 
### Tales of the Arter Gems:

### Episode II

### The Pinnacles of Fate

### Mario Walsh

Tales of the Arter Gems

Episode II

The Pinnacles of Fate

Mario Walsh

Published by Mario Walsh at Smashwords

Copyright 2014 Mario Walsh

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

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

Other books by Mario Walsh

Episode III - The Chosen One

Episode IV - A Twist of Fate

Episode V - Syra's Paradox

Episode I - The Prophet and her Legacy

COMING SOON

Episode VI - The Syndicate of Time

Episode VII - The Mentor of Time

Episode VIII - The Guardian of Time

Episode IX - The Martyr of Time

Episode X - The Bounty of Time
Dedication to both

Life & Death

Firstly, a big thank you to my friend Nik 'KRONIKUS' Lewis for his amazing talent on the front cover. Honestly brother, it's the best one of them all so far, and I appreciate all your hard work.

◊ Life ◊

Michael Shawn Hickenbottom Aka 'SHAWN MICHAELS'

"The nineties were a grim time for the WWF, as most of the decent wrestlers jumped ship. That was a blessing in disguise, because it gave you a chance to spread your wings, and become the best. Thanks HBK."

◊ Death ◊

James Helwig Aka 'THE ULTIMATE WARRIOR'

16-6-1959 - 8-4-2014

I'm so shocked that you left us so soon. You were one of my heroes as a child, and were uniquely different. You left more than a thumbprint for a legacy, and you're missed by many. Thank you for making my childhood so awesome."

### Table of Contents

Preface

I - an 'inZANE' choice to make

II - A 'Random' Encounter...

III - Don't Desert Me!

IV \- What You See Is Not Necessarily What's Really There...

V - A Stranger, a Bounty Hunter and an Earthling...

VI - A Murder of Crows..

VII - Dazed and Confused..

VIII - Water Bazaar Feeling...

IX - A Little White Lie Won't Hurt Anyone...

X - Taming the Rabid Beast...

XI - Do As I Say, Not As I Do

XII - A Shade of Grey

XIII \- It Pays to Leave an Ace Up Your Sleeve

XIV - All Good Things Come to an End.

XV - SEAL the deal...

XVI- Light at the End of the Tunnel

XVII - Joining the Dots..

XVIII \- Beyond the Point of No Return

XIX- The Start of my Legacy..

XX - All it Takes is Ten Seconds of Courage..

XXI- Trust me, from One Westie to Another..

XXII - Killing on an Empty Stomach

XXIII - Two Peas in the Same Pod..

XXIV - Never Let An Opportunity Slip Through Your Fingers..

XXV - My Fear of the Unknown

XXVI - Some Things are Best Left Forgotten

XXVII - Guardian of the Arter Gem

About the Author

### Preface

I'm like most typical twenty seven year old West Auckland males in 1993 - not to mention the addiction to rock music, which is pretty standard. Black jeans, a black shirt with a lime green circular symbol on the front. I have black hair which falls well past my shoulders, a long goatee, and a tattoo of the ace of spades on the inside of my right wrist. I have no idea who my real parents are. My foster parents died when I was very young; I endeavour to one day find out where I came from.

With water dripping from the olive skin on my face, I gaze at my reflection in a mirror, inside the dirty confines of a public toilet in Kelston, and it never once dawns on me that today could be a weird day.

My name is Zane, and this is my story.

### I - An 'inZANE' choice to make

Its late afternoon on March 31st, 1993, and I'm busy taking 'Butch' my Rottweiler, and my daughter Syra for a walk through Kelston, West Auckland. She's three, and really quite sharp for her age. She likes to point to the street signs as we pass, saying them aloud to show me that she remembers what I've taught her.

While Syra's pram gets stuck on a rock, Butch begins barking ferociously. Before I get a chance to tell him to stop, I realise what has got him so worked up. There's an older woman crossing the road, not caring at all about her safety. Cars are tooting and grinding to a halt as she briskly strolls across the road, walking out onto the footpath in front of us.

She's wearing a tailored white pastel suit, and her grey hair is flowing free, covering most of her face.

"Sorry," she says, causing Butch to whimper.

"What's wrong, boy?" I ask, bending down and scratching his chin.

He looks towards the older woman and his tongue starts hanging out of his mouth.

"Should we follow her, booooooyy?" I say, scratching his back.

"Follow her, Daddy," Syra exclaims, pointing at her.

"Okay beautiful, you're the boss."

I continue pushing the pram, keeping my distance from the older woman. Syra's curiosity never seems to sleep and she begins questioning me.

"Where's she going, Daddy?"

"I'm not sure, angel."

"Why didn't she look both ways crossing the road?"

"Because she's a naughty lady."

"Why's she in such a hurry?"

"Daddy doesn't know hunny."

"Why are we following her?"

"Because Daddy wants to know if she's heading to a park."

"YAY! I love the park!" Syra says, shaking around.

After following her down a few streets, I see her enter the old Asylum. Many people are hanging around outside; the sign at the entrance has a large blank space, and 'University' underneath.

"Have they transformed the old Asylum into a University?" I mutter.

"Is there a playground there, Daddy?" Syra asks.

"No beautiful, there isn't. Let's head home and tell mum about our walk," I say, turning the pram around.

While we walk home, I wonder why they would do such a thing with that place. It was already creepy enough, now students have to study there. The almighty dollar can make people do some strange things.

"Mummy!" Syra yells, running into Linda's arms.

"Hey baby, be with you in a sec," I say, passing my wife and picking up our phone.

I ring the number for the old asylum. '09-8130863.'

"Hello, you've reached the University. How may I help you," the lady on the phone says.

"Isn't it odd that you don't even have a name for the University yet?" I reply, cheekily.

"Sorry about that sir, it's one of our highest priorities. First and foremost we wish to educate people."

"Can I please book an appointment with the Vice Chancellor?"

"Sure. How does 9am tomorrow sound? When you come in just ask for Akiad Zaruth"

"Sounds great. Thank you very much." I say before hanging up the phone.

"Hey hunny, how was your walk?" Linda asks, hugging me from behind.

I turn around and hold her close to me. Linda is my wife, and my high school sweetheart, 'Class of 83'. There has never been another, only her; forever and always.

"I have an appointment tomorrow," I say.

"Huh? You never told me you had an appointment."

"Ummm... It's with the Vice Chancellor at the new University."

"What new University?"

"Remember the old mental Asylum?"

"You mean Kelston institute for the criminally insane?"

"Yes."

"What about it?"

"That's the new University."

"You're kidding."

"Not one bit."

"Well, at least you won't need a straitjacket looking the way you do. You'll be fine," Linda says, cheekily.

"Come here you," I say, kissing her passionately.

"I love you baby," Linda says.

"Love you too," I reply.

"Daddy, can I have a tuddle?" Syra says as she runs towards me.

"Come here pumpkin," I reply, picking her up and twirling her in the air a few times.

While I hold Syra in my arms, it makes me proud to not just be her father, but a father in general. I don't know what it is about her, but as I peer into her eyes, I feel such a strong energy. I swear that sometimes it feels like she's trying to tell me something. Linda has always said she's an 'old soul,' someone who has lived before; the more time I spend with Syra, the more I agree with her.

"Can you draw a picture for daddy, pumpkin?" I say, putting her down.

"Okay daddy!" Syra screams in excitement, dashing for the lounge.

I approach Linda, place my hands around her, then lean in and kiss her on the lips.

"I'm so proud of our little girl, she's so sharp!" I say.

"She is indeed, we've done well," Linda replies.

"Well I'm officially bushed. Maybe we shouldn't have stayed up till 3am watching that horror."

"Well, it was your idea."

"I know, I know. There's just something about flesh eating locusts that makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand upright."

"That's true, babe. I'll keep dinner in the fridge for you. I'm making your favourite; leek and potato soup."

"Thanks beautiful. See you when you get to bed."

I awaken and look at the time. It's 5am, and Linda is snoring next to me. I hop up and get changed, then head downstairs to the kitchen. My stomach is growling madly.

"Mmm, I love this soup warmed up. Hope she didn't use too much cream; I hate having the runs," I mutter to myself, popping some in a dish.

I open the microwave, place the dish inside then set the timer before heading out to the back step and sitting down. Looking out at the back paddock, I hear a noise.

"Hello?" I say, standing up.

I walk into our back yard, gradually approaching the back fence. Leaning on it, I look out to the endless sea of long grass, trying to see clearly in the dark.

"Is someone there?" I yell out

Man, I wish I had a torch... Or ate more carrots. Turning to head back inside, I hear another noise from the paddock. Grass is rustling about fifty metres away.

"Hello? It's five in the morning, can you please quit the games?"

Moments after that comment, the noises stop but my stomach starts growling again. I head back inside, and get my food out of the microwave. Butch lingers around wanting a feed, so I sit back outside on the step, and place a little in his bowl.

"You're a good boy, aren't ya?" I say, scratching his head.

I eat the soup with Butch, then head inside and lay on the couch with him. I wonder what all that noise was in the paddock. Maybe it's just the lack of sleep throwing off my senses...

"Shit, what time is it," I say, waking from my slumber.

Looking at the clock in the lounge I suddenly realise it's already 7:40am. I rush upstairs, quickly brush my teeth, chuck a pair of black jeans and a black heavy metal shirt on, then hurry down to the kitchen.

"Well, I better get going, beautiful. It's 7:45am, and my appointment to meet the Vice Chancellor is at nine," I say, kissing Linda on the cheek.

"Okay hunny, love you," Linda replies.

"Love you too," I say before I leave the warm confines of my house.

The weather takes a turn for the worse while I'm on the bus; but it gives me some time to think about Syra.

I remember one morning about a year ago - The hail against the window woke me up, and Syra was in our bed, between Linda and me....

"Daddy, draw picture?" Syra asks.

I look to the side and see that it's 4am.

"Were you having a bad dream?" I ask.

"Come," Syra replies, climbing over Linda, but thankfully not waking her.

I follow her to the lounge, and she sits at the table. I sit next to her, and watch as she draws a picture.

She starts by writing something, leaning close to the paper; I can't see until she pulls away.

"Pa.. Dox," Syra says, leaning back in her chair.

I look down and see that she has written 'Padox' on her piece of paper

"What does that mean, sweetie?" I ask.

She hops onto the ground, then dives her head into a large bucket of crayons, searching for the right colour. Returning with a light blue crayon, she climbs onto her chair, and begins drawing.

She holds the crayon about halfway down, then draws a large circle, spinning counter clockwise. She looks up at me and says "Padox" with a big smile on her face.

I look back at her and smile.

"Good drawing, beautiful," I reply.

I don't know what it was about that, but I know that I've spent a lot of time trying to work that one out.

"Should have worn a jacket," I mutter to myself as I hop off the bus.

April 1st, and it's bucketing down with rain. Who's the fool now? As I run from shelter to shelter towards the Vice Chancellors office, something dawns on me. I'm completely drenched, about to meet the head of a University, to discuss my daughter attending here in fifteen years' time. It does seem a little stupid.

I arrive at the office, and his door is closed. Lined up along the wall on either side are wooden chairs; the one opposite the office is occupied by an attractive woman in her fifties, she has mostly grey hair with black streaks running through. She's wearing a long black robe - which appears to have a hood, and yellow dishwashing gloves. No offense to her, but good luck with her interview.

I sit down opposite her, on the seat next to the door.. A puddle forms on the ground beneath me, and while I'm still a little distracted by her appearance, she speaks first.

"Let me guess, you're going for the job too?"

"No, I'm checking the University out for my daughter."

"That's nice of you; but aren't you a little old to be doing that?"

"I'm nearly twenty eight."

"No, I meant your daughter. She must be at least sixteen. Teach her some independence."

"No... She's..... Three."

"Hmm, didn't see that one coming."

I stop in silence as I let the shame of that woman's comment sink in. A change of subject is severally needed.

"Isn't it weird that the University has no name?" I say.

"It's called Leviathan University."

"No, that's wrong. It doesn't have a name. The woman on the phone confirmed this."

"Well, I'm going to suggest it to be called Leviathan University. It's a strong name."

Is this lady for real? She seems like a loon. Ironic, being that we're in an old asylum.

"So, why are you wearing yellow gloves?" I ask.

"Nosey, aren't you? Must be a Gemini," she quips.

"Cheeky comment coming from someone going to a job interview wearing dishwashing gloves," I reply, in a similar manner.

"I plan to get this job. It's for the head nurse."

"Now I get the gloves," I quip.

She looks at me in a filthy way, then begins crying. Shit, I always get caught in situations like this.

"I'm sorry," I say, sounding empathetic.

"It's okay. I just haven't seen my father in a long time," she replies, wiping tears from her eyes.

"I'm really sorry to hear that."

"It's fine. You just remind me a lot of him."

"He must have been handsome," I joke, causing us to both laugh.

Our laughter eventually wears off, prompting her to speak.

"What's your daughter's name?"

"Why do you have yellow gloves on?"

"Why check out this university when your daughter is three?"

"We all have our secrets, don't we?"

She smiles at me, and in this small lapse of time, I introduce myself.

"My name's Zane."

"Terra, please come in," a voice says from beyond the door.

"Bye Zane," Terra replies, entering the room.

I smile to myself, thinking about how weird that whole conversation was. She is bizarre, no doubt in my mind.

A few minutes pass and she exits the office, smiling and nodding as she walks past. I wonder if she got the job.

The Vice Chancellor is standing beyond the door. He's wearing a brown leather jacket, denim jeans and looks very old. His hair is white, quite bushy and thick for an old fella. But it's the white pupils which catch me a little off-guard.

"Did she get the job?" I ask.

"Yeah, she surprised me too. She even suggested Leviathan University for the name of our great establishment. I like it. Anyway, my name is Akiad Zaruth, nice to meet you," Akiad says, reaching out to shake my hand.

"Zane, nice to meet you too," I reply, eventually shaking his hand.

Suddenly, a flash blinds my vision; I look down at my hand and see that it's invisible - from my right finger tips, to just past my wrist.

I swiftly end the handshake in shock, then flick my right hand; it appears visible again. Am I seeing things?

"Come in, please take a seat," Akiad says, closing the door behind me.

I sit down, still confused by what just happened and have a look around the room; it seems fairly normal. The wooden desk in front of me has papers stacked in the corners and the windows are open to the left of us. Two suspicious items catch my eye, the two metre high object in the back right corner of the room - which is covered by a white sheet; and the wooden closet.

"Oh that's just an old mirror, which was a present from a friend. I keep it covered to stop dust getting on it," Akiad says, smiling. As he sits down, I start my questions.

"So, what are your long term goals for this university?" I ask, sitting back in my chair, left leg crossed over my right.

"Basically, I want to inject every student in attendance with a formula that will hypnotise them into becoming my slave, eventually helping me take over the world," Akiad says, keeping a straight face.

I stay silent for about twenty seconds; is this guy for real?

"April fools, right?" Akiad says, before laughing loudly, making me laugh.

"Okay, you got me, good one," I reply, chuckling.

Moments after our laughter wears thin, Akiad speaks.

"Now that the rain has died down, would you like me to show you around the campus? We'll head over to the White lecture theatre; I'm sure you'll appreciate the displays, as this week is cultural week," Akiad explains.

"All right sounds good. After you," I reply as we both hop up, and exit the room.

Akiad takes me for a circuit around the campus, and before taking me to the White lecture theatre, he shows me the infirmary - which I swear wasn't there on my first walk through this morning.

The infirmary is extremely run down, the brown paint is flaking off, and is in dire need of a refurbishment, especially when compared to the rest of the campus. Akiad mentioned earlier on, in our tour that the university has been getting a facelift over the last three years, however the infirmary looks like it hasn't been touched at all. Strange.

Once we arrive at the White lecture theatre, I become excited; I'm quite keen to see these displays. I peek through one of the windows on the double doors. The layout of the theatre is quite common of a university. It's on a forty five degree angle from top to the blackboard at the bottom, and the entrance is in the back left corner; the highest point of the room.

Akiad opens the doors, and no surprise to me, the displays are amazing. The biggest section is for New Zealand, but it's hardly stealing the show; the most amazing display present in my opinion, is for the Japanese. It's at the back of the room, with a huge Japanese flag pinned on the wall, and in an 'X' formation - positioned in the middle of the red dot - are two samurai swords, in their respective sheathes. I approach them with haste, and don't hesitate in removing one from the wall, and pulling it out if its sheath.

"Authentic, I assure you. I only want the best for my students," Akiad says, standing behind me while I marvel at the blade.

"Sixteenth century?" I ask, while carefully twisting the samurai sword around, studying it further.

"Of course. Anything made from any other era wouldn't match the quality of this authentic, ancient samurai sword," Akiad replies.

While sliding the sword into the sheath, and placing it back on the display, I ponder something. If I ever had to take arms for any ridiculous reason, then a samurai sword would be my weapon of choice.

"Sorry Zane, I'm just wondering if you have decided to enrol your child here at Leviathan University? If so, when would they be starting?" Akiad asks.

"Oh I feel this place is right for her. She'll probably start sometime in 2007?" I reply, looking around the room at the other displays.

"Wow, that's a little ahead of time," Akiad replies, sounding confused, following closely behind me.

"Well, she's a special girl, and I want the best for her. Anyway, I'm very impressed with this University, and it was great to meet you. Thank you for your time," I say, shaking Akiad's hand.

I quickly glance down at my hand, as I'm shaking his, but it doesn't disappear. Maybe I was just seeing things. Oh well, time to depart and let Linda know about the university.

As I walk home, the rain starts bucketing down again, eventually turning into hail; while passing through Kelston, I notice a second hand store which is open. Right out in front of the shop is a clothing rack with a black leather trench coat, in immaculate condition; for a mere twenty dollars. I take the coat off, and immediately enter the store to purchase it.

I'm second in queue, and while time ticks by, I look to my left, and see another rack with a black denim vest for sale, cheap too. It reminds me a little bit of a vest that most action stars wore in the eighties. It's old, but is so me.

"I'll take this too," I say, grabbing the vest, and passing my items to the salesperson.

I step out of the shop, it's still pouring down. I put my newly acquired vest and trench coat on, and walk home.

To be honest, I don't mind the rain pelting down on me. It gives me time to think about things. I was fairly impressed with the university, but something was obscure about it; was it the compulsory blood test Akiad mentioned as we wandered around the campus, or the fact that it used to be an Asylum? Maybe, it's just me. But in saying all of this, the choice to send my little girl to Leviathan University is certain. I definitely want her to attend one day, but maybe I should have started with a primary school first.

### II - A 'Random' Encounter...

A few days pass, and life is going on as usual. I'm on leave from work for two weeks, so my body has definitely transitioned into holiday mode. I really can't complain; life is good. I'm in sales, working for an outsourced sales company; it's such a stressful job. I've been a salesman since about fifteen, so two weeks off feels well deserved.

I finally get out of bed, and change into some blue denim jeans and a white singlet; I tie my hair into a ponytail, then walk towards Syra's room. She is already up, keeping to herself like my good little girl. She never gets up to mischief to be honest. She usually just entertains herself, until Linda or I attend to her.

"Syra hunny, what are you drawing?" I ask, kneeling down next to her.

She never answers me, as she's so enthralled in her cute little squiggle.

"Is it one of your friends?" I ask.

Syra nods her head at me, and continues drawing.

She's holding her green crayon in the middle, and moving it quite delicately for her age.

"Knee-doll," Syra says, pointing at her green squiggle.

"Good girl," I reply, trying to process what she's saying.

'Knee-doll' makes no sense to me.

"Stool," Syra says, continuing to point to her green squiggle.

"What a great drawing, hunny," I reply, leaning over and cuddling her.

"Breakfast!" Syra says, darting out of the room.

I lean over and pick up her picture. 'Knee-doll' and 'Stool'? What on Earth does she mean?

"Knee doll," I mutter to myself, pacing in her room.

I glance out the window, and see some rather loud kids at the bus stop. They're waiting for their bus to go to school. Then it hits me; did she mean 'needle' and 'school'? Even if she didn't, it's got me thinking about the university again. One of the more strange points; the compulsory blood test at the run down infirmary.

I walk into the lounge, and my precious angels are eating their breakfast in front of the television.

"Good morning beautiful," I say, leaning in and kissing Linda on the cheek.

"How are you this morning, baby?" Linda replies.

"Feeling much better. But to be honest, Syra has got me thinking. I want to return to the University and check something," I say, kneeling down between Linda's legs and giving her a hug.

"Haha, a three year old gave you that advice?" Linda replies, laughing.

"Hunny, it's hard to explain. But I love you, and I will see you later?" I say, kissing her on the cheek and leaving the room.

"Make sure you grab a bite to eat before you leave."

I toast a piece of my favourite grainy bread, spread some crunchy peanut butter on it, and then catch the bus to Leviathan University.

It's 9:27am, when I arrive at the entrance.. Thankfully the weather is amazing and to be fair; I'm so glad that I'm wearing a singlet and jeans.

Well, I don't want to muck around. I head straight for the infirmary. The old building does seem very out of place, and to be honest, I don't even know if Syra's cute baby talk was even relevant to this building; but she got me thinking about it, so I guess that's what's important.

I look over to my right, and see an old man sweeping some leaves. However he's not using a rake, he's using a staff, but on the 'sweeping' end is what looks like a tennis racket. He has long flowing white hair - with what looks like blood all through it - a long white beard that has been plated, and is wearing a brown, muddy, blood stained robe and sandals. The only normal thing on him is the satchel slung over his right shoulder. An odd old man, to say the least.

"You want to go in there, don't you?" he says, looking down and sweeping a pile of rubbish and leaves.

"What makes you say that?" I reply.

"Because you want to know whether what Syra said was true, am I right, Zane?" the old man says, continuing to look down and sweep.

Is he serious? I can't believe that he knows all about me and my daughter. I swear I'm going to kill this creepy stalker!

I swiftly approach the old man, grab him by his robe, and throw him against the nearest tree; I move my face right up to his, and begin breathing heavily on him.

"What did you just say? How do you know my name and more importantly; my daughters? Are you sick?" I say, with much anger in my voice.

The old man starts laughing. To be honest, he's really starting to piss me off.

"I can't explain myself at all without you sounding a little puzzled. Have you noticed anything unusual happening to your body lately?" the old man asks.

I quickly let go of him, as his question baffles me.

"Can you elaborate on that a little?" I ask.

"Have you discovered any powers, let's say... By accident?" the old man replies, smiling at me.

I have to stop and think before answering him. What is this old man talking about? Then it dawns on me; is he referring to my arm disappearing when I shook the Vice Chancellor's hand. Is this the type of powers he's speaking about?

"When I shook the Vice Chancellor's hand, I swear it disappeared for about five seconds. Is this the powers you speak of?" I say.

"Yes Zane, the power of invisibility. I have a friend that can teach you to enhance this, by all means. But you're destiny isn't here on Earth, my friend. By the way, the name's Modnar," he says, offering to shake my hand.

"I'd say Zane, but you already know that."

"Zane, what have you told Vice Chancellor Akiad? Have you mentioned Syra, or that you are any relation to her?" Modnar says, sounding fearful.

"No, I haven't? But why would that matter?"

"Zane, please walk with me. What I'm about to say, may sound a little farfetched, but you must trust me," Modnar replies, leading us towards the university field.

I begin looking around, as I have this weird feeling like someone is watching us. I'm a little bit jumpy at the best of times, so maybe it's nothing.

"Okay, spill Modnar," I say.

"In exactly fifteen years' time, your daughter Syra will stumble across a portal to another planet. You see, I'm a Time Guardian. To be exact, I am the equilibrium of the space time continuum, for your planet and the planet Tharp. In this instance, I am watching out for and protecting, anyone who is valuable to the preservation of the planet Tharp. Your daughter, believe it or not, is the next heir to the legendary blade. I have been watching over your existence for years. Letting the apples lay where they fell. Now I feel it's time to step in and steer this Zabait, in the direction it needs to go," Modnar explains, standing opposite me in the middle of the field.

"Wait, steer what? Hang on, gimme a second to process this," I say, pacing to and fro.

I begin feeling light headed, trying to figure out what Modnar has just told me. My stomach starts to curdle, brewing something that can't stay down. Seconds later, I hurl on the grass next to us.

"I suspected such a reaction," Modnar says, rubbing my back.

I look up at him and briefly smile, before continuing to vomit for the better part of a minute.

"It's going to be fine, Zane. Please trust me."

"So Modnar, where does Akiad fit into all of this?" I ask, wiping my mouth.

We begin walking again, then Modnar turns towards me and smiles.

"Interesting first question, Zane. Basically, let's sum things up. Akiad is trying to take over Earth and once he succeeds, Tharp is next," Modnar explains.

"Why don't we just kill him?" I ask, feeling worried.

"It's not that easy, my boy. This is why the safety of your young daughter's life is so imperative. She is the only one who will be able to harness the power to defeat Akiad, no one else. Let's say it's a matter of destiny," Modnar replies, patting me on the back with his right hand.

"Why her though, Modnar. Why is she so special?"

"All will be revealed soon enough. Head home, and I'll meet you back here tonight? I'll be around, don't you worry," Modnar says, slowly walking away from me.

I stand and watch Modnar walk away for about thirty seconds, then leave in the opposite direction. I'm still shocked from what I've just heard. My three year old daughter is destined to be a hero, on a strange planet in fifteen years' time. What should I think? I do know one thing for a fact. I have never killed anyone before, but that could all change; tonight.

### III - Don't Desert Me!

Dressed in my favourite black trench coat, newly acquired black denim vest, black jeans and black boots; I am ready to sneak into the university. If Modnar is telling the truth about Akiad, then surely he would live there. Something in my gut is telling me that this is the last time I'm going to see Linda and Syra, for a long time. I lean in the doorway of my bedroom, and both my two angels are fast asleep in our bed. Linda had been reading a story to Syra, and they must have fallen asleep together. They both look so cute just lying there. I quietly enter, and tears run down my face. I lean over and kiss them both on the cheek. I really hope my gut is wrong, because I can't bear to live without them. I really must succeed tonight. I open the back door and hear Butch whimpering behind me. I bend down and start scratching him under his chin.

"It's okay boy, why are you sad?" I say.

He continues to whimper; as I leave, I peek through the gap in the door, and see him lie down and rest his chin on the ground. Poor dog, he must realise it's time for me to leave. He's just as big a part of my family as Syra and Linda, and I know I'm going to miss him too.

Once I arrive at the University, I head straight for the infirmary, but strangely enough; it isn't there. Dejavu comes over me; the other day before my appointment I could have sworn the infirmary wasn't there either. Modnar also doesn't seem to be present, so I guess I'm going at Akiad alone; I know exactly what tool I'm going to use for the job.

I briskly walk towards the white lecture theatre, and begin psyching myself up for my impending decision. I'm the type of person to act first, and think later; I just hope I'm making the right choice.

After a few minutes, I arrive, and approach the main doors; I peek through one of the two small windows, above each respective door handle. Staring straight at the wall opposite me, I marvel at the two samurai swords. I see the security camera, and start to freak out. I really wish I could be invisible right about now; it would really help this situation. My body starts tingling and when I look down, I notice that I'm rapidly disappearing, one particle at a time; man, is this good timing. Within about fifteen seconds, my heart rate has tripled, but I'm now fully invisible. I use my elbow to smash the window on the right door, then reach in and open it.

After creeping inside, the sensor lights turn on. I pause for about a second, but the will of a determined man kicks me in the guts, so I make my mad dash for the samurai swords.

My paranoia keeps me checking that I'm still invisible; thankfully, I still am. Looking down, I see a harness, to attach the sheaths to. I quickly remove my jacket, and clip it on. I swiftly grab the samurai swords off the wall, and as soon as my hands wrap around each sheath, they disappear the same way I did. Without much hesitation, I quickly attach them over my shoulder, then turn to leave.

BANG! Suddenly, Akiad crashes through the doors, and I guess he's looking for whatever or whoever activated the alarm.

"Hello? Is someone there? Might pay to show yourself," Akiad says, standing at the doors, looking around suspiciously.

CLICK! CLICK! While I slowly move through the row of chairs towards the exit, my left sheath bangs the chair legs next to me; I look down and see my foot gradually reappearing. The moment Akiad arrives down at the blackboard, I make my mad dash for the door. Akiad points and yells "STOP!"

By the time I push the doors open, I am fully visible, but thankfully Modnar is standing roughly ten metres from the entrance.

"Zane, run for the infirmary, I've got Akiad!" Modnar yells, standing outside the theatre, staff in hand.

"It's not there?!" I yell back.

"Run, my boy!"

I run full speed towards the campus field, and look back towards Modnar. I'm worried for this 'stranger', and can't figure out why. There are flashes of light coming from his direction. I hide behind a nearby tree and watch the drama unfold.

"Modnar, I should have known that you had something to do with this. Who is Zane? Why don't you tell me why you're protecting him?" Akiad says, casting a tornado the size of a bus, then hurling it towards Modnar.

"I'll never tell you, fool. Not in your life!" Modnar yells back, stabbing his staff into the ground, stopping the tornado dead in its tracks.

Akiad charges forward and strikes Modnar in the chest with his right palm. Modnar flies through the air, and lands against a tree, a few metres away from me.

"AAARRGGHH!" Modnar yells, holding his stomach and coughing a little blood.

"Modnar!" I yell, attempting to run, but someone grabs my right wrist.

"It's suicide. I'll go for Akiad, and once I have him distracted, you pick up Modnar and take him to safety!" a female says.

She's wearing a white singlet and tight, grey jeans - both covered in blood and dirt - and black boots. She has a sword and sheathe attached at her waist. A tattoo of a dart is on her left hand, and many tattoos going down her entire right arm; from her shoulder, down to the top of her right hand. She looks like she has been in the wars, but who I am to pass judgment; she could have just saved my life.

Akiad walks towards Modnar's staff, and chuckles to himself.

"Still using this old thing, huh Modnar?" Akiad says, reaching for the staff.

Modnar waves his right hand towards it, and as Akiad touches the staff, a huge electrical bolt ignites the entire thing.

"ARRGGHHH!" Akiad yells, flying back towards the lecture theatre, falling straight through the doors upon impact.

"Zane, COUGH! We must depart. Quick, let's head towards the site of the infirmary. Wait, what are you doing here, my girl?!" Modnar says, hopping up.

"I'm here to create a diversion! Open up the portal to Tharp, and await my return," the female replies.

Modnar nods, then without even looking, he opens his right hand, and his staff flies across the campus, straight into his palm. He starts limping away from the carnage, so I drape his left arm around my neck.

"Hey, just curious, how old are you?" I ask.

"A few centuries old my boy, just a few," Modnar replies, with a huge grin on his face.

"Wait, a few centuries? That's impossible."

"I wish it were, my boy."

"Shit you're old. Okay, last question; who is that woman?"

"She's a warrior, but don't worry, all will be explained shortly. You just need to learn a little patience," Modnar replies, hobbling further forward.

Meanwhile.....

**THE FEMALE WARRIOR**

Akiad comes staggering through the white lecture theatre doors, bleeding from his face. I stand before him, with my palms wide apart, charging a ball of electricity.

"So lady, who are you?" Akiad asks, staggering down the steps towards me.

I choose to ignore him. I stare him in the eyes and never lose my focus. I feel his fear, just as much as I can see it on his face.

"Not speaking are we? Interesting, lightning... Two can play that game," Akiad says, throwing a few bolts towards me.

I turn around, so my back is facing him, and summon a lightning cape with a hood, which covers my entire body.

"Very clever, silent one. Stop this!" Akiad says, suddenly leaping towards me.

I swiftly turn around and throw the ball of energy towards Akiad, while at the same time, breathing fire all over him.

"Aaaarrrrrrgggghhhh," Akiad yells, his skin acting as kindling.

I blow the fire out, and punch Akiad in the stomach; he flies back into the lecture theatre.

**ZANE**

Modnar and I are waiting at the site of the infirmary. He's sitting against a tree, and I'm pacing to and fro.

"What are we waiting for, tell me!" I ask.

"COUGH! You'll see soon enough my boy," Modnar calmly replies, coughing blood to the right of where he's seated.

"Modnar, open up the wormhole; Akiad is going to be down for a long time," the female warrior says, running up behind me.

She helps Modnar off the ground, and my confusion of our current situation is at an all-time high.

"Let's move over there, behind that tree," Modnar says, leading us.

Once in position, Modnar waves his staff, and a large ball of kinetic energy - the size of a car - appears in front of us.

"You can return home when your mission is complete," the female warrior says, before jumping into the ball of energy.

"I really hope you will follow us back to Tharp," Modnar replies, following in her footsteps.

Here I am, witnessing things that I just don't believe. I have no idea whether this is a one way trip, but I'll never know if I turn away now. Without too much hesitation, I jump into the ball of energy, hoping I survive.

We appear in a barren desert, which stretches as far as the eye can see, and the sun is frying us like a couple of eggs in a pan. The three of us land in the sand, and I'm keen to have some questions answered.

"Okay, seriously what is going on? Magic, teleporting spells, barren deserts, someone explain?" I ask, sounding frustrated.

"Oh, thanks ma'am for saving my life. Glad to hear it," the female warrior sarcastically replies.

"Wait, hold your horses, I was getting there. Thanks by the way," I say, in the same manner.

"You're welcome."

"He's Modnar, but what's your name?" I ask.

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Well Zane, I'm glad you followed us. I like to give people their own free will," Modnar says, slowly propping himself up.

"Well, what choice did I have? Let some psycho Vice Chancellor kill me? I had to jump. Look at me now, stuck in god knows where, with a woman who won't tell me her name, and the strangest man I've ever met," I say, storming off.

"Wait, Zane!" Modnar says, hobbling after me.

I stop walking, turn around, and fold my arms.

"Zane, we need to change your name. Akiad will be looking for a 'Zane'. And he is going to be searching for you, trust me," Modnar says, leaning on his staff.

"Well, what do you suggest?" I ask.

Modnar doesn't even flinch when suggesting a name for me. It's like he had one in the back of his mind, all along.

"Enaz. It's Zane backwards. This is what you will be called, until your job here is done," Modnar explains.

To be fair, I like it. My new name still contains the letters of my old one. At least my original instincts were right; I won't be seeing my wife and daughter for a long time. The thought makes my heart break, I have to distract myself.

"Where are we anyway? The Sahara Desert?" I ask.

"No. We're in the Jonker Desert," she replies.

"What sort of name is that?"

"Don't be disrespectful, boy; it was named after a legend," Modnar says, sternly.

"Sorry, I had no idea. Anyway, Modnar, and...... You, where to next? And by the way, it's kind of rude to not mention what your name is," I say.

Modnar and the female warrior huddle together and start whispering. It would be nice for someone to fill me in a little further. I can't stand secrets.

"It's also rude to whisper in front of someone... Just saying," I say, sarcastically.

Modnar opens another ball of energy to somewhere. I must admit, I'm a little closer to confused then I am to anything else.

As he disappears into it, only the female warrior remains to offer any sort of answer, to my desert dilemma.

"Come Enaz, let's head west towards Dandum city. We must meet with the only person who knows how to help you," the female warrior says.

"And who might that be?" I curiously reply.

"Well, Modnar of course," the female warrior says, walking off ahead.

Without bothering to ask more questions, I just shut my mouth, and follow her. Maybe this Modnar can give me some answers... Well more than the last one...

### IV - What You See is Not Necessarily What's Really There...

I follow her in silence for about ten minutes, before my patience is pushed to the limit. I want some answers, and I want them now.

"Okay lady, what is your name. If you're not going to tell me, then I'm just going to name you myself," I say, running to catch up with her.

She slowly turns her head to the left, and smiles towards me. When we exchange this glance, I feel her energy. She reminds me so much of my daughter. Who knows, maybe they are like kindred spirits or something?

"Can I name you Syra, after my daughter?" I ask.

"No!" she snaps back.

"Why? It's a beautiful name, and you remind me a lot of her," I reply, smiling.

She stays silent for a while, looking like she's concentrating on something, or processing what I've just said.

"It is a beautiful name, but you're forgetting something. Akiad is now after you, and when he finds out the importance of your daughters survival, he will kill her and your wife," she replies.

I slow down a little, and bend over towards the sand. When I put my hands on each of my knees, I spew all over the place.

"Gees, you have a weak stomach, don't you? We really have to change that," she says, sarcastically.

"Well, I'm sorry, but thinking of them dead isn't making my stomach churn any less. I don't know why you're complaining, just shows that I'm human," I reply, before vomiting again.

She walks over and rubs my back, the same way I do to Linda, when she's feeling under the weather.

"It's going to be okay, trust me. You've taken the necessary precautions to stay invisible to Akiad in this world. I too, stumbled across the infirmary and Modnar by accident, and here I am, part of this never-ending journey through this foreign land. I am also human, but over time I've learnt how to dilute my pain, and focus on the task at hand. I have a mother and loved ones at home, just like you. Enaz, we are more alike than you realise," she says, continuing to rub my back.

"Hey thank you, that really means a lot. I still do want to know your name though," I reply, before wiping my mouth with my right hand, and rubbing it into the sand.

"One thing at a time, chief. Besides, you haven't even suggested another name, other than your daughters," she replies.

"Fair enough. Let me think; give me a few moments alone with my thoughts and I'll get back to you," I say, continuing to walk west.

In our silence, the heat from the desert sun melts us like a block of butter. I skim my mind for a name that is completely detached from Linda and Syra. I need to keep them safe, and I suppose for whatever reason, give my new female friend a different alias too. I used to be a bookworm before Syra was born, so I begin thinking about some of my favourite female characters, and decide to pick a name of what I think is best.

"Your name is going to be 'Zelada'. She is the name of a legendary female warrior from a book I read on Earth," I say, enthusiastically.

She stays silent for a while, then glances at me in a strange way. Does she not like the name I've given her?

"Do you like your name?" I ask.

"Ummm... Yeah I love it," she replies, sounding disappointed.

"Really doesn't sound like it?"

"No seriously, it's great. I was just thinking about how it must be my fate to have that name."

"Why?"

"That was the last book I read."

"So you've read it?"

"The Prophecy of Time; of course I have, who hasn't," the female warrior replies.

"How did you get a copy of such a rare novel? It was published over a century ago."

"Ummm... I read it online... I mean... My friend lent a copy to me several years ago," she awkwardly replies.

"Okay...... well that's definitely decided. I'm calling you Zelada," I say.

"I'm happy with that," Zelada replies, smiling back at me.

In the distance, I can see some structures. I wonder if that's our destination.

"Is that Dandum City?" I ask.

"No, but let's stop by and check it out."

Upon arrival, I spend some time assessing the surroundings.

Each building resembles an igloo; perfectly crafted dome buildings, made from sandy yellow bricks. There are some bricks missing from each building, and there are three bigger domes in the centre of the village. Each of those igloos only have half of the structure still standing; the rest of the bricks that make up each one are piled around the outside. There's one large tree - resembling a palm tree \- in the centre of those three igloos, and a small pond below it. In the distance, I can see a well, made from the same bricks: Zelada is jogging towards it. Being that I'm quite thirsty, I follow her.

When we arrive at the well, she bends down and reaches for something in her pocket; I begin pulling up the bucket. I pause when I notice her scratching something into one of the bricks.

"What are you doing?" I ask.

"Well, what does it look like?"

"Defiling somebodies property?" I joke.

"No, more like leaving my thumbprint here."

"I think a spray can would work better than a nail."

Zelada looks over her right shoulder, and frowns at me. I smile back, then pull up the bucket. Unfortunately, it's empty.

"I'm pretty thirsty. I might head over to the pond and get some water," I say.

"Sounds good, I'll finish up here."

Before I leave, I walk over to her and see what she's writing. 'Zelada was here.' She's going over the lines again to make it stand out more.

"Yes Enaz, can I help you?"

"Okay, okay, I'm leaving," I reply, walking away.

The boiling hot sun is cooking me, and I wish it would stop. I drop to my knees and scoop up water with my hands, slurping some and splashing the rest over my face.

"Stick your hands up, and slowly move away from the pond. Trust me, I'm a good shot with this machete," a threatening voice says from behind me.

"I'm just thirsty, friend. No need to get violent."

"I ain't your friend."

I carefully move backwards on my hands and knees. He suddenly grabs a handful of my hair, pulls me up against his chest, and places his blade on my neck.

"Give me a reason not to kill you, boy," he threatens.

"Because you'll get two molten darts through the face. Trust me, I'm a good shot too," Zelada adds, pointing her left fist towards him.

"Wait, that can't be you. It's been too long," he says, sounding unsure.

He slowly pushes me towards her, keeping his blade against my neck.

"Can you take it easy, please? It's my life you're toying with," I say, worried he'll slice my neck open.

Two projectiles resembling darts shoot out of Zelada's left fist, leaving burning holes in the sand right in front of us. They appear to be made of molten rock.

"Zelada!" I gasp.

"Zelada? I didn't recognise you. Is he a friend of yours?" he says.

"Do I know you?"

"Come on Zelada, don't play dumb."

"I'm not. Wait a minute. You were the one from Campog's lair?"

How does he know her name? I literally just made that up today. He throws me to the sand, then sheathes his machete and approaches her.

His physique is very muscular. A homemade longbow is over his back, and a quiver of arrows right next to it. He has long black and grey hair, growing through the top of an animal's skull, which he's wearing as a helmet. He has an old satchel over his left shoulder, and the bark necklace around his neck looks handmade; there are large green leaves attached to it, covering most of his chest, arms and back. The large machete he was threatening me with is attached to his leg, in it's sheathe. Wrapped around his left thigh is a thick belt, with sharp bones attached all the way around. Definitely looks like some sort of bounty hunter to me.

"You know this guy, Zelada?" I ask.

"Yeah, we go way back," he replies.

"Wait, way back? What do you mean by that," Zelada adds, sounding confused.

"Look, I'm not even going to bother. You got any more work lined up for me? A bounty hunter has to live."

"What's your name?" I ask, pulling myself up.

"Manix. What's yours?"

"Z..... Enaz, the name's Enaz."

"Nice to meet you, Enaz. It's a Givou eat Givou world out there, and I do whatever it takes to survive. Lucky I know her, or you'd both be dead right now."

"Thanks for sparing my worthless life," I reply, sarcastically.

Manix looks over his right shoulder and throws a white object at me. I immediately duck, and it sticks into the sand behind me. I pick it up and see that it's a sharp knife, carved out of a bone fragment.

"Good instincts, Enaz. Welcome to Tharp, expect the unexpected," Manix says, before sniggering aloud.

I don't know what to make of this guy, but hopefully the attempts on ending my life are going to stop.

### V - A Stranger, a Bounty Hunter and an Earthling.

Manix seems to be pretty resourceful. He pulls out some kindling from his satchel, places it down on the sand, and piles a few loose bricks around it; Zelada walks towards him.

"Oh you finally decide to help, huh," Manix says.

Zelada smiles at him, then winks at me. Before I can blink, she breathes fire all over the wood and we now have a way to cook food.

"Who's hungry?" Zelada asks, before sitting down next to me.

"I'm starving. I feel like I haven't eaten in days," I reply, resting my hands on my empty stomach.

"The reality is that I don't have any food on me. I know we can get fed at the pub in Dandum city," Zelada says.

Manix pulls his bow off his shoulder, and carefully readies an arrow. I look up towards the sky and see some black birds flying around in a circular motion; they resemble a raven, but slightly larger in size.

"There's no way you could hit that," I say, folding my arms as I watch.

Manix raises his eyebrows as he briefly exchanges a look with me. He then returns his focus to the birds above, taking his time with the shot. Once he releases the arrow, it flies straight up and slugs one of them through the neck.

"What a shot," I say, sounding astonished.

"It has to be quite windy for me to miss," Manix replies, slinging his bow over his shoulder.

Zelada steps in front of us and raises her left fist. She begins firing molten darts into the air; six birds land on the sand around us, and the others fly away.

"I guess you want a complement too?" I say, sarcastically.

"I'm a woman, what do you think?" Zelada replies, in a similar manner.

"Well, thank you for your amazing aim oh mighty Zelada."

"You're most welcome."

"Hey Enaz, where did you get those blades from?" Manix asks.

"I got them from my planet. Why's that?" I reply

"I used to know a warrior who used blades just like that."

"Well I didn't kill anyone for them if that's what you're hinting at. What was his name?"

"Arden."

