flash_ of green light from the cauldron, along with a _deafening_ clap of thunder. Amanda and the others _jump_ to their feet, once _again_ knocking sandwiches from their laps, and turning over the tables.

Bright green vapor _swirls_ up out of the cauldron, like a green _tornado_ , the wider crown _tilting_ from side to side as it continues to rise, reaching some _three_ feet above the lip of the cauldron. The upper portion of the vapor _billows_ out, as the tornado begins to settle into a kind of _upside_ -down tear drop shape, the vapor winding and _twisting_ down into the cauldron.

Bellinora is standing right in front of the cauldron, so Amanda has a _hard_ time seeing the mist clearly. In a moment though, tilting her head to look around Bellinora's side slightly, Amanda sees what _looks_ like the back of a women's _head_ appear in the wide upper portion of the _mist_ -like vapor. "Looks like long flowing _hair_ too," she thinks.

Everyone's eyes are locked on the wavering hair within the mist. Their jaws _drop_ , watching completely _dumbstruck_ , as the head begins to turn, and the _distinct_ profile of a woman's _face_ comes into view. Amanda can only blink, as she watches _wide_ -eyed, as the face turns slowly to look at Bellinora.

Amanda's eyes grow even wider, as her jaw drops further, when she _hears_ a voice within the mist ask, " _Why_ have you summoned me daughter? What has _happened_?"

"Mother, I need your help. I _believe_ it has been found, after _all_ these millennia! And, I believe I _truly_ know _who_ the Wielder is... and she has brought... some _special_ friends... along with others. _Please_ , do _not_ reveal what I fear you will soon _suspect_... as _I_ do.

"Mother, I _need_ your help in authenticating... the _Artifact_ , _before_ we hear their story as to _how_ it was found, and how... _she_ was _allowed_ to put it on. Mother... I believe the _Necklace of Power_... has been _found_ at last!"

Bellinora steps aside and Amanda watches as the green face turns from Bellinora, and looks at all of the _startled_ kids. As the eyes move from one to the other, in a _flash_ , the eyes land on Amanda, shooting _wide_ with recognition.

The face gives a _cry_ of surprise, then a look of _fear_ , as the eyes _lock_ onto the necklace. This of course, makes _everyone_ frightened, and Amanda quickly looks to her friends, whose eyes are as _wide_ as hers, all _clutching_ one another, faces drained of color.

"Daughter... could it _truly_ be?" the face asks looking intently at the necklace around Amanda's neck. Then slowly, as the wavering face looks harder, says, "Yes, it _does_ indeed look like... the _Artifact_!"

The face looks into Amanda's eyes. For a long moment, Amanda and the eyes in the green mist lock onto one another. The eyes within the mist _again_ go wide, then _snap_ around to look at Bellinora.

Bellinora nods saying, "Yes, _I_ think so too... but say _nothing_! And that is not all..." Bellinora turns to look back to the frightened kids and nods toward them.

The face looks at the couch where Sadie, Anastasia and Cassandrea are now standing, holding _tightly_ to one another, looking as though they may _bolt_ from the cavern at any moment.

The face studies each of them for a moment, then settles on the _frightened_ Sadie. The face looks Sadie over _very_ carefully, then looks at Bellinora for a brief moment.

Bellinora smiles, and nods. With a slight tilt of her head, she motions toward the others. The weaving face slowly turns back and looks to the couch where Thian, Tianna and Tia are holding onto one another, Thian in front.

In an _instant_ , the eyes within the mist _lock_ on Thian's for a long moment, and her _misty_ jaw drops. The face then slowly turns to look at Tianna, hesitates, then looks at Tia, studying their faces intently. "Great _Mother_ of Creation... it is not _possible_..." the stunned face turns back to look at Bellinora, " _Is_ it?"

"I do not know mother, but _you_ see it too, _don't_ you?"

"Yes... _yes_ I do! But _how_? And _how_ in all the ways of _Wizitch_ could this have _happened_? And the _Necklace of Power_? On... _her_? Why... she is just a _child_! How would this even be _possible_?"

"Again, I do not know. But _first_ , we need to know if that truly _is_ the _Necklace of Power_. Mother... _one_ more thing," Bellinora hesitates, looking to Jasmine for a moment, then says, "Josh and _Sam_ are the ones who _sent_ her here to meet me. To ask for... _my_ help!"

The face in the mist _snaps_ around so quickly, it sends up a _huge_ swirl of green vapor that, for a moment, makes the face become _completely_ distorted and elongated. The face soon regains its _wavering_ shape, looking with surprise at Bellinora. "Josh... and _Sam_?" The face turns to Amanda and the others. " _They_ know Josh and Sam? _How_? From _where_?" The face swirls and looks back to Bellinora. "Are you _sure_ dear?"

"Yes mother. They had... _this_..." and holds up the ring that Amanda had given her.

Even through the constantly moving and _distorting_ green mist, Amanda can see that the face looks _shocked_ as it sees the ring resting in Bellinora's outstretched hand.

"I have _already_ verified it mother... it _is_ his. And this ring, along with _Josh_ and Sam sending them here...leads me to believe the _necklace_ will be the real thing too. But we need to be _sure_ before going any further - _before_ we hear their story. We need to know, if it is _indeed_ the _Necklace of Power_... how _strong_ the bond between _she_ and the necklace have already become. Will you help me?"

The wavering face looks at the frightened kids standing at the edges of the couches, then to Amanda, and at Amanda's necklace.

Giving what Amanda thinks is a slight smile, eyes _filled_ with wonder, the voice from the mist says softly, "You could not _keep_ me from it."

#  The Test

To TOC

Bellinora nods to the face, then turns to the children. "Please, take your seats and _calm_ yourselves. As I have said, I will not hurt _any_ of you..."

Then looking at Amanda, says, "If it can _possibly_ be helped that is. Please, _sit_." Bellinora waves her hand and the spilled drinks, scattered sandwiches and _lapkins_ vanish. The tables are restored to their upright positions, as new _drinks_ , sandwiches and _lapkins_ reappear, the floor and rug, once again _spotless_.

The kids slowly return to their seats, but _this_ time, Sadie _hurries_ over to take a seat next to Tianna, and leans against her, while taking Tianna's hand in hers. This leaves Anastasia and _Cassandrea_ on the other couch by themselves. Amanda looks around nervously at the others, then taking her seat, looks back to Bellinora.

"Before we get started, I would like to _introduce_ you all to my mother, _Ellanya_ , who passed away _many_ years ago. She now appears in her _spirit_ form, whenever I need her help... which has been _often_ over the ages." Bellinora smiles at Ellanya, who smiles and seems _somehow_ to shrug, though without any _shoulders_ to do so.

"And now mother, I would like to introduce _you_ to our guests... please say _naught_ , and try _not_ to react if possible."

Bellinora turns toward the right hand couch, smiles and says, "May I present to you, Miss _Cassandrea_ and Miss Anastasia."

Ellanya gives what _appears_ to be a bow, and says, "An _honor_ to meet you ladies."

Anastasia and Cassandrea, still frightened, look nervously to one another for a brief moment, then Anastasia says, "Uh, hi. Pleased to, um, meet _you_ too." Cassandrea swallows hard and says, "Yeah, hi. Are you _really_ dead?" the face just gives a thin smile, and nods.

"And now mother, I would like to introduce you to the one who _seeks_ our help. Miss... _Amanda_."

Amanda is watching Ellanya, waving around in the _vapor_ coming from the cauldron, when her name is spoken. Ellanya's eyes grow _wide_ as her mouth opens slightly. Amanda and Ellanya lock eyes. A few seconds pass before Amanda says softly, "It's a _pleasure_ to meet you Ellanya."

Then bowing forward, Amanda says, "May the _valleys_ you now walk, forever be _green_ , and the _Great_ Mother watch over you."

Everyone turns to look at Amanda, who has just straightened from her low bow, and who has a rather _startled_ expression on her face. Bellinora and Ellanya turn to face one another for a moment, then turn back to look at the startled Amanda.

"And may the _Lord_ of the Elves watch over you child," Ellanya says with what must be a bow of her own.

"Interesting. And _now_ mother," Bellinora says slowly, "it is my _pleasure_ to introduce you to..." Bellinora pauses while she and Ellanya focus on little Sadie, who looks like a _trapped_ animal. Bellinora then says with a smile, "Jasmine's _favorite_ guest... who gives _excellent_ head scratches I am told... Miss _Sadie_."

It seems to Amanda, that there is an _extensive_ pause, then Sadie, clinging tightly to Tianna's arm says, " _Hi_ Ellanya. Nice to _see_ you. I _like_ Jasmine... she's soft like _Puddles_ , and a good _purrer_ too."

Bellinora and Ellanya both laugh, making the others laugh nervously too, somewhat breaking the tension.

For a few moments, Ellanya's eyes _fix_ on Sadie's. Ellanya's face then changes into an _odd_ expression Amanda does not recognize. Ellanya says, "It is an _honor_ to have one of the _mighty_ Keptic in our presence."

Ellanya seems to lean forward within the vapor, her eyes narrowing and her expression becoming more serious. She then looks _hard_ at Sadie and says, "Té Äl Tiesta Öu!"

Sadie _stiffens_ , eyes _wide_ as she clings so tightly to Tianna, Tianna cries, " _Ouch_! Sadie, your _fingernails_." Sadie relaxes her grip as she swallows hard, looking down at the table in front of her. After a brief moment, Sadie looks back up into Ellanya's eyes.

Amanda turns and asks Anastasia in a whisper, "Do _you_ know what, Té Äl Tiesta Öu means?

"Yeah, well, I _think_ anyway. It's in an even _more_ ancient witch language than the ones I spoke, and _you_ all learned before, when you did... _whatever_ it was you did. I learned it a few years ago. But what she _said_ doesn't make any sense. It means, 'I _know_ what you are, your _secret_ is safe.' I mean, of _course_ she knows what she is. She's _Keptic_. But _what_ secret?"

When Amanda looks back at Ellanya, she notices that Ellanya and Sadie have locked eyes, and are now _intensely_ focused on one another, both unblinking.

Soon, Ellanya shakes her head, smiles and speaking very slowly and kindly says, "No... you _do_ not child. You have _nothing_ to prove to _anyone_ , and need not try. You need not _atone_ for what your _ancestors_ have done. You are _not_ as they were.

"You are of a _greater_ meld... but the _struggle_ to maintain the _Light_ , will forever be a _burden_ for you. _I_ believe, you _have_ chosen the right path. I _think_..."

Bellinora quickly says, "And sitting _next_ to Sadie, I would like to present, Miss _Tianna_ , and her... _sister_... Tia."

"That's odd," Amanda thinks, "I don't think we ever said _anything_ about them being _sisters_. _Did_ we?"

Ellanya turns, her eyes resting on the two girls. The hesitation, and _something_ in Ellanya's eyes, make _Amanda_ turn to look at Tianna and Tia, as do the others. Amanda then looks back to Ellanya.

With an odd smile, Ellanya says, "It is a _pleasure_ to... _meet_ you, Tianna, Tia."

"The pleasure is _ours_ ," Tianna says bowing, Tia following her lead.

"And now mother, may I introduce... Master _Thian_."

Amanda watches as the eyes within the waving vapor shoot _wide_ for the slightest moment, then return to a somewhat _forced_ , but smiling face, which clearly bows low. "It is a _great_ pleasure to be in your presence... _Master_ Thian."

Thian bows, and with a smile says, "The _pleasure_ , Ellanya, is that _you_ , honor _us_ with your presence. _I_ am at your service."

Ellanya now gives a genuine, _warm_ smile to Thian, then turns to Bellinora. "I cannot _wait_ to hear the story behind _this_! Let us _test_ the _Artifact_ and see if... well, if it really _is_ the _Necklace of Power_."

Bellinora nods, and turning to Amanda says, "Amanda, would you step over _here_ please. It is alright, _come_... please stand over _here_ with Ellanya and I."

Amanda gets up slowly, looking to Thian and the others. She slowly walks to where Bellinora is standing next to Ellanya, who studies her carefully. Amanda is then led to stand about four feet from them.

Ellanya studies the necklace very carefully, and says, "It matches the _description_ to the letter. If you will _position_ her please dear."

Amanda walks with Bellinora some distance from where Ellanya is still _waving_ in the vapor, Ellanya _clearly_ scrutinizing each _nuance_ of Amanda's every movement.

Bellinora turns to face Ellanya asking, "Is _this_ all right mother?"

"Yes, that will do dear. Please step _away_ from her and make ready."

Bellinora steps away, then looking to the other children says, "Would you all stand and move to the far side of the room please?" As they stand, Bellinora waves her hand. The tables, _chairs_ , couches, drinks and _sandwiches_ vanish, leaving only a very large open floor.

"Uh... _ready_?" Amanda asks with a shaking voice, watching her friends move toward one of the huge shelves. "Ready for... _what_?"

"Just _try_ to relax Amanda," Bellinora says as she steps several more yards from her. "We need to _try_ a few things, to be sure the necklace you wear _is_ the real thing... which for everyone's sake, especially _yours_ , I truly hope is _not_.

"Amanda, would you take the necklace _off_ please," Bellinora says evenly.

"I've already _tried_. _Lots_ of times. But it won't _come_ off. We even tried to _cut_ it off, but nothing happened. It didn't even get _scratched_."

Bellinora and Ellanya exchange looks, then Bellinora says, "Would you try _again_ please, so we may observe for ourselves."

Amanda blinks a couple times, then grabs the necklace with both hands and begins to lift it up. It _instantly_ appears to shrink tighter around her the higher she lifts it, until it is simply _too_ tight to get up over her head. She pulls and _tugs_ hard, but it simply will not come off. When she lets it go, it once again _lengthens_ , and drapes nicely around her neck.

Again, Bellinora and Ellanya look to one another, but give no change in their even expression.

"Thank you Amanda. Alright. Should we do the _language_ test now mother?"

"It may not be necessary to start that close to the _top_ of the list dear. With what we have seen already, and since Josh and _Sam_ sent her here... I think we can _skip_ ahead a good deal. May I choose _where_ to begin dear?"

Bellinora nods.

Ellanya looks at Amanda and asks, "Do you know what the... _Kroyorestiana_ is?"

A jolt _shoots_ through Amanda, making her involuntarily _stiffen_ , as she gives a little shudder. "No..."

"Did you _catch_ that dear? The little _flash_ in her eyes and the _stiffening_?" Ellanya asks leaning forward, the vapor making her face distort. "Ready _dear_?" Ellanya asks.

Bellinora nods, turning to look intently at Amanda.

The way Bellinora and Ellanya are focused on her, Thian thinks Amanda looks like she has been asked for the _answer_ to a question she has not _studied_ for, and has now been asked to the _front_ of the class to answer it.

Ellanya's face suddenly changes to one of _intense_ concentration. She closes her eyes and begins _mumbling_ something Amanda cannot quite hear.

Thian watches as a _long_ wooden staff appears from thin air behind Amanda. It begins to _whip_ around as though an invisible _martial_ artist is controlling it.

Amanda's hair starts to _rise_ off her back, and begins trailing slightly out behind her, as she stares fixedly at Ellanya.

" _All_ of you... get _back_ against that far back wall! Place your backs _flat_ against it, and _stay_ there... _move_!" Bellinora commands.

They did _not_ have to be told twice. The kids run to the far side of the room where there is a blank wall, and gather close to one another, backs pressed hard against the wall. All are looking from Amanda, to the twirling staff behind her, to Bellinora and Ellanya... then _back_ to Amanda.

Ellanya opens her eyes, an expression of _intense_ anger, which _scares_ the kids terribly.

Turning her head slightly to the side, Ellanya's brows _narrow_ as she focuses on the staff. The staff begins to move _quickly_ to one side. As Amanda turns to follow it, Bellinora waves her hand and Amanda's wand _shoots_ out of its pouch, soars across the room, and _lands_ in Bellinora's opened hand. Amanda did not even _try_ to grab it.

The staff _snaps_ forward to _strike_ Amanda as her friends cry out in surprise.

Amanda's hair shoots _straight_ up and behind her, snapping _violently_ in some unseen wind storm. Amanda quickly _spins_ to the side, doing two _full_ circular spins. Then, just stands there, looking at the whipping staff doing figure eights, her arms still at her sides.

"What's _happening_?" Cassandrea asks Tianna who is on one side of her, her voice trembling.

"I don't really _know_. But get ready for _quite_ a show... this _should_ get interesting... _belieeeeve_ me."

Bellinora waves her hand, and a pail blue, _semi_ -transparent wall instantly _surrounds_ the room, about two feet in front of the startled children. All the kids put their hands out and _press_ against the transparent wall, which stretches from _floor_ to ceiling, making a _complete_ circle around the room. Bellinora _and_ Ellanya are behind the wall as well. Only _Amanda_ and the staff are on the other side, within the large room.

It looks to Thian, as if the floating staff and Amanda are in some kind of _arena_ , ready to do battle.

"What _is_ this?" Cassandrea asks frantically, pushing hard against the transparent wall.

"Some kind of _energy_ shield spell, I _think_ ," Thian says as he watches another staff materialize at Amanda's feet.

Amanda bends slowly, her eyes never leaving the spinning staff. She picks up the long staff and seems to _test_ its balance in her hands. When she turns to follow the other, _constantly_ moving staff, Thian looks at Amanda's face. "By the _moons_... look at her _eyes_."

Tia and Tianna let out a short cry, as they look at Amanda's stone-like expression, then to her eyes.

" _Uh_ oh," Tianna says softly. "The _last_ time they were violet..." she looks first to Tia, then to Thian. They both nod, remembering the _wild_ things Amanda had done before, when she had somehow _connected_ to the powers within of the necklace.

The whipping staff comes to a still hover a short distance in front of Amanda. The kids find themselves looking between the staff and Amanda. No one _moves_ , no one says a word... too frightened to do anything but _stare_ at Amanda.

Amanda moves into some kind of stance. She begins whipping her own staff in a _blurring_ figure eight several times, using only her right hand. She then whips it to her right side, lifting the staff above her head. She spins in a _complete_ circle in one direction, with the _staff_ spinning quickly over her head in the _opposite_ direction in her flattened palm. Amanda then _somehow_ , drops low, into an _aggressive_ stance, the staff coming to rest in both hands.

The jaws _drop_ on Thian, Tia and Tianna. Sadie, Anastasia and Cassandrea not only have their _eyes_ popping and mouths completely open, they are clearly _stunned_ , and _very_ frightened.

Thian looks at Bellinora, just in time to see her nod to Ellanya. Ellanya turns, her face changing into one of _intense_ concentration.

The floating staff _jumps_ to the side, arcs low, _striking_ at Amanda's ankles. Amanda does a complete _back_ flip, _high_ into the air, landing on her feet where she is _immediately_ attacked again.

The kids _gasp_ as one, riveted in place, watching, as in a _blur_ , the floating staff strikes _again_ and again at Amanda from _every_ conceivable angle. Amanda is whipping her staff _so_ fast to counter the blows, they can _hardly_ see it. But they can hear the _horrifying_ strikes as the two staffs repeatedly _slam_ into one another with _crushing_ force.

Amanda is _jumping_ , flipping, _diving_ and rolling. At one point, Amanda avoids being hit by the staff, from the _phantom_ wielder, by _tossing_ her spinning staff high in the air away and behind her, while doing several rapid _back_ flips, leaping _high_ into the air, _catching_ her staff... still spinning... _lands_ and stands there with a _blank_ look on her face.

After no more than several _heartbeats_ , the blurring attacks begin again. After only four more minutes, as Amanda has flipped _high_ in the air, landing once again _lightly_ on her feet after doing a _spectacular_ fully _twisting_ aerial maneuver, the _phantom_ wielder stops spinning the staff, and the staff glides several yards back.

In a _brilliant_ flash, as the floating staff vanishes, followed by Amanda's. Amanda turns to face Ellanya, standing there as if she is _bored_. With Amanda's eyes now resting on Ellanya, Amanda gives a slight _forward_ tilt of her head, as if saying, " _Really_... can't you do any better than _that_?"

"Where did Amanda learn to _do_ all... _that_?" Cassandrea asks with a frightened voice. "Who the heck _is_ she anyway?" Then looking to Thian, "Did _you_ know she could do all _this_?"

Thian does not answer. He is transfixed at the _complete_ change in Amanda. It is very clear, that _this_ is not the Amanda _he_ knows. _His_ Amanda, when he had first met her, was very shy and had _little_ self-confidence. She is the _kindest_ , most _gentle_ person he knows... next to Tia, who does her _best_ never to hurt anyone or anything. The Amanda Thian knows, would not _hurt_ anyone either, if she did not _have_ to. Amanda is someone who has become a _fierce_ friend, and would give _all_ she has to help others.

This is _not_ the Amanda he knows at all. He now knows for _sure_ , that it is the _necklace_ controlling Amanda. It has somehow _awakened_ , and has _taken_ over her body. _It_ is controlling _her_... not the other way around.

Thian looks to this new Amanda, standing there with her hair _snapping_ like thousands of tiny _whips_ , sticking out and slightly above her head. The sight of her _standing_ there, not moving, but the sound of her hair _snapping_ in some unseen violent windstorm, is enough to instill _bone_ shaking fear in all.

A gleaming, _curved_ , razor sharp, _double_ edged long sword materializes out of thin air, floating about fifteen feet away from Amanda. It begins to whip around, then starts to circle Amanda.

Amanda has not moved. She is still looking intently at Ellanya, with an odd crooked smile.

_Another_ long sword appears right in front of Amanda's chest. Amanda takes it with her _left_ hand, and lowers it slowly, where it comes to rest at her side.

Thian turns to Tianna saying, " _What's_ she doing? She's _right_ handed. I've never seen her use her _left_ hand for much of _anything_ before. Have _you_?"

"No. _Never_. _This_ should be interesting."

The phantom wielder of the sword has moved directly behind Amanda, about five feet away. The blade is now floating in a vertical position, blade up.

In a _flash_ , the sword flips around in a complete circle and _strikes_ at the top center of Amanda's skull. Amanda quickly _spins_ around, parrying the blow easily, sending the blade to one side, as she quickly _pulls_ her sword in tight to her body, hilt at her waist, blade pointing straight up, and does three _quick_ full turning circular steps to the side.

Lowering her sword to her left side once again, she faces Ellanya and gives a kind of short bow, then turns to face the phantom wielder of the other blade.

The floating sword begins a _frightening_ flurry of attacks, parries and retreats. The blades are flashing _so_ fast, Tianna can no longer tell _whose_ blade belongs to whom. The sound of the blades _slamming_ into one another, send up what looks like electrical _sparks_ – sending _chills_ through everyone.

Sadie is crying and clinging _tightly_ to Tianna yelling, "Make them _stop_! Make them _stop_!"

Amanda is quickly _parrying_ the phantom wielders sword, as she is forced back, _right_ into the wall where Thian, Tianna and Sadie are standing. Anastasia and Cassandrea are huddled right beside them. As Amanda presses her back against the glowing shield wall _right_ where Thian is standing, Amanda _snaps_ her head to the right, _just_ as the point of the phantoms sword passes her ear, and _strikes_ the shield _directly_ in front of Thian's stunned face.

Thian's eyes _fly_ wide, as his eyes _cross_ for an instant, looking at where the blade would have struck him, _square_ between the eyes. Before Thian can react, Amanda has stepped to the side. The phantom wielders sword seems to be _stuck_ in the shield for a moment, but then pulls free, and _once_ again, the phantoms blade _strikes_ at Amanda. She _twists_ her body sharply. The razor sharp point passes her by, _slamming_ into the transparent shield, right where the _center_ of Tianna's chest is, only inches away.

As Amanda and the spinning phantoms blade quickly move away, Thian and Tianna lock _terrified_ eyes, clutching tightly to each other, with Sadie _still_ clinging onto Tianna's leg. They quickly turn back to watch the continuing battle.

After a good three minutes of unending _fury_ , Amanda _jumps_ into the air, doing a very _tight_ forward flip. She brings the sword in her left hand down _so_ quickly, and with _so_ much force, it _snaps_ the other sword cleanly in half, sending up a _brilliant_ flash of red and orange sparks.

The front half of the severed sword _whirls_ through the air, then strikes and _sticks_ in the shield wall, mere _inches_ away from Bellinora's heart.

Amanda looks at the frightened Thian and Tianna, then to the tiny Sadie, whose tears are _streaming_ down her little face, chin quivering.

Thian looks into Amanda's _piercing_ , brilliant violet eyes, which seem to look right _through_ him. Amanda turns to Ellanya with a slight smile on her face.

After throwing down her sword, Amanda's sword and both parts of the broken one vanish. Holding her hands up and slightly in front of her, Amanda shrugs, as though asking, "Is that _all_ you've got old woman?"

"By the _Flames_ of Reann," Anastasia says in a daze. "I've never seen _anyone_ like her. I didn't know anyone could _move_ that fast. And her _gymnastics_ are... _unbelievable_!"

Thian watches as Ellanya seems to give an angry snarl, then looks slightly to the side of Amanda.

A sphere of around _ten_ inches suddenly appears just to the left of Amanda. The sphere is composed of _nothing_ but radiating electrical discharges, inside what _looks_ like a _clear_ crystal ball, flashing like _thousands_ of tiny bolts of lightning. The bolts are a _brilliant_ blue-white, the electrical discharges making a horrible _sizzling_ and _snapping_ sound, causing the hair on Thian's neck to stand up.

"Is... is _that_ what I _think_ it is?" Tia asks no one in particular.

"Yeah. I think it _is_ ," Anastasia says with a shaky voice. "But, I've only _read_ about them, in one of the old books on _weapons_ of the Ancients.

I think it's known as _Thor's_ Destroyer. I read that it's supposed to be able to penetrate _any_ armor or _shield_ , and will completely _vaporize_ what it strikes. It said it leaves _no_ trace behind either. You... you don't _really_ think they're going to use it on _Amanda_ do you?!"

Amanda looks at the brilliant electrical bolts _snapping_ and sizzling within the slowly rotating crystal ball, floating slightly to one side. Instantly, the slightly glowing _silver_ bubble Thian, Tianna, Tia and _Sadie_ had seen around Amanda several times before, appears.

Turning around, Amanda looks back to her friends for a moment. She is only a couple feet away from them. Her bright _violet_ eyes actually seem to be pulsing a kind of _light_ of their own. Amanda turns, walking away from them, back to the very center of the room.

Bellinora and Ellanya exchange a quick glance. Amanda turns away from the ball slightly, to look _directly_ at Ellanya and Bellinora. Ellanya focuses intently on the snapping ball. Amanda looks over her shoulder, looking at the ball as well, watching it spin _faster_ and faster. Amanda then turns completely around, facing the sizzling ball, and simply _crosses_ her arms.

"What's she _doing_?!" Sadie screams, clearly shaking. "She doesn't have anything to _defend_ herself with! This isn't _fair_! Can't we _do_...?"

The snapping ball, filled with bolts of _sizzling_ lightning, shoots forward and _strikes_ Amanda's silver bubble. The kids _scream_ as a _tremendous_ flash causes them to clamp their eyes shut and turn away. The entire cavern _shakes_ violently, books and other items falling from shelves. Even through the _Wizitched_ , transparent shield wall, the vaporizing _heat_ is almost unbearable.

Thian, feeling as though he may actually _burst_ into flames for a moment, slowly opens his tear-filled eyes, quickly wipes his eyes on his sleeve, then looks to where he had last seen Amanda. The spot is nothing but _millions_ of sparks of various colors.

Thian screams, " _Noooo_!"

The other kids open their eyes, and look to where they had last seen Amanda. They too are crying loudly, completely _stunned_ and horrified at what they have just witnessed.

Sadie buries her face into Tianna's leg, and is crying _harder_ than any of them. The others watch, _shaken_ to their very core, as the sparks begin to _thin_ and dissolve near the top, but _no_ Amanda is to be seen.

"You _killed_ her!" Tianna screams rounding on Bellinora and Ellanya. "You _murdered_ her... we _trusted_ you!"

Sadie turns her tiny head to the side, and as she looks at the dissipating sparks now nearing the floor, turns _fully_ around, points her little arm and yells, "Look! She's _there_! Look!"

Everyone looks intensely at the rapidly thinning sparks, slowly beginning to clear as they descend. Thian, wipes his tears once again on his sleeve, and stares in _disbelief_ as Amanda's form comes _clearly_ into view. She is _sitting_ crossed legged on the floor, her elbows resting on her legs, her chin _calmly_ resting in her hands.

Thian turns to look to Tianna, who has her mouth fully open, eyes wide, filled with tears, staring at the calmly sitting Amanda.

Amanda slowly gets to her feet, _snaps_ her fingers, and the silver bubble disappears.

Ellanya turns to Bellinora with a rather _worried_ , but _satisfied_ expression, then nods.

Bellinora nods her understanding back, then waves her hand. The protective wall around the room vanishes. The _second_ it does, Amanda turns to look to the kids, as though checking to see that they are alright.

Bellinora lunges _forward_ and low, with _both_ her hands shooting out quickly in front of her, palms forward. Two golden, _shimmering_ globes of _fire_ burst forth from her outstretched palms, one from each palm. A moment after the globes leave her palms, two _more_ burst from them and shoot toward Amanda, followed by two _more_ , then two _more_ \- eight globes in total.

Amanda _snaps_ around when the first two globes reach her. This is the _first_ time Amanda looks _startled_ and confused.

Just as the _first_ two globes reach Amanda, they _combine_ and burst into a large, _vertical_ , _flaming_ circular ring, like a large _hoop_. The hoop is about ten inches thick. The hoop quickly _flips_ up over Amanda's head, and slides down her form, in a _horizontal_ position. It slides down to about the height of her ankles.

The _next_ two balls have combined in a brilliant flash, forming another flaming hoop, which _whips_ over Amanda and rapidly _drops_ to about the height of her knees.

The next two globes _burst_ into another flaming hoop, flip over Amanda's head as Amanda holds out her arms like she is trying to _push_ it away. It simply slides _through_ her arms and goes to her chest.

The last two globes _burst_ , form a _flaming_ hoop, and flip over Amanda's head.

Thian and the others watch in stunned _horror_ , as the four flaming hoops begin _rising_ and dropping through one another, from Amanda's _head_ , to her ankle. Over and _over_ , faster and faster they change position.

Amanda actually looks _frightened_ now, and somewhat _frantic_. Her head is snapping _up_ and down, like trying to find a way _out_. Soon, her entire _body_ begins to grow rigid, then begins shaking _violently_ , as though she is having _seizure_.

" _Stop_ it!" Thian screams. " _Stop_ it! You're _killing_ her!"

Ellanya and Bellinora are intently focused on Amanda, and do not see Thian nudge Tianna as he pulls his wand. Tianna glances at Thian, nods and draws her own.

" _NOW_!" Thian yells. Both Thian and Tianna fire two _quick_ bolts each at Bellinora, who is standing _calmly_ watching Amanda shake like a _rag_ doll.

Holding her right hand up, with a couple quick _slapping_ motions of her wrist, all _four_ bolts are deflected, striking the ground harmlessly to her side in _thousands_ of sparks. She does not even _turn_ around to face them.

In another few moments, the flaming hoops around Amanda suddenly _vanish_. Amanda remains standing for a few heartbeats, then _drops_ to the floor and does not move.

Thian, Tianna, Tia and Sadie shoot forward toward Amanda. Thian again screaming, " _Noooo_! You _killed_ her! Amanda! Please... _Amanda_... No!"

Thian drops to his knees on one side of Amanda, Tianna and Sadie on the other. With tears _streaming_ down their faces, Thian looks at Amanda's limp body. With his chin _quivering_ as he looks at Tianna's, Tia's and Sadie's tear-streaked faces, he hears a _grown_ and snaps his head down.

"Amanda?" Thian asks touching the side of Amanda's face. "Amanda? Can you _hear_ me?"

Amanda slowly opens her eyes, seeing a blurry image begin to clear. "Thian?" she asks softly in a puzzled tone.

As her head begins to clear, Amanda looks over and sees Tianna, Tia and Sadie, all crying _hard_ , but laughing at the same time.

"What... what _happened_?" Amanda asks as Thian helps her sit up. Shaking her head again to help clear it, she asks, "Why... _why_ am I on the _ground_? Why are you all _crying_?"

Bellinora steps over and says calmly, "Please help her up, and to her seat." Bellinora waves her hand and the couches, chairs and tables once again appear, along with her own chair.

Jasmine, who has been watching near the entrance to the tunnel, scampers across the floor and jumps up onto her pedestal, where she sits watching as Thian and Tianna help the slightly wobbly Amanda to her chair.

" _Please_ , take your seats," Bellinora says calmly with a smile. "Amanda will be fine. Please, _do_ as I ask, and all take your seats." Bellinora then walks to Amanda and holds out her hand, which has Amanda's wand in it.

"That's... _mine_. How... how did _you_ get it? The last thing I remember is... you asked me if I knew some strange _word_ I didn't know."

"Do you remember feeling... _anything_... when Ellanya _said_ that word?"

Amanda thinks about it for a minute, then says, "Well, I felt a kind of... _I_ don't know, _jolt_ of some sort. That's the _last_ thing I remember."

Bellinora turns and waves her hand. The table that has the cauldron on it, begins to rise and move through the air, Ellanya's vaporous face _distorting_ as it floats closer. The table comes to rest beside Bellinora's chair.

Bellinora takes her seat and looking at Ellanya says, "Well mother, as much as I had hoped this was _not_ the _Necklace of Power_ , I am afraid we have now _proven_ that it is. It has, _indeed_ been found at last.

"But as to the story behind how _Amanda_ came to be the _Wielder_? I simply cannot _wait_ to hear.

"By the way... Thian, _Tianna_... the _next_ time you two try to fire off spells... I would _suggest_ that you do not _advertise_ so loudly, when you are going to _do_ it." She then smiles, as Thian and Tianna turn slightly red, and give weak smiles of their own while nodding.

Thian says, "Sorry. I thought you _were_ really going to kill her. I... we... _couldn't_ let you do that. We had to _try_ to stop you anyway - no matter _what_ happened."

"Of _course_ you did!" Ellanya says with a laugh. "We had expected _some_ of you might. After all, you _are_ her friends. But like we stated before, we wish to harm _no_ one, unless it is _absolutely_ necessary.

"Sorry I frightened you all, but there was _no_ time to explain what we were going to do. We needed to test the _Artifact_ , and how _Amanda_ controlled it. The thing is... it appears that the _Artifact_ was more in control of _her_ , than the other way around."

"Did I... well, _do_ something I can't remember again then?" Amanda asks turning to Thian.

" _I'll_ say! We couldn't _believe_ it! We'll _tell_ you about it later."

"Look at her _eyes_ ," Tia says softly. "One's _violet_ and the other's... bright _blue_!"

"Well, she _does_ have a way with color," Thian says with a nervous laugh.

The others laugh nervously too, and seeing her friends smiling at her, Amanda gives a weak smile herself.

Once Amanda has _assured_ everyone that she _is_ okay, Bellinora waves her hand, and once again, _sandwiches_ and drinks appear on the tables with even _more_ treats for Jasmine.

Bellinora turns to Amanda. "Well Amanda, I think it is time you give us the _full_ story. And please, leave _nothing_ out, no matter _how_ insignificant you believe it to be to you. It may after all, be _very_ important in our helping you. Do you _understand_ dear?"

Amanda smiles saying, "That's _exactly_ what Josh and _Sam_ said, when I told _them_ the whole thing. This is going to _take_ a while though, so you better get comfortable."

Jasmine lets out what sounds like a _deep_ sigh, then curls up on her padded pedestal, next to Bellinora.

Jasmine places her head between her paws, and lets out _another_ long sigh. Everyone laughs.

#  Amanda's Story

To TOC

Amanda begins, "Well, the _whole_ thing started when I was back on earth and..."

Bellinora and Ellanya gasp, Bellinora saying quickly, "Earth?! You mean, you came from the _earth_ realm?"

"Well, _yeah_. That's where I found the _necklace_ and stuff actually. Then I went to someplace called _The Deep Forest Elves_. That's where I met _Thian_ , Tia and Tianna, Loki, _Sadie_ and a few others too. Oh, and _that's_ where I met Josh and Sam. After that, we came here, to _The Realm of The Witches_."

"Great _Mother_! This realm has not been called that in... well, a _very_ long time. This is going to be even _more_ interesting than we thought!" Ellanya says swirling up a curl of vapor.

Cassandrea leans over to Anastasia whispering, "She _can't_ be from the earth realm, she's _lying_... isn't she?"

"Amanda, I am sure there is a _good_ deal to your tale," Bellinora says softly. "We would like you please, to tell us _everything_ you can remember, about your _life_ , including your _parents_ , up to the point you feel your current story begins."

Nodding, Amanda takes a long sip of the wonderful ice-cream filled drink before starting her story.

Of course, Thian, Tianna and Tia have heard the entire story several times, but never get tired of hearing it, _especially_ now that they know every _bit_ of it is true. And, after all, they _have_ played their own part in the overall story thus far.

Anastasia, Cassandrea and Sadie all listen intently, wanting to find out what _all_ this is about, and _how_ Amanda had found an ancient, _powerful_ , Wizitch item Bellinora calls the _Necklace of Power_.

Amanda tells them she doesn't know who her real parents were, but recounts the story told to her, as to how she had been found on a doorstep, in some kind of _wicker_ basket, and how an old woman thought her crying was some fool _cat_ , and had come to the door to throw a shoe at it, and had found _her_ instead. Both Bellinora and Ellanya look briefly to one another.

"Amanda," Ellanya asks as she slowly weaves in the green vapor. "Do you remember them saying anything about, what may have been in the basket _with_ you when they found you?"

"Oh, _yeah_... sorry. There was a note, and of course, the _blanket_ I was wrapped in. The note said something like, 'Her name is Amanda Ackers...'"

_Both_ Ellanya and Bellinora cry out, looking quickly to one another, then to Jasmine, who has not taken her eyes from Amanda. They look back at Amanda, not saying a word.

" _What_?" Amanda asks looking confused.

"N... Nothing, _please_ continue," Bellinora says, reaching for a drink of her own, her hands _clearly_ shaking.

"Well, like I was saying. It said, 'Her _name_ is Amanda Ackers, she is _eleven_ months old. Please take good care of her.' That's _all_ it said."

Again, Bellinora and Ellanya exchange wide-eyed glances.

"I was told," Amanda continues, "that the police looked for my _real_ mom and dad, but didn't find them. I was also told that... well, they _obviously_ didn't love me, and didn't _want_ me either. The only other thing that was with me, was the _blanket_ I'd been wrapped in."

"Daughter... it _has_ to be..." Ellanya says wide eyed.

"Mother please," Bellinora cuts her off. Then looking back to Amanda, "I do not suppose anyone told you what the blanket _looked_ like, did they?" Bellinora asks hopefully, tears forming in her eyes. "But, well, of course... that was after all, a _very_ long time ago..."

"Oh, they didn't _have_ to tell me about it. I've _seen_ it. Not only that, I still _have_ it! I know it's _silly_ really. But it's the only thing I _have_ from my real mom and dad. I _still_ take it with me wherever I go, when I _can_ anyway."

"You... you still _have_ it?" Ellanya asks, her eyes seeming to wave in the vapor. "Where?"

"Well... actually," Amanda says turning a little pink from embarrassment, as she looks at her friends. "It's in the _closet_ tunnel, in my backpack."

Bellinora waves her hand and they hear a door open. In a moment, Amanda's backpack floats into the room. All eyes are wide, as they watch it float over to, then lower at Amanda's feet.

"Would you be kind enough to _show_ it to us?" Bellinora asks, sitting forward to the edge of her chair.

"Okay. _Sure_..." and with a puzzled expression, Amanda reaches down and picks up the pack. "But, well, it's a little _dirty_ , and a little _frayed_ too. But..."

Opening the top of the pack, she reaches into a smaller compartment, and pulls out a neatly folded, but faded blanket.

"It has a _cool_ but really _odd_ symbol on it too... _see_..." Amanda shakes out the blanket as it unfolds and hangs vertically facing Bellinora and Ellanya.

Bellinora lets out a small cry, as does Ellanya. Bellinora has both hands _clamped_ over her mouth, her eyes _quickly_ filling with tears.

Amanda and the others freeze, not expecting _this_ kind of a reaction from an old _dirty_ and faded blanket, and not knowing _how_ to react themselves.

Bellinora waves a trembling hand. The blanket slowly leaves Amanda's shaking hands, and floats to Bellinora's outstretched ones. Taking the tattered blanket, she looks at it for a moment, then _clutching_ it to her heart, she closes her eyes and begins to cry. Not a soft cry, but a heart wrenching, _body_ shaking cry.

Amanda is _completely_ shocked and confused. She turns to look at Thian, Tianna and Tia, who look back to her just as shaken and confused as she is.

Bellinora looks to Amanda, and as she begins leaning forward to say something, Ellanya says in a commanding tone, " _Daughter_!" She says this with _such_ force, it _startles_ everyone, making them all jump with fright.

Bellinora stiffens, turns and looks at Ellanya with _pleading_ in her eyes. Ellanya has a _very_ stern expression, and Amanda catches Ellanya give the _slightest_ shake of her head, within the waving green vapor.

After a long moment, Bellinora nods slowly, composes herself somewhat, and excuses herself from the room. Getting up, she walks to Amanda, who still has a _frightened_ expression, and hands her back the blanket with a weak smile. Bellinora then leaves the room, with Jasmine trotting along by her side.

After Bellinora heads down one of the tunnels, Amanda looks to Ellanya and asks, "What's _happened_? What's _wrong_? Why did my _blanket_ make her cry? I _don't_ understand what's going on."

Ellanya seems to think this over for a moment, then says softly, "There are many things which we have _no_ right to explain at the present Amanda. Please _forgive_ us our reactions, as you tell your story. Everything will become clear, at the _proper_ time, and at the _proper_ place. Please be patient. Bellinora will rejoin us soon."

After about five minutes of very uncomfortable silence, the kids nibbling at their sandwiches, and taking long sips of the ice-cream filled drinks, too nervous and frightened to _really_ eat, Bellinora and Jasmine reenter the room, and take their places.

"My _apologies_ ," Bellinora says calmly. "Amanda, please continue. Did you _stay_ with the woman who found you?"

"No." Amanda then tells them about being placed into foster care, and how she had been moved several times from one foster parent to another, and how she had been abused.

She tells them of moving from a place called California, to a place called Africa, and about her time at the orphanage and how she had been treated there.

Bellinora would tear up from time to time, dabbing her eyes with a tissue, making everyone even more uncomfortable.

Amanda tells them how she had met her adopted parents, and had been _slapped_ across the face once they had gotten her in the car, to take her to her new home. How she was _only_ adopted to watch their little boy, _Larry_ , who was mean, just like her new mom and dad, who would _hit_ her often, and hard. She recounts how her new parents then moved back to the United States, and back to California, then later moved to a place called Maricopa in Arizona. Then, she continued, how sometime later, her dad was transferred back to his old place of work, in California.

Soon, she tells how she and her family, along with their neighbors, arrived at a campsite in the mountains. Amanda tells them how her mom had _backhanded_ her across the mouth, and what her mom and dad said to her - how she was to _stay_ in her tent, while everyone else left to go to town. Then how she had gotten mad and decided that since she was _not_ a little kid anymore, she would go on an _adventure_ of her own, and just walk up the mountain for half an hour, then back down.

"When I stepped out of the tent, it _was_ a little overcast, but not too bad. But once I got _up_ the mountain a good ways, the skies turned _really_ dark... like within just a few _minutes_! It started to rain, then rained _harder_ than I've ever experienced. And the thunder and _lightning_! Oh my _gosh_... it was _incredible_!

"The _lightning_ flashed every few seconds, and even though I wanted to be going back _down_ the mountain, well...." Amanda says shaking her head.

"Well... _what_ Amanda?" Ellanya asks intently focused on Amanda's face.

"Well, it just seemed that every time I started _down_ , something would _happen_. Like, the _lightning_ would strike a _tree_ setting it on fire, and I'd have to go some other way back _up_ the mountain to get away from it. Or, the lightning would strike the _ground_ close by. I'd get _scared_ , and I'd run away from it... back _up_ the mountain. _One_ strike even hit the ground and blew a _hole_ in it. It sent _rocks_ and dirt flying _everywhere_. One _chunk_ , hit me really _hard_ in the back. It _scared_ me and I started running further _up_ the mountain. Another strike, when I tried to go to the _right_ , struck a tree right in _front_ of me, and _blew_ the _top_ off, then split the tree _almost_ in half. A second later, a _huge_ flaming limb from the tree crashed down _right_ beside me. A couple more inches and it would have _killed_ me for sure!"

Bellinora and Ellanya are looking intently at Amanda, as are the others. Anastasia, Cassandrea and Sadie are _literally_ on the edge of their seats, hearing all this for the first time.

Amanda continues her story, telling them how a _huge_ bear had been scared witless by the _thunder_ and lightning, and how it had come _charging_ into the small clearing she was standing in. How the bear had _flipped_ off its feet, landing on its side and came spinning right at her. How its giant _claws_ had just missed her leg, and how the huge gaping mouth, _lined_ with razor sharp teeth tried to _bite_ her. How she had watched the bear slam into a tree, rise to its feet and stagger to within a few feet of her. She told them how the lightning and _thunder_ had hit at the _same_ moment she had screamed and threw her arms up to defend herself, and how the bear ran off into the forest in _one_ direction, while she ran _frantically_ into the forest in another.

All eyes are glued to Amanda as she becomes more _animated_ with the telling. She tells them how she continued _up_ the mountain, and how when she went to the _right_ , something would always happen and force her, not only to the _left_ , but further _up_ the mountain.

Bellinora and Ellanya occasionally stop Amanda as they begin quickly, and at times animatedly, to speak in a _strange_ language Amanda cannot understand, no matter _how_ hard she concentrates. After a time, they ask her to continue.

Amanda tells them how she had rounded a sharp ridge and grabbed onto a root sticking out from some rocks, then how a rock had fallen away once she put her _full_ weight on the root, causing the long root to drop down several feet. Then how she had swung out wide over the ravine on the other side, leaving her _dangling_ in the air and how the root first shattered, then broke apart, sending her _falling_ into the ravine on the other side, right into a rapidly flowing _slurry_ of mud. How the mud slide took her quickly down the mountain on her face, back, and then how she had been turned sideways, and was rolled like a _pipe_ on the floor.

She describes how she had been cut, _slashed_ , battered and bruised by sharp rocks and _sticks_ as she slid, and about a _chunk_ of her hair _yanked_ out by the roots, and that a _huge_ chunk of skin on her left knee was _ripped_ off. And how she thought she just could not _take_ any more, and then _somehow_ , the sliding stopped when she _slammed_ into a huge boulder, and how the water was flowing very quickly on _one_ side of the boulder, and _not_ on the other.

Bellinora and Ellanya stop her here, and have another brief discussion.

"Amanda? Did the flow of water _again_ force you to the... _left_? When looking _up_ the mountain that is?" Ellanya asks.

Thinking for a moment, Amanda nods. "Yeah. Then, after I rested for a while, I started to walk away... or, well, _limping_ really. I _still_ couldn't believe it was raining so _hard_ , and the _lightning_ just kept striking below and _around_ me. I had only walked a little way, when I heard a loud rumbling. I looked up the mountain and... it was an _avalanche_!" getting gasps from the others.

Amanda tells everyone of being _buried_ beneath a huge boulder, where a tree had been torn away. How another boulder, _somehow_ , had struck the one trapping her, opening up her hole again. And how later, another _huge_ boulder thumped over the hole, _trapping_ her inside, this time... no other boulder came to knock it free. She tells them how she had _just_ managed to dig her way out, before becoming exhausted, and _drowning_.

Continuing, she tells them about the _huge_ piles of rocks and torn up trees blocking her way _down_ the mountain, once she was out of the hole. How, as she was _trying_ to think of what to do next to get down the mountain, _lightning_ struck some trees a little way down the mountainside and set them on _fire_. And then how, in another few seconds, _another_ bolt struck a tree, _splitting_ it in half, causing _another_ fire. How it was _really_ weird when the two fires swirled _higher_ and higher, and how she thought it _strange_ there was so _much_ fire, for so _little_ wood to burn, and how _odd_ it was that the fires stayed _lit_ in all the downpour.

She then told them how the two fires began _circling_ around one another, and then merged into one huge _fire_ -tornado, which seemed to _chase_ her. So, she _once_ again found that she was forced to go _up_ and to the left.

Bellinora and Ellanya stop her again here, and along with Jasmine, have a fairly long discussion. Sometime later, Bellinora nods for Amanda to continue.

After taking a few sips of her drink, Amanda begins again. "As I was rounding a boulder way up the mountain, I _tripped_ and fell forward. I had been looking _up_ the mountain, because I _thought_ I heard another rock slide. As I started falling, I put my hands out to break my fall, but fell _right_ off a cliff and did a complete _flip_ in the air. I saw a pool of water _waaay_ below me, and I _knew_ I'd die when I hit it - it was _really_ a long way down! But then, as I completed another flip, there was a _tree_ sticking out from the cliff face, and I _slammed_ into it, the limbs, _branches_ and stuff, really _tore_ me up good. I thought I might be _beaten_ to death, as I fell from limb to limb.

"I remember hitting a huge limb _flat_ on my stomach. It knocked _most_ of the wind out of me too. I remember, laying there, _draped_ over that limb for a long time, then sliding off of it, and falling through _more_ branches, then out of the tree. I fell some more, and was picking up speed, when I hit a _second_ tree I hadn't seen..."

Bellinora and Ellanya exchange looks, then Bellinora looks at Jasmine for a moment, before nodding to Amanda to continue.

"Well, I hit _that_ tree hard too, got pretty beat up, then my _backpack_ was torn from my back. I was spun into the air away from the tree, and I fell a good distance and _hit_ the really cold pool of water. I couldn't _swim_ then. Thian, Tianna and Tia taught me how later. But, anyway..."

Amanda tells them how she had _somehow_ managed to get to the shore, _find_ a cave opening which looked like a boulder had _just_ fallen from the hole, and what the boulder looked like. She tells them how she had spent the night in the cave tunnel, and then _found_ her backpack floating in the pool of water in the morning.

"You know, it was _really_ weird how the lightning, or _something_ else, kept forcing me _up_ the mountain, and _always_ to the left," Amanda says with a laugh. "Heck, if it _hadn't_ , I'd never have fallen off that _cliff_. And if it hadn't been for those two _trees_ and the pool... I would have _died_."

"Amanda, it was _not_ by coincidence these things happened to you - but by _design_." Bellinora says softly. "I am not sure _who_ placed the spells on the mountain, but it appears there may have been _two_ sets of them, though I am only guessing of course.

" _One_ set of spells, I believe, were set to _kill_ you, another set, much _stronger_ ones, thankfully, to _save_ you and _lead_ you to that cave opening."

For a moment, everyone sits and stares at Bellinora in disbelief.

"Amanda, I _cannot_ explain everything now," Bellinora says leaning back in her chair. "But really, _think_ about it. The sky just _happened_ to turn into the most _violent_ storm you have ever _heard_ of? _Lightning_ was striking _repeatedly_... only near _you_? Think for a moment. Think _hard_. Did you _ever_ see any lightning strike anywhere _else_ on the mountain, other than close by _you_?"

Amanda thinks for a moment, then with a puzzled expression says, "No, now that I _think_ on it. It _was_ just always close to me."

"Do you not think all those _other_ things that happened to you, were just a bit... _odd_? I mean, do you _really_ think all those things could happen to _one_ person, and that person could _survive_?"

"Well, I..." Amanda says looking confused.

"Amanda," Bellinora says with a smile. "Do you not think it _very_ strange, that those two fires you saw, the ones that turned into a _fire_ -tornado, managed to stay _ablaze_... in a _complete_ downpour?"

"Ummm..."

"Think for a moment," Bellinora continues. "You said that the lightning struck _two_ trees some distance apart, setting them on _fire_ and that the two burning areas began to... _circle_ one another. _How_? How did the fire move _away_ from its source of fuel? How did they stay in _flames_ with all that rain? How did they... _merge_ and create a _fire_ -tornado... again... in a _downpour_? You then say the huge fire-tornado began _advancing_ toward you. Again, I ask, _how_? What was it _using_ as fuel?"

Amanda is completely _stunned_ , thinking back, realizing that the huge fire-tornado _had_ actually been coming toward her, but over _nothing_ but rushing mud.

"And this is _very_ important Amanda," Ellanya says looking intently to Amanda. "When you fell off the cliff into the two trees, did you _see_ them when you first began to fall?"

"Well, _yeah_. I mean, I _hit_ them you know. I'm not _lying_."

"We _know_ you are not lying Amanda. We believe _everything_ you have told us. But think _very_ carefully. As you _first_ fell from the edge of the cliff... and you began to turn over... _what_ did you see?"

Amanda has an intense look of concentration on her face, then finally says, "Uh... actually, the only thing I really _remember_ seeing... was the pool of _water_ far below me. But, _that_ couldn't be right. I mean, I _did_ hit the trees."

"When you saw the _first_ tree," Bellinora asks with a smile, "did you see the _second_ one too?"

"No... I was a little _busy_ getting _smacked_ around in the first one."

The kids laugh.

"As you flipped out of the first tree, what did you see?" Ellanya asks narrowing her eyes in the vapor.

"The _second_ tree. Coming up quickly from below me. _Why_?"

"Amanda, _think_!" Bellinora says evenly. "Do not just _say_ what you _think_ happened. Think back, _hard_. Replay the _whole_ thing in your mind, what you actually saw at the _instant_ you left the first tree."

Furrowing her eyebrows and biting her lower lip, Amanda's eyes shift from side to side as she concentrates. After a moment, her eyes go slightly wide as she says, "Oh my _gosh_! When I flipped out of the first tree, I _know_ I only saw the pool of _water_ far below me! But, then, all of the _sudden_ , as I completed another flip, I saw _another_ tree coming up fast, and then I hit _it_. _How_? I mean..."

"Amanda," Ellanya says looking as though she is nodding to herself. "You did not see the trees when you first flipped off the cliff... because they were _not_ there. You were _driven_ up the mountain, and to the _left_ , and then _forced_ off that cliff.

"When you began to fall, you triggered some kind of _proximity_ spell. The _first_ tree then appeared, _adjusted_ its location to match your rate of fall, and to slow your descent. Otherwise, you _are_ correct, you would have _died_ on impact when you struck the pool of water.

"The _second_ tree, did not appear until you fell from the first. The _proximity_ of your falling body, within the spell cast within the chasm, triggered the _second_ tree to appear, adjusting _its_ location to match your rate of fall. As you think back, you will realize that the _two_ trees were _precisely_ spaced apart from one another, and the _last_ tree spaced just right to the pool of water, to _slow_ your descent, and _ensure_ you would not be killed."

Amanda's eyes go wide and her jaw drops, as she remembers thinking the exact same thing. Turning to look at Thian, Tia and Tianna, she sees they are wide eyed as well, _each_ having wondered _how_ Amanda had been so lucky to have had the trees there, and _spaced_ as they were... along with a pool of _water_ to land in, instead of _solid_ rock.

"And as for the pool of water," Bellinora says with a smile, "am I correct that you saw but _one_ way to go, leading you out of the water and _onto_ the shore? Which just _happened_... to be the _only_ way you could find, which led you to the... _cave_ opening? Where you just _happened_ to find a boulder... which had conveniently _just_ fallen from the hole? And, that there was absolutely _no_ possible way you could _ever_ have climbed out of that area into which you had fallen?"

Amanda again looks quickly to her friends, who already knew the story. She turns back to Bellinora with a stunned expression asking, "Yeah, but... how did _you_ know?"

"I have _no_ clue as to who set the spells. But for some reason, _you_ were detected on that mountain, and driven _up_ its face, by some old spell or _spells_ , with your _every_ movement being controlled, to lead you to the _opening_ in the cliff, which you have just revealed to us. If you would _not_ have fallen by accident from the cliff Amanda, _something_ would have happened which would have _forced_ you to fall over the side.

