

# THE RETURN OF THE PHOENIX

# Kram Scavok

### The Return of the Phoenix

### Kram Scavok

### Published by Kram Scavok at Smashwords

### Copyright 2019 Kram Scavok

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

### Acknowledgement

Many thanks to my editor, Kathy Kovacs for all her help and guidance.

Continued thanks to Steve Holland for pointing the way along this writing path.

And thanks to family, friends and other readers whose acceptance of these stories is my reward and encouragement to continue.

### Contents

Chapter 1. On the Job

Chapter 2. A New Assignment

Chapter 3. Omphalos

Chapter 4. Finding the Watcher

Chapter 5. Korbin's House

Chapter 6. A visit to Zolara

Chapter 7. Vargon Timitri

Chapter 8. A Visit to Acor

Chapter 9. Rami

Chapter 10. Return to Omphalos

Chapter 11. Rescue Plan

Chapter 12. Reversal

Chapter 13. Race to the Portal

Chapter 14. A New Leader

Chapter 15. Home Again

About the Author

Other Books by Kram Scavok

# Chapter 1. On the Job

Will reached his hand back to receive the metal cylinder. He whispered, "Pass me the fake."

"I can't see you," Alia reminded him.

Will was concentrating so hard on the job at hand that he forgot they were invisible. He was getting used to his ability to use charms; like the invisibility charm he had put on both himself and his twin sister a few minutes ago. They needed the invisibility charm to be in effect as Will lowered himself over the target and Alia accessed the security camera attached to the ceiling.

Both Will and Alia were hanging from climbing harnesses over a table that held a foot-long metal cylinder identical to the one his sister carried. The cylinder on the table contained building plans; the original building plans, not the fake copy that was in the cylinder that Alia held. The cylinder was resting on a table in the thief's small, very secure holding room. At least for the next few minutes. On the job for Recovery Inc., Will and Alia were there to steal it back.

Recovery Inc. was in the business of recovering stolen items. The best thieves leave little or no evidence when they steal. With no evidence, police investigations quickly arrive at a dead end. But with valuable items, insurance investigators can derive a short list of who would want the item and who has enough skill to pull off the heist. Insurance companies or businesses themselves will pay to have the items recovered. And that's where Will and Alia came in, as sole proprietors of Recovery Inc. Using skills developed through years of surreptitious skulking on and off the campus at Farmstead Academy, the orphanage and school where they grew up, plus Alia's facility with locks and security systems, they developed the requisite skills for honest thievery.

Their first retrieval had been in the kingdom of Alderwood. There Will learned that he could do magic using a book of charms and spells found during their first recovery. Will and Alia had been set up in Recovery Inc. as a reward for finding the lost king of Alderwood. Mr. Weldon had given them that assignment.

Their present job was again at the request of Mr. Weldon. The Goblin Bank of London was the largest goblin bank in the world. This world anyway. In numerous vaults, small and large, it held the financial resources of most of the wizards, witches, and others - creatures you or I would consider magical beings - who needed some form of currency for their dealings with humans, each other, and the other beings doing business on this world. And a few others.

The lobby of the GBL was accessible via a hidden portal at the Metro stop at Livery Street just across from the Bank of England. Anyone who held an account at the GBL knew how to find the portal and access the lobby. Less well known was the existence of other portals into the GBL whereby the goblins themselves did their business of moving currencies into and out of the bank. Information also known by only a few was the exact location and organization of the vaults that held individual accounts within the GBL. Both these bits of information were stored in one document. The single copy of the original plans to the GBL. Stealing the plans was the first step for anyone who would like to bypass the goblins and gain access to one or more of the vaults in the GBL. Anyone wishing to rob the GBL needed the plans. The plans were now in the possession of master thief Olan Nasitch.

Now, the GBL, as you might imagine, was quite secure. Various and sundry magical and non-magical deterrents were in place to thwart any incursions. In fact, the bank was thought to be impregnable. But so too was the archive that held the original plans to the GBL. And Olan Nasitch had stolen the plans from the archive. One could reasonably assume that, with the right help, he might use the plans to the GBL to gain access to the vaults of the bank that served the magical creatures of this world and others. Hence the desire of those responsible for the security of the bank to recover the plans. Quickly.