"Interesting name. What did he look like?"

"He wore a black and red outfit, with black material covering his face."

"So like a ninja?"

"A what?

"A ninja."

"Still not understanding."

"Gotta agree with Enaz, sure sounds like a ninja," Zelada adds.

"Either way, he was a great warrior, and an even better friend."

Seems like I've hit a nerve. Time to change the subject.

"So Manix, what are you doing in these parts?" I ask.

"Well, that depends what year I'm in."

"Wait, you can time travel?" Zelada adds.

Manix frowns her direction then raises his eyebrows in disbelief.

"That's one way of looking at it. But to be fair, I think of a time traveller as someone who can at least control the outcome of their destination," he explains.

"I always thought a time traveller was someone who could travel through time, period," I reply.

"I agree," Zelada adds, collecting all the dead birds.

Manix glances my direction, deep in thought. After a few brief moments of silence, he replies, changing the subject.

"I heard the last Neca City Elimination Tournament was taking place soon. The organisers asked me to make a speech this year. It's an annual tournament to determine who the best is."

"Like a round robin?"

"What's that?"

"Don't worry."

"So Mr change the subject, how do you time travel? I'm itching to know," Zelada says, placing a bird on the end of her sword, and holding it over the fire.

"Have you seen those pink bolts around Tharp?"

"Pink bolts?" I ask, while Zelada says "Yeah, why?"

"Well, I was taught how to pass through them a long time ago."

"Wait, what pink bolts?!" I ask.

"So where have you travelled to?" Zelada adds.

"That's an interesting question. To be fair, I'm not entirely sure but I've been to planets other than just Tharp."

"Like Earth?"

"Yes, and another."

"Have you seen the future?" I ask.

"Maybe. It's hard to decipher something I have no control over. I'm literally travelling to places and times that must have been visited before."

"So how did you end up in the middle of the desert?"

Manix stands up and signals to us as he walks away. I promptly jump to my feet and Zelada reluctantly follows. We stop by one of the larger structures and he points to the roof.

"There," he says, before walking away.

I can't believe what I'm seeing. It's exactly as he described. There is a suspended florescent pink lightning bolt, just above the highest point of this structure.

"How on Earth did you get down?" I ask, running after him.

"Well this is one of the risks involved in passing through."

"Why, what are the others?"

"The demons you come across. I've nearly lost my life a few times."

"Zelada, do you remember the Physaurus?"

"A what?" I add.

"How could I forget," she replies.

"I've been to a place where many of them roam; there are even bigger ones."

"Wait what's a Phy... Saurus? Is that like a dinosaur?" I ask, before gulping.

"Sure is," Zelada replies.

The thought of that scares the shit out of me. Is there really still dinosaurs roaming the land? Hopefully I never have to find out. This is quickly becoming the strangest day of my life.

The three of us return and take our seats around the fire.. Manix places several birds on the end of an arrow, then holds it over the fire.

"Now Enaz, usual rules apply with me," Manix says.

"Which are?"

"You play the fool when anybody asks you about me. You don't know who I am, and always play dumb. You break these rules, I break your face."

"Shit.... Okay, crystal clear, gees. How did you get down from that lightning bolt? That's pretty high up," I ask, while Manix passes me an arrow.

"I fell."

"Oh shit."

"Its fine, I'm used to it. The older woman that taught me explained that it's all part of the risk involved."

"So, when did you meet her?" Zelada says, twisting her sword to cook the other side of the food.

"It was the night of the first elimination tournament in Neca city; I was victorious, and the sole survivor in my team. I was celebrating at the pub, and ducked out the back to have a few moments to myself. But there she was. She asked me if I wanted a greater life, something more important than just reckless killing."

"What did you say?" I ask, holding my food over the fire.

"I said 'sure, what did you have in mind?' She led me through the Whispering Forest, and we walked off the main track. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little scared."

"Whispering forest?"

"Trust me Enaz, it's a scary place," Zelada chimes in.

"Anyway, where was I....? Oh yes. So I follow her through the forest till we get to the first of those lightning bolts. She explained how I'm able to pass though one, and that it's in my blood to be special. She said how dangerous it could be, and told me that my destiny was to pass through it; so I did. I ended up in the snow, and not in the Moorbess mountains either. It was unlike anywhere in Tharp, that's when I realised I was in another world, and this was the first time I had been there."

"So what did you do then?" I ask, plucking the feathers from my meal.

"It was freezing, and I was in the middle of a blizzard; I had to return. Once passing back through the bolt, I ended up in the Whispering forest again; the old woman was nowhere to be seen."

"Where did she go?... Hmm, this is delicious," Zelada says, biting into her food.

"Well, I saw a pink glow in the distance so I ran that direction. Upon reaching a large tree, I saw another pink bolt behind it. Without any hesitation, I passed through, ending up in a bedroom. The view outside seemed like we were quite high up."

"Hmm...mmm... BURP.... So, what happened then?" I ask, chewing my food.

"Well, the same woman was being harassed by a man in a white attire."

"Wait a minute, like a suit? What was his name? What did his hair look like?" Zelada says, spitting her food out in shock.

"I don't know what his name was. He was harassing her. Another man in similar attire walked into the room and fired a projectile at him, so I shot that man with an arrow."

"You what?!!" Zelada yells, standing up.

"I killed him. I felt like I had to, it was a split second decision. I had so much more to learn from this woman. I didn't want either of those men to end her life."

Zelada throws her food into the sand and walks away from us; she looks over her shoulder at me, and frowns at Manix.

"Come on Enaz, let's go."

"Where are you guys going?" Manix yells out.

"Away from you," she replies.

Zelada and I walk across the desert for ages. We speak about where we're from, and laugh about some stories we have. We live in a similar area, which I find very bizarre. It's funny how life is. One minute you're checking out a local university for your daughter's future attendance, and in the next, you're on a foreign planet, with a person you've only just met, who happens to be from the same suburb as you. Surreal, to say the least.

"So why did we leave Manix in such a hurry?" I ask.

"I just don't trust him. He's a bounty hunter, so don't you get the same vibe?"

"He claims to know you though?"

"Meeting a person in passing, doesn't really count as knowing somebody."

"And what's with the guy in the white suit?"

"He's an old friend."

"A boyfriend?"

"Pfft. You kidding me?"

"Well, do you have a man in your life?"

She looks at me like I'm trying to hit on her. Gee lady, I'm married, and not that type of guy. Prime example of why you shouldn't judge a book by its cover.

"Why would you ask that, you're married?" Zelada snaps back.

"Sheesh, I realise I'm married, it's just that we've been walking for a while and I'm curious. It's not something that you've covered. In fact, it seems like you're avoiding it," I reply.

Zelada looks at me with these huge puppy dog eyes. They are the same as my daughter's, when she has done something wrong. I didn't mean to upset her, just had to get my point across; don't assume.

"I did kind of have one, but he died recently," Zelada says, while a lone tear runs down the side of her face.

"Oh shit, I'm really sorry. Now I feel like an idiot," I say, feeling stupid for being snarky with her.

Zelada wipes her face, sniffs a few times, then looks back at me as we continue walking.

"It's okay, Enaz. How were you ever meant to know?"

I move closer to her as we walk, and put my arm around her. I feel really bad, but I'm not daft, so I'm sure I'll think of something to cheer her up.

"Sounds like we both need a drink. I've lost my wife and daughter for 'x' amount of years, and you've lost a loved one. Would you like to share a few drinks with me?" I say softly.

"That sounds great, Enaz. Just one drink though, as I need to watch how much I consume to be fair," Zelada replies while sniffling and smiling back.

"I will try my best not to pressure you. My wife and I nicknamed each other 'Locust 1' and 'Locust 2' because we act like a pair of locusts when we drink, destroying everything and everyone with our antics. We are even more dangerous when paired together," I say, removing my arm from around her.

"You devastate crops when you're drunk?" Zelada replies, sounding confused.

I chuckle to myself, then realise that until I properly explain why Linda and I call each other that, it wouldn't make sense.

"Hahaha.... No a little like that, but not quite. Rather than destroying crops, we'd destroy the social scene. For example, we'd randomly turn up to a party dressed in superhero costumes, when there was no theme, then tear through the party and get everybody drunk - like a pair of locusts; then leave. It's literally that simple. If we destroyed anything, it's ourselves with our blatant overindulgence in that scene itself. We both love rock music, so it's easy to have fun together," I explain.

"Well that makes a lot more sense, I suppose. Do you want to know something weird?" Zelada replies, smiling at me.

"Try me."

"I actually have a spell that I cast where thousands of locusts fly out of my mouth," Zelada replies.

"Ahh that reminds me of 'Uno Locust Swarm.' I love that film! Really freaky, but such a great movie," I say, smiling towards her.

"THAT'S what it's called, I totally forgot. That movie is so scary. I couldn't remember the name of it for the life of me. How weird is that? It's where I got the idea from," Zelada replies.

"Sweet. When did you get around to seeing it?"

"I umm... Saw it when I was a kid. My parents used to play it and it would scare me to sleep, every time."

"How did you see that movie when you were a kid? It's only just been released on VHS?" I say, confused.

"Yeah.... Well..... Shucks... Well it umm... Reminded of something I saw as a kid," Zelada replies awkwardly.

I don't know what she means by that, this woman is becoming more mysterious by the minute. Maybe I should ask more personal questions.

"Okay then... So what were your parents like?"

"Well, Mum was great, and I could never critique anything she did."

"And your Father?"

"He left when I was very young, so I didn't have anything to do with him. But recently he found me, and has more than made up for our time apart," Zelada replies, sounding quite proud.

"That's good to hear. Not all males ditch their loved ones when they have a child together. I left my wife and daughter alone at home - just like your father did to you; but that was something out of my control. Some of us out there are the good guys."

"I know, Enaz. This is something I have only just learnt, and if you were to ever question this, I was going to educate you with the exact same piece of advice that you already stand by. So that immediately proves to me, that you're what you say you are; one of the good guys."

"Thanks Zelada. Did you wanna talk about the guy Manix shot?"

"No."

"Why not? Is that hitting a nerve?"

"It's hard to explain. I suppose I don't really have an answer."

"Come on, try me. I'm a good listener."

"I'm not mad at Manix for killing that person. I'm just wondering if that 'projectile' was a bullet from a gun."

"What makes you think that?"

"I had a friend once who was fond of white suits. He was killed by a gunshot wound."

"Coincidence?"

"Maybe if you believe in that."

"Well, what do you call it?"

"I believe in fate. I think Manix unintentionally educated me in the death of my friend. The information just has a loophole though."

"How so?"

"My friend was so kind. If Manix says this older woman was helping him, then why would my friend harass her? It just doesn't fit together."

"Let's just forget about it for now. Anyway, how much further is it until we get to this city, I'm thirsty as," I say, feeling sand down the back of my throat.

"Patience, Enaz. And to be fair, I'm not one hundred percent sure. But we'll eventually get there. Let's just spark up something interesting to talk about, and we'll be fine."

I personally don't understand how she would have seen that horror movie as a kid. But one thing is certain to me. She's from my home town in New Zealand, and the only friend I've got on this strange planet; that's good enough for me.

### VI - A Murder of Crows

We continue walking for an extensive period of time. The sun blazing down on us is taking its toll, and seeing a long sandy yellow wall in the distance is of huge relief. A large tower is beyond the wall and I'm really hoping that the city is too. I'm in definite need of a break from the endless desert we have both just battled through.

"Please say this is Dandum city. I am actually dying of thirst right now," I say, swallowing saliva to dampen my throat.

"Indeed it is, Enaz. This is Dandum city. Once we arrive at the entrance, we just await our permitted entry," Zelada replies, patting me on the back.

"Thank the gods for that. Are the people nice there?"

"I wouldn't go as far as nice. It's more of a mixed barrel of fish."

"Great. Much trouble to worry about?"

"Define trouble."

"Well Manix for example, anyone like him?"

"I'll let you make up your own mind."

Looking up I notice dark clouds and hundreds of birds covering the sky; strange. Hope we make it to the city in time; it looks like it's about to rain, and those birds are a bit of a worry. I squint my eyes and see something else outside the city walls.

"Zelada, what's that outside the city?"

"Looks like a withered old tree.... And possibly someone beneath it."

As we get closer, it proves that Zelada is right. A figure is leaning against the trunk of the old tree, and it appears that the leaves are black. Life has left this tree long ago.

"How could that tree even survive in this temperature?"

"I'm not sure, but I really don't remember a tree even being there."

We're almost at Dandum city when goosebumps flood my arms. I realise the birds soaring above us are crows and the black leaves we're seeing aren't actually a part of the tree; they're the crows perched on the branches. As we approach the tree more crows come in to land, taking their position on each branch. I slow my walking pace, and so does Zelada.

The person beneath the tree lowers her hood. She looks in her mid to late seventies, with flowing white hair, down to her shoulders. She's wearing a long sleeved black robe, black gloves and boots, and the entire right side of her face has been badly burnt.

"No need to fear them, they do what they're told," she says.

"Why what else can they do?" Zelada asks.

"You don't really want to know, dear."

"You seem familiar?"

"How so?"

"I don't know. I just feel like I've seen you before."

"That's just not possible, dear. I've been here my whole life."

"Can I please hop under the shade?" I ask.

"Sure young man."

"I'm just a little weary of the crows.... Are they hostile?" I say, creeping closer to her.

"They're fine, please feel free."

As I step into the shade of the tree, all I can hear is the constant squawking from the crows above me. It does worry me a little, but I'm putting my trust into this old woman. Hope she's right.

"Be careful, Enaz. I don't trust her," Zelada says.

"No need to be like that."

"I have a right to be honest with my friend."

"That you do, just like I have a right to be honest with you. Don't you think that if I wanted you both dead that it would have happened already?"

"In your dreams, grandma."

The old woman begins sniggering to herself, and while I'm sitting against the trunk of this tree, I admit that she's slightly creeping me out.

"Zelada, come under the shade already," I say, waving her over.

"Fine, I'm coming," Zelada replies, sitting down cross legged in front of me.

Suddenly, a strange event occurs. While the old woman continues chuckling to herself, a body drops to the sand, behind the tree. I turn to see a pale skinned human, practically wearing rags. He looks a little beaten up, and in need of a shower.

"Errgghhh, stop it... Wait, where am... I'm in the Jonker desert... How did I...?" he mutters to himself.

The old woman nods at us, then winks, before clicking her fingers. The murder of crows leave the branches above and begin attacking the poor man. Within seconds he's reduced to a pile of bones; blood and body parts are everywhere.

"See," the old woman says, cheekily.

I raise my eyebrows towards Zelada and she does the same, truth be told, I'm beginning to worry a little about the intentions of this woman. I'm not keen to be a crow's dinner, that's for sure. I need to change the subject, get her mind off the taste of death.

"So why are you here?" I ask.

"I'm waiting for someone."

"Who?"

"An old friend."

"Okay. Well, what's your name?" I ask.

"That's not really necessary," she replies.

"Well, you two definitely have that in common," I joke.

Zelada frowns at me, then diverts her attention to our stranger. I peek over my shoulder to make sure the crows are still tending to the pieces behind us; thankfully they are.

"So again, what's your name?" Zelada asks.

"What's yours?"

"I don't want to say."

"Well, like your friend said, we do have a lot in common."

"I have nothing in common with you."

"Don't make promises you can't keep, young lady. I'm sure you have a very long life ahead of you, and you really don't know what will cross your path. You may have to make decisions that will one day tarnish you soul."

"Come Enaz. Let's leave this creepy old woman to her crows."

"Okay, right behind you. Nice to meet you," I say, running after Zelada.

"Nice to meet you too."

"Oh and lady, get some cats. They suit an old woman more," Zelada says, cheekily.

"I couldn't even if I wanted to, the crows were inevitable."

As I walk away, I look over and watch the crows, pecking at the remains of that poor man. They're acting more like vultures, savouring every last drop of blood and piece of flesh. I hope I never have to witness anything so brutal ever again.

Zelada and I walk in silence for quite a while. I constantly peek over my shoulder towards the old woman, making sure she stays by the tree.

"She was so creepy," I say.

"You're telling me. I do feel like I've met her before though. I just don't know what it is about her, I can't quite put my finger on it."

"Well, let's not worry about it for now. I'm keen for an ice cold drink."

"Yeah, you and me both."

We eventually approach the entrance. In the left of the two huge doors is a square hole, about the perfect size for a human head. Within seconds of noticing it, I see a dark skinned human face peeking through.

"Umm... There's a guy peeking through that hole," I say, pointing at him.

Zelada winks at me then looks towards him.

"Oh hey Santone, how's the head since a few weeks ago?" Zelada says.

"Sorry, who are you again?" Santone replies, sounding confused.

"Ummmmm....ummm... Don't you remember we met in the 'Flork n Talk' a few weeks ago?" Zelada says.

"Heck, I'm not surprised if I've forgotten, with the amount of Flork I consume. Did we drink quite a lot?" Santone replies, still sounding unsure.

"Haha you bet we did, it was ridiculous how many bottles we put away."

"That's good enough for me," Santone says, disappearing from sight.

The doors slowly open for us.

"Cool, so you have no excuse to not sink at least a few bottles with me," I say

"That was the old me. The new me, well you know... Drinks responsibly," Zelada replies.

"That's ridiculous, Zelada; you're a westie, it's your lifestyle. It's in your nature to be an animal on the juice, whether you wanna admit it or not, so just let your hair down. Let's be like a couple of locusts, and tear this bar down; kiwi style."

"Haha.... Okay, two drinks then."

"Four!"

"Three."

"Deal, three drinks. Hey did you actually drink with that guy?"

"Sort of."

"So no?"

"He won't remember."

Another strange comment from this rather secretive woman. Walking into the city that thought gets swept away as I take it all in. The architecture isn't very complicated. All the structures are built out of a sandy yellow stone, and the ground we're walking on is covered in sand. There is only one path, passing through the middle of town with buildings on either side; they are all different heights, mainly square in shape. Every roof is sharp, leading to a point; a dome on the tip of each one. The doors and windows are hollow, with a cloth sheet giving each dwelling privacy. I can hear merchants in the distance, yelling out different prices. My guess is that there's a Bazaar beyond the crowd I can see. The delicate breeze invites sand into my mouth, forcing me to cough.

"Turn around, Enaz."

I look up at the structure in front of me, and see an old wooden sign. 'Flork n Talk.' What the heck is a Flork?

"Here we are. Let's head inside and find Modnar," Zelada says.

"Our first mission; get something wet to kill the dry taste in my mouth!" I reply, entering the pub.

The ambience in the pub is amazing. The square, wooden bar top is in the centre of the room, with the bartender in the middle. Circular booths - with a table in the middle of each one; go all the way around the edge of the room, along the walls. The back left corner has no booth, rather a short wooden stage, and a wooden microphone stand, resembling a long branch. High top wooden tables are scattered through the remainder of the space, for patrons to stand around. Roughly thirty dark skinned humans are around the bar, laughing and ordering drinks, and there are a couple of snake like creatures drinking in the far right corner booth. The top half of their torso is human, but their skin colour is green and the bottom half of their body resembles that of a large snake. They all have skinheads, and are wearing an animal skin for modesty.

"What are they?" I say, pointing at the snake like beings.

"They are Oathient serpents. A very formidable race of creatures."

"They look it. Hey, you're the only female in sight, Zelada" I say, cheekily.

"Haha, just how I like it. We're the only kiwis in sight too," Zelada replies, smiling back.

"Ha, now you're talking. Let's head for the bar, and await Modnar's arrival," I say, leading the way.

All the blokes look towards Zelada, then begin murmuring and flinching their muscles. Looks like some things don't change, even on another planet.

We approach the bar, and I place my hands firmly on the bar top. I can feel the goosebumps of excitement rush over me. This is the locust thing that Linda and I would experience together. I can feel my appetite for absolute madness come over me like I have a fix on drugs, except for this locust, it is life that I'm high on.

"What would you like?" The bartender says.

"Four shots please."

"Shots? I don't understand what you're after, sir. We only serve Flork here, hence the name, Flork n Talk," the bartender replies, putting four bottles in front of us.

I lean over and look on with curiosity at these bizarre bottles. They're like a normal glass bottle of alcohol, but they have a little creature resembling a worm, wriggling in the top of the bottle. It's a very inhuman way of doing things, but I'm on a foreign land now, so what's normal?

"Well, that's four bottles of Flork. Eight Ralop please," the bartender says.

"Psst Zelada, I'm guessing that's the currency on this planet. So.... Do you have any... Ra.. Loop, was it?"

"It's Ralop; and no I don't, unfortunately. Shit, that totally slipped my mind," Zelada replies, sounding disappointed.

"I'll pay, and can I please get another two," a female voice says from behind me.

Zelada and I turn around, to see who is paying for our drinks. The female voice belongs to a woman about five foot eleven, with an athletic build, brown skin and blue hair. It is the same shade of blue as the skies above New Zealand, on a beautiful summer's day. She's wearing an old ripped, black low cut top, with one long sleeve - the left arm's sleeve is ripped off from the shoulder down; worn black denim jeans, and black boots. She has a strange looking creature wrapped around her neck. The creatures face is like that of a crocodile, but its body is more like a large worm - including the slimy texture of its skin; all in all it's about the size of a boa constrictor. It has a very small hazel pouch attached to a belt, around the middle of its torso. Even more obscure than that is that it has long black dreadlocks, and a lit ivory pipe in its mouth. A Rastafarian worm, how weird is that?

"Zelada, by the gods has it been such a prolonged time! It has been thousands of years since I last saw you. I can't believe it has been that long. How have you been, and how have we not bumped into each other in all that time??? How's Butch?" the strange woman asks.

"Yeah... How is butch, man?" the worm creature adds, inhaling from his pipe.

What is it with everyone knowing the name I just gave her, I just can't make sense of it all.

Zelada turns over her left wrist, revealing a tattoo I hadn't noticed before. It has four crystals - a lime green one pointing north, aqua blue pointing south, white in the east and fire engine red in the west; there resembles the black blade of a sword, in the North-east, South-east, South-west and North-west directions of the tattoo. It makes up some sort of compass in my opinion.

"Sorry, do I know you?" Zelada asks, sounding very confused.

"Checking that won't do anything, we've met already. Come on, Zelada. How bad is your memory? We were like sisters, and we've saved each other's lives many times... Surely you're just pulling my leg? It's a lie right?" the woman says, while leaning in and paying for our drinks.

She then pushes the worm creatures into our drinks, before handing them to us. I almost gag as the worm dissolves and disappears into the liquid. Zelada and I exchange a look. She seems as conflicted as I am about drinking the Flork. Shrugging her shoulders, she looks at me and takes a gulp. Oh well hopefully this drink tastes all right; I can't believe how thirsty I am.

"Enjoy your drinks, everyone. Oh I'm Voltanna by the way, and this is my pet and best friend, Nevijah," Voltanna says, offering her right hand.

"Pleasure to meet you, my name's Enaz, and well, you know Zelada already. Thanks for the drink," I reply, shaking her hand.

"Not a problem, it's nice to meet you too. So what are the two of you doing here in Dandum city?" Voltanna says, before quickly finishing the rest of her drink, and collecting her other one off the bar.

"We came here to meet Modnar. But he doesn't seem to be around," I say, looking down at my drink, still slightly afraid to try it.

"Wow, that's a strange coincidence," Voltanna replies.

"How so?" Zelada asks.

"I bumped into Modnar about a week ago in Neca city. He asked if I could do him a favour. I would do anything for him, as he's such a good friend," Voltanna explains.

"So what did he ask you to do?"

"He said that one week from now, a familiar old friend and a man with Enaz's description would be drinking in the Flork n Talk pub in Dandum city. He asked for Nevijah and me to meet you both, so here we are. I never in my wildest dreams expected the familiar friend to be you," Voltanna replies, sipping on her drink.

"Did Modnar mention you had any other reason to meet up with us, besides drinking at the pub?" Zelada asks, sounding puzzled.

"Maybe we shouldn't worry about it till his arrival, ya? Let's drink like we used to all those years ago, Zelada!" Voltanna suggests.

"That's good enough for me," I say, before swallowing a mouthful of my drink.

Flork tastes amazing; it's exactly like a lime fizzy drink, and is making me feel slightly tipsy, even after a mere mouthful.

"So what is this creature that blocks the opening of each bottle, like a lid?" I say, pointing towards one of the two sealed bottles on the nearby table.

Voltanna finishes her drink, grabs one of the bottles I'm looking at, and pushes the creature inside. It dissolves seconds after making contact with the Flork.

"Oh those little creatures are called Goys, and they live to keep our drink's fresh, and make them taste better," Voltanna says.

"Isn't that a little cruel?" I ask, sipping on my drink.

"Well are you going to do anything about it?"

"I would, but I suppose I just don't have the time."

My response makes something dawn on me. How often in life do you turn a blind eye to something? Is it lack of time that makes us choose to do this, or a moment of selfishness that consumes our train of thought? I had an opportunity to possibly save an entire race; and declined. You be the judge.

We pick a booth, then drink and have a laugh for hours. I tell everyone some stories from Earth, and do the majority of the speaking; Voltanna chimes in with some interesting stories too. After five bottles, Zelada becomes quite loud, and even she begins story telling. But she is quite unique with the way she speaks, and catches the attention of the blokes in the corner booth. They eventually find their way over to us, and our table is quickly covered with empty bottles. My vision is about as clear as mud, but it doesn't stop me from being so interested in what Zelada is saying. She's talking about this infamous, elite Ediex clan of warriors. Good old West Auckland drunks; they always have a good story to tell.

"Yeah well Muhbac was so jealous of Zekai so... Yeah he started this clan..... BURP," Zelada says, trying to balance herself on top of a nearby table.

"So you're saying Muhbac started this clan?" one of the blokes ask.

"HICCUP.... Yup... She... I mean he did. He was a ruthless leader, but he gave outcasts.... A..... HICCUP.... Chance to make a change, and his melee..... Skills.... Were..." Zelada says, before barfing on the ground.

I pick her up off the table, and lie her down in the vacant booth on the opposite corner of the room. The blokes all leave, still muttering about the Ediex clan's story, which Zelada told. That clan sounds deadly; I hope I never have to cross their path.

Voltanna and I continue drinking for a while longer. We're the last two left in the pub, and like I mentioned earlier; my vision's not the best. Nevijah is fast asleep across her shoulders, with the pipe still lit in his mouth.

"Soo..... You can sure sink a few bottles, can't you Enaz?" Voltanna says, swigging on her drink.

"I suppose I.... Can.... HICCUP..... So were you speaking the truth, earlier? You do actually know Zelada?"

"I sure do..... She was a great friend, and we were inseparable. Before I knew it, she was gone forever. It has been such a long time since I last saw her, I can assure you that. Tonight has been a blast from the past, just like old times."

"Fair..... Enough...... HICCUP.. I might hit the hay, I'm pretty tired," I say, finishing my bottle of Flork.

"Well, it was nice to meet you, Enaz. Have a nice sleep," Voltanna replies, winking back at me.

"Shit, my head," I say, awakening face down on a table.

I look up, and sunlight is beaming in the front door. Not only do I have the biggest hangover I've ever had in my life, but as I frantically glance around the room, I realise there is no one present but the bartender and me.

"Crazy night?" the bartender says, placing a bottle of Flork on the counter for me.

"Aarrrrggghh my head. Yeah it was a crazy night and no thank you for the drink," I reply, holding my head with my right palm.

One of those green snake creatures pops his head inside the front door. He has a smart black vest on, so I'm assuming he's the bouncer.

"Want me to throw him out?" He shouts.

"No Dorney, its fine. He looks lost, so leave him to me," the bartender replies, removing the drink from the counter.

I approach the bar and try to see any sign of life that is familiar to me. No Voltanna, no Zelada, no Nevijah, no Modnar. I am stranded here in the Flork n Talk, all alone.

### VII - Dazed and Confused..

I can't really process what's going on; I have such a horrendous hangover, and don't want to believe that my 'mates' ditched me. My reality is that I'm not only stuck in a foreign country; I'm stuck on a foreign world. I have no way of getting home and no telephone to ring for help. I have to live through this nightmare and do it alone.

"Bartender, are you sure you don't have any non-alcoholic drinks?" I ask, walking towards him.

"Non what? Sorry we only serve Flork here," the bartender replies.

"No water?"

"If you want water, head down to the Bazaar. It'll cost you more than Flork though."

The bartender places the bottle of Flork back onto the bar, then pushes the little worm thing inside the drink. I watch as it dissolves almost immediately.

"Hey bartender, what does the drink taste like if you remove the... what's it called... Again?"

"A Goy."

"Yeah, that's it, a Goy. So does it taste better?"

"It tastes the same, just less potent. It's their life mission to die for the stronger potency of the drink."

"And the loss of their life is completely worth it," the familiar voice says from behind me.

As I turn around, a wave of relief washes over me.

"Modnar! Boy am I glad to see you," I exclaim, quickly offering my right hand to shake his.

"Zane! How are you? Nice to finally meet you in person. But why are you here? You didn't bring Syra, did you? She'd only be about three wouldn't she?" Modnar says, sounding worried.

"Ssshhh, its Enaz. You told me to change my name, remember, to keep me safe from Akiad and no, Syra's safe at home. Have you seen Voltanna or Zelada? That's what I named the female warrior we came here with."

"Huh? What female warrior? I haven't heard Zelada's name, for many many years. In fact, it's been thousands of years. And Voltanna; I saw her last week in Neca city."

"Thousands of years? She only looks about thirty? Don't you remember? We arrived in the desert with her yesterday... I'm confused... Okay so you were in Neca city a week ago, then told Voltanna that an old friend and a man fitting my description would be here?" I say.

"Come my boy, let's go sit over there. One bottle of Flork and one bottle of water, please," Modnar replies, as he waits for our drinks.

"Come on Modnar, you know better than anyone that water can only be obtained at the Bazaar."

"Sorry it has been one of those days, two bottles of Flork then."

"Coming right up."

I walk over to the booth in the corner of the pub and sit down. I start thinking about how confusing this all is. Is Modnar lying to me? Am I the one that's mixed up? I'm fairly good at reading people, and Modnar, Zelada and Voltanna all seem very trustworthy. I currently trust Modnar and Zelada the most as they have both saved my life. Though Voltanna has a past with Zelada, so I can bet my bottom dollar that she too is trustworthy. But there is one main confusing thing about all of this. And that question I need to ask Modnar.

"Sorry Enaz, no water. Here's your bottle of Flork. Enjoy," Modnar says, sitting opposite me.

"Hey Modnar, is this the first time we've ever met in person?" I ask.

"Yes, it is my boy."

"Aren't you surprised that I know your name, when we 'haven't met' yet?"

"That is a good point you have there. So you have met me already?" Modnar replies, sipping from his drink.

"Yes, I have. You and Zelada were together when I met you both yesterday. But Modnar, that isn't even the weirdest part."

"It gets weirder?" Modnar replies, sounding puzzled.

"Well, when did you meet Zelada?"

"I met her thousands of years ago, why's that?"

"Because I only met her yesterday, about the same time as I met you. She was stubborn, and just wouldn't tell me her name. So I decided to name her after a character from one of my favourite books. I literally named her Zelada yesterday yet you, and three others have referred to her with this name, claiming to have known her by it in the past."

Modnar frowns at me, then finishes the rest of his bottle of Flork. He nods towards me, before heading back to the bar to get a second drink. I bet all my chips that he's as puzzled as I am. When he returns from the bar, he sits back down, and finishes his bottle in record time. He places his empty bottle into the middle of the table, before standing up and beginning to speak.

"So Enaz, you're telling me that you've only just suggested her name, and have only known her for a day? And she was apparently with 'me', when I sure as heck know that she wasn't," Modnar says.

"Yeah, that's all correct," I reply.

"Well, it sounds like you are entangled in what is called a paradox, my friend," Modnar says, smiling towards me.

"Can you elaborate a little for me?"

"Well let's say, that you're the bottle of Flork in the middle of this table. And let's say you are living your life as normal.... Now, give me a moment to find another bottle," Modnar says, vacating the table, and collecting another two bottles of Flork from the bar.

"Sorry Modnar, this really isn't making a lot of sense?" I call out in confusion.

Modnar promptly approaches the table, and passes me one of the two drinks. He then places his bottle on the table and holds on to it as he speaks.

"Now, let's say that this bottle is Zelada, and her paradox started where you met her, a little bit further back to where you currently are. Somewhere in her future, she must travel back in time, and meet Voltanna and myself for 'the first time.' Now what's confusing me, is where 'the other me' comes into this. How far into my future, do I have to go back in time?" Modnar says, moving his bottle, backwards and forwards, explaining Zelada's timeline.

"Modnar, I promise that I'm not that confused," I reply sarcastically.

Modnar takes a swig from his drink, then smiles towards me. Maybe he is as lost on this as me, but doesn't want to show it?

"Are you as confused as I am?" I ask.

"No actually, I'm not. In fact, the plot thickens on this journey that Zelada is on, or has been on; however you want to see it," Modnar replies.

"How so?"

"Well, I never knew all those thousands of years ago that Zelada had in fact travelled back in time. She entrusted me with some information which I have followed, to her exact instructions. How do you think I knew your name without even meeting you?" Modnar says, winking towards me.

"Yeah how did you?"

"Zelada instructed me to watch out for and protect a person named 'Zane', who lived on the planet Earth. She said that I must preserve your existence, as you are to become a powerful guardian, who is destined to protect your daughter, Syra. When she grows up, she becomes the chosen one of Tharp, who in turn, will one day defeat Akiad. You my friend, are Syra's prerequisite. Without you safe, the balance of time will collapse, causing a rift in the space time continuum. If there is a rift in time, it not only effects this world, but every world it's connected to. We need to aid Zelada in completing her journey, without telling her, or Voltanna. We must keep this a secret between us. Do we have a deal, Enaz?" Modnar says, offering his right hand to shake.

I hesitate to shake his hand. Not because I don't trust him, but more because I hate keeping secrets. I'd rather explain to Zelada what's going on, and make her involved in the panning out of her future. Let her be in charge of where the chips fall.

"You can trust me, Enaz," Modnar says, still holding his right hand out.

"Okay Modnar, I trust you. Let's do it. Besides, I'm extremely hung over, so I really don't expect myself to remember any of this," I reply, finally shaking his hand.

"So, what are you doing here, on Tharp anyway?" Modnar curiously asks.

"Well, I was led to Tharp by the other you, before you disappeared you told Zelada to take us here to meet..... You? She said you are the only person who knows how to help me?"

Modnar scratches his head, and takes another sip of his drink.

"So, can you use those swords there?" Modnar asks.

"Oh these things? No I can't yet, but I was planning to learn."

"Well, I suppose that's where we better send you; Toolore village. I will get you special clearance, so you can train and become a proper warrior. Have you learnt any special powers or abilities?"

"Umm yea, recently I have been able to go invisible, but I have no control over it."

"Well, we can also get you to practice that ability, so you can learn how to harness it."

"Wow so I could become a legendary warrior who could go invisible whenever I like? Sweet!! But first can we go to the Bazaar to buy some water? I need to get rid of this headache."

"Not a problem. Let's go."

Modnar and I leave the confines of the pub in search of water. Who would have thought that it's harder to find than alcohol?

### VIII - Water Bazaar Feeling...

The hot sun can't motivate me more to find water. Sometimes when you're hung over, nothing can be more refreshing. Modnar and I walk through the city, towards the Bazaar. According to the bartender, it would be a good place to start.

The ambience in the air is similar to the markets back home. People haggling traders for a decent price, and other traders calling out what's they're selling to gain everyone's attention. So many different species of creatures are passing by us. A group of Oathient serpents, and even some large crab looking creatures with blue skin are among them. I'm glad to see the majority in attendance are human, which calms my nerves a little.

"You're awfully quiet, Enaz," Modnar exclaims.

"Just thirsty. Looking for a stall that's selling water."

"Is that all that's on your mind?"

"Obviously not old timer."

"You know you can trust me enough to tell me anything."

"I dunno, a lot of things are on my mind. Like for starters, where the heck are Zelada and Voltanna? Why would they just leave me in the pub? I'm on a foreign planet, I don't know my way around. I'm not really mad at Voltanna, but Zelada should know better."

"I wouldn't worry about them, they'll be back. Hence why I'm taking you out for a walk, to distract you from the matter at hand."

"Thanks Modnar. Wait, what's that noise?" I say, looking to my left.

I look up and notice we're passing the tower I saw yesterday. I can hear a large bell ringing from the top. There is a wooden sign on the entrance saying 'Trespassers will be slaughtered.'

"Shit, that sign is a bit brutal," I say.

"Aaahhh, ignore that. I've been up there many times. Quite a view."

"Doesn't that sign put you off?"

"Enaz, please remember this. In life, you must venture after what you want. If you let simple obstacles stop you from your desires, then you may as well quit on life now."

Modnar has a good point. He really does have a great way of explaining things.

I glance at the stall on my left and see a short blue skinned creature with four arms, selling some shells.

"Dupat shells, get your Dupat shells right here. Caught fresh every week. These are the best Dupat shells on Tharp!"

"Who would buy those? Can't you just find them at the beach?" I ask.

"It's for convenience, Enaz. They're quite a delicacy."

"Wait a minute, you eat those things?"

"Of course, they're delicious."

"You're kidding," I reply, before gagging.

Modnar walks up and begins haggling.

"Where did you find these Dupat shells?"

"Fresh from the river in Periko Plains."

"Mmm, very tasty. How much for twelve?"

"That'll be twelve Ralop please."

"So you're saying its one Ralop per shell?"

"Correct."

"I'll give you seven."

"Make it eight and you have a deal, my friend."

"Deal. Are they pre heated?"

"They can be. Give me a moment. I'll get my Coneep to heat them for you."

The trader collects payment from Modnar, before leaning under his stall and pulling out a miniature green dragon, about the size of a kitten. He places the shells on a dish and the small dragon breathes fire all over them. The trader then puts the shells into a pouch and hands it to Modnar, before placing the dragon back under the stall.

"Mmm, they smell delicious," Modnar says, sniffing the bag.

"Please come again."

"Thank you very much. Oh do you sell water?"

"Yes I do. Fresh bottled water, also from the Periko Plains. Two Ralop per bottle."

"Done, here you go. It's for him," Modnar says, pointing at me.

"Thanks Modnar. What do I do with the Goy?"

"Up to you, Enaz."

I take the Goy out and place it on the sand. I see it slither under the stall, and a shiver goes up my spine.

"Come Enaz, let's head into the tower," Modnar says, leading the way.

"Sounds good. I can't believe you're going to eat those shells."

Modnar smiles at me, reaches into his pouch, takes out a Dupat shell, and pops it into his mouth. I squint my eyes and look away, and upon opening them, I see we're standing before the tower entrance.

"How are we going to get in?" I ask.

Modnar winks at me, then reaches over and pushes the door open.

"If you don't try, you can't succeed," Modnar says, entering the tower.

"Yeah yeah, you're like a positive proverb book, aren't you," I joke, following him inside.

We ascend a narrow, stone spiralling staircase. The walls of the tower are sandy yellow, much like the structures outside.

"This tower seems a lot taller from the inside," I say, gasping for air.

"Don't complain, we're nearly there."

Once we arrive at the top, I see a balding old man wearing a brown monks robe, tugging at the rope, ringing the bell. I panic and move flat against the wall.

"What are you doing here?" he asks.

"We're just coming up to admire the great view," Modnar replies.

"You losing your mind, old timer? Who else are you with?"

Modnar starts looking around him, which prompts me to glance down at my hands. Without even knowing it, I have disappeared.

"Umm, well can't an old man like me admire the view alone?" Modnar asks.

"Sure, don't be too long though," he says, descending the staircase.

"Psst Enaz," Modnar says.

"Here I am," I reply, cheekily as I reappear in front of him.

"How did you do that?"

"I don't know, I have no control over it. I just panicked when I saw the old man, then I looked down and saw that I was invisible."

"You see why you don't belong on Earth, Enaz? You're such a unique individual, much like your daughter."

"Thanks Modnar."

I pause for a moment and have a look around the bell tower. There is a three hundred and sixty degree view, with a stone railing all the way around. I walk over and lean on the railing next to Modnar. Beyond the town to my left are dark grey clouds, rain, and a sea of mud. Straight ahead and to the right is hot sun and endless desert.

"Modnar, I'm guessing we're expecting a storm soon?" I ask, pointing to my left.

"Not at all. That's the Dandum Mudlands, and the weather there is always raining."

"That's quite a contrast to here. Why doesn't that cloud ever pass over the city?" I say, sipping on my water.

"I have no idea. That's a good question."

"Sorry, change of subject. I wanted to thank you for watching over my daughter. I feel at ease knowing someone I trust is looking out for her."

"Not a problem, you're very welcome."

"And sorry I'm still trying to wrap my head around this, you've been watching over me too?"

"Of course. I've been observing you for a very long time."

"Why?"

"Because it's my destiny to keep you alive."

"But why?"

"Syra is the chosen one of Tharp. If you died before you met Linda, then our planets would be doomed for destruction."

"It all just seems a bit farfetched to me."

"You will one day see your daughter again. This is why we need you to become a warrior, and become worthy of being part of her personal entourage."

"To protect her?"

"Yes, and to aid her in collecting the four Arter Gems of Tharp. This will give her the power to destroy Akiad, before he infects both our lands."

"Can't we just go and retrieve these gems?"

"No, only she has the ability to activate their powers."

"And where does Zelada fit into all of this?" I say, before swallowing some water.

"Maybe you should ask her yourself. At this present time, she's your personal guardian."

"That's ridiculous."

"I'm not joking. Have a little faith in yourself, Enaz. You're just as important in the fall of Akiad as Syra. She needs your determination to overcome many obstacles, fifteen years from now."

"How can you possibly know all of this?"

"The prophet told me, ten thousand years ago. It was a message she delivered, and all whom she told, have carefully followed her explicit instructions."

I take a deep breath, and glance back at him. Is he for real? How could an ancient prophet know this much about me and my little girl? Are we really as important as he's making out?

"If Zelada is so interested in my wellbeing, then why did she and Voltanna leave me behind at the bar?"

"They'll be back, trust me."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because you're Syra's father. That is worth its weight in Ralop on this planet, and she knows it."

"All right. Hey I have another question."

"Fire away," Modnar says, popping another Dupat shell into his mouth.

"We met this old woman outside Dandum city. She was creepy and weird. Do you know her?"

"Possibly. Can you elaborate a little?"

"Flowing white hair, probably as old as you, and half of her face is badly burnt."

"Hmm no, can't say I do."

"Oh and she had thousands of crows as her pets, filling the branches of the tree that we used for shelter."

"What are crows?"

"They're a black bird from my planet. She had hundreds of them."

"That clears that up. But my next question is, what tree outside Dandum city?"

"That's weird."

"What is, Enaz?"

"Zelada said the same thing. She didn't remember there being a tree outside Dandum city either."

"Shall we go meet this lady and her crows?"

"I'll lead the way," I say, heading down the stairs.

Modnar and I walk towards the withering old tree. It's still there, but is now unoccupied. The branches aren't bearing a single crow, and the old woman is nowhere to be seen.

"Well, I agree with Zelada. There has never been a tree in this location, outside of Dandum City. Remember Enaz, I've been around for thousands of years."

"That's so bizarre. Zelada also mentioned that the old woman seemed familiar?"

"Hmm. There's something I need to check. Please, step aside," Modnar says, before gently nudging me.

He stretches his arms wide apart, opens his hands, and rolls his eyes into the back of his head.

"Umm Modnar, what are you doing?" I ask, staring at him.

The ground starts to shake, and the tree begins lifting out of the sand, floating in the air. After a few moments, the tree drops. Modnar walks up to it and runs his hand along the trunk, down to the base.

"There's roots on this tree."

"So what are you saying, Modnar?"

"Well, because it has roots, it must have been here for some time. But this just confuses me as to why Zelada and I haven't seen it before."

I ponder why this tree is such a big deal. So they never noticed a dead tree before. Maybe there is more to this than I realise, but more importantly at this moment; maybe the others have returned to the pub.

"Should we head back to the pub? Maybe everyone is waiting for us?"

"That sounds like a much better idea than standing here. Let's head to the pub and find out."

We arrive back at the Flork n Talk, but Zelada and Voltanna are still nowhere to be seen.