"Oh, and skipping _back_ for a moment, to when that huge, _lone_ boulder thumped over your hole. Don't you think it the _least_ bit odd, that a _single_ , huge boulder, which could have been tumbling _anywhere_ across the very wide swatch of the avalanche, just, _happened_ to roll right to where _you_ were? Having rolled across the already _heavily_ rock and tree strewn mountainside, and did not _stop_ before reaching _you_? And, that it just _happened_ to be the right size to cover your hole?

"That was _not_ by coincidence Amanda. That boulder was _directed_ by some spell to find and kill... _you_! We believe that some _other_ spell, created the hole for you earlier, to get you into and keep you from being crushed. Since you said one boulder had _changed_ direction slightly, _struck_ you rather gently for a massive boulder, _tossing_ you into the hole _just_ prior to being _crushed_ to death. We believe, that some spell _detected_ that you had survived, and had sent this _last_ huge boulder to find you, _crush_ you, and come to rest over you, _hiding_ your body from _ever_ being found."

The color has drained from Amanda face, as well as from the other kids.

Bellinora then smiles and says, "Please, continue with your story. What happened next?"

Trembling and confused, Amanda continues. She tells them of finding the various caverns she had fallen into. How, at _one_ point, she was walking along a narrow ridge to get to some _purple_ crystals, when the ledge she was standing on _broke_ , sending her _tumbling_ down an embankment. How she had bounced off several boulders and the cave walls, and had eventually come to a _huge_ cavern with a _glowing_ green lake, and all the wonderful _gleaming_ crystals.

Amanda now knows, she had _not_ accidently fallen into those caverns, which forced her further and _further_ into the mountain - but she had been _made_ to fall. Even the ledge she had walked out on, which gave away, had all been some sort of _pre_ -planned spell.

But for _who_ , or _why_ , she has no idea.

Amanda continues to tell everyone how she had followed the lake to the _left_ , to see what she could find, and about the amazing crystals, _stalactites_ and stalagmites she had found. And how the water was so _crystal_ clear, she could see all the waving reeds and _fish_ in the lake.

"Again, it seems some _spell_ was cast upon the lake, to make it _emit_ light. Interesting," Ellanya says thoughtfully.

"I thought it was probably just some kind of glowing _algae_ or something," Amanda says looking surprised.

"No Amanda. Algae would not emit that _much_ light. And since you say the water was _crystal_ clear... it was _not_ algae making the lake glow, but a _very_ strong luminos- _aquate_ spell. What did you find as you went around the lake?"

"Well, I was walking around a _huge_ stalagmite, when I saw a _skeleton_ ," Amanda says and hears Sadie gasp. Amanda looks over and sees Sadie's _wide_ eyes as she is clinging tightly to Tianna.

"A _skeleton_?" Ellanya asks turning slightly to Bellinora. "What did it look like?"

"Like, well... like a _skeleton_ I guess," Amanda says, not exactly sure what Ellanya meant. "I mean, I've only seen skeletons in _books_ and movies. I'd never seen one in _person_ before."

"How was it _positioned_? Was there any type of _clothing_ , or anything lying about near it?" Bellinora asks leaning forward a little.

"Oh, yeah. Well, it was lying _face_ down. Its head facing in the direction I was coming from. _That's_ where I found the _necklace_ , the key and the... _big_ book."

"The... the _Artifact_ was still on the _skeleton_ Amanda? And a _key_ you say... and... a _book_? _What_ book?" Ellanya asks.

"I'll get there in a minute. I don't want to _forget_ anything though. Uh, let's see. Oh yeah, I saw something _shiny_ just a little way from the skeleton. I walked over, and saw that _whatever_ it was, was covered with fallen rocks. As I moved the rocks away, I _cut_ my left index finger.

"When I got the rocks moved away, I found that it was a _broken_ sword. I picked it up and tried to wipe off some _dark_ stuff that was on the blade, using the _blood_ from my finger that had smeared on it. _Some_ of the gunk came off, but I didn't see any writing or anything. So, I put it down and went back to the skeleton.

"The head had separated from the spine a little, and the _necklace_ was pretty well buried in dirt between the two. I could only see just a small portion of the _chain_ sticking up out of the dirt. It looked like a gold chain.

"The skeleton was _still_ holding onto the old leather book. It had its _fingers_ curled over the end of it. I thought that the book might have their _name_ or address in it or something. I had to pull the book out from under the skeletons bony hand... it was _really_ creepy. When the book came free, the hand and arm _fell_ to the ground. The hand actually _broke_ away from the arm at the wrist. I _swear_ , it was like the skeleton really didn't _wanna_ let go of that book."

Bellinora and Ellanya talk briefly between themselves in the strange language Amanda cannot understand, with Jasmine chiming in on occasion. Cassandrea and Anastasia have their heads together and are whispering excitedly between themselves.

"Please continue Amanda," Bellinora says with a nod.

"Well, before I left, I decided to pick up the old _key_ too. I've got the key and the _book_ here too, in my backpack."

Amanda reaches into a side pocket of her backpack and retrieves the ancient key. She looks at it for a moment, as an image flashes in her mind, of when she first found it. The image is strikingly clear.

As Amanda holds the key out, Bellinora waves her hand and the key leaps from Amanda's hand and floats quickly to Bellinora. Bellinora turns slightly to Ellanya, and the two of them chat for a couple minutes, intently studying the _carving_ on the key. Bellinora shows it to Jasmine, who looks it over carefully then nods. Bellinora waves her open hand over the key and it floats back to Amanda, who catches it, then returns it to her pack.

Bellinora then says, "The _key_ you found, Amanda, is of a _very_ ancient type. It was used by ones called the _Protectors_. Many doors _may_ be opened by speaking various Wizitch words or phrases. _Some_ however, actually require a _very_ special key. The ancient script on the key you found, indicates that it is _indeed_ one used by the Protectors."

Before Amanda has a chance to ask who the Protectors were, or just _what_ it was that they were protecting, Ellanya asks curiously, "What is this _book_ you speak of?"

Tianna nudges Thian whispering, " _This_ should be interesting." Thian smiles back, and Tia, who overheard, smiles and nods.

"Oh, it's a really _thick_ book that looks _ancient_." Amanda flips up the large portion of her pack, reaches in with both hands, and pulls out the large, _thick_ leather book. She is holding it at a slight angle, so neither Ellanya, Jasmine nor Bellinora can see the cover or back clearly.

As Amanda holds it out, Bellinora waves her hand and the book begins to cross over to her. Bellinora makes a slight rotation of her wrist, and the book turns around and up so the _cover_ faces her, Ellanya and Jasmine.

Bellinora and Ellanya _both_ let out a cry of surprise, and the book falls with a loud _thud_ to the floor. Jasmine _springs_ from her pedestal, and as before, _shoots_ across the cavern and down the nearby tunnel and out of sight.

Anastasia and Cassandrea are _instantly_ on their feet, clutching each other tightly, staring at the book on the floor, as though it may _strike_ out at them like a snake at any moment. Sadie has pulled her feet up and is tightly _curled_ against Tianna, clinging to her arm while shaking.

"By the Lord and _Lady_ ," Ellanya says, her vapor still settling. "Could that _really_ be....?"

" _The Lost Book Of The Dillian's_?" Bellinora asks, reaching down with trembling hands to pick up the ancient book. "It would _fit_ actually. The _Necklace of Power_... the _Protectors_ key.

"Yes, the wearer of the necklace, the _Wielder of Power_ , would _indeed_ want the knowledge within this book. The only thing missing mother, to make the _Wielder of Power_ complete, would be the _Great Book of Power_. But to obtain it, one would need the _Thirteen Shards of Legend_. And we know that _no_ one has all of them."

Bellinora studies the front cover of the book very carefully, as does Ellanya. They look closely at the gold clasp, along with its intricate engraving. A _perfect_ emerald is set into the clasp. After studying the clasp and the writing on the face of the book, Bellinora turns it so she and Ellanya can see the writing along the spine.

Bellinora flips the book over to view the back. Both _gasp_ and begin chatting excitedly. No matter how _hard_ Amanda concentrates on the language they are speaking, she cannot understand a _single_ word. But she _can_ tell by their expressions, that this is a _very_ important book. She also knows they are talking about the _beautifully_ embossed impression of the large gold _dragon_ , and the strange symbol above it.

Jasmine comes trotting into the room, with something floating right behind her. Amanda looks in surprise, as she sees that it is a thin book, only about five by seven inches. The size reminds her of a rather _flat_ novel.

Jasmine jumps up on her pedestal, with the book floating up beside her, where Bellinora reaches over, taking it while saying, "Thank you Jasmine... _now_ , we will know."

Bellinora flips the cover open on the small book, and holds it up for Jasmine to take a look at. In a moment, Jasmine gives a short mew, then Bellinora shows the page to Ellanya. Ellanya looks it over, and nods.

Flipping to a page in the large book, then to a page in the smaller one, Bellinora would show the pages first to Jasmine, then to Ellanya, each looking as though comparing the two pages. After they would comment, Bellinora would move on to another page.

After several minutes passed, Bellinora closes the small book, placing it on Jasmine's pedestal, with the large book resting in her lap.

"Amanda, you _have_ indeed found _The Lost Book Of The Dillian's_ ," Bellinora says with confidence.

"Excuse me," Anastasia says timidly. "I've read a lot, and the _name_ is kind of familiar, but... I don't _really_ remember much about a lost book by someone named Dillian."

"Oh, that is _not_ surprising dear," Ellanya says with a smile. "It is said, that the Dillians are in legend, perhaps, the most _evil_ family of _witches_ and wizards who ever _lived_. There have been _many_ stories about them, dating back to almost the very _beginning_ of time."

"Most people today, believe that those stories are simply _myth_ ," Bellinora says, scratching Jasmine's head. "But it has been found that, _most_ myths are _born_ from legend, legend of course, being some _popular_ story, regarded as historical, but one which is _unable_ to be authenticated. Many a legend, is born from _reality_. Over the millennia, the _truth_ seems to get buried somewhere _deep_ within the telling."

"It is said, that the Dillians created the _majority_ of the most evil spells, potions and _curses_ ever known to Wizitch kind," Ellanya says looking at the old book. "And, that they put some of the _worst_ of that knowledge into a _single_ book. That book has been _missing_ now for many millennia, ever since _The Great War_.

"The _original_ book, may actually _no_ longer exist, but it _has_ been rumored that the original book _had_ again been found, and that it had been _translated_ from the ancient language, into that of common elf of the time, which would _still_ be very ancient in regards to our _current_ era. If that were _true_ , that ancient language would actually be _very_ similar to what is spoken in many areas, of _many_ realms, even today.

"Therefore, whoever possessed this _new_ book, would hold in _their_ hands, some of the most _evil_ spells and curses _ever_ devised. Not _nearly_ as horrific as those within the _Great Book Of Power_ of course, but, certainly _many_ spells and curses no _other_ living being would possess. The book is said to be _filled_ with the _foulest_ of deeds, and even descriptions of what happened to those they used the _spells_ and curses on, while _perfecting_ them."

"But, the book was rumored to have been taken to some other realm, many _tens_ of thousands of years ago. But no one knew _where_ , or even _if_ the book had actually _really_ been found at all," Bellinora says looking at the book resting in her lap.

"And, you think _this_... is the _same_ book then?" Anastasia asks looking from Ellanya to Bellinora.

"No dear," Ellanya says evenly giving a slight shake of her head. "We _don't_ think this is the same book. We _know_ it is! We have just _authenticated_ it. You see, many thousands of years ago, my..."

" _Someone_ who once saw the book, and was able to make detailed _drawings_ of it," Bellinora cut in quickly, "was able to make _copies_ of many of the pages within the book. That book of the copies, is what _Jasmine_ brought us, and is what we used to _authenticate_ that this book," Bellinora glances to the ancient book in her lap, then back to the kids, " _is_ indeed, _The Lost Book Of The Dillian's_.

"Amanda, I must ask that you _surrender_ this book to us. It needs to be _destroyed_. It must _never_ fall into the hands of the _Dark_ side of Wizitch. Do you understand?"

" _What_?!" Cassandrea shouts leaning forward. "Are you _crazy_? That book is worth a _fortune_! We could all be _rich_! Let's just... _sell_ the stupid thing."

Everyone looks at Cassandrea with _scowls_ on their faces, and when Cassandrea looks at Bellinora and Ellanya, their _piercing_ eyes make her blood run cold. She looks down at her hands, mumbling, "I was just _saying_..."

"Amanda," Bellinora says calmly, "since you _are_ the one who found the book, I would like to know _your_ decision."

Amanda hesitates for a moment, then says, "Yeah, okay. You can have it. I don't _really_ need it anymore _now_ anyway."

Bellinora looks intently at Amanda. Something in Amanda's _tone_ bothers her. She asks, "Amanda... what do you mean you, 'don't really _need_ it anymore... _now_?' Did you... _read_ any of this book?"

Amanda flushes, then turns nervously to look to Thian, Tia and Tianna. They look as uneasy as she does.

Turning back to Bellinora, Amanda answers, "Um... _yeah_ , actually, I _did_."

"How _much_ did you read?" Ellanya asks nervously.

Amanda swallows hard, then says in a quiet voice, "Actually, I've _memorized_ the entire thing."

Both Bellinora and Ellanya gasp as they turn to look at one another with _very_ worried expressions. Bellinora grabs the small book from Jasmine's pedestal. Jasmine _springs_ to her feet, and is staring intently at Amanda along with everyone else.

Flipping the little book open, Bellinora says, "What does the _fifth_ paragraph, on what in the large book would be page _thirty_ -seven say?"

"Use a _three_ -quarter, _counterclockwise_ forward thrust, keeping your arm straight, but not _locked_ at the elbow."

The _eyes_ on both Bellinora and Ellanya fly wide. Jasmine seems to _choke_ on a fur ball. Bellinora tests Amanda on several other sections of the book, then closes it, with a very _concerned_ expression, placing the little book back on Jasmine's pedestal. Jasmine stares at the book for a moment, then locks her eyes on Amanda.

"So... _how_ do you think you managed to memorize _every_ page, of a book that is over _four_ inches thick?" Ellanya asks curiously.

"I... I don't _know_ really. I _guess_ I thought that, since I had read it _every_ day for a couple of months, that... I just _memorized_ it."

Amanda looks at the expressions on Bellinora and Ellanya, then says softly, "But... it _didn't_ happen like that... _did_ it?"

"No dear," Ellanya says sadly. "That book and the _Artifact_ you wear, are of the _same_ bloodline. The _Artifact_ already _knows_ everything in this book, and most _everything_ within the _Great Book of Power_.

"However, _you_ , as the _Wielder_ , do _not_ possess the knowledge to _fully_ call upon the powers of the _Artifact_... _yet_. You would need to read, _understand_ and practice _all_ within the _Great Book of Power_ , to know how to _call_ upon, _control_ and _wield_ the greater powers within the _Artifact_.

"But even the knowledge you _now_ possess, is _far_ beyond the dreams of even the most _powerful_ wizard or witch. Only the most _powerful_... and most _evil_ witch, wizard or other creature... would even _begin_ to possess the _ability_ to control the immense powers, _trapped_ within that _Artifact_.

"This is _most_ troubling. I have _no_ idea, as to how _you_... a mere _child_... could _possibly_ have been accepted by the _Artifact_ , as the _Wielder of Power_. It was _never_ intended for someone so young, _or_ for someone with _little_ or no training. I think we need to hear _more_ of your story dear. I believe, _somewhere_ in your tale, we will come upon a _demonstration_ of your use of the _Artifact_ thus far, whether you _realized_ it at the time or not. And perhaps, _even_ a demonstration of what you have read from _within_ this very book. Please, continue with your story. I would like to know _everything_ that you saw, _did_ , felt, _thought_ , and so forth, from the _moment_ you first saw the skeleton. Please try to leave _nothing_ out, every _sight_ , sound, _smell_... _anything_ you can recall."

"Well, I've told you _most_ of it. But, when I was going to get up - actually, _just_ before I went to get the key - I saw the little part of the gold chain from the necklace. I really _wanted_ to leave, but... I just _couldn't_ seem to stand. I know it sounds _silly_ , but, it was like the chain wasn't going to _let_ me leave, until I _pulled_ it out of the ground."

Bellinora, Jasmine and Ellanya exchange knowing looks.

" _That's_ when I reached down and _pulled_ it out of the dirt."

"It was _that_ easy? It just came _right_ up into your hands?" Ellanya asks with a suspicious tone.

"Well... not _really_. I mean, first, I grabbed it with my _right_ hand and tried to pull it up. It wouldn't come out. So, I tugged _really_ hard again. But it didn't even _budge_. I grabbed it with _both_ hands, and _this_ time, when I tugged _really_ hard, it just _flew_ out of the ground, with no effort at all. I even landed on my _butt_!"

Bellinora, Jasmine and Ellanya engage in an excited conversation. Amanda watches in wonder, as Jasmine mumbles away in some kind of rapid _cat_ speak, with Bellinora and Ellanya listening intently. After a few moments of Bellinora and Ellanya appearing to be in a _heated_ discussion, Jasmine makes a _loud_ mew, whereupon Bellinora and Ellanya turn to look at her.

Jasmine makes some odd _mumbling_ mewing sounds for a few moments, then proceeds to clean her paw. The _look_ on Jasmine's face, seems to Amanda, as though Jasmine has just _settled_ the entire argument.

"By the Lord and _Lady_ ," Bellinora says softly. "I think Jasmine's _right_! The necklace would _not_ come free, because it _sensed_ that Amanda was not only a _child_ , but that she was not the _least_ bit evil... but _did_ sense _something_. However, as Jasmine just mentioned, when Amanda reached down with her _left_ hand, the one she had _injured_ on the broken sword, she _smeared_ the chain with _her_ blood."

"So... what does _that_ mean?" Amanda asks with a look of confusion.

"That _stain_ you tried to wipe off of the broken blade, with the _blood_ from your finger Amanda," Ellanya says now nodding to herself, "was _dried_ blood. Whatever kind of blood that was on that blade, was now not only _smeared_ over your finger, but had _entered_ into your bloodstream.

" _Jasmine_ thinks that the necklace could then sense the _evil_ in the blood that was smeared over the chain, from whatever _blood_ was on your finger. That is, from _your_ own blood, and that mixed with the now _dissolved_ blood on the blade. That _fooled_ the necklace into thinking you _were_ evil - at least to _some_ degree. Yes... it is the _only_ thing that seems to makes _sense_!"

"Amanda, please continue," Bellinora says nodding as well. "What _happened_ once the necklace was _in_ your hands?"

"Well, after I got up, I took the necklace, _key_ and the old book to the lake. I set the stuff down and then _washed_ off the necklace, and, well, when I _did_..."

"What? Did something happen when the necklace... _touched_ the glowing water perhaps?" Bellinora asks leaning forward.

"It may be _nothing_ really," Amanda says softly with a slight smile, "again, it seems _silly_ , but since you said to tell you _everything_ I saw and stuff... when I dipped the necklace into the water, I could have _sworn_ it actually... _glowed_ \- like it was giving off its _own_ light or something."

The eyes on Bellinora, Ellanya, and Jasmine grow wide. Ellanya turns to Bellinora and Jasmine and says softly, "The Oriä Tá Eliańtörs? But... _that_ would mean..."

"That whoever the _Wielder of Power_ was," Bellinora says seriously, " _knew_ they were dying, and cast the _spell_ upon the lake." Then slowly shaking her head, "I have to admit mother, I did _not_ see this one coming. Mother, this is _not_ good at all."

"What's wrong?" Thian asks looking worried. "What's the Oriä Tá Eliańtörs? I've never _heard_ of it."

"The Oriä Tá Eliańtörs," Ellanya begins, "is from the most _ancient_ of languages. It refers to a very ancient, _immensely_ powerful spell. There is no _direct_ translation to modern languages, but roughly, it means, 'awaken the _spirits_ within.'

"The _Wielder of Power_ knew that someday, someone _worthy_ would come along and find the _Artifact_. But, as far as we know, the _Great Book of Power_ had not been _fully_ completed at the time of this wearer's demise. And, of course, the _Great Book of Power_ has been _lost_ now for many centuries, as has any word of the Wielder. So whoever this was wearing the _Artifact_ , was still not _powerful_ enough to call upon the _full_ powers of the spirits trapped within the gems. That _is_ of course, why there is _still_ the Light side of Wizitch. They did not possess the full power of the _Artifact_. However..."

"They _did_ have great powers." Bellinora continues, " _Far_ beyond the greatest wizard or witch, and all _other_ Wizitch beings for that matter, almost as great as the mighty _Keptic_."

They all turn to look at Sadie, who shrinks down curling tightly against Tianna.

"Generally, it has been said, but no one _knows_ for sure, that once a _Wielder of Power_ dies, the power within the necklace goes _dormant_. For it has become an actual _part_ of the Wielder. However, the _Wielder_ may die, but, it is more like the _spirits_ within the necklace go to sleep. It has even been rumored, that the _soul_ of the Wielder, is _absorbed_ by the necklace, and they themselves, become one of the _trapped_ spirits. So, _all_ the spirits should be asleep.

"Well, all but _one_ , or so it is said. That spirit, called the ' _watcher'_ , waits for someone to find the necklace, and sits in _judgment_ as to whether they be _worthy_ to wield the great powers, or not."

"Whosoever finds the _Artifact_ , is _tested_ for worthiness, through their _bloodline_ ," Ellanya says swirling in her vapor. "or, more _accurately_ , through the _evil_ in their blood. The ceremony requires the _potential_ Wielder, to _cut_ themself, then _smear_ some of their blood upon the _Artifact_ , so the watcher may _sense_ the evil within them.

"If they _pass_ the test to determine that they are _truly_ of evil blood, and are _accepted_ by the _Artifact_ , they may _then_ pick it up and place it around their neck - that _one_ act, _forever_ making the bond between them.

"From that moment on, the Wielder would be _very_ hard to kill, but not _impossible_ at first, until they have _awakened_ many more spirits, whereupon, _those_ spirits will do _everything_ in their power, to _protect_ the Wielder. And the Wielder had _better_ be able to control them. At that point, there are no known _poisons_ , potions, spells or _curses_ which can _touch_ the Wielder. The _Artifact_ will protect them, and _do_ the Wielders bidding, until the Wielder _dies_ of natural causes, or, at least that is the _story_ anyway. Again, no one _knows_ for sure."

"So you see," Bellinora says looking at the necklace, "once the necklace _accepts_ the new Wielder, they may then, _very_ carefully, awaken just a _few_ more spirits at a time. They must learn to _control_ the powers of these few, very _powerful_ trapped spirits, _before_ awakening any others. Once _all_ spirits are awakened, which could take fifty to _one_ -hundred years or more, dependent upon the Wielder, the Wielder would be ready for the _complete_ dominance of _all_ the realms. This however, may _only_ happen when the Wielder obtains the _full_ knowledge within the _Great Book of Power_ , which will tell them how to... _combine_... all the _evil_ , within all the trapped spirits... into _one_ , immense, _all_ powerful spirit."

"Yes, and with _that_ power," Ellanya says sadly, " _all_ will be lost. All those practicing the _Light_ side of Wizitch, will be hunted and _exterminated_. The _Wielder of Power_ will amass _fearsome_ armies of the _Dark_ forces, the likes of which can only be _imagined_ in the darkest of nightmares. They will move throughout the realms, and with the power of the _Artifact_... _completely_ take them over, one realm at a time, until only the _foulest_ evil exists throughout _all_ the realms, of _all_ the known universes.

"The thoughts and _deeds_ within the darkness of evil... will _forever_ snuff out that of the Light, and _darkness_ will reign throughout all eternity. There would be _no_ turning back. The _Artifact_ will continue to take over the Wielder, filling them with _more_ and more evil, until they are no longer of their _own_ mind or will, but have truly become the _totality_ of the evil within the _Artifact_. They will become the _darkest_ of the Dark, _never_ to return to themselves."

The kids are _terrified_ , all looking to Amanda who looks totally horrified.

Amanda cries, "Please! I don't _want_ it! Take it _off_! Please! _Help_ me... _do_ something!"

All the kids begin to cry and look frantic, as they plead for Bellinora and Ellanya to take the necklace off of Amanda - even Cassandrea.

Bellinora holds her hands up and says firmly, " _Silence_! Once the new _Wielder of Power_ has been chosen, and the necklace is _around_ their neck... _nothing_ short of their _death_ may remove it, other than..." Bellinora looks to Ellanya who shakes her head slightly.

Bellinora turns back to Amanda. "Well, we will discuss _that_ at a later time. Amanda, you _have_ been tested, _and_ accepted. But, there must be _more_ to the story than _just_ the blood from your left finger. However, the necklace is now a _part_ of you... and _like_ it or not, _you_... are the new _Wielder of Power_."

In a panic, through her tears, Amanda screams, "But I'm _not_ an evil person! Honest! I'm _not_! I don't _want_ this necklace! I want it _off_! _Pleeeese_!"

"We know you do dear," Ellanya says softly. "One such as you, was _never_ meant to wear such a _foul_ thing, and I don't believe the _creators_ of the _Artifact_ , ever foresaw such a thing even being _possible_."

"Yeah... that's what _Josh_ and Sam said too," Tia says sniffing as she wipes her eyes.

Steadying herself as best she can, trying to calm down, Amanda asks in a shaky voice, "But... what does all this have to do with my putting the necklace into the _water_ of the lake, and, why did it _glow_?"

"Amanda," Bellinora says taking a deep steadying breath. "When you _first_ grabbed the necklace with your right hand, the watcher determined that you were _not_ worthy, but _must_ have... sensed _something_. I am thinking you may have had _just_ a little of the smeared blood from your left hand on your _right_ , from when you were wiping the broken blade. Not a _lot_ , but enough to _confuse_ the watcher. Otherwise... you'd be _dead_!"

Everyone gasps. Amanda looks to her friends with frightened eyes.

"You see, the watcher also insures that whosoever _finds_ the necklace, should they _not_ pass the test... would be _killed_. This is so they may not _take_ and attempt to _destroy_ the necklace, or _hide_ it where it may never be found. When you _grabbed_ the necklace with your left hand, which had not only _your_ fresh blood... but that which had _mixed_ with whatever _evil_ blood, or _bloods_ were on the broken sword..."

"It _sensed_ , in a way, fresh _evil_ blood," Ellanya says looking to Jasmine, who tilts her head giving a short mew of agreement.

"Therefore, the necklace, for _whatever_ the watchers reason at this point in your story, accepted that you at _least_ be allowed to pick it up, and not _kill_ you right then," Bellinora continues. "Perhaps it thought you _may_ take it to someone with greater power, and present it to them. There is _no_ way to know at the moment," Bellinora says sitting back in her chair. "Then the part I had _not_ seen coming... you placed the necklace into the water of the lake. The Oriä Tá Eliańtörs _spell_ took effect, and, well..."

There is a long moment of silence, as Bellinora first looks to Jasmine, who seems to nod, then Bellinora turns to Ellanya, who also gives a slight nod. Bellinora turns back to Amanda and continues, "That spell Amanda, awakened _all_ the spirits of the necklace - _all_ at the _same_ time.

"We don't believe this spell was _ever_ intended to be used by the creators. We think, that whoever the last _Wielder of Power_ was, cast the Oriä Tá Eliańtörs spell to save fifty, a _hundred_ years or more, of _slowly_ awakening the spirits, for the _new_ Wielder. _Whoever_ became the new Wielder would have to _immediately_ control _all_ the spirits. We think the previous Wielder believed, that the _new_ wearer would indeed by then, _possess_ the _Great Book of Power_ , have _read_ it, _understood_ it, and would be _able_ to control all the spirits."

"But... I..." Amanda begins.

"This of course, was a _very_ foolish thing to attempt," Ellanya says slowly shaking her head. "Of course, if it _worked_ , the new Wielder, if they were _evil_ enough, _powerful_ enough, and had the _Great Book of Power_... _may_ be able to control all the spirits enough to keep them in check. But as far as we _know_... the _Artifact_ was _never_ designed to work that way all at once.

"Of course, I am sure the _last_ wearer though, did not really _care_... after all, _they_ would be dead. And _whatever_ happened after they were gone... _who_ knows. You see Amanda, your dipping the _Artifact_ into the lake, _awakened_ all the spirits within the _Artifact_. You should _now_ be able to call upon _enough_ power, to destroy even the _greatest_ of wizards, _witches_ and others. Especially, since you _also_ possess all the knowledge within _The Lost Book Of The Dillian's_ , even _without_ the _Great Book of Power_."

"Even with the power you _now_ possess Amanda," Bellinora says seriously. "You could _easily_ kill _everyone_ in this room, merely with the _blink_ of your eyes."

The kids all _gasp_. Anastasia and Cassandrea _jump_ from their couch and quickly move away from Amanda, clutching _tightly_ to one another, as though Amanda will strike them _dead_ at any second.

"No! I... I _wouldn't_! I'm a _good_ person, I'm a _Christian_!" Amanda says jumping to her feet, frantically _yanking_ on the necklace, trying to pull it up over her head. "Get it _off_! Get it _off_ of me! I don't want to hurt _anybody_! I'm a _Christian_! I don't _want_ to become evil... _Please_ get it off!"

"Amanda! _Sit_ down!" Bellinora commands in such a _stern_ tone, Amanda actually _falls_ back into her chair, covering her face in her hands as she _bursts_ into tears.

With her chest rising and falling through _shuddering_ breaths, Amanda pleads. "Please... _do_ something. I'm _not_ a bad person. I'm _not_ evil. I, I don't _want_ this... please... I don't _want_ to turn into... one of _them_. _Help_ me!"

"Amanda, _calm_ yourself," Ellanya says softly. "There _may_ be a way to help you. But first, we _must_ hear the rest of your story. _Everything_ up to when you actually met Bellinora. Every _detail_ may be of the _greatest_ importance. Take your time, and tell us _everything_.

"Anastasia, Cassandrea, _please_ take your seats. If Amanda had _wanted_ to harm you, she would _already_ have done so. Please... _sit_. It _is_ interesting, that Amanda now wears the _Artifact_ , which has _fully_ been awakened. However, she is most certainly _not_ evil. So, the question is... if _she_ is not powerful enough to _control_ the spirits... _why_ have the spirits not...."

"Actually, I think it is time for a little _break_ ," Bellinora says with a warm smile, as she looks at Amanda's trembling body, tears still _streaming_ down her face. "Perhaps you would all like to use the restroom, and freshen up a little? Let us give Amanda, a few _minutes_ to regain her composure, and we will continue then. The women's restroom is down that corridor and to your right. Thian, the men's is on the left. Once everyone has freshened up, please take your seats.

"I would like to speak with Ellanya and Jasmine in my _office_ for a few minutes. We will join you shortly."

#  Amanda Continues

To TOC

The kids slowly walk to the restrooms with Cassandrea and Anastasia walking a little way behind the others, still looking at Amanda as though she is some kind of _monster_ , who may be _possessed_ and attack them at any moment.

Thian heads to the men's restroom, as Amanda, Tia, Tianna and Sadie head into the women's. Cassandrea grabs Anastasia's arm just as they begin to enter and whispers, "Wait. We need to talk... _now_!" and the two of them head back into the other room.

As the girls take their stalls, no one says a thing. Everyone still _deep_ in thought. Amanda flushes, exits the stall and goes to the wash basin. She runs cold water and washes her hands, and splashes water in her face several times, then dries off with a hand towel, which _materializes_ from thin air. She stands in front of the wide mirror, looking at herself as though she does not recognize her own reflection.

"I'm _not_ an evil person... I'm _not_ ," Amanda says softly to herself.

"We _know_ you're not," comes a gentle voice from her right. Amanda turns her head to see Tia leaving her stall and walking toward the sinks.

"You _are_ a little _weird_ though..." comes Tianna's voice, trying to lighten things up, as she steps from her stall toward the sinks as well, just as Sadie comes out of hers. "but... for a _human_ , we like you _anyway_ ," and laughs, making Amanda, Tia and Sadie laugh too.

"I'm really _scared_ and confused too," Amanda says looking into the sink. "I don't understand _why_ this all happened to _me_. Why did the necklace pick... _me_?"

"Maybe it just decided that, since it had been _dormant_ and alone for so long, it would pick the _first_ creature it found, just to get the _heck_ out of that mountain," Tianna says lifting Sadie to the sink, so she can wash up. "I mean, wouldn't _you_ wanna party some, after being _trapped_ for who knows _how_ long?" Lowering Sadie, Tianna starts doing a little dance with Sadie, making them all laugh, as Tianna says, " _Party_ , _party_ , we _all_ like to _party_."

"Yeah, I would," Amanda says, turning to look back at her reflection. "But, I don't think I'm going to like the _type_ of party the spirits in the _necklace_ have in mind. I just don't _get_ it. If _all_ the spirits are awake... why hasn't anything _happened_? I mean, they said the Wielder needed to learn to _control_ only a _few_ spirits at a time... however you do _that_.

"But did you see the _faces_ on Bellinora and Ellanya, when they realized _all_ the spirits were now awake, because of that... that _spell_ in the lake?"

Tianna splashed some water in her face, and is drying off as she says, "Oh _yeah_! Eyes darn near _popped_ out of their heads! Jasmine's eyes went _so_ wide, I thought her _head_ was going to explode! That's one _weird_ puss."

They all laugh as they head out of the restroom.

Thian is waiting for them outside, leaning against the tunnel wall. "You okay Amanda?" he asks with concern.

"No... but I guess there's nothing I can _do_ about it. I just want this thing _off_ of me. But if I can't, I really need to know _how_ to, well, how to _control_ the... _spirits_ inside it I guess. It really _creeps_ me out, knowing there are _hundreds_ , maybe even _thousands_ of people, and other creature spirits _trapped_ inside this thing."

"I know. It would creep _me_ out too," Tia says softly, looking at the beautiful necklace.

"Well, _look_ at it this way Amanda," Tianna says with a slight smile. "You'll _never_ be alone, and now, you'll _always_ have somebody to talk to _besides_ yourself. But listen, they _did_ say that there _may_ be a way to get it off, _remember_? They didn't look like they wanted to get _into_ it yet though, I'm not sure why. But they did _hint_ that there may be a way. I think they just need to hear the rest of the story first. Maybe there's something they're _looking_ for. You know, like something _specific_ that happened or something. Who knows?"

"Honestly... they seem to be as _confused_ as we are. At least on _some_ things... I think," Thian says seriously. "I _know_ they know more than _we_ know though... you _know_?"

"Speaking of _confusing_!" Tia laughs. "You _really_ have a way with words Thian. Always _veeeery_ clear as to what you mean."

"Oh... _thanks_ ," Thian says with a huge smile. Then as he thinks it over for a moment, he gets an odd expression on his face as his smile slowly slides away. "Hey... _wait_..."

Everyone laughs, then Thian laughs too.

"But, seriously," Thian continues. "I don't think they understand _exactly_ what's going on either. But, let's get back and finish your story Amanda, then see what they think you... _we_... can do about it."

"Wait. You mean... you _still_ want to stay _with_ me? Knowing what this thing _really_ is around my neck? And what I _could_ do... and _have_ done, and not even _know_ I've done it?"

"You're our _friend_ Amanda," Thian says, gazing into her stunning green eyes. "And friends _stick_ together, through the _best_ and _worst_ of times, if at all _possible_. Let's just hope though, that the worst really _won't_ be that bad."

Amanda turns to Tia, Tianna and Sadie.

"Well, don't think you're getting rid of _me_ that easily," Tianna snorts. "Heck, _I'm_ just gettin' to _like_ you. Never really know _what_ you're going to do next. It's a real _hoot_!"

They all laugh, and then Tianna says seriously, "Besides... I've got a _score_ to settle."

"And I can't let Tianna go where you go without _me_ ," Tia says with a smile. "After all, _who's_ going to keep her out of _trouble_?"

"You mean, there's actually somebody that _can_?" Amanda says with a laugh.

"And _I'm_ coming too," Sadie says skipping around Tianna. " _I'll_ watch Tianna, and make sure she doesn't get into _any_ trouble. _Right_ , Tianna?"

Everyone laughs again and heads back down the tunnel.

They make their way back into the large cavern and spot Cassandrea and Anastasia in a _heated_ discussion, in low voices. When the two of them hear Amanda and the others coming, they both get up, Cassandrea saying, " _Our_ turn." Anastasia gives a nervous smile saying, "Uh, we'll be right back," and quickly walk away.

Taking their seats, Tia says quietly, "Wonder what _that_ was all about?"

"Knowing Cassandrea as we _do_..." Tianna says with a sneer, "you can _bet_ it's nothing good."

In a couple minutes, Anastasia and Cassandrea come back in and take their seats on the far couch. They give weak smiles to the others, then Anastasia says, "Amanda, I'm _sorry_. I had _no_ idea you had, well, that your _necklace_ was full of... um... it's just all kind of _scary_ , is all. I can't even _imagine_ how you must feel. And, it's hard to imagine _all_ the things you've been through already. I _know_ you're not an evil person, and I _really_ like you. But, it's a little _scary_. Knowing what you... really _could_ do, if you got _mad_ or something."

"Thanks. It _is_ scary, and I really don't _want_ this thing. I'm really hoping they _can_ find a way to get it off."

Just then, Jasmine trots into the room, followed by a floating table, holding the cauldron with Ellanya's face distorting in the green vapor. Bellinora rounds the corner and enters as well. Jasmine jumps up on her pedestal and sits staring at Amanda. The table floats to the cavern floor next to Bellinora's chair, and Bellinora takes her seat.

"I trust everyone is refreshed, and that we have all calmed down," Bellinora says with a warm smile.

"Amanda, would you please continue your story. You had just dipped the necklace into the lake, and saw it _glowing_. Please continue from there."

"Okay. Well, after I thought the necklace glowed, or had given some kind of _weird_ reflection, I rinsed off the key and looked it over really good. Then I put the necklace and the key into the side pocket of my backpack."

Amanda tells them how she then wiped off the book and looked it over, and really _liked_ that it was hand written, and that she had really liked the detailed drawing of all kinds of _creatures_ , crystals and other things. And, that she had thought the _hundreds_ of pages showing what looked like an _orchestra_ leader waving a stick, were _very_ interesting, since she did not learn it was a _wand_ till after she met Thian and the others.

She tells them that she put the big book into her backpack, and headed off along the lake's edge, in the direction it appeared the skeleton had been coming _from_ , thinking there _must_ be some way out in that direction.

Clearing her throat, Amanda tells them of following the crystal-lined path she had found, and following it to where she discovered the old row boat, and about her _adventure_ with the Alligator Garfish, and being taken from one cavern to another by a _strong_ current.

Bellinora stops Amanda when she mentions that the boat was taken from cavern to cavern, and chats with Jasmine and Ellanya, then has Amanda continue.

"Well, _then_ I saw what looked like _white_ water rapids, only they were kind of _green_ because of the glowing water."

Amanda tells them of her _harrowing_ adventure down the rapids and how the little boat had _burst_ into pieces when it had gotten jammed against the sides, ceiling and floor, within a _narrow_ section of the cave tunnel she had been shooting through.

Becoming quite animated, Amanda tells them that she _somehow_ found the wooden plank used as the bench in the rowboat, and that she had held onto it while _whipping_ down the rapids for a while, until it was _ripped_ away from her. Sadie gives a _cry_ and clutches Tianna.

"It's _okay_ Sadie," Amanda says with a smile. "I _make_ it out okay." Sadie smiles and lessens her grip on Tianna's nail marked arm.

"I was _really_ scared! I couldn't _swim_ , and I was _shooting_ along the narrow rapids, being _whipped_ around the corners so _violently_ , I thought I would be _killed_ slamming into the rocks sticking out of the walls, and the ones in the _water_.

"I eventually _shot_ off the end of a short waterfall, and landed in a _huge_ lake. The current seemed to turn into a very gentle one. I was panicked, and thought I would _drown_ , just _thrashing_ around, trying to stay above water. Then, I found that _same_ plank I used before, floating _right_ beside me. I grabbed onto it, and kicking my feet, made my way to the shoreline."

Bellinora stops Amanda there and says, "Before you continue Amanda, we would like to give some observations thus far. Concerning the boat, I am sure we will figure out to _whom_ it belongs later in the story. However, as to the _Alligator_ Garfish, you mentioned that there were _plenty_ of fish in the lake, is that correct?"

"Yes."

"Alligator Gar, while they _can_ be aggressive, are not _generally_ found in that part of your realm. They also, do not _generally_ grow that large..."

"And with all the _smaller_ fish in the lake, which would be _easy_ prey for them," Ellanya says smiling, " _why_ do you think they decided to go after... _you_?"

"I... well, I never really _thought_ about it."

"Amanda," Bellinora says leaning forward a little. "We believe those Gar were _placed_ in that lake, as _part_ of a spell to stop you, or _anyone_ else, that found their way _into_ the lake. However, we believe that strange _current_ that seemed to stay in the middle of the lake, and took you _directly_ through the center of the arches... was a spell to lead you _safely_ through the caverns."

"Well, _that_ didn't work so well," Amanda says shaking her head. "I almost _died_ when the boat blew apart."

"Yes, and you _would_ have too." Bellinora continues, "Do you not think it _strange_ , that a young girl, who _cannot_ swim, seems to stay _more_ or less afloat, and is not _sucked_ under and _drowned_?"

Amanda does not say anything, but had thought the _same_ thing many times after her adventure.

"We think you were _helped_ by the spell cast to keep you _alive_ and safe," Ellanya says with a wavering smile within the vapor. "You were caught in a _fight_ between two previously cast spells."

"Of course..." Bellinora continues, "we cannot be _entirely_ sure who cast the spells, or for _whom_ they were originally cast. But think about _this_. Do you not think it was... _very_ lucky the boat _burst_ apart and the large plank just _happened_ to be right within your reach the _moment_ you needed it? _Before_ being whisked _violently_ down the rapids?"

"It was _torn_ from your hands," Ellanya says, "but somehow _you_ managed to stay afloat and _not_ go under... in _violent_ rapids... _really_?"

"And Amanda," Bellinora says nodding, "when you went over the falls and into the pool below, you _knew_ you would drown. Do you not think it was rather _lucky_ , that the _same_ plank just _happened_ to float right beside you, when you needed it the _most_ again? Are these not a few too _many_ coincidences?"

Amanda turns to her friends, and sees Thian and Tia exchanging startled looks, while Sadie looks up into Tianna's wide eyes.

Turning back to Bellinora, Amanda stutters, "I... well... I just thought I _was_ lucky is all."

"More of an _unusual_ luck, I think," Ellanya smiles. "Please, continue. What did you find when you reached the shoreline. I am willing to _bet_ there was a _path_ to follow... am I _right_?"

"Yeah, there _was_ ," Amanda says looking at Ellanya smiling in the waving vapor. Amanda tells them how she had followed a path that looked like _mown_ down crystals, and how she had _smelled_ something like _rotten_ eggs. Then how she had spotted the _huge_ wooden door, set into the rock of the giant cliff face.

"The smell was getting _really_ bad," Amanda says wrinkling up her nose. "I was looking up near the top of the really tall door, when I _stepped_ on something, lost my balance, and fell _right_ into a huge pile of _skeletons_ , which were in some kind of _hole_."

Both Cassandrea and Anastasia gasp, looking at Amanda as though they may throw up.

"A _pile_ of skeletons Amanda?" Bellinora asks tilting her head. "And they were in a... _hole_ of some kind? Like a... _pit_?"

"Yeah. Actually, they were even _stacked_ up in a mound _out_ of the pit too. When I fell into the pit, I was _really_ scared and started _thrashing_ around trying to get out. All I did though, was make all the bones _shatter_ , and as they did, I kept falling _further_ into the pit, with their _bones_ falling all over _me_. It really _freaked_ me out!"

Once again, Bellinora, Jasmine and Ellanya chat quickly for a few moments, then have Amanda continue.

"When I was in the pit, I got one of my _hands_ stuck in a rib cage, and my _other_ one slipped into the _mouth_ of a skull. It actually looked like it was trying to _eat_ me."

Ellanya, Jasmine and Bellinora exchange quick looks, as Sadie lets out a _cry_ and pulls her feet up, making a tight ball of her body, snuggling tightly against Tianna.

Amanda tells how _beetles_ scurried out of the eye sockets and into the nose and such, making her _thrash_ even more, sending her farther down into the pit. She then tells them how, once _out_ of the pit, she had _slammed_ the rib cage against a boulder, shattering it to pieces.

Next, Amanda tells them how the jaw had _broken_ away from the skull, and a broken tooth had _bit_ her on the thumb, making it _bleed_.

Jasmine lets out a rather _loud_ mew, then she, Bellinora and Ellanya begin a rather lengthy conversation.

Amanda has to stifle a laugh, as she watches Jasmine sitting up on her pedestal, mumbling in her strange _cat_ speak, while moving her head around in quite an _animated_ fashion. Both Bellinora and Ellanya intently listening to her every... _meow_. They are actually _listening_ to a... _cat_!

"Yes, I think you may be _right_ Jasmine. _Interesting_ ," Bellinora says turning back to look at Amanda.

"Amanda, you say the jaw _broke_ away, once you were _out_ of the pit. Are you telling us, that the jaw was _still_ attached to the skull all that time?"

"Well, _yeah_... so?"

"Amanda," Ellanya says softly, "when a person decays, the jaw _detaches_ from the skull. It does not _stay_ attached."

"Well, _this_ one did."

"Yes, but only those with certain... _powers_ , are imbued with the Wizitch _capable_ of keeping the skull and jaw attached. These would be _very_ evil people indeed. And you say it, well, _bit_ you?"

"Yeah, it _did_... so?"

Bellinora asks, "What happened then Amanda?"

She tells them how she spotted the large pile of armor, _shields_ , swords, _daggers_ , breast and backplates, a strange kind of _metal_ boots, helmets and even _chain_ mail and chain gloves of an unusual kind.

"So, I went through the pile of stuff, and set the ones I _liked_ to the side. So once I got back to the surface, I could come back sometime later and _get_ 'em."

"This is where you found _all_ your armor then? The sword, shield, _helmet_ and other items?" Ellanya asks eagerly.

"Yep. Josh and _Sam_ have all the armor now. They got _really_ excited about the sword, _didn't_ they?" Amanda asks looking to Thian, Tia and Tianna. They all smile and nod. " _We_ couldn't read the writing on the blade, but _they_ could." Turning back her friends she asks, " _What_ did Sam say the writing said?"

Tia says, "She said, ' _Lancer_ , Keeper of the Flame of _Alendur'_."

This gets _quite_ a reaction from Bellinora, Jasmine and Ellanya. They instantly begin a _very_ excited conversation, with eyes darting from one to the other.

Ellanya is swirling so much in her vapor, Amanda can _no_ longer see her form. Jasmine is mumbling away _most_ animatedly, even lifting her _paws_ from time to time, and _waving_ them around like Bellinora was waving _her_ arms and hands.

"But... it is just too _difficult_ to believe. Can it _really_ be?" Ellanya says, her form slowly settling in the waving vapor.

"That's _exactly_ what _Sam_ said," Amanda says with a smile. "Sam said something about, after _all_ these millennia, it has _finally_ come to pass, and something about the _jewels_ in the handle. They, well, even began to _cry_ , didn't they?" Amanda asks looking to her friends. All of them nod back to her.

"Mother, can you _believe_ that? Amanda... is not only the one who _found_ and wears the _Necklace of Power_ , but found _and_ carried... _Lancer_?! This is getting more _confusing_ all the time! How in _Creations_ name, could she possess _both_... and not have something... well, _very_ interesting happen?"

"I have _no_ idea dear. This is almost _too_ much to take in. It is going to take me some time to _process_ all of this."

"We knew the sword must be _very_ valuable, because _Sam_ said something like, 'If they _only_ knew of its _true_ worth.'"

"You have _no_ idea!" Ellanya says with a laugh.

Amanda continues, "Loki, he's the _Dwarf_ I told you about, said that the sword came from someplace called the _Temple_ of _Ashakar_ , which was the highest tower within the _lost_ city of Elboreth. I didn't have _time_ to check out the entire city while I was _there_ though, just a little bit... but from what I _saw_ , I bet it was _really_ something."

"You... you were _in_ the lost city?" Ellanya asks with her eyes wide.

"Oh yeah, and I got there _just_ in time too. But I'll tell you about that later. Josh and _Sam_ both seemed really surprised that I was wearing the necklace, and had _used_ the sword too," Amanda says with a smile.

"Wait. You... you actually _used_ the sword? While wearing the _necklace_? On _what_... or, on _who_? What are you _talking_ about?" Bellinora asks with a truly stunned expression.

"I'm _almost_ to that part. Well, _one_ of them anyway," Amanda laughs timidly.

"Are you _telling_ us, that you _used_ the sword, more than _once_?" Ellanya asks, her eyes going wide again. "Thor's _thunder_! _This_ ought to be something. Please... continue."

"Oh, well, I _forgot_ , when I first pulled the sword out of the pile, I saw that it was almost _completely_ covered in thick, dark black... _stains_ I thought. _Thicker_ than on the broken sword I found, next to the _skeleton_ with the necklace.

"But... I _guess_ the black stuff was really _blood_ though huh? Anyway, I wiped it of on my T-shirt, and I could hardly see an _edge_ on it, because of all the dried _blood_. Then, like an _idiot_ , I ran my finger over the thick dried, ah, _blood_ along the edge of the blade. I _cut_ my finger pretty _bad_ , and had to _suck_ on it for a minute to get the stinging to stop."

Jasmine makes some quick mewing sounds, whereupon Bellinora says, " _Shush_ , not _now_ Jasmine," and motions for Amanda to continue, while Jasmine _mumbles_ something under her breath.

"Well, like I _said_ , I went through the pile and put the stuff I really liked... and that _fit_... and that were really _light_... to the side."

"Tell her about the cool _shield_ you found," Thian says with a huge grin.

"Oh _yeah_! The shield was kind of a _teardrop_ shape, and had a really detailed image of a _skull_ on it! _Loki_ said he looked up the image in some old _books_ his dad had, and said the shield was from the line of... of..."

"From the line of _Morden_." Tia says in a hushed tone, everyone straining to hear her.

" _Morden_!" Ellanya gasps. "Great _Mother_ of Creation! What an _evil_ , _vile_ family! Oh, the _trouble_ they have caused! There are still some living _today_ I hear, though I have _no_ idea how many. They have been trying to get their _hands_ on the _Artifact_ since the beginning." Then looking to Bellinora, says, "Whoever had that _shield_ , must have been after, and tried to _fight_ the _Wielder of Power_."

"Yeah, well, we know how _that_ turned out for 'em," Tianna says putting an arm around Sadie. "Tell them about the _chest_ and backplate, and the _helmet_."

"Okay. Well, the chest and backplate were _really_ light, and fit pretty good. Loki said he had looked them up too, and they were from..." Amanda turns to look to Thian.

"They were from the _Selten_ family of the Dwarves," Thian says with a smile. "Loki said they were a _noble_ family, and that there were still a few of _them_ around too... as far as he knows."

"The _Seltens_..." Ellanya says with a slight smile. "Now _there_ is a name I have not heard in a good number of years. Wonder how _Selma_ is doing?"

"Oh, I... don't _know_ really," Amanda says awkwardly. "The _helmet_ is really cool though. It has sharp _spikes_ all over it. And you could flip the visor _up_ and down when you needed to. It came in _really_ handy when I was _inside_ the snake."

" _Excuse_ me?" Bellinora asks looking bewildered. "When you were... _inside_ a snake?"

"Yeah, _sorry_ , that doesn't come till later. But _anyway_ , the helmet saved me _several_ times actually. _Where_ was it from?"

"Loki said it was from... if you _believe_ it... the _Chacutas_ race," Tianna says watching Bellinora very carefully.

"Oh _my_ ," Bellinora says with a hand to her chin. "Why, they have not been around for some three _thousand_ years or so. A _vicious_ warring tribe of real _cutthroats_ \- liked to kill and _torture_ most any other race they could find. _Horrible_ creatures. And you wore _that_ helmet Amanda? _Along_ with the breast and backplate? While _carrying_ the sword?"

"Yes _Mam_ , and I'm really _glad_ I had them too. If not... I'd be _dead_ now."

Jasmine, Bellinora and Ellanya exchange looks, then motion for Amanda to continue.

"Wait, what about the _dagger_?" Thian asks. "I know you didn't find it till _later_ , and Josh and Sam went _nuts_ , but, since you're talking about where stuff is _from_..."

"Okay, sure. Like Thian said, I didn't find the _dagger_ until a _lot_ later, but, Loki had looked it up and said that it was from the _High_ Elves of _Elennor_ in the _East_ , and was at least seven _thousand_ years old."

Jasmine _jumps_ off her pedestal, dashes across the room, and _disappears_ into the tunnel. Bellinora and Ellanya had both _gasped_ and have now locked eyes with their mouths wide open.

" _What_? What _is_ it?" Amanda asks nervously.

"If it is the dagger we _think_ it is..." Bellinora says as Jasmine trots into the room with a scroll in her teeth, "its value is beyond any you could _possibly_ comprehend, when combined with that of the _sword_."

Jasmine jumps up onto her pedestal. Bellinora takes the scroll and unrolls it. Turning it around she says, "Is _this_ what you found?" The color image drifts to Amanda, catching it she looks it over closely. She passes it to Sadie, who after looking at it, passes it to Tianna, Tia and Thian. They look it over and nod to Amanda.

"That's _it_... I'm _sure_ of it. Josh and Sam even _cried_ when they saw it. They said it had belonged to their _son_ , the one who wrote the _Journal_ I found. I think his name was..."

" _Alistar_ ," Ellanya says with eyes wide and a faraway look. "Then it _is_ true. The dagger did _indeed_ belong to Alistar, and was given him by the _Lord_ of the High Elves himself. Yes, I remember it well. Josh and Sam were _so_ proud."

"Mother... not _now_ ," Bellinora says softly, but firmly.

"Yes, of _course_ dear. You say you also found Alistar's _Journal_ , Amanda?"

"Yes Mam, but again, not till a good deal later. Do you want me to tell you _now_ , or when I _get_ there in my story?"

"When you get to it will be fine," Bellinora says, still looking as though she cannot believe all she is hearing, but knows that _every_ word is true. "Please continue Amanda."

"That's about it as far as the stuff I took, but the pile of armor and stuff, was _really_ huge. After that, I looked at the really giant door. It was _really_ neat. It was about twenty to _twenty_ -five feet tall I guess. It was made of wood, and in the _shape_ of a very tall pointed _arch_. It had this really _beautiful_ image of a face, about _three_ quarters of the way up. The face had what looked like flowing _hair_ coming out of it, and kind of _swirled_ away from the face, going all the way up to the very top of the door. There wasn't any _body_ though, just the _waving_ hair. Oh, and it _looked_ like it was made of polished _opals_.

"Let's see... there was a really _cool_ frame around the entire door too. It looked kind of like chiseled blue-green _marble_. There was a big, really old looking tarnished brass _ring_ about the same height as my head. Um... above _that_ , was some kind of a long _sliding_ latch. Oh, and there was this _huge_ green-blue _writing_ on the door, right in the middle. _It_ was really tarnished too. I couldn't _read_ it though."

Bellinora and Ellanya turn to one another, each giving a short nod, like they understand what Amanda had been looking at.

"The _scary_ part really, was that huge carved red _face_ just above the tip of the door. That _really_ creeped me out! Other than that, the only other thing I saw at _that_ point, was the really _foul_ smelling red _mist_ coming from under the door."

"Amanda, would you stop for a moment please?" Bellinora asks evenly. "Jasmine, would you please bring in the image of the Keepers Door? I'd like Amanda to take a look at it."

Jasmine gives what to Amanda looks like a nod, jumps down and trots back down the tunnel.