The theft had taken place a week ago. The morning after the theft, the director of security of the GBL had contacted Mr. Weldon. Mr. Weldon had approached Will and Alia.

There was a short list of the master thieves capable of such a theft. All Will and Alia had to do was figure out who the thief was and get to the location of the plans before Olan Nasitch used them to rob the GBL. They had done both. Which was why they were hanging from the ceiling of Olan Nasitch's very secure holding room while Olan enjoyed his evening meal in his dining room just one room over from his holding room.

The room itself was a small fortress. Undetectable to anyone visiting Nasitch's sleek, modern apartment, it was built by walling off a portion of the living room. But, by a careful search of a contractor's records, Will had found the plans for the alterations. Designed to hold objects in transit along with the thief's own personal collection, it had its own thermostatically controlled ventilation system. Now a room designed by a thief would not have a ventilation system with ductwork large enough for anyone to shimmy through. But a thirty-story apartment complex has large ventilation ducts. And while Olan Nasitch had specified that both the supply and exhaust ducts to his special room were less than one-foot square, they were connected to ducts large enough for Will and Alia to comfortably slip through. So they did. And once they got to the small duct that supplied Olan Nasitch's special room, once again Will's book of charms came through providing the charm to enlarge the duct. The grill over the exhaust duct in the room was welded shut. A simple charm had unleashed the welds allowing the grill to open on its hinges into the room below.

Besides the canister containing the plans, the holding room had several objects that appeared to be part of the thief's personal collection. A few paintings hung on the walls of the room, and some beautifully restored furnishings were organized in the space. A number of smaller jewel-encrusted objects were visible in a large glass case in one corner of the room. Alia recognized several artifacts that were reported in the insurance bulletins as having been stolen over the last few years. She made a mental note to notify the authorities as to where the items could be found. After they completed this job.

"Sorry, I forgot we were invisible," replied Will. "Are you sure the loop is running in the security camera?"

Alia glanced at her monitor. "I am looking at a patch-in from the feed right now. We're clear."

Will moved his arm in an ever-widening circle as he reached back to touch Alia. Charms still only worked if he was touching the object or, in this case, the person. His hand brushed Alia's arm, and he quickly grasped it.

" _Reappero_ ," he whispered, and both he and Alia materialized, still hanging from their harnesses.

Now that she could see her brother, Alia passed him the canister and ascended back up into the open ventilation duct through which they had entered the room.

Will had to switch the canister containing fake plans with the canister containing the real thing. But Will knew better than to think it would be simple. Alia had hacked into Olan's online purchase records. The records revealed that he had purchased several security devices. Besides the wide-angle security camera and vibration sensors for the floor of the room, there was also a record of the purchase of an infrared motion sensor. When they had surveyed the room from the security of the ventilation duct, they saw the small wireless motion detector focused specifically on the table. Motion detectors work by detecting infrared heat waves put out by bodies. Now it was time for part two.

"Turn it up," Will whispered through his com device.

From her perch in the ventilation duct, Alia looked down on her brother. She reached inside a pocket of her climbing suit and extracted a small control. She turned a knob on the control. Almost immediately, the air in the ventilation duct became warmer. Alia had tapped into the thermostatic controls for the room and had hot-wired-in her controller. She had previously raised the room temperature above normal. For their own comfort, they had kept this last increase until it was necessary. Despite having dressed for the occasion, Will felt the perspiration soaking into his climbing suit.

Alia watched the digital thermometer, "94, 95, you're there." The room temperature would effectively mask Will's heat signature making him invisible to the motion detector.

Will lowered himself until he was within reach of the canister. Then he exchanged the canister on the table for the one he held in his hand. He climbed back up into the shaft pulled the hinged ventilation cover up and secured it in place. Then he reversed the charm that had released the welds on the ventilation duct grate and, once into the main duct system, touched the duct serving the special room and restored it to its original size. Within 15 minutes, they were out of the building and on their way to The Gallery.