"Damn, I really thought they'd be here," I say, leaning at the bar.

"They will be, my boy. Just believe in yourself, and know that you're worth coming back for. Two Florks please bartender."

"I suppose you're right. Shit, you start early. I'm still trying to get rid of this hangover."

Modnar places his right hand on my forehead and I feel his palm become warm. Seconds later my hangover is gone.

"Wait, what did you just do?" I ask, sounding surprised.

"Feel like that drink now?"

"You bet, gramps. Hey, thanks for getting rid of my headache, and for being so helpful today. I feel like I've been bombarding you with questions."

"Well you have, but its fine, and you're welcome."

"So, where is it that we have to go?" I say, walking away from the bar, and sitting at a nearby booth.

"You need to scale Toolore Mountain, then begin your training at Toolore village."

"So, when do we leave?" I say, sipping my drink.

Modnar takes a swig, then places his bottle firmly on the table. He looks up at me and smiles, then diverts his attention to the female laughter, gradually getting louder, towards the entrance of the pub.

"Not me, Enaz. But I'm sure they'll go," Modnar says, winking at me.

I look towards the entrance, and see Zelada and Voltanna enter the pub.

"Enaz! Modnar!" Zelada says, running towards us.

"Thanks for the heads up, I was sitting here freaking out over whether you'd even show up?" I reply.

"Don't be daft, we wouldn't leave you behind. Voltanna and I went for a morning stroll, to catch up on old times. How are you, Modnar?" Zelada says, hugging him.

"I'm speechless, Zelada. It has been a very long time. I'm well, thank you for asking. And how are you Voltanna?" Modnar replies, hugging her.

"I can't complain. Here I am, just like you instructed," Voltanna says, pulling away from him.

"Hey....... Man....... Why did you guys take off.. I can't slither that fast, man," Nevijah says, slithering into the pub smoking on his pipe.

We all burst into a mad fit of laughter. It's about time we had some comic relief. To be honest, I don't have the foggiest clue what's going on, but at least I've found my way to some humour. It reminds me of home.

### IX - A Little White Lie Won't Hurt Anyone...

We laugh for quite some time. It dawns on me how ridiculous Nevijah is. He is exactly like a stoner, pipe and all; except he's this strange worm creature. He's always going to make me laugh, especially when he speaks.

Nevijah slithers up Voltanna's leg, and back onto her shoulders. He continues chugging on his pipe, and exhales into my face. It's such a large amount of smoke, that it's hard not to get a whiff.

My mind begins to feel as if a light tapping is above my eyes. My eyesight is twisting and contorting, displaying an array of beautiful colours. I feel spaced out for about thirty seconds before the morphing palette of colours settles down.

"Gees, what is that stuff. I was away with the fairies for a while there," I say, shaking my head.

"If you smoke the leaves of the Juivita plant.... You see all kinds of things, man," Nevijah replies, taking another puff.

"Yeah, I noticed," I joke.

"Modnar, where are you going?" Voltanna asks.

"I was about to say the same thing," Zelada adds.

"I'll meet you all at Toolore Village. You both know how to get there, but first stop in at the Village of Noradi, and pick up Zekai," Modnar says, heading to the front door.

"You're not going to wish us luck?" I ask.

Modnar walks towards the exit of the pub, then pauses, holds onto the side of the front door, and looks our direction.

"You haven't seen them fight, have you?" Modnar says, before leaving the pub.

Everyone begins laughing, including the bartender. What are you supposed to do in this situation? I have no idea. But, when the jokes on you in life, join in; it makes it easier.

Once the laughter recedes, I look at the ladies for instructions.

"Are we heading off to get this Zekai character?" I ask.

"YES! I haven't seen him in years!" Zelada exclaims.

"Neither! The last time I saw Zekai, was a very LONG time ago. So Zelada, I'm as excited as you are," Voltanna replies.

"Okay, then that's decided. Let's make like a tree, and leave. Cheers bartender for the amazing service and atmosphere! I hope to return here someday!" I say, before standing and leaving the bar.

The four of us are waiting outside the eastern entrance of Dandum city. The wind is blowing sand into our faces, and judging from the position of the sun, it appears to be about 10am. I fold my arms; impatiently awaiting instructions.

"So, how are we heading to this village, because this sandstorm is pretty vicious," I say, trying to avoid getting a mouthful of sand.

Zelada winks at me, and I actually can't believe what I'm seeing. A large phoenix flies out of a tattoo on her right shoulder. As it flaps above us, we become temporarily shrouded from the intense heat of the sun. Inspecting closely, I notice that each strand of hair is an individual blade of fire, and as it flaps its wings, fiery strands fall to the sand. The phoenix lands next to Zelada, and she scratches its neck.

"Where do we need to go?" the phoenix says, in a male voice.

"Hey boy, we're heading to the Village of Noradi. I'm pretty tired, so if I fall asleep, please make sure we get there safely," Zelada replies, walking over to the other side of the huge Phoenix.

"I'm itching to say hi, man," Nevijah says, smoking his pipe on Voltanna's shoulders.

"Patience, Nevijah. You'll get your chance soon enough," Voltanna replies, rubbing his tail.

"All right, is everyone ready to depart? My name is Butch for those of you who don't know.... Nevijah?" Butch says, lowering his neck towards us, so we can hop aboard.

"Butch... you remember me, man?" Nevijah asks.

"Are you kidding me? You're my old smoking buddy, of course I do. How have you been?" Butch says.

Nevijah slides down Voltanna's body, and slithers up on Butch's back.

"Wait.... Your phoenix is called Butch? How weird, that's my dog's name,' I say.

"Yeah... I named him after a character in a movie," Zelada replies.

"Me too, how bizarre."

"Sorry to break up your little moment, but Zelada, at least they remember each other, unlike some people," Voltanna sarcastically says, hopping onto Butch's back behind Nevijah.

"Yeah yeah; thanks for pointing that out, Voltanna," Zelada replies, climbing onto Butch's back, and taking the front position, while I take the rear.

I ignore the banter between Nevijah and Butch, and reluctantly run my fingers through Butch's hair, hoping my skin doesn't catch on fire; thankfully, it doesn't. I wonder why though. As I wrap my arms around Voltanna's stomach, and close my eyes, something far stranger springs to mind. How come Butch remembers Nevijah, but Zelada doesn't remember Voltanna? And what's up with Zelada naming her pet after a character in a movie, just like me; I wonder if it's the same one? Well, I guess that puts a bullet point on what Modnar said to me in the pub; now I just have to gather more evidence.

"Are my hands fine here, Voltanna?" I ask.

"You don't hear me complaining," Voltanna flirtatiously replies, before we launch high into the sky.

Is she trying to flirt with me? Maybe I should just pretend I didn't notice.

In my entire life, I haven't even been on a plane before, so riding on a flying bird with flaming hair is quite a shock to my system. It's the last thing I expected to be travelling on within twenty four hours of my arrival.

As I look down to the side, vertigo rushes over me, and I'm unable to see anything but the swirling winds of a sandstorm literally everywhere. I look up and all I see ahead is just blue sky, and clouds whisking past my skin. We must easily be travelling beyond 200kmh.

"How much time is this cutting out, versus all of us travelling by foot?" I yell, from the back.

"Quite a lot, Enaz. We should get to the Village of Noradi in no time. Just enjoy the view, and be glad you're not down there, walking in that heat," Zelada replies, looking over her right shoulder at me.

"So why didn't we just take Butch when we first arrived?"

"What fun would that have been? Didn't that drink taste so much better because you earned it?"

"Yeah yeah, I suppose you're right."

Nevijah and Butch have been chatting about what they've been up to since they last saw each other. They've been laughing most of the time, so at least they're having fun.

"Voltanna... Can Butch 'n' I meet you at Toolore village? We want to.... Catch up on old times, man?" Nevijah says, puffing on his pipe.

"Yeah of course, not a problem, as long as Zelada is all right with it?" Voltanna replies.

"Yeah I'm fine with that. It also gives Voltanna and I time to catch up," Zelada says, looking over her left shoulder.

"Great, you gotta love being the third wheel," I sarcastically add.

After what seems like forever, we begin descending through the endless cloud of sand; I close my eyes and hold my breath. Once the sand stops brushing against my face, I open my eyes; what I'm witnessing is spectacular. A massive tree is growing against a cliff, which disappears into the horizon to the left and right of it. The top of the tree disappears through the sandstorm, easily a kilometre above our heads. There is a crescent shaped moat around the base of the tree, which connects with the base of two huge waterfalls, the tops of them also disappearing into the sandstorm above. I squint my eyes, trying my best to see what's at the top of the cliff, but the thick blanket of sand shrouds my visibility.

Butch touches down right next to the base of the tree. I look up and the immense size of the trunk is astonishing.

"Here we are, the Village of Noradi. Nevijah and I will see you all at Toolore Village. Safe travels everyone," Butch says, as we hop off his back one by one.

When Butch and Nevijah launch into the air, I quickly look around for the Village of Noradi. It literally is nowhere to be seen. My curiosity gets the better of me.

"Ummm where is this village?" I ask.

Zelada swiftly walks up to the tree, and places her palms flat on the trunk, about a metre apart from each other. She then looks my direction, and winks. Her palms begin glowing red, and the tree starts making a weeping noise. Bark drops to the ground, and between her palms, a door is forming. Eventually, the weeping stops and there is a definite entrance for us to walk through.

"Quickly, everyone inside," Zelada says, leading the way.

Once we're within, I hear an echo of faint murmuring, but can't make out where it's coming from. I look up, and in the distance is a wooden platform, but how can we reach it without Butch?

Suddenly, a noise from behind startles me; I turn around and see the pieces of bark, magically floating back into place. The tree starts sighing as loud as it wept and the trunk reforms, sealing us within. I'm still left puzzled as to where this village is.

"Ladies, where do we go? My minds a little HOLLOW," I joke.

We begin chuckling, and then the most surprising thing happens. Vines come from out of nowhere, and grab all of us by our wrists and ankles.

"Ladies, what's happening?" I panic.

"Remember the first time this happened to you, Voltanna?" Zelada says, keeping calm.

"Like the back of my hand," Voltanna replies, licking her lips and looking upwards.

"AAAARRRGGGGHHHHHH!" I scream, as the vines rapidly lift us towards the platform.

"Hahahahahahahahaha WOOOOOOOO!" Voltanna yells, with a huge grin on her face.

"YYYYEEEEEE... HHHHHAAARRRR!" Zelada calls out in excitement.

As I fritter and twitch through the air, I try to remain calm and not vomit all over myself. I really hate that weak stomach of mine. Seconds later, the vines carefully place us on the wooden base of what appears to be the village; before I can notice where the vines came from, they've disappeared.

"How are you feeling after that adrenaline fix?" Zelada says, tapping me on the back.

I feel my stomach curdle, so I turn away from the ladies, and vomit all over the wooden floor. I can't help it, my stomach is in knots. I've never really liked roller-coasters, so that wasn't fun at all.

"Are you okay, Enaz?" Zelada asks, rubbing my back.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," I reply, whilst still bent over.

"Come on Zelada, let's see if we can find Zekai," Voltanna says.

"That sounds like a great idea," Zelada replies, putting her right arm around Voltanna, and beginning to walk away.

"Hey Zelada, if I'm not with you in five minutes, send a search party," I say.

"Will do, old timer," she cheekily replies, removing her sword and sheathe, leaving it behind.

As they walk away, I take a moment to survey the village's layout. The wooden platform is made up of a collection of similar shaped logs, with bark which resembles the flaky nature of a fern tree. Different sized dwellings are scattered through the inner branches of the trunk. They all look as though they've grown into the shape of a liveable home, rather than being typically hand crafted; they have small holes for windows, and quite similar, larger holes for doors. Each individual dwelling has its own unique look and feel. There's a wooden path weaving its way between the buildings all the way up the tree. I begin to walk this path, and see some of the inhabitants living here. The Village of Noradi is populated by Oathient serpents, the same type of creatures I saw in the Flork 'n' Talk pub in Dandum city. They are wearing animal skins; the males have skinheads, and the females have a mix of different length hairstyles.

After a few minutes, I arrive in the middle area of the village. This area is based around an altar, which is facing a bank of stone steps, positioned in a half circle shape around it. There is a queue of male Oathient serpents lining up in front of it; I may as well join the line, and see what all the fuss is about.

A slightly different looking Oathient serpent slithers towards me. He has grey hair - with some strands of black running through it - which is tied in a ponytail, and falls halfway down his back in length. He also has gold piercings on his face and ears and he's holding a stone mallet; the wooden handle is at least forty centimetres long. To be honest, I'm a little scared; he has a rather menacing look on his face.

"Human, huh? I suppose you came with Voltanna and Zelada?" He asks, running the cold stone mallet across my cheek.

"Yes I... I..... Did, sir," I reply nervously, while he breathes on my face.

"No need for formalities, my name's Muhbac. Zekai's best friend and practically his brother," Muhbac says, lowering his weapon and offering his left hand.

"Enaz is the name, and it's an... An honour to meet you," I reply, shaking his hand nervously.

"So, you plan to give it a go?" Muhbac asks, pointing to the altar with his mallet.

"Sorry, I just lined up to see why everyone is here. So, give what a go?" I reply, as the queue inches forward.

"Lifting the legendary sword of Tharp. It rests on the altar here, in the Village of Noradi, awaiting its rightful heir to pick it up. To everyone, it's as heavy as a city, but to the chosen one, it's apparently as light as a feather."

"Why not, you never know?" I reply, winking at him.

"Well I wish you the best of luck," Muhbac says, slithering away.

"Come on Zelada, give it a try. You're so the best warrior for this job," Voltanna says, as they both approach me.

"Na, I can't be bothered," Zelada replies.

"You are going to queue up behind me, all right? Thank you Enaz," Voltanna says, pushing Zelada and her in front of me.

"Don't be scared, if I'm trying it, and everyone else is trying it, then you may as well give it a go," I reply, tapping Zelada on the back.

I watch the hordes of large Oathient serpents slither away from the altar, with disappointment written all over their faces. It makes me realise that Muhbac was right. It has nothing to do with strength, and everything to do with destiny. If it's mine, I will pick it up with ease. If not, it'll wait till that right moment.

There are two serpents in the front of the queue, then Voltanna, Zelada and I, with about ten more serpents behind me. I must admit, I'm getting excited even though there is hardly any chance of us getting it. In fact, to be fair, I think the sword is going to sit there for another fifteen years until my daughter picks it up. Well, that's if Zelada and Modnar were both right.

Voltanna walks up to the altar and tries her hardest to lift the sword. She's huffing and heaving, as she struggles to even make the blade flinch.

"Aaarrgghhh, I give up. It ain't me that's meant to bear that blade. You're up Zelada," Voltanna says, moving a few metres to the right.

"Aaaaaaaahhh, you go first, Enaz," Zelada replies.

"Ladies first, Zelada," I say, politely.

"No no, it's okay Enaz, I'll go next," Zelada exclaims, slipping behind me in the queue.

Okay then, I might as well. As I approach the altar, I study the sword. It's weird because I swear I have seen a sword like this before. The blade is about a metre long, and is shaped like a really large spearhead. There is a carving of a phoenix etched into the blade, from the bottom to the tip. There are some intricate designs on the hilt, and what appears to be finger grooves, and a large pommel at the end.

Most noticeable are four indentations, each about the size of a small stone, positioned in a North, South, East, West style on the hilt just below the blade. It could possibly be some sort of ancient compass. In fact, it resembles the tattoo on the inside of Zelada's left wrist.

I wrap my fingers around the hilt and try my best to lift; it doesn't budge, not even slightly. It's heavier than the largest dumbbell I've ever lifted, and I could get more movement from shoving an elephant than trying to lift this legendary blade.

I step aside and observe Zelada as she takes her turn.

"You don't have to stand there and watch, gees," Zelada says, staring at us until we turn our heads away.

Something in me insists that I see Zelada attempt to lift this sword. So I do the usual thing that a Gemini does; study people.

Zelada stands with her legs close together, then bends towards the blade, and wraps her hand around the handle. She begins groaning loudly, trying to lift the sword, but doesn't have much luck.

"Well, it's obviously not me, come Voltanna, let's blow this pop stand," Zelada says, walking towards one of the larger huts in the village.

"I'll meet up with you in a minute. I'm just going to watch these serpents attempt this impossible feat," I reply.

I stand here and think about Zelada's failed attempt to lift that sword. Her posture was all wrong, and in my honest opinion, I feel that she faked the whole lift. If you were going to lift something that was extremely heavy, you wouldn't have stood the way she did. Oh well, what does it matter anyway, a white lie isn't going to hurt anyone, right?

### X - Taming the Rabid Beast...

A couple slithers toward me, and I must admit, they seem very much in love. The female has her arm around the male, and they're hardly paying any attention to where they're going just staring longingly at each other. It's like two soul mates, exchanging their love through a single look. The last time I witnessed something this powerful, was when Linda and I shared that exact same vibe, through the look we gave each other. If it's powerful enough to stay that strong after many years of being together, then you should know - and feel deep in your heart - that you've found your soul mate.

The male looks like an Oathient serpent, but with much darker green skin, and long black hair, which is pulled back into a braid. He has numerous scars on his chest, and one on either side of his neck; you can tell he has been in some epic battles.

His partner radiates true beauty. She too has dark green skin, and long light purple hair which flows down past the base of her spine. She has dark purple eyes, and is wearing a light yellow low cut dress. You can tell these two were made for each other, they've only just noticed me.

"Hi there, have you had your attempt at lifting the legendary sword? My name's Zekai, and this is my partner, Fewmira," Zekai says, offering his right hand.

"Hi, I have actually, couldn't even make it budge. I'm Enaz, and it's very nice to meet you both. Have you caught up with Zelada and Voltanna?" I reply, briefly shaking their hands.

"Yes, we have. They both seem very lovely," Fewmira replies, smiling towards me.

"Great. So did they explain the purpose of our visit? I ask because I have absolutely no idea."

"Briefly. I was told you were requested from Modnar himself, to ask my permission to escort you all to Toolore village, to arrange training and a Brotherhood of Guytz seal for you? Does that sound about right?" Zekai replies, before leaning in and kissing Fewmira on the cheek.

"Ummmmmmm.... Yeah I think?" I say, feeling as puzzled as I sound.

"We will see the others and let you know. Feel free to wander around our village, and make yourself at home," Fewmira says, before Zekai and her slither away.

I look around trying to locate Zelada and Voltanna. All I can find, are hundreds of Oathient serpents, of all ages. There are a group of serpents that are about twelve to fifteen years old, some younger. They're all in a seated position, listening to Muhbac tell a story of their past. It makes me wonder what you would call a young Oathient serpent.

"Umm, can I please ask a question?" I ask, as I put my right hand up.

"Certainly young man," an elderly serpent replies.

"With my race of people, we call our young 'children.' What do you call yours?" I ask.

Everyone stares my direction. It remains silent for about twenty seconds before a young female Oathient serpent - who looks about three - puts her hand up. She has a light pink dress on, and light green hair tied into cute twin ponytails.

"Yes, Ashison, please tell the young man," the elderly serpent instructs.

The little serpent props herself upright, and looks towards me with a big cheesy grin on her face. She causes me to become slightly teary eyed, as it makes me miss Syra.

"Wee are crawled the Ofee.. Int.. youfff," Ashison says, in an extremely cute voice.

"That's right, Ashison. Oathient youth, just like she said, young man. We are all Oathient serpents, and have lived here for many, many years. We know you're from the other side of the portal, but what is your name? Mine is Flamrita. Don't be shy now," Flamrita says.

I look around at all the youth, and they have given me their undivided attention. It's really quite cute. I suppose I better tell them my name, so I bend down towards the smaller ones, and place a hand on each of my knees.

"My name is .... Enaz. Can you all say Enaz?" I say, before standing up.

All the youth in the vicinity say "Eeeee... Naaazzzzz," starting and finishing at different times.

"Well done everybody," I say, clapping.

"And what brings you to Tharp?" Flamrita asks. "I really have no idea, sorry," I reply, shrugging my shoulders.

"So with you having no idea, my next question would be; who brought you here?"

I look down at the kids, and put my hands on my knees again. They are looking on, eagerly awaiting my answer.

"Modnar," I say, slowly diverting my focus back towards Flamrita.

The children all respond with a long "Oooooooouuuu."

"Enaz, you are welcome to stay as long as you need. When you mention Modnar, it's like mentioning someone who has the trust of a king. He's the Time Guardian of Tharp, and a loyal friend. Make yourself at home... They have," Flamrita replies, using her left hand to point further up the tree.

We all divert our attention towards what Flamrita is pointing at. The youth begins laughing, where as I take a bit of time to study what's going on.

Zelada and Voltanna have a bottle of Flork in each hand, and they're head banging to the random noises I'm hearing. It's a weird mix of common noises, like clanging pots, pans and chimes, with a little bit of shattered glass thrown in. There are no real consistent patterns; it's just all randomly happening together. I guess you really can make music out of anything.

"I suppose I better join in!" I say, walking further up the tree towards Zelada and Voltanna.

"Enaz!" they both scream as I approach them.

"Room in this mosh pit for one more?" I yell.

"Yeahhhhh!" They exclaim.

Voltanna starts a circle headbang, whipping her hair around like a helicopter propeller, so I also jump in and copy her.

The music is being performed live by a band of Oathient serpents. They're quite cool, and they all have Mohawks; to be fair, I couldn't have picked a better hairstyle for them. They look so brutal. One band member is smashing an empty bottle of Flork into a bin, every fifteen to twenty seconds. Another member is clanging two pots together at random, intermittent intervals. And another is clashing some chimes together. I'm not one to judge a genre of music; I just know what I like.

The band plays about seven songs, and we headbang for roughly forty minutes. My neck will be so stiff tomorrow morning. I'm turning twenty eight this year, and I know I'm getting too old for this stuff.

When the band finishes, the three of us turn towards them and give a huge round of applause.

"Wooooooooo!" the three of us cheer.

While we applaud the band, the Oathient youth slither up to us, and start cheering too. There are at least twenty young serpents, Ashison included.

"Yyyyyayyyyyyyy!" they all cheer.

"Now yay to dem!" Ashison says, after the applause has finished.

"Yyyyaaaaaayyyyyyyy!" They all cheer in our direction.

I don't know what to say. I look towards Zelada and Voltanna, who are both becoming teary eyed.

"What do you say to that? They're sooo cute," Zelada says, laughing and wiping a few tears from her eyes.

"Absolutely nothing, ladies," I say, bowing towards the youth.

After our standing ovation, I kneel down and hug our cute supporters.

"I'm going to find Zekai and Muhbac," I say, walking off.

Zekai, Fewmira and Muhbac are standing around in a circle, so I hide behind one of the nearby huts, and listen in. It sounds like Zekai and Muhbac are having a disagreement.

"It's not fair, Zekai. Do you deny me entry, just to make me look bad in front of Fewmira?" Muhbac says, holstering his stone mallet.

"No Muhbac, not at all. None of my decisions are to make you look bad in front of anyone. You are like a brother to me; all you need to do is learn how to control your temper. Anger leads down a dark path, and the Brotherhood of Guytz can't have any weaknesses," Zekai replies.

Muhbac slithers right up to Zekai's face, and speaks in a loud, menacing tone. You can tell by his posture that he is clenching his jaw.

"How am I a weakness?" Muhbac asks, tightly gripping his stone mallet.

"You are displaying it right now, Muhbac. Just learn to control it, and we will enter you into the Brotherhood, no questions asked," Zekai calmly replies.

Muhbac quickly draws his stone mallet, and smashes it through the wooden platform beneath them, leaving a massive hole.

"This is..... Marfik!" Muhbac says, slithering away.

You can hear everyone around them begin murmuring amongst themselves.

I come out of hiding, then approach Fewmira and Zekai. I want to find out why Muhbac is being such a prick.

"What was that all about?" I ask.

"Oh it's nothing, Enaz. He'll be fine," Zekai replies.

"So what was that word he said? 'Marfik' or something like that?" I say, sounding confused.

"Ssshhhhh, don't let the little ones hear you. It's not really a word you should say around the Oathient youth. Hang on there a minute, Enaz," Zekai replies, slithering towards the younger serpents.

"It'll be best if Zekai addresses the issue of not being able to copy what Muhbac has said, as he is their elder," Fewmira explains, gazing towards Zekai.

"So what does it mean though? Sorry, I'm as curious as the children, and old enough to know," I reply, folding my arms.

"The definition of the word is 'to wish harm to all your loved ones.' It is a very foul word, and is used sparingly. Zekai is trying to abolish it in our village, as most areas in Tharp have already beaten us to it. The words origin is from thousands of years ago, but no one knows who said it. It's the longest lasting forbidden word we have, it has stuck around for close to ten thousand years," Fewmira explains.

"We have words like that on my planet, too. We call them 'cuss words.' I hope you do whatever it takes to get it abolished. I'm going to find Zelada and Voltanna, and find out when we should depart," I reply, before walking further up the village, and Fewmira slithers towards Zekai.

As I look ahead, I see Zelada and Voltanna standing next to each other, outside somebodies hut.

"Marfik," I say, startling them both.

"Why would you say that?" Voltanna replies, sounding shocked.

"It's a new cuss word I learnt. It means 'to wish harm to all your loved ones.' Pretty brutal if you ask me."

"Well there's youth around, so keep your voice down."

"This planet has cuss words too?" Zelada asks.

"Don't act daft, Zelada. You told me about that word many moons ago," Voltanna chimes in.

"Oh.. Yeah, sorry I'm a bit slow today. Hey Enaz, we were just deciding which one of us is going to cheer up Muhbac. He's pretty angry, and we were wondering who upset him." Zelada says.

"Oh that was Zekai. Don't worry, I'll just barge in and suss him out," I reply, quickly moving towards the piece of material used as his door.

"Wait!" Voltanna says, gripping my right wrist.

"What's wrong, Voltanna?" I reply, releasing her hand from mine.

"Be careful, all right? He looked really angry, so I reiterate; be careful."

"I will. I'm quite good at dealing with life or death situations. My wife calls me 'the ice man', because I stay 'cool' through all circumstances," I reply, confidently.

I step through the door, push the piece of brown material aside, and quickly survey the room. There is a circular wooden table and two stools on the left side of the room, and what seems like a small cauldron on the right, beneath a handmade stone chimney. There's a small square piece of brown material covering the window at the back, and his bed is on a wooden base just underneath. Muhbac is sitting on a hand woven mat in the centre of the room, which looks to be a map of this world. In the back left corner of the room are some wooden shelves, with a small chest stacked on each one. I look up and notice a bug dangling from the roof, tied to a piece of vine. Why is he so cruel? I guess I'm about to find out.

Now, I'm expecting the warmest of welcomes from Muhbac... Or not.

"What do you want?" Muhbac says, promptly springing off the floor, and snatching his stone mallet off the table.

"Why are you angry?" I reply, gulping all the saliva in my mouth.

"What's it to you?" Muhbac snaps back, slithering toward me.

"Can you please put your weapon down, so we can talk like gentlemen?" I say, softly.

"DO I LOOK GENTLE?" Muhbac yells, smashing a wooden ornament on the nearby table.

"It means to speak without violence. I came in to see if you're all right?" I say, feeling a little scared.

"What, is this SOME KIND OF JOKE?!!" Muhbac yells, breathing heavily.

"No, it's not. Getting angry solves nothing. I heard you and Zekai had a disagreement, and I just wanted to see if you were all right. I don't know how to fight, hence why I need protection; so, I need a great warrior to escort me. Anyway, sorry for disturbing you," I say, before turning around to exit.

"Wait, Enaz," Muhbac replies, sounding much calmer.

I turn around, and Muhbac holsters his weapon. His angered face turns frail, and his eyebrows lift like a hot air balloon.

"He just doesn't give me a chance, you know? He says that I can't control my anger. I'm sure he's just showing off in front of Fewmira. Why is he that cruel?" Muhbac says, sounding sad.

"Look Muhbac, you may not like what's gonna come out of my mouth, but at least it's honest."

"Try me," Muhbac says, slithering closer to me.

"From what I've seen, you do actually have a problem with controlling your anger. You need to relax, listen more, and think before you speak. Sometimes, even I am a hypocrite to my own advice," I reply, looking down and sighing.

"I suppose I do..... Wait, how are you a hypocrite?"

"Well, you see it goes like this. I give you the advice that I am still trying to attain. I can't think before I speak; it just blurts out when I say it. Sometimes it makes no sense, but you must swallow the comments that follow. Most of the time, it can at least keep me out of trouble."

"So why would you offer me that for advice then?" Muhbac asks, sounding confused.

"Because when you're trying so hard to think about what you say, your anger will never flair up. Mine never does. I stopped getting angry like you do... At least fifteen years ago. My step father gave me that advice before he died, and I'd pass that on to anyone."

"That's really honest. I could never admit a flaw in front of someone, so that's quite inspiring," Muhbac says, waving his hand to offer me a seat.

I know what's coming up. He wants more advice. To be honest, he needs it; and I enjoy offering it to someone in need. If life is a map, then I am a person with a permanent marker, offering you an alternate route. Now, all I have to do is find this brother's map.

### XI - Do As I Say, Not As I Do...

I talk with Muhbac for a long time, possibly hours. He listens to me just like a five year old kid would. He's lying on his mat, leaning on his left elbow with his tail curled up to the right, and giving me his undivided attention.

I told him how Zekai isn't a bad guy, and that he's merely offering Muhbac a quicker route to whatever this Brotherhood seal is. To vanquish any jealousy of me before it starts, I point out that Modnar told me that I'm the father of the next heir to the legendary sword, and that I need to train to be her personal guard one day. He is fine with that and with me. I also explained that he must never tell anyone that I'm the father of the chosen one, no matter what the situation is; this is just what friends do.

Muhbac suddenly props himself up and slithers over to me.

"Thank you so much, Enaz," Muhbac says, hugging me tightly.

"Not a problem. You can talk to me any time," I reply, as he pulls away.

"Thanks, I might just take you up on that."

"I'll see you in a few minutes. I'm going to head outside and rally everybody up," I say, turning towards the exit.

"Wait, Enaz."

"Yeah?"

"Thank you for your insightful words. Most people in this village treat me like a joke, but you're different. Again Enaz, thank you," Muhbac replies, smiling towards me.

"Don't sweat it."

I go to exit, but Zekai slithers inside.

"Oh hey Zekai, he's all yours. See you soon," I say, patting him on the shoulder and heading outside.

You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink; that explains Muhbac in a nutshell. I know I shouldn't really be nosey, but call me curious of how Zekai is going to get on. I peek through the door and watch everything unfold.

Meanwhile, inside the private confines of Muhbac's home...

"Hi!" Muhbac says as Zekai slithers closer to him.

"I came in to check if you had calmed down," Zekai replies.

"Yeah I'm fine, but no apology?" Muhbac asks.

"I never apologise if I've done nothing wrong. You are my best friend, and I realise I get on your nerves, but I'm only trying to help you, Muhbac," Zekai replies, offering his right hand to shake.

"How is embarrassing me, helping? What sort of sick joke is this?" Muhbac says, sounding disgusted.

"Muhbac... We have a request from Modnar, our old friend. We have to help him; think of how many times he has helped us. And remember, we are like brothers, till our grave," Zekai replies, still awaiting Muhbac's handshake.

Muhbac looks towards Zekai, and slowly stops frowning. He must know Zekai has a point with what he's just said. But the blind stubbornness of Muhbac might just be too much of a rabid beast to control. He is either far too difficult to tame, or is beyond the point of no return. Sometimes in life, you just have to know when to let go, and when to let the winds of fate sort them out, and not intervene. Muhbac could be one of those people. Everybody meets one of them in their lifetime, just like I have.

Muhbac reluctantly leans forward and shakes Zekai's hand.

"You have a valid point. Let's complete Modnar's request for him, and get Enaz trained," Muhbac says, changing the handshake to a hug and patting Zekai on the back.

"Thank you, Muhbac. I will see you outside soon," Zekai replies.

Back with Enaz, outside Muhbacs hut in Noradi Village...

I quickly hurry off before I get caught eavesdropping. I see Zelada and Voltanna, talking in the distance. Their body language suggests that they're talking about something private. I briskly sneak toward them, and hide behind a nearby barrel...

"I have to take off for a while. It's hard to explain, but if I could, I would. I promise to meet up with you somewhere," Zelada says, hugging Voltanna.

"I know you'll be back, you always do this, anyway," Voltanna replies, pulling away from the hug.

As she disappears further up the tree, I run over to Voltanna, hoping she can shed some light on what Zelada is up to. Voltanna is looking towards the bushy area of the tree, and hasn't seen me coming.

"Boo," I say.

"Enaz, you startled me."

"Sorry about that."

"Sigh.... She does that," Voltanna says, cheekily.

"Does what?" I reply.

"Leaves. I'm actually fine with it, she has always been that way."

"How long have you known her for?" I ask.

"I couldn't give you a precise answer, but a long time. Many thousands of years at a guess."

"And has she aged at all?" I ask, confused.

"No, not at all," Voltanna replies.

"Well, this is what information I've gathered so far. She claims to be from West Auckland - my stomping ground, yet I've never seen her. You see, out West, it's such a small place; you'll always know someone through somebody else, like a mutual friend. But, I've never seen her in my life. So who is she? The strange part is, she knows so much about my hometown, so it's also hard to deny her of what she says," I reply, sounding as frustrated as I feel.

"Well, we have company, so let's resume this later," Voltanna says, turning her attention towards me.

I suppose it's a good idea that we don't mention our suspicions of Zelada around anybody else. We don't have any solid proof on our feelings, so best to keep them hidden. It's not that I don't trust her, it's more that I can't work out the reason for her lies, or why she must keep her identity so under wraps.

"Where's Zelada?" Zekai asks, as he and Muhbac slither toward us.

"She left already, and said she'll meet up with us soon," Voltanna replies.

"Great. Now, does everyone have their equipment?" Muhbac asks, gripping the stone mallet holstered at his side.

"Not everyone," Fewmira says, slithering toward us carrying a long, steel tipped wooden spear in her hands.

"Thank you, precious. We have to go to Toolore village, and get Enaz started on his training," Zekai replies, before retrieving his spear and kissing Fewmira.

"Wait a second. Sorry to break up this beautiful moment of love, but I'm curious about something... How long is my training?" I say, while Zekai and Fewmira hold on to each other's hips.

"About three months," Zekai replies, before Fewmira and he start kissing again.

"THREE MONTHS??!" I cry out.

Muhbac slithers over to me, and puts his right hand on my left shoulder. He keeps me quiet, in a moment of time that I don't wish to be silent.

"It will be worth it, Enaz. Keep calm, my friend," Muhbac says, looking into my eyes.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just gutted I have to train for three months," I reply.

"Good things take time, Enaz. Remember that," Muhbac says, slithering past and patting me on the back.

I suppose he's right. If I truly am meant to be a guardian for my daughter in fifteen years' time, then I need to learn how to use these samurai swords that I have conveniently acquired.

"Bye Fewmira my love, I'll see you when I return," Zekai says, kissing her on the lips.

"You too, love. See you when you get back," Fewmira replies.

"Nice to meet you, Fewmira. Until next time," I say, shaking hands.

"You too, Enaz. You're welcome back here, anytime."

"Thank you for your kind hospitality," Voltanna says, hugging her.

"See you soon, Fewmira. We'll be back as soon as we can," Muhbac says, slithering further up the tree.

"Have a safe trip," Fewmira replies, while waving at us.

We work our way up the wooden path, spiralling up to the bushiest part of the tree.

"Is this the way out?" I say, sarcastically.

"Yes Enaz. Follow Muhbac, he'll lead the way. We do this a few times a month," Zekai replies from behind me.

Muhbac slithers straight into dense bush, but there are small twigs and branches sticking out everywhere.

"Just close your eyes and walk on through!" Zekai says, softly nudging me from behind.

"All right, all right. Sheesh."

I push through the dense bush with my eyes closed. I'm feeling around for the way out, but no such luck. In fact a few minutes later, my luck gets worse.

Now, our situation turns dark fairly quickly. On the other side of the dense bush we just pushed through is a forest. It wouldn't normally worry me at all, but we are now standing in a swamp; my jeans are soaked up to my knees. It is really quite foggy, which is making it hard to see. Specks of light struggle to break through the fog, and the canopy of leaves above us shroud the sky. Floating on top of the swamp are bits of limbs, and buckets of blood. It's like a massacre. A few Oathient serpents slither toward us from out of nowhere, bearing axes as their weapons. They have rotting brown coloured skin, and a red X branded on their forehead. I have no time to ask questions now, as shit is about to hit the fan.

"Guys, what do we do?" I ask, stepping back a few paces.

I must admit, I'm usually fairly good at fighting back home if a situation gets messy, but I haven't had any weapons training, so right now I'm really quite scared.

Voltanna stands in front of me, while the other two draw their respective weapons and slither ahead.

"Psst Voltanna, where's your weapon?" I whisper.

"He..... Left with Butch," Voltanna whispers back.

"He?!"

"Sorry.... Can I explain later? Not really the best of times."

Before I have a chance to answer, one of the Oathient serpents speak.

"Are you lot friends with the young woman who passed through here?"

"We could be outcast, why do you ask?" Zekai replies, gripping his spear.

"She just cut through my fellow Oathient outcasts like it was no problem, shredding them to pieces within seconds using her sword. She then released some creatures from her mouth, and they decimated everyone still alive that they touched," another Oathient serpent explains.

It has to be Zelada that did this. She told me she has a power, which allows her to summon swarms of locusts. If her locusts are flesh eating, then this is definitely what a corpse would look like afterwards.

"If it was our friend, then she wouldn't have attacked without someone harassing her," Zekai says, slithering forward slightly.

"She seemed like a menace to us," another Oathient serpent adds.

"Why do you think your kind gets banished to this life? No respect, that's why," Muhbac says, tightly gripping his stone mallet.

"Come get me, old man," an Oathient serpent replies.

Muhbac swings his stone mallet, connecting with the serpents axe. Zekai slithers to the left of him, and thrusts his spear forward; it pierces the side of a serpents head.

"They're pretty brutal, aren't they?" I say.

"Well, would you prefer death?" Voltanna replies.

"Nope, I like life," I say, cheekily.

Muhbac dodges the serpent's attacks from left to right, while Zekai looks on.

"Behind you Zekai!" Voltanna yells as two serpents approach him.

Zekai instinctively turns around and stabs one serpent through the stomach.

"Aaarrrggghh!" the serpent yells.

Zekai keeps his spear buried in the serpent's stomach, pivoting him around like a shield.

CLANG! CLANG! Muhbac is still tussling with the same serpent as before, and their strikes are cancelling each other out. He dodges a sudden strike from the left, then strikes the side of the serpents head. The blow causes his skull to cave in, like your foot would to a chocolate cake.

"To the right, Muhbac!" Voltanna yells, running ahead to aid him.

Voltanna jumps onto the back of a serpent, and wraps her arm around his face.

"Let go, Voltanna!" Muhbac yells, before connecting with his neck.

The Oathient serpent drops into the swamp, struggling to breathe.

I feel rather useless. I wish I had enough confidence to use my weapons; I hate being a spectator in life.

Zekai is using his 'serpent shield', to block the shots from a serpent he's fighting with.

"Don't be a coward, Zekai. Drop his body, and let's battle like warriors," the Oathient serpent says, slicing towards him.

Zekai tips his spear down, allowing the body to slide off, but never gets a chance to attack the serpent, as Muhbac intervenes.

Muhbac smacks his mallet into the guts of the serpent, hitting him so hard, that he starts gagging, and gasping for air. The Oathient serpent begins regurgitating what seems to be blood and organs out of his mouth.

I can feel my stomach curdling. I must admit, I love horror movies, and all the gore that comes with them, but the reality is that when you see all of that in the flesh, it's truly revolting.

After the wicked display, I just can't hold it in any longer, and moments later, I too start vomiting next to me.

Voltanna comes running over, as it appears all the serpents are dead.

"Enaz, everything all right?" Voltanna asks, rubbing my back in a circular motion.

"My stomach just loves the smell of this place, and all the gore," I reply sarcastically, spewing again.

"Well, our bodyguards have sorted out any problems, so it should be safe to carry on," Voltanna says.

I wipe my mouth, look up towards Voltanna, and something catches my attention. She has white streaks moving through her hair. The streaks are spaced apart like highlights, but move from her roots to the tips of her hair in seconds. They start at random areas on her head, run down the strands and then start again in a new area. It seems just like clouds moving through a blue sky.

"Voltanna, what's happening to your hair?" I ask, sounding confused.

"Oh that's right, I forgot to explain my hair to you. It changes colour depending on my mood. Blue is my normal colour, but I get white streaks through my hair, if I'm scared or excited," Voltanna explains.

"So... Are you scared or excited?" I ask.

"Excited!"

"That was exciting to you??"

"Of course, I love danger. I live for it."

"Okay, so what colour does it turn when you're angry?" I ask, as we walk towards Zekai and Muhbac.

"Usually grey, but I never know what colour it might go, especially if I were to get really mad!" Voltanna replies, winking at me.

We pause our evolving conversation, as we overhear another small disagreement between Zekai and Muhbac. They are arguing about how they handled that battle, and how Muhbac is so reckless in combat. I know exactly what Muhbac thinks Zekai is like. 'Do as I say, not as I do', is what will be going through his head, as he looks towards Zekai with fire in his eyes. Hope they sort it out soon, as I'm pretty keen to get out of this swamp.

### XII - A Shade of Grey..

Voltanna and I watch Zekai and Muhbac argue for at least a few minutes. I'm playing the devil's advocate in my mind, and not picking sides with either of them. It's strange to watch, as it's a rather one sided argument. Muhbac is getting easily heated, where Zekai is rather passive in comparison. Muhbac is defending all of his mistakes, and Zekai is calmly making suggestions on how he could have handled the fight differently. They're not progressing anywhere as their argument is just heading around in circles. Their opinions of the situation cancel each other out. I suppose one of us better step in and say something.

"So, when should we press on?" I say, walking towards them.

The two of them ignore me, and continue to argue. In my honest opinion, for close mates, it seems to me like they would make better enemies.

"Let me show you how it's done, this needs a woman's touch. Follow me," Voltanna says.

She walks directly between Zekai and Muhbac, as they continue their heated argument.

"See you both at Toolore village. Follow me, Enaz," Voltanna says, leading the way forward.

"See you guys there," I say, cheekily.

I peek over my shoulder, and watch their reaction unfold.

"Hey! Wait..... I'm sorry for yelling at you, Zekai," Muhbac says, offering his right hand.

Zekai looks our direction, then opens his arms wide apart.

"Come here, brother," Zekai says, before hugging Muhbac.

"Wait for us!" Muhbac yells, slithering toward us.

"See, that's how it's done... Easy," Voltanna says, winking at me.

"Hey, I never doubted you for a minute," I reply.

As we continue to trudge through the swamp, Voltanna and I yarn about a bunch of different things. I've been pestering her to tell me about how many different colours her hair can become, amongst a few other things. Muhbac and Zekai have been getting along, which is a good thing; I can't stand fighting for no reason.

Finally, I can see light up ahead, so I sprint. It's difficult to run in swampy water when it's up to your knees, but I'm eager to have a change of scenery.

The moment I step outside the murky confines of this swampy forest, I'm blinded by rays of the sun. What a complete one hundred and eighty degree flip on the landscape we have just been in. I rub my eyes, so I can properly soak in the environment; I really can't believe what I'm seeing.

Beautiful green pastures go into the distance towards the mountains, and there is a river running from just to the right of us, all to way to the base of them. There are trees resembling pine, sprinkled through the plains, and a mix of different birds gliding through the sky. The ambience of the nearby river makes me forget where we've just been. This view is reminding me of the Kaimai hill, on the back of my brother in laws farm in Matamata. Oh how I miss those days with Linda.

"Wow," I say.

"That's what I think every time I see this," Zekai adds.

"Where are we?"

"The Periko plains. It's one of my favourite places on all of Tharp. It's a shame it's not such a safe walk from home, to get here," Zekai replies.

"I don't mind taking the life of a few Oathient serpents who never appreciated it in the first place," Muhbac says, cheekily.

"Zekai, who were those serpents that attacked us?" I ask.