Amanda takes this opportunity to take a sip of her drink, and asks Bellinora, "Do you think you've _heard_ of the door I found?"

Smiling, Bellinora says, "I believe I _have_. And if it is the one I have in _mind_... the _rest_ of your story should be _very_ interesting."

"You can say _that_ again!" Ellanya laughs, swirling up some vapor.

Jasmine comes trotting into the room with another scroll in her teeth, and jumps up onto her pedestal. Bellinora thanks her and unrolls the scroll, showing it to Jasmine, then to Ellanya, who smiles and nods. Bellinora waves her hand and the scroll drifts over to Amanda.

Amanda catches the scroll, unrolls it, then exclaims in surprise, "That's _it_! That's it _exactly_! Even the two sparkling _column_ -like things on either side of the _door_! And that's the _same_ red face too... and the _opal_ face with the _hair_ rising to the top of the door. That's the same _writing_ too, at least it _looks_ like it. And I'd know that red _mist_ anywhere. Man... did that ever _stink_!"

"Could _we_ see it Amanda?" Tia asks.

Amanda passes what looks like a photograph of the cavern and door to Sadie, who hands it to Tianna. Sadie and Tianna look it over really well, then pass it to Tia and Thian. After they look at it, and pass it back to Amanda, she passes it to Anastasia and Cassandrea.

In the meantime, Jasmine, Bellinora and Ellanya are _deep_ in excited, albeit _whispered_ , conversation.

Thian, Tia, Tianna and Sadie are chatting away, as are Anastasia and Cassandrea, who have just passed the scroll back to Amanda, who keeps looking at the image on the scroll, playing back what had happened after going through that door.

"Alright Amanda, may I have the scroll please?" Bellinora waves her hand, and the scroll rolls itself up, and floats back to rest in front of Jasmine on her pedestal.

"We are _certain_ now, that we know the _precise_ location of this door," Bellinora says with a smile, but also a look of curiosity. "We are most _anxious_ to hear what happened when you _opened_ that door, and what you... _encountered_ on the other side. You _did_ of course, need to use the _key_ you found... am I correct?"

"Yeah, I did. But, how did _you_ know that key fit that door?

Bellinora smiles saying, "As I just stated, we _know_ the door you were standing at. Please continue."

Amanda tells them how she had tried to open the door, but it just wouldn't budge and how after trying several times, she noticed the little odd shaped hole in the cavern wall next to the door.

"I took off my backpack, and pulled the _key_ and necklace out, then _dropped_ the necklace and the pack..."

"You _dropped_ the _Artifact_?!" Ellanya cries, "Great _Mother_!"

"Well, _yeah_. I hadn't put it _on_ yet. Anyway, the key _fit_ and I heard _clanking_ noises going up the side of the door. I opened it a little, and some _mist_ came in and _wrapped_ around my ankles. It was kind of _warm_ , but not hot. Actually it was really _weird_ stuff. I was really surprised to see that the door was some _two_ feet thick. But I figured out _why_ a little later, _belieeeeve_ me!"

Bellinora, Ellanya and the others could not help but laugh, with Amanda's tone and the expression on her face.

"As I pulled the door open, a _stream_ of the red mist came swirling in and wrapped _around_ me to my waist. It kind of like, _moved_ down my body, and then started spreading out like _tendrils_ as it hit the cooler floor of the cavern. It almost looked like it was... well, _searching_ for something.

"The smell was _horrible_! I had to move back some, because it made me _gag_. I then only opened the door enough to stick my _head_ through. It was really _hard_ to breathe, the stinking _fumes_ were stinging my eyes, and it really _burned_ my lungs, every time I took a _breath_. It constantly made me feel like I was going to _throw_ up. I remember I got really _dizzy_ too."

Amanda tells them how she pulled the door open, took only a few steps inside, to have a quick look around, thinking some _monster_ might be in there waiting for her, but did not see anything other than the red mist, which looked like it turned into a red _fog_ further in. Then how she discovered that the crystal pathway she had been following, _continued_ on the other side of the door.

"That's when I went back through the door to get my backpack. I put the key back in the pack, put the _necklace_ on and then..."

" _Wait_!" Bellinora says leaning forward. "You just _picked_ it up and put it on? Are you _sure_? Please think _carefully_ Amanda. This is of the _utmost_ importance! Tell us _exactly_ what happened... no matter _how_ trivial!"

"Well, let's see... Oh! _That's_ right! I remember that I picked up the necklace then _dropped_ it. I picked it up again, but when I reached to put it in the pocket of my backpack, I _dropped_ it again. It was kind of _weird_ actually, now that I think back on it. That _second_ time, it actually felt like something had _yanked_ it out of my hand." Then laughing, Amanda says, "Like it didn't _want_ to go into the pocket."

Bellinora, Jasmine and Ellanya exchange knowing looks.

"I couldn't believe I had _dropped_ it again. I quickly grabbed it with _both_ hands. I remember it slipping a little, because of my _bloody_ finger from being cut on the blade, and from my _thumb_ , where that _stupid_ tooth from that scary skull had _bit_ me. That cut had opened up again too.

"I remember seeing a streak of blood along the _chain_ once I picked it up. Then, I just _slipped_ it over my head. I got up real quick and, well... I felt like a strange _tingling_ sensation shoot _right_ through my body. It gave me the _goosies_.

"That's about _it_ really. I then slipped my backpack back on, and went back through the doorway into the mist."

Bellinora stops Amanda, while she, Jasmine and Ellanya chat excitedly for almost an hour. The kids sit nervously, trying to figure out what is being said, chatting among themselves.

"Alright Amanda," Bellinora finally says with a smile. "Things are _now_ beginning to make some sense. Please continue from when you stepped through the doorway into the mist."

"Okay." Amanda takes them through how she had walked a ways wondering if some _monster_ might be in there waiting for her, and then, how she had thought that a monster might not be on this side, but on the side that she had come _from_ , and that maybe the _monster_ had killed all those people and put them in a pit, then piled up their armor - like a _dragon_ might do with its treasure. How she had gone back to close the door, but saw her pile of armor just off to one side.

"So, I went through the door and put on all the armor, grabbed the shield and sword, then went back into the mist and locked the door. As I walked, the _stench_ was growing stronger and made my stomach feel like I might _throw_ up. The _fumes_ kept making my eyes sting too. That red mist... _fog_ stuff... was really _horrible_! I'm still not sure what _made_ it red though, even though I did find a red _boiling_ lake."

"Amanda, I am going to stop you here for a moment." Bellinora says holding up a hand. "I think you need to know, and understand a few things. As you know, the _necklace_ was created by the most _evil_ of the Dark side of Wizitch. Perhaps _tens_ of thousands of the most evil, _vile_ spirits are _trapped_ within _each_ of the gems of that necklace. They were trapped there, to _do_ the bidding of the _Wielder of Power_. The Wielder was _always_ intended to be someone who was _extremely_ evil, and had reached the _highest_ level of Wizitch training, within their Order. In other words, an _already_ tremendously power _witch_ or wizard... on the _Dark_ side. Should the necklace be found by someone _not_ worthy to wield it... someone not _evil_ enough... and _they_ touched the necklace, they would be killed _instantly_."

Amanda begins to speak, but Bellinora raises her hands saying, "Please... let me finish. We all know that _you_ are not evil at all. And _that_ has bothered us greatly... till now. As I was saying, _only_ someone deemed worthy by the watcher, would be _allowed_ to pick up the necklace and place it around their neck.

"The ancient spell which was cast, allows the necklace to _shrink_ once around the new Wielders neck, which would _prevent_ it from ever coming off, by accident, or _otherwise_... or so the stories go. Yes, it does loosen up so it drapes nicely, but if it begins to rise, it _shrinks_ quickly. It is _bound_ to the Wearer.

"Now... when you _first_ grabbed the necklace, you had just _cut_ yourself on the blade of the broken sword, which was _covered_ in dried blood. Amanda, _that_ sword, must have belonged to someone on the _Light_ side of Wizitch!

"When you wiped the blade with your injured finger, _some_ , perhaps only a _very_ small amount of that blood, had transferred to your _right_ hand. When you first _touched_ and tried to pick up the necklace... we _believe_ that the watcher got _confused_.

"Remember, the _test_ for the new Wielder, is to _cut_ themselves, and smear their blood on the necklace, so the watcher could determine if they were truly _evil_ , or someone of the _Light_ , which would mean they would instantly be _killed_.

"The little bit of blood from your fingers, had not only _your_ blood... which would be detected as blood of the _Light_... but, we think that the _ratio_ of dried blood, which had dissolved within just a touch of you _own_ blood... was _enough_ for the watcher to detect great _evil_ , and _good_ at the same time. Of course, there must have been a good deal more _evil_ detected, from the dissolved blood... or you would have been _killed_ on the spot."

The kids are all wide eyed, all mouths open.

"But... why couldn't I pick it _up_ then?" Amanda asks very confused.

"Good question," Ellanya says nodding. "We believe the watcher _was_ actually trying to decide whether to _kill_ you or not."

Everyone gasps.

"However," Bellinora continues. "You then told us you reached down with your _left_ hand, which had _several_ fluids on it. True, one was _your_ blood, but your blood was _never_ alone. When you had cut yourself, and _sucked_ on your finger to stop the pain, that _evil_ blood entered your bloodstream. The cut on your finger from the _blade_ you carried, was _thick_ with the most _foul_ of evil blood, and had _remained_ thick on your finger.

"When you reached down with _both_ hands," Ellanya says looking at Amanda, "the dissolved _evil_ blood was smeared over the _Artifact_ , along with some _saliva_... which was _filled_ with evil particles. We believe the _ratio_ of evil detected, was at least a _magnitude_ higher... at that _precise_ moment, and fooled the watcher into _believing_ you were indeed _worthy_ to take it."

"When you had _dropped_ the necklace, and you tried to pick it up later," Bellinora continues, "the watcher was confused _again_... or at least that is what we _think_ , and while further thinking things over, the watcher made you _drop_ the necklace. When you reached down this time with _both_ hands though, you now have the _very_ evil blood that had been on the _sword_ you would soon carry, along with particles, or _slivers_ from the... _bite_ you got from the broken tooth. Those minute particles or slivers, _also_ entered your bloodstream. We _think_ however, that perhaps a broken sliver from the tooth _remained_ at the surface of your cut, which the watcher detected as _extreme_ evil."

Ellanya cuts in, "The dissolved, _evil_ blood, was again detected to be _magnitudes_ higher than any good detected. The watcher was now _convinced_... through a _false_ positive... that you were not only _evil_ , but _immensely_ evil. You see, the blood on the _sword_ , more than likely, was from dozens, if not _hundreds_ of the most foul and _evil_ creatures. Amanda, that sword you found and took with you, belonged to the side of the _Light_. So, of _course_ , the blood on it was from the _Dark_ side. When that blood _smeared_ onto the _Artifact_ that final time you attempted to pick it up... it was _so_ coated in the evil blood off the blade, the watcher was _convinced_ beyond a shadow of a doubt, and you were allowed to not only pick it up... but to _place_ it around your neck, which _completed_ the bond!"

"Amanda, as I have said before," Bellinora now continues, "once the necklace _has_ been placed around the neck of the new Wielder... they _then_ become the _Wielder of Power_ , and _must_ be protected at _all_ costs, by the spell cast upon all those trapped within the necklace. Through the most _unlikely_ series of events... _you_ have become the new, _Wielder of Power_."

"The thing is though," Ellanya says seriously, "we have _no_ idea what will happen _now_. The _Artifact_ was _never_ designed to be worn by someone like you. Someone who is _truly_ of the Light, and with what most whom have met you thus far, would suspect as possessing _no_ Wizitch abilities at all... but _that_ is another story to be told at a later time."

"Amanda," Bellinora says sitting back in her chair. "When you stood up, after putting the necklace on, you say you felt a jolt run through your body. That first _jolt_ or tingling is known as the _Bond_. It is the _permanent_ bonding between _you_... and the necklace. From _that_ point on... you became one."

"But, I don't _want_..."

Bellinora holds up her hands saying, "We know. But for now, there is nothing _any_ of us can do. You _must_ learn to control the necklace, or... well, we simply do _not_ know at this point."

"Also, when you began to walk into the mist," Ellanya begins, "you almost could not _breath_ , got dizzy and _almost_ passed out. However, once the _Artifact_ was _on_ , and you went back into the mist, it still _stung_ your eyes, and _burned_ your lungs some... but it was not anywhere _near_ as bad as it had been. _Was_ it?"

Thinking for a moment, Amanda then says softly, "No. Not really..."

"And as you walked, the mist was _all_ around you, but I bet, not _quite_ touching you... is that right?" Ellanya asks.

Again, concentrating very hard, thinking back, Amanda says, "Yeah, actually... but _wasn't_ it just, _I_ don't know, like the _temperature_ difference between _me_ and the mist that was doing that?"

"No," Bellinora says shaking her head. "It was the necklace _protecting_ you."

" _Protecting_ me?" Amanda asks confused. "You mean, from the _mist_?"

"Yes," Bellinora smiles. "If it had not... you would have _died_ within another two minutes. You see, that red mist is an _extremely_ toxic, _poisonous_ gas."

Everyone gasps and looks at Amanda, whose eyes go _wide_ as her jaw drops.

"Poison... _gas_?" Amanda sputters. "You mean, without the necklace... I would have walked into, well, the _fog_ and... and..."

"You would have _died_ ," Ellanya says nodding, making her vapor swirl. "The _Artifact_ was keeping the mist _away_ from you, somehow, even _filtering_ it. It was as though you were walking in a protective _bubble_ of sorts. The _gas_ was being kept away, while filtering the _poison_ enough through some _unknown_ Wizitch, to _us_ anyway, to keep you alive. It would _still_ sting your eyes and burn your lungs some, and as you have said, really _stink_. But, you _would_ survive... as obviously you did."

"But, who would do such a _horrible_ thing, like filling a cavern with _poison_ gas?" Tianna asks shaking her head.

"The _High_ Council of the _Ancients_ is our best guess Tianna," Bellinora says with a smile.

"That door," Ellanya says smiling as well, "was put there to shut the _way_ , to both the ancient city, and to the ancient _transport_ chambers. The wording on the door you found Amanda, says, 'the way is shut.' And the _way_ is very well protected on the other side, as you must have encountered."

"The _way_ is shut?" Amanda asks. "Why do they say, 'the _way_ is shut', and not something like, well, 'no trespassing,' or ' _private_ property, keep out,' or 'no entrance,' 'do not enter,' or something like that? It's weird, but I've heard the phrase 'the _way_ is shut,' several times in other books and even in some _movies_. Usually really _old_ though."

Bellinora laughs, as does Ellanya, who then says, "Actually, that is a good question Amanda. The people of _many_ realms use many phrases which mean the _same_ thing, just stated differently. And, you are quite correct, in the ancient times, the word 'way' was used very often. But, the word way is still used today, not only in this realm, but _millions_ of others. In fact, it is used a great deal in your earth realm.

"The word way may be used in many, well, _ways_. For instance, as a thoroughfare for travel, or transportation from place to place, or as an opening for passage. Like in saying, 'this door is the only _way_ into or out of this room.' It can be used as the course traveled, from one place to another, such as when talking about a route. Someone may say something like, 'Amanda was searching for the way to Witch Mountain'.

"In the case of the door you found, it was simply stating that the _way_... or passage beyond the door, was closed to everyone not _specifically_ authorized to enter. It was in a sense saying, ' _no_ passage beyond this point. _All_ roads and _paths_ have been closed.'"

"The wonderful opal _face_ on the door you saw," Ellanya says with a nod, "was not that of a face with _hair_ , but depicting what _happens_ to one, when traveling in the... _ways_ of the ancient transportation chambers, which you and some of your friends experienced _firsthand_ evidently. It depicts your body changing into a form of a _shimmering_ opalescent smoke-like substance. You can think, and are _fully_ aware, and yet have _no_ body.

"That image on the door was an indication that the _way_ to the transportation chambers was shut to all. The huge _red_ face above the door, indicates that _death_ awaits all who choose to ignore the warning, and are _foolish_ enough, not only to make their... _way_ through the doorway, but to _continue_ on their way, once on the other side."

"Amanda, as I have said, we know _precisely_ where you were, and what you _must_ have found within the poison fog, on the _other_ side of the door. To be sure, let _me_ tell _you_ what Jasmine, Ellanya and I, _think_ you found.

"Within the mist, you find very _fearsome_ , frilled lizards, and of _course_ the boiling red lake, which had a spell cast upon it to _create_ the poison gas. You can tell us what _happened_ in there in a minute if you like, but I would venture a guess, that you ended up _fighting_ them, and _somehow_ , your sword even seemed to... _move_ on its _own_ from time to time? As though it was _swinging_ on its own, and _you_ were simply holding onto it?"

All Amanda can do is listen in stunned silence, and nod.

"You somehow, or actually, _because_ of the necklace, make it through that _second_ line of defense, the _first_ being the poison gas itself. You must have, at _some_ point, encountered the _larger_ flying lizards - _very_ vicious as I recall. I'm not sure _how_ you made it into the next _cavern_ however, because you would have had to _cross_ the boiling lake, which is also composed of a very _quick_ acting _acid_. Also, brooms and _wands_ will not work at all in those caverns, once you entered through that _first_ door, into the mist. _Somehow_ , you got into the next very large cavern.

"There you encountered _gigantic_ structures, which I am told, look something like trees with _wonderfully_ colored tops... like an upturned _umbrella_ of some sort. These however, are _not_ trees, but gigantic _lizards_ , which have actually become _part_ of the living jungle-like cavern there.

"You _must_ have fought the huge flying lizards too at _some_ point, and perhaps even the _giant_ tree-like creatures. But _another_ very fierce creature makes its way through those caverns as well. Huge _quilled_ creatures, with very large _black_ eyes, and a very large and _sharp_ beak. They _kill_ by shooting quills from their tail, then _ripping_ apart their victims, with their _sharp_ beaks. How am I doing _so_ far?"

Amanda and the others are _stunned_. "Well, _so_ far, you're _right_ on. I can't _believe_ you know all this."

Bellinora smiles, then has Amanda continue her story, giving all the details and adventures she had within the caverns. Everyone sits _riveted_ by the telling.

A couple hours later, after being asked to repeat sections of the story again, with Bellinora, Ellanya and Jasmine having _many_ an excited conversation, Amanda gets to where she found the old broken down house.

"This I believe," Ellanya says with interest, "is where you found the _dagger_. I would _very_ much like to hear _where_ you found it, and the condition it was in."

"Oh, okay. I found the dagger, _belt_ and stuff under the _floorboards_ in that old broken down house, after I crossed the _red_ hot bridge. The inside of the house looked like it had been _torn_ apart... like someone had been _searching_ for something."

"Yes, I imagine they _were_ ," Ellanya says nodding. "Was the dagger _with_ its belt, in _good_ condition?"

"Yeah, in fact, it looked _brand_ new. The _jewels_ were really bright. I really _liked_ them. Too bad we had to _sell_ the little gem in the belt buckle though..."

" _What_!" Bellinora cries leaning forward, wide- eyed and looking _horrified_. "You... you _sold_ one of the _jewels_? Why in _all_ the ways of _Wizitch_ , would you _do_ such a thing?"

"I... I didn't have any _money_ at all, and... and I couldn't just let _Thian_ pay for me all the time! I wanted to sell one of the _big_ jewels, like in the _goblet_ , or in the _sword_ but..."

"Great _Mother_ of Creation!" Bellinora gasps, " _Please_ tell me you did _not_ sell any others... _especially_ from the sword!"

"No. Just that _one_. And we got a good _price_ too. I _split_ it all with Thian, Tia, Tianna and Thea. Oh, and _Loki_ and his dad."

"Daughter..." Ellanya begins with a shaky voice. " _Without_ that jewel, the..."

" _Later_ mother. But, we _must_ let Na Dama know at once, unless... _Amanda_ , did you tell Josh and _Sam_ about selling the jewel?"

"Yes, and _they_ were pretty upset too, but didn't say why. _What's_ the matter? It was only _one_ little jewel anyway."

"You have _no_ idea what you have _done_ child," Ellanya says almost angrily.

"What is done is _done_ mother. I am sure that Josh and Sam have informed Na Dama of the matter. And to _whom_ it is that they suspected _found_ the sword and dagger."

"Oh, I would have _loved_ to have been there for _that_ one!" Ellanya cackles.

Bellinora smiles at Ellanya and then turns to Amanda. "Amanda, did you have any encounters with any _other_ creatures, other than lizards, flying creatures and _snakes_?"

Amanda looks to Thian, Tia and Tianna, then back to Bellinora. "Well, I _did_ actually. _Several_ times... but, the creatures were _people_."

Both Bellinora and Ellanya gasp. Jasmine stands up focusing _intently_ on Amanda, her back arched and the fur standing up on her back.

"You _used_ the necklace against... _people_?!" Bellinora asks in horror. "Who? _When_? What did you do?"

Amanda takes them through the events in the village back in the realm of _The Deep Forest Elves_ , and _how_ she had killed Blaine, but had not _remembered_ doing _any_ of it, then how she had fought and _killed_ others near Thian's place, and how Josh and _Sam_ had showed up. She continued with how she had fought others on their way to the transport chamber, and how she had fought and killed _more_ in _The Realm of The Witches_ , when they helped with the attack on Anastasia's and Cassandrea's village.

"But again," Amanda insists, "I _honestly_ don't remember any of it at _all_. One minute I'm looking at something, _scared_ half to death, then, I wake up on the _ground_ someplace else, and can't remember a _darn_ thing. Just like when I woke up on the floor _here_ , after you did... _whatever_ it is you did to me."

"Yeah, and Amanda's _eyes_ are always a different _color_ when she does her, uh, _Wielder_ thing too, and for a few seconds once she comes to after passing out," Tia says with half a smile.

" _That_ ," Ellanya says nodding, "is the _power_ of the _Artifact_ taking over her _nature_ for a time. It seems we _may_ be right daughter. The _Artifact_ _is_ somehow protecting Amanda, but _not_ taking her over _completely_. Why, I have _no_ idea... _most_ interesting."

Jasmine, having settled down, mumbles for several moments, then she, Bellinora and Ellanya turn and look intently at Amanda and the others, as Bellinora says, "Thank you Jasmine. I had _forgotten_ you had told me that. Jasmine tells me you had an encounter _prior_ to the one in _Shadow Alley_... when you had _first_ headed into the village I believe?"

"Oh, _yeah_ ," Amanda says nodding her head. "Two men had sped past us on either side of the road. _Cassandrea_ , well, _said_ something to them as they passed, and they came back and were going to _hurt_ Tianna. I, well, guess I _did_ something..."

"So it _was_ you!" Cassandrea says loudly. "I _knew_ it! I _knew_ it had to be _one_ of you that hung those men upside down and _gagged_ them!"

"You did _what_ dear?" Ellanya asks Amanda, watching the others smiling.

"Well, again, I really don't _remember_ much," Amanda says thinking back to the event. "I remember being really _scared_. They said they were going to teach us all a lesson in _manners_. And they were going to use some kind of _torture_ curse on us, and they were going to start with Tianna. That's _all_ I remember, other than for a _jolt_ , like an electric _current_ running through me. The next thing I knew, I was _flat_ on my back on the ground. That's when I saw the two men, Jake and _Yarro_ hanging upside down at the side of the road. They were _completely_ wound in rope, and had some kind of _gags_ in their mouths. We then headed off to the village."

"Ah _yes_ ," Bellinora laughs. "Jake and _Yarro_. I should have guessed. Those two have a _special_ talent for either finding, or _causing_ trouble wherever they go. Those are two _very_ nasty people. Both Jasmine and I have had _run_ -ins with them. You were _very_ lucky, they _would_ have used the torture curse on _each_ of you, until you had _all_ passed out from the pain. And they do it simply for the _fun_ of it.

"It was fortunate you had Amanda with you," Bellinora says shaking her head. "When she feared Tianna, who is a _very_ dear friend, was about to be _violently_ and painfully attacked, and possibly _killed_ , the _Artifact_ took over to protect _all_ of you. If it were not for the necklace, you would all have suffered _greatly_. And yes, possibly _died_ from trauma or heart failure."

Everyone looks nervously at one another, the color draining from their faces.

#  The Artifact

To TOC

"Bellinora?" Tia asks looking confused, "Where did the necklace _come_ from? Who _created_ it?"

"Yes, perhaps you _should_ know the whole story. As much as is _known_ that is. Mother, would you like to tell it? You remember it best."

"Of course dear," Ellanya says turning to face Amanda and the others.

"Well, _back_ in the beginning," Ellanya begins with a look of concentration, "the necklace was simply known as the _Artifact_.

"Hundreds of _thousands_ of years ago, and some _four_ ages before the creation of humankind, when _myths_ and legends of today _were_ everyday occurrences, two mighty Wizitch families lived. They were the greatest and most _powerful_ of their time, and ruled over all of Wizitchdom.

"One family, the _Eleathoans_ , known as the _Light_ , believed it their duty to help create the ideas and tools that would further their realm and _benefit_ the various Wizitch communities. They were great _creators_ and thinkers. They were the first to recognize the properties _imbued_ in the various trees surrounding their kingdom, and created _wands_ from their branches. They mined crystals and _infused_ them with special Wizitch attributes.

"One of their _greatest_ achievements was to develop the main Wizitch _language_ , as well as its derivatives, indigenous to each geographical area, of course, so that travelers would be _instantly_ recognized from where they came from. Besides the _spoken_ language, they created the first _written_ language with elaborate _symbols_ containing _Wizitchal_ properties, but, sadly, it eventually became _lost_ in the vastness of time.

"The other mighty family, the _Dillians_ , known as the _Dark_ , far older than the Eleathoans, believed that they, _alone_ , should rule _all_ of Wizitchdom. They believed that those of _Wizitch_ kind, should not have _individual_ control over Wizitch, as it would result in uncontrolled chaos. They valued _control_ and _obedience_ over all.

"Those terms, the _Light_ and the _Dark_ , are used to this very day in the Wizitching realms, to show the _difference_ between those who are caring, _creative_ , sharing beings, and those who are secretive, _destructive_ , controlling and _evil_.

"They disagreed _vehemently_ with the Eleathoans beliefs, and declared that _they_ , alone, being the _oldest_ , should possess a _single_ powerful item, that would harness the _full_ power of all Wizitch accumulated knowledge, since _time_ began and, in _so_ doing, would have the Wizitch kingdom acknowledge that _they_ ruled supreme, forevermore. Secretly, they decided that anyone attempting to _oppose_ them, would be dealt with, and _severely_.

"The two families continued their argument for many years, with no agreement or compromise.

"The Dillians decided that the continuation of _discussions_ with the Eleathoans was _useless_ , and stealthily began the design of the _one_ item, more _powerful_ than any individual crystal, more _focused_ than any _wand_ or staff. It would be a thing of _unbearable_ beauty and _infinite_ tragedy.

"Those who would look upon it would immediately be filled with _awe_ and terror. Its very _existence_ would be spoken about in _whispers_ , in the dark shadows of night, with dread.

" _One_ item, so _breathtaking_ , so _formidable_ , that once created would finally _silence_ the arguments of the Eleathoans forever.

"With a _zeal_ borne of the need to acquire an _overriding_ and all-consuming power, the Dillians began their clandestine work, toiling _day_ and night in the depths of their most precious mines until, at last, an object of _incredible_ size and beauty was found. It was brought to the Great Elder who exclaimed it, the _One_.

"Work began on it immediately. The Elders studied the gem and determined how it would be cut, what _secret_ herb-infused potions it would be _submerged_ in, how it would be _polished_ and what _rites_ would be spoken over it, as it was placed in alternating _blue_ and green fires.

"As the gem absorbed the Wizitch spells and _powers_ it was given, the Elders needed others to make the gem ready for the _next_ generations work. So, at an early age, the _children_ were taught to carefully mix and apply the various _potions_ , and speak various _spells_ over the gem, for the Elder's continued work.

"Many children _died_ as the evil within the One grew and _struck_ back, as more and _more_ evil was sent into and _trapped_ within the gem. The problem became, _how_ to control that growing power. But the _need_ to entrap _more_ evil within the gem, meant more than the _lives_ of their children.

"More were sent to take the place of those who perished. And so it went, generation after generation. As each new generation worked on the _Artifact_ , as it came to be known, it was molded with ever _greater_ detail and infused with more _intense_ powers, both _great_ and subtle.

"The task of continuing the work on the _Artifact_ , passed from Great Elder, to _their_ eldest son, who became the _next_ Great Elder, and so it went.

"But it's _true_ extent of powers, was realized once the current Great Elder's daughter, _Eris_ , was charged with its final completion. She saw it for the first time as a _child_ , taken to it by her father, who instructed her on its further evolution and purpose. She gazed upon it... was _drawn_ to it. The other children found her _strange_ and kept to themselves. Eris _spoke_ to it, and it seemed to others around her, who _heard_ her... _answered_ it. Many sunrises found her on the floor, curled up in sleep, at the _foot_ of the _Artifact's_ work table.

"The _Great_ Elder was pleased to find Eris taking such a _dedicated_ interest in the _Artifact's_ development - for him. The Great Elder had _no_ sons, but was pleased that his _daughter_ Eris was just as mean, _cruel_ , and _evil_ , as any son's father could ask for.

"As time went on, Eris soon found she had _no_ patience with the other children working on the _Artifact_. She deemed them too _clumsy_ and slow, but secretly, she felt they were _unworthy_ to even gaze upon it, and was driven to a _jealous_ rage when anyone other than her, worked on it... _touched_ it.

"The servants eyed one another warily whenever they heard children _screaming_ from the work room below them. Something, or _someone_ , had displeased the Great Elder's daughter. Eventually, when she was older, she ordered _all_ gone. She, _alone_ , was the only one _worthy_ to see it come to fruition.

"Years passed and, as she grew, her _beauty_ became legendary, as was her cunning and _cruelty_. Unwilling servants were _commanded_ to bring her food when she worked late into the night, their only reward being a swift _lash_ from her spiked belt, or _scalding_ tea thrown in their eyes, the price for moving too _slowly_ , or interrupting her work.

"She pored over _ancient_ texts, that even the _Elders_ before her had not _dared_ to unseal, to learn the oldest, and most _malevolent_ secrets and spells cast throughout the ages, and _secretly_ imbued the _Artifact_ with those deep, _ancient_ evils. Slowly, she became caught in the very webs of evildoing she wove. Many nights it _called_ to her when she slept, and she would _come_ when it bid her.

"An unknown length of time had elapsed in the _Artifact's_ creation. It was both magnificent and _frightening_ to behold. Finally, it was time to show it to the Wizitch kingdom, and make the Eleathoans humble and _cower_ before it.

"One day, Eris sent word to her father, the Great Elder, of the _Artifact's_ completion, and he was _eager_ to bring all the realms to their _knees_. He demanded the _Artifact_ be presented to him the next day, for final inspection. But _Eris_ decided, before she would do so, she would imbue it with _three_ more powers unbeknown to _anyone_ but her: unbroken _longevity_ and recognition of others in _their_ blood line, as well as others of the most _evil_ nature, and those of Light, so that for the former, the _Artifact_ would _protect_ them against _all_ dangers and for the latter, _instant_ death should they attempt to take it by force, or even to touch it. And lastly, the ability to _continue_ evolving, its power _strengthening_ over time, so that, as someone _died_ in the presence of the _Artifact_ , their _spirit_ would be absorbed into it, their _knowledge_ to serve the Wielder when needed... for _all_ of eternity."

The kids turn to look at Amanda, who is touching her necklace, her eyes wide with awe and fear.

"Eris slept _badly_ that night. The _Artifact_ _beckoned_ and she sat up in bed suddenly. It was _hers_ , commanding her to come and _take_ it for her own. But _how_? It was to be presented to her father. He _expected_ it, and would _take_ it from her for his own, _killing_ her if need be. Before the sun rose, she devised a plan.

"The next morning, the Great Elder summoned Eris, who brought the _Artifact_ to her father. Taking it from the _wonderfully_ carved wooden box with a golden _dragon_ carved on the top, along with a strange _symbol_ above it, she held it out to him, _reverence_ shining on her face. Her father, seeing her veneration, smiled, believing the look was for _him_. As soon as he took the _Artifact_ , Eris was _gripped_ with an overwhelming envy. Her father, so _stunned_ at the power the _Artifact_ exuded, never saw the _change_ come over her.

"The Great Elder sent messengers to the leaders of all the known realms, near and far, _summoning_ them to stand witness to _his_ creation in three days' time. He knew, whether out of curiosity or _fear_ , they would not refuse.

"Over the next two days, the Great Elder, accompanied by Eris, would make their way to the highest tower of the castle, and watch as Representatives of the realms, slowly made their way to the grounds surrounding the castle, setting up camps with many tents. In the evening, out of the darkness, small camp fires suddenly flared.

"It was _Eris_ who first saw the camp of the Eleathoans, and pointed them out to her father, the _white_ flag bearing their family crest waving gently in the evening breeze. A crooked smile spread across her father's withered face.

"On the morning of the third day, the Great Elder _once_ again stood next to Eris. He wore his most _stupendous_ , flowing black and gold robe, _covered_ with gems of many _gleaming_ colors. Looking down on the gathered crowd, he turned his head toward the Representatives of the Eleathoans, excitement growing within him. Using _Wizitch_ to magnify his voice, he exclaimed loudly, ' _Welcome_ all. You have been _summoned_ to our home, the home of the _greatest_ of the Wizitch families, the _Dillians_.'

"The crowd shifted as murmuring began. There was little _doubt_ that they all felt _anger_ and insulted at this pronouncement. Representatives from realms, many _eons_ older than this realm, came to see the Great Elder out of _respect_ , but _not_ to be offended. This was the _height_ of discourtesy. Only the Eleathoans remained _silent_ and unmoved.

"The Great Elder smiled. He turned to Eris and nodded. She opened the carved box, then handed him the _Artifact_ , biting her tongue. It was all she could do to _raise_ her hand to give it to him. He held out his hand, holding the gem _high_ in the air so that all could see his creation _sparkle_ in the sunlight. It was a jewel of such an _intense_ blood red color that, as the sun caught it's many refractions, it seemed to _glow_ and pulse with a _life_ of its own.

"The crowd below fell silent. 'You gaze upon that which the _Dillians_ have labored over for _many_ generations. We have toiled... have _suffered_... generations have _died_ to bring this absolute and unique _power_ to life.' The Great Elder looked down upon the crowd, pleased to see their attention _riveted_ on his every word.

"'Through the most ancient, hidden and _forgotten_ ways, we have succeeded in _capturing_ the spirits of those _Wizitch_ kind who, throughout the _eons_ , have _proved_ themselves to be the most _evil_ , the most _vile_ and, therefore, the most _powerful_ throughout _all_ the realms since the times of our most _Ancient_ Elders. Oldest and most _terrible_ spells... _curses_ of unimaginable _dread_ are now captured within this _multi_ -faceted gem... those spirits _forever_ trapped within its core.'

"The effect on the crowd was perfect - _precisely_ what he dreamed it would be. All faces were upturned to _him_. 'As they _will_ be forevermore,' the Great Elder thought, taking great satisfaction in their obvious fear - _all_ but the Eleathoans. Only _their_ faces remained impassive.

"He continued, his voice _stronger_ than before, 'The _spirits_ within wait for the _Wielder_ to command them to do _his_ bidding! Now, be it known, for _today_ and evermore, _I_ and I _alone_ , am the _Wielder_ and _Master_ of the _Artifact_! I now claim _authority_ over the spirits within, to follow _my_ commands, as the _Wielder of Power_!'

"The crowd turned to one another and away from him, speaking among themselves. Many hurried to the Eleathoans and gestured wildly.

"The Great Elder was losing their attention.

" _Rage_ filled him at their apparent _contempt_ of his words. His face reddened as he bellowed, 'Witness _now_ the power I have _wrought_!' With the last word, the Great Elder held the gem high and with his other hand, took his wand and _slashed_ the air. ' _Keltieth'_ he roared.

"A flash _shot_ out from the wand's tip with the sound of _thunder_. The air in front of the Great Elder _shimmered_ and sparked. It immediately became dense, forming into a _thick_ cloud and it smelled as _foul_ as decaying flesh.

"The wind _howled_ around the Great Elder, his robes billowing high above and behind him. A monstrous _face_ , most like a _dragon_ with red flames for eyes, formed within the _thunderhead_ of the cloud. He cast the wand toward the _crowd_ and yelled, 'Candésen _Brisi_!' laughing as the face _raced_ toward the startled crowd.

"The dragon opened its _flaming_ mouth, and blew a _breath_ of such intense heat, that people fell to the ground, _screaming_ , writhing in pain, their skin _blistering_ , bubbling then _blackening_ , as their clothes burned from their bodies. _No_ one was spared. The screams grew _louder_ as people began _clawing_ at their flaming faces.

"The Great Elder made another movement with his wand, and the dragon cloud suddenly _turned_ and swept low over them once again, blowing a _cold_ wind which _extinguished_ the flames.

"The screams _slowly_ began dying away, turning to moans and _cries_ of severe pain. The Great Elder looked down, _exhilarated_ at his accomplishment, and _sneered_ at the scorched bodies of the Eleathoans.

"' _You_ caused this, _not_ I! It was _your_ insolence, _your_ disrespect for what _we_ have accomplished, that brought _this_ upon you all!' The Great Elder raised himself to his full height.

"'This is but a _small_ demonstration... a _minor_ act... of the _power_ within the _Artifact_. Go! Go _back_ to your kingdoms now, and relay what you have _seen_ and experienced. And remember to tell them, that it was _I_ who _granted_ you continued life. Tell your leaders that the _Dillians_... that _I_... will receive their _complete_ allegiance... or they shall _feel_ my wrath!

"'Look _now_ upon the Eleathoans! They, too, _cower_ before me! They have _no_ power _greater_ than mine! Tell one and all... I am the _Wielder_ of the _Artifact_! I shall become the _absolute_ ruler of all! I am the _Wielder of Power_! Go! _Tell_ them!' and with that, he stormed back into the castle, unaware that _Eris_ was no longer there.

"Unseen by her father as he wielded the power of the _Artifact_ , Eris moved silently behind him. As he spoke, her _rage_ grew so great, that she could _no_ longer contain it. When her father declared _himself_ to be the Wielder, she ran down from the tower and stormed into her room, _slamming_ the door behind her. She strode back and forth in her room, hands balled into tight fists, her long nails _digging_ into her palms, drawing blood, hardly able to _contain_ her fury! The time was coming when she would _have_ to act, if she _dared_ act at all.

"What the Great Elder had _not_ seen, however, was that the Eleathoan's _clothing_ was burnt, but _not_ their skin. From countless _dangerous_ encounters with the Dillians over the centuries, they knew to expect the _worst_ , and before setting out, cast _spells_ over themselves for protection against _all_ manner of known attack. Others had _not_ thought to do so, and their suffering was _heartbreaking_ to behold. The Eleathoans roamed through the crowds, comforting the burned, administering _healing_ salves and balms, along with _spells_ to reduce the pain and begin healing the wounds.

"The many Representatives from other realms, grasped the Eleathoans, _thanking_ them for their help, and slowly, as the _ministrations_ worked, and skin healed and _pain_ lessened. Camps were torn down, and those in attendance, began to leave for home.

"Before they left however, the Representatives _begged_ the Eleathoans to _do_ something. A _malevolent_ power had been unleashed, and was now among them. The possibility of the _destruction_ of not only their way of life, but _all_ life that was of the _Light_ in their own realm and that of _all_ others, was now a _devastating_ reality.

"The Eleathoans realized they were all cowed.

"As the Representatives left, there were backward glances at the Dillian's castle, glances filled with _hate_ mingled with unbridled fear.

"The Eleathoan Representatives returned to their kingdom and called for an _emergency_ session of the Elders. They told the gathering of all the _horrors_ they had witnessed first-hand. The High Elder was _shocked_ beyond words.

"His head shaking and his voice filled with sadness, the High Elder finally spoke. 'There is no _question_ that this power _should_ not... _must_ not... be used in the manner planned for by the Dillians.'

"The Eleathoan Elders called for a meeting with the Dillian Elders for the following day.

"'Yes, it's true _you_ created it,'" said the Elders of the Eleathoans. "'But _you_ only want to use it to _rule_ and _control_ all Wizitch families, and command _all_ creatures everywhere - to _enslave_ all those of the Light.

"'This _Artifact_ is _too_ powerful, too _dangerous_ , to handle recklessly. Even though you _created_ it and it _is_ yours by right, _we_ , of the _Light_ , must now make _claim_ to be its steward, so that _none_ of Wizitch kind, nor _any_ other, will come to harm through its _evil_ powers.'"

"' _You_ only want to command it for your _own_!'" shrieked Eris. "' _You_ did not mold it! _You_ did not _suffer_ and _labor_ over it! It was not _you_ that discovered how to capture the _souls_ of the slain, and _forever_ trap their spirits within it! It was not _you_ who learned how to _control_ many of the spirits within, and yet... _you_ want to possess it!'"

"The Eleathoans countered, ' _You_ only want it so that it will _fuse_ your powers in the minds of our _Wizitch_ kind, and make _yourselves_ the undisputed rulers of _all_ kingdoms, through _torture_ and cruelty, through the _pain_ and suffering of others, and possibly _extinguishing_ the Light forever!

"'You will _never_ keep it! You shall _never_ use its _horrible_ powers for your own end! To that, we give our _oath_! Either _we_ keep it safe, _never_ to be used, or it must be _destroyed_!'

"The argument raged on with no relief. Even though the Eleathoans had the support from _most_ all the other realms, the Dillians _refused_ to relinquish or destroy the _Artifact_.

"At the end of a particularly _rancorous_ exchange between the two great families, Eris realized what she needed to do. That night, she changed the plan she had originally devised. She locked herself in the _Artifact's_ work room, and only spoke to her _father_ when commanded. She told him her new plan, but kept the _last_ part to herself.

"With the Dillians refusal to turn the _Artifact_ over to the Eleathoans, the Eleathoan Elders debated what to do. Rumors had come to them, of the _Artifact_ causing _torture_ and even _death_ in far off realms, for not pledging their _complete_ allegiance to the Great Elder. Representatives from many realms came to them, _begging_ for help and protection.

"The Eleathoans decided to try _one_ last time, to _reason_ with the Great Elder, but they soon found there _was_ no reasoning. It was as though he had become the _embodiment_ of the most fearsome qualities of the _Artifact_ itself.

"That night, the High Elder of the Eleathoans broached the subject of _taking_ the _Artifact_ from the Dillians through _stealth_.

"Now, you need to know that, at _this_ point in time, this _concept_ had _never_ before been considered in _all_ of Wizitchdom. There was never a _need_ , let alone the _thought_ , to treat another _Wizitch_ with anything other than deep _love_ and respect, even when there were _vast_ disagreements.

"But the existence of the _Artifact_ changed _everything_. The Eleathoans were _convinced_ of this, each time they met with the Dillian leaders.

"After anguished days and _nights_ of arguments, _counter_ -arguments and rebuttals, the inescapable _truth_ could no longer be denied. The _Artifact_ was _already_ being used as a deadly power over others, and they knew the Dillians would not stop, until they had _total_ and complete control over _all_ living things. The more the Great Elder of the Dillian's _used_ the _Artifact_ , and learned to _control_ the powers of the few spirits within, the _darker_ his uses became. The power he felt when using the _Artifact_ , was _driving_ him to use it _more_ and more often, and with more _horrific_ results. He was _testing_ its powers, and his abilities to control _more_ spirits at one time. The Eleathoans knew it was up to _them_ alone, to stop the Dillians from _destroying_ all that was Light and beautiful.

"The plan was formulated, _rejected_ , re-structured and debated _time_ and time again. It was simply _unheard_ of to _take_ something from another _without_ permission. They were unsure at first, how to even _carry_ out such a plan.

"A fortnight had passed since the fateful demonstration of the _Artifact's_ powers. Ambassadors from many realms came to the Eleathoans nightly, telling them of the _terror_ of the _Artifact_ , and how it was being _tested_ or used, usually upon unsuspecting villagers.

"One night, a runner came with news that brought all who listened to a deeper dread. 'The _Artifact_ ,' he whispered, 'is being _changed_. It is _no_ longer to be but a _single_ , deadly jewel.' It was told that the Great Elder's daughter, was not _satisfied_ with the power contained within the _one_ jewel of the _Artifact_. She wanted _more_. She had begun the design of a _necklace_ , in which the _Artifact_ would rest, to become one jewel, _eventually_ among others. The runner told of the recent _murder_ of thirty innocent people by the daughter... their crime, being that she judged them to be of a _lessor_ Wizitch kind. 'But,' the runner continued, his voice shaking in terror, 'everyone knows it is because she was testing _her_ control of the _One_. She had convinced her father to let _her_ use the _Artifact_ , to _test_ its powers, so should something unforeseen happen, _he_... the Great Elder... would _not_ be harmed. He had refused at first, but then, for some _unknown_ reason, relented.'

"The Eleathoans sent out scouts to see if the rumors were true, and to see for themselves what horrors they may find. And so it came back to them that their _worst_ fears were indeed realized. The _Artifact_ was _still_ separate from the necklace, and there was no _knowledge_ of any other jewels yet formed, but the creation of the _metal_ portion of the necklace... _had_ begun.

"The High Elders of the Eleathoans renewed their final plan. There would be _no_ turning back or, they knew that _all_ would be _lost_ to the Dark.

"The night finally came when the plan would be executed. The High Elder's son, his _only_ child, Liam, agreed to travel to the Dillians, find and _take_ the _Artifact_ , and bring it home for safe keeping... _never_ to be used by anyone.

"Liam was a young man of _eighteen_ summers, and was especially loved by all who knew him. He did not know _how_ to lie, nor was it in his nature to _harm_ any other living thing, unless it would do harm to _him_ first. This made his task an exceptionally _difficult_ one, but one he realized _must_ be done for the good of _all_ creatures everywhere.

"He lived in a cottage near the castle, never needing or desiring the service from servants and, after meeting with his father to finalize the plans, donned his traveling clothes and took a large black bag with him. He returned to the castle and was given special blessings for a safe journey by his father. The High Elder walked him to the door and held his shoulders. 'Be _careful_ , my son. Come _back_ to me. I will not _sleep_ well until I know you are safe.' As Liam left, he waved and smiled goodbye to all. He set out showing far more _courage_ than he felt.

"Liam had been traveling by foot for three days because, at that time, there _were_ no Wizitched brooms. They had not been _invented_ yet. On the third day, Liam suddenly heard two voices nearby. He quickly looked around for someplace to hide, saw a large _tree_ and made his way quietly to it. He placed a hand against its huge and scarred trunk, closed his eyes and _spoke_ to it with his mind. Slowly, the great tree lowered its branches and _hid_ Liam from view.

"The voices grew _louder_ and he soon saw two young men passing near him, obviously _Dillians_ from the style of their clothing. They were laughing roughly, about the young Wizitch family _tortured_ into doing the hard work previously assigned to _them_.

"It gradually grew dark and, as no one else passed him, Liam felt secure as he rested below the tree and ate some leaves and bread he brought with him. As he ate, he remembered his father's words. 'The _Artifact_ will be where it can _easily_ be seen, and _experienced_ by those to be frightened or _worse_. There will be _no_ protection around it, for it would be unnecessary. They will not _fear_ that it will be stolen, for no such _word_ or action in _all_ of time, has _ever_ occurred before.'

"He could not help but shiver with the task he was about to do.

"The evening stars smiled on him from high above, but even _their_ beauty could not assuage Liam's nervousness. He wanted this to be _over_ , and _never_ have to see the dreaded _Artifact_ ever again. Little did Liam know, that within the week, his _wish_ would be granted.

"Knowing he could not put it off any longer, Liam whispered a word of thanks to the tree, which slowly lifted its branches away from him.

"He did not have to travel long to find the Dillian's castle. He heard the raucous laughter and _shouts_ coming from it before he saw it. Emerging through the trees, he crouched down behind a large boulder and waited, waited until the candles in each room were eventually extinguished. Sometime later, silently, he _crept_ up to the triple door front and asked it to open, using a _long_ lost universal spell, which I _believe_ ," Ellanya says turning her head to Amanda, "Amanda has _since_ , uncovered..."

Everyone turns to Amanda, knowing she has used the word _Orathian_ , a word _so_ ancient that neither Bellinora _nor_ Ellanya had known it. Amanda nods nervously.

Ellanya smiles then continues. "The doors silently swung open and Liam entered cautiously.

"His attention was _immediately_ drawn to strange, _pulsing_ lights, coming from an adjoining room. He walked slowly toward it, and saw a small box placed upon a pedestal, in front of one of the _immense_ windows on the side of the castle. His heart _pounded_ the closer he walked.

"Rays of brilliant _greens_ , that reminded him of a new blanket of freshly sprouted grass as it flirted with the sky, played against the walls. The brilliant green color _countered_ with a deep, _putrid_ greenish-yellow, reminiscent of _pus_ that infects a wound. Swirling through the hypnotic greens were _reds_ , brilliant as the first bright _cherries_ of the summer, then devolved into a red that pulsed with an _insatiable_ hunger, and _promised_ the threat of doom.

"Liam's breath _caught_ in his throat, as he stood mesmerized by the movement of lights coming from the item, placed in a _velvet_ -lined box atop the pedestal.

"He looked down at the _Artifact_ but _closed_ his eyes quickly, _nauseated_ by what he felt. He closed the lid and secured the latch. The wave of relief was instantaneous. Looking at the golden _dragon_ carved upon the lid of the box, he _puzzled_ over the strange symbol above the dragon's head. A _crack_ from the fireplace in the other room, _startled_ him back to his task.

"He looked around quickly as he drew out his large black bag. He placed the box into the bag, tied it shut with a _golden_ cord, then secured it to his belt. Turning, his foot _bumped_ against the pedestal in the darkened room, making it rock. His heart threatened to _jump_ out of his chest as he _clutched_ the swaying pedestal tightly, as it threatened to fall. His arms shook with every second. An _eternity_ passed as he held his breath, daring not to breathe. Sweat _trickled_ into his eyes, burning them. Not sensing anyone had been alerted, Liam released the pedestal, turned and moved as _quickly_ as he could out the door and across the lawn, into the _safety_ of the trees beyond.

"Days later, Liam's heart _raced_ with happiness as he finally saw the lights of his home. Liam ran through the castle's doors and into the front room. The huge room was _filled_ with his family and friends, many having never _left_ , all waiting for his return. Liam quickly untied the black bag and held closed box up, a look of _triumph_ on his face.

"His father stood, then ran to him, _rejoicing_ in his safe return. The Eleathoans _cheered_ his success. His father _knew_ what this act had cost his son, and was _especially_ proud of his achievement. 'For your courage and _bravery_ , you have the _great_ honor to hide and _protect_ the _Artifact_.'

"Every day, Eris rose _early_ to gaze upon her creation, and that which was to come. The morning after Liam _took_ the _Artifact_ , Eris entered the anteroom before the sun rose, and stopped when she saw the box was _gone_. Confused, she searched the area and discovered a bit of leather _strap_ at the base of the pedestal the box had rested atop. She recognized the _workmanship_ of the leather. Clutching the strap _tightly_ in her hand, with wonder _dawning_ in her eyes, she realized the _deception_ that had been committed against them, against... _her_.

"Her _screams_ of rage woke the rest of the castle. The Great Elder raced downstairs and saw the box missing. Eris held up the strap. 'The _Eleathoans_ ,' she hissed.

"It took the Great Elder several moments to comprehend what _treachery_ had taken place. _Nothing_ like this had ever _happened_ before - not in _all_ the annals of time.

"The Great Elder called a meeting, and Eris presented the _proof_ of her contentions.

"'The Eleathoans have grown _too_ powerful,' the Great Elder said. 'They have _taken_ without permission, that which is _not_ theirs! A treachery befitting that of _our_ creation, yes, but for _them_ to have _thought_ of such a thing! No. They have indeed become _too_ powerful! It is time to _act_!'"

"'They _must_ be punished!'" Eris said, her voice venomous.

"'We must have it _back_ , _whatever_ the cost. Let _none_ stand in your way. Do you understand my daughter?'" her father asked, looking at her.

"Eris nodded and, heart _pounding_ , went back to her room to prepare for her journey. She tied her long black hair back, and wrapped the top of her head with a _black_ scarf. She took a second black scarf and wrapped it over her nose. She swirled her _pitch_ black robes around her, so that only her bright _green_ eyes stared back at her from the mirror. She took her short, curved, _silver_ blade and put it into its leather sheath, which fitted across her chest. She looked at her reflection and closed her eyes, feeling the _blood_ lust flood through her. She opened her eyes, stepped outside, and as if she were a shadow, _melted_ into the night.

"Liam's tracks were _easy_ to follow. He had not _thought_ to conceal them, for there had never been a _need_ , but to Eris, feeding off her _own_ feelings, it showed his _arrogance_ to her, not even _bothering_ to hide his treachery.

"She traveled quickly, _revenge_ urging her on, only slowing to drink or eat some dried meat. She saw four sunrises before she realized she was there. The Eleathoan's castle rose up before her, _glimmering_ in the rays of the new moon. She fought the desire to _race_ up the stairs and _slaughter_ everyone inside. She stood still for a moment, giving her pounding heart a chance to settle.

"She looked down at the tracks again and followed them to the _massive_ front doors, but her attention became riveted by the _same_ tracks, moving _away_. 'Whoever it was came here _first_ , _days_ ago,' she thought, 'then went'... and turned to look in a new direction.

"Keeping low, she followed the tracks away from the castle and found they came to the front door of a small cottage. She rose slowly and looked through an open window then _dropped_ quickly. She had seen him before. She recognized the _High_ Elder's son sleeping in his bed. Her blood _raced_ inside her. ' _Liam_ ,' she said quietly to herself, _venom_ in each syllable. ' _You_ took it away from me!' She rose to look at him again, but this time, she did not drop down.

"Walking to the front door, she smiled as she reached for the door handle. She already _knew_ it would not be locked. She pushed the door open and _listened_ to see if he stirred. Hearing nothing, she moved inside and waited as her eyes adjusted to the dark. Stealthily, she moved further in, _inching_ closer to him. When he moved his arm off his chest, she _froze_. First one foot, then another, she quietly advanced and looked down at him, fury _raging_ in her heart.

"All thought was on _revenge_ as she slid the small knife out from its sheath. Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, the moon sent a ray of light through the window, landing on a _glass_ -topped table in the corner. As she turned her head, her breath _caught_ in her throat. _There_ on the table, was the _box_.

"Without another thought, she moved quickly to it. She quietly placed the knife on the table and with shaking hands, ran her finger over the odd _symbol_ above the dragon's head and smiled. She raised the lid. The _Artifact_ _pulsed_ to life and covered her face with its _deadly_ rays. It had been _waiting_ for her. 'I am here,' she breathed to it.

"Looking back over her shoulder, she saw Liam sleeping soundly. Her eyes stopped at a chair near his bed, and saw _clothing_ draped over the back. On the floor, were his shoes. Walking to the chair, she took from her pocket a strap of leather. Kneeling, she saw that only _one_ of his shoes had a _new_ strap. The _same_ type of strap she now held.

"Hot blood _raced_ through her as she put the strap back in her pocket. Standing, she walked over to the table and picked up her knife, a ray of moonlight _glinting_ off the sharp silver blade. Stealthily, she walked to Liam's bed and stood next to him. About to _kill_ him while he slept, she hesitated. 'No, not like _this_...' she thought. She wanted him to _know_ it was her.

"' _Liam_ ,' she said. He slept deeply. ' _Liam_ ,' she called louder. He stirred and rubbed his eyes, then slowly opened them. At first, he smiled at her, not realizing who she was. She waited.

"His eyes, focusing on her, grew _large_ and as he started to sit up, she _struck_ , bringing the knife quickly to his _throat_ , and in one quick, _practiced_ stroke, _severed_ the jugular. Liam did not seem to understand what just happened. He looked at her, eyes confused, _questioning_.