A short time later, master thief, Olan Nasitch, finished his dinner. He glanced at the monitors for the security devices for the room. Everything looked fine. The crew he had put together to rob the GBL would arrive tomorrow. In a few days, they would be very, very wealthy.

Will and Alia rode the city bus on their way to The Gallery to return the plans to Mr. Weldon.

"How close a match are the fake plans?" asked Alia.

"They are exact in almost every detail," replied Will. Even if Olan has already viewed the actual plans, he will not be able to tell the difference. The structural details are all the same. Only the entry codes that appear when you touch a doorway or vault on the map have changed and then only slightly. In a script ten gnome characters long, there is no way he would notice a one-character change.

"So, he will be without any clue that none of the security codes to access points are accurate?"

Will smiled. "Most definitely."

"What happens if some enters the wrong code on the security panel to an access point at the GBL?" asked Alia.

"Mr. Weldon declined to give me specifics," replied Will. "He merely noted that goblins are very serious about security and anyone tripping their alarms would be fortunate to escape with all of their body parts intact."

Alia grinned. "Sounds like master thief Olan Nasitch and company are in for a nasty surprise."

# Chapter 2. A New Assignment

Before heading to The Gallery to deliver the canister, Will and Alia stopped by their home to change clothes. Home was a small gray Craftsman-style house trimmed in white. It had a small yard surrounded by a white picket-fence and was in a neighborhood tucked into the downtown area. The house was payment for their work in the kingdom of Alderwood. When they were given the house, they learned that it had been their parents' home and that both Will and Alia had lived a few months in this house before being orphaned.

Will followed Alia through the gate and up the walkway to the wooden porch that spanned the front of the house. The porch floor echoed their steps as they moved to the front door. Alia passed through the door and headed to her room. Will paused in the foyer and breathed deeply, taking in the scent of the woodwork, along with the sight of exposed beams, the built-in cabinets, nooks, and shelves all filled with things their parents had left behind. Will felt himself relaxing. He was sure that Alia too was already winding down. The instant they crossed the threshold, the sunny coziness of this house welcomed them home.

After a shower and a change of clothes, Will joined Alia in the kitchen. She sat at the kitchen table downing her favorite food. Warm pie and milk. She looked up, wiping a bit of cherry filling from the corner of her mouth grinning as she placed the empty glass of milk back down on the table. "I'm ready."

Will grabbed the glass from the table and rinsed it in the sink placing it upside down in the dish drainer. "Me too. Let's go."

They caught the bus a few blocks from their house and, in a short time, got off on Main close to the downtown location of The Gallery. As they turned down seventh street, the Gallery building came into view. The windowless two-story gray marble of The Gallery was inconspicuous, nestled as it was among much the taller downtown buildings of gray granite, glass, and steel.

Will and Alia made their way down the sidewalk and stopped in front of the large, arched wooden door at the center of the building. The Gallery was chiseled in the stone over the entrance. Will pressed the button located under the small white placard that read Hours by appointment. Please ring the bell for service. They could hear the faint echo of chimes within.

Before the sound of the chimes had faded, the door opened. Occupying practically the entire width of the door, a tall man with a somber face looked down on Will and Alia.

"Hey Saydon, how're you doing?" quipped Alia. "We've missed you."

Will noted that their friend, Saydon Nemscally, was trying hard to maintain the detached demeanor that, along with his hulking size, put off most visitors. But Will also noticed the warm glint in his eyes and the slight upturn at the corners of Saydon's mouth as he stifled a smile.

"Mr. Will and Miss Alia, Mr. Weldon is expecting you." He turned and began to lead them into The Gallery. "Please close the door behind you."

As they followed Saydon down the carpeted floor of The Gallery, Will marveled at the contents held in the rooms they passed. Everything from paintings and tapestries to armor and medieval weapons were neatly organized in different rooms. Some rooms held cases of fine jewelry while a few held unusual objects that looked more like modern art. Will knew that, although it appeared to be a diverse collection of art objects, The Gallery served as a world depository, or more correctly, an interworld depository. The objects held within its walls had had various uses on the worlds linked by the portals overseen by the Watchers, the group to which, only recently, Will and Alia learned that they belonged. Will reflected on how far they had come within the last year.