"I'll explain everything soon. But first we should stop at the river over there, and stock up on some Dupat shells. We will have a rest and talk for a while, then make our way to Toolore village," Zekai replies.

"You mean this river??! Cannonball!" I yell, jumping in.

"AAARRGGHH!" Voltanna yells, following after me.

We both bob on the surface of the river; Voltanna flicks her hair out of her face, rubs her eyes and smiles my direction.

"I love Dupat shells, Enaz," Voltanna says, before diving underwater.

"Oh great.... Those things," I reply, unenthusiastically.

I float and enjoy the fresh water for about thirty seconds; Voltanna still hasn't surfaced.

"Zekai is she....... Arrrggghhh!" I yell, before getting pulled under.

Once I'm submerged, Voltanna points towards some shells, which are growing on the side of the rocks. This must be what we're eating. I quickly collect a few of them, and surface for air. Much to my surprise, Voltanna is still underwater.

"How long can she hold her breath for?" I ask, swimming ashore to dump my shells.

"Easily as long as an Oathient serpent. In fact, maybe even longer," Zekai replies.

"Ha, you've got to be kidding? Surely not as long as us, right, Zekai?" Muhbac says, grinning proudly.

"No brother, you're wrong. She can easily hold her breath as long as us," Zekai replies.

"Well, speak for yourself, Zekai. She'll need all the luck on Tharp to beat me!" Muhbac says, in a snarky manner.

Voltanna surfaces on top of the river with a handful of shells. As she walks onto the bank, she looks towards me and smiles.

"Did Zekai mention that I can also hear really well underwater?" Voltanna says, while turning her attention towards Muhbac.

"You want to put your Ralop where your mouth is?" Muhbac replies.

"You're on, old serpent," Voltanna says cheekily, waving him into the river.

They both dive in, and bob in front of each other. I hop back into the river and stay next to them, anxious to see who will reign supreme.

"Three, two, one, GO!" I say, before Voltanna and Muhbac take a large breath, and submerge under the water.

"I'd hop out, Enaz. They'll be a while," Zekai says, stabbing one of the Dupat shells on the ground with his spear.

"So what is Ralop, again? I've had so much to learn in such a short amount of time," I exclaim, while we face the river.

"Ralop is the currency of our world. It isn't necessary for life or the flow of time, it's just there. The more you have, the more comfortable you live. They are small, silver, specially crafted round rocks," Zekai replies, reaching into his pouch and placing one into my hands.

"Oh, that's right, it's like money. But what confuses me is that you don't need Ralop to live?"

"Money? Are you able to explain that further? And yes you're right, you don't need Ralop to live. It's optional, giving the user a more comfortable lifestyle."

"Well, money can look very similar to this. On my planet, this is called a 'coin'. But what's different about Earth, is that 'money' is compulsory, required as a standard of living. In most areas of our planet, you can end up with no home if you have no money."

"That's terrible. As long as we get you trained, and you are willing to help out somehow, you will always have a place to live on our planet. We need to get you a Brotherhood of Guytz seal," Zekai says, flipping over his left wrist.

"Oh yeah, I saw Voltanna, Zelada and Modnar had one of those. What does it mean?" I ask, running my left thumb over his tattoo.

"It represents a secret Brotherhood which is really prestigious, and difficult to get into. This is why we need to train you. If you are to become a guardian to the next heir of the legendary blade, you will require not only the trust of the Brotherhood, but to be entrusted with the same seal as all of us. You see, there is a deeper meaning involved behind the Brotherhood of Guytz seal, but it takes a bit of time to explain. It won't be an easy road, Enaz; but I have faith in you, and obviously Modnar does too," Zekai replies, holding his hand out for me to return the Ralop.

I look down towards the river and both Muhbac and Voltanna are still underwater, holding their breath.

"You say it takes a little time to explain? Clearly we have a little time," I joke, continuing to stare towards them.

"Well, to basically describe what the Brotherhood of Guytz seal represents, it is the belief in the unity, of all races alike."

"You mean like racial equality?"

"Exactly. But this seal takes racial equality to a much larger scope."

"Care to elaborate?"

"Well, it covers equality right across the spectrum. If you, me and let's say.... Zelada's phoenix 'Butch' were all here relaxing, then you wouldn't say a human, a phoenix and an Oathient serpent are all relaxing by a river in the Periko plains."

"Okay... So what would you say?" I ask, staring at the Dupat shell on the end of Zekai's spear.

"You would say that there are three Guytz relaxing by a river in the Periko plains. You see, that word consolidates all races, literally as an equal to each other," Zekai says, slithering over to a pile of tree branches nearby.

"Cheers Zekai that makes a little sense. So how do you get this seal?"

"Well, this is where we come in. As we are already part of the Brotherhood of Guytz, we can nominate someone to enter. The prerequisites are that you need to be trustworthy, loyal and most importantly, 'a guardian' of the chosen one. You are the latter, and Modnar we all trust, so if he trusts you; then that's good enough for me," Zekai explains, placing some branches down in front of me.

"So why can't Muhbac enter the Brotherhood of Guytz? Isn't he one of your best friends?" I ask, sounding confused.

"He definitely is, but there was one person that was in the Brotherhood of Guytz thousands of years ago, that had anger problems, and ended up being the first and only person to break the code of the Brotherhood. So I can't let Muhbac apply just yet."

"Who was the person who cheated the group? Did you personally trust him?"

"I can't really say who, but I trusted him the least," Zekai replies, rearranging the branches in front of us.

"Do you trust, Muhbac?" I ask, assisting Zekai with the fire.

"Yes of course."

"So... I don't see what the issue is?"

"He just needs to control his anger. That's what led the original person into betraying the brotherhood's trust, and him leaving us forever."

"But even I get worked up sometimes, so will my entry be denied?"

"No of course not, Modnar has requested this, so we must get you there as soon as possible."

I think about Muhbac's predicament involving his induction into the Brotherhood of Guytz. I definitely think there's a shade of grey in the 'rulebook'. Maybe I can enquire about it at a later date.

While Zekai struggles to start the fire, I instinctively put my hands into my pockets, and find an old lighter. It must have been in there from when I first purchased the jacket. .

"Zekai, I have this. It's called a lighter, a human device for creating an instant flame," I say, sparking the flint.

"Enaz, thank you so much. I was beginning to wonder if I would ever get this fire started," Zekai replies, reaching for the lighter in my hand.

"You put your thumb on the top of the lighter, like this.... Then flick the flint..... Like this," I say, showing Zekai what to do.

Zekai flicks the flint, and holds the button, just like I instructed. He lights the fire and at the same time, I notice bubbles float to the surface in the river next to us. It's perfect timing; the fire is now ablaze.

"Here you go, Enaz," Zekai says, passing me back the lighter.

"Na, you can keep it, I don't need it. I only purchased this coat the other day, and the lighter just happened to be in the pocket."

"Thank you, Enaz. I promise to cherish this useful gift," Zekai says, sounding sincere.

"Not a problem, it's not really a big deal," I reply, patting him on the back.

Zekai and I quietly watch the river. He's cooking the Dupat shell on the end of his spear, and I notice it's starting to melt.

"Zekai, as disgusting as that looks, you might wanna pop that in your mouth, it's kinda melting," I say, screwing my face up.

"Oh thanks. I forgot about it for a moment there," Zekai replies, popping it straight into his mouth.

"Eck," I say, pulling a face.

"Have you had a chance to try one?" Zekai asks.

"I've had the chance, but eating a beach ornament isn't high on my priority list," I say, sarcastically.

"Here," Zekai replies, offering me the new Dupat shell on the tip of his spear head.

"Thanks," I say, reluctantly removing the shell.

I close my eyes and try to imagine what it could possibly taste like, surely it can't taste as good as they make out. But in saying that, this planet has just continued to surprise me.

I place it in my mouth, and begin to chew; my first thought is that it tastes a lot like warm custard, and it even has the same sludgy feeling. Well my opinion of Dupat shells has definitely changed and I can see myself taking some for the road.

"So what's the verdict?" Zekai asks, popping another shell into his mouth.

"Mmmmmmmmmmm," I reply, continuing to chew.

Zekai and I suddenly turn our heads, as bubbles rapidly form on the top of the river.

"Aaaaahhhhhhhhhh!" Muhbac says, gasping for air.

Voltanna delicately exits the river after him, looking like she has plenty of oxygen left in the tank. She has wet, sandy blonde hair, and is smiling at me in a cheeky way. She shakes her head, and in rapid succession, each individual strand gradually changes colour, back to blue.

"I let her win," Muhbac says, sounding annoyed.

"Pfft, don't hold your breath," Voltanna sarcastically replies.

Everyone except Muhbac begins chuckling. We're laughing so hard that we have tears rolling down our cheeks, and thankfully it doesn't take long for him to join in. The company is much appreciated, and ironically enough, so is the food.

### XIII - It Pays to Leave an Ace Up Your Sleeve

The Dupat Shells are filling me up, but partially because I'm eating like I'll never get another chance. I really hope my digestive system can handle all this foreign food.

The moon is out on my second night in this crazy world. My one way ticket to a land of mystery, with a past that no one from Earth knows about, and a future that no one cares about; I'm enjoying every minute of it. It's hard to explain, as I reek of fear and excitement. The fear of the unknown and the excitement of it, are hard to separate from each other, as they exist almost simultaneously.

I'm sitting near the river while the others sleep, staring at the moon, soaking in everything that has happened. Until I met Linda, I always spent time alone, thinking. Once we fell in love, I trusted her with all my personal thoughts and worries, so spending time thinking alone, wasn't really necessary anymore; until now.

My beautiful little girl, Syra, crosses my mind. It's weird to think that I won't see her for another fifteen years, until the day arrives, when I officially become her bodyguard. Guarding my own flesh and blood, without witnessing fifteen years of her life. She'll probably hate me when we meet, where as I will be as proud as a father can be.

The love of my life, Linda; I miss her so much. I've never taken anything about our relationship for granted, which I'm glad; but all the things that were there, simple or otherwise, are gone. For example, spending time with her, and our family. I won't be able to do that, till I'm out of my thirties. That's a thought that scares me a little. Another thing I'm going to miss is the snuggling; holding each other tightly, while falling asleep, in bed. Oh yeah, and to give a bed a mention; most appreciated. You don't know how much you miss your bed till it's gone.

I miss saying 'I love you' to both my loved ones, my only family. But in saying that, it still isn't what I'm missing most; it's actually hearing it. Just the sound of the words 'I love you' from the lips of someone you love, is never forgotten. 'Wuf you dad' which comes from my little angel will be stuck in my head forever, and those same words from Linda, give me butterflies every time.

On to Zelada. She's full of mystery, and it's very hard to piece together. She comes and goes as she pleases, and I've found out that she does this regularly. It's weird, but I do feel connected to her in some way; well that's what my gut's telling me. It's not just because I have the knowledge of where she's from. I actually do feel connected to her somehow. Maybe it's in a past life? Or maybe it's coming up in the future. All I know is I hope to bump into her again, to find out why I feel this way. I just have to carefully choose my moment. Hopefully she'll show up during my three months of training; which I must admit is scaring me a little. I'm not unfit by any means, but training seven days a week is going to be gruelling. I'm really hoping they can teach me how to use my new found power, as it will help me a lot on my journey.

I hold my right forearm up to the moon, and twist it around. My arm goes completely transparent, invisible to the naked eye. I wiggle my fingers in the hope to control this power, but it doesn't help.

"What are yoooooooooouu doing up?" Voltanna asks, yawning and stretching.

"Shit, you gave me a fright."

"Sorry about that. So what are you doing awake?" Voltanna asks, sitting down next to me.

"Well, trying to work out my power, but not having much luck," I reply, showing her my forearm.

"You can go invisible? Let me see that!" Voltanna says, grabbing my wrist.

"You're gripping thin air, Voltanna," I joke.

"Huh, but isn't this your wrist?" Voltanna replies, sounding confused.

"You tell me, I can't see anything," I reply, sarcastically.

We fall onto our backs, and begin laughing. While staring at the stars in hysterics, I hold my right arm up to the moon, and it's as transparent as a piece of steak.

"See, back to normal," I say, twisting my arm around.

Voltanna snatches my hand and holds it to her face. I don't want to pull away, just in case I offend her. That's the last complication I need right now.

"I'm sorry Enaz, it's just been many moons since a man has had his hand so close to my face," Voltanna says, passing back my hand.

"That makes no sense to me. You seem like a really nice person. Don't take it personally that guys don't hit on you, it happens to a lot of people on my planet too. It's actually pretty normal. It could even be because the males are all a little nervous," I reply, while looking up at the moon.

"Really? Do you mean that?"

"Of course, I have no reason to lie."

"Thank you Enaz. That cheered me up a little," Voltanna says, smiling towards me.

The thought of me cheating on Linda hasn't even crossed my mind. When you love someone infinitely, then it will last forever. I wouldn't do anything to jeopardise that but I do feel sorry for Voltanna. She is a beautiful, intelligent woman, and has no real reason to be alone. Maybe it's just a case of bad luck. Well, I have to try cheer her up, so I might change the subject.

"So, you never told me your weapon of choice," I say.

"That's so strange, I was about to ask you the same thing. Mine is Nevijah, my trustworthy friend. How about you?" Voltanna replies.

"Wait, what? You use him as a weapon?"

"Yeah of course! He can breathe fire, and be used like a bludgeon."

"Oh wow, cool. I'll show you mine."

I quickly stand, and draw one of my samurai swords, then lightly balance the blade on my hand, with the handle facing her.

"What type of sword is this? It looks amazing; I've never seen one like this before!" Voltanna exclaims, gripping it tightly with two hands.

"It's a sixteenth century samurai sword... And wait for it...... I have two!" I reply, drawing the second one.

"So you're going to use two blades?" Voltanna replies, sounding shocked.

"Well, I'm sure going to try. It almost seems like destiny. The moment I laid my eyes on them, I knew these samurai swords would be my weapons one day. So first opportunity I had to take them, I did," I say, slashing the air a few times.

"That's crazy. I feel the same with Zelada and Nevijah. They just popped into my life at the right time. It was destiny, just like it is meeting you. I don't know why you are all so important to me, but one day I will find out. Maybe it has something to do with my son," Voltanna says, sniffling a few times.

"You have a son?" I curiously reply, rubbing her back in circular motions.

"Yeah, but that was a........ Long..... Time..... Ago," Voltanna says bursting into tears.

"I'm sorry for prying. Here now, it's fine. You have your friends here that care for you," I reply, as she leans into me.

Sounds like she has had a rough road, just like me. Linda and I have had each other, but the daily battles with life takes its toll on people. I have lost many people I love. To cancer, to accidents, to suicide, even just to old age. Death, is always a hard piece of life's puzzle to slot into place. How you get through it, is by support from your family. In saying that, family in my opinion doesn't need to be just blood; it's the people you love and trust, as they too are part of your family. Maybe I have to be a part of Voltanna's family now.

"It's okay, everything will be all right. We all have loved ones we miss. I have to wait years before I get to see my daughter, and even longer till I lay eyes on my wife. I don't know whether or not you will get to hold your child again, but you will get to see your family. We're your family now. I promise I won't disappear, and it sounds like these two are here for you too, well at least when they sort out all their bickering," I say, rubbing Voltanna's back.

Voltanna begins chuckling, wiping the tears from her eyes. I'm glad she's finally coming around; I hate seeing people so upset.

"Thank you, Enaz. I appreciate your time so much," Voltanna says, smiling back at me.

"Hey don't mention it. If there is anyone here that knows how valuable time is, it's me. I'm appreciative for every moment that I still get to breathe air," I reply, looking up towards the moon.

"But you must live for thousands of years, so what makes time so important?" Voltanna asks.

"Haha, where did you hear that nonsense?"

"Enaz, I'm human, yet I've been around for thousands of years."

"Well, humans from our planet of Earth have a maximum life expectancy of about a hundred years, but the average human dies at around half that age. So yeah, the most precious commodity to a human is time; well to smart humans anyway. It actually makes me happy that we have such a short life to be honest."

"What makes you say that?" Voltanna asks, sounding confused.

"It causes us to appreciate life so much more and besides its 1993 and Earth is already over populated. A large percentage of our planet is water, so where would everyone eventually live, if people didn't die and we kept having children?"

"I suppose you have a valid point. We have so many wars here, which is what causes the majority of death on our planet. Do humans wage war on Earth?"

"Of course. Any world with leaders that want more power, will have to engage in war at some stage. Innocent people always fall victim, and a lot of the time, they don't even know what they're fighting for."

"It's a horrible world we live in, isn't it. Sorry Enaz, I'm starting to fall asleep."

I know that it's a good time for us to hit the hay. I'm pretty tired too, and I suppose I should rest up for the trip tomorrow.

"Me too, let's go to sleep."

"Aaaaahhhhhhhhh.... Good night, Enaz. I'm going to sleep, I'm so tired," Voltanna says, lying down next to me.

"Good night, Voltanna. See you in the morning," I reply.

"Oh and Enaz."

"Yeah, what's wrong?"

"Thank you, for everything."

"You don't have to thank me, Voltanna. That's just what friends do."

I arise to the smell of Dupat shells, cooking over the fire. I'm actually quite excited to have some before we depart. Zekai and Muhbac are already up chatting, and Voltanna is still fast asleep.

"Good morning, Enaz. You hungry?" Muhbac asks, handing me a Dupat shell.

"Damn straight, thanks," I reply, popping the shell in my mouth.

"Zekai, you sure do know how to heat a Dupat shell," Muhbac says with a big cheesy grin on his face.

"Thank you, Muhbac. I understand your subtle hint, but I'm busy cooking for our guest at the moment. I'll give you a feeding session in a few minutes," Zekai replies, heating the next Dupat shell.

I don't know why but it reminds me of being a teenager, and doing marijuana spots on the kitchen stove. One person always got stuck driving the knives, and in all honesty; they're such a good mate, that they'll drive for everyone. Zekai is doing the same, heating the Dupat shells for all of us, being the first-rate friend that he is.

"Mmmmmm. Fank you so much," I say, with my mouth full.

"Not a problem. After the next shell, you're on Muhbac," Zekai replies.

Muhbac slithers towards the fire like he's a starving survivor.

As Zekai passes me my last Dupat shell, Voltanna awakens. I turn towards her to say good morning, when the Dupat shell heading for my mouth drops into my lap, making me jump to my feet almost instantly.

"AAAAARRRGGGGHHHHH!" I yell, jumping into the river.

I surface and see Voltanna cracking up laughing, alongside Zekai and Muhbac. Why have I had such bad luck in life to always be the centre of all amusement? I bob up and down in the river, analysing the humour that I have brought upon myself. While I'm now soaking wet, at least Voltanna seems a lot happier, compared to when she was last awake.

I swim ashore and find some space to ponder my thoughts. Voltanna stops making me the laughing stock of the morning, and moves on to feeding her belly.

While drip drying on the bank, I ponder my power of invisibility, and the moments that it has been randomly activated. They have all been at different intervals of time, spaced unevenly apart. This makes it unlikely that I turn invisible at a certain point in time. It could possibly be in tune with my feelings. I was nervous when I first met Akiad, I was also nervous when breaking into the White lecture theatre and then last night, I was sad. I realise that I have my training approaching soon, but it would be awesome to start understanding this all a bit more. All I'm after is an explanation.

"Enaz?" Voltanna asks.

"Oh sorry, in my own little world again."

"That's fine. Are you hungry?" Voltanna asks, sitting cross legged in front of the fire.

"I am a little actually, thank you. Heading right over," I reply, moving next to her.

Several hours pass, and we have come to the end of our over indulgence in Dupat shells. Now at least from here forward, I can budget more time in my head for a food stop. Everyone here has quite a large appetite.

"Has everyone got all their equipment?" Zekai asks, gripping his spear.

"Yeesssss!"

"Where's Muhbac?" Zekai asks.

"Aaaaahhhhhh!" Muhbac gasps for air, surfacing from the river.

As he slithers over, I notice he has a few handfuls of Dupat shells, which he dumps on the ground next to us.

"Are we leaving?" Muhbac says, sounding disappointed.

I look towards Zekai and Voltanna, who have left the vicinity in a fit of laughter. Muhbac and I stand there scratching our heads, trying to work out what's so funny.

"Any idea why they're laughing?" Muhbac asks.

"No idea, champ. SHELL we depart?" I say, sarcastically.

Muhbac starts chuckling and whilst looking back at him, I join in.

I feel as though I need to have a good laugh, and get it out of my system; I can't see three months of training being very funny, that's for sure. Once the four of us reunite, we depart for the mountains.

Zekai and Muhbac slither further ahead, whilst Voltanna and I walk behind them. She continues to ask me questions about my world, and I answer them to the best of my ability. Besides great conversion with a friend, the surroundings are breath-taking. The Periko plains are easily the lushest environment I have traversed through since being on Tharp. The ambience of bugs and birds alike is music to my ears.

We continue to walk and chat until our two guides screech to a halt.

"Muhbac, why have we stopped? The mountains are so close?" I ask.

"I'm not sure, Enaz. Zekai, can't we just go around this huge pile of stones?" Muhbac replies, sounding confused.

"What are they? It looks like they're forming something?" Voltanna asks.

"You're right. It's not just a huge pile of stones. It's in fact a Stone Golem, and it awakens when the Chosen one approaches it, with the legendary sword in their possession," Zekai explains, slithering slowly towards it.

"Wait, do we have anything to worry about?" I ask, creeping carefully behind Zekai.

"Do any of us have the legendary sword in our possession?" Zekai sarcastically replies.

We all shake our head and remain silent. Just looking on in awe, as we gradually approach the huge, seated Stone Golem. It's difficult to see how tall it actually is, but even whilst sitting down, it's massive.

"I wouldn't be worried about him," Zekai says, slithering backwards.

"So, what should we be afraid of?" Voltanna asks.

"Wild Givou. At this time of year, Toolore mountain is far less treacherous than the creatures that occupy it," Zekai replies, before spinning around to slither forward.

"What are....... Wild........ Givou?" I question, admiring the stone Golem as I pass.

"They are wild animals that live in different areas of Tharp. They hunt in packs, and attack ferociously. Better sharpen your instincts," Zekai replies, gripping his spear and glancing at Muhbac.

Toolore Mountain is beautiful. Over the last hour of travel, I've had time to marvel at the amazing view. There's snow on the peaks, and fog much further up the gravel path we're on. Looking off to the right is a magnificent view of the Periko plains, and other than us, there's no sign of life anywhere.

Muhbac quickly slithers next to Zekai, and draws his Stone mallet in his right hand. They're chatting a few metres ahead of us, whilst Voltanna and I are at the back, following them up the mountain trail.

"Voltanna, you seem worried?" I ask.

"Yeah, I am a little bit," Voltanna replies.

"Why would you be worried? Modnar raves on about how much of an amazing warrior you are?"

"Well, not to sound arrogant, but I am quite formidable in combat, I just have one main problem; I don't have my weapon with me."

"Oh... That's right, Nevijah.... Damn! Well, don't you have a backup weapon?" I ask.

"Actually... No I don't."

"Voltanna, I'm not going to give you a lecture, but I do have to explain something to you. When I was on Earth, I had the worst luck ever. Other than my wife and daughter, nothing seemed to go right for me. So, I remembered what my step father used to say; 'It pays to leave an ace up your sleeve.' Therefore, as a reminder to myself, once my daughter was born, I got this tattooed on my right wrist."

I pull up the right sleeve on my trench coat, revealing my tattoo.

"It's an ace of spades, from a card game back home. It means 'always have a backup plan in life.' It's to remind me when I'm heading into a situation, to make sure I have something to fall back on. So, my question to you is, with you being 'weaponless', what is your backup plan?" I ask.

Voltanna sighs and looks towards me with a really disappointed look on her face. I know she'll eventually respond, admitting she doesn't have one, but before she gets a chance, trouble arrives.

Some strange looking creatures approach us from the mountain path ahead. They're about the same size as a wolf, but their fur is grey in colour, and they have a mane like a lion, which is as white as the moon.

"Heads up everybody, some Givou are approaching. Have your weapons at the ready," Zekai says.

He and Muhbac hold their respective weapons out in front of themselves, ready for battle.

I draw one of my swords and pass it to Voltanna.

"Here, take this in the meantime," I say.

"Thank you, Enaz. It will hopefully do the trick," Voltanna replies, waving it through the air a few times.

"Not a problem. Be careful," I say, drawing my other samurai sword, and gripping it out in front of me.

I tremble from my abundance of nerves. The Givou's are all growling as they block our way forward. I can tell looking into their eyes that their attack is imminent.

"Get ready everyone," Zekai says.

The front Givou jumps at Zekai, and he immediately ducks, stabbing it through the mouth. As another one dives towards Zekai, Muhbac connects his stone mallet with the side of its head, knocking it flying out of the way.

A few Givou slip past them, and charge towards us. I step forward and slice my samurai through the air, using my sword like a plank of wood. I miss with my strikes, but Voltanna jumps in front of me, and cuts the Givou in half, from left to right.

"You two all right back there?!" Zekai yells, striking at the side of another Givou.

"Yeah, we're fine! Muhbac, watch out!" I yell, as a Givou pushes him down on the mountain path.

Zekai rams his spear through the face of the Givou pinning down Muhbac, and shakes his weapon over the edge of the cliff. Several bodies slide off his spear, plummeting down below.

While Muhbac is still lying on the path, another Givou leaps over him, pinning down Voltanna, forcing her to drop her weapon. It snaps towards her face, and she bobs from side to side. At the same time, three more Givou attack Zekai, with one knocking him over. Muhbac quickly scampers for his weapon.

"I'm coming!" Muhbac yells, diving towards Zekai, and knocking one Givou off the mountain path.

Zekai grabs his spear and stabs another Givou. Muhbac slithers his direction, and swipes at the third, while Zekai pulls himself up off the ground.

"ARRRGGHH!" Zekai yells, getting nudged off the edge of the cliff.

"Grab on to my mallet!" Muhbac yells, as a Givou plummets to its death.

Zekai lets go of his spear and grips onto the mallet with all his might.

"I'm slipping!" Zekai yells back.

"HELP ME ENAZ!" Voltanna screams.

I swipe towards an oncoming Givou; chopping its head off, and squirting blood and guts all over the path around us.

I then fall to my knees, and slice the Givou on top of Voltanna horizontally through its mouth. The cleanly sliced pieces fall onto her, one by one.

"Aaaahhh!" Voltanna cries, moving backwards along the ground, forcing the bits of flesh to drop either side of her.

I now have a Givou snarling at me, and I'm panicking, wondering what to do. I swipe at it furiously, but it doesn't back off.

"Pull me up, Muhbac!" Zekai yells.

"ERRRGGGH! I'm trying, brother!" Muhbac shouts back.

"It's already dead, Enaz! You've got this!" Voltanna says from behind.

The Givou continues snarling, creeping gradually closer to me. Its eyes have hunger in them, and I am the feast. I grip my samurai sword out in front of me, shivering slightly, but gradually embracing the moment.

The Givou snaps at me, and I feel excitement and fear finally cross paths, at the intersection of my destiny.

As it jumps towards me, I quickly disappear, and step to the side. The Givou lands, looking back for me, and when it least expects it, I drop to my knees; slicing it open through the midsection.

Rather than celebrate, Voltanna and I run to aid Muhbac.

Zekai slips off the edge of the mallet, but luckily Voltanna and I grab each of his wrists just in time.

"Please don't let go!" Zekai yells.

Muhbac slithers behind us and pulls us both up by our legs. Once Zekai gets to land, he rolls over onto his back and sighs heavily.

"That was too close. Thank you," Zekai says.

"Glad to GIVOU a hand," I joke.

We snigger to ourselves, and I enjoy the realisation that we're all still alive. I even managed to kill me a few Givou, and it feels great. Finally, things are starting to look up.

### XIV - All Good Things Come to an End.

We continue to scale Toolore Mountain until nightfall, eventually stopping at the top of the path we're on. The ambience of nightlife is absent, replaced with fog and whispers of wind, erecting the hairs on my neck.

It has been decided that we stop for a breather, and it's apparently me that instigated this. I'm just worn out, and not conditioned to walking such long distances without stopping.

"Tired are we, Enaz?" Muhbac jokes, patting me on the back.

"Yeah...... Just a little puffed, gimme a sec," I say, bending over, with a hand on each knee.

"We're not far off now, anyway. Toolore village isn't much further from here," Zekai replies.

"You okay, Voltanna. Feel safer with one of my swords?" I ask.

"Definitely, much more at ease thank you. I'll return it when we get to the village," Voltanna replies.

"No rush, Voltanna. I have to learn how to use one before I can learn to use two," I joke.

"Oh no! Sorry everybody, we do have a slight problem. I just realised I don't have any Amora dust," Zekai says, sounding disappointed.

"Me neither," Voltanna and Muhbac reply.

"Wait what? Why on Earth would you need dust?" I ask.

"We need it to be able to see Toolore village," Voltanna replies

"So, let me get this straight. The village is invisible? How come?" I ask.

"Because we can't let Akiad ever find out where we are. He found our first position, so we needed to relocate, hence Toolore village's location and invisible entrance." "Wait a minute... Basically you're telling me that they created a dust that can reveal only this invisible village? That seems pointless," I say.

"Act sarcastic all you want, Enaz. This dust is as much our friend as it is your enemy," Zekai says.

"How so?"

"Because it reveals all that is hidden to the naked eye; and by hidden, I mean invisible. When you master the art of invisibility, Amora dust can hinder your advantage in battle. Tred carefully," Zekai replies.

"Hey Zekai, sorry to interrupt, but can I please ask you something?" Voltanna says.

"Yeah sure, fire away," Zekai replies, smiling towards her.

"Can I please do the training with Enaz?"

"But haven't you........ Finished the training?" Zekai replies, flipping Voltanna's left wrist to reveal her seal.

"Yes, I know I have. If you sit and think for a while, it was you that persuaded Modnar to let me join. Anyway, Nevijah is my weapon of choice, and as we found out today, it restricts me a bit in combat. I want to learn how to use an array of different weapons, please. I need to do this, so I never get stuck in a bind again," Voltanna says, bowing towards Zekai.

"I can't guarantee anything, but I'll see what we can organise," Zekai replies, winking at Voltanna.

Muhbac slithers away, further up the Toolore mountain trail, almost immediately after Zekai finishes speaking. I run ahead to see what's bothering him, but I'm sure I can guess.

"Muhbac, what's wrong?" I ask.

"It's just Zekai," Muhbac replies, sighing.

"Let me guess... It's about Voltanna's training, isn't it?"

Muhbac leers over his right shoulder towards Zekai and Voltanna, and when they're further away, he puts his arm around me.

"He considers her for training immediately, yet he has never bent the rules for me to enter the Brotherhood of Guytz," Muhbac says, sounding angry.

"Maybe it's because she has a seal already?" I reply, continuing to head up Toolore Mountain.

"No, I don't think it's that. I think he just doesn't want me to be a part of the Brotherhood at all."

"Come on, Muhbac, you must know that can't be true. You two are best friends," I say, sounding confused.

"Well, that's what I thought. But if some attractive female from his past charges into our village like a rabid Givou, and gets preference over his 'friend', what would you think?" Muhbac says.

During his pessimistic rant, I think about what he's saying. Muhbac has a point, Zekai does seem to pick on him, or give him an unfair disadvantage. I really don't know what to suggest, and I can't say anything right now as someone is approaching us up ahead.

"Enaz, we'll resume this later," Muhbac says, patting me on the back.

"No worries, brother. You come find me when you want to chat."

A person emerges from the mist up ahead, and when they move into focus, I see that it's Zelada. I'm quite relieved it's her, as she might be the right person to break the tension in the air. She's gripping a small pouch in her right hand.

"Hey guys, how was the trip? Did you see the Golem? Was it sleeping?" Zelada says, hugging me.

"Of course it was, why wouldn't it be? We didn't have the 'chosen one' with us, so he slept like a baby," I reply, as Zelada pulls away from me.

"How are you, Zelada?" Muhbac asks, sounding frustrated.

"I'm great. But are you okay champ? You seem brassed off or something?" Zelada replies.

"No I'm fine," Muhbac snaps back.

"Gees snappy, calm down. And how are you guys?" Zelada says, moving past us towards Zekai and Voltanna.

"Yeah pretty good Zelada, how was the trip? I'm hoping you're meeting us because you have Amora dust?" Zekai replies, giving her a hug.

"Yup, all in this little pouch," Zelada says, holding it proudly in the air.

"Give me a hug, you! Have you seen Nevijah?" Voltanna adds.

"Good to see you too. And don't worry about him, he has been catching up on old times with Butch."

"That's good to hear. So where's Toolore village again?" Voltanna asks.

Zelada pushes to the front, leading the way.

"Not too far ahead. Follow me, everyone."

The four of us follow Zelada along the mountain path for at least a few kilometres. So much for 'not too far ahead.' The mist makes it hard to see, but the flipside is that it's more exciting not knowing exactly whereabouts we're going.

Zelada eventually comes to a halt, then reaches into her pouch, and pulls out a handful of dust. She throws the dust high in the air. Upon settling, it reveals the front of a castle, formed with perfectly cut slabs of ice, shaped like bricks. The corners are huge circular towers with massive walls running across, connecting them. The castle is elevated off the ground, and there are some large, floating slabs of ice leading up to the portcullis. The ice slabs are so shiny and clean, I can see our reflection in them. I wait at the back of the line, as I'm the only person who hasn't been here before.

"Behold... Toolore Village... Follow me, everyone," Zelada says, before we carefully scale the slabs.

When Zelada reaches the top of the stairs, the portcullis opens, and she patiently waits for us. Muhbac, Zekai then Voltanna pass through the door, and I approach the entrance last.

"You ready for this, Enaz? This is your destiny," Zelada says.

"As ready as I'll ever be I suppose," I reply, passing through the entrance.

The portcullis closes behind us, once we're all inside.

I examine the inner surroundings of Toolore village and only the outer perimeter is made of ice. All of the houses within are constructed out of wood, but I'm unable to tell how many dwellings there are, as the wooden rooves are all connected, creating covered walkways between all the structures. It's reminding me a lot of old Japanese architecture. There is one structure, made completely with ice which resembles a chapel, to the right of the main courtyard.

A few hundred soldiers are engaging in combat, on the white dirt in front of us; they gradually stop upon noticing that we're standing here.

The warriors are wearing light blue armour, which have small spikes all over - including on the shoulder piece - and all of them are wearing a helmet, revealing only the eye region.

They are armed with two triangular weapons, which are shaped like an isosceles triangle. The blades are roughly thirty centimetres long, starting at each end of the handle, going up at a thirty degree angle until they meet, forming a sharp point. They could even be a better weapon than my samurai swords.

A warrior approaches us, and he looks slightly different to the others; my money is on him being the leader. He has dark blue armour, with a similar appearance to the others, except his shoulder pieces have much longer spikes. He isn't wearing a helmet, so I can see his face. Light purple skin, and the texture is rough as guts. He has thick, fiery red dreadlocks, which are below his shoulders in length. He has a massive sword on his back, which is half the length of his body, and the thickness of the blade at least matches my forearm.

"Zekai, come here! It has been far too long," the chief warrior says, hugging him.

"Rodland, how are you, my old friend? It has been a long time," Zekai replies.

"Well, this calls for a celebration. We will indulge in a marathon of drinking Flork, sound like a plan?" Rodland says, pulling away from the hug, and placing his hands on either side of Zekai's shoulders.

"No doubt in my mind, brother."

"And how are you, Muhbac?" Rodland asks, hugging him.

"Ready for my training, master," Muhbac replies, cheekily.

"Great, finally! Is Muhbac applying this time?" Rodland asks, enthusiastically.

"No," Zekai replies, frowning towards Muhbac.

The warriors in the background all simultaneously say "Ooooooooooo," before quietly murmuring.

"Always with the drama, ay Muhbac? Can't keep your demons between us; have to make a big scene," Zekai says.

Muhbac slithers out to face him, dropping his stone mallet.

"Ummm, hey Rodland," Voltanna says, stepping in front of Zekai to hug him.

"Me and you, right now, one on one, right...... There!" Muhbac says, pointing directly in the centre of the courtyard.

Zekai cracks his knuckles together, and his neck from side to side. This to me looks like a West Auckland pub brawl, Tharp style. I think I better intervene

"Good to see you too, Voltanna. How longs it b..." Rodland says, before rudely being cut off by Zekai.

"All right brother, it's on!" Zekai says, slithering out to Muhbac.

"Wait stop! Are you two really going to fight? You're best friends" I say.

"Thanks for trying Enaz, but this has to happen," Muhbac says, pushing me back.

I nod and reluctantly slip back into place, taking a front row spot to what is about to be an epic fist fight.

"What are you both doing?" Rodland asks, sounding confused.

"Just let it be, Rodland. I need to teach Muhbac some respect," Zekai replies.

He slithers towards the centre of the courtyard, facing Muhbac. The warriors all back away, and form a large circle around them, with Rodland, Voltanna, Zelada and I joining it.

The warriors start cheering, and the similarity of a pub brawl back home settles in. I'm standing next to Rodland, and I realise I haven't been introduced yet.

"Hi I'm Enaz, I'm here for the training," I say, offering my right hand.

"It's nice to meet you, but sorry, the timing is a little off. We'll carry on with introductions shortly," Rodland replies, focusing on the combatants.

"Sure thing."

Muhbac and Zekai are slithering around in a circle, with about two metres in between them at all times.

"This is it, brother. You ready for this?" Muhbac taunts, cracking his knuckles.

"You bet. You need to be taught respect, Muhbac. If I have to beat it into you, then I will," Zekai replies, cracking his neck.

"And you need to respect me. This, I will beat out of you," Muhbac threatens.

They both slither towards each other and the face to face stare down begins.

"I don't need you, or your clan," Muhbac says, breathing heavily in Zekai's face.

"What are you talking about? I just want you to respect others more," Zekai replies, sounding worried.

"I am going to start my own clan, with my own rules and you're not invited."

"You're like a raging fire on the inside, Muhbac. You need to cool down!"

"If I'm like fire on the inside, then I will make all my warriors burn their outsides, to get welcomed within the depths of my mind," Muhbac says, grinning towards Zekai.

"You're sick."

"Yeah, sick of you," Muhbac replies, before spitting in Zekai's face.

He follows through with a head butt, knocking Zekai back and busting his nose open.

"Oooooooooooo," the whole crowd says.

Zekai wipes the blood from his nose with his left forearm, quickly slithers towards Muhbac, and ducks his next strike. He connects with a left and right jab to Muhbac's stomach, then follows through with a huge right uppercut, knocking Muhbac flying through the air.

He lands, and slides a few metres along the dirt, grazing his face. Once Muhbac rolls over, he begins coughing and blood splats out, onto his chest. He pulls himself up, but Zekai leaps towards him and connects with a huge right hook, square in the face, knocking them both to the dirt.

"You need to learn respect, Muhbac," Zekai mutters, propping upright.

Muhbac slowly helps himself up, and regardless of what his face looks like, he's still in this battle. I've seen some pretty beaten up guys in my time become victorious, so he still has a chance in my book.

He coughs for a few moments, spitting out some more blood, before slithering right up to Zekai, prompting another stare down.

"To owe someone respect, you must yourself be respected, so I owe respect to nobody," Muhbac says, holding his fists up in a street fighting stance.

Zekai slithers forward; Muhbac ducks Zekai's right swing, and head butts him, forcing Zekai straight to the dirt.

"Aaaarrrrggghhh," Zekai says, in agony.

Muhbac jumps forward - holding out his left elbow - and lands right on Zekai's face, busting it open a little further. While Muhbac is on the dirt, he grabs Zekai's head, and wraps his left arm around it. He then begins repetitively punching Zekai in the face, with him helplessly taking every relentless shot of Muhbac's hardest punches.

After about thirty seconds, he releases his grip on Zekai's battered face, and lets him convulse in the pit of blood his face now wallows in.

"See, you're pathetic Zekai," Muhbac says, pointing at him.

Zekai turns onto his stomach and crawls towards Muhbac, continuing until eventually reaching his tail.

Zekai then lifts his bloodied self up, by pulling on Muhbac, until he's almost fully upright.

Muhbac looks over at Rodland and smiles, and while doing so, he grabs a handful of Zekai's hair with his left hand.

"Finding it hard to breathe, Zekai?" Muhbac asks, head butting Zekai in the face, but still gripping onto him.

Zekai is a mess. I can hardly make out his facial features, as there is blood, bruises and cuts everywhere. He's bleeding profusely all over himself, and the courtyard.

Muhbac looks at Zekai in a menacing way. Zekai glances back, with the one eye that is open - the other one is swollen shut - and tries to focus on Muhbac. Blood leaks from every opening on his face, and while Muhbac is still holding his hair, he head butts him again, following through with one large right hook, forcing Zekai to bounce off the dirt.

Muhbac slithers towards his mallet, and picks it up. I don't want to know what comes next.

"Umm what's he going to do?" I whisper.

"I'm not really sure," Rodland replies.

Muhbac slithers towards Zekai and picks him up by his hair.

"This is how you make me feel on the inside," Muhbac says, smashing his mallet into the side of Zekai's head, knocking him down.

I begin tapping Zelada on the shoulder and she nods back at me.

"Stop Muhbac, that's enough!" Zelada yells, with much anger in her voice.

"Do I look finished?" Muhbac replies.

"Yes you do, actually. Are you trying to beat him to death?"

Muhbac pulls Zekai up by the hair and holds him there in front of Zelada. He is completely unconscious..

"Of course I am. Does he look full of life?" Muhbac replies, knocking him in the stomach with his mallet, but still holding him up by his hair.

Zelada approaches him and to be honest, she looks rather intimidating.

"I guess the saying is true."

"What saying?"

"A leopard never changes its spots."

"What does that even mean?"

"It means you'll always be twisted. You will never change. Now leave him be, Muhbac. I mean it," Zelada says, in a threatening tone.

"And what are you going to do to save this Oathient serpent of legend?" Muhbac replies, cheekily.

Zelada points her left fist at the ground around Muhbac, and starts firing a flurry of darts made of molten rock, leaving steaming holes in the dirt.

"Put him down. This is your last chance," Zelada says, pointing her left fist towards Muhbac's face.

Muhbac head butts Zekai, and the second one knocks him down, splattering blood everywhere.

He then spits on him, and slithers towards the exit.

"Open the gate for him," Rodland instructs.

As Muhbac slithers away, he stops next to Zelada, staring her in the face.

"I will find you one day," Muhbac says in a menacing tone.

"I look forward to it," Zelada replies, equally as threatening.

Muhbac slithers out of Toolore village and hopefully out of Zekai's life. As much as I can level with him, he needs to control his anger, before he kills everyone he 'loves.'

### XV - SEAL the deal...

Once the portcullis closes, everyone rushes to Zekai's aid. I have never seen anyone so badly beaten in my life. It makes me think about how much power Muhbac has in those arms of his, but getting hit by his stone mallet did the most damage. Looking at Zekai like this makes me shiver.

I hop on my tiptoes, and peek at Zekai with only one eye open. When I briefly catch a glimpse of him, I have to quickly look away. I can feel my stomach twisting and contorting, but I know I have to step up and bite my tongue, as he is one of my friends. So, I push through to the front of the crowd.

"Easy now, Zekai. Rodland, on three. One, two, three," I say.

On three, Rodland and I lift Zekai up, and place an arm over each of our shoulders.

As we drag the unconscious Zekai through the crowd, blood drips from his face like the beginning of a huge downpour, and the warriors all look horrified.

"Zekai!" Zelada exclaims, quietly weeping whilst walking besides us.

I can feel a huge gust of wind behind us, getting heavier by the second. Looking over my right shoulder I see Butch landing, with Nevijah on his back.

Zelada pushes through the crowd towards them.

"Zelada, where are you going?" I yell, while Rodland and I continue holding Zekai.

She never answers. The moment Nevijah hops off Butch's back, Zelada jumps on and launches into the night sky. I don't know what she is going through in her life, but I suppose what I need to concentrate on is the matter at hand.

I look towards Rodland and nod, then the two of us begin dragging Zekai again. I refrain from looking at him as it's literally making my stomach curdle. I have seen the aftermath of some brutal punch-ups in my time, but this outcome is by far the worst.