"Eris, warm blood _spurting_ over her, smiled down on him, waiting to see the _life_ leave him. Liam frantically grabbed at his throat, trying to staunch the bleeding. He tried to talk, and as he did so, Eris pulled the black scarf down from her mouth, bending _close_ to him. He began to gag on his own blood, _fighting_ to take a breath. As his body began to convulse, Eris grabbed his shoulders with her hands and, after breathing out _fully_ , placed her mouth tightly over Liam's and breathed in as _deeply_ as she could, pulling the _last_ bit of life from his lungs, her eyes _never_ leaving his. When his eyes were at last _empty_ of light, and he lay still, she pulled away from him, wiped the _blood_ from her mouth, and pulled the black scarf up over her nose. Taking the shoe strap from her pocket, she _threw_ it on his lifeless body, and moved to the table.

"Eris _lovingly_ took the _Artifact_ from the box, and moved back to Liam. Holding the jewel over his body, she spoke softly the spell her _father_ had taught her years ago... the one that would snatch the _soul_ of the slain and _trap_ it within the jewel, to _forever_ obey the Wielder's every command.

"This would be the _ultimate_ insult to the Light. A thin wisp of _silver_ -blue mist rose from Liam, bent toward, and was _absorbed_ into the _Artifact_.

"Eris was _avenged_.

"And now, finally, Eris could fulfill the _last_ part of her plan. Gently, she placed the _Artifact_ back within the carved wooden box, _latched_ it, and placed her index finger on the _strange_ symbol as she smiled.

"She left the cottage, closing the door behind her and traveled, _not_ to her home kingdom, but to a place of her _own_ choosing, to create that which would _always_ be hers. She felt the _unfinished_ necklace in her cloak, where soon, she would _mount_ the _Artifact_ , so _she_ could wear it, casting a spell so it would _never_ leave her, until her eventual _death_ of natural causes. Unless... she could _somehow_ overcome even _that_.

"You see, throughout all these very long years, _Eris_ , the one who had finalized the _Artifact's_ creation so long ago, had _burned_ with the desire to possess the _Artifact_ for herself. Her own greed became _too_ great to control, or the power of those _trapped_ within the gem, so strong, they began to _overtake_ her. Who is to know? But, what we _do_ know is, Eris is known to have brought great _death_ , destruction and _terrors_ too horrible to describe, to a great _many_ , and on a good _number_ of realms. Then, for _some_ reason, she was never _heard_ from again.

"Rumor tells us however, the _Artifact_ was _eventually_ placed into a _magnificent_ golden necklace, to become part of what is now, a _ruby_ red heart, _cradled_ between two _emerald_ hands. It is said that Eris had worked in _secret_ for many years, traveling from wherever she had gone, coming out on occasion to _test_ the new powers of her finished necklace. It is said that she had chosen a _new_ Wielder as she was dying from old age, and that after she _had_ died, the _new_ Wielder took over and spread terror for _many_ years.

"We have no idea _how_ many Wielders there have actually been over the centuries, but, _Alistar_ , Josh and Sam's son, was _hot_ on the trail of the last known one. He, _and_ the Wielder, were never _heard_ from again, and the _necklace_ had been lost in time - until _you_ found it Amanda, becoming the _new_ Wielder.

"But back to the story. When Eris did not return to the Dillian kingdom, her father, the _Great_ Elder, became _convinced_ that the Eleathoans had _killed_ her, and kept the _Artifact_ for themselves, _hiding_ it forever, or possibly, now using it _themselves_ in secret. Thus began the _seven_ -thousand year war of the _two_ most powerful Wizitch families - the Eleathoans were sure that the _Dillians_ murdered Liam, while the Dillians were convinced the Eleathoans _murdered_ their daughter and _refused_ to return her body to them. They absolutely _knew_ the Eleathoans hid her body with the _Artifact_.

"So you see, the _Artifact_ was gone, _neither_ family having it, while _both_ were convinced the other possessed it.

"Bellinora, _Jasmine_ and myself, believe that it was _Eris_ who began the creation of what is known as, the _Great Book of Power_ and hid its location. We do not know if it was _she_ , or _another_ who actually finished the book, or even if it _had_ ever been finished. We believe she also was the one who created the _original_ stone tablet, which she, or perhaps her _successor_ or successors, _shattered_ into what is known today as, _The Thirteen Shards of Legend_ , and which she or one of the _latter_ Wielders, had _hidden_ throughout the _foulest_ of places... the _Dark Forest_. However, we _do_ know that at least _some_ of the shards have been moved, to other places, even to other _realms_ over the ages.

"We also believe that the _skeleton_ which Amanda found in the cave, is that of the _last_ _Wielder of Power_ , having finally _completed_ the creation of the necklace and _wore_ it, but never having learned to fully _command_ its powers, or _none_ of us would be here today. For we believe, that she, or _he_ , had finished formulating _how_ to form all the spirits _trapped_ within the jewels, into _one_ mighty spirit, of which, should one be able to _control_ it, could _never_ be killed, other than through natural causes... we _think_.

"And, it is said, that she, or _he_ , _wrote_ in the _Great Book of Power_ , a _way_ to take the necklace off, so they could further _work_ on it, or perhaps, even add _more_ jewels of power to it. But something _stopped_ them from proceeding and using the powers within the _Great Book of Power_.

"We think that somehow, _Alistar_ found them, and somehow _trapped_ them, within the mountain they had fled to. Josh told us, that Alistar had _tracked_ the Wielder, and had found an entrance to a _mountain_ , although he had not stated its _location_ nor where he had found the _bones_ of the long dead, along with _mounds_ of armor, some dating back _hundreds_ of thousands of years.

"He stated that he _thought_ this place was where _several_ Wielders had made their base of operations, where they could _continue_ to work in secrecy. Then, Josh and Sam lost _contact_ with him. Both _he_ and the Wielder had become _lost_ through the ages, and no further _terrors_ were experienced on the many known realms.

"Exactly when and _how_ all these things happened, we have no idea. But it seems that, since _Amanda_ had found many skeletons, as well as a large _pile_ of armor, much of which is _millennia_ old, the _necklace_ had been _lost_ within a mountain within the _earth_ realm, for time unknown.

"We indeed believe that _this_ is where Eris made her home, _someplace_ within the mountain where Amanda found the bones and the necklace. Many had _tried_ to find Eris and the other Wielders over _thousands_ of years, and the piles of _bones_ and stacks of armor, tell us that _many_ had found her, _or_ her successors, but _perished_. You must remember, that in the _early_ days of many realms, one could live for many _thousands_ of years, as many _trees_ do yet today. But there is no _way_ to know _who_ it was you found with the necklace, Amanda.

"Of course, after many years, it _eventually_ came to light that the _Eleathoans_ did not steal the necklace as had been _portrayed_ throughout the centuries by the Dillians, but instead had been taken by the Great Elder's own _daughter_ , who was eventually _overcome_ by its own evil properties, _herself_ becoming the _first_ _Wielder of Power_.

"Over the great passage of time, the _horrors_ of the _Necklace of Power_ and the one who wears it, known as the _Wielder of Power_ , have fallen into _legend_ and myth. Stories are _still_ told about them today, but few believe there is any _truth_ in them.

"The _Necklace of Power_ had fallen from the _horrors_ of reality, to become _nothing_ more than stories told around campfires, to _scare_ and entertain children. All the while, the real _Necklace of Power_ lay _safely_ within the ancient mountain tunnels of the _earth_ realm, where the _Wielder of Power_ had _somehow_ fallen. There, in the _dark_ of the mountain, the _Artifact_ , a _completed_ necklace, as we now see... _waited_ , until one who was _never_ meant to find or _possess_ it, happened along, and through the _strangest_ and most _unlikely_ of events, was able to _pick_ it up, and place it around her neck, not knowing _what_ she had done.

"Amanda is now, and will _remain_ to the end of her days, the most _powerful_ being in _all_ the known universes. For Amanda now wears the _Necklace of Power_. Soon, she will _lose_ her own identity, and simply become known as... the _Wielder of Power_.

"That is more or less the tale, as _best_ I can tell it."

No one speaks for a full minute, then, "Well, I wish I had _never_ found it," Amanda says shaking her head. "It really _scares_ me when I use it... or, well, I guess when _it_ uses me, and I end up _doing_ things I don't even _remember_ doing. I didn't want to _kill_ those people. And I didn't know I _had_ , until I came to and _Thian_ and the others told me what I had done. I just _want_ this thing off! There _has_ to be a way!"

Bellinora, Jasmine and Ellanya begin to speak among themselves, when Bellinora stops and says, "Listen, I would like to have a talk with _Jasmine_ and Ellanya, and it may take a good while. Why don't you kids go into the village, have something to _eat_ and look around a little more?"

Bellinora waves her hand and a bag _filled_ with coins appears on the little table to the side of Amanda. "There is _plenty_ there for all of you. And _please_... stay _out_ of _Shadow Alley_."

"Oh, don't _worry_!" Amanda says with a laugh, "we've had quite _enough_ excitement for a while, thank you _very_ much! Oh, and thanks so much for the _money_ , we'll only use what we need. Oh and that _reminds_ me... Wind Rider, I mean, _Melteme_ , after helping us, said he hopes you'll invite him for another _tasty_ meal of your _fabulous_ Stew."

Bellinora laughs, "Oh he _did_ , did he? Well, it would be _my_ honor. And let me tell you, that man can _eat_!" They all laugh.

"Well, again, thanks for the money, we didn't bring much of our own. Kind of had to _leave_ in a hurry," Amanda says.

"It is _my_ pleasure, dear," Bellinora says with a big smile. "Now _run_ along, and _please_ try to stay out of _trouble_ ," looking sternly at Cassandrea, who flushes and turns away.

"Oh, and Amanda," Ellanya says quickly. "Better put that _necklace_ back beneath your robe. There are some who may _recognize_ it from their various studies."

Amanda slips the necklace beneath her robe as the others get up, and while Amanda puts the bag of coins into her pant's pocket, Thian and the others go to grab their brooms.

Once back, they say good bye, and head out of the cave. Outside, they mount up and head for the village, all looking _forward_ to something to eat, and to look around and try to _relax_ a little.

Anastasia and Cassandrea fly a good distance behind the others, chatting quietly, which suits _Tianna_ and the others just fine.

#  Cassandrea's Mistake

To TOC

The kids enter the village and head to the Broom Closet to store their brooms. Sadie once again does her thing to dirty them up a bit, so they will blend in. Once Sadie is finished, Thian rubs his hands together asking, "Well... _where_ to? Bellinora's sandwiches were good and all, but, I could sure go for a big juicy _burger_ and an ice cold drink!"

They all laugh. Cassandrea says, "Hey... how about that little _pub_ we saw near _Shadow Alley_?"

"What? Are you _nuts_?" Tianna snorts. "We're _not_ going back into _Shadow Alley_!"

"It's not _in_ _Shadow Alley_ ," Cassandrea sneers.

Turning to Thian, with a tone sweet as honey, she asks, " _Remember_? It was the place we passed with all the great _smells_ of burgers and stuff. It's the one _you_ wanted to go into before we went into _Shadow Alley_. It's _next_ to the Alley, but not _in_ it. It's kind of out of the way too, so maybe we could get some _good_ tables. After all, there are _seven_ of us, and Wind Rider got rid of those _horrible_ men."

They talk it over for a few moments as their stomachs begin to growl. Thian says, "Okay. Come on, let's just _go_ there Tianna. If we don't like what we see inside, we can just go someplace else. There are _lots_ of people here in the main village, and being _strangers_ , we may get more attention than we _want_ if we stay around here."

Tianna does not like it - mainly because it had been _Cassandrea's_ idea and not hers. But she does remember the smells, and it _is_ out of the way. And after all, how could something _possibly_ happen to them _twice_ in the same place, so... "Okay, sure, why _not_? Like you said, if we don't like it..." then looking sternly at Cassandrea, "we'll _leave_."

Sadie claps and grabs Tianna's hand and begins pulling her along after her. This breaks the tension among them, as everyone laughs and heads off after them.

They make their way through the village, nodding nervously to passersby. They even see a few folks they recognize from yesterday, when they had their little _adventure_ in _Shadow Alley_. Walking for several more minutes, far from the nicer shops, they spot the pub and can already smell the cooking.

When they step up to the pub, they once again read the filthy sign over the door, "The Rat Hole Brew Pub & Eatery. 'Eat 'til You Bust!'" They walk up the stairs and look in through the dirty windows.

The lights are low and smoke is everywhere, making it hard to see much of the inside at all. As they enter, they see the blue and grey smoke hangs in the air like fog on a marshland, curling around the small lanterns on the walls, one above each table, or around the candles on the tables scattered around the main portion of the room.

From _strange_ curved pipes to long rolled leaves, the air is _filled_ with contrasting aromas. The leaves and stems being inhaled add to the enticing and _mouth_ -watering smells coming from the kitchen, located in a side room, just behind the bar.

The main room is larger than it appeared from the outside. The room curves around in the back to the right, out of sight from the main area. There are small candles stuck in old glass cups on the tables, giving meager illumination.

The floor is _covered_ with feathers, ash and the remainders of what was smoked.

Occasionally, under a table, you can see a small animal's _severed_ head sticking out, blood still oozing from its neck, the _loser_ of a bet between animal traders.

The Pub is open day and night, always crowded with travelers from _Darkwoods Village_ and those going to and coming from _Shadow Alley_ and the surrounding communities. The majority of traders and merchants have dirty, _smeared_ faces. They crowd around the circular and triangular tables, eating, _drinking_ and telling stories of their adventures and near escapes on other realms. They order food by placing their hand on a yellow circular glowing spot in the center of the table. Once they place their hand on the spot, the kitchen Wizitches their food to them.

They keep their _creatures_ under the table in cages or on ropes.

For those who want a more _private_ atmosphere, they are shown to tables in one of several rooms, separated from the main dining area by an arched partition. These much _darker_ areas have an exit door in each, in case a _hasty_ exit is needed. It is much darker and _quieter_ in the back as well, even though it _is_ just as crowded.

For those who want to be left alone, they are taken to small booths that line the walls. There, they can use curtain separating them from the rest of the inhabitants - a better place to plan _whatever_ those not wanting to be seen or heard are contriving.

But the most _interesting_ and popular area of the Pub is the _bar_. The bar runs the length of the building on the left as you enter. Its special feature is its glowing top. All along the surface are circular areas that glow _blue_ and red. A customer steps to the bar and places their hand on a red area, then steps back as a stool, fitted for their height and weight appears. Once they are seated, they touch a _blue_ glowing area and the bar server instantly knows what drink to serve them.

As someone enters, heads turn toward the new visitor and _decisions_ are made. At least _fifty_ pairs of eyes and another twenty _individual_ eyes, meet each person.

Someone comes from behind the bar as you enter, and asks what type of _business_ you have. That will determine where you are seated. Once seated, most in the pub turn away and go back to their own wants.

When the kids enter, they are surprised to see that the place is almost _packed_. There are several _shady_ looking characters chatting at one end of the bar, who turn with sour faces and glare at them. Most of the tables are taken, but they spot _two_ tables next to each other which will seat four people each. These tables are up against a _partition_ to another small room, which looks full.

"Wow," Thian says as they head to the far side of the room, to their tables. "They must have _really_ great food here. The place is _packed_!"

They reach their tables and everyone sits down. Amanda, Thian, Tianna and Sadie take one table, while Tia, Anastasia and Cassandrea take the other.

Cassandrea takes the seat next to the opening in the partition to the next room. Anastasia takes a seat on one side of her, with Tia sitting next to Anastasia, with her back to where Thian is seated. There are menus on the tables and everyone begins looking them over eagerly, while keeping an _eye_ on the other patrons... _all_ of whom look as though they have just _escaped_ from prison and turn to look at the kids from time to time, scowling with suspicion.

Everyone orders and finds that they have to pay for their orders _before_ they get them. Thian guessed they did this, because too many customers _leave_ without paying.

They chat until their meals come, which everyone _thoroughly_ enjoys. Thian notes rather loudly, "Best darn _burger_ I've ever had... and that's _saying_ something, if I _do_ say so myself."

There is music playing from something which reminds Amanda of the Jukebox's back on earth. She watches as a woman drops a coin into a slot and pushes a button on the lighted, bubbling, odd-shaped contraption. A new lively tune begins, and they all start to nod their heads and tap their feet in time to the beat.

Throughout the meal, everyone chats in hushed voices about what had gone on earlier. _Cassandrea_ of course, talking not only in her normal speaking voice, but _much_ louder than normal, and _far_ louder than the rest liked, with Tia _constantly_ telling her to keep her voice down or _change_ the subject.

They all relax, enjoying the music and taking an occasional sip from their drinks. Sadie then asks Tianna, "Can we look around the village some more? There're _lots_ of places we haven't seen yet. And Bellinora said she wanted to talk to Ellanya and _Jasmine_ for a while by themselves anyway. Can we? _Please_!"

Tianna smiles. "Sure. That sounds like _fun_. But first, I think you had better wipe the _orange_ sauce from your burger, _off_ your nose." Sadie giggles while wiping her nose. Tianna asks Thian and Amanda if they would like to join them. They both say yes and get up.

Tia, overhearing, says she would like to go along too, and asks Anastasia and Cassandrea to come along. Cassandrea says no, that she wants to just sit and listen to the music for a while longer, and chat with Anastasia.

Thian, Tia, Tianna, Sadie and Amanda all say they will meet them under the _huge_ tree in the village square in about an hour. They get up to leave and look around the village, leaving Cassandrea and Anastasia alone at their table.

" _Finally_! I was beginning to think we'd _never_ be alone!" Cassandrea says with a heavy sigh. Then speaking loudly to be heard over the blaring music, "I've been _dying_ to ask you if you _knew_ Amanda had found what Bellinora called the _Necklace of Power_ , and who is _now_ the new _Wielder of Power_?"

"No. I had _no_ idea at all. It's still hard to believe she found it on the _earth_ realm, and _did_ all the things she did. And _Bellinora_ , Jasmine and Ellanya believe _everything_ she told us too."

"I know," Cassandrea says after taking a sip of her drink. "I mean, fighting _frilled_ lizards, _giant_ snakes, and those _flying_ things. Bellinora said those were all protecting the way to that ancient _transport_ chamber Amanda found.

"If _we_ knew _exactly_ where those ancient transport chambers were, _we_ could travel to other realms... and we wouldn't need _permits_ or anything either! Nobody would _ever_ know how we left or how we _got_ someplace else. I want to see if we can somehow get that _map_ she has. You know, the one Amanda has that tells _where_ everything is back on earth?"

"Cassa, it's _illegal_ to travel without a permit or permission. If we were _caught_ , we'd be in _big_ trouble. They put people in _prison_ for that you know. It _would_ be fun though, to see other realms and all. And to think that Amanda found it by _accident_ after all the _other_ things she did and found!"

"Yeah! And Bellinora said it was the power of the _necklace_ that helped Amanda _kill_ that man in the realm of _The Deep Forest Elves_. What was his name? _Blaine_ wasn't it? Anyway, when Thian told us how Amanda had been hit _again_ and again with _killing_ curses... and they just _burst_ into harmless sparks in front of her... _Wow_!

"And then she used some _really_ powerful spell and turned Blaine to _stone_! I didn't know there _was_ a spell that could do _that_!"

"I know," Anastasia said very excitedly too. "But, _Bellinora_ said Amanda _got_ that spell from that ancient _book_ she found."

"Yeah. Can you believe Amanda actually found _The Lost Book Of The Dillian's_? After its being lost all these _centuries_?" Cassandrea says loudly. "And Bellinora wants to _destroy_ it! Not if _I_ can help it! I'm gonna see if _I_ can get it first!

"And what about all the _other_ people Thian and the others saw her _kill_ , and she can't even _remember_ any of it? Or so she _says_. I _still_ don't believe she can't remember _anything_ though. I mean really... wouldn't _you_ remember if you had killed, like over a _dozen_ people and you're only _thirteen_ years old? I bet whoever this wizard called _Taldan_ is, was _really_ ticked off when his apprentice... _Morpheus_ wasn't it... showed back up, and had to tell him all his _other_ apprentices had been killed. The thing is though... we _both_ saw Amanda do some _amazing_ flying, when they showed up here in our realm. And, _what_ about all those things Amanda did in Bellinora's _cave_ , when they were _testing_ her? That was _awesome_!"

"Yeah, it really was," Anastasia says quietly. "But I really feel _sorry_ for Amanda... don't you?"

"Are you _kidding_? If _I_ had found the _Necklace of Power_... I could have _anything_ I wanted... and _would_ too! They said that whoever wore the _Necklace of Power_ , would be known as the _Wielder of Power_. And once they get that _Great Book of Power_ they talked about, could _never_ be killed, and could rule _every_ realm in _all_ the universes we know of!

"And to think that Amanda, who says she _isn't_ a witch or wizard, and has never had _any_ training at all in Wizitch, is the one who accidently _found_ it. She's only around _our_ age after all. Bellinora and Ellanya are really _worried_ too, since _no_ one like Amanda was ever meant to _wear_ the necklace.

"They said they have _no_ idea if she can control it... or if _it_ will control her. They even think she could actually still be _killed_ , because she doesn't know how to _use_ it yet. Just think... if somebody _kills_ her, and _takes_ the necklace, _they_ could be the most _powerful_ creature throughout _all_ the universes, and _never_ be killed." Then looking thoughtfully for a moment says, "Of course, she could have a horrible _accident_ and die too, you know. I wonder..."

At that moment, two hooded men quickly come around the corner of the partition. One _snatches_ Cassandrea right up out of her chair, knocking it clattering to the side, as she lets out a _scream_ of surprise. The other man makes his way quickly around the fallen chair. He tries to grab Anastasia, but she leaps aside and grabs a chair. When he reaches for her, she straightens up, swinging it hard and _cracking_ him across the face, sending him _sprawling_ onto floor.

Both Cassandrea and Anastasia are _screaming_ for help. Seeing that no one in the Pub wants to get involved, Anastasia turns to look at Cassandrea. Cassandrea is _kicking_ and screaming, held tightly by the other man. Cassandrea _screams_ to Anastasia to go for help. Anastasia spins around and _bolts_ for the exit

" _Leave_ her!" The one holding the struggling Cassandrea yells to his fallen friend. He then pulls his wand and _waves_ it over his head. He and Cassandrea _vanish_. The other man scrambles to his feet, looking _very_ angry. While holding his bleeding forehead and _broken_ nose with one hand, he quickly draws his wand, waves it over his head and disappears.

The others within the pub had _all_ turned to see what was happening, many getting to their feet _ready_ for a fight, hands on their wands, but _no_ one had raised a hand to help.

In _Witch_ Mountain, you do _not_ interfere unless you are willing to _die_ yourself. In a moment, seeing that the commotion is over, everyone simply goes back to their own business, as though _nothing_ had happened at all.

Anastasia runs from the building _screaming_ for help. Many people turn to look at her, but no one comes to her aid. Most look at her, then _quickly_ turn and walk away.

With tears _streaming_ down her face, she continues to scream for help at the top of her lungs. In no more than a few moments, _Thian_ and the others come running out of one of the shops, eyes _wide_ looking frightened. Anastasia spots them right away, and begins _running_ toward them, as they run to her.

"What's _wrong_?" Thian yells as he approaches Anastasia.

" _Cassa_... they... _got_ her!" she gasps out of breath.

" _Got_ her? _Who_ got her? What _happened_?" Tianna asks with Sadie now clutching at her legs.

"Two _men_! The _same_ two men we had met in the road the other day, I'm _sure_ of it! The ones who ended up..." then looking at Amanda, " _hanging_ upside down. We were talking about Amanda's _necklace_ , and _all_ the things she had done, and what _Bellinora_ and Ellanya had said. I _tried_ to get Cassa to keep her _voice_ down, but... she was just so _worked_ up, and talked _louder_ over the music.

"Those _men_ came around the corner of the partition, _one_ grabbing Cassa. The other one tried to grab _me_ , but I jumped away and _hit_ him in the face with a _chair_. When I was running away, I looked over my shoulder and, the man with _Cassa_ waved his wand and they _both_ disappeared. The other guy was just getting up when I ran through the door. Nobody even _tried_ to help! _What_ are we gonna do?"

"We need to get _out_ of here... _now_!" Tianna yells, "Before they come back for _us_. Come on, let's get our _brooms_ and get back to Bellinora's. We've _got_ to let them know what's happened. Then make a _plan_ to rescue her. _They'll_ help for sure."

They run as fast as they can back to the Broom Closet, grab their brooms, and fly off as fast as they can, with Anastasia flying on a much slower broom. As they approach the entrance to the cave, they all begin _yelling_ for Bellinora. They have no sooner dismounted, and begin to run into the cave, still yelling, when Bellinora and Jasmine come _sprinting_ out to meet them.

"What _is_ it?" Bellinora cries, looking at all their frightened faces.

"Cassandrea's been _kidnaped_!" Amanda yells, clearly shaken.

"She was _snatched_ at the Pub by _two_ men," Thian shouts. "They tried to get _Anastasia_ too, but she _decked_ him with a chair. They _disappeared_ with Cassandrea!"

"Come. Get inside. _Quickly_ now!" Bellinora says motioning to the path. "Jasmine, keep a _sharp_ lookout, and let us know when you see _anything_!"

Bellinora closes her eyes for a moment, then raising her right hand from her side, makes a _wide_ circle in the air. A light blue _sparkling_ veil appears, sealing off the _outer_ part of the cave, from the inner. As Bellinora turns and runs along the path, Jasmine trots _right_ through the veil, as it shimmers around her, heading off to watch for the trouble they _both_ know will come.

Once inside, everyone gathers near the couches, with Ellanya _frantically_ asking what is wrong.

Anastasia is now _hysterical_ , crying so hard she has the hiccups.

"Please... _take_ your seats," Bellinora says as calmly as she can, while taking her own seat. "Tell us _exactly_ where you were, _what_ you were doing, and _why_ you think these men tried to kidnap you. Even inside _Witch_ Mountain, it is very _rare_ for children to be kidnaped in a _crowded_ area like the village. What happened?"

Everyone starts talking at once. Bellinora holds up her hands. " _Please_ , one at a time. Anastasia, _calm_ yourself, and tell us what happened."

Anastasia begins, and between she and the others, tell Bellinora and Ellanya they had gone to the pub near _Shadow Alley_ , where they had taken their seats, and included everything, up to everyone but _Cassandrea_ and Anastasia, leaving to look around the village some more.

Anastasia, calm enough for the others to _understand_ her, continues, " _That's_ when Cassa started talking about _Amanda_ having found the _Necklace of Power_ , and _her_ being the new _Wielder of Power_ , and how she _found_ the necklace while back on the earth realm, and how Amanda had _done_ all the things she had, and then found the ancient _transport_ chambers.

"Cassa had just _finished_ saying how you two thought Amanda could still be _killed_ , because she didn't know _how_ to control the necklace and all, and how the necklace had helped her kill _Blaine_ , in the village back in the realm of _The Deep Forest Elves_."

Breaking into huge sobs again, her voice rising and becoming almost _unintelligible_ , she tries to continue. "That's when the two _men_ we had seen on the road the other day, came around the _corner_ of the partition... and... and _snatched_ her right up out of her _chair_!"

"Great _Mother_ of Creation!" Ellanya gasps. "They know a _child_ has found the _Necklace of Power_ , and that she does not know how to _control_ it! Worse, that she may be able to be _killed_ , and..."

"Yes, I _know_ mother," Bellinora says quickly. "Amanda, I had _hoped_ to be able to tell you so _many_ things. There is so much I want, and _need_ you to know, to _understand_ , but there is _no_ time now. You must _leave_ immediately. I am _sure_ those men snatched Cassandrea to find out where _you_ are.

"You are no longer safe. Not even here. Nor are Jasmine, _Ellanya_ or myself any longer. _We_ shall have to leave too. Amanda, I fear that you will now be hunted, _wherever_ you may go. You must leave here and..."

"But... _where_ will I go? _What_ will I do?" Amanda pleads as tears stream down her frightened face.

"You have but _one_ chance for survival, as far as I can tell," Bellinora says looking to Ellanya who quickly nods back. "You must _find_ the _Great Book of Power_. It is said, that it is the _source_ which tells how to combine all the spirits within the necklace into one... one all- _powerful_ spirit.

"It tells _you_ , the Wielder, _how_ to control the power of the necklace, and at that time, _you_ will become the ultimate _Wielder of Power_. The most _powerful_ creature known who, as the story goes, can _no_ longer be killed, but will die of old age or some other natural cause. Although, there are _many_ stories that say once you bond with the necklace, for some time, you cannot die even at _that_ point. Perhaps, not even _now_. No one knows for sure. That book though, is _also_ said to contain the instructions for the _safe_ removal of the necklace. Whether _that_ part of the story is true or not, again, _no_ one actually knows either."

"But, where _is_ the book?" Thian asks, as frightened as the others.

"No one _knows_ ," Ellanya says, her face very serious in the vapor. "The stone _tablet_ told how to find the book, but was _shattered_ into thirteen shards, then each shard hidden. They have been _searched_ for over the millennia, but only..."

"There was _once_ a stone tablet," Bellinora cuts in, "that was written in a _very_ ancient and secret language. The legend says that a _powerful_ spell was cast upon the tablet, which _scrambled_ the writing into meaningless symbols. The tablet was then _shattered_ into thirteen shards. These shards are commonly known today as, _The Thirteen Shards of Legend_. The shards were then hidden in various places, each of which is _guarded_ by various spells, _creatures_ and the like.

" _Three_ shards are said to have been found already. One was found within the _Serpent's_ Den. One was taken from _The Black Tower_ of Taldan, who _somehow_ had gotten hold of it. He of course, is someone of whom you have already _heard_ of. The other was retrieved from _The Land of the Giants_. The recovery of each of these shards cost _many_ lives, and much sorrow.

"That leaves _ten_ shards yet to be found. You need to _find_ them Amanda, then combine _them_ with the other three. When you do, it is said that the tablet will _reform_ itself. The strange symbols will morph once again into the _ancient_ language.

"Only the _Wielder_ of the necklace will be able to read what is written on the tablet, through the use of the _oldest_ spirit within the gems of the necklace. The tablet will then tell you the _exact_ location of the _Great Book of Power_ , regardless of where it lay at that time. Once you _have_ that Book... you _may_ , if the stories told are true, be able to _remove_ the necklace safely. Then, perhaps, if you are still... well... _you_... perhaps you will have the strength to _destroy_ the necklace, once and for all \- if you can find out _how_ that is. And, if such a thing is even _possible_."

"But... where are those three shards now?" Thian asks.

"Do not worry about those for now," Bellinora says thoughtfully. "We will worry about those _when_ , and _if_ the time comes. For now though, I need to gather a few things for your journey Amanda. Then, you must leave."

Bellinora gets up and hurries off down the tunnel, on the far side of the room.

"Ellanya," Anastasia asks, tears streaming down her face and body shaking, "what will those men _do_ to Cassa? Do you think...I mean... do you think they'll _hurt_ her? Can't we go _after_ them and, and _rescue_ her? _Please_!"

Ellanya looks at Anastasia, then to the others, who are clearly all scared to death, but want to rescue Cassandrea too. With a great sigh, Ellanya says, "It would be of _no_ use to try to find and rescue Cassandrea. There _is_ no saving Cassandrea now. I believe those _men_ heard enough of her _infernal_ babbling to guess what she said was the _truth_. But they will do _anything_ to actually _get_ the truth from her. And they _will_ obtain it... anyway they can.

"Since the two of you, Anastasia, talked about the realm of _The Deep Forest Elves_ , and the battle in the village where one of _Taldan's_ apprentices were killed, those men will _verify_ what they heard - and they can verify it _quickly_ \- including Amanda having turned _Blaine_ to stone... which is a _very_ powerful and _horrible_ spell. After all, the victim of that spell is _still_ alive while they feel their body _turning_ to stone. The _pain_ would be, well, _unbearable_!

"That spell is also one which I do not believe _any_ other witch nor wizard can perform, since it _did_ after all, come from _The Lost Book Of The Dillian's_. Once those men verify that Amanda may _indeed_ possess the _Necklace of Power_... they will _kill_ Cassandrea."

Everyone gasps as Anastasia and Tia cover their mouths with their hands. Then Anastasia, once again, screams, burying her face in her hands.

Ellanya continues. "They will then do _everything_ in their power to track _each_ of you down, and kill _you_ too. They want the _Artifact_ for themselves of course. The fewer people who _know_ about the _Artifact_ , and _who_ the Wielder is, the greater their chance of getting their _hands_ on Amanda, _killing_ her, and taking the _Artifact_ for themselves.

"Now _that_ means, they will eliminate anyone of you they feel may go around _talking_ about something which should have been kept _secret_ in the first place! Cassandrea and her _big_ mouth has put _all_ of you in the greatest of peril!

"I know you are all scared to _hear_ all this, but that is the _truth_ of it. No sense in your _not_ knowing what they will do to her, nor to _you_ all, if you are not careful. I am afraid that Cassandrea is most likely _dead_ already, and that those men are forming a _plan_ to capture all of you. My guess is, we have an _hour_ or two at the most. Then I fear we will have _unwanted_ guests."

Anastasia is _completely_ beside herself, clinging to Tia and sobbing uncontrollably into Tia's shoulder.

Bellinora hurries back into the room, and over to Amanda. She hands Amanda a folded parchment.

Looking up into Bellinora's piercing eyes, Amanda wipes her eyes, sniffs and asks, "What's this?"

"This is a _partial_ map of the Dark Forest Amanda..."

"The _Dark_ Forest?!" Tianna exclaims. "But... _honestly_ , that's only a _myth_! _Isn't_ it? I mean, it's only a scary old _story_ we read as kids. I thought you were _kidding_ earlier. Nothing like _that_ place... could _really_ exist!"

"Oh it _exists_ alright!" Ellanya snorts, her face stirring up a swirl of the green vapor. "Many _people_ and other creatures have _perished_ in there looking for the _Thirteen Shards of Legend_. That's how _I_ was..."

"Keep that map _safe_ Amanda," Bellinora cuts in. "It is the _only_ copy, and is _more_ than worth _killing_ for, especially when used in _conjunction_ with the Specteroscope."

"But, how did you _get_ it?" Tianna asks suspiciously.

"There is _no_ time for that story now," Bellinora says harshly. Then looking to Ellanya for a moment, she sighs, then turns back to the others, her tone softening as she says, "But I would _love_ the opportunity to tell it to you at a later time, should things _work_ out in the end. The point is, this is the _only_ copy, and you must _protect_ it with your _life_! Should you feel you will be captured, _send_ this map someplace safe... or... _destroy_ it!"

Ellanya lets out a cry then says, "Great _Mother_... _destroy_ it dear? Do you think it will come to _that_?"

"I do not know mother. But I would rather it be _destroyed_ than fall into the hands of the Dark.

"Amanda, one more thing. You will need _this_ above all else..."

#  The Specteroscope

To TOC

Bellinora stretches out her other hand. She is holding a small dark leather-looking pouch. It has a short gold chain attached from the pouch to another much _longer_ chain which has a wonderful golden _dragon_ clasp on its end, which looks like it would attach over a belt.

Amanda takes the pouch, pulls the elastic-like mouth open and slips out the contents.

There, Amanda sees something which looks like a very _large_ pocket watch. It has wonderful _carvings_ on the silver front and back.

Wiping her eyes while sniffing, "It's _beautiful_. But, what _is_ it?" Amanda asks studying the intricate carvings on the front and back.

"That Amanda, is a _very_ rare _Specteroscope_."

"A _what_?" Amanda asks now looking to the others, to see if any of them know what it is. They all shrug, looking just as confused as she does.

"A _Specteroscope_ ," Bellinora smiles weakly. "Mother, perhaps you could explain... _briefly_?"

Nodding in her vapor, Ellanya says, "A _Specteroscope_ allows you to communicate with the dead. Well, actually, the _spirits_ of the dead of course. There have only been a _few_ of these in existence throughout _all_ of time itself. As far as I know, this and only _one_ other still exist. That is, if the other one really _does_ still exist."

Bellinora and Ellanya exchange knowing looks, then Ellanya continues. " _Open_ it Amanda. Push the two side buttons at the same time... Yes, _good_. Now flip open the cover."

"Wow! It's _gorgeous_!" Amanda says with her eyes wide and a slight smile on her face.

This is a drawing of roughly what it looks like:

Amanda turns and shows it briefly to the others. "But... how does it _work_?"

"Well," Ellanya says with a laugh, "on the _surface_ , this is a device which allows one to _observe_ specters. In other words, a device which allows one to not only _see_ , but to _communicate_ with the dead.

"A Specteroscope is a very rare and _extremely_ valuable object, of the _greatest_ Wizitch caliber. As I have stated, only _two_ are rumored to possibly still be in existence, so this is a _very_ valuable artifact indeed.

"The term _Specter_ means, a visible, _disembodied_ spirit, or a _ghostly_ appearing figure."

"So... a Specter is some kind of _ghost_ then?" Amanda asks looking at the wonderful face of the Specteroscope.

"A Specter is _sometimes_ referred to as a _Wraith_ , when used to describe a dead person or creature," Ellanya continues. "The terms Specter and Wraith - _Wraith's_ perhaps even more than Specter's - are used to refer to something _shadowy_ and insubstantial, when talking about a spirit.

"The Specteroscope in _your_ hands, Amanda, is the _rarest_ type of _all_ Specteroscopes, for _this_ scope, and perhaps the other surviving one, belonged to one of the _Ancients_. And therefore, holds within its workings, the _knowledge_ of ages past, much of which has _fallen_ from modern memory. These Specteroscopes, not only allow one who is _worthy_ to use it, to dial in and _talk_ to various spirits, but to _command_ them as well. _That_ scope will also allow you to _Transmutate_ and _Translocate_ as well, amongst many other modes and functions."

"I'm not sure I know what... _Transmutate_ and _Translocate_ mean," Tianna says with a look of confusion.

"Of course," Ellanya says nodding in the vapor. "The term _Transmutate_ has many meanings, however, when the word is used in reference to the _Specteroscope_ , it means, to _change_ or transform in appearance, _nature_ , or form. Such as to transmute or _metamorphose_.

"The term, _Translocate_ , when referring to the Specteroscope, means to cause to change from _one_ place or position, to _another_. In other words, to _move_ from one place to another.

"When used in the _Translocate_ mode, the Specteroscope will _transport_ the user, and anyone either _touching_ them, someone who is touching _that_ person and so on, _safely_ to some other location, no _matter_ the distance nor environment. With _this_ scope, one does not have to worry about Translocating into a _tree_ , side of a building, or _half_ in and _half_ out of a boulder. It will _always_ transport you safely to your intended destination.

"When used in the _Transmutate_ mode, one is, well, _Transmutated_ , or changed into some other appearance, _nature_ or form."

"What do you mean, change into some other appearance, _nature_ or form?" Tia asks looking at Thian and Tianna, who shrug and look at Ellanya too.

"While in the Transmutate mode, the user may _instantly_ change their appearance. An example may be from a young _girl_ like Amanda, into an old, _bent_ man, with a long white _beard_ , weathered skin, who walks with a _cane_. It will even change your _clothing_ and provide accessories like the cane. All you need to do is concentrate on what you want.

"This mode will also allow the user to change their _form_. For instance, they may change from the young _girl_ , into a _bird_ , spider, _mouse_ , cat, dog, _bear_ , or even any _imaginable_ creature. And by the way, I do mean _any_... _imaginable_... _creature_. Even one that does _not_ exist, but is created from the users _own_ imagination.

"Using this same Transmutate mode, you can even change your _nature_. Changing one's nature while using the Specteroscope is, by _design_ , only to be temporary, the time frame being set by the _Transmutater_ at the time of need.

"Changing one's nature is _generally_ used in conjunction with the transmutation, into some other form. For example, say Amanda Transmutates into the form of a _bear_. She now _looks_ like a bear, _walks_ like a bear, has the _strength_ of a bear... but her girl-like _nature_... perhaps someone who is _shy_ or _timid_ , still exists. Temporarily changing one's _nature_ to be more direct, _aggressive_ , mean and such, can be _most_ useful at times. Even if Amanda wishes to remain in her same _physical_ form, perhaps for a time, she needs to change from her shy and _timid_ nature, to one more outgoing and _aggressive_.

"When one _masters_ the combinations of Transmutating to some other form, along with matching one's _nature_ to the situation at hand... this becomes one of the most _powerful_ uses for these very ancient and powerful Specteroscopes."

" _Cool_!" Thian says looking at the Specteroscope, imagining himself transformed into all _kinds_ of interesting creatures. "But, uh, well, if you changed into, like a _spider_ or bird, wouldn't you have the _brain_ of a spider or bird, and, well, not be very _smart_?"

"Good _thinking_ Thian," Bellinora says with a smile. "When _I_ was very young, _I_ asked the same question. The answer however is, _no_. Through the use of _very_ advanced Wizitch, you retain your _own_ brainpower, regardless if you become something _larger_ , or even become something as small as a _virus_."

" _Wow_! But how do you _use_ it though?" Amanda asks looking very nervous.

"The three _dials_ around the Specteroscope," Ellanya continues, "can be used in _many_ ways to alter the mode or _functions_ of the Specteroscope. Turning a dial will move one of the _hands_ on the face. _Pressing_ a dial button, works like a momentary _contact_ switch. When the dial is used in some _sequence_ of presses, like pressing it _two_ or more times, this will allow the Specteroscope to do some _function_... accomplish some _specific_ task. Pressing the dial's button in some sequence using two or _more_ dial buttons, will cause some _other_ mode or function to take place. Pressing and _holding_ a dial button or _buttons_ , while pressing another dial button multiple times, will change to some _other_ mode, and perform some _other_ function. Therefore, the possible _combinations_ of multiple _pressings_ and holdings, of any or _all_ of these dial buttons, may yield countless _millions_ of possible modes and _their_ resulting millions of _functions_."

"Holy _cow_!" Amanda says looking at the Specteroscope. "How do you ever know _how_ to use it at all?"

Ellanya chuckles, "The uses of the Specteroscope are _so_ vast, a type of built-in _user's_ manual is available anytime you need it, with both written instructions, as well as full _Wizitch_ movie examples of its many uses, of which we have no time to discuss here. Amanda, since this scope has been... _enhanced_ , you may also _ask_ the Specteroscope for instructions, on how to do _whatever_ you have in mind. If it is _Wizitchly_ possible, using the powers within the device, or those which it may _call_ upon... instructions _will_ be given."

"Amanda," Bellinora begins, "I had hoped to be able to spend much more time with you, but _time_ is something we have little of. I have already programmed the Specteroscope for what your main objective is, and _that_ is to find and obtain the remaining _ten_ lost shards of legend.

"This Specteroscope Amanda, shows around its _outside_ , as currently _programmed_ that is, the _possible_ thirteen locations of the _Thirteen Shards of Legend_. From the top dial and going _counterclockwise_ , the _first_ three locations shows where the shards have _already_ been recovered. Do not concern yourself at _this_ time, with their _present_ locations, or _who_ currently has them. When, and _if_ , you are able to obtain the remaining ten, the location of the others will be revealed to you.

"The next ring on the Specteroscope's face, shows two gray areas beneath each of the locations. These currently _blank_ spaces will change to show various images or _symbols_ , dependent upon which mode or function you activate.

"The center of the Specteroscope is _currently_ showing a static image of my cave entrance. _You_ as the user may put _whatever_ image you wish as a static image, whenever you like. That center space is also a type of, well, in _your_ realm, video _monitor_. This is where you may see and communicate with the _Specters_ you choose to summon. Also, the _Master_ Specter _usually_ rises up and _out_ of the center and takes _form_ right before you. Scared the _daylights_ out of me the first time that happened. The center may also show the user's manual, or _tens_ of millions of other videos, something like a _how_ -to library, or very detailed reference manual on almost _any_ subject imaginable. There are of course, _other_ uses, but there is simply _no_ time to discuss them now.

"When the dials are set _just_ so, and the buttons pressed and or held as _required_ , a mist-like smoke will rise from the center, and form into either a _full_ or partial _Specter_ or apparition. It _may_ even show a type of _holographic_ image of some location... a kind of 3D floating _map_ , which may be rotated and viewed by _any_ angle possible. To do so, you simply _wave_ your hand within the mist, in a motion representing the _direction_ of your desired viewpoint.

"The list of _uses_ for the Specteroscope are simply _countless_. But I will now show you the ones you will need to get you _started_ , including how to _ask_ the Specteroscope for help.

"However, you need to _enter_ the Dark Forest... _before_ you use the Specteroscope. I have cast spells to _prevent_ its use inside these caves, or _anywhere_ else I deemed may be necessary, for my _own_ reasons."

Bellinora then explains how to call up the manual, and explains how the Translocation section works, since they _will_ have to Translocate to the areas where each of the shards are to be found, once _inside_ the Dark Forest. Since no one knows _where_ within those areas the shards actually rest, it will be up to the kids to search _everywhere_. The _map_ Amanda has been handed, will change to a map _representing_ whatever area they Translocate to. If they have Translocated to an area where a shard _may_ be found, the map will show the most likely route to take, and _possible_ locations where it may be hidden.

After a little over an hour, "...and that is but a _brief_ overview of how you use some of its _many_ modes and functions Amanda. Do you have any..." Bellinora _snaps_ her head around, looking intently to the tunnel leading out of the cave.

The others soon hear it too - the _scurrying_ of tiny feet over the cavern floor. Jasmine soon comes _sprinting_ into the room at full speed mewing _frantically_.

"They're _coming_!" Ellanya says, her expression serious. "And it seems those two men have _indeed_ brought some help." Looking at Bellinora, Ellanya says quickly, "They _must_ leave... _now_! There is no _time_ to be wasted. I can be of no further use for now... not _here_. I bid you well daughter, be _safe_."

Turning to Amanda and the others, she says, "May the _Great_ Mother watch over you all. I hope to see you all again under _better_ circumstances. Amanda... keep the _map_ and the Specteroscope _safe_ , at _all_ costs, and do not _lose_ the pouch either! And listen... when you _do_ find a shard... _if_ you do that is... send it someplace _safe_ as we have said. Let _no_ one know where you send them, not even your _friends_ here. Do you _understand_?"

All Amanda can do is nod. She is so _scared_ she can hardly swallow.

"Goodbye mother. I will _summon_ you when _Jasmine_ and I are safe." Bellinora pulls her wand, waves it over Ellanya, and the vapor _vanishes_ as though a gust of wind had blown it apart.

"But... where do I _go_?" Amanda stammers, tears _streaming_ down her face as she begins to shake.

"You mean, where do _we_ go?!" Thian says getting to his feet, followed by Tianna, Tia and Sadie. Anastasia seems _frozen_ to her seat.

"What? You mean... you _still_ want to come _with_ me?" Amanda asks in shock.

"Well, I'm _sure_ not going to stay _here_ , _that's_ for sure!" Thian says seriously. "And like we said before, we're your _friends_ , and we seem to be _in_ this thing now as _deeply_ as you."

Turning to Tianna, Tia and Sadie, Thian says, "Well, I can't speak for the _rest_ of you, but, she's not going _anywhere_ without me. Who's _with_ us?"

" _I'm_ in, that's for _sure_!" Tianna says almost angrily. "I've _still_ got a score to settle. So, you're not going without _me_. How about it sis... you _in_?"

" _I_ go where _you_ go, and I'm not letting Amanda go _anywhere_ without me! But what about _Sadie_?"

" _I'm_ going too. I've got no place _else_ to go... and _somebody_ has to take care of Tianna."

Tia turns to Anastasia saying, "Listen, Anastasia, you _can't_ come with us. You've got to get back to your _mom_ , and, well, let her know what's _happened_. Well, not about the _necklace_ of course, but that _Cassandrea_ was..."

"That will _not_ be necessary," Bellinora says nervously, looking down the tunnel where they can now hear _yelling_ from outside. "I _know_ the village you are from Anastasia, and I will _send_ you back there now. I'm afraid I need to _alter_ your memory though. Do not worry, it will _not_ hurt."

Bellinora points her wand at the frightened Anastasia. With the _flick_ of her wand, she says, "Sleep!" Anastasia _instantly_ closes her eyes and her chin drops to her chest, while standing perfectly still. Walking to Anastasia, Bellinora tells her that she and the others had _searched_ for the entrance to Witch Mountain, but could _not_ find it. Frustrated, Amanda, Thian, Tianna and Sadie left to go back to their homes.

Cassandrea and Anastasia had been on their way back, when Cassandrea wandered off from camp to stretch her legs one evening, but _never_ returned. Anastasia had _searched_ for hours, but never found her. She too becomes _lost_ for a time, but _somehow_ ends up in the forest just outside the village, and finds her way back home.

Bellinora begins to finish the spell, when they hear a _great_ bang. Bellinora _snaps_ around to look to the cave entrance, steps back, and with a _wave_ of her wand, Anastasia, her _broom_ and travelers pack from the closet _vanish_ , leaving the others with their mouths hanging open.

Amanda could have _sworn_ that just as Anastasia was vanishing, she _opened_ her eyes.

The shouting is much louder now, and many _flashes_ are coming from the tunnel leading outside.

"The _energy_ veil will only hold them for a few more _minutes_ at best. There are _more_ of them than I had planned for," Bellinora says anxiously. " _Jasmine_ , prepare to leave - you _know_ what to do... _go_!" With that, Jasmine shoots out of the room and down the tunnel.

"Well, that _settles_ it then," Thian says seriously, his eyes wide with fright. "So, uh, where _is_ this Dark Forest anyway?"

"Follow after Jasmine. She will lead you to a _hidden_ passage within the back cavern. She will open it for you. Once you are inside, _follow_ the pathway to the old door. Once _inside_ though, you need to..."

There is a _brilliant_ flash and they hear feet running in the tunnel leading to where they are all standing.

Bellinora _waves_ her hand and all the kids' brooms and packs appear at their feet.

" _Grab_ your things and go! Run... _now_!" Bellinora yells as she runs for the tunnel leading outside. Thian grabs his pack, slips it on, then grabs his broom.

Beginning to run, Thian grabs the still _stunned_ Amanda, and pulls her along after him to her travelers pack. She slips the Specteroscope into its pouch, clips the end of the long chain to her belt, then slips the pouch into a deep pocket. Looking to the others, Amanda snatches up her broom. The others slip their packs on quickly, grab their brooms and _run_.

Amanda glances over her shoulder to see Bellinora now firing bolts of _red_ lightning down the tunnel, with _bolt_ after bolt flying past her from those outside.

"No! _Wait_! We've got to _help_ her. _Bellinora_!" Amanda cries.

Bellinora turns slightly to look back over her shoulder to Amanda, then says just loud enough for Amanda to hear, "I am _sorry_ child. Sorry for all the _hurt_ and sorrow I have caused. Please, _forgive_ me." Then as a bolt _whizzes_ past Bellinora's right ear, Bellinora yells to Amanda, " _Go_! Your path lies in a _different_ direction. Your _destiny_ is not as yet written. I will hold them as long as I can. Do not _worry_ about Jasmine and I. We will leave _soon_ ourselves. Now _GO_!" Bellinora leans into the tunnel and fires off several quick bolts. The kids can hear _screams_ as her bolts strike their intended marks.

Amanda is once again _grabbed_ by the arm, and half _dragged_ along the tunnel by Thian.

The kids round a corner and enter a large room, something like a _storage_ room. Jasmine is perched atop a small box on the floor. Jasmine looks at a portion of the solid cavern wall right beside her. She then _mumbles_ something in her strange _cat_ speak, and an opening appears through the rock.

"Come _on_! Thian yells as they run to the opening. " _Thanks_ Jasmine. I hope we meet again sometime. Be _safe_ okay?"

Jasmine nods mumbling something.

Squirming out of Tianna's grip, Sadie drops to the floor and _runs_ to Jasmine, where she picks her up and gives her a _hug_ and a kiss. Then with tears in her eyes says, "I _love_ you Jasmine. Don't _forget_ me okay?" then puts Jasmine back on the box.

Amanda _swears_ that Jasmine actually _smiles_ as she gives a soft mew and tilt of her head.

"Come on, we've _got_ to get out of here... _now_!" Tianna screams, picking Sadie up again and running into the opening to the new tunnel passageway.

They run further into the tunnel, then, suddenly, _everything_ goes dark. They come _skidding_ to a stop, Tia sliding _right_ into the back of Tianna, making her cry out.

"Get your _wands_ out and _light_ em up!" Thian yells. "Jasmine's _sealed_ the entrance. There's no _light_ in here. We need to get _away_ from here and find that _door_ Bellinora was talking about. Come on! Let's _go_!" They pull their wands, and shaking from head to toe, light them.

They sprint down the dark tunnel within the mountain, which is itself, _within_ a mountain.

They can hear _nothing_ but their own, heavy, _shuddering_ breathing - that and the sound of their _boots_ as they run over the dirt and _pebble_ strewn pathway.

They run further still, into the _stifling_ darkness within the mountain.

#  The Pentagram Puzzle

To TOC

They run for what seems like forever. Then, as they run around yet _another_ curve, they spot a large wooden door ahead in the glow of their blue wandlight.

"Well, at least we found the _door_ okay," Tia says panting for breath.

"Yeah, well, Bellinora said it would lead to the Dark Forest. Although, I guess that would mean we would be going into yet _another_ hollow part of this mountain, which is _already_ inside a mountain," Tianna says looking back down the tunnel, listening for anyone following them. "And since this door seems to be the _only_ way we can go, let's not just _stand_ here okay. Thian, _open_ the door, and let's see what this _forest_ looks like."

Thian tries the door. It won't budge. Holding up his broom arm, Thian says, "Orathian!" there is the usual _clank_ , _clank_ , _clanking_ noise working its way up the door. The door slowly opens on its own, as a _large_ cavern instantly lights, _startling_ everyone.

" _This_ isn't a forest," Sadie says lowering her wand. "It's just another _cavern_. Did we _miss_ something or do something _wrong_?"

"No... at least I don't _think_ so," Tianna says following Thian through the door into the cavern. "But, Bellinora didn't say _anything_ about this cavern did she?"

"No. At least I don't _remember_ her saying anything about it," Tia says looking at Amanda and Thian, who both shake their heads.

"But, she had just _started_ to say something about what we _needed_ to do when we came to the door though, _remember_?" Amanda says looking around.

"Well, _this_ is interesting," Thian says. "Not what I was _expecting_ at all. Any of you see another door or way _out_ of here, or _something_?"

"No," Tianna says, walking quickly into the large dimly lit room. The cavern is somewhat larger than a good-sized _house_ and is glowing a soft blue.

"Just that really _huge_ Pentagram on the floor. Look how _big_ it is! And _look_... there's a huge round _medallion_ of some kind with a big _skull_ on it, with squiggly _lines_ over it too."

"Yeah," Amanda says looking up to it. "It must be nine or _ten_ feet in diameter."

The Pentagram on the floor is as large in diameter as a large house, each _petal_ of the Pentagram the size of a large bedroom.

"Hey, look over _there_ ," Thian says jogging further to the right. "There's _another_ huge medallion too. Looks about the same size and has a _Pentagram_ with that _Theban_ writing on it too, I think. And it's got a _smaller_ metal medallion mounted in the center, with a _skull_ on it.

"They sure do like their _skulls_ and Pentagrams _don't_ they? And look at those things on the _floor_ , next to the one with the _squiggly_ lines on it. One looks like some kind of _console_ or something. There're a couple of other pedestals with _levers_ on them I think, one pedestal on _each_ side. Let's see what they are. Maybe we need to _pull_ a lever or something to get into the Dark Forest."

Thian is almost to them when Tianna yells, "Yeah, but don't _touch_ anything Thian! I don't want to end up in some _bone_ pit again because you tripped another _trap_!"