Will and Alia had graduated from Farmstead Academy, home to orphaned boys and girls and a school that served children and young adults. They had been the youngest orphans ever admitted to The Farm, as it was commonly known. Shortly after graduation, based on a recommendation from the head of Farmstead Academy, Will and Alia had interviewed for a job at The Gallery managed by Mr. Weldon. Undertaking what appeared to be a straightforward task had led them to an adventure involving wolf-like creatures called Mordlocks, kinship with a knight and his family, and a lifelong friendship with the last of the dragons from the kingdom of Alderwood. They learned that Alia's skill in fencing and martial arts at Farmstead translated well into medieval skills in swordplay and archery. Will also discovered a small book of charms and spells that only he could read and, following that discovery, learned that he had inherited his mother's ability to do magic. Only after completing the task had they learned that the mission had been a test of sorts. One of their rewards was to learn about their past. They discovered that they were orphaned at the death of their parents who were Watchers on a mission. And they learned about Watchers.

Watchers were charged with overseeing the portals that connected worlds. Portals were secret channels between worlds. Will and Alia were told that portals allowed passage of helpful creatures between worlds. Creatures like elves, fairies, leprechauns, nymphs, gnomes, and such inhabit worlds almost unnoticed and bring positive energies to that world. The Watchers monitored these creatures and the objects that they brought with them. Occasionally other not so helpful creatures gained access to portals. Evil creatures that sought to conquer, enslave, and destroy. It was the job of Watchers to address imbalances that arose through portals. Watchers kept a close eye on who and what traveled between worlds.

Alia and Will were enlisted into the ranks of Watchers. Through their successful completion of their mission in the kingdom of Alderwood, they had become Watchers. More specifically, they belonged to the smaller group known as Retrievers. And although work as Retrievers was their primary role, Will and Alia were started in Recovery Inc. to give them both a cover for their mission as Watchers and an income on which to live. They had done only a few jobs since their travel to the kingdom of Alderwood, and none had involved travel through portals to other worlds. Now they were called again for what appeared to be a significant assignment.

Saydon Nemscally opened the door to the office at the back of The Gallery and ushered Will and Alia in. Saydon followed them in and closed the door.

As they entered the office, a small man with snow-white hair and a full beard rose from his chair behind a great wooden desk and smiled warmly, his brown eyes shining through wire-rimmed spectacles.

He greeted them. "Will and Alia, congratulations on your successful retrieval of the bank plans."

Will placed the cylinder holding the bank plans on the desk. "Mr. Weldon, you can return this to its rightful owner." Then he and Alia sat down in the plush chairs arranged in front of the desk.

"That one was a bit of a challenge," Alia said. "Do you have any new assignments for us?"

Amadeus Weldon smiled slightly. "Ah, eager to get started. You are remarkably like your mother in that respect. And as it so happens, there is a task at hand."

"Accessible from a portal located here in The Gallery, there is a rather unique world called Tarda. Tarda is comprised of a single landmass encircled by mountains that are surrounded by an ocean covering three-fourths of that world. The mountains were formed by volcanic activity. There is forest on all the mountains, and the tallest peaks are snow-capped year-round. However, the climate of most of the land mass is temperate due to the influence of some volcanoes that are still active. Tarda is divided into three regions. There is a vast plain two thousand miles wide that forms a band across the middle of the country. This great plane separates the northern region of Acor from the southern region of Zolara. Although there are a few dozen smaller towns on Tarda, there are only 3 large cities. Acrune is the capital city of the northern region of Acor while Zaga is the capital of the southern region of Zolara. In the center of the great central plain, the city Omphalos is located.