About four females approach us, and to be fair, they seem like maids. If it wasn't for their scaly blue skin, they'd be quite attractive looking. They're all wearing a long red dress, and the top half resembles a corset.

"Oh my," one of them gasp.

"ZEKAI!" another female says.

"Ladies, stop acting like children and help me save this warrior's life," Voltanna says, pushing past me.

Voltanna's hair colour begins changing to a dull red, with sky blue streaks. I'd love to know how she's feeling, but I suppose now's not the time.

"You two, I've got this. You both head to the eating quarters, and the ladies and I will begin nurturing Zekai back to good health. I'll meet you there soon," Voltanna says, before her and the other females take Zekai from our hands.

I watch Voltanna and the ladies drag Zekai further away from us. I really wish there was something I could do, even offering better advice to Muhbac to prevent this tragedy, but I guess it's too late for that. I take a deep breath and glance at Rodland.

"Let's try this again. I'm Enaz, it's nice to finally meet you," I say, holding my right hand out towards him.

"Nice to meet you too, Rodland's the name. Welcome to Toolore village. So why are you here, if you don't mind me squashing my curiosity," Rodland replies, shaking my hand.

"Zekai, while he had the ability to communicate, wanted Voltanna and me to do some training here. But, to be fair, it was Modnar who originally insisted," I explain.

"Well, I was already going to consider it, but if Modnar has suggested this, then you must be important."

"To be honest, I am father to the chosen one of Tharp, so I do need to be trained so I can protect her."

"Consider it done. Look, we have a feast being prepared, would you like to share a few rounds of Flork in the main dining hall?"

"Sounds good to me, lead the way," I say, waving my left hand in front of us.

Rodland nods at me, and leads us towards the dinner hall. I must admit; I love Dupat shells, but I'm extremely keen to try something different.

While we walk to our destination, I notice that the buildings all have very intricate patterns carved on their walls, and they all vary in design. Some structures have waves heading in one direction, about to hit a group of victims. Other buildings seem to have more complex carvings. I'm curious to find out what it all means.

"Rodland, what do all these carvings mean?" I ask.

"They depict a legendary warrior with the power to vanquish any foe, saving our land."

"Who might this be?"

"The chosen one, Enaz; you're daughter."

"Wow."

"It's true, I promise you that I'm not lying."

"And how did you find out these facts if they haven't happened yet?"

"The prophet. She predicted all of these events many moons ago, so we just await the day that the chosen one arrives. You my friend, are the beginning of her prediction; your daughter's destiny."

I swallow the pride building up inside me and smile as we walk past these murals. I'm so proud of my daughter, for something that she hasn't even done yet. It's weird, but surreal at the same time.

When Rodland and I enter the eating quarters, all the warriors present stand and face us; the hush of silence amazes me. I must also say that this is one of the largest rooms I've ever been in. There are three long tables with at least a hundred Toolore warriors sitting at each one. In the centre of the room a large chandelier hangs quite low, and there are small candelabras on the three tables - with two large ones standing at the back of the room, next to some steps that lead up to an altar made of stone. Looking up at the roof, I see that it slopes up to an apex, much like that of a church. At the end of the middle table is a space for three to sit. Assuming that I'm with the leader of the village, I guess we'll be sitting there, but something tells me that one of those spaces won't be filled up tonight.

We approach our seat at the end of the centre table, and while we're standing in front of it, Rodland speaks.

"Thank you all, please be seated," Rodland says.

We take our seats, but he remains standing. Looks like he has something more to say.

"I want to start off by just saying... Thank you. Today's event's unravelled the way it did, and you all handled it very well. Zekai is being healed by the women in our great village, and...." Rodland says, before being rudely cut off.

"Heyyyy...... Don't eat.... Without us, man," Nevijah says, slithering into the room, pipe in mouth.

"Yeah, don't forget us. You get hungry saving a person's life," Voltanna says cheekily, storming into the room.

Rodland looks at them with mild frustration on his face, but it eventually drizzles away to reveal a little smile. I have to admit, Voltanna and Nevijah are an odd pair, but I'm glad I know them.

"Miss us?" Voltanna whispers, while Nevijah coils up her leg, onto her shoulders.

"Yeahhhh man, miss us?" Nevijah whispers, inhaling on his pipe.

"Welcome to dinner. Please be seated, so I can finish my introduction," Rodland whispers back.

Voltanna pushes the Goy into her bottle, winks at me, then diverts her attention back towards Rodland.

"Now, where was I...? That's right, Zekai. Once the great woman in our town nurture him to good health, we can get started on training Voltanna and Enaz," Rodland says, smiling towards us.

"Can their training start, immediately?" Modnar replies, barging into the room.

"Modnar!" Voltanna and I shout while propping quickly to our feet.

All the warriors of Toolore stand in unison as Modnar walks through the room. The abundance of silence and respect turns into cheering fairly quickly. I haven't heard an ovation like this in a long time.

"Modnar, we immediately need your help. Can you two hold down the fort on dinner for a while, please?" Rodland says, before he and Modnar leave the room.

"What do I say?" I whisper.

"Improvise," Voltanna replies.

"Cheers, you're helpful," I sarcastically say.

I reluctantly stand up, and look around the room with no clue of what to do. I must look as clueless as I feel. Everyone in the room is blankly gazing my direction, like it's my job to explain where they've gone. I don't know, I suppose I better make something up.

"Ummm they've just left the room, to.... Umm.. Organise our feast," I say, lacking any confidence in my delivery.

It's so quiet that you could hear a pin drop; not even a murmur. I feel like I'm back at school, doing a speech at the Friday assembly, except at least in that scenario, I would have a speech prepared. This time, I haven't.

I look for inspiration, before realising that the answer is right in front of my face, and I didn't even see it.

I begin disappearing, and when I'm completely invisible, I start my speech.

"My name is Enaz, and I am from another world. Modnar recently advised me that I play a huge part in the future of your planet. I have the ability to go invisible, but with no control over it, I need all of your help. This is Modnar's request, and Voltanna wants to increase her skills too. If you can please help us, I promise to owe you my life in debt. This is the best I can offer," I say, gradually reappearing.

The whole room begins murmuring, so I take my seat. The timing of my spell was perfect, as I wanted to give them something to think about, and let them know that I intend to finish this training.

Ten minutes pass, and the warriors continue murmuring; the three of us don't really know what to do. It's a little bit rude for everyone to talk about us in our presence, but what can you do? We are guests in their village, where we've dragged our luggage into.

"Any ideas?" I whisper, looking blankly at my companions.

Nevijah leaves Voltanna's shoulders and slithers up the middle of the isle. He's puffing on his pipe, nonstop. In fact, he's inhaling so much, that it's making the veins on his face stick out. After about fifteen seconds, he begins coughing so hard that his pipe flies out of his mouth, across the room, smacking a warrior in the face.

The room erupts into laughter, even at the expense of their fellow warrior. I must admit, I'm glad that he's entertaining them all, and there's no shortage of laughter coming from our direction of the room, that's for sure.

Suddenly, Zelada comes storming into the room, doing what is the coolest thing I've seen since I've arrived on Tharp. She walks in, making a sound with her mouth that emulates that of a metal song. It sounds like a horse galloping out in the wild; it's called a double quaver. And to top it off, she's walking towards us pretending to play a guitar, while head banging.

Everyone in the room stops laughing just to watch her. I'm guessing they haven't seen anything like this before, and to be honest, I'm getting the head bangers itch.

I've been memorizing the riff Zelada has been doing, so by the time she's in our vicinity of the room, I can join in. It's just so classic, and is instantly reminding me of home.

Once Zelada gets to our table, she hops up and continues her performance. Well, I'm going to follow, so I hop up onto the table to the left of us, and join in with her.

I glance past Zelada and notice Voltanna jumping onto the right table, joining in also. The three of us rock out to this melody Zelada started, for well over a few minutes. The warriors of Toolore are dancing, making me feel a little less awkward.

Rodland and Modnar ease their way into the room, witnessing what's going on. Three humans, entertaining a room full of their finest warriors. I really wish I could hear what they're saying to each other, while they watch us and shake hands. I'm sure that it's nothing bad, judging by the grins on their faces...

**MODNAR**

"What on Tharp are they doing?" I ask.

"Haha I have no idea, but at least the warriors are happy," Rodland replies.

"Keen to train them?" I ask, holding out my right hand towards him.

Rodland begins snickering, then follows through and shakes my hand.

"I'm always up for a challenge, and when have I ever questioned your requests? Consider it done, old friend," Rodland says, pulling me in for a hug.

**ENAZ**

I watch them hug and automatically know that things are going to be okay. But when your thoughts are away with the fairies, mistakes can happen. You know, the type of ones that make you the centre of amusement.

Zelada jumps off the table and slides on her knees, finishing off what looks and sounds like the end of a song. Seconds after, Voltanna copies her actions, and I'm the last one left on a table. So, I jump off and copy them, knowing full well that I've long missed my cue.

When the room erupts into laughter, I roll onto my back, and just bask in the ambience. I'd rather have them laughing at me, than staring.

Rodland and Modnar eventually approach, and when they're standing over me, Rodland offers his hand to lift me up.

"Come on, Enaz. Let's get that belly full, because it's training for you two in the morning," Rodland says, pulling me up off the ground.

"I'm keen as beans for this feed," I reply.

"You ready for this, Voltanna?" Rodland asks.

"Of course I am. It's only the second time doing this training, remember?" Voltanna sarcastically replies.

"And I will prepare the final battle, in twelve weeks' time," Zelada says, hopping off the ground.

"That would be a real honour, thank you. Let's get food prepared," Rodland replies, as we walk back to our seats.

Many hours pass by and dinner has finished. Everyone is busy drinking Flork, so I've ducked outside to have some time to myself in the main courtyard.

"Having your daily thoughts with the moon?" Zelada asks, startling me slightly.

"Shit, you scared me. And yeah, you're right. Just checking in with the moon. I used to sit on my back step at home and do this whenever Linda had a night shift at work," I reply.

"Oh cool. Well, I wanted to know if I could please have a moment of your time. I realise at my age how precious each moment is," Zelada says, staring at the moon.

"Take as many as you need, if it helps to stitch together the seams of your story."

"Okay, well... Please try to remember this."

"I will do my best, but no promises as I have a memory like a sieve."

"Here we go... No one but the people we meet can know about me, so tell no one else. You will forget about me, and I encourage it. Only because deleting me will keep you safe. Now, one day, if you feel the need to share my story, you may. But I have one condition; no names. If you share names, then my mystery can be solved. You will know the right moment, it'll be with a person like me, in a situation like this," Zelada says, reaching out her right hand to shake mine.

"Deal, umm what was your name again?" I say cheekily, shaking her hand.

We both chuckle, and I suppose comic relief for a statement like that is a little unorthodox, but who says either one of us is normal; I'm sure not.

"Seriously though Zelada.... Well whoever you are, I'm not going to tell a soul. If I feel the need to one day, then it will be on the terms you stated. See, fairly easy instructions to understand."

"Thank you, Enaz. You'll make a fine guardian for 'you know who' one day, believe me," Zelada replies, summoning Butch from out of the tattoo of him on her right shoulder.

"Where are you going, now?" I ask, as she mounts the phoenix.

"I'll be back in twelve weeks. Then, you will face your final trial. Hey, don't worry, it will flash by. It did for me," Zelada replies, before launching into the night sky.

I look over my shoulder and see Rodland and Voltanna, calling out my name. When I wave at them, they walk over.

"There you are, what are you up to all alone?" Rodland asks.

"I was saying goodbye to Zelada. She and Butch just took off."

"Yeah, she's always doing that. Did you want to head to the boardroom and get your Brotherhood of Guytz seal now?" Rodland asks.

Voltanna turns over her left wrist to reveal her seal.

"Yeah sweet, sounds like a plan."

We start to walk towards the Boardroom and as we approach the entrance door, I take a moment to appreciate its beauty. I'm standing before the only building in this village made of ice. The large door is at least three metres high - and wide, also made of ice. This huge fridge of a structure is making my arm hairs stand on end. It resembles a church in design, with similar high rooves meeting at an apex, pointing to the sky like the tip of a spear. Absolutely amazing.

Rodland walks up to the door and places his palms flat against it. The ice immediately melts and the space for the door is rippling like water from the ocean, yet still keeping its shape.

"Enter quickly, and you won't get too wet," Rodland says, passing through the sheet of water.

"Ladies first," I say, signalling to Voltanna.

"How convenient," Voltanna sarcastically replies, before entering the ice building.

After I step through, I quickly look around and assess the environment. Pretty much everything in the room is crafted out of ice, and there's a Brotherhood of Guytz seal on each of the four walls. The stained glass windows resemble those in a church, with each one shimmering in different colours, like a crystal. The cold air emanating off the walls makes it feel like we're inside a giant fridge, and being wet isn't helping me keep warm. In the centre of the room is an ice altar, with a navy blue silk cloth on it, roughly the size of a napkin.

Rodland passes me, places his hand on the watery door behind us, and within moments, I hear some cracking noises. Looking over my shoulder I see him reforming the door back into solid ice. Rodland taps me on the shoulder as he passes and says "Shall we begin?" before stopping by the altar.

"Sounds good to me."

"Enaz, please approach the Altar and place your left wrist on it, with your palm facing the ceiling."

I follow Rodland's instructions and nod when I'm ready.

"Now please answer the following questions. Would you like me to explain what the Brotherhood of Guytz seal means?" Rodland says, standing directly opposite me at the altar and holding my left wrist.

"No, that isn't necessary. Please begin," I reply, taking a deep breath.

"Do you promise to keep Toolore village and all the training you endure, a secret?"

"Yes."

"And do you promise to treat all races equal?"

"Yes, I do," I say, watching Rodland cover my wrist with the silk cloth.

"Do not move your wrist, no matter how much this hurts," Rodland instructs, winking towards me.

I feel a burning sensation on my wrist, like that of an iron, pressing against a shirt on an ironing board, except this is onto my flesh.

"AAAAARRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH!" I scream.

"Be brave, Enaz. It'll be over soon," Voltanna says.

The burning uncomfortably continues for what feels like a further two or three minutes. It's continuous, with no stops at all.

When Rodland eventually moves the silk cloth, and reveals my new Brotherhood of Guytz seal; it's sizzling like a sausage on the grill.

"Ummmm Rodland.... Why is my seal moving counter clockwise?!" I ask, investigating it closer.

"At the moment it's just calibrating to its new host, but whenever you're close to a Brotherhood of Guytz member that you haven't met, it'll rotate like that. If it doesn't rotate, then you have met that particular Guytz member before. Let's get you two to bed, twelve weeks of training starts at dawn. Congratulations Enaz," Rodland says, shaking my hand.

"Thank you Rodland, it is a real honour," I reply, while Voltanna and he clap.

I think getting some rest sounds like a plan, and I might also lay off the Flork, to prepare for the beginning of training tomorrow morning. I have the seal, so now it's time to earn it.

### XVI - Light at the End of the Tunnel

Zelada was right all along, time does fly by. From our 6am rises, seven days a week, while drinking Flork at nightfall, to the training daily; it all flashes by. Voltanna and I train with one of my samurai swords each. We've battled each other, building our melee skills, and I've been practicing how to control my invisibility. Voltanna has been honing her alternative forms of melee combat for many hours per day. I think about my family, as obviously I miss them more than anything, but if I don't give this training my full commitment, it puts my daughter in great risk when she eventually reaches Tharp. When Syra arrives, I'll make sure I do everything in my power to not only be a good guardian, but a great father too. I'm glad Modnar has been present for the majority of my training; I feel a strong connection with him. He left about a week ago, but he'll be back today, as it's the day of our final test. Voltanna and I are wearing some special silk robes. They're harlequin in colour, so they change from black to gold depending on what angle you look at them. There are four belts - one covering my upper torso, one around my waist and one around each leg, making the bottom of the robe, similar to wearing pants. I have never been more ready for something in my life.

"Nervous, Voltanna?" I ask.

"Of course, only a little though. Can I have a puff, Nevijah?" Voltanna says, snatching the pipe from his mouth, then inhaling.

"Hey that's not the best thing to do before our final test," I say, sounding concerned.

"It's obvious you're a father," Voltanna replies, having another drag, then placing the pipe back into Nevijah's mouth.

I raise my eyebrows and grin, and her hair changes colour to a pink 'n' blue, much like the breath taking sunsets back home. It's predominantly a pale pink, with blue streaks moving through the strands.

"Your hair, it's pink? It also turned red when those females were reacting to Zekai's battered appearance. What were you feeling then?" I ask, declining Nevijah's offer of the pipe.

"Ummm oh that's right. That was frustration. I was getting annoyed that they wouldn't just help him. You saw his face, it was making my stomach churn. I was annoyed that they would delay helping him by being selfish, and putting their feelings first. So I just stepped in and took over. Just because my hair changes colour to reflect whatever mood I'm in, doesn't mean it control's the rest of me," Voltanna replies, puffing on the pipe.

"I think it's out. Check my pouch, man," Nevijah says.

Voltanna searches Nevijah's pouch to reveal that it's overflowing with the Juivita plant. She packs Nevijah's pipe and while holding it, Nevijah blows a tiny flame out of his mouth to light it. Voltanna pops it into her mouth, and inhales.

"Have you two heard about what's happening with the 'Neca City Elimination Tournament?" Nevijah asks.

"Yeah I was told about it briefly a few months ago, but can you explain what it is again?" I reply.

"It's a tournament that's held once a year, to determine the best warrior in all of Tharp. This year is the last one, because King Gurdon doesn't want to host it anymore. He funded the stadium to be built many years ago, and lately there hasn't been many other events. But what's so different this year?" Voltanna says.

"Well, other than just being the last one, it has a twist. This time, it's to the death, man," Nevijah replies.

"And what do you get for winning?" I ask.

"You get the title of the 'Champion of champion's', remembered for all of time as a legend, at the last tournament in all of Tharp, man," Nevijah replies, puffing on his pipe.

"I want to win. Let's finish this training and then I'll organise to enter. Just under fifteen years has to pass before my daughter arrives, and I'll be damned if I'm not going to achieve anything legendary while I wait," I say, crossing my arms.

"That might not be the best idea, Enaz," Voltanna replies, sounding nervous.

"I mean what I say, so that's what I mean. I want to win that tournament," I say, drawing both my samurai swords, and handing one to Voltanna.

"Would like to win what?" Modnar asks, startling me as he approaches from behind.

"Shit you scared me. I'm glad you're here."

"I wouldn't miss it for all the power in Tharp. So what do you want to win?"

"I want to win the Neca City Elimination Tournament," I reply, sounding confident.

"Now Enaz, you do realise that this year it's to the death?" Modnar asks.

"Yeah, I know. I had plans to leave my thumbprint on the pages of Earth's history books. But, now I find myself on Tharp, so I want to leave a similar thumbprint on the pages of your history books. I will win this competition, given that I can pass my exam today," I confidently reply.

"Can we talk about this later? I have been told to warn you about your approaching graduation tests. You will be competing as allies, Zelada insists on it. I'd wish you luck, but you don't need it," Modnar explains, before walking away.

"Wow, doing our test together is such a relief. Last time I had to do it alone, which was a little frightening. And see, I told you the 'Elimination Tournament' was a bad idea," Voltanna replies, slicing her sword through the air.

"Cool, I'm relieved our test is together then. And no matter what anybody says, I will become the Champion of champions," I say, gripping my samurai sword, and swiping it a few times.

In the distance, I can faintly hear what sounds like Zelada making an announcement, followed closely by cheering. I'm not going to lie, it's getting me rather excited.

"Come on, let's go!" I say, leading the way.

As Voltanna, Nevijah and I enter the area, I can barely make out the top of Zelada's head. She's in the centre of a circular arena, with a high wooden fence going around the outside. There is a wooden pole leaning against the fence, so we can enter.

"You ready for this?" I ask.

"Only if you are," Voltanna replies.

"You bet I am."

Once Voltanna and I are within the arena, Zelada makes eye contact with us, and restarts her epic speech. It looks like she's holding a fat worm in her left hand; is she going to use it as a microphone??

"And here they are, Enaz and Voltanna. Give them a round of applause," Zelada says, sounding like a wrestling announcer.

Voltanna and I wave to the crowd, picking a side of Zelada each, before she continues her speech.

"These two have been doing their training with the guidance of Rodland and yourselves. They are down to their last trial, GIVE..... IT.... UP.... FOR.... THEM!!!!!!" Zelada yells, before the warriors erupt.

I look at the crowd all around us, seated on sloped wooden stands, and the atmosphere is giving me goosebumps. All the warriors are cheering us on, and I believe every one of them. We haven't had any issues with anyone in our training, so there is no reason for our support to be anything but genuine.

"All right every one. Now, the moment you have all been waiting for. Will the three month investment of your time - which was very much appreciated by the way - pay off? Will they perish before they have a chance? Let me introduce your champions," Zelada says, proudly.

The crowd begins cheering and clapping again, but I get distracted from the overwhelming support by Voltanna's hair. It's grey, with white streaks rushing through it.

"Voltanna, your hair. Are you okay?" I yell, over the noise.

She grips her sword, looks towards me, and mouths the word 'nervous'.

I glance back and mouth the words 'me too', before she nods at me.

"Good luck, Enaz. We have got this!" Voltanna yells.

"I know!"

Zelada waves her hand to signal the crowd to hush, and they reduce to an almost immediate silence.

"To my right, the beautiful, cheeky, unpredictable; Voltanna!" Zelada says, as her right hand points towards her.

The crowd cheers and whistles, making my spine tingle. I know our destiny is approaching.

"And, to my left. He is important to the survival of the chosen one, fifteen years from now. Drifting to us from another planet, and here to win..... GIVE IT UP FOR..... EEEEEEEE... NAZ!!" Zelada yells, at the top of her lungs.

The suspense is killing me. Voltanna and I exchange a glance for the last time. I'm discovering a mountain of fear, but am luckily able to disguise it from the spectators. Let's finish this, not because we have to, but because it's our destiny.

"Okay everyone, their first trial of two... Is versus six orcs!" Zelada says.

For the first time I notice Modnar is levitating six orcs high above our heads.

"THREE...... TWO... ONE.... FIGHT!" Zelada yells, leaping out of the arena, while the orcs drop in.

The orcs stalk us like prey, and they look ready to kill. Each one has a large protruding jaw, perfectly ripped physic, dark purple skin and long black hair; most of it is in a ponytail. They're all armed with an axe in each hand.

I instantly disappear and charge towards the orc in the middle. I slide on my knees, then slice through the midsection; my momentum stops behind the dissected orc, so I reappear and stand.

The crowd cheers, while Voltanna is rapidly duelling with another orc. CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! Her sword is alternatively blocking shots from both the left and right axe.

"Is that all you've got!" Voltanna yells, throwing an icicle - which appears in her right palm - through the orcs face.

The head detaches and launches to the back wall. The icicle shatters, causing pieces of the orcs head to fly everywhere. The crowd erupts.

I run towards one of the barriers and two orcs chase me. When almost at the fence, I disappear, then duck behind them. They stop moving to look for me, so I slice both their heads off from right to left. Blood gushes out of the decapitated orcs, and I reappear to an ovation.

The last two remaining orcs charge towards Voltanna, so she runs full speed towards them too. When she's almost in range, she forward flips over the top of the left orc, and vertically slices it's scalp; mid somersault. Brain and blood oozes out, and drip onto the ground, while the body slowly topples over.

I walk towards Voltanna and disappear, and while she's walking backwards, she bumps into me.

"It's Enaz, don't turn around," I say, the moment we make contact.

The last orc hunts Voltanna, so I quickly dart behind him and slice both his legs off, at the thighs. Blood shoots out all over the place, and as I reappear, I turn around and encourage the crowd to clap. I bend down and pick up one of the legs, then throw it into the audience.

"Aaaarrrggghhhhh!" the orc screams, crawling towards Voltanna, blood gushing out of his stumps.

I pick up the other thigh, walk out to the middle of the arena floor, and hold it up in the air. The crowd burst into a frenzy, so I sheathe my sword, and signal the crowd to be quiet.

I throw the leg in the air, quickly draw my sword, and slice the limb into three equal bits.

"Yyyeeeaaaahhhh!" everyone in attendance yells.

Voltanna chops off the left arm of the orc, and whistles immediately afterwards.

"Aaarrggghhhhh!" the orc screams as Nevijah enters the arena.

Blood gushes out, like tomato sauce from a squeezed bottle. Voltanna is holding the arm, waving it towards Nevijah, much like you would with a bone to a dog. She throws it towards him, and he starts to chew on it, dropping his pipe in the process.

Voltanna jumps on the orcs back and stabs it through the heart. The orc exhales his last breath, and the crowd gets even wilder, like when a rugby player scores a try.

Zelada jumps back into the arena and walks towards us. She signals the crowd to calm down, and begins speaking.

"How were they everyone?" The crowd briefly claps, but Zelada controls them.

"Bring on the second challenge!" I yell, holding my sword high in the air.

"I don't even think the second round is necessary, what do you think; they passed didn't they?!!" Zelada yells, putting her right fist in the air.

The crowd goes ballistic again, but I become distracted as I see a person with a dark black hood, sitting alone in the stands. It's a robe that goes right down to their feet, with a hood that makes their face just a shadow. I wonder who they are, and hope they mean no harm.

"Okay everyone, round.... TWOOOOOO!" Zelada yells, as a huge gust of wind approaches the arena.

Sweeping closely into Toolore village is Butch. He quickly lands on the arena floor, taking up a fair chunk of space.

"You two ready for this?" Butch yells, blowing a huge fireball into the air above us.

"THREEEEE! TWWOOOOO! ONNNNEEEE! FFFFIIGGGHHTTT!" Zelada yells, exiting the arena.

"Wait Butch, that was a quick countdown," I say, sidestepping towards Voltanna.

"I have something better, Enaz. Here, take your sword," Voltanna says, throwing it towards me.

It's just like a movie. The blade slowly swirls in a clockwise direction, while the blade points towards the blanket of stars above us. I catch it with my left hand, like the sword knows I'm its master.

I scratch the two blades together, then disappear, and while Butch looks for me, Voltanna summons a huge ice axe, gripping it out in front of her. The blade looks so cold, and air is emanating off of it.

"Voltanna.... An ice axe.... Do you really think..... AAARRGGGGHHHHH!" Butch yells, as I stab both my swords into his back.

While Butch becomes distracted, frantically looking for me, Voltanna starts chopping at his neck with her axe, slicing through his flesh like a knife to butter.

I start repetitively stabbing Butch. Left sword in, right sword out, left sword out, right sword in, while Voltanna continues to stab Butch in the neck, till he's completely sliced in half, spilling his insides all over the arena floor.

Zelada hops back into the arena, and looks horrified to see her pet in such a state. I drop my weapons and run to hug Voltanna.

"My goodness... What have you done to Butch..... Oh my.... Well everyone, here they are, your champions.... VOLTANNA, and..... EEEEEEEEEEE... NAZ!" Zelada yells, raising both our hands in triumph.

The feeling is amazing. The smell of victory is in the air, and the sound of pride filling our eardrums; this is all just a taste of success, which lies in our future. Voltanna and I bend down on one knee, and await our official induction into the Brotherhood of Guytz. Our training is over, but this just isn't enough for me. The truth is, I really wish Linda and Syra were here to see my triumph.

### XVII - Joining the Dots...

I thought I'd try something different today. I've had a lot of Flork and food to celebrate our success, but I've decided to ditch my moments with the moon, in exchange for some with the morning sunrise. I finish my breakfast as fast as possible, as I don't want to miss it.

I'm sitting in the middle of the arena from last night and hold my left wrist up to the sun, to get a better look at my seal. I'm so proud to be a part of this Brotherhood, and hope I'm a valuable asset for my daughter in the years to come. This is why I really need to enter this tournament, to the death. If I can win, then I'm good enough for her. I'll be protecting her from Akiad one day, so a tournament to the death should be a piece of cake... Well hopefully.

Zelada approaches me, as the warriors disassemble the barriers from last night's arena.

"Good morning, Enaz. What are you up to all bright eyed and bushy tailed, on this beautiful sunny morning," Zelada asks.

"Top of the morning to you too. Just thinking about my destiny. I want to be a great guardian for my daughter. In fact, I want to be the best," I reply, proudly.

"You will become an epic guardian, I can assure you of this. Modnar speaks of you all the time."

"Yes, but this is the beginning of a legacy for my family. I'm going to win the 'Neca City Elimination Tournament,' that I will promise," I say, sounding determined.

"You could die?" Zelada says, with fear in her voice.

"No way. My family is destined for greatness. Even if my daughter hates me the day she meets me, she will one day understand why I left. I'd love to look her in the eyes and be proud to tell her that her father is the final champion of the Neca City elimination tournament. Maybe one day my story might even inspire her, who knows," I reply, before I notice Zelada is crying.

"I'm sure... She... Will," Zelada says, while tears roll down her cheeks.

"Sorry, did I say something to upset you?" I ask, rubbing her back.

Zelada waves her hand for me to wait, while she settles her crying. I'm really worried about what I must have said to set her off.

"I'm sure Syra would be proud of you, if she could see you now. I never knew my father, and I'd be proud to have known my Dad was out doing something legendary with his time away from me. So, I'm going to rally up whoever's coming, and take you to Neca City," Zelada says, before hugging me and walking off towards the dining hall.

I grab all my equipment and gear, and am awaiting the arrival of the others. I'm happy to hear such a cool thing come out of Zelada's mouth. For how mysterious she is, it's nice to be told that my daughter would be proud of me, and I believe it's genuine.

I look out towards the arena, and see what looks like a small black diary. I run and pick it up; a folded sheet of paper drops out of it. I put the diary into my jacket pocket, and swiftly pick up the paper. On one side is some sort of timeline, but with lack of time on my side, I flip it over to reveal what seems like a poem.

'Attached at the hip was her to the drink

Until mum sent her to uni, to study and think

A random encounter to parts unknown

Nothing was revealed, nothing was shown

She travelled through lands far and wide

She's from West Auckland, don't f**k with her pride

The chosen one to bear the blade

Through grasslands and swamps she must wade

Born to challenge the evil wizard of Tharp

She's too smart for him: Westie's are sharp

Eventually to be stuck in a paradox of time

Until she exits, mistakes are her crime.'

As I'm glancing at it, Voltanna sneaks up on me and snatches it from my hands.

"Good morning, Enaz. What are you doing... Wait, what is this?" Voltanna says, looking at the poem.

"Give that back Voltanna, quick," I reply, before Zelada snatches it out of her hand, folds it and places it in her pocket.

"Sorry, that was just a scribble of mine," Zelada says, scratching her head, suspiciously looking around.

"Fact or fiction?" I reply.

"Fiction obviously," Zelada sarcastically says, summoning Butch out of the tattoo on her right shoulder.

I try my best to read Zelada's face, but she's awesome at hiding her emotions. True poker player back home in my opinion. I suppose when I get a decent chance to look through the diary in my pocket, we may get to unravel her mystery.

She begins frantically walking, looking around, and I know it's for her diary. She never mentions it's missing, I can just tell. I feel guilty having it, but I just have to piece her story together, because she sure isn't saying anything.

Once Butch lands, he lowers his neck towards us, and speaks.

"Congratulations to you both. You fought ferociously. I couldn't attack you with fire, due to the small arena size, but well done none the less."

"Yeah yeah, excuses, excuses old boy," I joke.

Butch nudges his head into me and chuckles, then Voltanna begins too. Rodland arrives and ruins the moment.

"You're really going to do this?" Rodland asks.

"Not a doubt in my mind. Where's Zekai?" I reply.

"He's off with Fewmira, having a break after what happened between Muhbac and him. He wishes his best, as do I. Unfortunately I am also a little tied up at the moment, but I wish you all safe travels," Rodland says, shaking my hand, then hugging Voltanna and Nevijah.

"Okay, well who's with me?" I ask.

"We are!" Voltanna replies, while Nevijah crawls up her arm.

"Yeah, we are here.... Man," Nevijah says, puffing on his pipe.

"I am also staying. Rodland and I will meet you in Neca City in a week, for the finals. We want to see you victorious. So that means alive," Modnar replies, approaching us, shaking my hand, then hugging Voltanna and Nevijah.

"Okay, I look forward to seeing you both. Thank you so much for training us, feeding us, and giving us a home over the last three months, and being really good friends. See you in a week," I say, mounting Butch's back.

"See you both down there!" Zelada says, clambering up.

"Thank you, see you in a week!" Voltanna says, moments before Butch launches into the sky.

We travel south for a long time. I fall in and out of sleep, and from what I've seen, the terrain has been constantly changing. Zelada tells tales of the past, explaining what we can see, and sometimes smell. A mix of different landscapes bless our eyes. Grasslands, murky swamps that go forever, cliffs, canyons with a mixture of both, and even some caves. Eventually, we touch down in the middle of a grass field, with a long dirt path.

Voltanna and I hop off Butch's back, but Zelada stays on, and instructs us on what to do.

"All right, this is where we part for a little while. Neca city is that direction, and it's the southernmost city on all of Tharp. Ask people within the city for directions, and according to Modnar, there's a stadium in there somewhere. Enaz, you will know what that is."

"You're forgetting we've been there before... Man," Nevijah says.

"Oh yeah... Well come here and give me a hug!" Zelada says, bending over a little towards us.

As we both hug her, I realise that it's time for her to leave again. It's the only time that I'm relieved for her to go, as I'm dying to see what's in this diary.

"See you either tonight or tomorrow," Zelada says, before launching into the air.

"Okay, is she gone?" I say, suspiciously.

"Why are you acting like..... What is that?" Voltanna replies, pausing when she sees the diary in my hand.

"Quick, let's look at this. It's Zelada's diary. She dropped it in Toolore village," I say, turning the first page.

I move the pen \- which is jiggling about, back into its holder, then turn a few pages till I get to about January. I drop the diary the instant I see the year.

"What's wrong, Enaz? You look pale, man," Nevijah asks.

"Yeah what is it, show me," Voltanna replies, sitting down next to me, passing over the diary.

I put the diary in my pocket, and fetch a nearby stick. While I bend over the dirt path, I draw a line from left to right.

"Okay, now this line represents time, and to keep things simple; I will use my planets timeline. The far left marker is year 1, the start of Earth's time. The next dash about.... There, is year 1000, and the next marker..... Year 2000, and no more years should be needed, hopefully. Well how many years have passed on this planet?" I say, drawing the timeline into the path.

"We don't really care about how much time passes to be fair," Voltanna replies.

After a brief pause, I respond.

"Fair enough, now where was I.... Oh yes, so in our timeline, I am from, wait I'll just draw it............ Here, the year 1993. I have come through a portal to this timeline of your history, and Zelada is from the same planet, country and even city as me, but she is from...........here, the year 2019. She looks about my age, and I'm twenty seven, so something just doesn't add up. Let's check the book," I say, placing marks on the timeline, before reaching into my pocket and grabbing the diary.

I flick through the months, and it seems just like a normal diary.... Until I get to June.

June 1st.

I don't know what to write. I love reading that fabled story to my mum every year on my birthday, but I just don't want to do it... Aaah, I can't write any....

June 2nd.

Meh. When does this torture end? I just don't know what to write at the moment. I get like this about this time every year....

Nothing more is recorded until....

June 19th.

Wow, the last day in my twenties. The moments since I was last in that foreign place, was over ten years ago - I could call the whole thing a dream, it has been that long. On the eve of my thirtieth birthday, I ponder what luck lies ahead for me in my next decade?

I flick to about August, and it appears to be all that she's written. I pop the diary back in my pocket in mad frustration, and walk in the direction of Neca city.

"What's wrong?" Voltanna asks, hurrying behind me

"There's nothing more," I reply, storming ahead.

"Wait.... Wait! When you dissect a situation, to do with the breakdown of how one would spend their time, you would do it like you were before, with the timeline you drew. Let's review what we have read," Voltanna says, as I follow her back to the timeline I drew in the path.

"Okay, well where do we start?"

"Well, who are our suspects? Who do you think Zelada really is?" Voltanna asks.

We arrive at the timeline; Nevijah leaves Voltanna's shoulders and begins using his pipe.

"Well, the truth is... I just don't have any suspects," I say, sounding frustrated.

"Well it was the eve of her thirtieth birthday, so do you know anyone that's turning thirty who could be her?"

"No, I don't. But one thing I was taught when I was little, was to reverse a problem to find its point of origin. So in this instance, I don't know anyone from the year 2019 that could fit the profile. But I think about the fact that her birthday is June the 20th, and if she's turning thirty on the 20th, then that means....... she was born, June 20th........1989... SHIT!"

"What?" Voltanna and Nevijah say.

"I can't believe it."

"WHAT?!"

"There now is a suspect with that birthdate," I say, before standing up and facing Neca city.

"Who?!" Voltanna gasps, springing to her feet and signalling Nevijah to follow her.

"What's the point, you'll never believe me."

Voltanna pulls my left shoulder, forcing me to stop.

"Just say it Enaz, you can trust us."

"The suspect is Syra, my daughter," I reply, before I lead us towards our destination.

### XVIII - Beyond the Point of No Return

"Wow so you really think she's your daughter?" Voltanna asks.

"Well, just think about it, with all the evidence we've gathered so far. We've found out she is born on not just the same year, but the same day as Syra?! And her pet is named after a character in a movie.... Exactly the same way I named my pet Butch. I bet my life it's her, but I never close the deal until I know for sure. I just need a little more evidence," I reply, continuing to walk towards Neca city.

"How can we get more evidence?" Voltanna asks.

"Yeah, spill the Flork, man," Nevijah adds, curled up on Voltanna's shoulders.

"Well, let's do what you suggested before. Firstly, we dissect our evidence. How do you both know, Zelada?" I ask.

"I originally met her roughly ten thousand years ago. And it was funny, because she acted like she knew me, but when our eyes locked; she went weird? Eventually we became best friends, along with Jacamatax too," Voltanna replies.

"And how long has it been - being as exact as you can, since you last saw her?"

"Voltanna was right... I'm sure it was about ten....... Thousand years.... Ago, man," Nevijah replies, toking on his pipe.

"Do you feel that same comradery at the moment with Zelada?" I ask, raising my eyebrows.

"No, come to mention it I don't. To be fair, not to sound weird, but I feel closer to you this time around," Voltanna replies, flirtatiously.

I pause for a moment while I take in Voltanna's response. I guess her comment has thrown me off guard slightly; I feel her coming on to me, but I'll just sweep it under the rug, and play dumb.

"Thank you, Voltanna. I can easily say that you are a close friend of mine too. Sorry to go back to solving this mystery, but I really think that we're getting somewhere."

"What have you worked out?" Voltanna asks, sounding a little frustrated.

"I'm quite certain that somewhere in the near future, Zelada must travel back in time, at least ten thousand years," I say, emphasising the last three words.

"Do you think so?"

"Well, depends on your next answer. My next question requires you to think a little bit, as we are talking about events that took place a long time ago. Where did you first meet Zelada?" I say, while Nevijah detangles from around her neck, and slithers to the ground.

Voltanna stops walking, and you can tell by the shear frustration on her face that she's thinking as hard as she can. I suppose it must be hard to sift through that many years of memories, just to retrieve one particular moment. I struggle to do this and I'm fewer than thirty years old.

Nevijah slithers up to Voltanna, and they begin murmuring to each other, before eventually speaking.

"Funnily enough, it was about ten thousand years ago, in Neca city. I remember something really odd that she said to Daweson the bartender, the moment she walked in."

"What did she say?" I reply.

"She asked where the stadium was. We were all confused by her statement, as there wasn't a stadium in Neca city at that time."

"That makes me even more suspicious. Do you think she travels back in time soon?"

"To be honest Enaz, I really do believe that could be possible. In fact, I almost want to bet on it."

"It is a possibility, in the infinite loop of time that we exist in, and it's one I'm inclined to believe."

"I totally agree. You're so trippy, man," Nevijah replies, still puffing on his pipe.

"Come to mention it, I just remembered something."

"What?" Voltanna and Nevijah reply.

"When Modnar and I were chatting in Dandum city a few months ago, I remember him saying that it's possible that Zelada must travel to the past. Something about her providing him with information."

"Well, there you go. More evidence, but none of which proves that it's your daughter," Voltanna adds.

"I'll just have to do some more digging. So what do think, of my suspect number 1? My own daughter, who.... Whoa," I say, before freaking out about something I've just realised.

"Wait what's wrong?" Voltanna replies, sounding worried.

"Let's say hypothetically that it is actually my daughter and we could prove it. Well in our time, it would be roughly July. My birthday is in June also. I am twenty eight and she is thirty. I am her father, yet she is about two years older than me? It's just a bizarre concept to wrap my head around," I say, sounding as confused as I feel.

Voltanna nods and smiles back towards me. She looks completely blank, either for lack of knowledge, or lack of something helpful to say.

"I honestly believe she is going to travel through time, sometime soon. That is the answer I'm riding on, anyway. Bummer we can't find any more evidence," I say, kicking the dirt on our path in disappointment.

We walk without talking for about fifteen minutes. The sun is frying me like an egg on a pan, and I'm frantically searching the blank recesses of my mind for an answer. Time to break the silence.

"Hey, when we were doing our final exam in Toolore village, did you notice a hooded person outside the arena?" I ask.

"No, why's that?" Voltanna replies.

"I think Zelada knows them. I swear I saw her chatting to whoever it is, but I was concentrating on not dying, which was obviously more important."

"Actually, come to think of it, I remember something about this cloaked person as well... Was the robe black?" Voltanna asks.

"YES! That's it, when did you see... This person."

"He was seated in the stands at Toolore village, just like you said. I remember seeing the hooded person and Zelada chatting, towards the end of our battle with Butch. Do you think this person could be in Neca city?" Voltanna says.

"If they were in Toolore Village to watch our final battle then definitely, and they may even be present at the tournament, so let's keep an eye out!" I reply while smiling towards her.

Voltanna nods at me; Nevijah slithers ahead of us, and turns around.

"We're here already, man," Nevijah says, before coughing.

Looking ahead, I see the top of a Colosseum over the far left of the wooden fence, and a waterfall roughly in the centre. The wooden gates are made of many large thick logs, all tied together by rope, and appear very strong. They have sharpened tips, so climbing them isn't an option; and they're slightly shorter than the fence going around the perimeter of the city.

We approach the front gates, and a guard is standing outside. He looks human. He has blonde hair, is armed with a spear, and has a scrap piece of paper in his left hand.

"Hi there, can we please enter the city?" I ask.

"Are you three together? What is the need for your weapons, sir?" The guard replies with a croaky voice, like he has smoked a few too many cigarettes.

"Well, I am here to win the Neca city Elimination tournament!" I say, confidently.

"Yeah yeah, heard that before. Entries close today, make sure you register. Which one of these two is your partner?" the guard replies, looking puzzled.

"PARTNER?" we all say.

"Can we have a moment, man?" Nevijah replies, as the three of us move away from the guard.

"What are we going to do? I really want to enter," I ask, sounding disappointed.

"It's obvious Enaz, we still enter. I'm going to be your partner, and Nevijah is my weapon," Voltanna replies, winking at Nevijah.

"You know I'm your weapon, man," Nevijah says, tugging on his pipe.

The three of us move towards the guard and as usual, I'm the one to do all the talking. I sign up myself, Voltanna as my partner, and explain that Nevijah is her weapon. The guard opens the gates for us and starts to explain what we have to do.

"You three need to head to the 'Flork Seeker Pub', and register for your free accommodation. On the wall in the pub is the tournament entries, but it won't be fully ready till tomorrow morning. Give some thought as to what your team name will be."

"Will do," I reply, before he closes the doors behind us.

I take a moment to breathe in this beautiful city. There's a waterfall opposite us in the distance, dropping into a huge lake below - behind it, a cliff that goes infinitely to the left and right. We're standing in the back right corner of the city, which seems to be built around this lake. White, square stone houses are all around us, built in rows. The heights of each dwelling vary, and they gradually decline towards the lake. Linda and I had our honeymoon in Greece, and this reminds me a lot of the way their buildings are constructed. In the distance, on the left side of the lake, is the large, round Colosseum. I can't wait to see the inside.

There is a large white clock tower to the right of the lake, showing midday. It's positioned next to a white, multi-storied building with many balconies - probably a hotel of some sort.