As Thian arrives at the console, he says just loud enough for everyone to hear, "I wasn't _going_ to touch anything. _Snarkins_ , give me a _break_ will ya?"

In a moment, the others join Thian, standing around what is _clearly_ a console with dials on it.

On either side of the console, mounted to the floor, is a tall pedestal. Each has a large _lever_ sticking out of it like the letter 'T,' with the cross piece as a kind of handle.

"What do you think these _lever_ things are for?" Amanda asks walking around one of the pedestals.

"Have no idea," Tia says shaking her head as she walks around the other one. "There's no writing on them either, at least that I can see."

"These _dials_ are really neat though," Thian says as he reaches out for one.

"If you _touch_ that dial Thian, I'll put the worst _pus_ and _boil_ spell on you that you could ever _imagine_!" Tianna shoots hotly at him. "And I'll toss in a good _itching_ spell like I did to _Blaine_ too for good measure, and you _know_ where I hit _him_!"

Thian _snaps_ his hand back just as his fingers touch the dial. Turning several shades of pink, he steps back a little mumbling something the others cannot quite make out.

"Well," Tia says stepping up to get a better look at the console. "These dials _are_ interesting, and a little _creepy_ \- six circular dials, each with a _skull_ on them. Weird."

"Yeah," Sadie says pointing to the dials, "and each of the skulls are facing the _same_ way too."

"Let's take a closer look at those _medallions_ on the wall okay," Amanda says heading for the one nearest the pedestal. "I wonder why Bellinora didn't _say_ anything about this place?"

"I think she was about to, if we hadn't been _attacked_ ," Tia says looking around.

They walk to the huge metal medallion, which is mounted into the cavern wall, off to the left of the console. It has a _very_ large skull on it, and _five_ sets of squiggly symbols above it.

The medallion looks like this:

"What do you think this is for?" Thian asks reaching out to touch the huge skull.

" _Thian_!" Tianna yells, Thian snatches his hand back looking frightened. "Do you _have_ to touch _everything_? By the _moons_ , put your hands in your _pockets_ or something before you get us all _killed_... or _worse_!"

"It's just a huge _metal_ medallion of some kind is all!" Thian shoots back, now a little angry himself. " _Touching_ it won't _hurt_ anything you know."

"Yeah, _sure_ Thian, just like stepping over a _line_ and walking past it won't _hurt_ anything either. Like you did when we found the huge _face_ , remember? But we know how _that_ turned out now _don't_ we!?" Tianna shoots back angrily.

"Okay, _stop_ it you two," Tia says placing her hands on her hips. "Tianna, _stop_ yelling at Thian, and Thian, since we really don't know what _might_ happen if we _do_ touch something, for now, it may be a better idea just to _look_ , until we figure out what we should do _okay_?"

Both Thian and Tianna are scowling at one another, when Sadie, who walked to the other huge medallion says, "These _are_ Theban letters on this medallion, like the writing on the _tongue_ and all the others we've seen."

Everyone turns to look to Sadie. As Amanda heads over to join her, the others follow, both Thian and Tianna grumbling something under their breaths.

The medallion looks like this:

"It's really _beautiful_ , if it weren't for the _skull_ that is," Amanda says looking up at the huge medallion. "It's some kind of _greenish_ blue stone with raised carved _letters_ on it, surrounded by some kind of _black_ stone. The Pentagram looks like inlayed _gold_ or something. It's really _striking_."

"Well, let's see what it says," Amanda says as she concentrates on transforming the letters. After a few moments she says, "Well, I get _letters_ , but, uh, how do you _read_ it?"

"Theban in _most_ realms is read from top to bottom, left to right, like _lots_ of writing is on other realms," Sadie says tilting her head back to look to the medallion. "But, we were taught that if you find Theban written within some kind of diagram, or _image_ , it _may_ be read that way, or, read from _right_ to left, from the _bottom_ to the top."

"But Sadie, this is _round_ ," Thian says looking confused, "and the letters aren't in any _order_ you know? So, how would you read _that_?"

Sadie giggles saying, "I know, _confusing_ huh? I asked my _teacher_ the same thing when we came to something like this in our class. When you find the witch's alphabet in something _circular_ , you read it from the _bottom_ , in a _counter_ -clockwise fashion, and from the _outside_ in to the center."

"So, what?" Tianna asks studying the writing. "You read this one from the bottom, around the _outside_ of the Pentagram, _counterclockwise_ , then what?"

"Then you continue to read from the _next_ letter you find on the _next_ level in toward the center. Since there isn't any letter facing _directly_ down here, you find the one closest to the bottom to the right. So..."

"So, we read all the way around the outside _first_ ," Amanda says pointing to the lettering, "Then, in _our_ case, we read what is on each of the _petals_ of the Pentagram? Is that right?"

Sadie smiles nodding quickly. "So, this is how _I'd_ read it... the bottom letter is the letter 'C.' The one to the _right_ is the letter 'H,' the one at the _top_ right is the letter 'O.' That top left one is _another_ 'O.' The one on the bottom left, and the last letter on the _outside_ is the letter 'S.'"

"So, so far we have 'c-h-o-o-s' _right_?" Thian asks.

"Yeah," Sadie says smiling. "And since we finished the outside, we start with the _petal_ at the bottom right, and work our way around again. So, the _next_ letter is the letter 'E.' The top _right_ petal is the letter 'W.' The _top_ petal is the letter 'E.' The top _left_ petal is the letter 'L,' and the _bottom_ left petal is the letter 'L' too."

Tia has been writing the letters on a piece of paper she conjured from thin air with a wave of her wand, along with a pen she had materialized in her hand.

"So, what does it _say_?" Thian asks with an odd expression.

Tia turns her piece of paper around to show them.

C H O O S E W E L L

"Does anybody else get, uh, 'Choose Well' out of that?" Amanda asks now looking to the others.

"That's what _I_ get too," Tia says looking to Tianna.

"That's the only thing _I_ get too," Tianna says furrowing her brows. "But what in _two_ moons does it _mean_? Choose... _what_ well?"

"Have no idea," Thian says looking back up to the medallion. "But the only things _in_ here I see that we _can_ choose, are which _dials_ to turn on that pedestal, or which _lever_ to pull. Do you think it's talking about _those_?"

"Must be," Tianna says. "There isn't any writing at _all_ on the giant Pentagram on the floor. And that _other_ medallion only has a huge _skull_ and those weird _squiggle_ symbols on them. Sadie, do you know what those _symbols_ mean? Are they some kind of _writing_ or something?"

"I don't know. I've never seen anything _like_ them before."

"Amanda, do _you_ know what they are?" Tia asks. Then pointing to Amanda's chest says, "I mean, can you ask your _necklace_ or something, or can it tell _you_ what this stuff means?"

Everyone looks at Amanda, who looks startled.

"You can _talk_ to a necklace?" Sadie asks excitedly. "And... it talks _back_? I've never seen you do _that_ before. How do you _talk_ to it? Can you teach _me_?"

"Uh, well, I... _no_ , I don't know _what_ this stuff means, and I don't know _how_ to talk to my necklace either. I wish Bellinora or _Ellanya_ would have given me some idea how to _use_ this thing. Golly, I hope Bellinora and _Jasmine_ are okay."

"Me too," Tia says nervously. "But right now, I'm a _little_ more worried about _us_ getting out of here, before we have _company_."

"If we ever _get_ out of here..." Thian says grumpily shaking his head. "There aren't even any _doors_ to choose from to _get_ out of here. What do you think those _dials_ and the levers _really_ do?"

Turning and walking away from the medallion with the Theban on it, Tianna heads back toward the pedestal with the dials. "I'm not sure, but since those are the _only_ things in here, and they have to do _something_ , let's take a closer look."

The others walk back to the pedestal to join Tianna.

"Well, before we _do_ anything at all," Tia says pulling the little pad of paper and pen from her pocket. "I want to draw this like it is _now_ , along with the two pedestals with the levers on them." When she finishes, she turns the pad around and says, " _This_ look okay?"

They all agree that her drawing is a good representation of how things are set.

"Okay then," Tia says turning to look at the dials along with everyone else. "So, we don't know of any other way to go, since there are no other _doors_ anyplace. The only thing we _know_ is the door we just _came_ through, and the hidden one _Jasmine_ let us through. So, we either..."

" _Do_ something with these dials and levers," Tianna says, "or go _back_ , which we _can't_ , since we don't know how to open the hidden rock doorway anyway, or who, or _what_ may still be there waiting for us."

"Well then," Thian says nervously, looking back at the open doorway, expecting to hear dozens of feet _thundering_ after them. "Let's turn _these_ and pull the levers and see what _happens_. If something _bad_ starts to happen, let's get back through the door and _lock_ it, then think of _something_."

"Great!" Tianna says with a snort. "We're _actually_ going to do what Thian wanted to do when we first got _in_ here and _spin_ the dials. I've got a _really_ bad feeling about this."

Not liking the tone Tianna is directing toward Thian, Amanda says a little more sternly than she means, "Well, if _you_ have a _better_ idea Tianna, I'd sure like to _hear_ it! We are in a little bit of a _hurry_ here."

Tianna shoots Amanda a cross look, then Tia steps between them and says, "It looks to _me_ like we have no _choice_ really. We either figure out what these _dials_ and the levers do, or we try to find a way to get _back_ into Bellinora's cave. And I don't think we'll _like_ what we find _there_ either. I mean, she and _Jasmine_ may already have left! And I for one, have _no_ intention of going _back_ , just to be _killed_ by those men and their little band of _cutthroats_.

"Sadie, do you know _anything_ about how these dials might be used or something? I mean, some of these dials are _above_ and in between others. Does that _mean_ anything to you?"

"No, I don't remember seeing _anything_ like these in class."

"Well, so which do we do first?" Amanda asks. "Turn a _dial_ or pull one of the levers?"

"Let's just pull the lever on the _right_ and see what happens," Thian says looking intently at the bronze lever he is standing next to.

"Okay. _Go_ ahead Thian," Tianna says with a grunt, "but before you _do_ , I say everyone _mount_ up and get ready to fly the heck _out_ of here... _fast_!"

They all agree and mount their brooms, adjust their traveler's packs, then begin hovering just above the floor.

Thian drifts over to the large lever and hovers. He looks to the others for a second, then puts his hand on the cross bar. "Well, here _goes_ ," he says nervously.

Thian pulls down _hard_. The lever moves easily. There is a _clunking_ noise and everyone _freezes_ , eyes flying wide.

Nothing.

"Did any of you see anything _happen_?" Sadie asks looking around the large chamber.

None of them have.

Thian drifts over to the lever on the left of the console, places his hand on it, and pulls it down.

Again they hear a _clunk_ , but nothing happens at all.

"Well, I guess we have to do something with the _dials_ first," Amanda says looking to the six dials. "Thian, try turning one of _them_ and see what happens."

Thian maneuvers his broom sideways so he can reach the dials while still floating on his broom, ready to fly for all he is worth, should anything _bad_ happen.

"Which one though?" Thian asks turning to look to the others.

"Don't think it _matters_ much really at this point," Tia says. "At least until we see if anything _happens_ at all. Maybe we need to _turn_ a dial, _then_ pull the levers, and, I don't know... maybe a _door_ will show up in the walls or something."

Thian reaches out and grabs hold of the third dial from the left. Licking his lips, he turns it to the right.

There is a _click_ as the dial _snaps_ into a new position with the bar on the skull now facing vertically.

Nothing.

" _Try_ one of the levers now Thian," Amanda says pointing to the lever on the right.

"Yeah, _okay_." Thian drifts to the lever on the right and pulls it down. It again makes a _clunk_ , but nothing happens.

"Do you think whatever the _dials_ or levers are hooked to, are _broken_?" Sadie asks looking to Tianna.

"Don't know Sadie. _Thian_ , try the other lever and see what that does."

Thian drifts to the other lever and pulls it down.

Nothing.

"Well, this is _just_ great!" Tianna snarls. "We don't know if this thing is _broken_ or not. I mean, it could be _thousands_ of years old for all we know. It may not _work_ at all anymore!"

"Yeah, maybe," Tia says looking concerned. "Thian, try turning another one of the dials, _then_ try the levers again okay?"

"Yeah, okay."

Thian turns another dial, then pulls the levers.

Nothing.

He turns another dial and pulls the levers.

Nothing.

After some _fifteen_ minutes pass, with Thian turning dial after dial, each time pulling first one lever, then the other, with _no_ results, everyone dismounts to gather around the dials.

"Oh! This is so _madding_!" Tianna shouts. "This is getting us _nowhere_! Thian's not _doing_ it right!"

Thian rounds on Tianna yelling, "Well why don't _you_ just do it _yourself_ then? If you think _you're_ so smart Tianna, let's see what _you_ can do then!"

"Yeah? Well, maybe I _will_!" Tianna shoots back. "Get _out_ of my way Thian, and let _me_ do it!"

Thian, _red_ in the face and scowling at Tianna, steps aside as she steps up to the dials.

Looking confused, and feeling nervous with _all_ eyes fixed on _her_ now, Tianna stammers, "Well, you've got them all _messed_ up now Thian. I don't know _which_ ones you turned, or how many _times_ or anything. You _should've_ written everything you did _down_ you know?"

"What? I, _you_..."

" _Wait_ ," Tia says pulling the little drawing of the dials from her pocket. "I _drew_ what the dials looked like when we first _looked_ at them, _remember_? Let's turn them back to where they _were_ first."

"But how do you _know_ where they were first?" Sadie asks.

"Here look. _See_ , like you had said before, _all_ the dials had their skulls facing _directly_ to the left. Let's turn them all back to that position okay?"

"Is it okay if _I_ turn them back Tianna? Or do _you_ want to do it... _yourself_?" Thian asks with his arms crossed.

" _Fine_ , _you_ do it then!" Tianna says as she mounts her broom, then soars up and over them all, almost _kicking_ Thian in the head. She drifts over to float in front of the medallion with the squiggle symbols on it.

Thian just finished spinning all the dials back to their original positions, _grumbling_ under his breath, when Tianna asks still facing the medallion, "How may _dials_ are there?"

"Six, why?" Tia asks watching Tianna study the squiggly symbols.

"Well, it may not be anything at _all_ , but take a look at these _squiggly_ things for a minute."

Everyone makes their way over to the medallion.

"What about 'em?" Thian asks looking intently at each of them in turn.

"The _squiggles_ are actually made out of straight lines," Tianna says narrowing her eyes.

"Yeah. _So_?" Thian asks sarcastically.

"Soooo," Tianna says pointing to the squiggles, "how many _lines_ do you see making up each _one_ of these squiggle symbols?

They count.

" _Six_ of them," Amanda says as her eyes grow larger. "And there are _six_ dials too. It _has_ to mean something, don't you _think_?"

"Well, honestly, I don't _know_ really," Tianna says. "It _could_ just be a coincidence... I guess."

"Well... _usually_ Tianna's guesses are _pretty_ good," Thian says with a thin smile. "Tia, let me have your pad and pen for a minute okay?"

"Yeah, sure, here. What are you thinking?"

Thian takes the pad and pen, "I'm not sure yet, but I _have_ an idea. Let me draw this out, _then_ I'll explain it."

Thian looks at the squiggles for a minute, draws something, then jogs back to the dials, draws some more, then, tapping the pad _hard_ with his pen and nodding, he smiles. Thian yells to the others as he jogs back. "I think I've _figured_ something out."

"Well, _this_ would be a first," Tianna sniggers, drawing dirty looks along with smiles from the others.

"What did you draw Thian?" Amanda asks curiously.

"Well, _take_ a look at this. Here is a drawing of the _squiggle_ on the right side of the medallion.

"Yeah, _so_?" Tianna says looking confused.

"Well, what if we _break_ the squiggle apart like this, _look_."

"Thian, so _what_?" Tianna says with frustration. "So now you have a bunch of _lines_ , big deal."

Thian, feeling a little _stung_ stammers, "Don't you _see_ it? Don't these lines look kind of _familiar_ to you?"

Everyone looks at the lines for a moment, then Thian says, "Here, _look_!"

He then flips to the little drawing Tia had made.

"Look at the lines here on the _dials_ , then at the _broken_ lines from the squiggles."

Tianna snipes back, "Thian, what _are_ you talking..." her eyes go large. "By the _moons_..."

"What?" Amanda asks looking at Tia, then to Tianna's growing grin as she nods. "What _is_ it? What do you two _see_?"

"Look at the _positions_ those little bars on the dials make," Thian says with a smile. "Now, look at the squiggle _broken_ apart. _See_ anything?"

It takes Amanda and Tia just a second to spot it as Sadie jumps to try to see the paper that Thian is holding too high for her to see.

"Yes!" Amanda says grinning, "Those _lines_ correspond to the _same_ positions that are on some of the dials. Are you _saying_ , that these, uh, _squiggle_ symbols, really represent some kind of _combination_ of dial positions?"

"Yeah, I think they _might_!" Thian says looking at Tianna, who smiles, nodding her approval.

"But, how do we _read_ the symbols?" Amanda asks. "I mean, do we read it _top_ to bottom... bottom to _top_ , or has it been turned _sideways_ or even _upside_ down? With _six_ dials, there could be _hundreds_ of permutations, and that doesn't include which _lever_ or levers you need to pull either. This could take _forever_ to figure out you know?"

"Actually, I think that's _kind_ of the idea," Tia says now walking back to the dials as the others follow.

"What do you mean?" Amanda asks.

"I think, that _maybe_ , to keep others from, uh, getting _to_ the Dark Forest, if they _did_ somehow manage to find their way into this room... that _somebody_ made this, well, _puzzle_ thing. If you can _solve_ it, you _pass_ and get to go on. If you _fail_ it... well, that's the part I don't _know_ about, but I'm thinking it could _really_ be bad. I mean, either it takes _forever_ to figure this thing out and someone would just give up and leave, _or_ , you put the dials in the _wrong_ positions, and something really _horrible_ happens. Like the _bone_ pit!"

They all look nervous and turn to look at the dials that Thian had been spinning earlier.

After a moment, Thian steps to the panel, turning to the others. Everyone nods, including Tianna, who smiles weakly as Thian returns a smile of his own.

Thian looks at Sadie. "Sadie, these aren't those Theban _witch_ alphabet things, but do you think since the medallion is _round_ , we read it from _right_ to left like we did the letters on the _Pentagram_?"

"Maybe. It may not be _witch_ writing, but, since this whole thing was _made_ by witches, I _think_... and we _are_ in _The Realm of The Witches_ after all... _yeah_ , I think we _do_ the symbols from right to left, _counterclockwise_ around the medallion. _Oh_ , and since in a diagram or something _round_ like this, you read from right to left, instead of left to right, I think we should _number_ the dials from right to left, _then_ see if we can match the lines from one of the symbols... then see what happens."

Everyone shrugs and decides to try it.

Thian numbers the dial drawing Tia had done, and numbers the lines from the symbol on the right side of the medallion.

"Okay, _this_ is how I've got them numbered, everyone agree?" Thian asks as he shows them his pad.

"Looks okay to me," Amanda says nodding. "So, the positions we see _now_ on the dials, correspond to how we _set_ each dial... according to how we see the line in the _symbol_?"

"Yeah, at least I _think_ so," Thian says. "I mean, looking at the dials, the number _one_ has a really _slanted_ line to the right. The number _two_ a little more vertical. _Three_ is straight up and down, _four_ is slanted a little to the left, _five_ is further to the left, and..."

"The _six_ is horizontal," Amanda says nodding. "So, if I've got this _right_ , since we read the lines of the symbol from _bottom_ to top, and set the dials from _right_ to left, then we set dial one so the bar is _horizontal_ , representing the position for number _six_. The next line _up_ on the symbol is tilted just a _little_ to the left, so..."

"We set dial _two_ , so it looks like the dial _four_ position from the original drawing," Sadie says nodding. "That's really _good_ Thian, I think you _got_ it."

Everyone smiles, then Amanda says, "So, this means, that looking at the lines of the symbol, and setting the dials from _right_ to left... we set dial _one_ to position six. Dial _two_ to position four. Dial _three_ to position _five_. Dial _four_ to position three. Dial _five_ to, well, position _five_ , and dial _six_ to position six, or _horizontal_. Is that it?"

Everyone agrees. Tianna says with a smile, "Well _Thian_ , let's see if you are _really_ as smart as we _hope_ you are. Go ahead and _set_ the dials and let's _see_ what happens."

Thian looks at the little dials for a moment, then with everyone verifying what position to turn the dial to, _before_ he actually does, he reaches out and turns each dial in turn, hearing a little _clunk_ with each turn. As he sets the last dial, there is a _clunk_ , and then...

Nothing.

"Why didn't something _happen_?" Thian asks looking puzzled while holding his hands out to the sides.

"I think we need to pull one of the handles on those _pedestals_ first," Tia says now walking to the one on the right.

"Well, go _ahead_ sis," Tianna says pointing to the handle, "give it a _go_ and let's see what happens."

Tia hesitates, then says, "I think we better mount _up_ again... _just_ in case."

Thian is _on_ his broom before she finishes her _sentence_. Everyone else then mounts up, Sadie drifting over to hover beside Tianna.

Tia reaches out and grabs onto the crossbar of the handle. Taking a deep breath, she _yanks_ down. There is a _clunk_ , followed by a deep _rumbling_ sound.

Thian yells, "It's a _trap_ , let's get _out_ of here!" He then zooms past them in a _blur_. Amanda _screams_ and shoots off right behind him, followed _quickly_ by the others. They all fly through the open doorway and back along the tunnel for a short way, all hearts beating _wildly_.

"Wait!" Tianna shouts looking back over her shoulder as she slows to a stop. "I don't _hear_ anything like a cave-in, and there's no _dust_ cloud either. But _something_ happened. _That's_ for sure. Let's go back and _check_ it out."

"Are you _crazy_?" Thian yells pointing down the tunnel. " _I'm_ not going back in there!"

" _Fine_. You can just stay _here_ then, but _I'm_ going to go back and see what happened."

" _I'm_ coming with you," Sadie says riding up alongside Tianna.

"See, _Sadie_ isn't scared, and _she's_ just a little kid," Tianna teases Thian. "Come on Sadie, let's see what _really_ happened."

With that, the two of them slowly fly off down the tunnel and disappear into the larger cavern.

Thian is embarrassed, having watched the little _five_ -year old girl flying off with Tianna, while _he_ is sitting here on his broom _shaking_.

" _I'm_ not afraid," Thian says softly, trying to keep his voice from cracking. "I just think we should have _waited_ for a while is all."

"I _know_ you're not afraid Thian," Amanda says as she tries to keep a straight face watching him shake. "But, I _think_ we should go after them, _just_ in case they need our help. And if they _do_ need help, neither Tia nor me are as _strong_ as you are, so, maybe _you_ should lead the way okay?"

Thian _puffs_ out his thin chest, and smiling, "Oh, yeah, _sure_. You're right, they _might_ need my help. _Come_ on, but stay _behind_ me, just in _case_."

Thian shoots past Tia and Amanda, who both put a hand to their mouths stifling laughs. As they head off after Thian, Tia says, "That was really _nice_ of you, you know. Thian _means_ well... he's just, just..."

"Just _Thian_?" Amanda says with a laugh as they make their way into the larger cavern.

As Amanda and Tia reenter the cavern with the dials, they are _surprised_ to see Tianna, Sadie and Thian, hovering over where the lower _right_ petal of the huge Pentagram on the floor, has _risen_ , revealing hidden _stairways_ leading down on all three sides of the hole. There is a _dull_ blue light coming from the stairs leading down.

"Wow!" Amanda says, as she and Tia dismount and stand beside Thian and Sadie, who have dismounted as well. Tianna is still hovering on her broom, directly over the hole. "Look at _that_ , a hidden _stairway_ inside the petals of the Pentagram. What do you think's _down_ there?"

"Don't know," Tianna says drawing her wand. "But, there's only _one_ way to find out, so, pull your wands and let's have a _look_ and see."

"Wait!" Amanda says looking to one of the other petals. "There are _five_ petals you know? And there are _five_ squiggly symbols on the medallion. We only set the dials to how the lines were on the _first_ squiggle."

"Yeah, so?" Tianna asks.

"So," Amanda continues, "I think that if we set the dials to match the _other_ symbols on the medallion, we can get the _other_ petals to open too. There _might_ be stairs under each of them you know?"

"Actually, she may be _right_ ," Tia says thoughtfully. "And the writing on the other medallion says, ' _choose_ well.' It could have been _warning_ us to choose the _right_ stairway or something."

"Yeah, well, that's _great_ ," Tianna says. "But as far as we _know_ , this _may_ be the only one that actually _opens_ , and if we somehow _close_ it... who _knows_ if it will _open_ again. I say, since it's open _now_ , we have a look and at least _see_ what's down there."

They all look to one another for a moment, then Thian says, "Well, okay. It can't hurt to just take a _look_ anyway. I mean, nothing came _running_ out of there after us."

Tia shrugs as they all pull their wands and hold them at the ready.

Tianna maneuvers her broom and begins to float down the stairs, with the others now following on foot. As they get several steps down the stairs, Thian says quickly, "Hey, _wait_!"

" _Now_ what Thian?" Tianna asks with a deep sigh stopping in a hover.

"What if we go down there, and, like Tianna _said_ , what if the petal _closes_ and we're _trapped_ down there? I think one of us should stay up _here_ , and if the petal _closes_ , they can at least _try_ to open it again. I mean, what if it's on some kind of _timer_ or something. Or, you step on one of these steps, and it triggers a _trap_ or something that _closes_ the petal? There could even be a _proximity_ spell in here somewhere, that will trigger a trap. We could be _trapped_ down here and, and, _suffocate_ or _drown_ or something."

"Actually, he's got a _point_ ," Tia says nodding. "Okay, you stay on _top_ Thian, just in case. I mean, it was _your_ idea and all. Here. Here's the drawings of the _dials_ and symbols."

"Uh, _yeah_ , okay, sure."

Thian takes the pad of paper then walks a few steps back up the stairs to the top, and takes a few steps away from the petal. After a few nervous looks, Tianna once again begins to float down the hole, the others walking with tentative steps down the staircase, looking for any _writing_ on the steps or walls. Sadie, is closely following behind Tianna, who is in the lead.

The hole is _deep_ , but _narrows_ as it descends, until the stairs on all three sides meet at a large, _ancient_ metal door at the very bottom.

"Have you _found_ anything?" a small echoing voice from high above sounds.

"We found some kind of a _metal_ door at the bottom," Amanda shouts up to Thian. "It's in the _middle_ of the wall on the _right_ side of the point, if you were looking at it from the _outside_ of the circle up _there_ that is. There's no red _mist_ coming from it or anything. We're going to _open_ it and see what's inside."

"Well," Tianna says holding her wand out in front of her, "get ready for _whatever_ might be in there, and let's get this door open. Amanda, do your _door_ thing."

Amanda steps up to the door, lifts her broom saying, "Orathian!"

There are _clanking_ sounds which make their way up the door. The solid metal door _pops_ open about three inches.

Everyone _freezes_ in place, listening intently.

Nothing. No sound, no mist coming through the crack, no _screams_ or howling. _Nothing_ at all.

"Oh, I don't like the _looks_ of this," Amanda says tilting her head slightly to listen some more. "Every time I've found a _thick_ door, there was _always_ something on the other side that tried to _get_ me."

Tianna, hovering just above them says, "Yeah, well. Okay Amanda, _yank_ that thing open and everybody get ready to _shoot_ anyway."

Amanda grabs the large bronze ring with both hands, her wand also _clutched_ in her right hand, and yanks hard. To everyone's _surprise_ , the door swings open _quickly_ , the weight and momentum _almost_ knocking Amanda over.

It is _pitch_ black on the other side. It is like the dim blue light around them is not illuminating _anything_ on the other side of the doorway.

"That's _weird_. Ignite your wands," Tia says in a whisper.

As their wands begin to glow in a soft blue from their tips, Amanda swings the door fully open, let's go of the brass ring, and walks _right_ up to what appears to be a veil of _solid_ darkness. Holding her wand up, she _gasps_ with surprise, "It's _still_ solid _black_! Our _wand_ light isn't lighting anything at _all_. What's going _on_?"

" _Shut_ the door, _quick_!" Tianna yells.

Startled, as Tia grabs the edge of the door and begins to push it shut, a _solid_ black arm reaches through the _impenetrable_ wall of darkness. A cold, _inky_ hand grasps Amanda by the ankle, _yanking_ her part way into the _nothingness_ on the other side of the door. Amanda's legs are _pulled_ apart, her body leaning _hard_ away from the dark doorway.

Amanda _screams_ as do the others. Sadie _grabs_ Amanda's nearest hand, while Tia grabs Amanda by that same arm.

Everyone is screaming, even _Thian_ from far above, as he _frantically_ shouts down to them to tell him what is happening.

Tianna fires _bolt_ after bolt of spells into the _darkness_ around Amanda, where she thinks the _body_ of the grasping arms may be. They simply _disappear_ as soon as they strike the darkness.

Amanda is now _half_ in the dark and _half_ in the light of the black doorway. Where her body goes through the doorway, she simply _disappears_ completely into darkness, as though that _part_ of her had been cut away.

In a moment, two _more_ arms come through the dark void. Arms as dark as _death_ wrap around Amanda's waist, as other hands reach through and _grab_ her by the leg and arm. In a _flash_ , Amanda is hoisted _up_ into the air about _head_ height to the others, and _yanked_ away from Sadie and Tia. Amanda _screams_ loudly as she is pulled _fully_ into the darkness as Sadie _almost_ tumbles in after her, as black arms _reach_ for her.

The very _second_ Amanda's head enters the dark, her screams are _instantly_ cut off, and she is _gone_.

"Amanda!" they all cry in unison.

"Amanda!" they yell again looking into the solid darkness.

_Dozens_ of arms suddenly _lunge_ through the doorway, hands _grasping_ blindly in all directions.

" _Shut_ the door!" Tianna yells, "Shut the _Bogey's_ door! They're trying to get _all_ of us!"

Tia and Sadie had fallen to the side as Amanda had been _yanked_ from their grips. Tia _scrambles_ to her feet and to the side, as Sadie begins to get up, but not quite _quick_ enough. A dark, _cold_ hand grabs Sadie by the ankle and begins _dragging_ her through the doorway. Part of Sadie's leg looks _missing_ where it has entered the void.

Both Tianna and Tia _scream_ at the sight. Tia grabs hold of Sadie's _hands_ and tries to pull her free from the unseen _monster_ within the darkness.

Tianna fires _three_ more spells into the darkness, but with _no_ effect.

"Tianna, _help_ , I can't _hold_ her!"

Tia is slowly being _dragged_ toward the darkness along with Sadie, who has now _disappeared_ up to her waist. Sadie is _completely_ horizontal. Black hands are desperately trying to _pull_ her into the dark, Tia leaning back, digs her _heals_ into the dirt, _straining_ to keep Sadie on this side of the door, as Sadie _screams_ in utter terror.

"Help! _Please_... _do_ something, don't let them _take_ me!" Sadie screams again and again.

Tianna quickly drops down on her broom, almost knocking poor _Tia_ to the floor. Tianna reaches down and _grabs_ hold of Sadie's arm at the wrist, Tia holding on just a little beyond that. Just as Tianna gets a good grip, Sadie _disappears_ into the darkness, only her _fingers_ , wrist and a short portion of her _one_ arm now on this side of the doorway. Tianna and Tia grunt and _strain_ to keep hold of her.

Tianna _screams_ as Sadie's hand slips through the darkness, taking part of _Tia's_ hand with it. As another black hand appears through the darkness and reaches for _Tia's_ wrist, Tianna _cranks_ the throttle on her broom, yanking Tia _so_ hard, she falls _backward_ onto the ground.

Sadie comes _flying_ through the darkness, _screaming_ as her face appears, followed by the rest of her, then _drops_ to the ground next to Tia, as Tianna lets go of her, _swerving_ around on her broom to face them.

Tia jumps up, _spins_ around grabbing the side of the open door. She begins _struggling_ to close it. Sadie comes to her side and _together_ , they push with _all_ their might. But the black arms and _hands_ are pressing back. It is _impossible_ to close the door.

"Tianna, _do_ something!" Sadie shouts.

Tianna, still pointing her wand at the door, looking scared half to death, suddenly creases her brows and yells, " _Neldor_!" The door instantly _slams_ shut. Several of the dark arms are _severed_ from their Bogey bodies and drop to the floor, turning into _nothing_ but two dimensional _shadows_ , _slithering_ quickly back under the door and disappearing. Clanks are heard working their way down the edge of the door as it locks.

Everything goes _deathly_ quiet but for their heavy breathing and crying. Then Thian's frantic shouting again comes from overhead. "Would somebody _please_ tell me what by the _Oak_ and Ash is going _on_?"

"Grab your _brooms_ and let's get the heck _out_ of here," Tianna yells. "Grab _Amanda's_ broom too."

Sadie mounts her broom as Tia grabs Amanda's, then mounts her own. The three of them quickly _shoot_ up the stairway.

Thian has to _duck_ , as they come shooting up the side of the stairs he is standing on.

As the three shoot over Thian's head, " _Close_ the petal Thian! _Do_ it... _now_!" Tianna yells.

"I don't know _how_ to close the petal! Where's _Amanda_? What's _happened_?"

"Try pulling that _other_ handle," Tianna yells frantically, as she and the others _swerve_ to a hover a few yards away. " _Quick_ Thian, _try_ the other handle! _NOW_!"

Thian runs for the pedestal with the handle, trips and falls _flat_ on his face, skidding for some distance. Scrambling quickly to his feet, he sprints to the far handle and _yanks_ hard.

There is a _clunk_ followed by rumbling. Everyone turns quickly to the open petal, and watch _wide_ -eyed as the petal slowly lowers and _seals_ the stairway shut.

Panting hard, _completely_ out of breath and _scared_ to death, seeing the others _crying_ , Thian begins crying too, not understanding _what_ is going on, "What's _happened_? _Where's_ Amanda? Why isn't she _with_ you?"

Everyone is crying hard. They look to Tianna, who is _wiping_ her eyes on her sleeve.

She manages only to say in a kind of _daze_ , staring at the now sealed petal, "The _Bogey_. The _Bogeymen_ got Amanda. The _Shadow_ _People_ of the Dark, have _taken_ her away."

#  The Bogey

To TOC

As Amanda is _yanked_ through the open doorway, her friends disappear as everything goes black, and the first thing she notices is that the _cries_ from her friends have also been _instantly_ cut off. She can only hear her _own_ screams and cries, and the laughter and strange _cackling_ sounds coming from the darkness all around her.

She feels several hands hoist her _high_ into the air, pressing against her _back_ , head, _arms_ and legs. Whoever has her begins carrying her away, into complete and _total_ blackness.

Amanda grips tightly to her wand, which it is no longer giving off any light at all. She cries, "Lumino!" again and again, but _no_ light flares from the tip of her wand.

A deep rumbling voice sounds beside her, "Your _wand_ will not save you _here_ child. But you may _keep_ it if you like. You now _belong_ to the Bogey. There is _no_ known power here which can _harm_ us." There are hideous laughs all around her, as she is continuously jostled as she is taken further into the stifling darkness.

"But, but there's no such _thing_ as Bogeymen," Amanda stammers meekly. "That's just a _story_ , to _scare_ little kids..."

"Really? Well, if that were _true_ ," comes another voice close by, "you'd be back with your little _friends_ , and we would not have _you_ in our grasps. Does _this_ feel like we do not exist?"

Amanda screams as she is _pinched_ hard on her leg. The Bogey _howl_ with laughter.

Amanda is so scared, she _almost_ passes out, then hears one of the Bogey say loudly, " _Summon_ Atrum Umbra. He'll want to meet our newest _guest_. Perhaps he'll even _present_ her all dressed up for _dinner_." The Bogey roar with more laughter.

Amanda asks in a very frightened voice, "Who's Atrum Umbra? Where are you _taking_ me? Put me _down_!" Amanda begins to _thrash_ and is gripped tighter by hands completely unseen.

"Atrum Umbra is the _king_ of the Bogey," a deep booming voice sounds from directly below her. "We are taking you into the _Deep_ , to _forever_ be our slave. You will _never_ see but the dimmest of light again - _just_ enough so you can do what we wish, but no more. You will _serve_ us to the _end_ of your days. And put you _down_ we will child. _Down_ within the Deep, where you will _never_ find your way out of the darkness that surrounds you."

"No, _Please_!" Amanda begs, "I want to go _home_! Please put me _down_ , let me _go_!"

"Oh, well, since you said _Pleeeese_ , that makes all the _difference_ , don't it _boys_?" This brings more terrifying laughter, and the Bogey begin to sing;

In the dark the Bogey come, beneath your bed to do you harm,

In closets Bogey sit and wait, and while you sleep, we seal your fate,

In shadows long, or short or tall, we wait to snatch the children all,

The shadows between the trees you see, be moved by wind? Nay Bogey be,

From corner of your eye you see, a movement but there nothing be,

But Bogey move through shadows quick, we wait to snatch you in a lick,

To darkness take you Bogey will, to spend your life in darkest well,

To Bogey land you now will go, to spend your life within a hole,

Forever trapped within the dark, you'll die of fright your heart won't start,

In Bogey land your fate be sealed, in darkest terror you'll be killed,

To Bogey land we now must go, with newest child now in tow,

Escape you'll try but fail you will, you're trapped inside the Bogey hill...

They sing this again and again, as they move quickly without any sound of footfall at all. The only sounds from the Bogey are their deep and _booming_ voices, thundering from the darkness.

" _Stop_ your squirming! Or we'll _tear_ you apart _limb_ from limb, and _eat_ you right here and be _done_ with you!" shouts the one directly below her, pinching her _hard_ again.

Amanda _gasps_ as she stiffens, breathing very heavily, eyes darting all around her, she tries _desperately_ to stop crying. She swallows hard and does her best to stay as _still_ as possible.

After what seems a good half hour, Amanda hears a faint _drumming_ coming from what the Bogey had called the _Deep_.

The drumming becomes louder and _louder_ over the next several minutes, until it is _thundering_ in her ears. Soon, Amanda knows they are passing whoever, or _whatever_ , are pounding the drums. Those beating the deep and resonant drums begin to sing;

To the Deep, the Deep, to the Deep the child goes,

Down, down, how far she'll never know,

The Bogey like to bite and hit,

To kick you in the gloom,

We'll toss you in the deepest pit,

And there you'll meet your doom.

With the Shadow People now you'll stay,

To serve to our delight,

In darkness you'll forever stay,

Forsake the dreadful light.

To the Deep, the Deep, to the Deep the child goes,

Down, down, how far she'll never know,

The Bogey like to bite and hit,

To kick you in the gloom,

We'll toss you in the deepest pit,

And there you'll meet your doom...

Amanda is shaking _so_ violently, she almost loses her bladder.

In an instant, the drumming _stops_. Amanda is roughly _dropped_ on what feels like a rough cavern floor, and lands painfully on her bottom.

Silence.

The only things Amanda can hear are her _shuddering_ breaths, and the sniffs she is making as her nose runs from crying. Her heart pounds _hard_ in her chest, as she even feels it beat in her _throat_.

There may be silence all around her, but she knows they are still there. She can _feel_ many unseen eyes on her, making the _hairs_ on the back of her neck stand on end.

Amanda slowly gets to her feet. Standing there for a few moments, eyes wide and _straining_ to see _anything_ at all in the darkness, she listens.

Amanda has _never_ been afraid of the dark before. It had become her _friend_ when she had spent her years at the orphanage back on the earth realm. She would sneak down to the basement, and _hide_ within the utility closet she had made her sanctuary. She remembers how she would go down there, shut herself into the _dark_ , where she would be _safe_ from the other kids who picked on her, and would kick and punch her whenever they could.

She remembers how _dark_ the closet had been, in the already dark basement. That closet had been as dark as _death_ , and yet, it had become her protector. She always felt _safe_ within the dark.

But now, something _else_ was in the darkness with her... something that _loves_ the darkness as she had.

But here, that something was... _evil_.

Amanda dares not move. She stands rooted in place, eyes wide and darting all around her, she strains _harder_ to see any light at all, or perhaps a moving _change_ in the darkness, showing where her captors stood watching her.

Suddenly a voice booms right behind her, " _Boo_!"

Amanda _screams_ , jumps, and _spins_ around, pointing her wand out in front of her. She waves it to the left, then the right, but there is nothing there to _shoot_ a spell at, even if her wand _worked_. Her heart is _pounding_ so hard, she thinks it may _burst_ , and she will die _right_ there from fright.

Laughter erupts all around her, making her spin in all directions, waving her wand wildly.

She feels a cold hand _slap_ against her right shoulder, and _jumps_ away from the touch with another scream, spinning to face where it had come from.

Darkness. Laughter.

She is shoved _hard_ in the back and falls to the cavern floor, then is _kicked_ hard in her left leg. Amanda _cries_ out in surprise and pain, snatching her leg to her.

" _Stop_ it!" Amanda cries. " _Stop_ it! What do you _want_? Why are you _doing_ this to me?"

A new voice sounds to her left. It is very deep and _booms_ within the cavern she is in. The voice seems to be _high_ above her, she guesses some eight to ten feet.

"What do we _want_?" the voice mocks. "Why _you_ of _course_ child. Children are _always_ what we want, but sometimes, those that are _older_ serve our purpose just as well."

"Purpose? _What_ purpose?" Amanda stammers, "What do you want with... _me_?"

"Our purpose," the voice says as it seems to be drifting slowly around her, still at the same height as before, "is to _snatch_ the children of the realms, and take them to the _Deep_. There, we _bite_ , hit, _kick_ , punch and _frighten_ them into doing our will.

" _You_ will join the others and _serve_ us till you _die_ from old age, or _fright_. Generally, the _latter_. You see, _we_ are the _Shadow_ _People_ , who are known by _many_ names on many realms.

"You and _all_ living creatures, have seen us _many_ times, or _felt_ our presence. We lay _waiting_ under your bed at night, until you put your _feet_ down, then, we reach out and _grab_ you by the ankles. We _snatch_ you under the bed and take you into the Deep _forever_ \- no one ever knowing _what_ happened to you but _thinking_ that perhaps... you simply _ran_ away, or were _kidnaped_.

"Why, you read all the _time_ , where children go _missing_ , never to be _seen_ or heard from again. Although, sometimes, we _will_ return their _worthless_ bodies to their realm, _after_ they die in the Deep. Many _innocent_ men, and some _women_ , are _charged_ with their deaths, and sent to prisons, even... sentenced to _death_. When all along, it was _us_... the _Bogey_ who were responsible. It pleases us greatly, to see those _innocent_ suffer.

"We hide in the _closets_ behind closed doors, waiting amongst the darkness and _shadows_ of the clothing. Yes, _you_ see us only as _shadows_ , but we are _much_ more.

"You _know_ we are there... you can _feel_ us... somehow, _sense_ us. We are the _Bogey_ , the _Shadow People_ of the Deep. We _change_ our shadow form to fit whatever's near... the _shape_ of a tree, a _rock_ , bush or _mountain_. We are the _shadows_ made by _toys_ and lurk behind doors, _scurry_ behind the surfaces _lit_ by lanterns, _candle_ light and _anything_ bright.

" _You_ have seen us _many_ times before child. _All_ children have -out of the _corner_ of your eyes. You see a _movement_ , turn quickly to see what it is. But there's _nothing_ there. Whatever it was, is _gone_. We, the _Bogey_ , are _always_ near, especially near _children_ , waiting for our chance to _snatch_ you when you least expect it. Yes child, you have _seen_ us many times, _just_ from the corner of your eyes as you read, _stare_ at things, or are just sitting and _thinking_. We are _always_ present... _waiting_.

"You have seen us _many_ times, moving within the _darkness_ of the trees. _You_ think the _shadows_ which move there are from the _branches_ , within some _harmless_ breeze. But no. It is _us_ , the _Bogey_ , the _Shadow People_ of the Deep, come to see what _foolish_ creature will pass our way, so we can _snatch_ them into the ground, _forever_ to dwell within the dark of the Deep.

"We _sneak_ amongst you, silent as _ghosts_ riding on the wind, ever present _wherever_ light may cast us, or in the _absence_ of any light at all. Although we be _bound_ forever, _light_ with dark, _darkness_ is the more powerful. In the darkness, you find little or _no_ light at all, and _lose_ your way, your _mind_ , and _will_ to live. To you, it is _cold_ there within the dark. You feel the fear _prickle_ on the back of your neck. The _hairs_ on your arms stand up. You _tremble_. You are _afraid_ to move, and the _slightest_ of sounds make your heart _race_.

"The darkest _demons_ rise from the depth of your _own_ mind, monsters so _hideous_ , so _vile_ , your very _soul_ screams. They will _never_ leave you alone, _here_ in the dark. Here within the dark of the Deep, you will _stay_ forever, _alone_ , until you go _mad_ , unless you _submit_ to become our slave, and _serve_ us till your end.

"But we are not only found _here_ , within the Deep. _Wherever_ there is light, and a _shadow_ be cast, a _Shadow Person_ lurks, however _faint_ or small their shadow form may be.

"You cannot _walk_ , sit, _stand_ , lay, jump, _tumble_ , skip or _dive_ , without _us_ being there with you... _watching_ you... _waiting_.

"It matters not how _fast_ you can run from us child, because when you look _down_ , you'll find _us_ right there with you, _just_ as fast, the _Bogey_ in our _shadow_ form, matching _your_ form and speed. When you are _alone_ child, and _no_ others can see, _that_ is when we _snatch_ you... if we please. Or we may simply wish to _frighten_ you, and make you _think_ , hear and _see_ things, which you know _not_ from where they come, nor go.

"Should we _snatch_ you, we can take you down through the _slightest_ of cracks or crevices, and _forever_ lock you in the _deepest_ of darkness... the ever present _gloom_ , of the Deep... _forever_ to serve us till your last, _shuddering_ , frightened breath.

"I am called _many_ things in many realms, but Atrum Umbra I am called here. _I_ am the _king_ of the Bogey. You are _ours_ now child, to _do_ with as we please. To _dwell_ within the darkness with us... _forever_ , should you _behave_. If _not_? It's into the darkest of _pits_ with you, where the _creatures_ from your own _mind_ will come to life, driving you _mad_ , until your end.

"We'll _deal_ with her later," Atrum Umbra thunders. "I'm told there were _other_ children with her. Regroup, _spread_ out through every _crack_ and crevice and _snatch_ them all! Toss _her_ , into the _pit_!"

Amanda is grabbed by unseen hands and lifted quickly. She _screams_ as one of the unseen Bogey begins to run with her, held _high_ in the air. She thinks she hears a _door_ opening somewhere close by, then the faint sounds of yelling, _screaming_ , and crying somewhere in the distance, which _suddenly_ stops.

The one carrying her comes to a sudden stop, lowering her slightly.

"Don't let the vicious _creatures_ of the Deep _bite_ you now," a hideous voice whispers in her ear.

Amanda is _thrown_ to the ground, where she lands hard on her right knee, making her cry out in _mind_ numbing pain, tears _streaking_ down her cheeks. She is then _kicked_ hard in the back, which sends her tumbling forward and down some steep, _rough_ and jagged embankment, screaming in _terror_ as she tumbles.

Down... _down_... further into the _inky_ blackness of the Deep.

Amanda eventually comes to a _painful_ stop at the bottom of what she _knows_ is a very deep pit indeed.

Scared, bruised, _cut_ and bleeding, all alone and _shivering_ , Amanda cries as she hears the _horrible_ laughter far above her. There is silence for just a few heartbeats, before she hears the _squeak_ of a door which _slams_ closed with its echo _reverberating_ around her, then fading quickly into silence.

Amanda lays perfectly still, thinking about what the Bogey said about _vicious_ creatures being down here with her. It is _indeed_ as dark as death in there, and she knows, if she does _not_ find a way out, death _will_ surely take her, here in the _bowels_ of some mountain within a mountain.

She strains to hear anything at all.

Silence.

Amanda listens for a few more moments, then slowly feels around on the cavern floor for her wand, which she dropped when she had tumbled down into the pit. As her fingers glide over the rough surface, she is _praying_ she will not touch something that may _bite_ or attack her, or, grasp the _bones_ of some other kid who had died and _rotted_ into nothing but a skeleton down here.

Her fingers soon _tap_ against something wooden, which rolls slightly away as she gives a short gasp. She reaches out quickly, realizing what it is. Touching it again, she grasps it _tightly_ , and lifts it close to her face.

"Lumino," she whispers to the tip of her wand.

Nothing.

Amanda sits up. Pulling her legs to her chest, wrapping her arms around them, she rests her forehead on her knees. Trembling, she begins _rocking_ back and forth, trying to calm herself. Crying softly, not wanting to attract any hidden _creatures_ to her, tears continue streaming down her cheeks.

Amanda, _terrified_ , curls into a tight ball. She is _alone_ in the darkness of the pit.

Or... _is_ she?

#  The Second Petal

To TOC

"The... the _Shadow People_ got Amanda?" Thian asks with eyes wide, turning quickly to face the now tightly sealed petal of the huge Pentagram.

" _How_? What _happened_?" Thian continued. "Why didn't you _save_ her?"

"We _tried_!" Tia cries animatedly, still in tears. "Amanda opened that _huge_ metal door. There was nothing there but solid _darkness_!"

"We lit our wands, but the _light_ didn't go through the darkness of the open door," Sadie says now standing beside Tianna, who is hovering just above the cavern floor. "It was _darker_ than the _darkest_ dark I've ever _seen_ too!"

"Amanda walked _right_ up to the darkness with her wand lit," Tia says, looking at Thian's tear streaked face. "She was _grabbed_ by the ankle, and they started _pulling_ her into the darkness. Sadie and I _grabbed_ her, while Tianna fired several _spells_ at them, but it didn't _do_ any good. The spells just went _right_ through them, like they weren't even _there_!

"Arms, _blacker_ than tar, lifted Amanda up over our heads. We _couldn't_ hold on to her anymore! She was _snatched_ from our hands and _yanked_ into the darkness... and disappeared."

"They tried to get _Sadie_ too," Tianna says wiping her nose on her sleeve as she nods to Sadie.

Thian gasps. " _What_? They, they almost got _you_ too Sadie?"

"Yeah, they _did_! They were pulling _me_ into the dark, and _Tia_ was trying to pull my out."

"Tianna fired several _shots_ into the dark like before, but again, _nothing_ happened," Tia says sniffing loudly. "Sadie went _through_ into the darkness too, with only a little of her _arm_ and hand on this side. Then the Bogey reached out for _me_. Tianna _grabbed_ hold and used the _thrust_ from her broom to pull me away _just_ in time, yanking _Sadie_ back onto this side too."

"Tianna then said that _word_ Amanda uses to shut the door," Sadie says wide-eyed. "We mounted up and _flew_ up here. Then _you_ shut the petal."

"By the _moons_!" Thian says in shock. " _How_ are we gonna get her back?"

"Get her _back_?" Tianna quips. "From the _Bogey_? Are you _kidding_? No one's _ever_ come back from the Bogey... _ever_! Once they have you, that's _it_ , _game_ over! They say that you stay in the darkness as their _slave_ till you _die_ from fright, old age, or... _whatever_."

"They can _eat_ you too," Sadie says with a shaky voice. "The _book_ we read, said they _eat_ kids too. The stories I've heard, say they make you their _slave_ and, and _bite_ , kick, _pinch_ and always try to _scare_ you. They make you dig _tunnels_ so they can get to other places easier, without having to move only where the _light_ may cast them, and to make more room for more _slaves_. I don't know if the stories about them _eating_ you are true or not though. _Are_ they Tianna?"

"Well, no one can _really_ be sure you know," Tianna says looking to the closed petal. "Since _no_ one has ever come _out_ again once they snatch you. But, I heard that they will _sometimes_ take one of the kids, _scare_ them to death, then _prepare_ them for dinner... they call it ' _dressing_ them up and _presenting_ them for dinner.' At least that's what we were told in _class_. Maybe, well, maybe _that's_ what they're going to do with Amanda."

"Don't _say_ that!" Thian yells angrily. "There _has_ to be a way. We can't just... _leave_ her _down_ there with them! We _have_ to do something!"

"Yes, I _know_. _I_ want to save her too. But, do something like _what_ Thian?" Tianna shouts back, truly frightened for Amanda, but not knowing _what_ to do. "If you're so _brave_ , why don't you just open the petal, and go _down_ there and get her _back_ then?"

Tianna and Thian stare at one another red-faced. Tia says, " _Stop_ it, the _both_ of you! It's not _helping_. She's gone. We don't know enough _about_ the Bogey to be able to _plan_ anything, and besides, we don't know enough _Wizitch_ to fight them if we _do_ go back down there. We need to get help. We need to get someone _high_ in their Order to help us. What we need to do, is figure out a way to get _out_ of here and get some _help_. Where or _how_ we get it, I have no idea, but we need to find _someone_ to help us!"

"She's right you know," Sadie says nodding. "The best way we can help Amanda, is to get some _powerful_ witches and wizards to help us. I don't think _Bellinora_ is still here. She said she would hold those men for a while, then she and _Jasmine_ would leave."

"We need to get some help, those _Bogey_ have her now, and we don't know _what_ they have in mind for her," Tia says with a sniff.

"Yeah, well... I guess you're right," Thian says now turning to look to the closed petal. "But, how _did_ you see them? I thought the Bogey were just _shadows_ to our eyes. How did you see them like, like in their _solid_ form? You know, actual _arms_ and hands and all?"

" _Wand_ light," Sadie says fingering the wand now back in its holster. "We read about it in class. Only _wand_ light can show the _Shadow People_ in their true form - something to do with _wavelength_ and such."

"Then, why didn't your wand light penetrate the _darkness_ on the other side of the door?" Thian asks puzzled.

"Because it's _their_ domain on the other side," Sadie continues. "We read that, should the Bogey be _out_ of their own domain, _wand_ light will reveal their _true_ three dimensional forms. But if they're in _their_ domain, wand light has _no_ effect, and you can't see them at all, unless they are in light _cast_ at the same wavelength as wandlight. I don't remember the _whole_ thing, but, it said something about a _spell_ having been cast eons ago, by the _first_ Wielder. I guess it was that _Eris_ lady. The story said the Wielder created a _powerful_ spell that would give the darkness _life_ \- a life that _thrived_ where no light could reach.

"It said that the _life_ forms were given the ability to become _shadow_ , and would accompany _light_ wherever it chose to cast them, you know, like _behind_ something the light hits. The _Shadow People_ , when in the light, don't have the _strength_ to do much of anything, just _hide_ or follow the thing casting them. Sometimes, it said in our _book_ , that the _shadow_ would _trip_ you, making you think that you _tripped_ over your own _feet_... but it was really _them_ , using their _energy_ to trip and scare you. They think it's _funny_.

"The _weaker_ the shadow form they take, the _weaker_ their strength. You always know how _strong_ they are, it said, by looking at the _shadow_. If it's a really _dark_ shadow, like you see in the dense forest between the _trees_ , under your _bed_ or in a _closet_ , especially at _night_ , and stuff like that, they are _very_ strong, and can _snatch_ you and take you away if you get too close.

"If the shadow is _weak_ looking, and kind of _washed_ out, like on a really overcast day, they're very weak and can't do anything at all, but wait for you to get to someplace _dark_ , where _they_ become strong. And I guess _spells_ don't work on them either, at least not in their _own_ domain, because Tianna fired some really _nasty_ ones, and nothing happened.

"Our book said too, that sometimes, you wake up in the _middle_ of the night, or even in the morning, and you can't _move_ at all. Like... like you're _paralyzed_ or something. You _want_ to move and open your eyes, but you _can't_. That's happened to _me_ lots of times. That's when I _know_ the Bogey have almost _got_ me. But, somehow, I manage to _force_ my eyes open, and move. It really _scares_ me though."

"Yeah, that's happened to _me_ too," Tia says swallowing hard and nodding.