Part of what makes Tarda important is that it is a nexus world. It contains five portals, one each in the states of Acor and Zaga, one in the eastern and western mountains, and one in Omphalos. Each portal leads to different worlds. As you know, portals are important for many reasons. The most important is for the passage of the small creatures that energize the worlds in a way we do not quite understand. Besides adding something to the energy of each world, these creatures also serve one or more specific functions on the worlds they inhabit. On Tarda, for example, the trolls are responsible for mediating the flow of lava that still erupts in some areas. They are constantly at work each year creating fissures that allow smaller amounts of molten lava to flow to the seaside of the mountains that surround Tarda. Without their efforts, lava would encroach on the central landmass that is Tarda endangering all the creatures that live in that world."

Will and Alia listened intently. Each time they spoke with Amadeus Weldon, they learned more about the function of the portals and the creatures that used them.

Mr. Weldon continued, "That brings us to another unique thing about Tarda. There has been no conflict on the world for more than a thousand years. But that was not always so. At first, Acrune and Zaga were the only large cities on Tarda. They were located closer to each other in the central plain of Tarda. They were the capital cities of two tribes each laying claim to much of the land mass of Tarda and there was constant conflict between the Acorians and Zolarians. Each region had its own warlord-ruler and army. Over time, the capital cities moved farther and farther apart. The capitals moved to the northernmost and southernmost points of Tarda each just 20 miles from the mountains that encircled the country. However, each region still laid claim to overlapping areas of the great plain. There was continuous turmoil as each region sought to subjugate the opposing region, but neither warlord was powerful enough to conquer the other. Due to the constant fighting and widespread destruction, the people lived in a state of continual fear and starvation. Finally, conditions on Tarda were so desperate that even the warlords themselves wanted peace. But there was never enough trust that they could even meet much less agree on terms for a truce. They consulted their sages. The sages suggested asking the phoenix.

Sometime early in the history of Tarda, a phoenix arrived via one of the portals. It was a wondrous bird with a curved beak, long sharp talons, and magnificent red and gold plumage. It was only seen occasionally, but it flew far and wide over all the lands. The people were entranced by its beauty and would stop and stare whenever it flew over. Even the armies temporarily ceased fighting when the phoenix was sighted. The sages consulted with the phoenix and asked for help. It told them that, if the warlords agreed, it would select a leader who would bring peace to Tarda. The warlords agreed. Each king assigned representatives to follow the phoenix. It started spending all its time over a small town on the decimated great plain. One day the plumage of the phoenix changed. The feathers of its body turned a sapphire blue while its wing and tail feathers remained fiery red and gold. It built a nest on the front steps of one of the houses. Representatives of the kings arrived to watch. The phoenix sat down on its nest and burst into flames. The representatives were aghast. They did not know the phoenix was going to die. Before they could react, the flames died down, and they noticed that in the ashes of the phoenix, there was now a large egg. Then the door of the house opened, and a young man stepped out. Curious, he reached down and touched the egg. It cracked open, and a new phoenix rose from the ashes of the nest. Then the new phoenix, which we know was the reborn old phoenix, spoke with the young man. At first, the young man shook his head. Whatever the phoenix was asking, it was clear to the representatives that the young man wanted no part of it. He looked at the representatives standing some yards away then back at the phoenix. He was afraid. But the phoenix continued to speak with the young man. After a bit, the young man became calm. He nodded to the phoenix in agreement. Then he stepped over and spoke to the representatives.

"The phoenix says it has chosen me as the new leader of Tarda. It assures me it will be available for one year to advise and assist me. After that time, I will be ready to assume my new role alone."

"The young man was incredibly bright and friendly. He met with each of the warlords and, with the advice of the phoenix, helped them come to certain agreements. A treaty was signed. Each warlord was allotted territory that extended from the mountains near them, and into the great plains. Each then built a huge half-circle wall 250 miles long that arced from the mountains into the plain and back to the mountains and claim all of the lands inside the wall as their kingdom-state. They built river-moats just outside of the wall for additional protection. Once they secured their kingdom-states, they agreed to set up a new city, Omphalos, in the great plain halfway between Acor and Zolara. Omphalos would be the center of trade for Tarda. It would be the location for a Council, led by the new leader, that would settle any and all disputes that arose. Whenever issues arose, they were brought to Omphalos and, with the advice of the Council, they were resolved by the new leader.