The ambience of the city is amazing. There are people and creatures everywhere, but unfortunately for me, I have no idea where to go.

"Ummm... Voltanna, do you know where the 'Flork Seeker Pub' is?" I ask.

"Yeah, of course. See the sign down there by the lake," Voltanna replies, pointing towards it.

"Yeah, I see it."

"That's where we need to go."

"Sweet, lead the way."

Neca city is thriving, it seems to be packed with Tharp's version of 'tourists.' We have little room to walk around, and are weaving our way through a smorgasbord of different races, gradually making our way to the pub. I see some Oathient serpents, stopping and pointing at the stadium, and some humans are gathering around the clock tower. Others are swimming in the lake, or sunbathing next to it. There are thousands of species here, I just can't describe them all. I feel like I'm walking down the main street in Auckland city on a Friday, or Saturday night. Just thriving with excitement.

We slow our pace, stopping behind a large group of people. Sounds like a decent salesperson, advertising something. I'm always keen for a good deal.

"Let's push past and see what he's selling?" I say, leading the way.

I get to the front, and the old merchant smiles at me.

"Hello sunny, what can I do ya for?" he asks.

He is an Oathient serpent, with a beige skin colour. He has long, receding grey hair, only a few remaining teeth and a very detailed black tribal tattoo, going down his entire left arm. He's wearing an extremely large backpack, which I'm gathering holds all his inventory.

"What's your name, merchant," I ask.

"My name is Hazmat, what is yours, sunny. Yes, that'll be two Ralop," Hazmat replies, serving another customer.

"Mine's Enaz, and this is...."

"Voltanna, and Nevijah. How are you both?"

"We're good, Hazmat. Been a long time," Voltanna replies.

"Hey Hazmat, how you been, man?" Nevijah asks.

"Very well my little friend."

"Do you have any more Juivita, man?"

"Sure do. How much are you after?"

"Probably enough to fill my pouch."

"So the usual?"

"You know me, man."

"Give me a moment, friend."

Hazmat reaches into the large bag on his back, and grabs out two large handfuls of Juivita, placing it directly into Nevijah's pouch.

"Twenty Ralop, friend."

"Voltanna, please pay for me man," Nevijah says.

"Yeah yeah, always me paying for your habits," Voltanna replies, handing the Ralop to Hazmat.

"You smoke it too, man."

"Thank you, please come again," Hazmat says, as we push past him.

"Nice guy," I say.

"Yeah, whenever you're buying he is," Voltanna replies.

After enjoying the scenery of Neca city, we eventually come close to the clock tower. I notice something really weird about it. The clock is actually more human than the occupants in this city may realise.

"Voltanna, can you read that clock?" I ask, pointing towards it.

"They are ancient symbols from tens of thousands of years ago. Zelada is the only person who has ever been able to decipher it."

"Yeah man........ Like...... Old symbols, man....... COUGH!" Nevijah says, while puffing on his pipe.

I start laughing. Seriously, they're all mystical about this clock having ancient symbols, but I think I know what they mean. It's also ironic that my Westie friend 'Zelada' can decipher it. So she should being from Earth. I bet if she does travel back in time, she has something to do with this clock.

"So by ancient, you mean roman?" I say, sarcastically.

"What do you mean?" Voltanna replies.

"Well, you are right in saying that these are ancient symbols, but they're from my world. The time on this clock is measured in 'roman numerals.' The real question is, how did it get from my planet to here?" I say.

"How do you read it?" Voltanna asks.

I chuckle for a little while before I describe what a clock does and how it operates. I explain about how our race measures time. It's something that I noticed about Tharp straight away. They use the sun, which is such an old fashioned way to measure time - but in saying this, there is also nothing wrong with it. In fact, over the next fifteen years, I will make it one of my goals. To learn how to read the sun. Well it seems smart, considering that I don't have access to a watch anymore.

After walking towards the tower, and explaining everything to my friends, we finally arrive at the sign Voltanna spotted when we entered. 'Flork Seeker Pub,' it says. It is underneath the multi-storey building, and to the right of the clock tower. We decide to head inside for a few drinks.

The pub atmosphere is so lively. So many races, so many faces, all drinking Flork. The bar is at the back of the pub, with a door in the left rear. Booths fill the left wall, and the rest of the room has round tables and chairs. Next to the back door, you can see stairs, going up towards what must be the hotel.

There's so many people here, it's hard to find space to move towards the bar, but I know I just have to.

"I'll get us the first round of Flork. Rodland donated some Ralop to our travels before we left. You keen?" I say.

"I'm in, Ill head over in a bit to catch up with Daweson," Voltanna replies.

"No, I'm fine, I'll stick to the pipe, man," Nevijah says, puffing on his best friend.

"Okay, I'll be back in a few minutes," I say.

I push my way through the crowd, eventually arriving at the bar. I put both my palms flat on the wooden bar top, and smile towards the old, human bartender. He has bushy grey receding hair, a thick moustache, which curls at each end, and is wearing a worn tuxedo.

"Name's Enaz. Can I have two rounds of Flork, please," I say, introducing myself.

"Hi Enaz, I'm Daweson. Have you entered the elimination tournament?"

"Yeah we have, why's that?"

"Because your Flork and accommodation is being paid for by Neca city," Daweson explains, pushing the two Goy's into our bottles.

"Wow so how do we take advantage of this generous offer?" I yell, over the crowd.

"Choose your room, and sign the logbook at the end of the bar, by the gentlemen with the hood," Daweson replies.

His comment catches my attention and I quickly turn to check if my theory is correct. It's the exact same suspicious hooded person I saw in Toolore village. The difference now is that I know he's a man.

His dark hollow stares back at me while he finishes his bottle of Flork, places it on the bar, and heads out the back door.

I frantically push my way through all the people, trying to tail him.

"Excuse me, excuse me, excuse me!" I say, nudging people to the left and right.

The hooded man might just have all the answers to my portfolio of questions. I need to catch him.

"EXCUSE ME, COMING THROUGH!" I yell, pushing past the last group of people.

Once I fly through the back door, I make it outside, and upon briefly glancing, I see a forest in the background; the hooded man is nowhere to be seen.

"SHIT!" I yell, punching the side of the pub as hard as I can.

"Watch your language, young man," a voice says.

I turn around and see the same withered tree I saw in the desert, with thousands of crows making up the leaves. The same old woman from outside Dandum city emerges from behind the trunk.

"Did you see a man with a hood come out here?" I ask.

"Nope."

"Damn!"

"Why do you want to speak with him?"

"Because I'm sure he holds all the answers to my questions."

"And what makes you think that?"

"I don't know, just a feeling in my gut."

"And do you always trust that feeling? I sure don't."

"Why not, it's hardly ever wrong."

"Because when you get to my age, you find out that life isn't all it's cracked up to be."

"That's positive."

"I try my best."

"You sure you didn't see a hooded man come out here?"

"No, I swear I haven't. But you need to remember something, young man."

"Remember what exactly?"

"When it becomes the time in your tournament to make a difficult decision, just do it. Have no regrets, and don't look back."

The door opens, and Daweson pops his head out, placing all the empty bottles into a large nearby crate.

"You're drinks aren't getting any colder," Daweson comments, heading back inside.

I turn around, and the mysterious old woman is gone. I carefully walk up to the withered tree, and gently place my right hand onto it.

Suddenly, the crows all squawk and fly off in different directions. The tree vanishes below the ground, leaving a trunk sized hole. I bend down to touch it, but the dirt heals, leaving no trace of the tree at all.

"What the heck is going on," I mutter.

It's hard to explain my mood beyond utter and total frustration. I don't understand who the old woman is, or her purpose, but in regards to the hooded man, I feel like I'm onto something. Like I can see light at the end of the tunnel, and I'm almost there. We will win this tournament, and I will find out who that hooded man is, no matter what. My destiny depends on it.

### XIX - The Start of my Legacy..

In my frustrated state, I enter the rear of the pub, and walk up to the logbook that Daweson told me to sign. Free Flork and accommodation; who can complain. I always have time for something that makes life easier than it is. This is one of those moments.

Looking through the pages of the logbook, I notice that the penthouse suite isn't taken. Do people not care about that sort of thing on this planet? We'll take it!

After signing in, I make my way to where my drinks are at the bar, and check in with Daweson.

"Your drinks seem quite lonely, don't they? Oh and why didn't you tell me you were with Voltanna and Nevijah? They're practically family," Daweson jokes, handing me our drinks.

"Haha, I don't know actually. They're a great pair, aren't they? Oh, I just signed in, and took the penthouse suite," I reply.

"They sure are, have known them for a long time. And great selection on the room. No one likes the top floor for some reason," Daweson says, serving the next customers.

"Can I please ask you something? You remember the hooded man that was down the end of the pub. Have you seen him here before?"

"Yeah, I remember. He's actually been coming in here regularly over the last few days. Do you know him?"

"Maybe. I'll pop in from time to time to check in. Cheers for the drinks," I reply, before heading over to my friends.

"Thank you, Enaz. Where have you been?" Voltanna asks, as I pass her a drink.

"The hooded person was at the bar, and I found out it's a male. I chased him out the back of the pub, but he vanished without a trace. Apparently he has been hanging around here over the last couple of days."

"So how do you think we should catch him?" Voltanna says, taking a swig of her drink.

"Well, I haven't thought that far ahead."

"I have an idea man," Nevijah says, taking a huge drag of his pipe.

Voltanna and I take a big gulp of our respective drinks, then raise our eyebrows at each other. To be honest, we both seem equally curious of what our little friend has to say.

"So what is your idea, Nevijah?" I ask.

"Well Zelada seems to be the one making the most mistakes. I think we should tail her, and treat her as the lead suspect, man," Nevijah replies, before coughing.

Voltanna and I make eye contact, before smiling at each other. This could be the best lead we've had in a while.

"Nevijah has a valid point. The way we will catch the hooded man, is by following Zelada. I'm sure she will lead us right to him," I say, sipping my drink.

"See, Always....... Listen..... To me, man," Nevijah replies, coiling himself around Voltanna's shoulders.

"Okay, wait here. I'll go check the log book again, and see if her name's in there," I say, leaving my seat.

I push through the hordes of people, to get back to the bar as fast as possible. I feel like I'm getting closer to cracking the mystery I have stumbled across.

I frantically flick through the logbook for any sort of clue. There are fifty rooms in this complex, and our suite is room 'XXX'.

And there it is, room 'L'. The occupant's name: Zelada.

"Got you now!" I say, pointing at her name.

I try to quickly make my way back over to Voltanna and Nevijah, but the bar has packed up quite a bit in the last minute, so I carefully weave my way through until I'm graced with their presence.

"She has reserved room 'L' in the logbook. We need to see what she's up to. About time we caught her in the act. I have to do something, because a liar achieves nothing," I say.

"Well, I'll finish my drink, then let's find our room, and Zelada's," Voltanna replies, before quickly finishing her bottle of Flork.

I grab the key from Daweson, and follow Voltanna up the stairs leading to our room.

Eventually, we arrive at our suite; I don't hesitate to open the door.

Inside is very nice. Two big wooden beds, a balcony with a steel railing, a large set of draws, and a mirror in the back corner. I suppose its first class compared to where you could end up sleeping on this planet, like next to a river, eating Dupat shells.

"What's the rush for?" Voltanna asks, when I slam the door.

"The element of surprise, Voltanna. The longer we have that; the better," I reply, smiling back at her.

"Well, I'm going to sleep, as I'm quite tired. How about you, Nevijah?" Voltanna says, as Nevijah slithers off her shoulders down onto the ground.

"Yeah, I'm tired too, man," Nevijah replies, hopping up onto one of the beds.

"All right you two, I'm going to stay on look out. We need to catch Zelada, and find out the truth about what's going on," I say, walking towards the balcony.

As I get outside, the weather is beautiful. It distracts me slightly from our impending issues. Different races are still moving around the city, filling it with excitement and culture.

After a few brief moments pass, I begin looking around at the other balconies, to see where Zelada's room is.

I look above our doorway, and know that I'm going to have to concentrate quite a lot; the room numbers are written in roman numerals. I don't have an encyclopaedia in my back pocket - which would really help one day if that could be possible - and I haven't been at school for about twelve years, so I'm going to be a little rusty; I can only remember what one to ten is.

Now, our suite has 'XXX' on the sign above our door. 'X' is ten, and I suppose three of them would make this, room thirty. They can't all be this easy though.

The room to the right of me says 'XLIV'. Now this is really getting my brain moving. To figure this out, I need to work with what I know from that number. 'X' is ten and I know 'IV' is four. And knowing that there is only fifty rooms, I'm guessing 'L' is fifty. So that number has to be forty four.

I look around for the emblem 'L', knowing that this is the perfect opportunity to find out some vital information in this great mystery.

"There it is!" I exclaim, spotting the sign a few floors down, and wishing the balcony was a little closer to me.

My nerves start to rattle a little, as I spot Zelada and the hooded man. They are a few floors below me, leaning on the rail of their balcony, facing the lake.

I quickly disappear, and am nervous to finally put my months of training into proper use. I quietly step over the edge of our steel railing, and prepare to make a jump to the next balcony; room XLIX.

I peek below, but a rush of vertigo forces me to look up.

"Don't look down, don't look down," I say, before leaping, successfully landing against the railing on the side of the next balcony.

When I step over the railing to safety, I quickly look back down to see where they are. All I need to do is lower myself down one story, by hanging over the edge, letting go, then grabbing the railing of the lower balcony.

"Sounds much easier in my head," I mutter to myself.

I want to hear what they're talking about, and find out who this hooded man is. The suspense is killing me, and I just have to know.

I step back over the railing, turn around and lower myself down, so my legs are dangling over the edge. I start breathing heavier, as this is one of those moments you don't want to mess up. They are two balcony's below, so I have to do this to get closer.

"Shit, what am I doing," I mutter.

I look down again, realising that I will fall to my death if I muck this up.

"All right, I have only one chance at this," I say, before taking the deepest breath I've ever taken.

I let go, and after a brief lapse in time, I grab the railing on the balcony below me, moaning loudly with my mouth shut; all that's going through my mind is, 'don't be seen, and don't be heard.'

"What was that?" Zelada says, turning around.

I'm so proud of myself. Three months ago, she would have sussed out it's me. Today, I dangle from this balcony without being visible.

Zelada holds both her palms out open towards me. The brightest light flashes up my way, from a small section of her palms - each about the size of a one dollar coin. It's like two headlights of a truck, on full beam. I have my eyes closed as tight as I can, and yet it's still so bright.

"I'm sure I heard something up there? Well, I know I'm not going senile, so don't start those rumours," Zelada jokes, before assuming her position back on the railing.

I take this opportunity to pull myself up onto the balcony, and slowly lean over the railing.

"So Akiad is going to be present with Gurdon, in the final? What if he spots Zane?" Zelada asks.

The hooded man speaks far too quietly for me to hear him. No matter how far I push myself over the balcony, I just can't hear what he's saying.

"Well what am I going to say? Not like I can map it all out now, can I? I don't have my diary," Zelada says, sounding frustrated.

While the hooded man murmurs, I think about what Zelada just said. She can't be out to kill me, if she is worried about Akiad seeing me. So what's going on? And why is her diary so important? All its done being in my possession is point out that Zelada could be my daughter.

"I know I don't need my diary, I just want it. Do you really think Enaz will make it to the finals?" Zelada asks, pacing on the deck.

She pauses for a moment, scratches her head, then moves a little closer to the hooded man, and leans on the balcony, facing towards her room.

"Well I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous for him, and myself. I suppose with preliminaries tomorrow, we'll work out how well his training has gone. I really hope that he'll be okay, as I hate having this fear of the unknown," Zelada says, sounding nervous.

I adjust my hand, and accidently bang the railing. Zelada quickly looks up, and flashes me in the eyes with hand lights again. I keep my eyes closed, and don't get much of a fright, as I know I'm still invisible.

"Is someone there? I swear I heard something," Zelada says.

She seems so edgy, which I guess must be her nerves, worried about her secrets getting out; I would be too if I lost something as valuable as a diary.

"Meh, must be nothing. Okay, well I trust your opinion. I promise I won't stress about this anymore. I'm going to head down and get us a round of Flork? See you soon," Zelada says, heading inside.

I push away from the edge of the balcony, head through the room marked 'XXXIV,' and quickly make my way out the front door, to follow Zelada. I see a stick in the corridor, so I place it down by the door, keeping it slightly open for my return. She is a floor lower than me, so I promptly make my way down the stairs.

When I get to the pub, I see Zelada leaning on the bar top. I reappear, then push my way through the crowd, until I'm right next to her.

"BOO!" I say, startling her.

"Gees Enaz, you scared me," Zelada replies, lightly punching my arm.

"Sorry about that. When did you get here?"

"Me... Oh, only about an hour ago? How are you finding Neca city, thriving huh?"

"Yeah well.... Actually I've missed it all, because of being busy tracking a hooded man; he came into the bar, have you seen him?"

"No, no, no... I haven't actually. Why are you looking for him, anyway?"

"Because, I feel he could answer a few of my questions. Oh a bottle of Flork please, Daweson," I say.

"Coming right up, Enaz," he replies.

"I'll let you know if I see him. Oh, by the way, have you seen a black diary of mine?" Zelada asks, before sipping on one of her two drinks.

"No sorry, I haven't, but if I do, I'll be sure to let you know," I say, grabbing my drink off the counter.

"Okay, well I'll see you tonight for dinner?" Zelada replies, before leaving with her drinks.

"Sounds good," I call out.

I wait a few moments, and then follow her. The bar is so packed, that it's like opening night for a sports event; a crazy turnout.

I ascend the stairs again, and as I pass Zelada's room, I quickly run to the apartment above. When I get back to the room I was in, I move the stick, and close the door behind me. I swiftly walk on to the balcony, and peek over the edge, but can only faintly hear Zelada, speaking to the hooded man. They have relocated inside, so I really need to get closer if I'm to hear what's going on; maybe it's time to drop down another floor.

### XX - All it Takes is Ten Seconds of Courage..

Nerves, stupidity and curiosity all smack me in the face at the same time. My raw determination to find out what's going on, is starting to consume my mind. I know that this could be suicide, but it doesn't mean it isn't worth it.

I lean over the edge of the balcony, and disappear. I know that I need to drop down again, from this balcony to the one below.

I climb over the railing - so my back is facing the stadium and lake, then slowly lower my legs down. They're dangling over the edge, as I hold onto the railing, with all my might.

I begin to panic, knowing that I'm possibly risking it all, by trying this again.

"Am I nuts?" I mutter, looking down briefly.

I need to do a countdown in my mind, as this is the only way that I'm going to even attempt something this stupid again. It reminds me of the middle of winter in Auckland, when you take a shower at 6am. I would count to twenty in my mind before hopping out, knowing exactly how cold it's going to be when I did. Well, like my analogy suggests, it's time to get out of the shower.

I start the countdown in my mind. Five... Four.... Three... Two... One...

I let go, and my stomach sinks like I've been kicked in the family jewels. A few brief seconds, then my hands grab the railing, but I'm not so lucky this time. My right shoulder pops out of its socket, and I'm hanging on for my life, with just my left hand.

I quietly moan in agony, biting my bottom lip, blocking out the pain and concentrating on what's being said.

"What was that noise?" Zelada asks, storming right out to where I am on the balcony.

She's leans on the railing, peeks over, then looks up, frantically trying to get an explanation to the noise she just heard.

As she stands directly in front of me, I bite my tongue and start breathing heavily through my nose. My heart's racing, but my mind wants to scream in agony. I have to endure the pain, and prolong the silence.

"I'm sure I heard something? Maybe I'm just becoming paranoid. Hey, let's head out for a bit?" Zelada says, moving away from the balcony.

She and the hooded man quickly gather their belongings and leave the room.

"Shit, my hands slipping.... AAARRRGGGHH!" I groan, pulling myself up with my left arm.

When I roll over the railing and land on the balcony, my weight lands right on the dislocated arm.

"AAARRRGGGHHHH!.... SHIT!" I yell, holding my right arm.

I slowly pull myself upright, and count down from ten in my head. I know that popping my arm back into place has to happen, and ten seconds of courage is all it takes.

If you think about life in general, all it takes is ten seconds of courage to change your day. I've already proven that today. Dropping from balcony to balcony, is not something that I would normally do. When I first met Linda, she looked so attractive. Five foot seven, with blonde hair, and a low cut top, the whole works. I was like a drug addict, and she was my fix. I got the courage to ask her out on a date, and over a decade later, we have a beautiful daughter, and I wouldn't change a thing. Like I said before, ten seconds of courage is all it takes.

"All right, on three. One, two...THREE!" I yell, popping my arm back into its socket, and the crack is like a whip. The uncomfortable silence has come to an end, and it's finally time to reappear and have a nosey around Zelada's room.

The first thing I see is on the coffee table. It's another sheet of paper, but with heaps of circles drawn on it. The circles have arrows going one way around - in a clockwise direction - and what looks like names in the middle of them.

Two of the circles have 'Modnar' in them, one has 'Rodland,' another 'Titu,' and 'Butch' is in an even larger one. There are about seventeen circles on here, the biggest one is in the centre, saying 'Me.'

"DAMN IT! ME?! You couldn't write your bloody name? Who is this chick?!" I say, in frustration.

A few moments later, I hear the door unlocking. I quickly vanish, and move to the corner of the room.

Zelada storms inside, looking around frantically for something. She's turning the room upside down, muttering to herself while she searches.

"Found it!" Zelada yells, finding a red gem, and placing it around her neck.

After she exits the room, I reappear and look down at my Brotherhood of Guytz seal. Studying it a little more, makes me remember what it represents; the four Arter gems of Tharp. Was that the red Arter gem? All these clues, and not enough evidence to make a real case.

I continue searching the room, carefully lifting everything, checking everywhere, only stuck with the same piece of paper I started with. With no such luck, I end up studying it further, furiously searching for some sort of answer, something that I may have overlooked. But again, no such luck.

I pull the diary out of my pocket, and start to flick through it. I know that there was nothing useful in there last time, but sometimes it's handy to review your evidence when you are truly stumped of what to do; you just never know what you could come across, second time around.

"Shit, come on, there's gotta be something," I mutter to myself.

I just want to find something, anything, to give me some sort of clue, as to what Zelada is up to, or who the hooded man is. Suddenly, my luck changes. I turn the pages beyond June and keep going, looking past the months of blank pieces of paper... Until I get to October. There is writing filling these months, but I have to turn the diary upside down.

I turn to the back of the diary - which flips around, so is now the front - and start studying what Zelada has written.

The first page has a picture of a line - drawn on an isometric angle - that forms a spiral in the middle of the two straight sections. It has 'example of a paradox' written above it. Turning the pages of the diary reveals more bizarre entries.

On the second page is a hand sketched drawing of the dart tattoo on the top of Zelada's left hand, with a circle going around it. There are several arrows in different positions on the circle, facing a clockwise direction, much like the circles on the sheet of paper from before. There is writing going all the way around the circle, so spin the diary around, to read what it says..

Where is the point of origin? Why can't I find out? Who has the answer? Paradox #1.

I turn to page three, and it just has some notes this time.

'The more people I meet, the more lives I defeat.

The more mistakes I make, the longer my trip will take.

The more of my life I live, the harder the explanation to give.'

Page four has one statement written down, taking up the whole page.

'The Ediex clan was my creation? So since when was I given the power to play god?'

Page five and six have messy, miscellaneous notes scribbled all over the place:

'How does someone know me, and know everything about me, but I don't remember meeting them?'

Another is 'I am a broken soul, paying a heavy toll, for my unchangeable role, like a life on parole.'

Page seven has 'Everything I touch turn turns to,' and page eight has 'SHIT' written across the whole page.

Page nine is quite strange. There are hundreds of infinity symbols, all linking together, never breaking the chain. It makes up a massive necklace, going around in a circle on the page. 'Me and all the shit I encounter,' is written in the middle.

I begin to feel a mix of confusion and sadness. Whatever Zelada is going through, it sounds like she's doing it alone. Regardless, I ignore my momentary lapse of reason, to pursue digging for more information from her diary.

I continue flicking through the pages, which reveals more rhymes, riddles and doodles, but nothing to give me full proof of who she is.

"This is getting old now, come on, give me something!" I mutter to myself, continuing to scan the book.

Just before frustration can hit an all-time high, I come across something irrelevant, but equally important. It's the last entry in her diary, and it's about me. It must have been written the night she dropped it.

'I can't believe Enaz has done it. He has completed his training, and tonight is his trial. I'm so proud of him, like I was his mother. To see him at this youthful age shows that he has a lot of growing up to do, before he becomes the legendary guardian he is destined to become. I really hope he doesn't find out about the elimination tournament in Neca city, as I have business to attend to there. The last thing I need to do, is get more people that I care about into trouble. If I'm stuck in this paradox of time, then no one else except 'him' and I can be involved, and I will do whatever it takes, to ensure my friends stay safe. And by safe, I mean they stay away from me.'

It's quite a touching piece of writing. I can feel myself choking up a little, as I read what she has written. She fears being around us, to keep us safe from her? As confused as I am from what I've just read, I decide to disappear, and head back to my room. Time for a break from all this secret agent stuff. Sneaking around isn't really my thing, better that I ease myself into it.

### XXI - Trust me; From One Westie to Another..

When I eventually get back to my room, I don't get up again until it's closer to midnight. I literally sleep like a baby. Voltanna and Nevijah are still fast asleep, but that doesn't surprise me. Who wouldn't have the longest sleep of their life, on a bed this comfortable?

I decide to leave my room and go for a walk down to the lake. Haven't had my moments with the moon lately, so I think now might be the time to do so.

When I get down to the pub, it's fairly busy. I scan around the room, but don't see Zelada or the hooded man, so I head outside like I originally planned to.

Out the front of the pub, I see Zelada sitting by the lake, on her own. Her arms are wrapped around her knees, and she's busy staring up at the moon.

"Hey Zelada, how are you doing?" I ask, sitting down next to her.

"Oh hey Enaz. Yeah I'm okay, just thinking about life. What's fair and what's not, and how sometimes there's nothing you can do about it."

"Trust me, I know exactly what you mean. You care to talk about it?"

"No thanks, it's really just too hard to explain," Zelada replies, still gazing at the moon.

"Harder to explain then say..... This," I say, pausing to pull out her diary.

"WHERE DID YOU FIND THAT?" Zelada exclaims, snatching the diary from my hands.

"Sssshhhhhhh. I found it in Toolore village."

"Well, it's not nice to steal!"

"It's not nice to lie either Zelada, or whatever your bloody name is."

Zelada pauses for a few moments, raises her eyebrows, and glances at me. She looks just like an adult version of my daughter, or at least as similar to Syra as humanly possible.

"I really wish I could tell you. I can't because it risks my future, your future, and this planet's future. Literally, it's just too risky," Zelada explains, sounding disappointed.

"So who is the hooded man?" I ask.

Zelada sighs, and looks back at me with these huge puppy dog eyes. Again, it reminds me of what Syra would do if she didn't get her way.

"You know I can't tell you who he is. Why do you think I haven't written either of our names in the diary?"

"Blah blah, to keep you both hidden, yeah yeah, I get it. Come on Zelada, trust me. From one Westie to another?" I reply, smiling.

"You don't give up, do you? You remind me of myself actually," Zelada says, giggling slightly.

"I just want to know what's going on. From the moment we met, I had to give you a fictitious identity. Now, less than a day later a stranger recognises you, and calls you by that exact name. It's not rocket science to know, that you travel thousands of years into the past at some stage. Now Zelada, like I said, I'm not going to tell anyone, as I just don't do that; it's not how I do business. You tell me a secret, and it stays with me," I say.

Zelada swiftly stands, and takes a deep breath. I'm no master of human behaviour, but I really think she's trying to escape an uncomfortable situation.

"Would you like a bottle of Flork?" Zelada asks.

"Yes please, that would actually be nice, but only if you're not going to bail on me. We were in the middle of something important."

"Be back soon, I promise," Zelada says, walking off into the pub.

In Zelada's absence, I gaze at the moonlight, thinking about whether she's going to tell me anything. I think returning her diary was the best thing to do, but I hope she parts with some information in exchange. I really want to know what's going on. Guess it's like a game of cards; I hope I played my hand at the right time.

My wife and daughter slip into my thoughts and I can't get them out. I miss them so much; my destiny forces me to not be with them for most of my adult life. And the thing that's really sad, is they don't know where I've gone. I really hope that fate has something nice in store for me, because I believe in karma, and I do hope fate realises that I'm destined to become something important in this world.

"Here you go. You seem distant Enaz, what are you thinking about?" Zelada asks, handing me a bottle of Flork, then sitting down next to me.

"Just thinking about my wife and daughter. I miss them both."

"I know what you're going through. I've had to do the same, quite a few times. It's hard to leave people you love behind, but the hardest choices to make in life, are the right ones," Zelada says, rubbing my back.

"The hardest choices to make in life, are the right ones. Who told you that, I love it," I enthusiastically reply.

"My father gave me that advice a few months ago. I liked it because it's so true."

"I do really love it, and I'm going to make sure I pass that on one day. So, are you ready to shed some light on what you're going through?" I say, taking a swig on my drink.

"Well, I promise I will tell you when the time is right," Zelada says, standing up.

"Wait, now where are you going?"

"Heading up there, race you!" Zelada says, running towards the staircase behind the waterfall.

"That's not fair!" I reply, running after her.

I follow Zelada as fast as I possibly can. She bolts up the staircase at top speed, whereas I'm approaching it with a little more caution. There is no handrail, and each step is a decent height above the previous one. I'm going to very carefully tackle this staircase.

Once I get to the top, I see Zelada sitting beyond the waterfall, dangling her legs off the edge of the platform. There's an aqua blue gem, lying on a small altar, in the middle of the platform, beyond the waterfall. I quickly walk over to the altar, gasping for air.

"Is this an Arter gem?" I ask, reaching for it.

"Yes it is, Enaz. The Arter gem of Water to be exact."

"Wow, it's amazing," I say, rubbing my thumb over it.

"It sure is. So much power, that only the chosen one will understand."

"So what if someone steals it?" I ask, picking it up.

"Well, this is also something that I fear. It needs to be in this location for another fifteen years, until the chosen one's arrival. If it gets stolen, or ends up in the wrong hands, then the chosen one won't be able to become powerful enough to kill Akiad, thus ending civilization as we know it!" Zelada replies, taking the Arter gem out of my hand, and placing it back on the altar.

"Do you have anyone in mind to watch over it for you? The hooded man, perhaps?"

"No, he's far too busy. It needs to be someone separate from me and him. Someone who will be around longer than us."

"I could watch it," I say, enthusiastically.

"No no, it's much too dangerous. You're already entering the tournament tomorrow, and that's to the death! Last thing I need is for you to throw all caution to the wind, just to help me out."

"Well, my offer still stands if you're interested. It's the most logical selection to make me watch out for it, as I have to wait fifteen years on this planet for my daughter to arrive anyway," I say, winking at her.

"Concentrate on the task at hand, keep your eyes on the prize. You need to focus on winning this tournament, and let me worry about the Arter gem, deal?" Zelada says, offering her right hand.

I hesitate in shaking it. She needs my help, and I'm the right person for the job; she just chose not to involve me, because she fears me getting hurt. Being a sales person, I have another angle before I shake.

"Are you going to shake my hand, Enaz?" Zelada asks, still holding her right hand out.

"Well, I have an alternative," I reply, winking at her.

"Okay, what is it?" Zelada asks, lowering her hand.

"IF... and only IF... I win the Neca City Elimination Tournament, you let me guard the gem?" I reply, holding my right hand out towards her.

Zelada sighs and glances my direction. Slightly lost for words is my estimation of how she's feeling.

"Maybe, just maybe," Zelada says, shaking my hand.

"Hey! Black or white answers, no shades of grey," I reply.

"I just have to be like this. It's also not entirely my decision, well at least I think it's not."

"Yeah, I know. Gotta check in with the hooded man."

"He's good at giving advice. If I was a destination, he would be my map."

"Fair enough. Hey I have something to tell you."

"Go on, what is it?"

"Remember that weird old woman with the burnt face?"

"How could I forget?"

"I saw her again."

"When?"

"It was once we arrived at the pub. She was out the back, hiding behind that same withered tree."

"Creepy. What did she want?"

"She didn't really say. It gets weirder though."

"Weirder? Try me."

"I turned around for a few seconds, and when I looked back at her, she was gone. I approached her tree and when I touched it, all the crows flew away, and the tree vanished through a hole in the ground, the size of the trunk. Seconds after that, the land healed itself and now you'd never know that a tree was even there. What does she want?"

"I'm not sure. I'm as baffled as you."

"Anyway, let's forget about it and head to sleep, because after breakfast is my opening battle. Need to get some rest," I reply, before standing up and helping Zelada do the same.

"Smart move, Enaz. Let's head to sleep," Zelada says, leading us back.

Once I get to my room, Nevijah is still passed out, but Voltanna is on the deck, smoking on Nevijah's pipe.

"Where have you been?" Voltanna says, exhaling.

"I went for a walk and bumped into Zelada. I gave her, her diary back," I reply.

"YOU WHAT?!" Voltanna shouts.

"Ssshhhhhhh, she might hear you. We didn't need it, and she's stressing about other stuff. We need to start thinking about winning this tournament. It's to the death, Voltanna. This is no joking matter."

"Yeah, I know. I just thought you may have kept that thing a little longer. It gave us a little leverage, to help us find out the truth about her."

"Well, I kind of went down that road already. She says that she hates having to hide things, but it's for our own safety. I believe her, because of the messages we read in her diary. She said she would tell us when the time was right. She also agreed with me that we should be focusing on tomorrow. After breakfast, we have our first battle."

Voltanna inhales deeply on the pipe, and after doing so, she walks up to me, presses her lips against mine, and exhales all the smoke into my mouth. While she does that, she has her left hand on my face. A few moments later, when I recover from shock, I pull away and exhale, feeling slightly euphoric. I know what I need to say to her.

"Shit... That Juivita is strong stuff.... Good luck for tomorrow, Voltanna. Let's get some sleep. Remember, I have a companion at home. If you respect me, then respect everything about me, not choose what you want to. You are a beautiful woman, and if I wasn't married, and more importantly - in love, I'd jump at a chance with you. But the reality is, you are my friend and that is how it stays. Sweet dreams, beautiful," I say, moving the hair out of her face with my left hand.

Voltanna blushes, and when she exhales her next lot of smoke, she looks at me, then speaks.

"I love how honest you are, Enaz. Your life partner is a lucky woman. See you in the morning."

I wink at her, then head over to my bed. I'm so relieved that she took that well. The last thing I need is a sexually confused best friend.

### XXII - Killing on an Empty Stomach

As usual, I'm up at the crack of dawn. Well, to be exact, the time on the old clock says 6am, so fairly early. I'm strolling around Neca city enjoying the perfect weather, while looking at the reflection of the waterfall and the stadium on the lake surface. It's as fresh as the air I'm happily breathing through my nose. I've grabbed my samurai swords, and plan to have a little practice near the waterfall, before our opening battle.

I glance up at the platform that Zelada and I were seated on last night, and see that the Arter gem of Water is still there, illuminating the direct vicinity around it so delicately. It makes me think about Zelada's need for a permanent guardian in Neca city, to watch over that Arter gem. I really feel motivated to win this tournament, because I would be proud to guard that gem, until the day my daughter needs it.

"You're up early?" Voltanna says, startling me.

"Yeah, too early man," Nevijah adds.

"Gees, you both scared me. Yeah, was up enjoying the perfect weather."

"Well, we've decided that we're not having breakfast until we claim our first victory," Voltanna says, stealing the pipe from Nevijah.

"Hey man!" Nevijah whines.

"Wait, do you mean we're killing on an empty stomach?" I ask.

"Yeah, always..... Got to kill..... On an empty stomach man," Nevijah says, stopping to inhale.

"Okay, well shall we head to the stadium?" I ask.

Voltanna looks at Nevijah, and signals him to slither up onto her shoulders. She then nods at me, to lead the way.

"Hey Voltanna, I've been trying to think of a 'team name', as we still don't have one yet," I say, scratching my head.

"I wouldn't know where to begin, I'm usually not the best at coming up with names," Voltanna replies.

"Okay, give me a few moments. I'm pretty good at this stuff," I say.

As we silently walk towards the stadium, the queues of spectators go a third of the way around the lake. There is a sign saying 'combatant's fast lane', so I lead Voltanna and Nevijah down that way.

There are many different creatures in the spectators queue. Some are large creatures with yellow skin, others are scaly with blue skin, and some smaller with dark skin; even a few Oathient serpents, and humans. They're yelling out words of discouragement, which doesn't make it any easier to ignore the level of danger that I've thrown us into.

"Humans?! You have no chance!" one creature yells.

"Go home, inferior humans!" another yells.

"Haha humans, really?" an Oathient serpent comments.

"Don't let them get to you, man!" Nevijah says, relaxing on Voltanna's shoulders.

"Water off a duck's back, right?" I say.

"Wait, water off what?" Voltanna asks, sounding confused.

"Oh duh, you're not from my planet," I reply, ignoring all the negativity from the impatient crowd, and concentrating on what we're going to call ourselves.

It has to be catchy, and obviously sound cool. Something that shows that we mean business, have a story to tell, and are here to win. The one name to make us stand out, but not reveal who we are.

Then, just like a bolt of lightning, it hits me. My eyes light up like roman candles, and I slowly look towards Voltanna.

"Time Twisted?" I say, sounding slightly unsure.

Voltanna's face blossoms like a rose in season, and her eyebrows raise like the hills of the Waikato; she smiles towards me, and reveals her opinion.

"Perfect Enaz, that's exactly what we are. Time twisted. I love it," Voltanna says, enthusiastically.

"Great name, man," Nevijah replies, smoking on his pipe.

"Cool, well we're almost at sign in," I say, marvelling at the Colosseum, just before entering the gate.

The architecture of this Colosseum is amazing. It stands at least a hundred metres tall, and appears to be perfectly circular in shape. It resembles the Colosseum in Rome, almost identically. I can hear echoes of the crowd coming from within, and the cloudless blue sky makes it a perfect day for this event.

"Sir, hello sir?" A monotone voice says.

I look down and see the guard is an Oathient serpent with dark green skin, and his hair is platted in a very complicated manner.

"Sorry, I was just admiring the astonishing architecture," I explain.

"Name's please," the guard says, holding his stone clipboard.

I lean over and see our names, then point towards them.

"That's us there, but we have a team name rather than being entered individually," I say, enthusiastically.

"What is it, please?" the guard replies, still sounding monotone.

"Time Twisted," I say, proudly.

"All right, head through the gate behind me, and 'Givou damn' will be your first battle in approximately.... Thirty minutes. If you don't show, you'll be disqualified," the guard replies.

I nod and the three of us enter the stadium. The entrance leads us straight into the centre of the arena, where our battle will take place. Like the outside, it perfectly reflects the Colosseum in Rome. Perfectly round, at least a hundred metres in diameter across the sandy arena floor, and the stands must fit at least sixty thousand people. Half of the stadium is filled with spectators, this makes me realise the importance of what's happening. They're coming to see us fight, so let's not disappoint them.

A creature walks towards us. He has a tray in front of him which is attached to a rope around his neck. He's wearing a white cloth uniform, has scaly, dark red skin, and shaggy green hair.

"Get your Dupat shells. One for just a Ralop, or five for three Ralop. Get them while their hot!" the creature says, passing us and heading out to the queue.

"Wow, you don't know how much that reminded me of home. And I must admit, 'Givou Damn' is a pretty catchy name," I say, crossing the arena floor.

"You mean that 'Gledenix' creature. He's just earning some extra Ralop. And yes, their name is very catchy. I admire their creativity," Voltanna says.

I open my mouth to reply, until I see Zelada and the hooded man. I respect her, and whatever it is she's going through, but I just have to know. I guess it's the nosey Gemini in me. I nod acknowledgement towards them, and discreetly wave my left hand to subtly tell Voltanna and Nevijah to follow me.

"Where are we going?" Voltanna asks.

"We need to head to our backstage room, right? If we stay out here, I'm going to get an itching to go sneak up on them. And I need to have my head in the battle with you, or we will lose this fight; and by lose, I mean die," I reply, over my left shoulder, leading my team backstage.

We walk under the stands, and I decide to choose the third room on the left. Once inside our 'dressing room', the three of us sit down at the table in the middle.

"You ready for this?" I ask, sounding nervous.

"As ready as I can be, I suppose," Voltanna replies.

"I'm going to head outside and get some fresh air. Maybe have a little smoke. See you soon, man," Nevijah says, before slithering out of the room.

Before the two of us can breathe a word, Zelada walks in.

"Hey Zelada!" we both say.

"Time Twisted huh, I love it. Hey, I want to talk to you both," Zelada replies, pulling out a chair and sitting on it backwards, with the back rest against the table.

"You don't need permission to talk to your friends about something. Fire away," I reply.

"Haha, fair call. Sorry that I have to be secretive and weird, it's just easier for me. I know that's selfish, and normally I don't act like this. It is merely my relationship with time that allows me to frolic so secretly."

"Relationship with time? Wait you've lost me? Can you elaborate Zelada, I'm a little confused," Voltanna replies.

"Yeah, I'm with her Zelada. I'm lost too," I say, sounding confused.

"I can trust you both, right?"

"You know you can. We're your friends," I say.

Zelada looks at us, then nods and smiles. She looks over her right shoulder, at the wall next to the door. She pulls something out of her pocket, and starts to scratch something into the wall.

"I am stuck in a paradox, so to speak. I can't tell you the point of origin, because I am trying to work that out myself. I can't really tell you much more than this, as it's better that you don't know too much," Zelada replies, with her back to us.

"That's fine, but can I ask one question?" Voltanna asks.

"I promise to try my best to answer it."

"When we first met, you saw me and your face lit up, yet we hadn't met before. You said that you'd promise to be there for me, as you failed to do so last time? When you realised what you said, you quickly changed the subject. Did you mean, that you have been less of a friend, this time around?" Voltanna asks.

"Well, I can't really answer that, as I haven't experienced it yet. Hey, at least I know what to say to you when I see you," Zelada jokes.

The three of us giggle for a little while, but the reality is that we have no real idea why; maybe it's the complexity of her situation which sparks the need to laugh. How often do you hear an explanation that farfetched?

"Look, best of luck to both of you. Wait here till you get called. The hooded man and I will be watching," Zelada says, dropping something on the ground, and leaving the room.

We both stand and walk to the wall that Zelada was scratching on.

There is an infinity symbol, with the words 'Infinite loop of time' below it. I look down on the ground and see a nail, in immaculate condition.

"What's that?" Voltanna asks.

"It's a nail, from my world."

"Why did she leave it there?"

"I don't know, but after what we just heard, I'm going to leave it. Not my place to meddle," I say, placing the nail back on the ground, below the message.

"Fair enough, let's go wait to be called."

About thirty minutes pass, and the rumbling of the crowd is deafening. We're patiently awaiting our cue to head out into the battlefield. This is it, our first step to greatness is about to begin; and on an empty stomach I might add. I can hear muffling of what sounds like an announcer in the background.

"Come out now, they are going to call you into the arena!" a guard says from the doorway before walking off.

"Let's go," I reply, leading the way.

The three of us stand in the shadows of the entrance to the arena floor. The announcer is in the middle, and he's leading up to announcing us onstage. He has dull yellow skin, fluffy white hair, and is wearing what resembles a tuxedo.

"Round one is about to start!! Are you ready?!" the announcer calls out, through what looks like some sort of fat worm.

"What is he holding? I remember seeing Zelada with one in Toolore village," I ask.

"It's a creature called a 'Crent'. When you squeeze its mouth open, it turns into a light. And, if you speak into the rear, it increases the volume of your voice," Voltanna explains.

"Oh wow, like a microphone.. Cool!"

"A micro what?" Voltanna replies, sounding confused.

I open my mouth to explain everything, but I hear the announcer speaking. Nevijah slithers up onto Voltanna's shoulders.

"To introduce our guest speaker, he was the winner of the first annual Neca City Elimination Tournament. Here he is.... MA.... NIX!"

I see Manix enter the arena, and realise that he's the bounty hunter Zelada and I crossed paths with in the desert. I really do believe that he could have won an event like this.