"Me too," Both Thian and Tianna say at the same time. They all look at one another quite frightened, knowing that it was the _Bogey_ who had tried to get them all, _many_ times before, even back on their _own_ realms.

"The thing is," Sadie continues as she begins walking around Tianna in a circle. "The Bogey are sometimes the ones that _move_ things you put down, moving them to _someplace_ else, you know, like your _toys_? You put your toys on a _shelf_ or on the floor, then go to bed, and the next day, they've _moved_.

"I put _some_ of the toys I had back home on a shelf, and put a part of the toy _right_ over a chip in the wood I could see really good. Then the next morning, I'd go look, and the toy was either someplace _else_ , or it wasn't _exactly_ over that spot where I had put it. _Lots_ of witches and wizards put something down, walk away, then come back and can't _find_ it. That's happened to _everyone_ I've ever met. You _know_?"

"Yeah, that's happened to us _millions_ of times," Thian says nervously. "We're _always_ talking about putting something down, then we go back and can't _find_ it. Usually we _do_ find it again, but most of the time, it's not where we _know_ we put it. You mean, _all_ this time, it's been... the _Bogey_?"

"Yeah. Well, at least that's what it said in our _book_ ," Sadie says as she stops walking and looks at Thian. "Well... them and the _Jinnie_. A couple others too I think, who do the _same_ thing, but like to do it during the _day_ , in full daylight."

"What do you think will _really_ happen to Amanda?" Thian asks.

Tia and Tianna give each other a nervous look, then look at Sadie.

"Well, like I _said_ , I don't _know_ really," Sadie says in a small voice looking down to the floor.

"Sadie, what did it say the Bogey do with the kids they get, _honestly_?" Tianna asks with a shaky voice.

"Uh, well, again, nobody _knows_ for sure you know, like you said, since no one's _ever_ come back from the dark, once the _Shadow People_ get them. But, well..."

"What Sadie?" Tia asks stepping closer. "What _else_ did you read?"

Sadie has tears flowing from her eyes again as she says, "It said that the _Wielder_ who gave them life, made them a deal. That they could have _all_ the children and _creatures_ they could snatch, and do with them _whatever_ they want, if _they_ would do whatever _she_ asked them to do when she needed them. It said the Bogey agreed, and would _snatch_ kids as they dangled their _feet_ over the edge of their bed, or tried to _stand_ up to go to the potty in the middle of the night. Or, the Bogey would wait in a _closet_ until the kid fell asleep. Then they would come out and snatch you _right_ out from your bed, run into the closet, and _disappear_ with you forever into the dark. Or, they would wait for you to open your closet in the _dark_ and then _grab_ you. They would take you down to something called the _Deep_."

"The... the _Deep_?" Thian says licking his lips, forcing down a swallow.

"Yeah," Sadie continues. "It said the Deep is where the _Bogey_ live, deep within the ground in _huge_ caverns. That the Deep is _so_ dark, that you could _never_ find the end of it - like it just went deeper and _deeper_ , forever.

"They would keep the kids and make them their _slaves_ , having them dig other _tunnels_ and doing, well, _I_ don't know what... I don't think anyone _really_ does. It _did_ say that the Bogey had to _eat_ meat sometimes. _That_ was part of the spell. So, the Bogey _eat_ a lot of the kids like I said, but, again, no one knows if that's _true_ for sure, because no one has ever come _back_ once they get you."

They all look at one another nervously for a few moments, then Thian says, "But, why didn't Amanda use the _necklace_? Why didn't it _save_ her?"

"Don't know," Tia says now leaning on the console. "But it still _might_ you know. I mean, Amanda would have been _killed_ by Blaine, but the necklace took over and she became, well, she became..."

"The _Wielder of Power_ ," Tianna says drifting over to Tia. "But you _might_ be right sis. Maybe if the necklace thinks she's in _real_ trouble, like, she's actually _going_ to be killed or something, then the necklace will _wake_ up, or _whatever_ it does, and save her."

"Yeah? Well then _why_ didn't it try to save her, and _us_ , when we were trapped under the _water_ back near the face? _Remember_?" Thian says a little more forcefully than he intended. "If it weren't for _Sadie_ , we'd be _dead_... Amanda too."

"Hey, _I_ don't know Thian!" Tianna shoots back, "Why are you mad at _me_? We did our _best_ to _save_ her you know. You think _you_ could have done any _better_?"

"Huh? Oh, _no_... no. Sorry, I'm not blaming _you_ , I'm just really _scared_ and worried about Amanda is all. _I_ don't know what to do either. I just wish the _necklace_ would have... done _something_!"

"Well, like you said Thian, we need to get _out_ of here," Tia says looking at the dials on the console. "And as far as I know, these _dials_ and the levers are the _only_ things we know of that may lead us to a way out."

"Oh _great_!" Tianna snorts. "I wonder what we'll find _waiting_ for us, if we manage to open _another_ one of those petals! By the way, there're _five_ of them you know. And if any of the other four are as _bad_ as this first one..."

"Yeah, I know," Tia says now running a finger over the skull of one of the dials. "But, we have no other _choice_ really, so..."

"Oh man... we're in _big_ trouble," Thian says shaking his head.

"Well, we need to do _something_ and we're wasting _time_!" Tia says looking at the large medallion with the squiggly symbols on it. "I say, we give these other symbols a _try_ and see what happens. But I think we better keep our _wands_ at the ready, and _blast_ anything we see... before _they_ get _us_. Thian, _draw_ out the dials again and number them okay? Then draw and break apart the symbols like you did before, and let's _spin_ these dials and see what we get."

"Oh, uh, sure," Thian says drawing his wand. He gives it a _swish_ and an orange bolt shoots out the end, bending to one side, and _instantly_ sets his _broom_ on fire, which is lying on the cavern floor a short distance away.

" _Extingo_!" Tianna shouts pointing her wand at Thian's broom, instantly extinguishing the flames. "By the Oak and _Ash_ Thian, don't we have _enough_ trouble without you setting things on _fire_ all the time? _Here_!"

Tianna waves her wand as Thian puts his away, looking very embarrassed as he mumbles something to himself. A pad of paper and a pen appear in Tianna's hand. She _throws_ them at Thian, hitting him in the chest.

"Well? _Pick_ 'em up and do something _useful_ for once _will_ you!" Tianna shouts at him. "I'm gonna hover above the Pentagram, _just_ in case you _do_ get another petal open. If something comes up those stairs, I'm gonna shoot it _first_ and ask it questions _later_."

"I'm gonna come with you," Sadie says mounting her broom and kicking off. " _Two_ wands are better than _one_ they always say. And I do know _some_ spells and stuff."

Tianna smiles as the little girl rises to hover beside her. "Yeah, I _know_... we _competed_ together. You did some _really_ great stuff too. Even saved my _butt_. You did great in the _battle_ at Anastasia's village too. Yeah, okay, come on, let's hover over the _center_ so we can move quick to any of the petals if they open."

With that, Tianna and Sadie fly up and over the Pentagram, then hover high above it.

" _Okay_ sis, whenever you're ready," Tianna calls down.

Thian finishes his drawing of the dials normal positions, then numbers them. He then breaks apart the other four squiggly symbols and numbers them, according to the number which represents their angle on the dials.

" _Got_ 'em Tia," Thian says jogging to where Tia is standing, looking at the dials on the console.

"Okay Thian, tell me how to set the dials for the second symbol, and let's see what happens okay?"

"Yeah, okay," Thian says as he looks up to where Tianna and Sadie are now hovering, directly over the center of the Pentagram. They both have their wands out and at the ready. Tianna catches his eye and nods. Thian nods back then says, "Here's the sequence, _remember_ it starts from the _right_ side okay?"

Thian gives her the order in which to turn the dials. Tia spins each dial and as each time it comes to one of the six positions, it gives a _clank_ as it snaps into place. She then turns it again and again, until it is in the proper position.

"Well, this is the _last_ one for this symbol," Tia says glancing to Thian. She turns the last dial into position, and it _clanks_ into place.

After Thian checks each one for what must have been the _fifth_ time, Tianna shouts down, "By the Lord and _Lady_ , Thian, just _pull_ the darn _lever_ and let's see what _happens_! Snarkins!"

Thian steps from the console, walking to his still smoking broom, picks it up and wipes off some of the _char_ from the handle. "Uh, I think you and I should mount up too Tia, just in _case_ you know."

Thian mounts his broom, kicks off, and then hovers. He watches Tia rise into the air, heading up to join Tianna and Sadie, drawing her wand as she rises. Thian slowly drifts over to the lever on the right side of the console.

Turning sideways, Thian puts his hand on the lever, looking to the others hovering far above the Pentagram. They all nod.

Thian, nodding back says, "Well, get _ready_ , here _goes_." He yanks down on the handle which moves easily. There is a loud _clank_ followed by a deep rumbling. Thian shoots up to join the others, pulling his wand as he goes.

Reaching the others, Thian swerves to a stop beside Tia. They all watch the second point of the petal on the right of the Pentagram, slowly rise. In a moment, it stops and everything falls quiet.

Hearts pounding, the kids all look to one another nervously.

"Do you _hear_ anything?" Thian whispers.

"No. _You_ sis?" Tia asks also in a whisper.

"No, _nothing_." Then looking at Sadie, Sadie shakes her head and shrugs.

"But remember, we didn't hear anything _last_ time either," Tianna says softly, as she slowly descends toward the raised petal.

The others follow closely, coming to a hover over the huge open hole. Like the other petal, there is a stairway leading down into the darkness below. There is once again, a _dim_ blue light coming from some of the steps.

"Well, okay. So _now_ what?" Thian asks with a shaky voice.

"Like _last_ time I guess," Tianna says in a somewhat shaky voice of her own. "I mean, I think Tia, _Sadie_ and I should go down and see what's there. _You_ Thian, get ready to close this thing as _fast_ as you can okay?"

"Yeah, but, be _careful_ okay?"

Tianna looks at Thian. Their eyes meet for a moment, then with a smile, Tianna nods and begins to float down the center of the hole, her wand already lit and at the ready.

Sadie descends right next to Tianna, with Tia following a short distance behind.

Thian flies quickly back to the lever on the left of the console. He dismounts holding his wand, then puts both hands on the lever, ready to _pull_ as soon as his friends clear the hole, should they come _flying_ back out.

"Well, it looks like there's another _door_ down there," Tianna says as she continues to descend. "Do you two want to do this like last time? I mean, with _you_ two opening the door and my hovering at the ready?"

"Not _really_ ," Sadie says with a nervous laugh. " _Last_ time they almost _got_ me. But, we have a better chance with you above us, so, it's up to _Tia_ and me at the door. I hope Thian's ready up there."

"Well, I think that's the _one_ thing none of us have to worry about," Tia says with a grin. "You can bet Thian has _both_ hands on that lever, and is _sweating_ like crazy. I just hope he doesn't _close_ it before we all get out."

Tianna drifts to the left, so Tia and Sadie can drop past her, to where they hover right beside the huge _wooden_ door. The door has some kind of metal _straps_ running at odd angles across it, like reinforcements of some type.

"Can you pull that round bronze handle Tia... after I give the command to open the door that is?" Tianna asks.

Tia nods. "Sadie, maybe it would be better if you moved back some, so when I open the door, both you and Tianna will be ready to _shoot_ , without you having to shoot around me. I'll yank the door open, and then I'll fly up to join the two of you.

" _Sis_... get ready to yell the closing spell the _second_ you see something okay?"

"You _got_ it."

Sadie moves into position beside Tianna, pointing her wand at the door, ready for _whatever_ may come charging out of it. Both Tianna and Sadie are ready to _grab_ Tia, then fly her away from the door if she gets grabbed.

"Okay, _here_ goes," Tia says. "On _your_ command Sis."

"Orathian!" Tianna calls loudly. _Clanks_ are heard working their way up the side of the door. In a moment, the door swings toward them about two inches.

Not waiting, Tia _yanks_ hard as she and her broom move back with the swinging door.

Tianna and Sadie watch with eyes wide, hearts _pounding_ , as the door swings wide.

A dirt and rock strewn pathway is all that can be seen on the other side. _Nothing_ is waiting to attack them as far as they can see. They both lower their wand as Tia comes _swerving_ to a stop beside them, heart racing.

"Well, at least it's not solid _darkness_ ," Tianna says leaning forward. "So, I guess we don't have to worry about the _Bogey_.... for now."

"Yeah, _great_ , but who knows what _else_ may be in there hiding," Sadie says looking to Tianna.

"Tia, you better fly up and let Thian know what we _found_ okay?" Tianna says as she and Sadie descend to the cavern floor and dismount.

Tia nods and shoots up the stairs to the opening calling, "Thian, it's _okay_ , don't close the petal, we're alright."

When Tia rises up out of the hole, Thian is already mounting his broom. He heads off to meet Tia, who is hovering just over the hole.

" _What'd_ you find?"

"Another _door_. _Wooden_ with metal strapping. We opened the door, and it _looks_ like the only thing on the other side, is a _pathway_ leading into a kind of tunnel. It's _dark_ inside, but our wand light at least _lights_ it. Come on, I'll show you."

They both descend the stairs on their brooms, then dismount and stand beside Tianna and Sadie, who are both standing just this side of the entrance.

"I think only one of us should take a look inside first," Tianna says turning to the others.

"Yeah, I agree," Thian says quickly. "No... _wait_ , I think there should be _two_ instead."

"Oh _really_?" Tianna says rather sarcastically. "And just _why_ should we risk _two_ of us instead of one?"

"Because if _two_ of us go," Thian says motioning to the pathway, " _one_ can fly in a few yards, then the _next_ can follow by flying _backwards_. That way, there is _always_ someone facing the front, and someone watching the _rear_ , and _both_ of them can watch the walls on either side. If anything happens, _one_ of the two will know it in time to at least have a _chance_ to defend themselves."

"Actually, that's a _great_ idea!" Tia says nodding with a smile. "It makes a lot of _sense_ you know?"

"But, _which_ two of us?" Sadie asks looking really frightened.

"Well, Thian and I are the best _flyers_ ," Tianna says nodding to Thian.

"Tianna," Tia says seriously. "Listen. You two _are_ the best flyers, true. And Tianna, you're the best _shot_ of any of us, and so I really think _you_ should stay here and watch the doorway. I think it should be _Thian_ and I that go. You and Sadie can either come in and help if something happens, and, if there's time. Or, you need to get _out_ and close the petal before whatever's in there gets us _all_. Then keep _trying_ to find another way out to get help."

"I can go in too," Sadie says peering into the darkness some distance down the pathway. "I, _I'm_ not scared you know," her eyes as big as her fists and her entire body shaking.

"We know you're not," Tianna says looking at the tiny girl, who is standing behind her, peering around her legs to look into the tunnel. "Maybe you're right sis. Sadie and I'll stay here. In fact, _I'll_ stay here by the door, and Sadie, you have the _bigger_ job if you think you can do it... and that's to fly up and get _ready_ to pull down the lever, just as _fast_ as you can when whoever flies up and tells you to _close_ it, okay?"

"Yeah, _okay_ , I can do it," Sadie says with obvious relief. She hugs Tia and Thian, then hugs Tianna who is hovering just above the ground. "Be really _careful_! I'm gonna go up and get ready. I'll wait for somebody to fly up. But, how _long_ should I wait if none of you come back up?"

"Good question," Thian says looking to his timepiece. "Let's give it an hour, _max_. _Half_ hour in, if we need that long, and _half_ hour back. If we aren't back in _exactly_ one hour, _something's_ happened and you need to close and _lock_ the door, then _seal_ the petal. Then, well, you do whatever you _need_ to, to get out."

They all agree, and Sadie shoots up the stairs. Tianna takes her place a couple feet higher than where she has been hovering, so she can get the best vantage point along the darkened pathway.

"I'll go first," Thian says as he forces down a swallow. "Tia, give me... like _fifteen_ to twenty feet, then you follow okay?"

"Okay, let's go, the waiting's driving me _nuts_."

Thian mounts up, and with wand lit and at the ready, heads into the tunnel and along the pathway.

Tia and Tianna watch as Thian moves further in, wand light illuminating the path and walls around him.

Tia nods to Tianna, then flips a small lever on her broom's handle, switching it into reverse. She begins moving along the pathway, wand lit and at the ready. She waves to Tianna who waves back, then looks over her shoulder to see where Thian is. He is about fifteen feet further along the pathway, head constantly shifting from side to side.

" _Uh_ oh," Thian says after some twenty minutes of following the winding and curving pathway. "The path curves _sharply_ off to the right just up ahead. I don't _like_ this Tia."

"Well, we _have_ to find a way out and get help for Amanda," Tia whispers. So, let's just keep _going_ and see what happens okay? Time's running out. We'll have to head back soon."

Thian approaches the corner cautiously, then peers around it, wand shaking out in front of him.

Looking over her shoulder, Tia watches Thian slowly move around the corner and out of sight. After a short hesitation, she hears Thian _yell_. A second later, he comes _whizzing_ past her, swerving to a stop only a few yards away from her, eyes _wide_ with fright, wand held at the ready.

Tia flips her lever and shoots forward, _swerving_ to a stop beside Thian, her own eyes wide and _waving_ her wand out in front of her, ready for _whatever_ is going to come _charging_ around the corner after them. Her heart is pounding so hard her _eyes_ hurt.

" _What_?! What _is_ it Thian? What did you _see_?"

"I, I'm not _sure_ ," Thian pants, not taking his eyes from the corner. "I, I _think_ there was some kind of round metal door, with a huge black _spider_ on it."

"Um, a _spider_? How _big_ a spider?" she asks, knowing Thian is _terrified_ of spiders, thinking that, for _him_ , _huge_ might be the size of the tip of her _finger_.

"Maybe seven _feet_ or so, and _that's_ just its _body_. It was right in the _middle_ of a round bronze, or brass _door_ of some kind. The pathway ends, and the _only_ thing there is that metal _door_ with the big... _spider_."

"Seven... _feet_! By the _moons_ , Thian, are you _sure_? Why isn't it coming _after_ us then?"

"I _don't_ know! Let's have a look and see what it's _doing_. But be _ready_ okay?"

They both move slowly forward, wands at the ready. They reach the corner and hover. Thian nods and they both _whip_ around the curve ready to shoot.

Their wand light, much _brighter_ with the two of them illuminating the doorway, reveals what is _indeed_ a huge black spider, _right_ in the center of the large round metal door. But they can see that the spider is not _real_. It is a huge metal _sculpture_ in exquisite detail. The eight legs of the spider extend to the sides of the doorway, _into_ a round, polished marble border, embedded in the rough rock.

"Oh... _this_ doesn't look good at all does it?" Tia asks now coming to hover beside Thian.

"No, it doesn't. That thing _scared_ me half to death when I first saw it. I didn't wait around to see if it was _real_ or not."

The two of them move cautiously forward, examining the hideous sculpture.

Thian maneuvers to take a better look at the legs of the spider. "Its legs extend into the rock. I think their kind of like, well, like _locking_ bolts you see in the bank vaults."

"Thian, I _really_ don't like this at all. It really gives me the _creeps_. It's like a _warning_ or something."

"Yeah, me too. But honestly, what _choice_ do we have? We've _got_ to see if it can be a way out of here. It might just be something to _scare_ people away. Like those _other_ doors we found, remember? It _sounded_ like a huge monster was trying to crash _right_ through the door, but when we opened it, there was _nothing_ there. Just some _spell_ that had been cast to make it look and _sound_ like one is all."

"Well, maybe. But there isn't any _handle_ or doorknob. How do we _open_ it?"

"I'm not sure, but it could be that we just need to say... well _you_ know, what _Amanda_ taught us, like we did to all the other doors. Maybe it will open on its own then or something. Listen, I want you to go back to the corner and get ready to fly the heck _out_ of here. When you're ready, I'll try to open the door and, uh, see what's on the other side okay?"

"Okay, but Thian, be _really_ careful, and stay mounted if you can okay?"

"Yeah, okay, let's _do_ this."

Tia flies back to the corner, positioning herself where she can shoot off quickly back down the pathway, to _escape_ if she needs to, but is also in a good position to fire any spells through the doorway, should Thian get it open and there _is_ something waiting on the other side.

Tia nods to Thian, who nods back. Thian moves back a little from the huge door and _creepy_ spider. Holding up his wand hand, which is visibly shaking, he clears his throat and says, "Orathian!"

One by one, the legs of the spider _snap_ back away from the edge of the doorway, loudly _echoing_ along the tunnel-like pathway. First a leg on one side snaps back, then one from the other. Both Thian and Tia's eyes are wide and their hearts _racing_.

When the last leg snaps back, the spider _stands_ up, scaring the _life_ out of Thian, as it turns around one _complete_ circle counterclockwise, then lays back down, resting against the door, feet pulled in _tightly_ to its sides.

There is a _pop_ , as the door swings forward a few inches, as Thian drifts back a little. Nothing seems to happen at all.

After a few heart pounding moments, Thian turns around to say something to Tia, who is hovering _right_ against the pathway wall, where she has a great vantage point to fire through the doorway, should it open enough to shoot into, when a large _crack_ appears from _nowhere_ right behind her. Four _black_ arms reach out from the darkness of the crack, and _snatch_ Tia from her broom. Tia lets out a cry of surprise as she is _yanked_ back, her broom dropping and _clattering_ to the floor. Tia's cry is quickly cut off, as she _disappears_ into the inky darkness.

Before Thian can gather his wits, _another_ arm reaches out, grabs Tia's broom, and pulls it into the dark crack too. In a blink, the crack _snaps_ shut, leaving no trace whatsoever.

"Noooo! Thian yells coming out of his frozen state. He shoots over to where the crack had been. "Tia! _Tia_! Let her _go_! Bring her _back_! Tia!"

Silence.

Thian dismounts and begins _pounding_ on the rough rock wall, frantically looking for any _trace_ of a hidden doorway.

" _Tiaaaaaaaaa_!"

A crack appears _quickly_ , just to the left of Thian's left hand. A black hand reaches out and _grabs_ Thian by the wrist, as the crack continues opening wider. Thian _yells_ and instantly jumps into the air, while tilting backward into a ball. He _thrusts_ his feet out against the wall, one foot on each side of the widening crack, and heaves with _all_ his might. He feels the grasp of the Bogey _slip_ from his wrist, as he shoots back into the tunnel, landing _painfully_ on his back, where he quickly scrambles to his feet, _grabs_ his broom and mounts up.

_Scared_ out of his mind, Thian kicks off, _cranks_ the throttle and shoots back down the pathway as _quickly_ as he can maneuver the curves. Soon, he sees a dim light ahead of him, and knows _Tianna_ will be waiting there.

As Thian approaches, he screams, " _Go_! Tianna! Go _quick_! Goooooo!"

Thian sees Tianna turn at an angle, and in a _flash_ , she shoots up and out of sight.

Slowing quickly, Thian shoots through the open doorway, _swerves_ , his momentum too great and hits the edge of the stairway _painfully_. Half dazed, he shoots up the stairs like a _mad_ man.

As he flies through the opening of the petal, he yells, " _Close_ the petal, Sadie, _quick_!"

"Where's _Tia_?" Tianna cries, her face _drained_ of color and eyes _wide_ with fright staring at the gaping hole.

" _Bogey_ got her!" Thian cries swerving to a stop beside Tianna, both with their wands at the ready.

" _No_ Sadie, _wait_!" Tianna yells.

But it is too late. Tiny Sadie had jumped into the air, and is actually _hanging_ from the handle, having put her _full_ weight against it, the petal, already closing.

#  The Pit

To TOC

Amanda, having remained on the floor and afraid to move, decides to get to her feet. Feeling around with her hands and sweeping her feet, she finds that she has tumbled down a _very_ steep ramp into a _pit_ of some kind, which seems to have shear _vertical_ walls. She stows her wand into its holster by instinct. Placing both hands against the rough rock walls, she begins moving as she sidesteps to her right.

Amanda is _sure_ she can hear voices coming from someplace further to her right, but the sounds are very muffled. As she _stumbles_ a few times sidestepping around the pit, each time thinking she may have tripped over some _creature_ or kid's body, the voices become a little louder, and as Amanda looks to her right, she _thinks_ she can see a very faint green light near the ground a little further away. Stopping, she turns toward the faint light, leaning forward, and _squints_ into the darkness.

"There _is_ light coming from over there," she whispers. "There must be a _door_ or something."

Taking a few tentative steps at first, she can _clearly_ hear muffled screams and cries coming from somewhere behind the light.

Terrified, Amanda approaches the faint light slowly, sliding her feet a little at a time, to be sure she will not fall down _another_ embankment, or fall off a _ledge_ to her death, should the sound and light be leading her into some kind of _trap_.

Soon, she can make out the outline of a doorway, set right into the rock face. She steps up to the door with her hands out in front of her, fingers touching against its roughly hewn wood.

Pressing her ear to the door, she listens intently, eyes moving from side to side as she _strains_ to make out what kinds of voices and sounds she hears. After a few moments, and not being able to make anything out, she decides that she can either just _stand_ there and do nothing, waiting for a _Bogey_ to come take her away, or she can see if she can find a _handle_ and take a peek inside, and perhaps, be a _little_ more prepared for whatever may happen next.

Amanda feels around for a handle, when there is loud _clanking_ from far overhead. Spinning around and looking up, Amanda hears a door open and someone _screaming_ as they are tossed into the dark. There are _hideous_ laughs which send a _shiver_ shooting up Amanda's spine, making the hair on her _arms_ stand on end.

Amanda stands _frozen_ in place from fright, as she hears the door _slam_ and the clanking of the locking bolts thumping into place. Something wooden _strikes_ the cavern floor, making Amanda _gasp_ and place a hand over her mouth, as the _screams_ get closer. The cries of _terror_ make Amanda shake so hard, it is all she can do to _stand_ at all.

The screaming seems to be coming _right_ at Amanda, who cringes as she turns her head to the side, expecting to be _struck_ at any second by the falling body. Something loud _thuds_ against the cavern floor a short distance away. Amanda places her back and _hands_ against the doorway, her chest _heaving_ and falling in frightened _staccato_ breaths, eyes wide and straining to see who, or _what_ was now in the pit with her, the light from the doorway behind her, having gone _out_ when the door above had opened.

"No! _Please_... let me _out_!" comes a cry directly across from Amanda.

Amanda's eyes fly as _wide_ as they can possibly go, her heart _jumping_ to her throat, " _Tia_? Is that _you_?" she whispers hopefully.

There is a cry of _surprise_ and fright from across the room, as something shuffles quickly away on the cavern floor. For a moment there is complete silence, then, "Uh... _Amanda_?" says a frantic, frightened, trembling voice.

"Oh my _God_! Tia! It _is_ you! It's me, _Amanda_."

" _Amanda_..." Tia cries out in heaving sobs, "where _are_ you? I can't _see_ anything, my wand won't work."

"They said wands _won't_ work in here, _mine_ won't work either. Are _you_ alright?"

"No... I'm _really_ scared! I hurt my _ankle_ when they threw me down here. I hurt my _shoulder_ too. Where _are_ we anyway?"

"I don't know. Some kid of... _pit_. Listen, I've found a _door_ over here. Can you _walk_ at all? Can you follow my voice?" Amanda asks squinting into the darkness.

There is a scuffling sound, then, " _Ouch_... that _really_ hurts! Well, I'm on my _feet_ anyway. I don't think my ankle is _broken_ , but it's _defiantly_ twisted."

There are labored shuffling sounds, then, "Yeah, I can walk a _little_. It really _hurts_ , but I can manage. Keep talking Amanda and I'll try to _find_ you okay?"

"Yeah, okay. I'm over here. Did you meet Atrum Umbra? The _King_ of the Bogey?"

"No, they just _grabbed_ me when Thian and I were exploring what we found in the _second_ petal of the Pentagram. And then... oh, _wait_ , I think I can see some kind of _green_ light."

"Yeah," Amanda says a little calmer now, "the _light's_ back on. That's the _door_ I'm standing at. Your voice is right in front of... _ouch_!"

"Sorry," Tia says having poked Amanda in the face. The two then hug tightly as Tia continues, "Oh Amanda, I'm so _glad_ you're okay... you _are_ , aren't you?"

They step slightly apart, still holding hands, "Yeah, I'm okay. _Scared_ out of my mind and a little _banged_ up again, but, _yeah_ , I'm okay. What happened? You said you were with _Thian_... where _is_ he? Is he okay? What about _Tianna_ and Sadie?"

The two sit on the cavern floor with their backs against the door. Tia tells Amanda everything that has happened since Amanda had disappeared into the darkness of the doorway.

Amanda then tells Tia what happened to her - about meeting Atrum Umbra, and what the Bogey had said to her just before dropping and _kicking_ her into the pit.

"Wait!" Tia says in a very frightened tone, "One of them said that the _King_ might even, uh, _present_ you... all _dressed_ up for dinner?"

"Yeah, so?" Amanda asks confused. "Maybe he just wants to _talk_ or something you know. Like find out where we're _from_ , what we're _doing_ here and stuff over dinner."

"Oh Amanda, this _isn't_ good. Sadie told us what she had read in class about the Bogey, and, about them _eating_ kids and stuff..."

"What?!" Amanda cries as she squeezes Tia's hand a little too tightly, causing Tia to cry out.

"Oh, _sorry_. But, what do you _mean_ they eat kids? I thought they were just _Shadow People_ , and made you their _slaves_ or something."

"Yeah, well, _Sadie_ told us that _sometimes_ one of the kids are _dressed_ up and _presented_ for dinner. But not as in _dressing_ some kid up to look _nice_ and presenting them at dinner as a _guest_ , to _share_ in the dinner... but dressing them up, like with _spices_ , or like _salad_ dressing or, well, like dressing up a _Cucuteo_ with stuffing and things... then presenting them _for_ dinner... _as_ the dinner."

"Oh God! Oh _God_! We've _got_ to get out of here Tia, but _how_?"

"I don't _know_! My _wand_ won't work, I've tried that. Hey, _wait_ , they threw my _broom_ in here with me too. They said I could use it for sweeping out the _caverns_ since I couldn't _ride_ it anymore. Maybe I can't _ride_ it, but maybe I can _hit_ one of them with it if they come after us, then we can try to get away. I mean, they feel _solid_ enough in here, in their own _domain_. Help me find it okay?"

Amanda gets up and helps Tia to her feet. They begin sweeping the cavern floor with their feet in the direction Amanda heard something wooden strike earlier. Amanda soon kicks Tia's broom, picks it up and hands it to her.

"Well, maybe I can't ride it, but I can use it for _now_ to help me walk for a while. Hey, did they try to take your _necklace_? Or the _Specteroscope_?"

" _No_. I guess they don't _care_ about stuff like that. They told me I could _keep_ my wand, and I tried to use it a couple times, but, it won't _work_ in here."

"So, what do we do now?" Tia asks with a shaky voice.

"Well, I was just going to see if I could find some way in through that door, when _you_ showed up. I mean, we _could_ just stay here and wait for something to _happen_ to us, or..."

"We can see if we can make something happen to _them_ first," Tia answers. "Yeah, _okay_ , I'm with you. I really don't _like_ the idea of just standing here in the _dark_ , knowing that's where they _expect_ to find us. What's that _noise_? Sounds like... _screaming_ and, and muffled voices."

"Yeah, that's coming from the other side of the door. It's really _weird_. It starts, then _stops_ for a while, then starts and stops again. I can't figure it out. Are you _sure_ you want to see what's on the other side?"

Tia chews on her lower lip for a moment, then says, "No, not _really_. But I don't want to just stand _here_ and wait either. So, I guess we should give it a try."

They make their way back to the wooden door, both pressing their ears against it. The screaming and loud voices have stopped, but other sounds are now faintly coming through.

"What _is_ that?" Tia asks. "Sounds kind of like..."

" _Digging_?" Amanda asks in a whisper. "It sounds like _picks_ or... or _hammers_ or something doesn't it?"

"Yeah it does. _Hey_... I think I found the _door_ latch! Yeah, Amanda, I've _found_ it!"

"Well, give it a try, and let's see if we can open it _just_ a little okay? But _only_ a little."

Tia places her hand on the latch and presses down. To their surprise, and _horror_ , there is a loud, distinct _clank_ which echoes around the deep pit, as the door pops toward them about a quarter of an inch.

Both of them freeze in place, eyes wide with hearts _pounding_ , Tia's hand still tightly grasping the latch.

#  The Deep

To TOC

Everything falls quiet. The only sounds they hear are their own frightened breathing, and the beating of their hearts in their ears. No cries... no screams... no sound of digging... just _silence_.

"What should we do?" says Tia in a low whisper, making Amanda jump.

"I don't know. I can't _hear_ anything at all now. Let's just wait a minute okay?"

After a short pause, the sounds of digging begin again, and from time to time, sounds like someone crying out in _pain_. Tia slowly lets go of the latch, trying not to make any noise at all.

"Okay, see if you can open the door _just_ a little," Amanda whispers.

There is a faint _squeaking_ sound as Tia pulls the door toward them, the dim green light starting to flood through the widening crack of the doorway.

" _Stop_. See if you can _see_ anything through the crack Tia."

Tia moves her head to look around the corner of the door, and as she peers in she gasps, placing her other hand over her mouth.

" _What_? What can you see?" Amanda whispers excitedly.

"It's all a dim _green_ inside. It's some kind of huge cavern. I don't _see_ anybody, but the voices and _digging_ sounds are coming from someplace over a low _hill_ I see...at least, I _think_ they are. _Here_ , see for yourself."

Tia steps to the side and lets Amanda peek in. "Yeah, I think you're _right_. After all this dark, that light seems pretty _bright_ actually, even though it's still really hard to see much. _I_ think the sounds are coming from over that little hill _too_. Let's _sneak_ in and take a closer look okay?"

"Yeah, I _guess_ so. At least we can _see_ in there anyway. But we need to be _really_ quiet. This door _squeaks_ a lot. I hope the Bogey don't _hear_ us!"

Amanda slowly pulls the door wider, as it continues to _creak_ , sending goose bumps up and down their bodies.

"Can you squeeze _through_ now Amanda? It looks _wide_ enough... maybe."

"I'll try," Amanda turns sideways and shimmies halfway through the doorway. "I don't _see_ anybody. I can get through okay too. Come on, let's get _in_ and see if we can find out what's going on.

"It's like being in _Oz_ ," Amanda whispers as she steps all the way through and to one side.

"Like being... _where_?" Tia asks.

"Oh, it's a _story_ back on earth, about the _emerald_ city in a book called _The Wizard of Oz_. The characters go into a city that's _all_ green and... well, never mind."

As Tia steps through the doorway, Amanda points to a tall and wide stalagmite saying, "Let's get to _that_ , then to that next really _big_ one near the hill okay?"

Tia nods, and leaning on her broom for support, the two of them make their way as fast as they can to the _thick_ stalagmite a short distance away. They hesitate there for a few moments, looking around _nervously_ and listening intently for any sounds close by. Amanda points to the next stalagmite near the hill. Tia nods and they both make their way to it.

Placing their backs against the cool stalagmite, Amanda whispers, "Stay here. I'm going to crawl up that hill and see what's on the other side. If everything's okay, I'll _wave_ for you to come okay?"

"Okay, but _be_ careful."

Amanda sprints to the bottom of the low hill, crouching _low_ as she reaches its base. She quickly looks around. Not seeing anyone, she begins _crawling_ up the hill on her hands and knees.

Once near the top, she lays flat and pulls herself to the very top. Looking around quickly, she ducks back down, turns and waves to Tia to join her.

Tia looks around nervously, then moving as quickly as she can, using her broom as a kind of _crutch_ , she hobbles to the base of the hill. Panting and _swallowing_ hard, she begins to crawl to the top. As she nears Amanda, Amanda puts a finger to her lips, indicating Tia should not speak or whisper.

Crawling as quietly as she can, Tia reaches the top and stops beside Amanda. Amanda, using _two_ fingers from one hand, holds them in front of her eyes, then points to the top of the hill. Tia nods and slowly crawls to the peak, then lifts her head until _just_ the top of her head, to her eyes have cleared the top. Amanda crawls beside her, and she too is now looking over the top of the low hill.

The sight before them fills them with _terror_. There must be _three_ dozen kids ranging from four years of age to _teenagers_ , all digging or _moving_ dirt and rock away in small carts. The sight that makes them feel _faint_ though, are the huge _black_ forms moving around the kids. Most look like a misshapen person, but others are in the shapes of huge _animals_ , some, have _no_ distinct form at all, but are like _ever_ -changing black blobs.

One of the forms, in a shape like a person, is holding a large _black_ whip, and _snaps_ it at a small girl who must be around _seven_ years of age. The whip _strikes_ her on the back and she _screams_ from the pain as the force sends her sprawling _face_ first onto the rough cavern floor.

Many of the other kids start to scream and cry, as the one with the _whip_ snaps it at the others for _no_ reason at all. Some of the kids begin to _run_ away, but the other black forms block them, sending them running and _screaming_ in another direction. The entire time, the hideous black forms are making _blood_ -curdling deep laughs and _cackling_ sounds.

Both Amanda and Tia duck back behind the hill, shaken to the core.

"Amanda, I'm _really_ scared! What should we do?"

"Doooo?" says a deep voice right beside them, making them _both_ scream and look around frantically.

"Who _said_ that?" Amanda whispers.

"Why, _I_ did," says a rumbling voice.

"Look!" Tia says loudly, making Amanda jump.

Amanda looks to where Tia is pointing at her _own_ shadow, cast by the dim green light within the cavern. The shadow is _changing_ shape from _her_ form, to one growing longer and _darker_. In a moment, it seems to _thicken_ , then rises into the cavern, _not_ as a shadow, but as a _solid_ three dimensional form.

It continues to rise higher until it is _eight_ feet tall then changes form again, from a formless _blob_ into _something_ resembling a person's form, but very thick and _powerful_ looking. It has _huge_ broad shoulders and an oddly shaped head, with _dark_ eyes that are rimmed with the _slightest_ of gray, _just_ enough to make out that they _are_ eyes in an otherwise shapeless head.

After a moment of the thing just looking at them, something resembling a misshapen _mouth_ opens and a hideous laugh _reverberates_ throughout the cavern around them.

"Why, you will come with _me_ of course, like _all_ the others before you. You are just as _stupid_ as all the rest. Do you not _know_ where you are? You are in the _domain_ of the Bogey!

"We, the _Shadow People_ , are known to be wherever _light_ may _cast_ shadow. Did you not _notice_ us all around you? _Come_ boys, let's give our new _guests_ a welcome they'll _never_ forget!"

To Amanda and Tia's horror, Amanda's shadow begins to grow in size and _rise_ into the air as it takes form. Amanda scoots away from it, _frightened_ out of her mind.

All around them, _shadows_ from rocks, boulders, and the _stalagmites_ they had hidden behind, begin to _shift_ and change form, becoming _Bogey_ of various sizes - some only as _tall_ as a pebble, scampering here and there like black _beetles_ , while others _tower_ more than fifty feet, appearing from the _shadows_ of the stalagmites.

The Bogey who had been their _own_ shadows, reach down and grab Amanda and Tia.

Tia, still holding her broom, begins _swinging_ it at the Bogey who has hold of her. The broom strikes the Bogey _square_ in the mouth. It lets out a _cry_ of surprise, tossing Tia _up_ and over the top of the hill, where she vanishes from Amanda's sight.

" _Leave_ her alone!" Amanda screams as she struggles in the grip of the huge Bogey holding her.

"We'll teach _you_ to obey child!" the Bogey says as he tosses Amanda over the hill and laughs. Amanda screams and _thrashes_ in the air as she flies over the hill.

Amanda lands _hard_ next to Tia, who has scrambled to her feet and is now holding her broom to the side, like a _batter_ waiting for a fast ball.

A black mass like a _thick_ shadow moves over the hill and disappears into a crack in the cavern floor. Amanda and Tia look at the crack, completely _terrified_ , and then begin looking around for the other Bogey.

"Where did they _go_?" Tia asks frantically looking around, then back to the crack. "And how did that _huge_ Bogey get into that _little_ crack?"

"Like _this_!" a deep growling voice thunders from behind them.

The girls spin around, but cannot see _anything_. All the other kids with _terror_ -filled faces, have stopped to watch the new comers. The Bogey in the distance watching the other kids, begin to laugh their _hideous_ laughs.

"Who _said_ that?" Tia asks shaking from head to toe.

"Where _is_ it?" Amanda cries turning in a complete circle.

"Right _here_ ," says the voice.

Amanda spins in time to look at the cavern floor, where a shadow _pours_ up out of the crack and _spreads_ out on the cavern floor, like _spilled_ ink.

Tia takes the pointed end of her broom and begins _stabbing_ at the black mass, as it changes form and _dodges_ her attack, leaving bare cavern wherever she strikes.

There are frightening _howls_ from all around them, as more and more _dark_ figures appear and change into the form of the Bogey people.

A voice _booms_ from behind them. The girls spin around to see a _huge_ Bogey standing a few feet away, holding a large _black_ whip. Before either can cry out, the Bogey _snaps_ the whip. The end of it _quickly_ wraps around Amanda's ankles. The huge Bogey _yanks_ back on the whip, as Amanda flips into the air, landing _painfully_ on her back, knocking half the wind out of her, as the back of her head strikes the ground with a _crack_.

" _Stop_ it! _Leave_ her alone!" Tia yells.

The huge, _ugly_ Bogey yanks his whip again, dislodging it from Amanda. He whips it behind him then _lashes_ out at Tia. Tia does a kind of quick _pole_ vault at the same time, using her broom. She flies forward, and strikes the Bogey _square_ in the throat with her uninjured foot. The Bogey gags, _staggers_ backward, and _drops_ his whip. There are _gasps_ from all the other kids standing _frozen_ in place several yards away, as well as from the surrounding Bogey.

Tia falls hard to the cavern floor after striking the Bogey, and grabbing her broom, she _rolls_ over to come up beside Amanda, who _still_ looks dazed.

The Bogey that was struck by Tia howls in a _terrifying_ roar – a roar so _horrendous_ that it is indescribably _blood_ -freezing.

The Bogey picks up his whip and begins _whipping_ Tia _over_ and over, each time sending her body _bouncing_ off the cavern floor. She _screams_ again and again as the sound of the whip _booms_ around the cavern.

Amanda's vision begins to dim, but she _shakes_ her head to try to clear it. She begins to focus, _just_ as Tia's screams stop. Amanda sees that Tia is _still_ being whipped, her body _bouncing_ with each strike, but Tia has _passed_ out, and is now _bleeding_ from gashes all over her.

"Stop!" booms another larger Bogey stepping in front of the one whipping Tia. "I think we know _which_ of these brats we'll be having for _supper_. Take them _all_ to their chambers! We'll prep _these_ two for Atrum Umbra's dinner later, and take a few of the _others_ for ourselves. _Take_ them away!"

Amanda's head is still spinning, as she watches Tia's limp body hoisted high in the air by a _towering_ Bogey, then she herself is _roughly_ grabbed and lifted into the air. She watches through half-closed eyes all the other kids being _herded_ into a side tunnel. Amanda can take no more, and _passes_ out.

Sometime later, Amanda feels herself being shaken _gently_ awake. She opens her eyes to see the frightened face of a girl, about thirteen or fourteen, blinking at her. It takes Amanda a few seconds to remember where she is, before sitting _straight_ up shouting, " _Tia_?!" Where _is_ she?"

"She's _okay_. She's looking around the chamber for a way out, but there _aren't_ any, we've all looked _hundreds_ of times."

"But, but she was _really_ hurt... I saw that thing _whipping_ her and all the gashes _bleeding_. How, how..."

"The whip the Bogey use, gives you self- _healing_ wounds. Even your _slashed_ and ripped clothing somehow _repairs_ itself almost right away," the girl says helping Amanda to her feet.

"The Bogey want to _scare_ us, and _hurt_ us, but want to keep _most_ of us alive to do their digging and other chores. They use the _whip_ a lot, and it really _hurts_ , but some kind of Wizitch makes the wounds heal within a few _minutes_ , so at least you don't _bleed_ to death. It doesn't leave any _scars_ either. We've _all_ been whipped before. They do it because it's _fun_ for them, and it scares us because we never know _which_ of us they'll come after next."

"Who _are_ you?" Amanda asks rubbing the back of her head, looking around the large cavern. She sees some _forty_ plus kids, ranging from four years of age to some in their late teens.

"My name is _Careabee_. I'm from Ioteen. I was taken when I was five. I got out of bed to go potty, and when I put my _feet_ down, I was _grabbed_ by the ankles and _yanked_ under the bed. I'm not sure how, but I ended up in the _dark_ and was taken here.

"I _think_ I'm thirteen, but there are no timepieces here, and no _day_ or night. So, _none_ of us _really_ know how old we are now. Some of the kids have only been here a few days perhaps, others _years_ , some, all their liv..."

" _Amanda_!" Tia's voice sounds from somewhere behind her.

"Tia!" Amanda yells spinning around. She spots Tia running to her from the far side of the cavern, not a _gash_ on her. Amanda runs and meets Tia near the middle of the cavern as Careabee jogs along behind, smiling as she watches the two embrace.

"Are you _alright_?" Amanda asks stepping back a little to look Tia over.

"Yeah, well _now_ anyway. I actually thought I was gonna _die_ when it was _whipping_ me though. I've never _felt_ pain like that before."

A boy about fifteen walks to stand beside Tia. Tia looks at him saying, "Amanda, this is Danahbu. He's been showing me around the cavern."

"Hi," Amanda says shaking his hand. "How long have you been, uh, _down_ here?"

"I've been in the Deep, _all_ my life, as far as I can remember. I have _some_ memory of my mom and dad, and a sister _too_ I think. But, just bits and pieces of _images_ really. I'm not even sure what I remember is _real_ or not.

"How are you feeling Amanda? Careabee's been watching over you since they brought you in here with us."

"I'm okay I guess. Is there a way _out_ of here?"

"Not that _I_ could find," Tia says shaking her head as she looks around the cavern. "All those tunnels around this cavern, just lead to _other_ smaller caverns where the kids can go to rest. None of those smaller ones have any other doors or tunnels. Danahbu says they've been looking for other ways out, when the Bogey take them to other areas to dig, but they are always _watched_ closely and no one's ever seen any way out."

"Amanda," Danahbu says looking very nervous, "the Bogey said they would be _back_ for you and Tia, to, well, _present_ to Atrum Umbra for dinner. Do you _know_ what that means?"

"Yeah, I do _now_ ," Amanda says looking at Tia, who looks just as pale as she feels. "I can't _believe_ they eat kids. I thought they were just _shadows_ who could take the form of, well _anything_ at all, but, I didn't know they actually needed to _eat_."

"Yeah, they _do_ ," Careabee says looking at Danahbu. "And we've seen _lots_ of kids come and go over the years. New kids show up _every_ day, to replace the ones they _eat_ , and they eat a _lot_ of us. They tend to like the taste of the _younger_ kids, so, I think that's why _we're_ still alive.

"We can _try_ to hide you, but, well, we've _tried_ it before, and the Bogey just think it's some kind of _game_. They _always_ find you. There _is_ no escape. I'm really sorry. Danahbu and I've been trying to find a way out and take the others with us for _years_ now. We haven't given up, but, I'm afraid I don't know _how_ or where to hide the two of you."

"And the thing is," Danahbu says sadly. "Even when we _have_ tried to hide kids before, the Bogey will just take some _other_ kids in their place, and eat _them_ instead. But they _will_ find you eventually, and then, they, uh, like to _play_ with their food for a while first, before _killing_ you in front of all of the other kids, then _hauling_ you away for their supper."

A huge door at one end of the cavern _thunders_ open, and all the kids begin lining up around the huge cavern. Many _other_ kids pour out from the other tunnels to make lines in front of those already lined up against the walls.

"What's _happening_?" Tia asks, now shaking hard.

"They're _coming_ for their... _dinner_ ," Danahbu says nervously as he backs up. "I'm sorry, we _have_ to line up or become _supper_ ourselves. I'm sorry, we have no _choice_."

Danahbu grabs Careabee by the arm and pulls her after him as she cries, "Amanda, Tia, I'm _sorry_ , I'm so _sorry_..."

Tia cries after them, "It's not your _fault_. It's okay," then a little softer, "it's okay."

"Not _really_ ," Amanda says as she turns to see what is now coming through the huge doorway.

_Dozens_ of various sized Bogey flood into the cavern and _fan_ out, followed by a huge Bogey that towers _twelve_ feet. Amanda _knows_ this is Atrum Umbra, the _King_ of the Bogey.

A slight _shock_ from Amanda's necklace sends an electric _jolt_ through her body, making her quiver for a moment.

Tia takes Amanda's hand and feels Amanda shaking. Tia looks at Amanda's hair and notices that it's _waving_ slightly, but there is _no_ movement of the air in the _stifling_ caverns, deep within the ground under some mountain. Tia has seen Amanda's hair do this several times before, and lets go of Amanda's hand as she takes a small step to the side.

" _Which_ is the _brat_ that kicked you in the _throat_ Ugo?" Atrum Umbra bellows, looking at the two newcomers, Amanda and Tia.

" _That_ one," Ugo says pointing the end of his massive black whip at Tia. " _She's_ the one who _dared_ strike a Bogey. You should kill her _first_ and make her friend _watch_ , knowing she can do _nothing_ to save her!"

Amanda's hair begins to wave more wildly, her body beginning to shake more violently.

"Yes, the two of them look rather _tasty_ actually," Atrum Umbra says licking his huge _ugly_ lips with a very long, black tongue. "But I think Ugo, _you_ should have the pleasure of killing _that_ one," he says pointing a huge finger at Tia. " _I'll_ take care of the other, once _you_ finish with _her_."

Ugo has what can only be a look of pleasure on his _hideous_ face, as he steps forward un-furling his massive whip.

"No!" Tia yells. "How can you _eat_ us? You're... you're only _Shadow People_ , made of the _dark_ and shadows. Why do you need to eat at _all_?"

"Near the beginning of _time_ itself," Atrum Umbra says stepping forward and halting Ugo from striking, "a _very_ powerful witch brought _life_ to the darkness of this realm. She used the most _powerful_ Wizitch ever known, and gave us _life_ , provided we _serve_ her whenever she called.

"She gave us the _power_ to become a solid _living_ being, _here_ within the Deep, which is _our_ domain. _All_ living things must eat, and so must _we_ while in this form, here in the Deep. As shadows, we travel in _many_ forms wherever light may _cast_ us. But we return to the _Deep_ with the children we capture, as _our_ slaves, to dwell here with us until their _death_. Be it natural... or otherwise, _right_ boys?"

The other Bogey howl with laughter.

"For time unknown," Atrum Umbra continues, slowly walking around Tia and Amanda, "the Bogey and the _witch_ worked together. We would do whatever _evil_ she bid us do, and in return, _we_ were given life, and allowed to take as _many_ children and do what we _pleased_ with them. And we take _thousands_ each day, from _all_ across the realms.

"But ages ago, the witch _stopped_ coming. We have not _heard_ from her since, and believe she is _long_ dead, and we have taken _more_ and more children, and now, even _adults_ from time to time if we please, which she _forbade_ us to do. _She_ is no longer here, to tell us what _we_ , the Bogey _can_ and cannot do. We... are our _own_ masters now.

"But enough! I am _hungry_ , and it is time for you to watch your friend here _die_... before _I_ , kill and eat _you_!"

The King turns to the other children lined up against the cavern walls and shouts, " _Many_ of you here are _new_ comers as well. Let what you see now stay _fresh_ in your minds, for those that do _not_ obey our every command, shall have the _same_ end come to them. In fact," the King says turning to look at Amanda, whose hair is now waving as in a mild wind, "to show you what we will do to _anyone_ who disobeys, I shall eat _this_ one, _veeeery_ slowly, while she is _still_ alive. Ugo, kill the other, _now_!"

Ugo grins a _hideous_ crocked smile, and begins drawing his whip back over his massive shoulder.

"No! _Please_... don't!" Tia cries, tears _streaming_ down her face as she begins backing away.

Amanda's hair now shoots _straight_ out behind her, and then up at a slight angle. The movement catches the attention of the King and Ugo, and they turn to look at one another for a brief moment in bewilderment.

"You will _not_ harm her Tuladan!" Amanda says as she pulls her wand from her holster. "You will do as _I_ say... or _perish_!"

The King takes a few steps back as the other Bogeys gasp.

"How do you, a mere _child_ , know of my _true_ name? I have not gone by _that_ name for eons past. And how _dare_ you talk to _me_ that way! _I_ am the _King_ of the Bogey! This is _my_ domain, and _I_ , and _I_ alone, _rule_ here!"

As Tia steps further to the side, she sees that besides from Amanda's hair _snapping_ in an unseen wind, Amanda looks _very_ relaxed, smiling a very _strange_ smile - one Tia cannot begin to describe. Amanda begins to tap her wand against her other open palm.

"No Tuladan, it is not _you_ who rule here, but _I_ , as I _always_ have," Amanda says looking around the cavern as though she has just noticed it.

Looking at the frightened children lined up against the walls, Amanda points her wand to one rather _scraggly_ girl, whose skirt is _far_ too small for her. With a quick _swish_ of her wand, and without a word, a yellow bolt _shoots_ through the green din of the cavern, _striking_ the girl. Her skirt _instantly_ adjusts and fits her _perfectly_.

Gasps and _cries_ of surprise come from everyone... _including_ the Bogey.

"How did you _do_ that?" the King demands with huge eyes growing wide. "Wands have _no_ power here. _You_... have _no_ power against us!"

"You always were the _foolish_ one Tuladan," Amanda says in a voice that is not her own. "But as you can _see_ , _this_ wand works perfectly well here in the Deep. And as for my _not_ having any power here, it was _I_ who _gave_ you life in the _first_ place. Do you remember this...?"

Amanda reaches up and pulls her necklace out from under her tattered robe, where it falls _gleaming_ onto her chest.

For a moment, Tuladan just stares at the necklace with a blank expression.

Amanda then points to the _center_ stone within the necklace.

Another moment passes, then his eyes fly _wide_ as he steps back quickly saying, "No! It cannot _be_! It has been _lost_ for unknown ages! It _cannot_ be."

Tia has walked over to stand beside Danahbu and Careabee, who are shaking just as _hard_ as Tia is.

" _What's_ going on?" Careabee whispers to Tia.

"I'm not sure, but be ready to _duck_. I've never seen _that_ look on Amanda's face before, but I've seen the hair, and that means something really _horrible_ is about to happen."

"What do you _mean_...?" Danahbu asks, but is cut off when Amanda begins speaking in that strange _cackling_ voice - a mix of her _own_ voice, along with another.

"Do you remember what the necklace is _called_ Tuladan?" Amanda asks as she casually begins walking around the large cavern, taking in the sights before her, breathing _deeply_ , as though she has never _breathed_ before.

Reaching with one hand, she _pinches_ her other arm, a smile widening on her face as she says to herself, " _Solid_. Once again _flesh_ and bone. And to _breathe_ the air once again. Yes... it's _nice_ to be back and out of that _infernal_ gem."

Tuladan stands there for a few seconds looking to the other Bogey, who look confused, some even _frightened_.

Amanda then spins and shoots a _violet_ bolt from her wand shouting, "I _asked_ you a _question_ Tuladan!"

The bolt strikes Tuladan in the left shoulder. He _howls_ in pain, staggering back in _shock_ and surprise. The other Bogey gasp and begin to fan out, moving back.

The kids lined against the cavern have gasped as well, becoming even _more_ frightened. No one has _ever_ used a wand in the Deep before, and no one but _Tia_ has ever _hurt_ a Bogey before - that they knew of. And yet, they have just _witnessed_ it with their own eyes. A wand _can_ work here in the Deep!

"I'll ask you _again_ Tuladan," Amanda snarls. " _Do_ you remember what this _necklace_ is called?

"It, I, it _can't_ be though," Tuladan stammers rubbing his shoulder and staring at the necklace.

Amanda raises her wand to strike again when Tuladan yells, " _Whiro_! The dark witch who wore it, called it _Whiro_ when in this plane. She said that the _first_ great evil she had _captured_ was a beast named _Whiro_.

"But that gem... it _cannot_ be the same one, and _you_ cannot _possibly_ be her! It was _ages_ ago and she would be long _dead_ now, even as _powerful_ as she was! The necklace of Whiro, which held but a _single_ gem, must have been destroyed _ages_ ago too!"

"And yet Tuladan, _here_ is the necklace," Amanda says looking down and stroking the necklace like a _long_ lost friend. "And, although _surprised_ but most delighted... here am _I_ once again - in solid _flesh_ and bone, _living_ through _this_ Wielder."

"But _how_? How is that _possible_?" Tuladan asks suspiciously, not sure _what_ to think. "That _cannot_ be the necklace of Whiro, I do _not_ believe it!"

"Do you remember the _tale_ of the necklace Tuladan? _Who_ I had help me, after my family had created the _first_ necklace, with the single gem? Do you remember _what_ the other stones were to represent, once I had completed them? You _used_ to recite it, since it was from the _death_ of Whiro that the first great power of the necklace was _captured_ , and placed into the _first_ jewel, forever to do what _I_ , or the _Wielder_ of the necklace, bid do. _Tell_ me the tale Tuladan, you _do_ remember, don't you?"

After standing silent for a moment, Tuladan begins to speak, eyes unfocused as though recalling something from ages past.

"The Necklace of _Whiro_ is also known as the _Necklace of Death_ ," Tuladan says in his deep rumbling voice.

"Whiro was the _Lizard_ -man God of Death, who lived in the _underworld_ and put evil thoughts into the mind of all creatures.

"The _Wielder_ of the necklace became known as the _Wielder of Power_. It is said that morally, the _Wielder of Power_ appears to _cause_ the evil events which take place. Physically, it is those who _submit_ to the power wielded.

"The telling of Whiro is thus:

There is told of a time old and lost

Where none had ever dared to cross

In the blackest of black and deepest of deep

Lies one who creeps and does not sleep

In the depths of his tomb he plans and he schemes

As the millennia pass in his violent dreams

New whispers arise and shadows are formed

As his anger grows and injustices stormed

Whiro arises from his bed of flames

Determined that all his power proclaim

His halls are of paths that none can tread

His stature and form is the father of dread

He is monstrous in form and color of black

He lives with his darkness and for the attack

With eyes of green and voice of red

He slowly unfurls his mighty wingspread

The Dark Ones bid him to help them succeed

As they forge the Necklace his powers they need

Green gems for his eyes, blood red for his voice

The Wearer falls in their power and has no choice

The Necklace of Whiro - the Necklace of Death

The Wielder will use them till their dying breath

And through this Wielder, no mercy will come

As the Dark Ones arise showing mercy to none

Many will deem that the Necklace not exist

That the Dark Ones are naught but legend, they insist

But the One who wears the Necklace will truth know

As the power seeps inward and all becomes woe

They are the Necklace and the Necklace is them

Once they choose to wear it they are condemned

For to use the powers which are trapped deep within

Will take over the wearer, who becomes one of them."

"Very _good_ Tuladan," Amanda says nodding and grinning a hideous smile. "You see, even after _all_ this time, you _remember_ what I told you. Do you remember what I told you _happened_ to the Lizard Man of the Deep?"

Tuladan is clearly shaken now, and looks around quickly as though looking for a way to escape.

"Well... _do_ you?" Amanda asks again with an angry snarl.

" _Yes_... yes. You... _she_ , said that after Whiro helped to _forge_ the original necklace, from the metals of the _Deep_ , that you... _she_... had somehow _killed_ Whiro, and forever _trapped_ him in that center stone of the necklace. _Forever_ making him your... _her_... slave. That he and his great _evil_ were the first powers _wielded_ by the wearer, of the yet unfinished necklace. And, and that _whenever_ the wearer killed another, _their_ spirit was _sucked_ into one of the stones and _trapped_ there for all eternity, to do whatever the _wearer_ bid. That the necklace would become _stronger_ and stronger over time, and other _jewels_ would be added, until no one, and _nothing_ could stop you... _her_... I mean, the wearer, the _Wielder_. You, I mean _she_ , said that it was through that power of the _first_ jewel, and the many other spirits _trapped_ in the gem, that _we_ were given life, and could dwell here in the Deep forever, where _Whiro_ once dwelt."

"Yes, very good Tuladan," Amanda says, walking to stand in front of Tia for a moment, looking into Tia's frightened face. Amanda then turns back to Tuladan asking, "You were given _life_ to dwell in the Deep forever, and given the power to take as _many_ children as you like, as long as you did... _what_ Tuladan?"

"Uh, I don't know what you mean," Tuladan says nervously.

"But of _course_ you do Tuladan. You were given _life_ and the power to frighten, snatch, _torture_ , enslave and _devour_ as many children as you wish, as long as... you serve _me_ whenever _I_ ask. Do you remember _now_ Tuladan?"

Tuladan's huge eyes go as wide as a boulder, as he stammers, "But, you, you _cannot_ be her! She would have _died_ eons ago, and the necklace was _never_ finished, and is said to have been _lost_ now for ages. How can this _be_?"

"Well, it seems that when _I_ and the members of my family _formulated_ the spells, and crafted the _original_ gem, that we made a rather _stupid_ mistake. As you recall, I set a spell on the unfinished necklace, that would _protect_ the wearer from _death_ , by _any_ means necessary, _unless_ they died from _natural_ causes, and _that_... only because I could not figure a way _around_ it...at least... at _that_ time.

"In the beginning, I had cast a spell which would _capture_ the soul of anyone _I_ or members of my family, _killed_ \- usually pathetic _villagers_ at first, then tens of _thousands_ of the Light.

"But, I decided much later, that only the _foulest_ , and most _evil_ of the Dark, who would not bow _down_ before me, should be absorbed into the gems. For the power of the Dark, is _far_ more powerful than that of the _Light_.

"I also cast a _very_ powerful spell, to only allow the most _evil_ and _powerful_ to be able to pick _up_ the necklace, and put it on, once the _death_ of the previous Wielder occurred. _I_ began the necklace, but it was my _daughter_ who completed the necklace you see before you, _long_ after giving _you_ life that is.

"But, for _some_ reason, which I do not _yet_ understand, this simple _child_ , whose _body_ I am now animating, managed to _find_ the necklace, _fool_ the Watcher into thinking she is _evil_ , and _allowed_ her to pick it up and put it on!

"Once on, it _cannot_ be taken off until the Wielder _dies_ , or they... well, _never_ mind. This _child_ truly does not have an _evil_ bone in her body, so _how_ she was able to be accepted, and put the _Necklace of Power_ on, I will have to look into, as my _powers_ return and I _eventually_ take her over for _good_ \- to be _young_ and _powerful_ once again.

"And once I find the _Great Book of Power_ , hidden by one of my bloodline, _nothing_ can stop me from destroying the _Light_ forever! And, I will _never_ die, and _forever_ be young!

"The thing is though, _ages_ ago, I made a _mistake_. Young and _foolish_ I was back then. You see, since the necklace _captures_ the spirit of one who dies in its _presence_ , that seems to have included the _Wielder_ , which neither _I_ nor any of us who created the _first_ necklace had _thought_ of. _Stupid_ oversight really, but then again... _here_ I am. It may _yet_ prove to have been a very _fortunate_ mistake. I have been _trapped_ in that _infernal_ necklace for _eons_!

"I, as you recall, was the _original_ Wielder. There have been others. But now, for _some_ reason, _I_ have managed to take _control_ over of this... _child_ , for the time anyway, and am able to use _her_ body to do what _I_ wish, although she is _fighting_ me every inch of the way. She is _incredibly_ strong, and I don't know _why_ , unless... it almost seems as though she's...

"Well, _no_ matter, for at the moment, I _am_ back, and I now ask that _you_ and the Bogey once again serve _me_ Tuladan. You will now do as I, _Eris_ , _command_ of you, or _perish_."

"No!" Tuladan yells stepping forward a little. " _I_ rule the Deep now, and we do as _we_ please! You are _not_ the great witch _Eris_ , you are just a _child_. This is but a _trick_ of some kind! You may have _some_ power here, to stop a _few_ of us, but you _don't_ have the power to stop _all_ of us! Ugo, _get_ her!"

Ugo raises his whip back over his shoulder and begins to _lash_ out, when Amanda points her wand saying, "Interluminosmaxima!"

There is an almost _pure_ blinding white bolt that shoots from Amanda's wand, striking Ugo _square_ in the chest.

He _screams_ as he drops his whip, clutching first at his chest, then his _enormous_ head. A _burst_ of bright light fans out from his eyes as he screams in _sheer_ terror, the other Bogeys _scrambling_ away from him, screaming and _dashing_ into the corners, some disappearing into _cracks_ within the cavern floor or walls.

Ugo begins to break apart, with _streams_ of brilliant light _exploding_ from all parts of him, until he has been _eaten_ away from the inside out, like an _acid_ devouring him. The light _vanishes_ and not a _trace_ of Ugo is left.

"Pity," Amanda says calmly now pointing her wand at Tuladan. " _Last_ chance Tuladan. You _will_ serve once again as... _my_ slave, or you and _all_ the Bogey on this realm, will be _destroyed_. Your choice."

Tuladan scrunches up his _ugly_ face and angrily shouts, "No! We serve _no_ one! There are too _many_ of us for you to take before _we_ get you. And when I _do_ , I'm going to _rip_ your arms and legs off while you're _still_ alive, and make you _watch_ as I _eat_ you piece by _piece_! _Get_ her!"

The dozens and _dozens_ of Bogey still there charge Amanda. She does several _back_ flips and lands beside the very startled and _frightened_ Tia. Amanda twirls her wand, pointing it at the nearest Bogey and yells, "Interluminosmaximatotalasreflectousdisolvous!"

There is a _tremendous_ , pure white bolt from Amanda's wand, which hits a _huge_ Bogey to Amanda's left. Amanda, _quick_ as a cat, whips her wand in all directions, the white bolt moving first _into_ and out of _one_ Bogey, just to strike the Bogey _next_ to them. In a _flash_ , Amanda lowers her wand and watches along with everyone else, as Bogey after Bogey _howls_ in agony, as light _bursts_ out of them from the inside.

The Bogey begin to _melt_ into quivering blobs on the massive cavern floor. Soon, the melted masses of what _had_ been the Bogey, begin to flow into one _huge_ blob, all flowing _around_ the King, Tuladan, who is the last Bogey in the chamber.

Tuladan is shaking, eyes wide, _clearly_ in terror. The children all around the cavern are scared, but cannot help but to begin to _cheer_.

"And now Tuladan, _you_ will join them, to forever be the _slave_ of that which you hate - _light_. You and _all_ your kind, will from now to forever, on _this_ realm, be _cast_ by the light as you always have, but _all_ power taken from you.

"Oh yes, you and _all_ the Bogey will forever be _awake_ and present, wherever _light_ may cast you, but you will now and forever, be the _slave_ of light, to go where _it_ goes, allowed to fall _only_ where it allows.

"And now Tuladan, _you_ will _forever_ regret your _arrogance_ to me, the most _powerful_ witch who ever lived... or ever _will_! _Nothing_ can stop me Tuladan, not _you_ and those of the Deep, nor _any_ witch, _wizard_ or other creature!

"Now that _I_ have returned, and I know that I _can_ take possession of this child, the _only_ thing I seek, is the _Great_ Book. Now Tuladan, you will writhe in _pain,_ forever a _slave_ of the light!"

Amanda twirls her wand and yells, "Lotineaden luminocumba!"

Everyone watches as a bolt _shoots_ from Amanda's wand, passing Tuladan and strikes the cavern floor, just behind the farthest edge of the _massive_ blob of quivering _Bogey_ goo. The light bursts _brightly_ to either side and quickly surrounds the quivering mass. Huge _strands_ of light starts _skimming_ across the mass, and begins climbing up the _massive_ frame of Tuladan. He _screams_ as the ends of the strands of light turn into _huge_ hands that grab him by the shoulders, and begin _pulling_ him down into the quivering _Bogey_ mass at his feet.

It looks as though Tuladan is _melting_ as he is pressed down, further into the now _bubbling_ mass. He screams in pain shouting, " _Noooo_ , I'll do _whatever_ you wish! I'll _do_ as you say, _save_ me, _please_!"

But he is forced down into the mass of goo, until there is _nothing_ left of him.

There is a huge _swirl_ of light, where again, two _massive_ hands made of pure light appear. They quickly _wrap_ around the black mass and... _whoosh_! The light _snatches_ the black blob of Bogey goo and is _pulled_ down a small _crack_ in the cavern floor.

Only _silence_ remains.

Both the Bogey and the light have _vanished_. Only the dim green din of the cavern is left.

Tia turns to look at Amanda, as do the others.

Amanda starts to _shake_ as she begins walking forward, to where the black mass had been. She stops, shaking _violently_. She then says in a strange voice, half her own and half _that_ of the one who had been speaking, "No! Get _out_ of me! Get _out_ of meeee... _now_!"

Amanda's hair begins to fall, snaps _up_ again, falls for a moment, before _flying_ back up. "I said, GET _OUT_!" Amanda speaks in her own voice.

"Tia... she's _trying_ to take me over, I can _feel_ it! I, I don't know if I can _fight_ her!"

"Amanda! You _have_ to! _Fight_ her, you _can't_ let her win! You can _do_ it, I _know_ you can!"

"Get _away_ from the other kids!" Amanda says in half her voice, half the witch's, as she begins to raise her wand.

"Amanda, _no_! You _can't_!" Tia pleads.

"Get _away_ Tia! Do it... _now_! _Trust_ me, _please_!" Amanda stammers and begins to stagger.

Tia runs away from the frightened Danahbu and Careabee, coming nervously to stand near Amanda, clearly _frightened_ out of her mind and crying hard, looking back to her new friends, and seeing the _fear_ on the faces of all the other children.

"Return to your homes and families," Amanda stutters, " _find_ your families, tell them that _all_ the Bogey in _The Realm of The Witches_ have been _destroyed_ , even those _hiding_ within the cracks! There is _no_ need to fear them here anymore! Be _free_ at last!"

Amanda twirls her wand and shoots a bright _blue_ bolt in the air, yelling something Tia cannot understand. There is a blinding _purple_ flash as the bolt strikes the ceiling, splitting into _dozens_ of ribbons of purple light, causing Tia to close her eyes and turn her head away.

When Tia blinks her eyes open and looks up, _all_ the children have _disappeared_.

Tia turns just in time to see Amanda's hair fall to her shoulders. Amanda staggers back a few steps dropping her wand, falls to her knees, then _face_ down on the cavern floor, her body gone still.

#  Back On Top

To TOC

Tia kneels at Amanda's side, gently turning her over onto her back, thinking she may be dead. Amanda groans and slowly opens her eyes. Tia gives a short _gasp_ as she looks into Amanda's eyes, which are a very _bright_ violet.

"Are... are you alright?" Tia asks wiping her eyes as she sniffs, quite frightened, not knowing whether it will be _Amanda's_ voice that will answer, or that of the evil witch who had possessed her.

"I, I think so," Amanda says in her own voice, sounding very weak. Tia helps Amanda sit, as Amanda looks around, then asks, "The other kids... did it _work_? Did I send them _home_ okay?"

"Uh, well, I don't know," Tia says helping Amanda to her feet. "You shot a _blue_ bolt at the ceiling that split apart, and then struck _each_ of the kids. It was so bright, I had to _close_ my eyes and turn away. When I opened my eyes and looked back, all the kids were _gone_. What did you do?"

"It was really strange. When they were going to kill and... and _eat_ you, I got a _shock_ from the necklace like I have before. But this time, there was a lot of _yelling_ in my head. I don't know _how_ to explain it really, but there seemed to be a lot of _fighting_ as to who wanted me to do what.

"Then this really loud, _commanding_ voice came screaming through, like they were _pushing_ the others away, and said that I would obey _her_. Then I, well, I don't _know_. I _tried_ to fight her will to take me over. It was _horrible_ really - like I was wide awake, but someone _else_ was making my body move, and was speaking _through_ me. It was really _creepy_."

"How _awful_ ," Tia says as Amanda bends to pick up her wand.

"Yeah, it was. But the thing is, I now _understand_ things a little better. I don't know how it works, but while she was, uh, _using_ me, I was, well, like pushed _down_ into the necklace, with the _others_ trapped there.

"Tia, there are _thousands_ of people, and, um, other _horrible_ creatures in there too! It's like dropping into another _realm_. I mean, it's _huge_ in there! But, since I was neither _in_ the necklace, nor _out_ really, they couldn't _hurt_ me, even though some did _try_ to get me. _Scared_ me half to death! The thing is though, since I'm not _dead_ , and my spirit is still, well, _attached_ to me, I don't think they can _ever_ hurt me.

"I was told by some, who said they were from the _Light_ side, that the necklace was created to _absorb_ the spirit of _every_ creature that was struck down by the Wielder of the necklace, or someone they _came_ upon who had just died and wanted to collect the _spirit_ from. And like I said, there are thousands, maybe _millions_ of people and _horrible_ creatures in there!"

"But, it's only a _necklace_ with some gems set in it," Tia says looking at the shining necklace. "So, how could it hold _millions_ of spirits?"

"Haven't a clue, but who knows how _big_ a being's spirit is anyway?" Amanda says shaking her head, looking around the cavern. "But, I'm _telling_ you, it _does_. Bellinora and Ellanya said it did too, but they didn't know for _sure_. But it's true, there are thousands and _thousands_ of them in there, and that's only the _one_ gem _I_ was in! I saw them as I was flying over them, before I landed. I was told that only the most _evil_ , were actually selected to _stay_ in the necklace after they enter, once a Wielder set _that_ spell on the gems. The weaker ones are simply _destroyed_ by the others in the necklace. Over the eons, the necklace has accumulated _millions_ upon _millions_ of _curses_ and spells, of the most _evil_ and horrible kind, from hundreds upon _hundreds_ of different realms."

"Wow! The necklace must be _really_ powerful by now!" Tia says as she and Amanda begin looking into some of the other chambers within the cavern, to see what they could find.

"Oh yeah, it's _very_ powerful! I think it's even _more_ powerful than Bellinora, Jasmine and _Ellanya_ think. I was told that the _Wielder_ can summon the _greatest_ curses and spells in an _instant_ , that will work best for _whatever_ circumstance the Wielder is facing at the time. Like the _spells_ I used in the village to turn _Blaine_ to stone, then _break_ him apart into pieces. Or how I was able to _do_ the things I did, while flying and _shooting_ all those spells at the others we fought."

"That's really _scary_ you know?" Tia says as they come out of another room.

"You have _no_ idea," Amanda says as they walk back into the huge cavern. "Let's go back over the hill and through that door. My _wand_ will work now. We need to find our way back _out_ of here."

"Yeah, okay. So... you, uh, were somehow able to use some _spell_ to send the kids... _home_? I mean, there were probably _hundreds_ of them here, and maybe _tens_ of thousands in other places besides _this_ cavern. And how could you _possibly_ know where they all _came_ from?"

"Well, again, I really don't know. But, since I had _access_ to the information within the necklace, and was thinking about _saving_ the kids and returning them to their families, I somehow just... _knew_ the right spell.

"That witch, _Eris_ , was _really_ fighting me, but I guess, for now anyway, I was just _stronger_ for some reason. I needed to at least _try_ the spell in my head, to send the kids home, before she took more _control_ again. I used the spell to not only send the kids that are _here_ home, but from _every_ part of this _realm_.

"And _all_ the Bogey were _killed_ too. Not just the ones in this cavern. Then, after the _blast_ of light, that witch, um, well, kind of let _go_ I guess. Then, like before, I just _passed_ out. But _this_ time... I remember _everything_!"

"But... you _are_ really you now... _aren't_ you?" Tia asks still looking nervous.

"Yeah. Why are you _looking_ at me like that? I'm fine, _really_."

"Okaaaay. But, uh, you know how your eyes changed _color_ before when you, well, do your _Wielder_ thing?"

"Yeah."

"Well, your eyes are now a really _bright_ violet. They're really _beautiful_ actually. Just thought you should know."

" _Violet_?" Amanda says with a smile. "Well, I _love_ violet, and since my eyes have changed before, then gone back to normal, I'm not as _freaked_ out about it as I was before. Come on, let's get back up the hill and find our way _out_ of here."

*****

"Well, we've managed to get _all_ the petals open... _and_ closed again," Tianna says clearly frustrated. "And now that you found that we can leave one or _more_ petals open, by pulling that lever on the left to a _second_ position we didn't know about earlier... maybe by opening some _combination_ of them, in some order... some _other_ door or way out will show up. That's _all_ I'm saying Thian. You have any _better_ ideas?"

Thian is at the console, looking at the dials and studying his drawings of the squiggle symbols. "No... not really. Tianna, I'm really _sorry_ I yelled at you. It's not _you_ I'm mad at. I'm just getting really _tired_ and frustrated is all. I mean, there are _five_ petals. That means that there are some one-hundred and _twenty_ possible permutations. We need to get out of here _now_ , _not_ in a few _days_. Tia and Amanda could be dea..."

"Quiet!" Tianna yells holding her hand up.

"What? What _is_ it?" Thian asks quickly looking around the cavern at the Pentagram.

"Listen. Do _you_ hear that noise? Sounds like it's coming from over _there_ , near the first petal," Tianna says drawing her wand and flying to hover over the petal.

"Do you think it's the _Bogey_?!" Sadie cries ducking behind the left hand lever near the console.

"No, it... it _sounds_ like... by the Oak and _Ash_ , it's _Tia_! And I think I hear _Amanda's_ voice too! Thian, _open_ the first petal... _quick_! Sadie, _pull_ your wand and get ready to _shoot_ if it's some kind of Bogey _trick_."

Sadie runs to her broom, mounts and flies quickly to take a position across from Tianna. Both have their wands pointed at the point of the petal.

Thian begins spinning the dials on the console, studying his paper, then runs to the lever on the right, pulling it down hard. He draws his wand, ducks behind the pedestal and points it at the petal, heart pounding _painfully_ in his chest.

The petal begins to rise slowly. At first, there is silence. Then a trembling voice calls, " _Tianna_?"

"Tia! Is that _really_ you?" Tianna cries as she flies lower, swooping to one side of the petal, looking hopefully down the glowing stairs.

"It's _us_! We're okay, Amanda's _with_ me! We're coming out, don't _shoot_!"

Tianna, Thian and Sadie keep their wands trained on the point until they see two small heads peek out over the top of one side of the stairs.

"It _is_ them! Don't _shoot_ Thian, it's _them_!" Tianna cries as she watches her sister climb the last few stairs, clutching her broom like it might get away. As Tia stands on the cavern floor next to the open petal, Amanda climbs out and stands right beside her.

There is _cheering_ from everyone. Tia runs to Tianna, hugging her _so_ hard, it makes Tianna cry out, but she does not care. Tianna and Tia are in _tears_ , as are the others. Sadie runs to hug Amanda, followed closely by a tearful Thian.

Soon, they have all hugged and are laughing and _crying_ at the same time.

"Are you two _really_ alright?" Thian asks taking a small step back, now that he has actually seen Amanda's eyes. He raises his arm and pointing says sheepishly, "I mean, uh, your..."

"My _eyes_? Yeah. Tia _told_ me. Really, I'm fine, but we both had _quite_ a time. We'll tell you later. Looks like you've opened some other petals. Any problems?"

They spend the next hour and a half telling their stories, with much _animation_ and lots of drama from Thian.

"I can't _believe_ you got your wand and _broom_ back sis! You were lucky to find them in that _treasure_ room!"

"Well, since Amanda and I were the _last_ ones to be snatched, my stuff was _right_ at the base of the pile."

"I've got _your_ broom over there," Thian says pointing to Amanda's broom resting beside his.

"Well, we've _all_ had quite an interesting time," Amanda says with a laugh. "But how did you find out you could have more than _one_ petal of the Pentagram open at one time?"

"Thian was getting _really_ mad," Sadie says smiling at Thian. "He kept yelling 'we _have_ to get Amanda back. We _have_ to get her back.' Oh, and he would toss in a 'and Tia _too'_ from time to time."

Thian turns several shades of pink, and begins picking his fingernails.

"It's okay Thian," Tia says with a laugh, "I love _you_ too."

Thian looks up and says to Tia, "I, I only _meant_... I mean..."

They all laugh as Sadie says, "Well, _anyway_ , Thian went to close one of the petals and was _so_ mad, he pulled down _really_ hard, _past_ the first clunk. There was a _second_ clunk and the petal _stayed_ open. We then opened one of the other petals we had already opened. We found that we could _open_ one, _close_ it, or _leave_ it open and do the same with any of the others."

"Yeah, so now we're kind of thinking, since we've already opened _all_ of them one at a time," Tianna says looking at Amanda, "that _maybe_ if we open them in the right _combination_ , maybe some _other_ door or way out will show up. But Thian figures there are at least _one_ -hundred and twenty permutations to try, which could take _forever_... just to keep _track_ of which ones we've tried."

The kids decide that there is nothing else to do, and so set about opening a petal, leaving it open while opening another. Then closing _some_ while leaving others open.

It had been about an hour and a half, when Thian pulls the handle down to close one of the petals, and there is a _thunderous_ rumbling sound as the floor begins to shake.

"Oh _God_!" Amanda shouts, "Look! The _center_ of the Pentagram is _dropping_!"

Everyone is terrified as they draw their wands.

"Quick! _Mount_ up!" Tianna yells. "Get ready to fly the _heck_ out of here and back into the _tunnel_ for cover."

The center of the Pentagram continues to drop as the kids mount and join Tianna, who is hovering some distance away from the descending center of the Pentagram.

"Look, that center piece that's dropping is getting _smaller_ as it goes down!" Sadie cries. "There are _stairs_ there as it goes down and gets smaller too."

Sure enough, the centerpiece is _shrinking_ as it drops, revealing stairs glowing a soft blue as it lowers.

After a full minute, the rumbling stops and everything falls silent.

Everyone moves forward slowly, wands at the ready and hearts beating _wildly_ , until they are hovering directly over the huge stair-lined hole.

"By the _moons_ ," Tia says panting and holding one hand to her chest. "That _scared_ me almost as bad as the _Bogey_! Look at the _size_ of this hole. What do you think's down there?"

"I don't know," Tianna says swallowing hard, looking pale. "But, I hope _this_ leads to the way out of here. At least we know there aren't any _Bogey_ down there, thanks to Amanda. At least that's _something_. But, we're pretty much out of options. Who wants to go first?"

They all look to one another for a moment, then Thian says, "Well, like before, I think maybe all but _one_ or two of us should go have a look. Sadie, why don't you stay here at the controls, and get ready to pull the close handle okay?"

Sadie nods and flies back to the lever on the left side of the console.

"Tianna, I _know_ you want to be in the _fight_ if there is one," Thian says, turning to Tianna. "But, you are one of the _best_ shots too, and have a _better_ chance of hitting whatever may come _out_ from down there, _if_ we find something, than any of the rest of us. So, can you find a _good_ spot over the hole, maybe _half_ to three quarters of the way down, so you can shoot _past_ us if we need to fly out quick?"

Tianna frowns for a moment, then Tia says, "He's _right_ you know. You're the _best_ shot out of all of us, uh, except maybe for _Amanda_ , when she's, well..."

"Not really _her_ and doing her _Wielder_ thing." Tianna says looking to Amanda. "Yeah. Okay. I guess you're right. But be _really_ careful you guys. I mean, we just all got back _together_ and everything. I'd kind of like to _keep_ it that way you know?"

They all nod, then Thian says, "Okay. I'll go down first. Tia, you next, six to eight feet behind okay?"

Tia nods.

Thian continues, "Amanda, _you_ come next, again, about six to eight feet behind Tia. Tianna, you last. If _anything_ happens, turn and fly the heck _out_ of there. Tianna will watch our backs. Okay. Let's go."

With that, Thian looks down the very deep hole, licks his lips, blinks a few times, and slowly begins his descent.

Tia watches Thian for a few seconds, then begins descending after him, floating slowly, followed by a _very_ shaky Amanda, then Tianna. All have their wands pulled and are ready to blast _anything_ they see.

After several moments of squinting into the dim blue light from the stairs, Thian says, "Oh _great_!" as he comes to a stop and hovers just over half way down the hole.

"What? _What_ do you see Thian?" Tia asks as she, Amanda and Tianna come to an instant stop, whipping their wands from side to side below them, their eyes wide.

"Doors... _five_ of them!" Thian says clearly flustered, shaking his head. "One door on _each_ side of the flat areas that make up the Pentagram. The stairs just _end_ at the top of the doors, then, there looks like a drop of about _fifteen_ feet to the floor, where the center piece that lowered is. Good thing we have _brooms_."

"Well, let's go down and at least take a _look_ at them," Tia says, looking over her shoulder to Amanda, then to Tianna, who both nod in agreement.

Thian begins to drop, with Tia and Amanda close behind. Tianna decides to stay at about the half-way point and take up a good position to fight from there.

Thian hovers at the top of the closest door for a moment, listening. He then lowers to the floor, dismounts and turning in a slow circle, points his lit wand in turn, to each of the five wooden doors.

Tianna hears Sadie call down to her, wanting to know what they found. Tianna calls back telling her about the five doors, and to stay put.

Sadie then yells down, "Uh-uh. _I'm_ coming too. I'm not staying up _here_ by myself. Besides, if the wands are _glowing_ , that means they _work_. If _all_ of us are down there and the center closes somehow, the only thing it will do is lift us _up_! And anyway, if something tries to come through all those doors, there will be _five_ of us to blast 'em."

Sadie disappears from view for a moment, then flies over the edge of the hole and down to Tianna, who has a small smile on her face. "You know, you remind me a lot of someone I _know_ and admire."

"Who?" Sadie asks looking down into the hole.

" _Me_." Tianna says with a true smile. "Come on, let's see what's down there."

In a few moments, Sadie and Tianna have reached the bottom. Sadie dismounts beside Amanda, while Tianna hovers near one of the doors.

"Well," Tianna says looking around, "There are five doors and _five_ of us. Should we each take a door and see what we find?"

"Wait. Sadie?" Amanda says looking at the tiny girl, who is staring intently at the door in front of her. "Are _you_ alright?"

"Huh? Oh yeah. I was just looking inside. I should have _thought_ of that before. I tried with the door that had the _Bogey_ behind it, but didn't see _anything_ remember? I thought maybe I just wasn't good enough to see behind the doors, you know, like I saw through the cavern walls and floor, to find all of _you_ in the well, and the entrance to Witch Mountain. Or that maybe some kind of anti- _sight_ penetration spell was in this area. But, it wasn't because I _couldn't_ do it - it was because when I tried, the total dark of the Bogey's _domain_ was just that... _dark_. I thought I couldn't _see_ behind the door, but what I was seeing was simply the _dark_ from the spell of that witch you told us about."

"Can you see anything... behind _that_ door then?" Tia asks hopefully.

"Oooooh _yeah_. I _can_ , and I wouldn't _open_ it if I were you. There are hidden _spikes_ in the walls and floor. If we go in there, we'll be _stabbed_ by _hundreds_ of sharp sticks. They seem to go beyond the distance I'm capable of penetrating, so the spikes must be _triggered_ either by, like stepping on a _trigger_ stone, or maybe some kind of Wizitch _proximity_ detector, like Amanda had fallen into on earth."

"By the _moons_ , are you _sure_ Sadie?" Thian asks, beginning to chew on his lower lip.

"You want to go in and _check_?" Tianna snorts. "Sadie found all of _us_ , and that's _good_ enough for me. But hey, if _you_ want to see for yourself, be our _guest_ ," she says waving her arm playfully toward the door with a smile.

"Uh, _no_ , no... that's okay," Thian says with a laugh too. "If _Sadie_ says there are spikes in there... Sadie, what's inside the door _Tia's_ leaning against? Can you see in there too?"

Sadie walks over and stands in front of the door, as Tia moves aside.

"I'll try." Sadie then unfocuses her eyes, leans forward a little, as though trying to see a speck of dirt on the door. "Oh!" she cries, quickly stepping back, holding her wand out in front of her.

" _What_?!" Thian cries, pulling Amanda back around behind him, as Tia jumps further aside. "What _is_ it?"

"There's... uh, some kind of _three_ headed... um, _thing_ right behind the door. It's really _ugly_ and has long tongues, and its _drooling_. It _knows_ we're here, and it's just _waiting_ for us to open the door. It's about _eight_ feet tall and _really_ long. It's _swishing_ its long tail too."

Tia has both hands over her mouth, and looks ready to pass out. She had been resting her back up against that door, and knows now, that if it weren't for _Sadie_ , she most likely would have opened it just to take a _peek_ inside out of curiosity.

Thian is half crouched to the floor, wand at the ready in one hand, holding Amanda's free hand in the other.

"Well... let's not open _that_ one okay?" Amanda says with a nervous laugh. "I've had _quite_ enough excitement for the day, thank you _very_ much. And as much as I _love_ animals, I can do without the ones, well, who want to _eat_ me."

"Yeah, I'm with _you_ on this one Amanda!" Tianna says laughing nervously. "So, Sadie, how about door number _three_?"

Sadie steps up to the next door and unfocuses her eyes again. "The only thing I see on the other side is an _empty_ corridor. Nothing there I can see."

"How about _this_ one?" Amanda asks pointing to the next door.

Sadie steps up and stares at door number four. She begins looking up the sides of the door, across the top and down the other side.

"What? What's _wrong_?" Thian asks as he too stares at the door.

"I, I don't _know_ really. There's a corridor there too. But..."

"What Sadie?" Tianna asks as she hovers to one side for a better look.

"Well, I see what I _think_ is a long corridor. The walls inside don't look like they have _spikes_ or anything. The floor looks okay too, but... well, the _ceiling_ is kind of strange."

"Strange?" Thian asks looking confused. "What do you mean... _strange_?"

"It kind of looks like _two_ ceilings. But _that_ can't be right... _can_ it? I mean, when I look up, it kind of _looks_ like a ceiling. But it goes up about five feet I think, then there's like... a _dark_ line, then solid rock... like a _normal_ ceiling underground would be. What do you think it is?"

"We've read about these before you know," Tia says looking at Tianna.

"When? I don't remember anything about a ceiling that has..." Tianna's eyes fly open and her jaw drops. "By the Oak and _Ash_ sis! Are you talking about those _ancient_ cities that used all kinds of _traps_? Like the ones that used a _false_ ceiling, that would drop down on people when they stepped on a _trip_ stone? By the _moons_ , I think you're _right_! I _think_ that's what it is! A ceiling that will fall to the floor and _squash_ us like a _bug_ under your foot, then reset again for any _other_ unsuspecting people. By the _moons_!"

"Well, I guess that just leaves this _last_ door then," Thian says swallowing hard, pointing to door number five which is right next to him.

"Yeah, okay," Sadie says as she steps over to it. "Well, _this_ is interesting. I don't see anything but _solid_ rock for as far as my abilities can penetrate. So, for at _least_ fifteen feet or so, it looks like a good portion of this corridor has _caved_ in. I can't see _anything_ but solid rock."

"Well then," Tianna says hovering low to the cavern floor. "Unless this one that caved in is the real way out, there's only _one_ other door that we can open and not, well, have _something_ happen to us, at least, not right _away_ anyhow."

Thian walks to the door that only has the corridor on the other side, at least as far as they know anyway. "Well, I think before we open it, let's get our _travelers_ packs, and be ready to move on, just in case it _is_ the way out."

They all agree, fly back up top, and gather their things. They fly back down the hole, coming to a hover in front of the door.

"Well then, let's have a look inside okay?" Thian says nervously. "Be ready to fly back up the stairs... just in case."

Everyone moves to a hover in various positions, taking the best vantage point they can, to shoot whatever may be on the other side of the door when Thian opens it.

With everyone in position, Thian holds up his hands saying, "Orathian!"

There is a _clanking_ sound which makes its way up the door. The door pops open just a little. After a moment's hesitation, since nothing has happened, Thian hovers closer, then pulls on the circular door ring. The door _creaks_ open.

"Well, looks okay so far," Tia says watching Thian now maneuver his broom around the side of the door. He then pulls it fully open.

"I'm going to fly in a ways to check things out," Thian says looking back to the others. "Tia, like _before_ okay? Tianna, Amanda... get ready if something goes wrong. Sadie, I want _you_ beside me. Use your, uh, _powers_ , to look around as we go, like when we were walking in Bellinora's cave."

"Okay, I'll try." Sadie says, her little legs trembling over the sides of her broom. She slowly moves up beside Thian and looks down the dark pathway.

"Okay. Come on Tia," Thian says. "let's check this out. But _stay_ away from the sides of the walls okay?"

"Don't worry. I'm staying in the _center_ of the pathway. Even though Amanda says the _Bogey_ are gone... I'm not taking _any_ chances!"

With that, Thian begins flying slowly down the pathway, with Sadie right beside him. Their wands emitting a soft blue, and held at the ready, Thian constantly looks around for any sign of movement, while Sadie tries to scan inside the walls, ceiling and flooring for any hidden danger.

The pathway curves several times, both to the left and right, then begins to rise at about a twenty-five degree angle. After eight more minutes, the slope levels out and they soon approach another large _wooden_ door.

"Uh-oh," Thian says as he and Sadie come to a stop in front of it.

Tia, who has been flying backward, spins around and comes up beside them. "Sadie? What do you see?"

"I'm not really sure, but it _kind_ of looks like another cavern of some kind. No, wait. Not actually a _cavern_ , but some kind of long narrow _room_ , and... I think I see some kind of dim _light_."

" _Light_? Really?" Thian asks looking to Tia, then back to Sadie. "Do you see... anything _moving_ in there?"

"Not that I can see. I don't see any _traps_ either, but like I said, I'm just not sure."

"It's okay Sadie," Tia says with a smile. "Listen, I'm going to fly back real quick and get Tianna and Amanda. Don't open the door till we get back okay."

"Oh, _don't_ worry," Thian says with a laugh. "We're not gonna do _anything_ till we're all here."

Tia flies quickly back down the slope and around the curve, then disappears.

When Tia reaches Tianna and Amanda, she tells them what they found, and what Sadie said she had seen.

Before the three of them fly off to meet Thian and Sadie, Tianna says, "Well, since there _was_ a time when we went through a door and couldn't _open_ it again, I'm going to _jam_ this door open, so it won't close. If we find something behind that door Thian and Sadie are at, and it, or _they_ try to get us, I don't want to be _trapped_ behind this door. This way, if we need to, we can fly back through this door and up, then _close_ the center to the Pentagram, while keeping whoever, or _whatever_ , down in the hole."

With that, Tianna dismounts and, collecting a large tapered stone, jams it firmly against the opening of the opened door. She mounts and the three of them fly quickly off to join Thian and Sadie.

It is several minutes later when Sadie and Thian notice a bright blue light coming from behind and below them. They both dismount and turn to see their friends flying quickly up the slope, wands _blazing_ and waving around as they approach.

"Have you seen anything _moving_ in there since I left?" Tia asks as she and the others arrive and dismount.

"No. It looks the _same_ to me," Sadie says nervously. "I've looked around the best I can, and I just can't see _anything_ but a long narrow room of some kind... I _think_ , then some dim light too."

"Okay Thian. Time to get 'er open and let's see what we find," Amanda says pointing her wand at the door. The others do the same as Thian steps to the door.

"Orathian!"

The door _clicks_ then pops open a little. Thian grabs the bronze ring and pulls it open enough to stick his head around.

"She's _right_ ," Thian says pulling the door fully open. "Look. It's a long rectangular room. It's completely covered in smooth, _polished_ green and brown marble tiles. Come on, let's see what's inside."

They enter the long rectangular room cautiously, still expecting _something_ to spring out and attack them as they enter.

"Wait! Do you think it's okay to _walk_ on the tiles?" Tia asks no one in particular. "I mean, couldn't one of _these_ tiles be a trigger stone of some kind, like _before_?"

Everyone freezes where they are, all eyes wide.

#  The Glass Panels

To TOC

"Oh _golly_ ," Amanda says as her eyes grow wide and she snatches her foot back, just as she is about to step on another tile.

"Sadie, can you see anything _under_ the tiles?" Tianna asks with a shaky voice.

Sadie looks down and begins looking around her. "No, not _yet_. But all of you stay here and I'll take a look around the room okay."

No one moves, each standing perfectly still on the tile they are standing on. Over the next several minutes, Sadie walks over every tile in the room, while also looking at the walls and ceiling. _Skipping_ back from the far side of the room, she says brightly, "It's okay... I didn't see anything _bad_ at all. This is kind of _fun_ really. I think I'm getting the hang of this _sight_ penetration thing."

Everyone laughs and gives a huge sigh. They all walk freely into the long room.

"This is a really _weird_ room you know?" Thian says turning in a full circle. There's no other door in here, no pentagram, dials or _pedestals_ with levers on 'em. And what are all those thin long wooden _boards_ on the floor against that long wall for?"

Amanda looks to the left side of the long room, and counts twenty-five boards fastened to the tile floor. Each board is an inch high, by two inches wide, by about twenty-five feet in length. She sees that each is spaced six inches apart, as they make their way into the room away from the wall.

"Look!" Tia says looking up. "There are the _same_ number of boards on the tiled ceiling too. They look like they're _directly_ over the ones on the floor. Weird."

Thian heads for the boards on the floor, the others heading off after him. "That's strange. Each of the boards has a _slot_ cut into them, running all the way along the _length_ of them. Looks like about half an inch wide too." Then looking at the ceiling boards," _Those_ have the same thing. I wonder what they're for?"

"Don't know," Tianna says turning and pointing to a wooden bench placed against the opposite long wall. "But whatever it's for, looks like you at least get to _sit_ and rest in here. Long bench too. Looks like it's about _fifteen_ -feet long I'd say."

"What's all that against the back wall?" Amanda asks pointing to what looks like vertical dividers, extending from floor to ceiling. The dividers extend from the far wall, about ten feet into the room, then go _completely_ from one side of the room to the other against the back wall.

"Let's take a look and see," Sadie says skipping that way. The others all follow her, Tianna _skipping_ too, making the others laugh. They stand in front of the dividers.

"Looks like... _glass_ panels?" Tia asks turning to Tianna.

"Yeah, _looks_ like it. They look like they're about a half inch thick too. They must be like, _nine_ feet tall I think - about the same height as the ceiling."

"What do you think they're for?" Sadie asks trying to pull one out, which does not budge.

"Don't know," Tianna says walking to one end of the rack. "Hey, _look_ , you can see these pretty well over here."

The others walk over and stand beside her.

"Wow!" Amanda says looking at several glass panels placed side-by-side in the divider. "Some of these panels are only about _six_ inches wide. That one in the _middle_ is what? Like two _feet_ wide or so? And the one next to it looks like it's _four_ feet wide... maybe. Can't really see those others behind them though."

"Yeah, and look," Tia says pointing to the first panel. "This _first_ one has some transparent colors on it, some _opaque_ , and some _semi_ -opaque. So do _those_ other panels I think."

Amanda turns around slowly to look back toward the door they had entered from. Then, startled says, "Hey! What's _that_?" pointing to the far side of the room, at what appears to be a lectern standing in the corner on the same side of the room as the bench. " _That_ wasn't there when we came in, and when Sadie was looking for something under the floor. When did _that_ show up?"

They are startled to see the ancient-looking lectern standing in the corner.

"Whoa!" Thian says as they all began walking slowly to the lectern. "Now that's _really_ weird for _sure_! There's something on it. Let's see what it is."

As they approach the lectern, Tianna says, "Hey look. It's got some kind of flat _book_ on it. Maybe it tells us what this place is for."

They reach the lectern and for a moment, just stand staring at the ancient looking, flat, leather bound book.

Thian is standing directly in front of the book looking at it, when Tianna says, "Well, _open_ it and let's see what is says."

Thian reaches out and flips the hard leather cover open. Inside is a _single_ sheet of parchment. Nothing more.

"Well, _this_ is interesting," Thian says leaning in, the others crowding around for a better look."

"I can't _see_ ," Sadie says as she jumps up and down trying to see what they are looking at.

Thian picks up the book and sits on the floor, the others now doing the same, making a circle.

He places the open book on the floor in the center of the circle, so everyone can see the single page.

This is what everyone sees:

"That's _it_?" Tia asks looking puzzled. There isn't anything on the other side?"

Thian flips the page and they see that there is nothing written on the back of the parchment. He flips it back and everyone looks once again at the writing.

"Well, at least it's written in that _witch_ language," Amanda says with half a smile. "And we can all read _that_ now, thanks to Sadie. So, Thian, what does it say?"

"Oh, well, hang on a sec'," Thian's face changes to one of intense concentration. He smiles, having seen the writing change and morph into his native elf writing, then gets a strange, puzzled look.

"Well? What's _wrong_ Thian?" Tianna asks. "Can't you _read_ it?"

"Yeah, I can, but it doesn't make any _sense_. It says, 'Choose well and you live. Choose wrong and your doom awaits you. Only nine will pass while the others perish.' Then it has a line of nothing but _gibberish_. Here look for yourself."

Thian passes the book across to Tianna, who focuses on it for a moment, then with a similar puzzled expression says, "You're right. I don't _get_ it. Here sis, you take a look at it."

Tia looks it over, then passes it to Sadie, who looks at it for several moments, then passes it to Amanda.

Amanda studies the writing very carefully, reads the message, then sets the book in the center of the circle saying slowly, "Choose _well_ and you live. Choose _wrong_ and your doom awaits you. Only _nine_ will pass while the others perish.' Huh? Choose _what_ well? And what does it mean, ' _nine_ will pass while the others _perish'_? Nine? Nine _people_? If so... _who_? And we have _no_ idea how many may have _passed_ already. And, if _nine_ have already, well, _passed_ , would we... all _perish_?"

No one has any clue as to what this means. Tianna says, "What about that long line under what was written. It didn't mean _anything_ to me at all. Did it mean anything to any of you?"

They all shake their heads.

"Well, it must mean _something_ ," Amanda says furrowing her brows, looking intently at the writing on the parchment. "I mean, _somebody_ put it on this parchment, then in this room, for _some_ reason. Heeey, maybe the words are all run _together_ or something, and we have to _break_ the line apart into individual _words_. Like some kind of _puzzle_."

"Yeah, that's a _great_ idea!" Thian says pulling his little notebook from his pants pocket, along with his pen. "Let me write the line down in my notebook, then see what we get."

They all wait patiently while Thian, very carefully, concentrates on the Theban writing, and copies the letters down in his native Elvish.

"Okay, _got_ it," Thian says with a smile. Looking at the line on his notebook, his smile quickly fades. "Well, I get the word ' _at_ ' at the beginning of the line, but _nothing_ makes any sense after that. Here, _look_ ," handing the notebook to Tianna.

After several moments, Tianna says, "Maybe you copied it _down_ wrong. Let _me_ try okay."

"I _didn't_ copy it wrong!" Thian says rather stung. "I was _really_ careful and took my time."

"Yeah? Well, _I'd_ like to do it myself _anyway_ if you don't mind," Tianna snaps.

" _Fine_ , go ahead. But I'm _telling_ you, I copied it _letter_ for letter."

"When you're done," Amanda says timidly, "I'd like to copy it too. Not that I think you copied it _wrong_ though Thian, I'd just like a copy for myself, so I can _try_ to find out what it says too. Maybe the words _aren't_ right beside each other you know. Maybe, the _real_ words are _backward_ instead, or _spaced_ out, or _something_."

"Yeah... well, _maybe_ ," Thian says grudgingly. "Maybe we _all_ should have a copy, then maybe with all of us looking at it, we can _spot_ something."

Once Amanda has translated the Theban into English letters, this is what the line looks like:

atnednnooganeeeglyasolicnoarhepstduulptathenylahnoayybrelrchirragsoaemswnlippbaeaestrsnifz

The kids puzzle over the line for almost an hour, but no one can make _any_ sense of what they see. No matter _how_ they try to break things apart, they cannot read a thing.

"This is _useless_!" Tianna says crumpling up and tossing her piece of paper on the floor, into the already _growing_ pile beside her. "It doesn't make _any_ sense at all! It's just a long line of _gibberish_. It may as well be in _code_ or something."

After a few moments of grumbling agreement from the others, Thian, who had walked over and was sitting on the long bench, jumps up, " _Code_! That's _it_! Tianna, you're _brilliant_!"

"Well, _yeah_ , I know," Tianna says with a laugh. "But, why am I brilliant _this_ time?"

"Code! I'm sure now that this is a line of _code_. You know how _Loki_ and I like codes and stuff, and we've done _lots_ of different kinds of 'em over the years. With the _length_ of this one, and since there isn't much _else_ on the parchment, and, since we've _tried_ everything else, I think it's _code_!"

"Great... so _what_?" Tianna asks with a snort. "You told me _years_ ago, that there are hundreds, if not _thousands_ of different codes and ciphers. And you said that some could take _years_ to break, and that some have _never_ been broken. We could _starve_ to death before we ever break this... if it _is_ in code that is!"

After a somewhat _heated_ exchange between Tianna and Thian, as to what code it could be, and whether Thian is _smart_ enough to break it, Thian holds up both hands. "Stop! There are thousands, maybe _millions_ upon _millions_ of codes and ciphers Tianna. But I think _this_ one is what's called a Block Cipher of sorts. To decipher it, you need what's known as a _Cipher_ Key.

"How does a block cipher work Thian?" Tia asks rubbing her throbbing temples.

"Well, I'll give you a really _simple_ and short one, so you can see how it works. Give me a minute and I'll write one out.

Tianna gets up, and working a kink from her neck says, "I'm going to take another look at those glass panels. I need to stretch my legs a little anyway. Sadie, you want to come take a look too?"

"Sure," Sadie says as she gets up and takes Tianna's hand.

"I'm coming too," Tia says. "I need a _break_."

"Wait for me," Amanda says quickly getting up, dusting off her bottom. "Let us know when you've got something to show us Thian."

The girls walk off to the back of the room, where the glass panels are.

After a few minutes, Thian shouts, " _Okay_ , I've got a simple one to show you if you want to see how they work."

The others come back to the bench where Thian is sitting and sit down. Amanda and Tia sit on his left, while Tianna and Sadie sit on his other side, so everyone can see.

"Okay. Say I wanted to write a _secret_ message that would be _really_ hard to break. Using the block cipher, you choose some _word_ or words. These are known as the _cipher_ key. In this example, I'm just gonna use my _first_ name. So, the _cipher_ key we're going to use is... _Thian_.

"You write the cipher key out, with the letters spaced a little bit apart, just to make things easier. You then draw a line under the cipher key, like I have here. Then, you say the first letter of the alphabet, and see if _that_ letter appears _anywhere_ in the cipher key. If it _does_ , and it's the _first_ match, you write the number _one_ under that letter. So, we start with the letter 'a' and look through our cipher key to see if the letter ' _a_ ' is anywhere in it. We _do_ find the letter 'a,' and since it is the _first_ match we've found, we put the number _one_ under that letter 'a'.

"We then look to see if there are any _more_ matches for the letter ' _a_ ' in the cipher key. If there is, working from _left_ to right through the key, we would put the number _two_ under _that_ 'a,' since it would be the _second_ match. If there are no more matches for the letter 'a,' we move on to the next letter of the alphabet.

"So, since there were no more matches found for the letter 'a' in our example, we now look for the letter 'b.' We don't find any, so we move on to the letter 'c,' and so on, till we find the next match. In our example, the _next_ match is the letter ' _h_.' Since that is our _second_ match... we write the number _two_ under that letter... then continue looking for that letter, across the key to the _right_ , to see if there are any more matches for the letter 'h.' You keep going through the alphabet until _all_ the letters in the key have a _number_ under them, in the _order_ that they were matched. So, this is what we have so far."

Thian shows his pad to Tianna and Sadie, then to Amanda and Tia. This is what Amanda sees on his pad:

"Yeah, okay, I get it _so_ far," Amanda says nodding. "So, what do you do next?"

"Ahhhh... now you begin writing whatever _message_ you want," Thian says with a grin. "The simple message I want to have in code, or _cipher_ is, 'hi Amanda.' Yeah, I _know_ , it's short, but this is just a _simple_ example after all. Loki and I now usually extend the vertical lines of this graph, _down_ the page a ways, to give us plenty of room. Like this:

They all look at the graph Thian has drawn on the next page of his pad.

"Now, _all_ you do is write out your message, without _any_ spacing, in the grid blocks. Loki and I write from _top_ to bottom and from _left_ to right, which is the way most wizards and _witches_ do it today actually. But you _could_ write from right to left or from bottom to top, or in some combination.

"When you reach the end of a row, you just continue writing your message beginning in the _next_ row. When you're finished, if there are _any_ leftover areas in that row, you fill them in with the alphabet, but going back and forth from the _end_ of the alphabet, to the _beginning_ , then to the end, and _back_ and forth, until that row has been filled. Don't worry, this'll make sense in a minute.

"So," Thian says flipping the page on his notebook. "On this _next_ page, I've written my message, see."

This is what Thian has on his page:

"See how I filled in the _end_ of the row with 'z, a'?" So we _now_ have our completed cipher grid, with everything we need to _write_ the real cipher. The actual writing of the message, takes up _five_ columns, by _two_ rows. That makes this a _five_ -by- _two_ block cipher.

"Okay, I get it so far... I _think_ ," Tianna says nodding. "So, how do you change this into the _code_ line, and how do you change the _code_ back into a _message_ you can read?

"Well, the _coding_ is easy. You use the numbered _columns_ to write the code. Like this. You look across the numbers until you find the first number - number _one_. Then looking _down_ that column, you begin to write what letters you find, in _that_ column, on a piece of paper - but writing from _left_ to right. Well, in _our_ example anyway."

"Huh?" Tia says shaking her head.

"Here look," Thian says with a laugh. We look across the row of numbers, looking for the _first_ number... which is the number _one_. Now we start writing what we see in that _column_ beneath that number. What we see _first_ in that column, is the letter ' _m_ ,' so, we write it down on a piece of paper. Then we continue looking _down_ that column for the next letter... which is the letter ' _z_.' You keep doing that for each letter you find in that _column_.

"When you reach the bottom, you then look for the next number in sequence - the number _two_. You then continue writing the letters you find _down_ that column, _next_ to the letters you've already written. Then move on to the next number, and so on.

"So, in our example, for the column numbered _one_ , we get 'mz.' For the column numbered _two_ , we write 'id' _next_ to what we already have. So now, we have, 'mzid.' _See_?"

"Oh, I _think_ I get it," Amanda says with a grin. "So, since that's all that's in column two, we look for the number _three_. We write down the letters in _that_ column, working _down_ the column. So, in column three, we find the letters 'aa' and would write _them_ next to the others we've already written. So, now we have, 'mzidaa,' is that right?"

"Yep, you _got_ it. So, Tianna, what would we do next?"

"Find column _four_ , and write down whatever we find down _that_ column, next to what we already have. So, we find the letters 'aa' _again_ in this case, in that column, and after adding those letters to what we _have_ , we now get, 'mzidaaaa'. Yeah, I think _I_ get it now too. You get it Sadie?"

"Uh-huh. We now look for column five, and we find the letters, 'hn' and write them down too. So, since there aren't any more column numbers, our finished coded message would be, 'mzidaaaahn' _right_?"

Thian laughs, " _Very_ good. Yeah, _that's_ how you can take _any_ word or words as a _key_ , then create a grid under the letters you used for that key, but _no_ spaces. Fill in the _first_ row under the key with the _numbers_ matching the alphabet, in the _order_ you find them. Then write the message out, then create the actual _code_ , by finding each numbered column in turn, and writing down the letters found in each numbered column, from _top_ to bottom, till you've finished.

"Just _remember_ , and it's _really_ , _really_ important, that if you have _any_ blank blocks in the last row when writing the message in the grid, to fill in _those_ blanks with alternating letters of the _alphabet_ , from the _end_ first, then to the _beginning,_ and repeat as needed. Like 'z a y b x c' and so on."