"How are we doing everybody?" Manix says, igniting the crowd.

He eventually signals the audience to settle, then begins speaking again.

"I'll just make this brief. It's a shame that such a prestigious event must come to an end, but I suppose all great things do eventually. I wish all the competitors the best of luck, and do nothing short of your best, because as you've found out this year, you could lose your life. Thank you," Manix says, bowing and heading towards us.

The crowd give him a standing ovation, and a shiver goes up my spine as he approaches me.

"Pfft, good luck," Manix says, walking past, patting my back.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," I reply, sarcastically.

"Now here they are, the first team of the tournament.... TIME..... TWISTED!" the announcer says, before we walk into the arena.

The crowd is a mix of boos and cheers. Obviously, humans aren't the most popular race on this planet, but do you know what, I don't care.

I draw my swords, and look around the arena for Zelada and the hooded man. It's hard to focus on a few people when the stadium is packed with a raging crowd.

Voltanna holds out her right arm and Nevijah slithers down and coils around it, so she's gripping the majority of his body. It's how I'd imagine you'd hold a massive chain. I'm keen to see exactly how Voltanna fights with her faithful companion.

"Here they are, ready to either live... Or.... DIE!" the announcer says.

As the crowd boos, they begin throwing rubbish at us. I feel goosebumps populate both my arms, and a shiver go up my spine. This is it, round one is upon us.

"And their opponents; Givou Damn!" the announcer calls.

Then suddenly, eight Givou head out into the arena floor, slowly stalking us like we're dinner.

"Ummm... Guys... Isn't it meant to be teams of two?" I ask, as the Givou slowly move in for the kill.

"I'm not sure, Enaz. But, eye on the prize. Let's start asking questions at breakfast," Voltanna replies, gripping Nevijah, ready to battle.

"THREE! TWO! ONE!...... BRRRRRRR!" The announcer yells, before making a noise that sounds like an air horn.

The Givou begin surrounding us, and we instinctively move so we're back to back.

"Count to three in your head, then attack," I say, over my right shoulder.

"Will do, best of luck," Voltanna replies.

After counting down from three, I disappear and slide on my knees towards the two Givou directly in front of me.

When I'm almost between them, I slice horizontally with my left sword, and right sword, cutting the two Givou clean in half, spilling their guts all over the arena floor.

I reappear, and the crowd goes ballistic. Voltanna begins swinging Nevijah around in a circle, like she's holding onto a young child. As Nevijah spins, he smacks into all six Givou, knocking them flying through the air.

The crowd becomes louder, stomping their feet in approval. Voltanna and I smile at each other, and I feel like we're quickly winning them over; it's only a matter of time.

"Aaaarrggghhh!" Voltanna yells, throwing Nevijah towards a downed Givou. Once he makes contact, he bites into the Givou's neck, and doesn't stop chewing. He's tearing huge pieces of flesh off, and digesting them. I must admit, Nevijah is vicious.

I walk towards two of the Givou, with my hands firmly gripped around my two swords.

"Come on! You scared!" I yell, antagonising them.

They begin growling, snarling their large teeth at me. I grin back at them, and slice my swords through the air.

As the first one jumps towards me, I drop straight to the ground, and ram my left sword straight down its throat. While my arm is still buried in its mouth, the second one leaps at me; I slice horizontally with my right samurai sword, and within seconds, two more Givou meet their death.

Voltanna grips Nevijah with two hands, but in a different style to before. She's gripping him like a large gun, with the bottom of his tail pressed hard into her right shoulder. Voltanna turns to smile at me, and Nevijah begins breathing fire, but at the pressure of a fireman's hose. She instantly fry's the remaining three Givou, who spend the next thirty seconds running around the arena floor engulfed in flames, and screaming for their lives.

As the crowd begins roaring in approval, Voltanna, Nevijah and I bow, and begin basking in the ambience of our first successful battle.

As the three flaming Givou keel over and continue to silently burn in front of the sold out crowd, the announcer begins to speak.

"And your winners of the first battle, heading into the second round, challenging the victors of the next battle........ TTTTTTTIIIIIIMMMMMEEE TWISTED!"

The three of us quickly pull together for a hug, and to celebrate what was a sudden, fight for our life. To be honest, I'm glad it's over. Now onto the most exciting part of my morning; breakfast, because I'm bloody starving.

### XXIII - Two Peas in the Same Pod..

I've been thinking about my journey, from the start, till now. Where I've been, and where I'm going. And I think of who has been there every step of the way. That person is Voltanna. We are like two peas in the same pod, dealing with the challenges of life on Tharp, together. From our trip up Toolore mountain, to our weeks of training, to the trial and of course; this tournament. It's like it was my destiny to meet Voltanna, and to become champions, together.

While I'm daydreaming, Voltanna, Nevijah and I are in the pub, eating our well-deserved meal. Different spectators keep coming up and congratulating us on our win. It feels great to have this small amount of attention, at least for the mean time. Just have to hurry and shovel as much food in my mouth as I can between autographs.

"Hmmmm... Great feed, man," Nevijah says, before slamming his face into his food.

"I have.... To agree, hmmmmm," Voltanna replies, acting equally as hungry.

"Can I please get your autograph, Mr?" a little Oathient serpent says, slithering up to me with a cloth and what resembles a pencil. It looks just like one, but its tip has ink on it instead.

I autograph it with 'Enaz,' which I must admit, is becoming easier to accept. Then something dawns on me. My daughter arrives in fifteen years, and by then I would have had the name Enaz for such a long time; maybe it might be worth legally changing it? Well, too much thinking for this Gemini, especially this early in the morning.

Suddenly, a loud thud outside makes my heart race. Two huge orcs come stomping into the pub. They are both about four metres in height, and they're bending their necks down a little to fit inside. They only have some cloth underwear on, dark purple, almost black skin, and black hair, with small facial features above their large protruding jaws. The left orc has one lone ponytail on the top of his bald head, the other has a Mohawk. They have no weapons, but judging by the size of their massive arms, they don't need them.

"Where is dat Time Twisted?" the left orc says, portraying the intelligence of a spoon.

"Yeah, where is they, Sariq?" the right orc replies, sounding just as dumb.

"Dur they is, Mariq," the left orc says, heading towards us.

"Gentlemen," I reply.

As they approach I notice something about them that I didn't notice before. They have a name tattooed on each of their stomachs.

The left orc has 'Sariq' on his stomach, and the right orc has 'Mariq. It really backs up the intelligence you hear, coming through the delivery of their sentences.

"We just wins, so you is next!" Sariq says, sounding quite angry.

"Whoa, chill out brother. We're trying to have breakfast," I reply, sliding my chair back, and standing up.

I really can't help it, they're starting to piss me off.

"He my brother, no you brother!" Mariq says, sounding enraged.

The entire pub is dead silent, you can't even hear a murmur. Daweson quickly walks over and gets involved.

"Please, take this outside," Daweson says, showing us the door.

"I was enjoying my breakfast, until these animals show up," Voltanna replies, shovelling some food into her mouth.

"She fink she smart, huh Sariq?" Mariq says, sounding insulted.

"Sure is, Mariq," Sariq replies.

"Out cha get, both of ya," Mariq says, stepping outside with Sariq close behind.

"I don't have my weapons, should I go," I say, before Voltanna cuts me off.

"I'll handle these two titans in the meantime," Voltanna says, nodding towards Nevijah.

"Watch my pipe, man," Nevijah says, handing it to me, then leaving the pub.

I take his pipe, and push through the crowd towards our room. I must admit, I'm a little scared, especially without my weapons...

Meanwhile, outside the pub...

**VOLTANNA**

"Where is you weapon, and you friend?" Sariq asks, stomping on the ground with his left leg.

"Right..... Here," I reply, as Nevijah slithers up my body, onto my arms, his face in my hands.

Both the two brothers begin laughing, but after moments of fake laughter, their focus sets back in.

"Is dat it? Dat liddle animal? At least you have courage, unlike you friend," Mariq says, stomping his right foot.

"I'd be quiet if I were you. He's stronger than you realise."

"Mariq and me watch da first fight, you bof were bad!" Sariq says, before they laugh.

**ENAZ**

All of a sudden, I appear in the middle of both parties, samurai swords in hand. To be honest, it shuts them up for a few moments, but after that, the silence is over.

"Here he is, fink you late," Sariq says

"Well I THINK we should sort this out in the arena, right... Now. You see, I do my killing after breakfast," I reply, cheekily.

Everyone from the pub begins following us to the Colosseum.

"You going to die, human," Mariq grumbles, over his right shoulder towards us.

"We'll see, my oversized, super intelligent friend," I sarcastically reply.

The taunting and unnecessary name calling carries on the whole way to the stadium. It reminds me a little bit of watching pro wrestling in the eighties. How the storylines can sometimes pan out. An unplanned, earlier version of our scheduled battle is about to go down, and I don't think the organisers know, or even care.

Sariq and Mariq head straight inside, no questions asked. Us on the other hand, get pulled up and interrogated for doing absolutely nothing.

"Why did you start this fight?" the monotone serpent asks, while a few thousand spectators stand behind us.

"People love to assume, don't they? Let us through so we can shut their traps," I reply, confidently.

"Fine."

The guard moves out the way, allowing us to enter.

I nod in acceptance, and draw my swords, ready to go. Voltanna has Nevijah in her arms, and seems calm and collected.

"Good luck, you two. Nevijah, your pipe is in my pocket, so no stress mate," I say, entering the arena.

"Thank you, Enaz. Can't wait to have a smoke, man," Nevijah replies.

I whistle out to our huge adversaries, getting their attention.

"You ready, liddle wee humans!" Sariq yells.

"Yeah brother, you tell dem!" Mariq adds.

I look at Voltanna and nod, before we both run full speed towards them. The crowd piles into the arena floor with us, and starts to cheer for us both. Using another pro wrestling example, I can feel that we're the 'fan favourites'. This makes me excited, because we're actually the good guys.

While thousands of spectators flood the arena floor, we start the onslaught of attacks.

"Come here, big boy," Mariq says, slowly closing in on me.

"Are you okay, Voltanna?" I yell out.

"Just fine, Enaz! Take this!" Voltanna yells, before a huge flame shoots out of Nevijah's mouth.

"Arrrgghhh!" Sariq yells, getting briefly scolded by fire.

"Don't use me as a melee weapon..... Maaaaannnnn!" Nevijah yells, as Voltanna spins around in circles, holding him stretched out in front.

As Nevijah connects with Sariq's left leg multiple times, I run in for the kill; but pay the price.

Mariq swings the back of his right hand at me, and connects.

"SHHHHH.... IIIIT!" I yell, flying through the air.

As I land, I shake the cobwebs, and try to locate my two swords.

One is close by, the other is behind Mariq.

I roll forward and pick up one of my blades, then swipe at him.

"Dat all you got, human," he asks, punching at me again.

I roll under his left punch, now standing behind him. I pick up my second sword, and start taunting.

"Behind you, dumb ass," I say, cheekily.

"What you fink you say, human," he replies, turning around.

Mariq swings his huge right arm down on the ground but he misses me. I leap on his arm, then jump down onto his wrist, ramming both my swords through it. Blood squirts all over the place, the moment I retract them.

"AAAARRRGGGGGHHHH!" Mariq yells, holding his hand near his face, squirting blood into his eyes.

"That's it you idiot," I mutter to myself, before disappearing.

The crowd is filling up around us on the arena floor, and are constantly cheering us in support. It's giving me more confidence to close this deal, and take these massive dudes out. After being used as a club, Nevijah eventually bites hard into Sariq's right ankle, taking chunks straight out of his Achilles' tendon; he drops straight to his left knee.

Voltanna then points Nevijah's mouth towards Sariq's face, engulfing it in flames.

"SARIQ!" Mariq yells, turning towards his brother, and walking towards him.

I quickly charge towards Mariq's ankles and begin frantically slashing away, slicing both his Achilles tendons wide open, forcing him to drop forwards, like a tree losing to a lumberjack.

"Move Voltanna!! TIM............. BER!" I yell, as Mariq falls towards Sariq.

When they crash into each other, Voltanna and I capitalise upon this golden opportunity. I run full speed up onto Mariq's back, and jam both my samurai swords through the top of his head. While they're embedded in his scalp, I push down on each handle - till they're on either side of his head, then pull them out, splitting his scalp open like a book; his insides spill all over the ground. I jump down, and watch Voltanna. She's still using Nevijah to light these giants up, eventually creating a large bonfire. The crowd gathers, forming a closer circle around us.

"TIME TWISTED! TIME TWISTED!" The crowd chants, making us feel like Olympic champions.

While fully ablaze, Sariq slowly tries to prop himself up, but knows only too well that he has to submit to us.

"So, who's smart now? I hate being interrupted during my breakfast," I say, standing in front of Sariq and staring at my reflection, in one of my bloodied swords.

Sariq starts coughing up bucket loads of blood, and Voltanna keeps Nevijah's mouth in his general direction.

So many spectators are around us, and I can hear the announcer pushing his way through the crowd.

"Everyone, the mighty 'Time Twisted' has defeated 'Twin Sin!' Give them a round of applause! They are now in the semi-finals!" the announcer says, before an eruption of support.

I approach Sariq's face, and firmly grip my samurai swords while smiling over my right shoulder, towards the crowd.

Immediately after, I ram them through Sariq's face, pushing until my hands are lost in the mess. All the insides of his head get pushed out the back, so I pull out my swords, and slam them into the ground. I then plunge my hands into his head, and grab out two handfuls of brain. I proudly throw it in the air for the crowd, and they roar like a thousand drag cars, revving at the starting line. Kill a few creatures that are disturbing the peace and you get treated like heroes. I might end up liking it here on Tharp, you never know. At least match two is now done and dusted. Oh well, back to breakfast, I'm still hungry.

### XXIV - Never Let An Opportunity Slip Through Your Fingers...

Deja vu is exactly what I'm feeling right now. Here we are, eating our breakfast, discussing our recent turn of events, signing autographs and greeting fans, all over again. It has also made me realise something else. Always keep your weapons at your side, as you never know when you're going to end up in a tussle.

Zelada approaches us, looking very surprised, and eventually pulls up a seat.

"Well, well you two, I come over to congratulate you on your win, and while at the bar, I catch wind that you just had your second battle early," Zelada says, sitting on her chair backwards, leaning on the back rest.

"Well, to be fair, we got jumped during breakfast. We were literally doing nothing, when these mindless grunts walk in and start antagonizing us. It got to the point where Daweson asked us to leave the pub," I reply, before swallowing another mouthful of food.

"Wow, really. Are you all okay?"

"I have a bit of a headache, but nothing a little Juivita won't fix man," Nevijah replies, before diving his face back into his food.

"Everyone in the pub is talking about you two. Sorry Nevijah, it's a weapons job not to be talked about," Zelada says, rubbing his head.

"I'm used to it, man," Nevijah replies.

"Well I'm happy to break the good news to you. Because of the match you just had, you now have the night off. Your match against Twin Sin was meant to be tonight, but their impatience has bought you time. You are now in the semi-finals. Your next battle will be tomorrow morning. It'll be versus the winners of the other battle tonight. If you win tomorrow mornings match, then you will get to compete in the finals, with Akiad in attendance," Zelada explains.

"Should we be worried?" I ask.

"Nope, that's my job. I actually need to speak to him," Zelada replies, sounding calm.

"Throw all caution to the wind, don't you?" I say, shovelling more food into my mouth.

"No Enaz, you don't understand. I need to talk to him, as I have instructions from someone higher than anybody in this room. I will be your distraction. You see, Akiad is scared of me at the moment."

"Why is that, Zelada?" Voltanna asks.

"Because he told me so. I heard it from his own mouth, hence why I have the confidence to do this. Also, if I'm in the stands, watching the finals, and I threaten him, he will listen to me."

"And where does the hooded man fit into all of this?" I ask.

"Hahaha you don't stop trying, do you? You never let an opportunity slip through your fingers. Sorry I can't tell you who he is, all that I can assure you is that he's one of the good guys."

"Can we sit and watch tonight's match?" I ask, swallowing some more food.

"Yeah, of course. Just give me time to organise a few extra seats for you both. See you tonight, remember that it starts at sunset, so six o'clock on the old clock outside. So obviously, leave slightly earlier. See you all then," Zelada replies, standing and leaving the room.

"Cool! The hooded man will be there. Maybe we can finally hear his voice," I say, leaning across the table, huddling closer to Voltanna and Nevijah.

"True? I wonder if she'll leave him behind." Voltanna says.

"No way, are you kidding? She thrives off excitement as much as it scares her, making her exactly like me. We both love danger as much as we fear it. She'll bring him, I guarantee it," I say, confidently.

"Do you know what you're going to ask him?"

"Not a thing. We're all going to respect Zelada, and say nothing. I'll find the right moment to approach the hooded man, trust me," I say, winking at them.

Voltanna nods, then the three of us finish our meals, sign some more autographs, and head back to our room. I think it's a good idea to get a few hours' sleep in before tonight.

I am suddenly awakened by the blinding light blaring into our room. It makes me panic, as I know that it's sunset. I look over at Voltanna and Nevijah and they're still fast asleep. Guess a decent feed can do that to you from time to time.

I hop up to my feet and run to the balcony. I hear the same familiar rumbling of feet coming from the stadium, so I know it's time for us to make tracks.

"Voltanna! Nevijah! Wake up, we slept in! We need to get to the stadium!" I panic, shaking them both from their deep slumber.

"Damn man, was having a.... Umm.... Dream.... YAWN... So many.... Juivita plants.......... Nope it's gone," Nevijah replies, awakening.

"Has it started? Where are our seats? Damn, last time Nevijah and I attended, we couldn't even find where we were supposed to be sitting," Voltanna says, leaping out of bed.

"Hopefully we have better luck this time, let's go!" I say, leading the way outside.

Nevijah wraps himself over Voltanna's shoulders, and then we run towards the stadium. The spectators queue is so long, so we race up the participators queue instead.

I see our first problem; the monotone guard is frowning at us, with his arms folded.

"Time Twisted, is it? NOW you don't have a battle, so why are you here?" he asks.

"We have seats, as spectators. We would like to enter please. We're umm... Doing some research on who we're going to be facing tomorrow," I reply.

"All right, stick to the right please... So that means my left," the guard says, letting us head through.

"Thank you," Voltanna says, kissing the guard on the cheek.

"WE LOVE YOU TIME TWISTED!" a few fans yell as we enter.

"We really are getting quite popular," Voltanna says, jogging next to me.

"Yeah, we actually..... Wait, over there!" I yell, running ahead towards the stairs, that lead up to the stands.

Once we get to the top of the stairs, we both gasp for air. We're smack in the middle of the western stands, and trying to find Zelada. My eyes are scanning the crowd from left to right, and all I'm thinking to myself is 'blonde hair, red streaks' over and over again.

"You two look left, and pan your way around the stadium," I say, looking to the right.

"All right Enaz!" Voltanna yells back.

The crowd reacts to what's going on. There are two, freaky looking horse creatures, and they're battling two bird creatures.

The horse creature is so strange. It's about the same size, except that it has crimson coloured hair and skin. The front two legs stand about thirty centimetres high, and the back two are about one and a half metres high, leaving the body on quite a slant. The arms are in the most bizarre locations; one arm comes out of the torso where the tail normally is, and the other hand comes out of the front end of the torso. It doesn't have a head or neck, just a huge mouth located directly below the front arm. The birds are a little less grotesque. Their wingspan is at least three metres from tip to tip, and their height about the same. Black feathers cover their body, and they have a long orange beak. Four claws in total; two claws are the feet, and the other two are located on the tip of each wing.

Anyway, the crowd stands in unison, getting excited with the battle. The atmosphere is distracting me, but I need to persevere, I have to find Zelada.

"Voltanna! Nevijah! Look!" I say, spotting her in the crowd.

She's on the eastern stands, sitting next to the hooded man. Our spare seats are to the left of her, so they're furthest away from him. How convenient.

We push past the thousands in attendance, gradually working our way through the crowd. I don't take my eyes off the hooded man. I want so badly to know who he is. Zelada is keeping him hidden, which annoys me more than she realises. I have no clues why, but I am determined to find out.

"Zelada!" I yell from a few metres away.

She signals me over, but the hooded man continues watching the fight.

"Hi Zelada... Oh hey there, my name's Enaz," I say, holding my right hand out to shake the hooded man's.

As he shakes my hand, Zelada speaks on his behalf.

"He is a mute, and can't talk," Zelada says.

"How convenient," I reply, sarcastically.

Zelada frowns at my cheeky remark. Sorry, but cheeky is my middle name. Voltanna and Nevijah introduce themselves, then sit down next to me.

There is one bird creature left alive, versus one of the horse creatures. They're viciously attacking each other, with the bird appearing to have the upper hand. The bird then flies high in the air, circling around the arena, looking to swoop down and attack.

"What are these creatures? And who do you peg to win this?" I yell, over the noise of the crowd.

"Well, the creature on the ground is called a 'Tepkie', and the one in the air is called a 'Vulcalt'. To be fair, I've battled and defeated both; it could go either way," Zelada yells back.

"What do you think?!" I yell to the hooded man, leaning in front of Zelada.

He turns and looks towards me, with his black hollow giving me the chills. While the crowd stands and cheers, he remains seated, gradually diverting his attention towards the action.

The Vulcalt nosedives straight into the Tepkie, killing them both in the process. The announcer enters the arena and heads towards the huge creatures. He checks to see if any are alive, and does it as fast as possible. It's hard to think in here, as the crowd are stamping their feet and cheering, while they await the official decision from the announcer.

"All right everyone, the moment you have ALL been waiting for, the official word. Because all four challengers have died, the match is being declared a draw," the announcer says, raising both his hands.

The crowd boos louder than I've ever heard. I've been to many rugby matches in my time, but this is a viciously long show of disapproval.

"Now, that means the winner of this morning's fight, TIME TWISTED," the announcer says, waiting for the crowd to calm down.

"Shit, hurry up! What about us!" I yell in frustration.

The announcer patiently waits for the crowd to settle. Once they do, he speaks.

"They will go straight through to the... FINALS!"

The crowd begin cheering, and it's so infectious, that the news of our 'bye' makes us jump up in excitement. I couldn't be more enthusiastic to be one step closer to the championship. The crowd begins to settle, and I notice the announcer speaking to someone in the centre of the arena.

"It's him!" Zelada mutters, finally standing up to join us.

"Who is he, Zelada?" I reply.

"King Gurdon. The amount of shit he has put me through, can never be forgiven."

"Why what has he done?"

"It'll take too long to explain. But he is a person I genuinely hate."

"Me too," the hooded man mutters.

"What did you say?" I yell out.

Before anyone can reply, the crowd take their seats and await the announcer's response.

"All right everybody, I've just been speaking with the stadium owner, King Gurdon. He has a change of plans for the tournament. The semi-final will still be held tomorrow morning and the winners will face TIME TWISTED in the final!" the announcer says, before the crowd erupts again.

"You three have a big day tomorrow. Head back to your room, and sleep. No Flork, just rest. You all need it," Zelada yells, over the crowds roar.

"Okay I'll see you tomorrow," I yell back, before leading the way home.

Once the three of us get back to our room, the full moon is up in the sky, and looking so beautiful. Nevijah curls up on the end of Voltanna's bed, while she and I head out to the deck to catch the moonlight.

"We've done well, me and you, haven't we?" I say, smiling at her.

"We sure have, Enaz. You know, you.... Actually it doesn't matter," Voltanna replies, sounding like she has something further to say.

"Wait, that's not fair at all. That's like giving a child a treat, then taking it away. Spill Voltanna, tell me what's up?"

"I don't know. I really like you, and it upsets me sometimes that you have... You know... A life partner," Voltanna says, sounding disappointed.

I sigh and glance at the moon. I know she isn't going to take no for an answer. I hate disappointing people, and on the flipside; having someone disappointed in me. I'm trying to think of a solution to my dilemma.

"You don't have to answer. I know how you feel about Linda," Voltanna says, smiling towards me.

The moonlight helps me realise something easier. I notice a teardrop falling down Voltanna's cheek. See, as I mentioned before, I really hate upsetting people. I signal Voltanna to come closer to me, so I can hug her. I can't help it, but her shaking and crying in my arms, makes me shed tears too.

I guess I'm crying for many reasons. I miss my wife and daughter so much, and I'm hurting from missing their love, and because I hate crushing Voltanna's dreams of being with me. It is also taking such immense willpower, to resist the temptation of doing anything with her. She is stunning, and quite a marvellous woman, but I love my wife and would never consider doing anything to hurt her. It's definitely time to hit the sack.

### XXV - My Fear of the Unknown..

My lack of sleep last night is starting to take its toll. I'm awake to see the sunrise, sitting on the platform by the Arter gem of water. I know that this tournament will end tonight, but my gut is doing all sorts of weird things. I don't know why? It's like I sense something about it that doesn't quite gel. Like it's to do with my destiny, and I'm not going to like it. I really wish I could explain what I'm feeling. Maybe that old woman with the burnt face was right. Something is coming, and I need to be prepared for whatever it is.

"Boo!" Zelada says, startling me.

"Shit you scared me. But I knew it would be you," I reply, as she sits down next to me.

"You sound like that's a bad thing."

"No no, I was kinda hoping it would be you."

"Oh, why's that? Care to elaborate?"

"Well, it's just my fear of the unknown, you know. I have a feeling that something bad is going to go down," I say, sounding worried.

"Yeah, I sense the same thing. How long have you felt like this for?" Zelada asks.

"Since I've been awake, not that I've really had much sleep. I really think that old woman could be onto something."

"Wow, that's so odd. I couldn't sleep either, and I am worried about something too, I just can't put my finger on it. Now, you never mentioned what she said to you."

"She said that when there becomes a time in the tournament to make a difficult decision, to just do it. For me to have no regrets, and not to look back."

"Do you think she knows something?"

"Clearly. What are your thoughts?"

"I really am gobsmacked. I don't have a clue."

"Damn, I was kinda hoping you had an answer for me. Suppose I just have to keep waiting. Doesn't matter, I'm used to it."

"So am I Enaz, so am I," Zelada says, patting me on the back.

"Well, that's not all the problems I have. Voltanna has the hots for me," I reply, sounding depressed.

"SHE HAS WHAT?!"

"Calm down Zelada, I've turned her down twice now. It's a problem with women that I have. They become interested with me, when all I am doing is either 'being a good mate' or 'being nice to them.' This simple confusion makes my life difficult. I'd never cheat on my wife, I love her too much."

"Sorry Enaz, I shouldn't have just assumed. It's great to know that there are actually nice guys out there. Your wife is a lucky woman."

"It's nice to know that people notice. I've been thinking about something else lately. While gazing at the moon I've always wondered, if there was life on other planets; if so then they would all be able to spend a moment with the moon like I do. I've kinda felt connected to them, without even knowing if they exist. Do you have any idea what I'm talking about?"

"I actually do get it, Enaz. I know exactly what you mean, more than you realise."

"I know why you get it, trust me Syra," I say, looking towards the lake.

"Syra? And how did you piece together this grand assumption?"

"Quite easily. I have always trusted you, but thought it was odd that you wouldn't give me your name. So when you dropped your diary, and that sheet of paper, I got to work. I never reveal my clues, until I have enough to peg a serious suspect. Your thirtieth birthday was June 20, 2019. So that makes it the exact same day, and same year as my daughter Syra. Grand assumption or truth? I'm a sales person, so I can read liars, but I don't judge why they do it.... Especially not my own daughter," I explain, as tears slowly trickle down my face.

"Da.... Enaz, please don't cry," Zelada says, leaning in and hugging me.

I really feel a strong connection between us; I got that same feeling from my daughter at home, even at age three. I'm pretty sure that Zelada is Syra, hence why I've put all my chips in.

We both pull away from each other, and I gradually stop crying. She wipes the tears from my face with her right hand, and glances at me like she has something to say.

"You're not stupid, dad. It's me, your daughter Syra. It is I that is stuck in this paradox, finding no points of origin everywhere I go. The more I live like this, the more in tune I am. It makes no sense at all, but in some weird way it does, if that makes sense?" Syra says, hugging me.

"I knew it was you, I'm sorry I had to leave. I've missed you every day but yea, I get it. I actually do, just like how I know your next move. You need to head back in time, ten thousand years, and possibly suggest the Colosseum..... And maybe even the clock tower to be built, with Roman Numerals for each hour. I heard this through the grapevine. I noticed that people from Neca City think they are ancient symbols," I reply, chuckling to myself.

"Where did you get all this information from?"

"Hey, just like you said, no names, remember? Anyway, this Arter gem; have you ever wondered who put it there?"

"Honestly, I love chatting to you. Your mind is just so intense. And to answer your question, no I haven't. But, I do see where you're going with this."

"Go on then Miss 'The more I live like this, the more in tune I am.' I dare you to explain where I'm going," I say, cheekily.

"You think I should go ten thousand years into the past, deliver my sword and the four Arter gems of Tharp, to their original locations? But that's starting another paradox?" Syra replies, sounding confused.

"Well, wouldn't you want to rule out the possibility of it being the future for you? To be in the past, again?"

"How do you propose I do that?"

"By asking and speaking with people. The older, the better. WAIT... That's it!" I say, enthusiastically.

"WHAT?!"

"Akiad, why don't you ask him tonight? He's not in a position to harm you, right?"

"True, I suppose you do have a valid point."

"It's true. He and Modnar have been around the longest. Who would be better to ask about a blade designed to take Akiad out, than Akiad himself. I'm sure he will give you the answers you seek."

"Thanks.... Dad. It's cool to be able to talk to you again," Syra says, leaning in to hug me.

"Awwwwww, you're all grown up. How's Linda?" I reply, as a tear rolls down my cheek.

"She still loves you, even in 2019. She's waiting for you to arrive home."

I begin crying again. I miss Linda and my little Syra so much. To think that I'm actually going to miss most of their lives, is tragic in the grand scheme of things. But, I'm glad to have some family around me now, which makes my journey seem a little easier.

"I'm sorry for not being present in your life, and I can't change that. But maybe now this lesson can be learnt by both of us. We have both had to leave Linda at some point in our life without explanation, but it's what we had to do. It was our destiny."

"I know, I agree too. Sorry to change the subject, but do you honestly think the sword and gems were placed in their locations, by me? That would form so many other paradoxes. An object or piece of information, that has no point of origin, looping around a section of time, infinitely."

"I personally think it's you're fate until proven otherwise, hence why you should speak with Akiad tonight. Find out whatever you can, to prove my theory wrong. Oh I have another question," I say, diverting my attention towards the stadium.

"Sure thing."

"Did you fake the whole lift at the village of Noradi?"

Syra ignores me and draws her sword. Sure enough, it's exactly like the one on the altar.

"How could I pick up a sword that I already have?"

"Fair call. Are you going to chat to Akiad tonight?"

Syra remains quiet for a few moments, and looks like she's trying to think of something. I feel bad suggesting her possible fate, but you just never know the truth until proven otherwise.

"Sorry to change subjects, but I remember before I killed Akiad in the future, that he mentioned a prophet that delivered a sword and four gems to this land, just to destroy him."

"Perfect. Why don't you ask him to describe her, and if she sounds like you, then I have to be right."

"Sounds like a plan. Come to think of it, he mentioned that we'd talk at the tournament."

"There you go, problem solved."

"Thanks Dad. You always make life easier, you know. I must admit, you're actually really smart."

"Thanks hun. So, you're really not trusting me with the hooded man's identity, are you?"

"Hahaha you still keep trying."

We both crack up laughing. It's awesome that we have a similar sense of humour. We're laughing like it's the last time that we'll ever share together. Would be a shame if that's true.

Suddenly, Syra's attention diverts towards the stadium. I try to see what distracts her, but I can't see anything out of the ordinary.

"Dad, that black dragon had Akiad and Gurdon on its back. I'm going to sneak up on them," Syra says, springing to her feet.

"What dragon, wait where?" I reply, following her down the stairs.

"A dragon with Akiad and Gurdon aboard, just landed in the stadium, I need to go see what their up to."

"Yes that's all fine and dandy, but the truth is, you need a disguise. Similar to the hooded man, so you can remain hidden. Akiad will be looking for both of us, but lucky for me, I can disappear."

"Shit, you're right, I do need a disguise. Where can we quickly get one?"

"Ummmmm..... Ummmmm... Mmmm... Got it! There's a woman that hangs out in the pub. She has a sleeveless hooded leather coat. It's exactly what you need."

"Perfect! You head to the pub and follow her. I don't usually condone stealing, but we have to this one time, my safety depends on it."

"Okay, well head to your room and give me a while. I'll have to find a way to acquire it," I reply.

As we enter, I see the female sitting in a booth, in the corner of the pub. She's wearing the sleeveless hooded coat. It's black in colour, and red on the inside. I nod at Syra, before she heads upstairs to her room.

I frantically think about what I'm going to do. I'm not a thief, and I don't steal. But Syra needs this, so I must get it for her. I suppose I would do anything to keep my family safe.

I head to the bar and order a drink. I'm a bit thirsty, and I need a little Irish courage to complete my impending task. I drop the Goy into the bottle of Flork, and swallow a large percentage of my drink, before placing it back on the bar. I wipe my mouth on my left sleeve, and make it seem as if I'm walking past her to my room.

Once out of sight, I disappear and carefully re-enter the pub. I hug the walls avoiding the crowd, then sit next to this woman, awaiting her next move.

She is sipping on a bottle of Flork, and upon finishing it, she leaves her seat, walks up to the bar, and says 'thank you' to Daweson. I know it's my cue to follow her.

I quietly follow her up the stairs to her room. 'XXVII' is her room number. I wait directly behind her, and when she opens the door, I quickly slip inside. She takes her hooded coat off and places it on the bed, then begins undressing.

She slips off her pants, and removes her top. I divert my gaze. I feel awkward seeing another woman naked, but credit where it's due; she is attractive, and voluptuous.

Once undressed, she stretches and hops into bed. Now it's my chance to take the coat, and go.

When the black haired female rolls on her side, I quickly steal her coat - which disappears the moment I touch it - and run for the balcony. Thankfully, I'm on the same level as Syra's room. She's two balconies over, so I quickly make my way towards her.

When I arrive at Syra's room, I see her speaking to the hooded man at the front door. I quickly reappear, and he leaves the scene almost immediately.

"You got it! Thank you!" Syra says, taking the hooded coat and putting it on.

"Glad it fits. It actually suits you too."

"Okay, give me a minute to gather my things and I'll meet you outside," Syra says, before I exit the room.

I wait outside the pub for a few minutes for her to arrive. I notice the queue getting longer for the stadium. Hopefully for her sake, she hurries.

"Sorry I took so long. I saw Voltanna, and gosh she can talk. She told me she'll wait for you to return, while resting up in her room."

"Okay, well get your hood up and let's head down the participants queue. Worked last time," I say, both beginning to run.

Once we arrive at the stadium entrance, the monotone guard nods at me, and moves out the way.

"Cheers, brother," I say, passing the guard.

"Yeah, thanks for that," Syra adds, following me.

"Where would they be seated?" I ask, making our way up the stairs to the stands.

"Let's have another look, from the top," Syra replies, turning to the stairs behind us.

We quickly run up the stairs to the upper level, giving us a decent view of the crowd. My heart is pumping like a lab rat, as I'm in fear of being seen.

"Damn it, where are they?" Syra says, looking at the fans near us.

"They're the big cheese, Syra. So that means that they'll have corporate seats..... They'll be in... Those seats, right there!" I yell over the sudden crowd reaction, pointing towards Akiad and Gurdon.

The announcer is recapping the tournament so far. I hear him call my team name, distracting me for a moment.

"Okay Dad, focus now."

"Sorry, the announcer just called out our team."

"You need to sneak up on them," Syra yells.

"Wait, WHAT?! Why me?"

"Last time I checked, my secret power wasn't the ability to disappear," Syra says, cheekily.

"Fair call, Syra. I'll just head under the stands, disappear, and then sneak over there. What am I listening for?"

"Anything. My name being mentioned, your name, Modnar's, just anything useful," Syra replies, giving me a hug.

"Okay, here I go."

"Good luck!"

"I'm gonna need it," I mutter to myself.

I head under the stands and vanish, then return to the crowd, and begin making my way towards Akiad. I can't take my eyes off him. I keep thinking of how scary he was a few months ago, when he caught me stealing the samurai swords. What if he catches me again? He'll kill me for sure. I only fear him because I know I can't hurt him. Who wouldn't fear someone you couldn't harm. I sure do.

I slowly etch closer to Akiad and Gurdon's location. Because I'm invisible, it's making it harder to avoid knocking into people. I continue squeezing through this manic crowd, luckily without anyone noticing my invisible coat running past their legs.

After a few minutes, I'm finally in close proximity of them both. While the crowd stands in unison, Akiad and Gurdon seem heavily involved in whatever they're discussing; seems far more important than paying attention to the battle. I'm only two seats away, but not quite close enough to hear exactly what they're saying.

The announcer finally calls the start of the fight, but I really can't let it distract me. I have an opportunity to do something for my daughter, and I'll do anything for my family.

My heart is racing, so I slow down my breathing; I'm at the starting line of the scariest moment in my life. I move off the seat I'm on, until I'm leaning against the rail, facing Akiad and Gurdon. They are barely half a metre away from me. That feeling you get in your stomach on a rollercoaster, is exactly where my nerves are at, right now.

"So you think she will be here?" Gurdon asks.

"Of course, Gurdon. She has come here, I can feel it," Akiad replies.

"Good. What do you make of this Time Twisted, my lord?"

Akiad and Gurdon simultaneously stand up, and grab the railing. I have my eyes closed, and as I open them, I realise they're both leaning on the railing, either side of me. Lady luck is on my side.

"Time Twisted sounds suspicious if you ask me. Who do you think they affiliate with? Modnar?" Akiad asks, looking me right in the face, but luckily not seeing me.

"It's difficult to say. I haven't seen Modnar for many years. Actually, last time we spoke, was before you and I... Became acquainted."

"I just wish I knew what was going on. I don't know why I fear this woman so much, Gurdon. But she is just so powerful, it oozes off her. I need to stop at nothing to gain the power to defeat her, once and for all," Akiad replies, sitting back down.

The crowd settles, and begins sitting down. The announcer has been going crazy in the background, but this is irrelevant, compared to the battle my memory is having trying to remember the content of this conversation.

The crowd suddenly reacts again, so I make it my chance to escape, with the information I have. It's getting far too dangerous.

My heart is still beating as I escape down the nearby stairs, and reappear on the way down. I think it might be easier to walk around to Syra, from underneath the stands.

I walk up the stands on the other side, and I call to Syra when I arrive at the top. When she hears me, she stands up and we escape via the stairs.

"You should lower your hood, now. We don't want our neighbour catching you," I say, walking towards the entrance.

"Never mind her, what did you find out?"

"Well, Akiad fears you a lot. So your meeting with him tonight should be fine. And he's also suspicious about us. Our name must have made it more obvious," I say, sounding a little worried.

"Damn, it was such a good name too. Well, too late to change it now."

"True, well aren't you curious as to what else he said? He mentioned Modnar, but luckily isn't aware of the hooded man yet, so that's a relief."

"Not really. I was curious about whether he feared me, or whether he was onto you. Thanks to you, I have both the answers I seek, and all I have to do, is wait."

"Okay, well let's head back and wake up Voltanna and Nevijah; let them know what's happening," I say, suddenly stopping outside the entrance.

"The winner of this round of the semi-finals, going through to challenge TIME TWISTED is... KARMA AND EFFECT!" the announcer says, before the crowd rumbles into a frenzy.

"Karma and effect, I like that name. Maybe we should have gone with that?" I say cheekily, while continuing to walk away from the stadium.

"Haha yeah........... Na!" Syra jokes, before we both start laughing.

As the two of us walk back to the pub, I ponder the task at hand. We're in the finals, so it's time to take the championship, without Akiad noticing.

### XXVI - Some Things are Best Left Forgotten...

While Syra and I are walking up the stairs to my room, we see the woman who I pinched the hood from. I swiftly push Syra against the wall, and we both disappear.

"How did you...?" Syra whispers.

"Ssshhhhhhhhh."

The woman walks past us and enters the pub. Once she's out of sight, we reappear and continue up the stairs.

"How did you do that?" Syra repeats, sounding shocked.

"You mean make us both invisible? I just did. My swords go invisible when I touch them, so I didn't see why I couldn't make someone else invisible too."

"Fair call, you saved us, big time. Just don't use that power once you meet me at age eighteen. In fact, never use it around me."

"What, go invisible?"

"No, making others disappear with you."

"Why's that?"

"Because you have never used that power around me when you're older. For you to do so would cause a rift in time; you'd be altering how your battles pan out. You can go invisible, just don't make any one else disappear, until after I've left," Syra explains, arriving at my room.

"Okay, are you Zelada from now on?" I whisper.

"Yes, that would be best."

I push the door open, and see Voltanna and Nevijah on the balcony, sharing the pipe.

"Good morning, you two," I say, walking towards them.

"Oh hey, top of the morning to you. What have you both been up to?" Voltanna says, before inhaling.

"Funny you should say that. Enaz here, snuck right up to Akiad and Gurdon, eavesdropping on most of their conversation," Syra replies.

"Wow, really? Good job. So what did you find out?" Voltanna asks, exhaling then placing the pipe in Nevijah's mouth.

"That I've basically got to distract Akiad. He is suspicious of your team, so I need to take his eyes off you both during the whole match," Syra chimes in.

"And how do you plan on doing this exactly?" I ask.

"Well, I sort of have an idea what to say to him. All I have to do is keep his eyes on me the whole battle. I now know for sure that he fears me, so it'll be easier for me to make him listen and not cause a scene," Syra replies.

"Well, we're about to go down for some food, you're both welcome to join us," Voltanna says, taking her last drag from Nevijah's pipe.

"Yeah, come down for some food, man" Nevijah says, before getting his pipe placed in his mouth.

"Well, I might pass as I wouldn't mind getting some more 'shut-eye,' but by all means you should get some food. You have the finals tonight. No room for error, from any of us" Syra says, before leaving the room.

"All right, let's go get a munch," I say, leading the three of us towards the pub.

During our meal, the support from our fans is incredible. We're really like celebrities. People are queuing up for autographs, and hugs but thankfully no photographs. It makes me appreciate how much hard work it has taken to get here. To get to the finals, Voltanna and I have endured a lot of training and pain.

"Can I have a hug?" a small Oathient serpent says, holding his father's hand.

"Sure thing little buddy. What village are you both from?" I ask the father, while hugging his son.

"We're from the Village of Soraki," the father replies.

"That's great. Thank you so much for supporting us in this tournament," Voltanna says, smiling towards the father.

"My son loves you both. Well done on getting to the finals. To be honest, I never saw you making it, but him on the other hand; fanatical supporter since your first win," the father replies, pointing to his son while he hugs Voltanna.

"Well, thank you so much," Voltanna says, before they both slither away.

"It's so overwhelming," I say, leaning closer to Voltanna and Nevijah.

"It's about five hours till our fight. Any suggestions?" I ask.

"Finish your food. We need the energy, man" Nevijah says, dropping his face onto his plate.

"Okay Nevijah, great short term goal, but seriously, what is our plan?" I reply.

"Well Zelada told me that we should check in early, to talk strategy and plan this whole thing," Voltanna explains.

"Let's finish our meal and head over there," I reply

"Easier said than done, man," Nevijah says, while more fans approach us.

And that's how you fast forward two and a half hours. Floods of fans coming up to us, giving us tonnes of support. It's like being a famous rock star. But regardless of how much you love something, there is a time and a place. And unfortunately, we are running out of time.

I quickly stand on our table, put my two index fingers in my mouth, and whistle loudly. I know that if I don't do this now, we're going to be late.

"Everyone, if I may have your attention, please. On behalf of us, Time Twisted," I say, getting interrupted by cheering.

I signal for everyone to be quiet, but it's ineffective. I whistle again, causing instant silence.

"We thank you for all your support. We'd find it so much harder without all of you, cheering us on, every battle! We must go get ready for the finals, ready to WIN!!" I say, raising my right fist in the air.

The fans in the pub go ballistic, and as I hop down from the table, I move closer to Voltanna and Nevijah, to shed some light on my next move.

"Meet you outside the pub in a few minutes? I have to get my swords from my room," I say.