"But, why do you _need_ to do that?" Tianna asks looking confused.

" _Great_ question, and to answer that, I need to tell you how you would _send_ the code, or _leave_ it for someone.

"So, we now have our finished message in a line of cipher, which is, 'mzidaaaahn'. If I sent _this_ to you, you'd have no idea what to _do_ with it. And no matter _how_ hard you try, you won't find any meaning in it. To _decipher_ this, you need _two_ things. The _cipher_ key, which in this case is _Thian_ , and the _number_ of rows used to create the message."

"Okay, I get that you would need the _key_ for the cipher, but why the number of _rows_?" Tia asks looking at the message.

"I'll show you in a second. Okay, looking at the grid we created, we count the number of rows _below_ the row of numbers. In other words, _only_ the rows our actual message takes up. Remember, the _cipher_ key is always written first, to determine the number of _columns_ needed for making the grid. You then always create the _numbers_ beneath the cipher key. Next, you count the number of rows used in the actual message... _including_ any line with the filled-in letters to _complete_ the last row.

"In our example message, we have _two_ completed rows. That means, our message grid is a _five_ column by _two_ row grid. It would actually be called a five-by-two block cipher. I guess they call it a _block_ cipher, because the grid squares look like a bunch of _blocks_ put together to build something.

"Now that we have all the information we need, we now need to _get_ the information to whoever we want, to _reconstruct_ the cipher _and_ decipher it. The _trick_ is in how you send them the information."

"What do you mean?" Amanda asks puzzled.

"The one receiving the message needs _three_ things... the _cipher_ key, the number of _rows_ needed, _and_ the coded message. Many times, people use the _same_ cipher key all the time. Like, let's say _we_ all decide to write coded messages between us, so no one _else_ would know how to read them if the message was intercepted. And, we all decide to use, uh... 'stuttering snorkrats' as the cipher key..."

"Why wouldn't we just use one of our _names_?" Tianna asks curiously.

"Because so many people _did_ in the old days. So, if the message were _taken_ from you, they would first try _your_ name, then the names of your friends, _pets_ , family members and things like that. It's _best_ to use something most people wouldn't _think_ of, but something you and your _friends_ can remember. You could even use a made up name, or write something _backward_.

"If we _always_ used the same cipher key, then the only things we need to _send_ are the number of _rows_ and the coded message itself. But... let's say I thought someone _had_ found out our cipher key, and I needed to get you a message, but needed to make up a _new_ cipher key. I'd need to send you _that_ cipher key, the _number_ of rows _and_ the message."

"But _how_? Wouldn't someone looking at whatever you sent figure it out?" Sadie asks.

"Not usually," Thian smiles. "Loki and I figured out a way, and we use it _all_ the time. We put a bunch of numbers, separated by _dashes_ into a letter we send to each other. It's _easier_ if I show you how we do it. Here, look, I'll use the example we just finished."

Thian writes the following on another page of his notebook:

_Thian_ here Tia, I think the answers are 543-22-11-7658, but I'm not sure.

Mzidaaaahn

" _See_?" Thian smiles. "We _begin_ the letter with the _cipher_ key. In this case, _Thian_. Then... _somewhere_ in the message, we put in a bunch of numbers separated with dashes. Loki and I _always_ use the _third_ block of numbers, as the number of rows needed..."

"But there are only _two_ rows Thian, not _eleven_ ," Tianna says shaking her head.

"Yep, that's _right_. But Loki and I took the numbering scheme a little further. We now know we need to count over to the _third_ block of numbers, because that's where Loki and I decided to _always_ have the answer to the rows. Of course, you _could_ pick any place, but you better _remember_ it.

"If, in that _third_ block of numbers, you find only _one_ digit, like the number two, _seven_ , nine and such, that _is_ the number of rows. But... if you find _more_ than one number in that block, you _add_ each of those _digits_ to arrive at the _real_ number of rows. So in this case..."

"You find the number _eleven_ , but since there is more than a _single_ digit, we _add_. So, one plus one equals _two_ , which is the _real_ number of rows for the grid!" Amanda says with a huge grin. Amanda continues. "So, if we had decided to use something like 'stuttering snorkrats' and the number of rows in our original grid was, say, _twenty_ -five, we could write something like... give me your pad for a second."

Amanda then writes the following:

Stuttering snorkrats Thian! Can't you remember anything? The serial number is: 22-8796-55555-876-53-11.

"Or something like _this_?" Amanda asks handing the pad back to Thian. "And of course, the coded _message_ too."

"Yeah that's it," Thian says laughing. But if you are going to use more than _one_ word for the key, we either put them in _quotes_ or italics. Otherwise, in _your_ message Amanda, we wouldn't know if the key was 'stuttering,' 'snorkrats,' 'Thian,' or, 'stuttering snorkrats Thian.' See what I _mean_? In the one I did using my _name_ , I put it in _italics_."

"Oh, yeah, that would make sense."

"But I _still_ don't get why you needed to fill in the last row with _gibberish_ ," Tia asks.

"Oh, I _forgot_. You need to have all blocks filled in within _every_ row, so when you reconstruct the message, you know where to stop writing the message down the columns. Again, it's _easier_ if I show you. To _decode_ our message, looking at the letter that was sent to us, we _know_ the cipher key is _Thian_. So, we begin by constructing a grid using _that_ cipher key, and the numbering beneath it, like so:

"Now, we need to look at the actual coded message, which is, 'mzidaaaahn.' Since we have looked at the _third_ block of numbers in the letter sent to us, and now know that the number of rows we need is _two_ , we can add those rows to the grid, so now we have:

"That's our _finished_ grid. Now we need to fill in the blocks with the right _letters_ from the coded message. Here's how _I_ do it. Since I _know_ there are going to be _two_ rows, and everything is done by _column_ , top to bottom, the _first_ thing I do is use a pen or pencil, to break the coded message into the number of _rows_ that were indicated. Here look."

This is what Thian wrote:

mz id aa aa hn

"Now, the _first_ two letters go in one column, the _next_ two in another column and so on. Since the 'mz' is at the _beginning_ of the coded message, I _know_ that those first two letters need to be placed in the column, which has been labeled with the number _one_. _Not_ put in the _first_ column... but in the column with the _number_ one in it... which in our case is the _fourth_ column... _see_? That's where we found the letter 'a' in our cipher key. So the first two letters in our coded message go in that column. Our grid now looks like this:

"The _next_ two letters we find in the coded message, are placed in the _column_ with the number _two_ in it, and now we get:

"The next two go in the column numbered three, and we get:

"The next two go in column four, like _this_ :

"And the _last_ two go into column five like so:

"And now, we have our _completed_ message decoded! If we had not filled in the _blank_ blocks, and had run all our coded letters together like before, they would _not_ have come out properly. If our message was the same, but we did not put in the 'z' and 'a' to finish filling in all the blocks in that row, our message would have been;

mi da aa hn

" _So_?" Sadie asks. "Those _are_ all the letters of the actual message?"

"Okay. So Sadie, we _know_ this is a _five_ column grid, because of the _cipher_ key length. We were also told that it is a _two_ row grid. So, there should be _five_ sets of _two_ letters. Five sets because there are _five_ columns. And each column should contain _two_ letters. So, five columns by two rows should give us five times two, or _ten_ total letters.

"But... when we look at our message, _without_ having filled in the blank blocks in the last row, we only get _eight_ letters. So, we know _something_ is wrong. But, let's see what the finished message _might_ look like. Here, let me draw this one out too. The first two letters go into the column numbered one:

"The _next_ two letters will go in the column with the number two:

"The next two go into the column numbered three, like this:

"The next two go in the column numbered four like so:

" _That's_ the finished message, since we've run out of _letters_."

"But, it doesn't make any _sense_ ," Sadie laughs.

" _That's_ the whole _point_ Sadie. That's why it's so _important_ to fill in _any_ blanks in the last row of your message. If you _forget_... the decoded message will _never_ make any sense.

"So, before _sending_ a message, _always_ look at your _key_ length and _multiply_ by the number of rows there are _supposed_ to be. Then match that _result_ with the length of the message. If they _match_ , you're good to go. If they _don't_... you're in trouble, and most likely _forgot_ to fill in the last few blocks."

"But, why not just fill in the blank blocks with _any_ old letter? Why use the 'zaybxcwdve' and so on?" Tia asks looking at the message.

"Well, you _could_ actually. But by using what is known as the Standard Wizard Ending, when you get to reading the finished message, it's just _easier_ to spot the beginning sequence of 'zaybxc' and so forth. _That_ way, you _know_ you have reached the end of the _actual_ message.

"See, many wizards _and_ witches that used the block cipher method, may have _five_ or more rows _below_ the actual message, just to make the message _appear_ as though it would take _years_ to break it... if _ever_ , because it's so long. So, when you see the 'zaybxc' type sequence, you don't _have_ to bother with anything _after_ it when reading the message, even if its _dozens_ of pages."

They all chat for a while about how interesting this method of coding a message is, and everyone begins to understand just how the cipher is created and reconstructed.

"Well, I see now Thian," Tianna says looking back at what they have found in the leather book, "why you think this _may_ be a block cipher in the book. But, I don't see any blocks of _numbers_ with dashes between them. So, how do we know the number of _rows_? And what's the _cipher_ key?"

"I'm not sure of course," Thian says stretching, "But since this looks _ancient_ , and since in the ancient days of this type of cipher, only the _highest_ Order of witch or _wizard_ would have known it, I think they used a very _basic_ form of the block cipher. The cipher key may not be at the _beginning_ though. It could be _any_ word or _words_ at some position within the writing that they had _agreed_ on. Sometimes, they would use something like, say, the _first_ and _fifth_ words, or even _other_ combinations."

"Are you saying, even if this _is_ a block cipher, it could be _any_ word in the message? Or any _combination_?" Tianna snorts. "Well that's just _great_ Thian. So we've wasted _all_ this time learning how a block cipher works, and after _all_ that, it could be _any_ combination of all those _words_! Terrific! How many _permutations_ would that come to, say, using _all_ the words, but as a _one_ word cipher only?"

Tianna gets up and walks off _mumbling_ something about Thian, which Amanda cannot quite catch. Thian turns a little red as he waves his wand, and something like a calculator appears.

"It's not _my_ fault they used a block cipher and have all those _words_ you know." Thian says quite irritated to no one in particular.

"Thian, how _do_ you find the number of permutations anyway?" Amanda asks. "I've forgotten."

"Oh, you take the total number of items, in our case _words_ , and there are..." Thian counts the words in the message of the parchment. " _twenty_ words. Next you multiply _that_ number, with the next one _down_ , which would be _nineteen_. Then you multiply _that_ result with the _next_ number down, which is _eighteen_. You keep multiplying the result, by the next lowest number, until there is nothing _else_ to multiply. That gives you the _total_ possible permutations for those items. So, let's see how many _cipher_ grids we'd need to try, if they _did_ use a single word from the paragraph."

The others get up and wander off to look around, and to stretch their legs, while Thian punches away at his little math device.

"Uh-oh," Thian says shaking his head after a few moments.

Amanda, not standing far away, turns and asks, "What? How many _are_ there?"

Tianna and the others walk back and notice that Thian looks a little pale.

"So? How many _grids_ do we have to try if they used a _single_ word in the message?" Tianna asks with a heavy sigh. "Like a _hundred_ right?"

"Well, uh, actually a _lot_ more than that," Thian says swallowing hard.

"You mean... we need to do like a _thousand_!" Sadie says wide-eyed.

"No. Not a _thousand_..." Thian says with a shaky voice. "I can't even _count_ as high as we'd need to try. Here look, _this_ is the number of possible permutations using _one_ word at a time, from the whole thing." Thian turns his calculating device around. Everyone leans in to look into the crystal, where the three-dimensional numbers are floating.

This is the number Thian arrived at: 2,432,902,008,176,640,000.

"Thian!" Tianna yells. "Are you _nuts_?! You must have _done_ it wrong. _Give_ me that and let me do it _right_!"

"Fine, _here_ , but I'm _telling_ you, that's the _right_ answer!"

As Tianna _snatches_ the device from Thian, clears it and begins punching in the numbers, _hard_ , as though trying to push the buttons right _through_ the device, everyone looks at her nervously.

"What if Thian's _right_?" Amanda asks nervously. "I mean, oh my _god_... that could take years and _years_ to try all of them! Making a grid with the words in _one_ combination, _numbering_ the columns, putting the _letters_ into all the blocks. Honestly, I don't think we could _ever_ break it!"

In a few more moments, Tianna says, "Oh _Stinkwarts_! I can't _believe_ it! I got the _same_ thing. Sorry Thian. This isn't good at _all_. There _has_ to be a better way. This has to be some _different_ kind of code or something."

They all begin a long and _heated_ discussion on what they should do, and are trying to come up with various ways to break the long line of code apart.

Thian gets up and walks off to think by himself. After an hour, Tianna stands and _throws_ her latest paper into a pile next to her, saying angrily, "This is _impossible_! We'll never _break_ this _stupid_ code, and we _can't_ go back - unless we _blast_ our way back through the sealed cavern wall into _Bellinora's_ place!"

"But we don't know who may still be _in_ there though," Tia says looking at Thian who is walking back to them.

"Well, it's better than staying _here_ and _starving_ to death!" Tianna shoots back. Then looking at Thian snaps, " _What_?!"

"I've been thinking..."

"Oh _great_! _This_ should be good!" Tianna snorts.

"Listen!" Thian says, his face reddening. "If _you_ can come up with something, _great_. If _not_ , I've had _enough_ of your _mouth_! So either _put_ up... or _shut_ up!"

Everyone is _stunned_ that Thian would say something like that, as Tianna instantly goes stiff with her eyes wide - not with _anger_ , but with a look of _genuine_ surprise.

"Now _listen_ up and _don't_ give me any _lip_!" Thian continues. "As I _said_ , I _think_ this is a block cipher, _mainly_ because that's what the ancient _witches_ and wizards used. I think they, like _Loki_ and me, and most everyone _else_ I've ever heard of that creates fairly _simple_ ciphers, would only use from _one_ to four words - not an entire _sentence_."

Tianna starts to speak but Thian cuts her off saying, " _Quiet_! I'm not _finished_.

"Also, like I said, only the _greatest_ witch or _wizard_ would know how to _do_ these ciphers and other codes, back in the _ancient_ times. So, there would be no _need_ to create a really complex key. I say we _try_ a couple words and see what we get."

"But which _ones_?" Tia asks looking confused.

"Choose _well_ ," Amanda says softly.

"Well of _course_ we'd _like_ to choose well," Tianna says now sitting with the others. "But which _ones_ do we choose?"

"No. I mean, let's use the _words_ 'choose well,'" Amanda says picking up her paper. "Those are the _first_ words on the parchment, and even though they aren't in _quotes_ or italics or anything, we've seen those _same_ words before."

"Where?" Tia asks looking to her paper.

"We read those same words around that _medallion_ in the cavern with the pentagram... _remember_? We read around the outside first, then the _inner_ part. All it said was, 'choose well.'"

"But, didn't that just mean to choose the right _petal_ and door to go through?" Tianna asks.

"Maybe. I'm just _saying_ , to me, I think it's a little _too_ much of a coincidence, that we find 'choose well' as the _only_ thing on a medallion, and now, those are the _first_ two words on this parchment."

"Okaaaay, so let's say you're _right_ ," Tianna says thoughtfully. "We _still_ need the number of rows."

"I _think_ we already have it," Sadie says pointing to her paper. " _Nine_. I think there are _nine_ rows. The only reference to a _number_ in the whole message is where it says, 'Only _nine_ will pass while the others perish.'"

"You know... I think she's right!" Tia says with a laugh. "We don't have anything to _lose_. And _Amanda_ is right too you know. It _is_ the second time we've come across 'choose well.' So, let's just _try_ it and see."

Thian waves his wand and a very _large_ piece of paper appears. "I'll do it. I've had more _practice_ , so I can do it faster. But, well, maybe you _all_ should do it too, in case I make a _mistake_." Thian waves his wand again and four more blank papers appear, whereupon each takes one and begins creating the grid.

Once Thian has drawn the grid, he breaks the line of code into _ten_ sets of _nine_ letters. Each set would be placed _down_ the properly numbered column. This is what his separated code line looks like:

atnednnoo ganeeegly asolicnoa rhepstduu lptatheny lahnoayyb relrchirr agsoaemsw nlippbaea estrsnifz

Thian cries, "Hey! I think we may have it _right_! I just _divided_ the coded message into _ten_ blocks of _nine_ letters, and it came out _even_!"

Everyone is getting _excited_ as they begin working on their own grids.

It takes several minutes, but then Thian _whoops_ , jumps up and begins doing a little dance.

"You _got_ it?!" Tianna asks wide-eyed.

"Yeah! Amanda was _right_ , so was _Sadie_ , about the number of rows. But I want all of you to finish too. By the _moons_ , we got it!"

This is Thian's finished block cipher grid, with the decoded message.

Tianna is the second to finish and says, "By the _Oak_ and Ash... I can't _believe_ it! It actually _worked_. But... I've got to tell you, I have no idea what it _means_."

Amanda finishes hers and compares it to Thian's and Tianna's. They all match. Tia and Sadie then finish at about the same time, and everyone confirms they have the same result.

"Wow, this is _really_ cool!" Amanda says with a huge grin. "This message could be _thousands_ of years old, at _least_! But I'm with Tianna. I _don't_ understand the message. It says, ' **Arrange all the glass panels into the proper landscape. Sit on the bench and imagine yourself on your way**.' On our way to... _where_?"

"And what _landscape_ is it talking about?" Tia asks quite confused.

"I'm not sure," Thian says walking toward the glass panels. "But now we know what the glass panels are _for_.

"I think we need to pull them out, slide them into the slots on those boards, to make some kind of _landscape_. It must be like some kind of glass _puzzle_.... you know, like we have to put together the panels in some kind of _order_ , to make... well a completed _picture_ of some kind.

"Come on, let's see what we can make with them. Maybe there will be a written _message_ once it's finished, and maybe it will show us what we're supposed to _do_ or... _imagine_. Although, I have no idea what."

#  The Dark Forest

To TOC

It takes _hours_ using their wands to move the heavy glass panels _into_ and out of the slots. It does not take long before they are getting _very_ frustrated with one another, as tempers _flare_. Eventually though, they finish what turns out to look something like a very _beautiful_ three dimensional forest landscape.

Everyone is _exhausted_ , and sits on the bench to rest and look at the finished landscape.

It pictures an _early_ evening scene with some orange, yellow and _pink_ clouds, birds in flight, many _tall_ pine trees, rocks, _boulders_ , grass, and a _stream_ that is just a little way in the distance. There are wild flowers of many colors, with a dirt _path_ leading from somewhere near the stream at the back wall, through the wild flowers, and up to their first glass panel. Everything is in near _perfect_ perspective when properly seated on the bench.

"This is really _amazing_ isn't it?" Amanda says with a weary smile. "With the glass panels each having only _parts_ of the image painted on them, and each row of panels separated by only _six_ inches, the _three_ dimensional effect of the scene it creates is really _breathtaking_."

"Yeah it is," Tia says pointing to one of the panels, "with _some_ of the scene clear, some colored but transparent, some _semi_ -opaque, and others opaque, and sitting and looking through all _twenty_ -five rows... it almost looks... _real_. Like you can just _walk_ right into a forest or something."

As the kids sit on the long bench, tired but in awe of the amazingly intricate detail and _realism_ the effect makes, they talk about what they need to do next.

"The message says to _picture_ ourselves on our way... but _how_ , and to _where_?" Amanda asks looking at the others.

"Well, I'm not _sure_ of course," Thian says smiling at the wonderful colors in the clouds. "But, it seems to _me_ , that Bellinora had taken up residence in that _cave_ of hers, for something _other_ than just selling her Wizitch _wonders_ from."

"What do you mean?" Tianna asks.

"Well _think_ about it. She just _happens_ to be residing in a cave, with a _hidden_ Wizitched doorway in _solid_ rock, which just _happens_ to lead _here_? And since we were _told_ that we needed to be in the Dark Forest _before_ the Specteroscope would work... _don't_ you think that she has been hiding and _protecting_ the entrance to the Dark Forest? After all, _that's_ where the _Thirteen Shards of Legend_ are said to be hidden. I think it's kind of _interesting_ too, that Bellinora also, just _happens_ to own not _only_ a Specteroscope, but that _map_ she gave us, that will narrow our search in each of the locations the scope will take us.

"I bet _she's_ done some searching for those shards _too_. Anyway, _I_ think we're supposed to imagine ourselves on our way _into_ the Dark Forest. After all, these panels now _look_ like a dark forest... kind of a _hint_ to me. Any of you have a _better_ explanation?"

Everyone shakes their heads, as they look intently at the forest scene before them.

"Amanda," Tia asks. "What did you do with the map anyway? You do _have_ it don't you?"

"Oh yeah, the _Specteroscope_ is in my pocket along with the map. I don't want to lose _them_ for sure."

After a few minutes of staring at the scene, and wondering what they are supposed to be doing, the image slowly appears to _move_. The clouds slowly begin to change shape and color. The needles on many of the pines seem to be moving _gently_ in some breeze, as the wild flowers appear to begin _swaying_ as well.

"Uh, _guys_? Do any of you see the painting... well, _moving_?" Tia asks in a whisper. "And I _swear_ , I can faintly hear the sound of _water_ running over pebbles."

"You know..." Amanda says with a sniff, "I think I can smell _pine_ and the scent of _wild_ flowers too!"

Soon, they hear the _distinct_ sound of water rushing over the rocks in the nearby stream. They hear birds _chirping_ , smell the _flowers_ and pine clearly now, and begin to feel a fresh clean _breeze_ brushing their faces.

The scene now looks _so_ real, they _swear_ they could walk right _into_ the glass panel forest. They sit and watch, expecting something _else_ to happen that will show them what they should do next, when a small _furry_ rabbit-like creature, _hops_ into the scene, from the edge of a glass panel, near the edge of _all_ the panels, startling them.

The little creature takes a look at them, wiggles its ears and _cute_ little nose, then hops across the image, from panel to panel, then hops down the _pathway_ toward the stream. It then turns and _disappears_ into the wild flowers out of the frame of their glass panels.

Sadie, _giggling_ , jumps quickly up off the bench, and to everyone's surprise, runs _right_ at the glass panels.

"Sadie!" Tianna screams as Sadie is about to collide with the first panel, _everyone_ on their feet now. They all _freeze_ with eyes wide, as their jaws _drop_. Sadie has not only run right _into_ the glass... but _through_ it, and is now running down the dirt _pathway_ , swirls of dust _rising_ from her small boots as she runs. Sadie turns and runs through the wild flowers, _laughing_ and chasing the furry little creature, which would hop just _high_ enough to see it's ears stick up out of the flowers.

The stunned kids look at one another for a brief moment, then go _running_ after Sadie. They find that they somehow, can run right into and _through_ the glass panels, which instantly turn into a _real_ forest. They all stop to find that they are now, _truly_ standing on a _dirt_ pathway leading off into a _wonderful_ , lush green forest.

Turning around, they see that they are looking through what _appears_ to be a _huge_ glass window, looking from the _forest_ , through the _solid_ side of a mountain, into a long _dimly_ lit tiled room.

" _Awesome_! Thian says with a grin.

They hear Sadie, and when they look around, spot her running through the wild flowers, _now_ chasing what looks like a kind of four-winged _butterfly_. Everyone laughs as they _breathe_ in the wonderfully fragrant clean air, watching Sadie try to _catch_ the bright blue butterfly.

"Listen, why don't we go back, get our _brooms_ and packs, then have a quick look around," Tianna says still laughing at Sadie, who is _jumping_ and running after a group of fluttering orange butterflies. "Then we can either spend the _night_ back inside, or set up the _cabin_ out here, and get an early start in the morning. It looks like it's getting _darker_ here... wherever _here_ really is."

"What do you mean, wherever _here_ really is?" Tia asks.

"Look _up_ ," Tianna says pointing to the sky.

As Amanda, Thian and Tia look high above them, it takes them just a _moment_ before they gasp at the same time.

"That's... that's _real_ sky!" Amanda says quite startled. "I mean, we're not _inside_ any mountain at _all_ now. How? _Where_? What happened?"

"Don't know," Tianna says looking around.

"Well _wherever_ we are," Thian says shaking his head, "we're not in _Witch_ Mountain anymore. _That's_ for sure. I think when we passed through the panels, we actually _translocated_ to someplace else. I think we really _are_ in the Dark Forest now.

"Come on, let's get our brooms and packs, and take a _quick_ look around. Then, I'm with Tianna. I don't think we ought to go off _wandering_ around in some _unknown_ forest in the dark - not when we don't _have_ to.

"Who knows _where_ we really are, or what kinds of _animals_ might be out at night. In fact, I was going to leave our travelers packs inside, but, I'm not sure how _long_ that, uh, _window_ might stay open, so let's grab _everything_ , just in case."

Tianna says she will stay outside and keep an eye on Sadie, while the others go in and get all the brooms and packs.

When Amanda and the others return with their brooms and packs, and those of Tianna and Sadie, they slip into their packs, mount up and fly off for a quick look around.

They fly along the path for a short ways, smiling at the beautiful trees and flowers. Turning to the right, they make their way to the babbling brook, dismount and dangle their feet in the gurgling cool water. The sound of the water _dancing_ over the rocks is almost hypnotic, and they feel themselves getting _sleepy_ after a very long day and even _longer_ evening.

They decide to head back and call it a night. Thian decides he wants to put up the cabin in the clearing they found near the stream, and have a _campfire_ while they eat. They could all take nice _hot_ baths and sleep in nice soft beds, instead of on the hard tile _floor_ , back in the long rectangular room. Besides, Thian had suggested that the glass panels _may_ be on a timer, and reset. If they did, and they _were_ inside, they may have to start everything all _over_ again.

Thian then said that in the morning, they would pack things up and figure out what to do and where to go. They all think it is a _great_ idea, and look forward to singing and telling _stories_ around the fire, and then, more than _anything_ , getting _clean_ and sleeping in a nice soft bed.

They all laugh and begin talking about how _lucky_ it was that Thian and Loki like _codes_ and ciphers, and that this turned out to be one he _knew_ , otherwise, they would _never_ have gotten out of there.

"It's _odd_ you know," Thian says shaking his head. "Bellinora didn't say _anything_ at all about the room with the _pentagram_ puzzle. And we could have been killed _easily_ too, if it weren't for Sadie a _few_ times. And you doing your _Wielder_ thing with the Bogey. And now the _cipher_ with the glass panels. I'm not sure there really _would_ have been that many people that could have figured it out you know?"

"Yeah, I know," Tianna says shaking her head. "We _were_ really lucky. I wonder if Bellinora would have come to _help_ us at some point, after she was _safe_ , not knowing if we _would_ have been able to know how to get through the room with the pentagram, with all the _petals_ and _dangers_ behind the doors. Then, if we did somehow _survive_ that, if we would have solved the _cipher_ to get into the forest. I mean _really_... what would the _chances_ be that _anyone_ would have survived _all_ those things?"

At that moment, they arrive back to where the pathway curves to meet the side of the huge mountain, where they can look back into the mountain through the glass panels. As they round the corner and the base of the mountain, and the glass panels come _fully_ into view, they laugh at how it looks like one _huge_ , solid glass window is set right into the side of the mountain, showing a bright _tiled_ rectangular room.

They lower to the ground and dismount, laughing at how incredible the glass panels to _reality_ puzzle is.

"You know," Thian says looking around, "this looks like a really _great_ spot to set up the cabin. Let's drop our brooms here, get our travelers packs off, _set_ up the cabin, get _clean_ , have something to eat, then _get_ to bed. We can get an _early_ start in the morning. What da ya say?"

They all agree and drop their brooms near the path where it curves toward the water. Before they drop their packs, they see a _flicker_ of light in the room within the mountain.

"What was _that_?" Tia asks coming to a halt. "What was that red _flash_?"

"There's a _yellow_ one. What's going on?" Sadie asks squinting into the room.

"Don' know," Thian says thoughtfully. "Hey! Maybe it's _Bellinora_! Maybe she's come to _help_ us after all." Thian begins walking quickly toward the panels with a huge grin.

Just then, there are several _more_ flashes of various colors. Several _men_ back into view, firing _bolt_ after bolt at something out of frame.

"They're _shooting_ at Bellinora!" Amanda shouts pulling her wand as the others do the same.

Just as they are about to rush _back_ to the glass panels, several _giant_ , harry _legs_ wave into view through the window, slowly followed by the rest of the huge orangish-brown _tarantula_ -like spider.

Both Thian and Sadie let out a _terrified_ scream as the others gasp and go rigid, eyes _popping_ out of their heads.

Two of the _five_ visible men, turn to look through the glass panels to where _Amanda_ and the others are standing, obviously having heard Sadie's and Thian's screams.

"That's _Morpheus_!" Tianna yells angrily. "I'll _kill_ him!" she begins firing at him, just as he sidesteps. Her bolt strikes _another_ man who staggers forward, quickly _speared_ by the huge curved _fangs_ of another gigantic spider that has entered.

As Tianna begins to run toward the glass panels, Tia yells, "Tianna, _no_!" Tia grabs Tianna's left arm as Thian quickly grabs her other.

"Let me _go_!" Tianna yells struggling to free herself. But before she can, three _huge_ spiders drive all the remaining men back, _almost_ out of view at the left edge of the glass panels. One is a very bright _yellow_ , another a deep _menacing_ red, the last, _midnight_ black. Three other large spiders heard Tianna yell, and turn to look _directly_ at the kids.

"Oh _man_..." Thian says as he quickly looks over his shoulder saying, "There's no _way_ we can get to our brooms before..."

The first spider _charges_ through the glass panels and is a _horrifying_ sight to behold. Its huge _hairy_ body raised high on thick _spiked_ legs, clears the window, as it waves its _forward_ sets wildly in front of it. It hesitates for a moment, then _sprints_ to the right, into the open forest.

The kids begin _firing_ spells at it, which do not seem to have much effect. The spider gives a high pitched _scream_ when hit, _hisses_ at them as foam _bubbles_ from its hideous mouth, its long _black_ curved fangs _glinting_ in the failing light of the evening, as it looks around one of the huge trees.

"Run!" Tianna yells as the next two spiders _charge_ through the glass panels, followed closely by _seven_ men, who are quickly chased through the panels by five _other_ giant spiders, with _more_ spiders charging into the room behind them.

Tia yells, "Hey! There're those two _men_ we met on the road to the village. The ones Anastasia said _grabbed_ Cassandrea, and tried to get _her_ too. That's _Jake_ and Yarro!"

A _dozen_ spiders sprint through the panels, _scatter_ in all directions after the seven men, Amanda and her friends.

One of the spiders is _massive_ , towering over the other giant spiders by more than _ten_ feet. It is _horrifying_ , yet stunningly colorful. From the tips of its legs, to about _half_ way to the body, it is a _magnificent_ royal blue. From there to the body, it is an almost _translucent_ orange. The giant _flat_ portion of its body, like some kind of _disk_ , is a fiery _red_ -orange. Its bulging abdomen is _red_ , with _blue_ stripes. Its head is _royal_ blue, set with huge _piercing_ black eyes in front, and a _row_ of eyes decreasing in size along both sides of the head. The fangs _glisten_ , like curved, black glass _daggers_. The massive spider appears to survey the scene for a moment, then quickly runs _off_ into the surrounding forest, away from the fight.

" _Get_ that girl!" a very tall man yells to Morpheus and the others. " _She's_ the one who has the _necklace_. I'll hold these _spiders_ off long enough for you to _get_ her, but make it _quick_!"

_Morpheus_ turns catching sight of Amanda, who is looking _directly_ at him. She watches as a sneer spreads across his face. He raises his wand to _fire_ a spell at her before she can raise her own. Before he can fire however, he is _struck_ on the side of the face with a _slashing_ curse, quickly followed by another, spraying _blood_ over his face and down across his chest. He staggers to the side in surprise, _whipping_ his head around. He _locks_ eyes with a _very_ angry _Tianna_ , who flips her wand to fire another shot at him.

Just as Tianna fires, a giant spider _charges_ in between them, heading _straight_ for Tianna. Tianna's bolt strikes the spider in the mouth, making it _cry_ out, then _hiss_ loudly as it crouches, a massive forearm _touching_ the spot where it had been struck.

Tianna fires off _three_ slashing spells which strike the huge spider _square_ in the right eye. It lets out a thin high pitched _cry_. Staggering back, it lifts one of its huge legs to the large eye, which is _missing_ , the socket still _bubbling_ and smoking. It turns, and with its thick, tall _hairy_ legs moving like only a _tarantula_ can, once again angrily _charges_ toward a terrorized Tianna.

Tianna is _screaming_ at it to go away, while trying to run backward, firing _slashing_ spell after _slashing_ spell at it. This is one of the _larger_ spiders, and even though huge _gashes_ are opened with each hit, it does little to _injure_ it as its hide is thick, and _well_ protected by the thick hairs. The spider begins _crying_ in pain and _hissing_ in anger, as it twists, _ducks_ , jumps and _twitches_ , while both dodging Tianna's spells, and being repeatedly _struck_ as well.

Amanda has managed to maneuver her way out from between _three_ spiders, when she catches sight of _Morpheus_. He is in a _desperate_ battle with two spiders that are driving him _back_ toward the tree line.

The tall man who had yelled at Morpheus to _get_ Amanda, is now rounding Morpheus and walking toward Amanda with his wand raised. He pays _no_ attention to the _frantic_ fighting around him, not even to _Morpheus_ who repeatedly _yells_ for help as his _killing_ curses have little effect on the huge spiders. Amanda fires off _two_ quick blasts of _pus_ popping spells, followed quickly by one _vomit_ spell. The man _laughs_ as he waves his wand quickly, deflecting the bolts to the sides, where they strike the dirt, _violently_ sending up fragments of rock into the surrounding air.

The man is grinning at Amanda, as she hears him say over all the screaming, _yelling_ , crying, hissing and _running_ all around them, "Is that _all_ you can do child? _You_? The _Wielder of Power_? _Ridiculous_! You have _no_ power greater than _mine_! I... _Taldan_ of Olnar, will now _kill_ you, and take the _necklace_ for my own. _I_ will become, the _true_ _Wielder of Power_!"

Taldan raises his wand as Amanda feels a _jolt_ shoot through her. Just as she snaps her wand up, a spider _races_ up behind Taldan. One of the men _yells_ and Taldan spins _just_ in time to be knocked to the ground by the spider's two forward legs. The spider _towers_ over Taldan, who tries to roll to the side to grab his dropped wand. The Spider quickly _rises_ high on its hairy legs, curling its abdomen under its body. Amanda stands _frozen_ in place, watching Taldan grab his wand, but it is _too_ late for him to react. The spider has _sprayed_ Taldan with a _thick_ mass of webbing.

Amanda continues to watch for a moment in _stunned_ horror, as the spider uses its front legs to roll Taldan _over_ and over in the spraying webbing. She can clearly see Taldan _struggling_ in vain within the thick sticky webbing. The spider continues to spray _more_ webbing, rolling Taldan like a _spool_ being wound with thread. She watches until she can _no_ longer see Taldan at all, eventually, _all_ movement within the webbing stops.

A scream _snaps_ Amanda out of her stupor. Spinning quickly, Amanda sees Thian facing a much smaller _orange_ spider a short distance in front of him, that is _about_ to reach a shrieking Tianna.

Thian fires _three_ quick bolts, striking the spider in the head, from the left side of where Tianna has just _tripped_ and is sprawled flat on her back.

Each of Thian's slashing spells have struck the _same_ spot on the side of the spider's head, cutting _deep_ enough for his _fourth_ bolt to enter the spider's brain, _killing_ it instantly. The huge spider _drops_ like a boulder to the ground, its huge _fangs_ sticking in the dirt, _one_ on either side of Tianna's _chest_ , its ugly face _pinning_ her to the ground.

Thick, _black_ blood _oozes_ from its hideous mouth, along with a greenish _bubbling_ foam, dripping _thickly_ over Tianna's face and chest. She struggles _desperately_ to free herself, coughing, _choking_ and gasping for air, all the while looking into the huge _gleaming_ eyes of the dead spider.

Tia yells something and Amanda, who has just begun running to help her, spins just in time to see _two_ spiders rip one of the men in _half_. It _looks_ like the man who was called _Jake_. _Half_ of the bloody and _dripping_ man _dangles_ from one spider's mouth, the _other_ half from the other spider. Amanda turns and violently _throws_ up.

Tia reaches Tianna, grabs hold of her arms and pulls, _straining_ to drag her free of the spider pinning her to the ground.

Thian screams, "Tia! _Look_ out!" just as a spider is coming at Tia from her right, where _another_ man is firing _killing_ curses at two other spiders, that are forcing him _back_ toward the trees. Amanda is _stunned_ that the killing curses have little effect, then realizes that the _spiders_ must have some kind of protective _spells_ on them. But _how_? And _who_ would want to protect them?

Tia _yells_ in terror letting go of Tianna, then begins firing _spells_ at the giant spider. Each time a bolt strikes the spider, it _hisses_ and quickly darts from side to side, trying to avoid the brilliant bolts of the spells.

Amanda is firing spells which at first, _binds_ the legs of some of the huge spiders with _thick_ rope, causing them to tumble to the ground as they struggle to get free.

Turning, Amanda sees Sadie running _frantically_ into the trees to the right, with three giant spiders chasing her. In a moment, Sadie disappears into the dark _shadows_ of the trees, as have the spiders.

Thian is fighting _three_ huge spiders which have formed a circle around him. Thian's eyes are so _huge_ , they're almost all Amanda sees of his _terrified_ face, as the spiders quickly begin to circle around him.

Thian spins and fires _bolt_ after bolt as quickly as he can move. His strikes do _nothing_ but further _anger_ the beasts, but at least seem to keep them from _charging_... for the moment anyway... at least until he tires, and can no longer fire _quickly_ enough to hold them off.

Amanda has become _frozen_ , trying to figure out _which_ spiders to shoot at, looking from the spot where _Sadie_ has vanished into the dark trees, to Tia and Tianna, to Thian. Then to _Morpheus_ and the remaining men, two of whom are fighting three spiders each, while several _other_ spiders are running around looking for any _other_ prey, or any dropped _bits_ they have not eaten yet.

About to fire at the two spiders repeatedly _lunging_ and retreating at Thian, Amanda feels a _jolt_ shoot through her. She begins to hear voices _yelling_ in her head, telling her things she should _do_. Her arm seems to rise on its own, even as she _struggles_ against it. She begins firing spells that _completely_ sever a leg or two of the spiders that are about to _tear_ her apart, then spells that instantly _paralyze_ the spiders, freezing them in place, as they begin to _bubble_ and dissolve.

Thian and the others are doing _everything_ they can to stop the spiders, but _more_ have come out of the glass panels. The spiders seem to be _everywhere_.

Amanda turns to see _Morpheus_ fire three quick bolts at a huge spider, which drops to the ground... _dead_. Morpheus turns, panting hard, and catches Amanda's eyes for a moment. He then snaps his head around to look at the _cocoon_ which encases his master, _Taldan_. It is though Morpheus is trying to decide whether to go after _Amanda_ , or free his _master_. Two charging spiders decide things _for_ him, and he begins stumbling backward as they charge, rearing up on their _hind_ legs, their massive fangs _dripping_ venom.

The voices in Amanda's head are getting _louder_ and louder, yelling various _killing_ curses she should use.

Amanda shouts, "No! I don't want to have to _kill_ them... get _out_ of my head! I don't _want_ to kill them, I just want them to _go_ away." She then turns to fight another spider.

She fires a few bolts into its eyes, sending the spider _scampering_ away from her.

As Amanda runs from another spider, a brilliant _flash_ catches her attention, and she looks back through the glass panels. There she sees a man dressed _all_ in black, firing _spell_ after spell at _three_ giant spiders which are forcing him back, _further_ into the tiled room.

He turns for a brief moment, looking through the panels, _directly_ at Amanda.

"Oh my _god_! It's _Wind_ Rider!" she gasps.

Firing off several more bolts of her own, she runs to the side, away from a _charging_ spider. She shoots a look back through the glass panels as she runs. Wind Rider is firing bolts _quick_ as a cat. Two of the huge spiders have dropped to the floor, the other now _trying_ to get over them, to _attack_ him.

As Wind Rider turns and begins to _sprint_ into the panels, one of the men near the edge of the forest, fires _back_ through the panels, _misses_ Wind Rider, but strikes the _huge_ spider that has just managed to force its _dead_ brothers to the side. The man's shot strikes the _side_ of the spider, dropping it to the floor on that injured side, sending it _skidding_ and spinning into the _side_ of the glass panels at an angle, _shattering_ the panels on impact.

Amanda's eyes fly _wide_ as she sees Wind Rider's _terrified_ expression, as he is only _half_ way through the panels, reaching out, as if _reaching_ for Amanda, when the panels _explode_ into millions of shattered shards of _deadly_ flying glass.

Amanda gasps as she sees the panels _vanish_. She is _horrified_ to be looking at a _solid_ mountain.

" _Wind_ Rider! _No_!" she then quickly realizes, "The _panels_! The spider _destroyed_ the panels. They're gone! We _can't_ get back inside to _help_ him!"

Amanda, fear coursing through her, feels another _jolt_ shoot through her, much _stronger_ than the other, as she feels her hair begin to rise off her back. The voices in her head have returned, _yelling_ at her, as she continues to _fight_ against their influence and _control_ over her once again.

She binds another spider's _legs_ in time to turn and see Sadie, _scrambling_ up a tree back near the tree line, frantically trying to get away from the spiders that are _chasing_ her. She is up a good ways, but a large spider stands on its _hind_ legs and takes a _swipe_ at her with its forelegs. Sadie is _flicked_ from the tree as though she were a _bug_ being flicked off a shoulder. She _flies_ into the clearing from the dark shadows of the forest, having been thrown _high_ into the air for twenty feet, where she crashes _hard_ onto her back and does not move.

Amanda's hair shoots _straight_ up as she watches the huge spider near Sadie rise up on several of its back legs, its other legs waving _menacingly_ in the air, its long _curved_ shining fangs beginning to form drops of _deadly_ venom.

Amanda hears a young man's voce _scream_ in her head. Amanda's arm _whips_ up and she begins _blasting_ away at the spider about to pounce on Sadie's still form. The spider _explodes_! _Hundreds_ of bits of spider bits fly everywhere, coating _everyone_ with thick _sticky_ black blood.

"There're too _many_ of them!" Tia shouts helping Tianna scramble to her feet, after she had been knocked down by another spider, before Amanda blasted _that_ one to bits as well.

Tianna fires off a couple bolts scaring away another spider about to get Sadie, who is now sitting up and holding the back of her head.

Looking around quickly, Amanda sees that only _Morpheus_ and two other men are left. There are several _arms_ and legs from some of the other men _scattered_ about, and _some_ encased in a cocoon, like Taldan. Morpheus and the two others are fighting _seven_ angry spiders, and not doing a very good _job_ of it. Morpheus had seen Amanda _completely_ destroy one of the huge spiders, and Amanda had caught the look on his _startled_ face.

_Eleven_ huge spiders form a large circle around all the kids.

"I said... _no_!" Amanda yells and her hair falls _instantly_ to her shoulders. She is panting hard and looks _completely_ exhausted.

Morpheus fires a _quick_ shot at Amanda, just as Amanda's hair had fallen. His bolt _grazes_ her arm, cutting a large _slash_ in it. Amanda staggers back and bends forward, grabbing her arm as blood _rushes_ through her fingers.

Morpheus screams, "I _got_ her! She _can_ be killed... _get_ her!"

He had no sooner yelled, then several spiders charged _him_ and the other men.

"The _Specteroscope_! Amanda, use the _Specteroscope_ to get us the heck _out_ of here!" Tianna yells as she and Sadie walk backward toward the center of the circle of spiders, each blasting the _worst_ spells they know as they retreat.

"Yeah, _right_ , okay," Amanda says quickly reaching into her pants pocket, drawing out the device on its long chain. She quickly pulls it from the pouch which dangles on the longer chain, flips the _cover_ open, spins a dial several times, and yells. "Everybody! You have to touch _me_ or the _Scope_. _Hurry_ , they're closing in!"

The spiders tighten their circle, sensing that _something_ is about to happen, each _lunging_ then retreating when struck. But as soon as Thian, Tianna, Sadie and Tia run for Amanda, _several_ of the spiders charge as well.

Tianna, Sadie and Tia all reach Amanda quickly. Thian is further away but is _almost_ to them, when the _largest_ spider that _towers_ over all the others, comes _charging_ back in from the forest, and into the clearing from the tree line.

Amanda cannot believe how _gigantic_ it is or how fast it is running. Its huge _forelegs_ waving in the air in front of it, sends _mind_ numbing _terror_ into them all. It reaches Thian, knocking him forward onto the ground and _skidding_ away from it.

Tianna, Sadie and Tia fire at the gigantic spider's face, with _intense_ hatred, while Amanda spins to fire at several of the others.

Sadie yells, "Our _brooms_!"

Amanda's hair _snaps_ up as she spins around, her wand _whirls_ and without a word, _all_ the brooms fly to them as Tianna, Sadie and Tia catch them. Tia holds onto hers and Amanda's, while Tianna holds onto her own and Thian's.

They continue to fire at the _hissing_ spiders all around them, and force the _massive_ one back from Thian, keeping it from killing him, as Thian frantically _crawls_ forward toward his friends. The bolts from their wands light up the now _darkened_ clearing, as though they are standing in a circle of _strobe_ lights. All the movements around them look as though they are in a _stop_ motion film.

Thian crawls enough to grab onto Amanda's ankle as the giant spider _towers_ over them all. Its dark black eyes _glisten_ in the flashing light, as half a _dozen_ other spiders stand nearby, as though the giant one told them to _back_ off, wanting the kids for itself.

Everyone is either holding _onto_ Amanda, or someone who _is_ holding onto her as they all continue to fire at the _gigantic_ spider right beside them, which is still trying _desperately_ to get Thian. Everything is happening in _split_ seconds. The spider is hit _again_ and again, and begins to stagger back, as Amanda screams, "I said... get _out_ of me!"

Amanda's hair _falls_ to her back as she cries, "Hold on! _Here_ we go!"

Amanda looks back in time to see _Morpheus_ turn away from fighting the spiders and looks _right_ into her eyes. He looks at the device in her hands with confusion for a moment, then, eyes widening screams, " _Noooo_!" just as he is sprayed with a _stream_ of thick webbing, knocking him to the ground, his wand _rolling_ away from him. In sheer _terror_ , he desperately grabs for his wand but in vain.

As Amanda presses the button on the Specteroscope, the _towering_ spider near Thian _lunges_ , stretching out a long hairy leg, _pinning_ him to the ground.

There is a brilliant _blue_ -white flash as all the kids _vanish_. The remaining _startled_ spiders scurry around in circles, _looking_ for their prey, but there are _none_ to be found.

_All_ have vanished but for the struggling Taldan, _Morpheus_ , and one short man who is being _shredded_ by three large hungry spiders. All the other men have been _killed_... and either eaten, or still _being_ eaten... many while _still_ alive.

What the remaining spiders _do_ notice however, almost _immediately_ , is that the largest, _fiercest_ , and by far the _meanest_ of their brethren... their _massive_ leader...

is also missing.

### ~~~~~

On another realm, in the _highest_ tower of a massive black castle, within a large laboratory _filled_ with bubbling beakers and _steaming_ cauldrons, a _chiming_ suddenly sounds, coming from an adjoining closet, then stops. The face of the woman seated at her desk, _snaps_ her head around in surprise, looking _blankly_ at the closed closet door. For a moment, she sits staring at the _tall_ black arched wooden door, as though not sure she had _heard_ it.

The chiming _sounds_ again startling her. Springing to her feet, she sends her chair _skidding_ across the floor as she bolts for the door. Yanking the door open, she makes her way _quickly_ inside the cramped and almost _filled_ space of the closet. Illuminating her wand, she _frantically_ begins moving heaps of piled bags and _boxes_ out of her way. The chime comes again _just_ as she grasps her hand around an old _dusty_ wooden box. Hands trembling, she slides the box from the shelf.

For a moment, she stares at the ancient, _faded_ golden dragon carved on the lid, with the _odd_ symbol above its head. The contents _chime_ again, almost causing her to _drop_ the box.

Snapping the lid open, she stares wide-eyed in shock, _disbelief_ clearly etched on her face, as her jaw drops at the _glowing_ face of her ancient Specteroscope. Someone, has just used _another_ Specteroscope. But not just _any_ scope. There are only _two_ of these very _special_ , and most ancient Scopes said to _possibly_ still be in existence. She has always suspected _who_ may have the sister Scope to this one, but did not _really_ think it was still in existence. She had reprogrammed _this_ Scope herself, _ages_ ago, to alert her should a Scope of _equal_ power ever be used. She had tried _asking_ this Scope, if indeed the other Scope did exist, but it would give her no answer.

The Specteroscope chimes, once again startling her.

Taking the Scope from the ancient _velvet_ lined box,

she pushes a dial button to silence it.

With a trembling hand, she _clutches_ it to her chest,

her heart beating _wildly_ as she closes her eyes.

Taking short _gasping_ breaths,

an icy chill _crawls_ its way up Morana's spine.

###

End of Book Two

Please continue with Book Three:

Amanda Ackers and

The Thirteen Shards of Legend

Available sometime in 2013.

Discover other titles by Glenn and Sasha Gabriel at:

Smashwords.com

or

Chili Pepper Creations LLC

You will also find Glenn and Sasha Gabriel on:

Barns and Noble

The Apple iTunes Store

Sony Ebooks

Kobo

Diesel Ebooks

And many others.

Simply search for: glennandsasha

#  Appendix A

To Prologue

### IMPORTANT

### PLEASE READ THIS FIRST!

### How To Read This Book

You think that you have a fictional story in your hands... you're ready to read it like you've done with every other fictional book... but what you really have is not a fictional story, at all.

What you have is the actual transcript, as was taken directly from the memories of those on the adventures, and recorded using the standard Elvish transcription methods.

So... what does all that mean to you? It means that what you read will take on a completely different form than what you're used to.

If (supposedly) correct, earth-bound punctuation and sentence structure (that was - and may still be - crammed down your throat) is important to you... if there is no way you can wrap your mind around a different (better?) way of writing... if proper English is the end all and be all for you... if you aren't able to see that language structure from other cultures can be vastly different than what you've always been told is the proper version (plain vanilla) and by experiencing the language from those other cultures (worlds, realms... you get the idea) simply can't add substance, vision, imagination to your thinking ... if what you're about to read is everything you've been told by your English teachers, literary professors, writing scholars, is completely wrong and NOT the "correct" way to write, then, please, put this book down now and do not continue. (And, yes, you've just experienced a bit of what I'm talking about... did you realize that what you just read is ONE, very long sentence... different from what you would expect, but still good, eh?)

We take no responsibility for any headaches (pounding or otherwise), sputtering or swearing that may occur while reading this transcript.

We do take responsibility for opening your mind... removing those tight braces from your brains... and enveloping you in a world with its own glorious language and writing.

Still reading? Good. You're mind isn't as closed as some thought it was. So, here's what you'll find within the pages of this transcript: punctuation in this book WILL NOT be that to which you are accustomed. Commas, for instance, will not appear as they would in formal written literature, but rather where those in the story take a breath or pause while speaking.

It is important to remember, this is not a book or novel in the traditional sense.

Since the transcript has now been translated into 7,546,321 different languages, on more than 15,634,444 realms plus 3,264,785 sub dialects within the lesser realms, the High Elves felt they needed to keep the recorded format of punctuation in the High Elf standard, and not have to change it to meet the demands of all the various formatting and literary styles in all the realms and languages. For example, for this version, the words may be in English but the punctuation remains in the traditional Memory Recording Formatting.

Italics in Elvish are used to emphasize where the actual speaker emphasized a word or gave a word or words greater inflection, so that the reader can, as closely as possible, read the story and get the same feeling or emotions as when it was actually spoken.

Take note, you do not need to raise the volume when reading italics, merely the pitch. But in the earth realm, we do this all the time in our everyday speech. The only time you may wish to raise the volume is if the present mood calls for it or if the italics are next to an exclamation point.

Italics in this English version on the earth realm, are also used for product names, movie titles, songs, proper names and places, and so forth, should they apply.

The official (and only authorized) authors of these adventures to be presented in any format within the earth realm, are Glenn and Sasha Gabriel, who are personal friends of Amanda Ackers, having met her when she lived on the earth realm, the relationship blossoming into a close friendship.

Glenn and Sasha have been overwhelmed with questions as to why there are so many uses of italics in the story, even though the explanation above seemed clear enough.

So, just in case the headache may be starting, let me reiterate. The reason, once again, is so you may read the story as closely to the original feelings and emotions of the speakers as possible. The italics are used where the speaker gave more inflection to emphasize a word or words.

You may ask, "Why is this so important?" Well, let's take a look at a very simple example. The following is a simple sentence. How you may read that line of text, may or may not be how it was originally spoken, nor how someone else may read it. The emphasis / inflection of a single word or words has a powerful effect on the overall feeling or emotion of the line.

Take a look at the following sentence:

"This is the same alcove I left from on Earth."

Now, read the following lines giving _some_ inflection to the word or words in italics. There is no need to over emphasize them by speaking louder, unless there is an exclamation mark by it. When we speak, we generally give more inflection by simply _raising_ our pitch slightly, even extending the spoken length of the word. For example, let's look at the word, "same" below. You may raise your pitch slightly while drawing out the word, something like 'saaaame' and not necessarily increasing your volume.

I have bolded a different word in the sentence below, so you may better find the emphasis in these examples:

" **This** is the same alcove I left from on Earth."

"This **is** the same alcove I left from on Earth."

"This is **the** same alcove I left from on Earth."

"This is the **same** alcove I left from on Earth."

"This is the same **alcove** I left from on Earth."

"This is the same alcove **I** left from on Earth."

"This is the same alcove I **left** from on Earth."

"This is the same alcove I left **from** on Earth."

"This is the same alcove I left from **on** Earth."

"This is the same alcove I left from on **Earth**."

" **This** is the **same** alcove I left from on Earth."

If you sounded each sentence out, you realized that each sentence _meaning_ will be different. You should now be able to read the transcript in the manner that the _speaker_ meant to say it, experiencing _their_ feelings, attitudes and _emotions_ at the time the words were spoken.

I know, I know. Seeing so many italics and adding some inflection at those points, may take some getting used to, but once you get the hang of it, it will become second nature.

An ellipse (...) is used wherever a _longer_ pause was used or when a sentence is cut off due to an interruption.

Question marks are self-explanatory.

Semicolons _may_ or may not be used, but _if_ used, they may not appear or be used as you may expect (they amuse the High Elves).

Quotation marks are used to denote what a person or _creature_ is saying as well as _thinking_. You will be warned if it was a _thought_ for it will say something to that effect.

Other punctuation symbols may or may not be used as expected.

### NOTE:

If you are an English major or literary aficionado, please re-read the above several times, for I'm told that if you do not _fully_ comprehend the above, the way this book if formatted will drive you _mad_ (or perhaps madder than you already are).

If you are one who is a literary _critic_ (you know who you are) and nit-picks proper word use and formatting as it pertains to the English language... someone who needs _proper_ character and plot development and other such _nonsense_... you will truly be _disappointed_ in the reading of this transcribed _true_ story.

Therefore, please stop now and give this book to someone whose nose is not stuck so _highly_ in the air, as to not allow them to enjoy _fabulous_ adventures, written exactly as it happened in the adventurer's _very_ own words!

This is _not_ a novel which will conform to your idealistic English way of writing and formatting (does it really have to be?). Instead, it is an _exact_ transcript of the adventures as they took place, using the _formatting_ of the High Elves... so, please, get _over_ it!