"What happened to always keeping them on you?" Voltanna asks, cheekily.

"Yeah yeah, see you soon."

Meanwhile, outside the pub....

**VOLTANNA**

"How are you feeling about our final battle?" I ask, looking at the Colosseum.

"It all feels fine to me, man?" Nevijah replies, puffing on his pipe.

"I just have a weird feeling in my stomach."

"Why's that, man?"

"I don't know what it is, Nevijah. It's like I can sense the beginning of the end, or something like that?"

"What makes you say that, man?"

"Just a hollow feeling in my stomach."

"We're going to win, you know this. And you just didn't eat enough, man."

"Haha, maybe you're right, Nevijah."

"You know I am. It should be all right, man," Nevijah says, slithering onto my shoulders.

**ENAZ**

"What's going to be all right?" I say, entering their proximity.

"I don't know, I just feel funny about tonight," Voltanna replies, seeming nervous.

"Trust me, I'm nervous too. I wouldn't worry about it though. We've had each other's backs the whole time we've known each other; that's not going to change now," I reply, confidently.

Voltanna sighs then smiles towards us. There is nothing wrong, and I promise to have her back.

"I suppose you're right, Enaz. Come on, let's go win this," Voltanna says, before the three of us move towards the stadium entrance.

We head up the combatants queue, and the constant overwhelming support, blows me away. The queue of spectators chant 'Time Twisted' as we pass.

"Listen to this, Voltanna. What were you ever worried about?" I yell, patting her back.

Voltanna smiles back at me and blushes at the crowd's reaction. I'm glad she's getting her head sorted, because our final battle is swiftly approaching.

The three of us have been backstage quite a while, waiting for Syra to arrive. I keep reassuring Voltanna that she's coming soon, and I know she will, because of the importance of her and Akiad meeting. There is no way she would miss out preparing for this.

The ambience is so amazing. I'm getting goosebumps from listening to the crowd, stomping in unison. This is our moment to shine and leave our mark as the winners of the last Neca city tournament to ever be held.

"Sorry I was late, running errands as usual. Are you two ready for this? From the sounds of the sold out crowd, your battle isn't far from starting. I need to head off and find Akiad in the stands. Time for me to intimidate the one person that has made the last twelve years of my life hell. Best of luck for your battle," Syra says, before holding her arms wide apart, hinting for a group hug. Everybody rushes towards her.

"Good luck, Zelada," Voltanna says, hugging her tightly.

"You too, Voltanna. Sorry I've been a terrible friend lately. One day, I'll make it up to you," Syra replies, as tears roll down her face.

"Hey, no crying. You have to become menacing, for your friend up in the stands," I say, squeezing everyone tighter.

"Hey, can't.... Breathe... Man," Nevijah says, before we all let go.

"Okay, you three better get ready. Here I come, Akiad," Syra says, leaving the room....

**SYRA**

I ascend the stairs to the stands, and set my eyes on the infamous Akiad - who's sitting to the left of Gurdon. I know that this is what I need to do, regardless of what fear consumes me. I approach from a few rows up, so I can get the jump on them. I put my hood on, and look towards the middle, as the announcer distracts me.

"Coming into the arena, is the first set of competitors. They go by the name of KARMA.... AND.... EEEEEEFECT!" The announcer says as the crowd begins cheering.

I do my best to ignore what's going on, and stick to the problem at hand. When I'm a few rows directly behind Akiad, I start climbing over the seats towards a vacant chair, which is right next to him. Once I'm sitting, the crowd stands in unison for the announcer, who's preparing Enaz's entrance.

"Here they are everyone, the team who I thought would have failed in the first round, and to my surprise, here they are in the finals. Ladies and gentlemen.... TIME.... TWIST.... ED!" the announcer calls out.....

**ENAZ**

We enter the arena, and glance around at the chaos. People are going berserk, making me feel confident against whoever challenges us.

The three of us approach Karma and Effect, and while we do, Nevijah slithers up Voltanna's body, onto her shoulders. We are more ready than ever, and from the looks of our opponents, so are they.

Karma and Effect are like a reflection of us to be fair. One guy, and one girl. The male has red eyes, and the female has yellow. They both have red shiny skin, and an animal pelt as clothes. Both are armed with two swords, resembling scimitars. The female approaches us to speak, gazing at me with her beautiful, glowing yellow eyes. I step forward to meet face to face. Our first and last opportunity to exchange words before two of the four of us, die.

"I don't know why, but we aren't invisible. It was the same this morning too. Not that it's going to make a difference, you're both still dead," the female warrior says.

"No worries, lady. I'll kill you last," I sarcastically reply.

The four of us ready our weapons, as this is about to go down. I take a deep breath and await the announcer to begin the battle...

**SYRA**

Enaz and Voltanna are awaiting the start of their battle, and I've wasted a minute sitting next to this filth. He keeps looking my way to see my face, but I suppose the hoodie is working. I slowly turn towards Akiad and wait for him to notice me.

A few moments pass, and when he sees that it's me, his skin almost turns blue. He doesn't know what to say, and I'm loving every minute of this.

"Tell Gurdon to go get you something to eat. You and I have to talk," I say, staring at Akiad in a menacing way.

"Gurdon, could you please get us some food?" Akiad asks.

"No problem, my lord. Anything in particular?" Gurdon replies.

"ANYTHING!" Akiad shouts.

Gurdon leaves, and almost immediately afterwards, Akiad gives me his undivided attention.

"You need to listen to me very carefully, if you value your life. I am going to tell you what you need to say to the chosen one, the second time you meet her," I explain.

"Wait are you talking about soon, or is this event quite far away?" Akiad replies, sounding nervous.

"THREE.... TWO.... ONE... BEGIN!" The announcer calls.

"Fifteen years from now, to be honest... Hey, keep your eyes on me," I say, turning his chin towards me.

"So why am I doing this?" Akiad asks, sounding confused.

"You will need to educate her of the events that she will inevitably encounter. From your perspective, wouldn't you want to confuse her right before your battle with her?"

Akiad's eyebrows raise and he begins giggling, then he smiles towards me, waving his hands for me to carry on.

"Well, the first time you fight her, you win. Keep winding her up with your words and try convince her to join you. But we are talking about the second battle you have with her. You'll know the correct time because she'll come and land on the roof of your castle, riding her pet Phoenix. You need to entice her to take a seat. Don't worry, she won't fight you, she'll only talk, I can assure you of this," I explain, before I hear Voltanna yelling, briefly distracting us both...

**ENAZ**

"NNOOOOOO!" Voltanna yells.

"Oh my, Karma and effect are in the lead. Her pet has been cut in half, and she is now weapon less," the announcer yells.

I feel for her as Voltanna has just lost one of her oldest friends. Hopefully she keeps her head in the game.

"Here, take this," I say, throwing her one of my samurais.

As tears roll down her cheeks, she reaches out and catches my blade. The look of disgust plastered on her face is frightening.

We both attack simultaneously, swords clashing all over the place. No one's making any progress, as we're having an uphill battle. Both our competitors have duel weapons, whereas Voltanna and I are struggling with just one.

"You... Think..... You..... Can...... Just..... Kill..... My....FRIEND!" Voltanna says, clashing swords with the female warrior.

She ducks the last attack, and follows through with an overhead slice, chopping off the female warrior's left arm.

"ARRRGGHH!" she screams.

"I've got you now," Voltanna mutters, approaching her.

Blood squirts all over the arena floor, and the female falls onto her back, dropping the weapon in her right hand to favour the fountain of blood oozing from her left arm. How quickly the tide can turn in battle.

The male warrior and I are caught in an intense duel, neither one being distracted by our female counterparts.

"You will never beat me," he says, as we clash swords, and move closer to each other.

"In your dreams, buddy," I reply cheekily, pushing him away.

He flips over me, and swipes when he lands, but misses me; in an instant, I counter, knocking his left hand, forcing him to drop one of his blades.

"Don't even think about it. One weapon each, let's go," I say, clashing swords..

**SYRA**

"Keep your eyes on me, Akiad." I say.

"But we're missing the battle," Akiad replies.

I swiftly grab the back of his head and smash it against the railing, busting his nose.

"AAAARRRGGHHH!" Akiad groans.

"Now listen to me. You basically need to tell her how, when and where you met me, and be as descriptive as you possibly can. She needs to know about me," I explain.

"And who might you be?" Akiad asks, holding his right hand against his nose.

"Someone who could end your life faster than you'll ever understand, so I'd listen, very carefully," I reply, leaning closer to Akiad...

**ENAZ**

Voltanna stands over the helpless female, and holds the sword up to her face, scraping some of her skin off. The male warrior ignores me and charges towards Voltanna - this the second turning point in the match. I charge behind him and ram my sword straight up his spine, till it comes out his mouth, spilling his insides onto the arena floor.

"NNNNOOOOOOO!" the female yells.

I pull the samurai sword upwards, splitting the male warrior in half, and swiftly approach the helpless female..

**SYRA**

"Here you are, my lord. I need to announce the secret clause in this tournament. Be back soon," Gurdon says, handing the freshly cooked Dupat shells to Akiad.

"What secret clause is he talking about?" I ask.

Akiad begins laughing like a menace, and I'm less than impressed. He is really starting to piss me off.

I reach over and grab a handful of Akiad's hair, pulling him right up to my face.

"Does it look like I'm joking when I ask you a question?" I say, pulling harder on his hair.

"Aaaarrrggggghhhhhhhhh!" Akiad screams.

"What is it, AKIAD?!" I scream into his face.

"All right, all right, I'll tell you," Akiad replies, before I reluctantly let go of him...

**ENAZ**

I walk around the arena, waving my sword like it's a lasso, while celebrating. We are moments away from winning, but at the expense of our dear friend's life.

"THIS IS FOR NEVIJAH!" Voltanna yells, ramming the sword through her face.

I walk up and spit on the female's face, and the crowd erupts into a frenzy. This battle is over, but I see Gurdon whispering into the ear of the announcer, and start to think otherwise.

"Here he is everyone, the owner of this stadium; KING GURDON!" the announcer yells, before handing him the Crent.

Voltanna and I stand in silence as we give King Gurdon our undivided attention. I wonder what's going on, have we won? What's he heading out for? Has Syra been caught? I suppose in the next few moments, we will find out.

"How is every one tonight?" Gurdon asks, before the crowd starts cheering.

"What's going on?" I whisper.

"No idea, Enaz."

"Great, that's good to hear. Now give it up for our winners; TIME...... TWISTED!" Gurdon says, opening his left palm open in our direction.

Once everyone settles down, he speaks again.

"Now, as we mentioned to all the teams that entered, there is a secret clause this year, due to it being our last tournament. Everyone want to know the secret clause?!" Gurdon says, before the crowd turns into a frenzy again.....

**SYRA**

"I can't believe that's what has to happen. You aren't allowed to tell a soul. Make sure you do what I told you, Akiad, or I will make it my life priority to hunt you down," I say, before standing up.

"I... I will," Akiad replies.

"I have one final question to ask."

"Oh really?" Akiad sarcastically replies.

I grab a handful of hair and smack his face into the railing again.

"AARRGGHHHHH! Marfik!" Akiad yells.

"Better not be wishing harm on any of my family."

"No, no, just in.... In general!"

"What does the Prophet look like?"

"Huh?"

"What does the Prophet LOOK LIKE?" I yell in his face, holding his hair.

"I.... I don't know, I haven't seen her."

"Shit!" I say, letting go of his hair.

"But I heard she was quite young, maybe about your age."

I sigh and look him in the eyes.

"I have one final thing to tell you, Akiad.... You're a pig," I say, spitting in his face.

Akiad wipes the saliva as I walk away from him, eventually diverting his attention towards the arena...

**ENAZ**

"The secret clause this year... is there can be only one winner. TIME TWISTED.... Must... Battle.... EACH OTHER!" Gurdon says, before the crowd starts booing, and throwing rubbish into the arena.

I feel my stomach sink. Voltanna and I have to battle to the death. I have never felt this sick in my entire life. I refuse to do it.

"If they refuse to battle, they will be thrown into Dandum prison for all eternity," Gurdon says, before the crowd continues booing.

"Shit Voltanna," I say.

"We have to, or we go to prison," Voltanna replies.

I sheathe my sword and hug her. The crowd begins to clap for us, and chant our team name. We both have a few tears rolling down our cheeks.

"Best of luck, Enaz. It's been an honour," Voltanna says while we hug.

"How about I forfeit?" I reply.

"No Enaz, let's dare to be great, just like you said. Nevijah is dead now, and he's my oldest friend. We both have nothing to lose, so let's do this."

I pull away from our hug and hold up Voltanna's hand, showing that we are in fact the winners. The crowd hasn't stopped cheering, and they've begun stomping. We both know it's time to engage in battle.

I walk a few metres from her, and draw my sword. Voltanna pulls my other sword out of the dead female warriors face, and begins walking around in a circle with me.

As we pace around the two dead warriors, we both clench our respective weapons, ready for our imminent battle.

"You ready?" I yell.

"As ready as I'll ever be."

Voltanna charges forward and the crowd goes crazy the moment we begin striking each other, our swords clashing with every swing.

Voltanna is forcing me to move backwards, as I block every strike of her rapid advance. CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! Our swords continue to clash, but it seems to be a stalemate.

We both stop fighting, smile towards each other and begin pacing walking around in circles again, catching our breath.

"Aren't they well matched everyone?!" the announcer yells.

"My stomach is in knots," Voltanna says, gasping for air.

"You and me both, friend."

The crowd chants our team's name, knowing that neither of us are holding back. As much as fighting a best friend is making my stomach churn, I know what needs to be done.

Voltanna jumps forward, and as I begin blocking her onslaught of attacks, I can hardly hear myself think over the crowd. She's twisting and turning between different angled assaults, and I feel like I'm a ninja on autopilot; automatically blocking every single one of her strike. We eventually stop, coming to another stalemate, both of us circling each other, once again.

"Who will be the outright winner? Who will be that little bit more epic?! Show them your SUPPORT!" the announcer yells, causing the crowd to stomp, and give us the largest ovation so far.

I know if I don't try something completely different, I will eventually make a mistake and end up dead. So as I walk in circles staring my friend in the eyes, I know it's about time to step it up and claim my victory.

I charge towards Voltanna, dive under her first strike, then slide on the arena floor and swing horizontally, taking her legs clean off. Blood gushes out of her thighs as she screams for her life.

"AAARRGGGGHHH!" Voltanna yells, while I walk over and pick up my other samurai sword.

As I stand above her, my shadow casts over her whole body. I look down at my blades, and tighten my grip, as I know what I have to do is inevitable.

"Please do this quickly. I love you Enaz," Voltanna says, with agony in her voice.

Tears stream down my face, so I disappear, then immediately stab Voltanna straight through the chest with both swords.

I hold them in place until her eyes change, and I must admit; it's exactly like the movies. As tears rolls down my cheeks, I pull my swords out of the best friend I had on this planet, and leave the arena while still invisible. The announcer is calling for his champion, searching for my presence, but I walk out with my head down; some things are best left forgotten.

### XXVII - Guardian of the Arter Gem.

I stay invisible until I reach my favourite spot in Neca city; the platform beyond the waterfall. And as expected, Syra is already here. She appears to be rubbing something on the platform with her left thumb.

"Syra!" I say, reappearing.

"Dad!" Syra replies, hopping up to hug me.

"Your alive, I'm so glad. I couldn't watch. If I did, I would have intervened. So I came to my special place, knowing that you are alive in fifteen years' time; I was just hoping it was without my interference. Gladly, I was right. It's good to see you Dad," Syra says, before hugging me.

"Awwww, it's good to see you too. Hey what were you rubbing on the platform before?" I reply, pulling away from our hug.

"Oh I scratched my name here a few days ago."

"Was that such a good idea?"

"Well don't tell anyone about it, even me."

"All right, you have my word."

"I do have to say Dad, you must also never speak of this tournament. When we met in the future, you never spoke of it once. Hence why I've never heard of Voltanna. I suppose this is me telling you, to never mention what happened in Neca city, and to keep it in our memories forever,"

"Wow, that's weird. I was just thinking that when I left the arena. 'Some things are best left forgotten.' She was my best friend on this journey, and I was forced to kill her. Something I'd rather not remember, you know?"

"Well Dad, there's other stuff I should point out to you. Not life or death stuff, just other things you should know."

"Like what, surprise me."

"Wait, look!" Syra says, pointing towards the other side of the lake.

The swarm of spectators are like ants, scattering all over, in no logical formation. I guess I may have pulled one of the most brutal, but random finishes in the entire history of the tournament.

"They look lost, don't they?" Syra says.

"Just what I was thinking. They usually head in an orderly fashion, straight to the pub for food and Flork. But today, they just look lost. No reason to celebrate, rather mourn a loss. Just drifting around like mindless zombies. Anyway, what did you mean before, when you said that there was other stuff to point out?"

"Oh, well I was going to let you in on a few things. For starters, I'd like to take you up on your offer of watching over the Arter gem of Water. If you won that tournament, and were the last one alive, then no one is more perfect for the job than you."

"Nothing would make me prouder than to guard this for you. Besides, admit it, I won the bet," I say, cheekily.

"Yeah yeah, fluke."

We both briefly chuckle, before she blankly glances at me. I know she has more to say.

"Please don't give up on me. When we first meet, I'm quite bitter towards you. But you must swallow any pride that gets knocked, and keep trying to be the amazing, loving father that you are. Eventually, I will give in, be glad to see you, and want you around," Syra says, smiling towards me.

"Okay, I promise I'll keep persevering with you when we cross paths next. And you're definitely happy with me guarding this gem?" I ask, looking back at it.

"Yes, I do trust you with it. The gem has been there for ten thousand years, you only need to keep it safe for another fifteen; until Gurdon steals it. What you need to look for is a town called Elte. It gets built a few years before my arrival. If you head north from Neca city, there should be an old infirmary, which appears at weird intervals during each day. It'll be easier to spot when they build Elte around it. That's when you share your focus of the Arter gem of Water, with that town - especially closer to my arrival. A few years after the town is built, my companions and I stumble across it, then we meet for the first time," Syra thoroughly explains.

"That seems fairly straight forward. Do I have anyone who I can speak to?"

"Yes.. But... It can't be anyone important that has aided you so far. No Modnar, No Rodland, No Zekai, No Muhbac; none of them. It has to be no one of great significance. Feel free to mix with patrons of Neca City, or Elte. Just like I said, no one important."

"How about Gurdon and Akiad?" I joke.

Syra raises her eyebrows at me and smiles, then I nod at her, knowing full well that I have a lot to remember, and that it's not for events right this minute; rather fifteen years from now. If you were to ask yourself what you'd be doing in fifteen years, would you be able to answer that question? I'm nervous, and I really hope I don't let my daughter down.

"Are you okay, Dad?" Syra asks.

"Yeah Syra, I'm fine. I just don't want to disappoint you, and I'm nervous of doing that. What you have asked me to remember is just so overwhelming, and requires a very punctual timeframe," I reply, before a large sigh.

"It's hard to explain what is needed from you to complete your piece in this puzzle, but when it all starts to slot into place fifteen years from now, you'll know exactly what to do. Try not to worry about it too much, okay?" Syra says, putting her arm over my shoulders.

"Okay, I can promise I will try my best."

"That's all I expect from you. Oh I have one last thing to explain."

"Oh shit, really?"

"Haha this one thing you'll cherish."

"In that case, what is it?"

"This platform is my special place. When you find the right moment, introduce me to it, saying it's your special place. So when I come to the past, I know to hang out here, and to show it to you."

"My special place, I like it."

"I'm glad, I do too."

"Where is the hooded man by the way?" I ask.

"Well actually, weird you should say that. I have to meet up with him now. You should disappear, then let's walk through the hornet's nest down there," Syra says, before we both stand up.

Once we're at the bottom of the stairs, Syra walks away from the crowd, to give me space to closely tail her, while remaining invisible. Murmurs of different people's opinions fill the air around us; I can't do anything but swallow my pride, and listen. Comments like 'how could he kill his partner' or 'he's my hero' and 'I wonder if he's in the pub' are what I'm hearing. I feel guilty for all of the above, but the path that I've chosen is the right one, and there's no going back now.

"You're doing fine, Dad. Keep walking, and ignore what they're saying," Syra quietly says.

"Will do," I reply, carefully navigating through the mass of people.

We work our way through the maze of people and streets; not to mention most of Neca City is on a hill.

"Nearly there, Dad. The front entrance to Neca city is in sight," Syra says.

When we approach the front gates, the guard stops Syra to ask her some questions.

"Excuse me miss, have you seen the winner of the tournament?"

"And by 'seen' you are asking if I have the power to see people that are invisible?" Syra sarcastically replies.

I snigger as I never expected her to be so funny in a situation like this. The guard hears me, and begins bombarding her with questions.

"What was that noise?" the guard asks.

"I don't know, could be the guy you're after, or you could be hearing things. Both possibilities are reasonable, so pick one; it's not going to change the fact that I'm about to stroll past you.... Right... Now," Syra says, attempting to get past him.

"Where do you think you're going?" The guard says, gripping Syra's neck with his left hand, and slamming her against the gate.

I want to intervene, but it will blow my cover. There are people nearby, and we have to sneak out of the city.

Syra winks at him and opens her mouth. A few dozen locusts come out, and begin crawling all over her face.

"Up to you, champ. I don't mean any trouble, so I'd just let me go," Syra says, while they begin crawling along the guards arm.

"All right, all right. You may pass... ECK," the guard reluctantly says, shaking his arm causing the locusts to fly away.

Once we're safely away from the gates, we both begin chuckling. You see, my daughter is just so powerful, and there's nothing anyone can do about it.

"So where is the hooded man?" I ask, as we walk further from Neca city.

"Soon Dad, soon."

We continue walking for about fifteen minutes and the city is practically a distant memory. I reappear, and see the hooded man standing in the middle of the path, about a hundred metres away. I hope it's time for me to be trusted with his identity.

"Do I get to know who he is?" I ask.

"You'll see soon enough," Syra replies, winking back at me.

The anticipation is killing me. I've nearly killed myself to find out the identity of this hooded man, so my patience has worn pretty thin.

When we're about twenty metres away, I see him leaning on a staff - which is partially covered by his black robe; and his shaded hollow is staring our direction. Once directly in front of him, Syra speaks.

"I've explained everything to Enaz. He's going to watch over the Arter gem of Water until Elte is built, where he will relocate and await my arrival. Okay let's depart."

"Wait, wait, wait," I say, sounding frustrated.

"What's wrong, Dad?" Syra curiously replies.

"Something has been bugging me for some time now," I say, sounding disappointed.

"What's bugging you?"

"Well, you know I trust you, but I also trust Modnar. He promised me that he'd be at the games, supporting me, but he was nowhere to be seen? Can you please shed some light on this?" I explain.

"I'm not sure. I haven't seen him in a little while," Syra says, looking down.

"No need for any more lies, now that your father knows who you are, right?" the hooded man says, removing his hood.

"MODNAR?!" I exclaim.

He looks almost the same as usual, but he's now clean shaven and has his hair cut short, almost bald.

"I thought you...." Syra says, getting cut off by him.

"Don't worry, Syra. This is something I have to explain to both of you, right now, just before we travel back in time," Modnar replies.

"Who gave you that information?" Syra asks.

"Well, 'the hooded man' did," Modnar replies, leaning on his staff.

Syra and I raise our eyebrows, and smile at each other. I'm quite glad that she is now as surprised about something as I am.

"Wait what do you mean?" Syra asks.

"Well, let me explain. Fifteen years ago I was heading to Neca city, to see a friend of mine compete in an elimination tournament to the death," Modnar explains.

"And this friend, would be me, right?" I ask, cheekily.

"Yes that's right."

"And are you talking about this morning?"

"Yes Enaz, this event happened this morning. Now, in my past, I was stopped by a hooded man; myself. I, the hooded man, said to the 'younger me' that I was in fact an 'older him', and that one day I would need to complete this paradox by putting on a hood, and stopping the younger me from entering Neca City, and explaining word for word, what I had just heard, from myself; to myself? Make sense?"

"Trippy man," I say.

"Yeah that is trippy, but Modnar, I have just one question. The three of us all trust each other, so why did you never tell anyone?" Syra says.

"Because I also told myself to only tell the two of you, when you're both present, at this exact location, at this exact time, and to instruct you both to never speak of this event, ever again," Modnar replies, creating a ball of energy behind him.

I turn towards Syra and she's already crying, in turn making my eyes water. I'm saying goodbye to my daughter for the second time in my life, in the space of a three month period. I can't explain in words, the pain I'm feeling right now.

"I have one last question, beautiful."

"Sniff... Sure."

"If you're travelling ten thousand years into the past... Then are you by any chance... The Prophet?"

Syra leers over her shoulder at Modnar, looking for guidance. He smiles and nods, then she turns to me.

"You're a smart man, Dad. I am in deed the Prophet."

"Wow. You really are knee deep in the shit."

We both laugh, but our tears are inevitable.

"Don't tell anyone that I'm the Prophet.... I love you dad, please be careful. See you in fifteen years," Syra says, hugging me.

"I love you too, Syra. I will always love you and Linda, remember that," I reply, pulling away and kissing her cheek.

"Good luck, Enaz. It was an honour to meet the younger you, again. And to finally, after fifteen years, see you decimate the competition in the elimination tournament. Be safe, friend," Modnar says, shaking my right hand.

As I watch Modnar and my daughter leave through the ball of energy, it makes me wonder exactly where they're headed. I suppose I'll never get to know, because the Syra in my future, won't be in my past, until it's her future. So all I have to do now, is wait.

###
About the Author

Firstly, thank you for supporting my book; Episode II: The Pinnacles of Fate. A lot of hard work and time has gone into completing this story. I've been writing this series of books since September 2007. I released Episode III first as I felt it was necessary to tell Syra's story first. I released Episode IV second, then Episode V - my personal favourite in the series, and just recently Episode II. The order that I will release the rest of the series is Episode I, VI, VII, VIII, IX then X - and once the first five are out, then you can read them in chronological order as well.

A bit about me

I am a 31 year old author from West Auckland, New Zealand. Currently living in Australia. I love Science Fiction - especially time travel - and action; this series is my attempt of merging both these loves into one.

One last thing. My books have a lot of violence in them, which does not mean that I condone it in the real world. You see I dissect a scene in my head and describe it on paper how I see it. It's just how I have always been; I love vivid detail.

I have added the first chapter of Episode I and Episode III in the next few pages, obviously read whichever one you need to, depending on where you started in the series and I hope you enjoy it.

Again, a big thank you from the bottom of my heart, if you enjoyed reading this book, could you please take a moment to leave me a review at your favourite retailer?

Other books by Mario Walsh

AVAILABLE NOW

Episode III - The Chosen One

Episode IV - A Twist of Fate

Episode V - Syra's Paradox

Episode I - The Prophet and her Legacy

COMING SOON

Episode VI - The Syndicate of Time

Episode VII - The Mentor of Time

Episode VIII - The Guardian of Time

Episode IX - The Martyr of Time

Episode X - The Bounty of Time

Connect with Me Online:

Facebook:

 https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Tales-Of-The-Arter-Gems-Series/380099275345176

Smashwords:

<https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/SyrasParadox>

### Tales of the Arter Gems:

Episode I -

The Prophet and her Legacy

###  Preface

Time is a funny thing. Whether you believe in the power it holds or not, is irrelevant. In some way or another, time will catch up with you. My name is Modnar, and I am a Time Guardian. It has been my destiny to be the balance of time, and make sure everything happens according to plan - no matter what price is paid.

This is a story about myself, and two of my close friends - Zelada the Prophet and Jacamatax. See how time is involved in all of our lives, and the triumph, pitfalls and perils it causes.

Just remember one important thing about time. If you waste it, you can't get it back.

### I – At the Start of Where it Ends..

**JACAMATAX**

"Another drink please, Daweson," I say, looking around the pub and realising it's just us left in here.

"Jacamatax my old friend, when are you going to stop spending your Ralop? I know I'm logically supposed to continue serving you - but as a friend, I'm a little concerned. Besides, it's after midnight and you should be heading to sleep," Daweson replies, sliding me another drink.

"Aaaaahhhhhhhhhhh.... Tastes good.... Well, I do have thousands of Ralop remaining, so as you can imagine... BURP!.... I'm not worried about what I need to be doing with my life," I say, feeling the effects of the copious amount of Flork I have consumed.

"But Jacamatax, it's tragic not to have a focus in life. If I didn't have one, I wouldn't be serving you Flork. I'd be helping you drink it from that side of the bar, while someone else fills my boots, and accomplishes my dreams," Daweson says, leaning on the bar top.

Ignoring him, I turn around and realise my vision is becoming quite blurry. I try to focus on my bearings. The bar is behind me, with a rear exit door to the left of the bar top. Opposite me is the front door. Booths are along the wall to the right; round tables and chairs fill the remainder of the space in the room. I know the pub is built underneath a hotel, where travellers can spend the night for a small amount of Ralop. It's usually where I reside - room L is my favourite. I really don't know why, but tonight I want to wander around the City.

I raise myself upright and begin staggering towards the front door.

"Thank you for the bottles of Flork, friend; and the company," I say, swaying in the doorway.

"You be careful, Jacamatax. Your parents would never forgive me if something tragic happened to you," Daweson warns.

Staggering outside, I marvel at this breath-taking city. At night, it reveals a different side to its beauty. In front of me is a large lake, and there's a waterfall to the right, falling from a cliff that seems endless, disappearing into the horizon on either side. Looking to the left I see the remaining creatures of the night. Their walking through the streets of Neca city, in between the plethora of white buildings, all built perfectly in rows, on a hill. Each dwelling appears to vary in height, slowly ascending towards the wooden fence at the top of the hill, which surrounds the entire city. There is a vast amount of space for more structures on the opposite side of the lake, which I'm sure will be filled in one day.

I look up at the moon on this clear night, and plan my next move. Your perception of life is a little muddled when you are feeling the effects of Flork - but I enjoy this state of ecstasy.

I stagger in the direction of the waterfall and think about using my power; when you're in a state like this, you become prone to getting up to mischief - conveniently forgetting the consequences.

With my power, I can manipulate air particles into any physical object that I desire. If I hold out one of my hands, and think about what I want to create, then air particles will begin whooshing around my open palm; they then solidify into as many of that physical object as I require. There are some catches however - as with any great power; it only works whilst I'm outside, when the seal on the top of my right wrist (a large eyeball, with a dark red pupil) can gain natural energy from either the moon or the sun.

Arriving at the cliff behind the waterfall, a strange idea pops into my head. I want to create a staircase, to ascend up to the waterfall. I place my left palm against the rocky cliff, and hold my right palm up, facing the moonlight. Thousands of air particles whoosh around in a small circle just above my palm, then immediately fly towards the cliff. Steps begin emerging out the side of the rock, each one slightly higher than the last, ascending further up towards the waterfall. I remove my hand, and begin my tricky ascent.

"What am I doing?" I mutter to myself, carefully scaling each step.

I have no idea what I'm up to or why, but I continue heading up this stairway to nowhere.

Once I reach the highest step, my current altered state easily makes me think of what to do while I'm up here.

I place my left hand on the cliff again, and hold my right hand open, facing the moon. A platform emerges from out of the cliff and pushes a little way beyond the waterfall. It's wider than the steps, possibly big enough to fit a few people on. This could in fact be my new favourite place, or it could just be another waste of my power. I walk to the end of the platform, sit down, and dangle my legs off the edge - while marvelling at the beautiful Neca City. Seeing the moonlight and the cities reflection in the lake below, is breath-taking to say the least. Sitting down, I realise I'm beginning to feel tired from all the Flork I've consumed. I'm sure this place is as good as any to fall asleep. I just hope I don't roll off the edge...

###

If you have enjoyed this chapter, please head to your favourite Ebook retailer and download 'Tales of the Arter gems: Episode I - The Prophet and her Legacy' to carry on your journey in the land of Tharp.

### Tales of the Arter Gems:

Episode III -

The Chosen One

###  Preface

I'm dreading University and I'm not motivated to go. I'm eighteen going on thirty, living in a small country called New Zealand. Boys don't bother with me for two reasons; the first is the way I look on a daily basis. I'm short, have black shoulder length hair with red streaks that I constantly flick out of my face, and I generally wear baggy jeans and a sleeveless metal t-shirt. The second reason is because of my coldness towards men. My dad left my mum when I was very young and she had to work two jobs just to feed us, let alone pay the bills he left us with. To this day we still don't know why he left. Because of him I've become good friends with alcohol. It seems to solve my problems at the moment, although I'm permanently hung-over and I don't really have any desire to achieve anything. My mum has been nagging me for months to get out of my room and become something, anything. She suggested that I sign up to a university to study writing; and I made my decision, finally. My name is Syra, and as of tomorrow my existence will suddenly become a lot more important.

### I - Glow with the Flow

September 27th 2007 and the smell of the old man sitting next to me on this bus is making me gag. I'm sure he hasn't showered in weeks, clusters of flies are buzzing around his armpits. I'm minding my own business, listening to heavy metal on my CD player. Yes, CD player; I've been collecting heavy metal CDs since I was eleven, so why change with the times?

I look towards the back of the bus and see a group of guy's perving at the girls in front of them. Every guy I've ever met is like that. They don't care about feelings, looks always come first. Is it possible to meet a decent guy, someone who looks beyond a pretty face? I doubt it, they'll have to work hard to win me over.

Besides men another thing I hate are needles. My mum is such a hypochondriac, since I was a kid I've had to have a blood test every, single, week. This is also why I'm suspicious about Leviathan University. Since when are there compulsory blood tests at a university?

The bus brakes screech and I run for the door as soon as the bus stops, taking a deep breath of fresh air as I walk onto campus. My heart starts beating rapidly and my hands feel damp. A normal day consists of me drinking alcohol in my room alone, listening to heavy metal music and writing poetry. I'm quite cold to anyone who shows any kind of interest in me and I don't usually communicate with anyone except my mother so being out in a crowded place is rather nerve racking.

The university is quite old fashioned. The concrete walls and interior resemble an old hospital, maybe even an asylum; except for the main administration block, which is far more modern with a flat rooftop and white wooden walls. At the back of the university fields is a dense forest and I can make out students loitering around - I'd say it's a great place to get up to mischief on campus. I make a beeline for the infirmary so I can get this jab over and done with. I have class at 9am sharp, but this needle is more important; I bet my mother is laughing her socks off. Two birds with one stone: another needle for her daughter, and she gets me out of the house. But do you know what makes me the maddest? This is the only university that my mother would allow me to attend, because it was my father's last request. As if he deserves a last request!

I quickly cross the field, dodging athletics students, eventually closing in on the infirmary. I can't see anyone else heading here, why is it only me that seems to be having this needle?

The infirmary is the most run down building on the whole campus. It could have been a bloody abattoir with the old, brown paint peeling off. I waste no time heading for the front door; the inside has a musky sort of smell. The tatty green seats are rotten, as is the wooden floor, and the air in the room is damp and uncomfortable to say the least. The white, stained wallpaper is peeling from the wall; I'm pretty sure I'm in a building with the worst condition in all New Zealand.

While I wait patiently for my jab, a haggard old nurse resembling a witch walks in. She has straggly white hair with grey streaks covering her face, spilling out of the hood of a long black robe, and is wearing yellow dishwashing gloves.

"Fill out this form and your blood is mine," she says and walks off, scratching her bum and snorting. A cockroach scuttles past my shoe, sending a sharp shiver up my spine, distracting me slightly before glancing at the form she wants me to fill out. Pretty standard, until a section of the form catches my attention;

Tick one of the following:

\- Normal Blood Count

\- Further Blood Analysis

Curiosity gets the better of me and I tick the bottom box. What analysis could they possibly be doing? Why would they do this sort of analysis at a university?

After several seemingly never-ending minutes, the haggard old woman comes back and prompts me to follow her. I hear the sound of a Zippo and she leads me down a long, dark corridor towards a flickering light at the end. Haunting the corridor are faint screams of HELP! And NO! Am I hearing things? Did I tick the right box? The old hag leers with her beady eyes over her right shoulder.

"Don't be scared child; it's only a blood test," she says.

"What's all the screaming?" I reply, trembling.

"What screaming? It's all in your head, child," she says, snickering to herself.

I start to freak out. I know what I heard, and am still hearing. Or have I been locked away in my room so long that I've lost touch with reality?

Almost at the end of the corridor we stop in front of a door, last on the left. I notice the door at the very end is covered in velvet.

"What's in there?" I ask, pointing towards the velvet door.

"Another nosy student, aren't we?" she snarls.

"No! Just curious!" I snap back.

The old hag pulls out a ring with a dozen or so keys on it. I've always wanted to see one of those. She fumbles for thirty seconds or so trying to find the right key.

"I found it! Ha-ha, it takes a while sometimes," the haggard old woman growls.

I notice symbols glowing on her gloves. The emblem looks like an 'X' with four arrows in the gap.

"What's that symbol on your gloves?" I ask as she opens the door. The old hag smiles at me.

"What symbol?"

The symbols glow a neon blue colour before disappearing. Now, I'm not a drug addict, and I haven't had any of her 'needles' yet, so I know my senses are working perfectly. I don't give up though; I've made it this far so I don't want to throw in the towel. That all too human quality called curiosity has come over me, so I endure with what the old bat has to say and do.

"Do you want to be strapped into your chair?" she snarls.

"Umm, okay, is that really necessary?" I reply, trembling with fear.

Without a word she starts strapping my arms down to the chair, like I'm in an asylum for the criminally insane.

"Ouch!" I scream as the old hag takes my blood. The haggard old woman has her back to me and while looking through the cupboards she says;

"Okay child, I'm going to explain the basic effects of your injections."

"Injections?"

The old hag keeps speaking like she hasn't heard me.

"One, you will need to wear dark shades for a few months, as your eyes will go white whenever danger is near."

"What? Untie me!" I scream.

"Two, you may be able to see certain things that other people can't. I won't spoil the surprise."

I start to panic as she approaches me. Her eyes are glistening white, and the symbol reappears on her gloves. She wastes no time inserting the needle into my right arm, injecting a white fluid into my vein; it feels amazing. My eyes are picking up every fragment and molecule of dust in the air, and my sense of smell is magnified tenfold. What has she just given me? Definitely nothing I've ever tried in my teenage years of experimenting with recreational goodies. This pushes me beyond the point of paranoia.

After a few minutes the sensation wears off, and the old hag unstraps me and forces me out of the infirmary. She points me in the direction of my first class.

"Don't bother coming back here looking for answers. You won't find any."

Okay so what just happened?! It's way too much to comprehend and now I'm running late for my first day, better get to class. My first class is history. Damn. Boring! If I didn't have to do this class as a credit for my degree I wouldn't be here. How can I really soak in all this information, when I'm still buzzing from what I just experienced? The classroom is on an incline down to the blackboard, and I'm seated at the top, up the back. I have to be positioned far away from the frizzy ginger haired professor; I need to get a grip on reality. I can't concentrate. Am I dreaming? I can't be! Maybe I am? But a dream doesn't have this much detail! As I look around, most of the students in class look like mindless, heartless drones. Their undivided attention is focused on what the boring, mono-toned teacher has to say. One of the 'drones' looks at me. I smile at him, but he doesn't even register. It's as if he's staring straight through me. It's a little creepy! I feel a cold shiver run up my spine, as if something is walking over my grave. What is going on here?

I'm sitting in the middle of the field on my lunch break, staring in the general direction of the infirmary, and curiosity once again comes over me. I want to go back there, regardless of what that haggard old woman said. I stand up and start to stroll over, but I can't see the infirmary anywhere. I check my campus map and I'm definitely in the right location, what's going on? Suddenly, blue neon writing appears on the grass in front of me:

'9am – 11am'.

It's there for about fifteen seconds, then disappears. What does that mean? I have had enough of this creepy university for one day, so I decide to skip Italian and head home on the same smelly bus I had arrived in.

Back in my solitude, in the room I've been rotting in for so long, I lie on the floor with scrunched up bits of paper, trying to put my thoughts about today on a page. Staring at the heavy metal posters pinned on the roof and walls, I think about what had happened. I can't believe it. How does a building just vanish? I'm guessing that the infirmary is going to reappear tomorrow between the hours I saw written in the grass. I'm going to check it out first thing in the morning.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

"Get up Syra. You're late for Uni and it's only your second day!" Mum says after bashing a spoon against a pot right next to my ear.

"Roger Mum! Got the message!" I yell as I get my late little tush out of bed.

"Hurry up and get ready, and I'll drop you there," Mum says as she leaves the room.

After I shower and change into my clothes I go to the car, but Mum is already waiting on the old motorbike. It's been ages since she drove me anywhere and I forgot that the car broke down a while ago.

We silently cruise for about ten minutes; the breeze blowing through my hair is very relaxing. I fire a question at mum.

"Mum, I've always wondered - why do you have a chopper?" I ask.

"It was your father's, and I haven't got around to replacing the old car. This baby keeps going and going. It never needs repair, and it's like the gas tank is always full. No complaints from me."

"Well I wouldn't keep anything that belonged to that selfish prick," I snap.

"Hey, no need for that. We don't know what happened to him; I still believe that your dad was kidnapped," Mum admonishes as we pull into the Leviathan University car park.

Cool isn't enough to explain how I feel being dropped off. Students nearby rush over to see what all the noise is; it's just Mum and I, pulling up in our custom, old school eighties chopper.

"Have a good day at university," Mum says as she revs the bike.

"Thanks Mum, see you tonight," I reply, watching her leave.

I head back to the spot on campus where the infirmary had been; this time it is there. I look over my left shoulder at the university clock in the courtyard; 10:54am, just between the times in the blue neon message.

I approach and open the door, and blue neon writing appears on the floor.

"Leave now!"

A few metres further down the corridor another message appears,

"Please go back, don't go on!"

Nothing can scare me off now! I can hear a low growling from the end of the corridor. I'm on a mission to find out what is going on in this infirmary.

The next message catches me off guard and scares me a little. It's on the velvet door at the end of the dark corridor.

"Syra, for your own safety please turn back."

My name is in that message! Now I definitely have to keep going.

I put my ear against the door. As I listen I can hear the haggard old woman talking to something, which is growling in response.

"Here you go, I have a little treat for you from yesterday's victims," she says.

The thing growls in response.

I quietly turn the doorknob and peek in. The room is about as big as a lounge, with the same murky style as the rest of the infirmary, except for the bloodstains on the walls. There's a crate near the door; I slip in unnoticed and hide behind it, slowly peering over the top to see what the hag is talking to.

I can't believe my eyes. The old hag did mention I'd see things that other people couldn't see, but this? Freaked out would be an understatement of how I feel. I blink a few times to see if I am just imagining it, but I'm not.

A huge, hideous demon takes up a large portion of the room, in front of what looks like double doors. It has large fangs and sharp claws, and one eye about the size of a soccer ball. The demon's skin looks like a person with third degree burns, all hunched over with legs and arms as big as power poles. Thank the heavens it's chained up.

The haggard old woman is feeding it blood, straight from the innocent veins of the students from this very campus. Where did it come from? What is beyond the double doors it's guarding? What was I injected with? Was I infected or enhanced?

Suddenly, something grabs my wrist tightly, pulling me through the wall. I end up outside lying on my back. Somewhat dazed I sit up and see the person who grabbed me.

He looks about seventeen, has spiked black hair, is rather tall, and dressed in a short-sleeved white button shirt with a stripy tie and dress pants. Ha, what a nerd. Then I see his eyes, glassy white.

"Let me guess, you ticked the bottom box?" I ask.

"Yes I did, unfortunately. I've been regretting it ever since. Were you even keeping track of the time? It's 11am and the infirmary is in the process of disappearing," the nerd replies.

It dawns on me; he might have just saved my life!

"What's your name?" I ask.

"Vetor."

I smile, what a strange name.

"Yes, I know my name is goofy. I was orphaned, and the name was stitched on the blanket my adoptive parents found me in."

I've never met an orphan before and I can't imagine not knowing about where I came from. His mystery intrigues me enough to want to get to know him better. Vetor could be my first friend.

###

If you have enjoyed this chapter, please head to your favourite Ebook retailer and download 'Tales of the Arter gems: Episode III - The Chosen One' to carry on your journey in the land of Tharp.