The governance system of Tarda started years ago and continues to this day. It was set up by the original leader chosen by the phoenix. Acrune and Zaga are capital cities of the kingdom-states of Acor and Zolara. The rulers of these areas are now called governors. They are direct descendants of the original warlords. However, all three regions, Acor, Zolara, and the central plain with its capital city of Omphalos are subject to the deliberations and rulings of the leader advised by the Council. The Council is made up of the sisters, wives, and daughters of the governors of Acor and Zolara and one female representative from each of the towns of Tarda.

The people of Tarda have lifespans similar to people on earth. In time, the young man chosen by the phoenix became an old man. At the age of 85, he died. The phoenix returned. This time to the city of Omphalos. And the phoenix selected a new leader. This sequence has continued to the present day. Leaders chosen by the phoenix have been impeccable. The people have learned to trust and revere whoever the phoenix chooses.

The phoenix continues to live in the world of Tarda but is rarely seen. When the leader of Tarda dies, the phoenix reappears. It spends more time perched in a large tree in a small wooded area near the fountain in the square. Then one day, it alights on the doorstep of the young man or women who will be the next leader. There the phoenix dies. It bursts into flame. In the residue of the fire is an egg, which hatches when touched by the one chosen to be the new ruler. The reborn phoenix advises the chosen leader for a year or so after which the leader functions alone with the advisement of the Council. On Tarda, the new leader this is how it has worked for the last thousand years.

Although there has been peace on Tarda for a thousand years, there is still competition between the northern and southern areas. The people of Acor and Zolara are still fiercely independent and distrustful of each other. The fact that they are separated by a central plain and the ever-growing and flourishing city of Omphalos has helped to keep peace on Tarda for the last thousand years. The central plane with its capital, Omphalos, has become a mixture of people who have left the northern and southern regions as well as people from the towns on the plain itself. Everyone gets along with one another. However, the northern and southern regions have also flourished and grown competitive. Led by the descendants of the original warlords, the capital cities are bustling centers of industry and commerce. Lately, their leaders have become antagonistic to each other. They have forgotten how decimated Tarda once was due to constant fighting. But their competitiveness and will towards dominance have been kept in check by the wise decisions of the revered leader chosen by the phoenix and the deliberations of the Council."

Amadeus Weldon paused and looked at Will and Alia. "That brings us to the present. The leader of Tarda passed away one month ago. Two weeks later, the phoenix made its expected appearance and was seen for several days in the ancient cubila tree in the small wooded area near the fountain in the center of Omphalos. Then it disappeared. This has never happened before. If the phoenix does not choose a new leader, there will be no one to mediate between Acor and Zolara. This would lead to less cooperation and an attempt at domination by one of the sides. New hostilities might break out. This would effectively close the portals of Tarda causing disruptions that would be felt throughout the connecting worlds."

Amadeus Weldon paused to let what he had said sink in.

"What is the level of the civilization on Tarda?" asked Alia. "Are they using swords and horses like Alderwood?"

"Tarda is interesting. It is different from our world in several respects. The basic foodstuffs are fruits, vegetables, and grains, which are in ample supply. The lighting and sanitation are up to modern earth standards. However, there is no electricity. Everything runs on a unique combination of two metals that repel each other when in their pure form. I will let you observe for yourselves how these energies are utilized by the people of Tarda.

Amadeus Weldon calmly looked at Will and Alia. "The phoenix is not easily killed, but it can be captured and restrained. If kept confined indoors for a time, it will grow weak. I need you to go and recover the phoenix so it can choose a new leader for Tarda and ensure that that world continues its development in peace."

"When do we start?" asked Will.

"You can leave as soon as you are ready." You will arrive at the portal that opens in in the capital city, Omphalos. There is a Watcher named Korbin Benson who is stationed on Tarda. He will be your host on this trip. He will meet you when you arrive and fill you in on what he has learned."

Alia looked at Will. She raised her eyebrows. Will nodded.

"We are ready," Alia said. "Do you have the magic book?"

Will patted his pocket, "Got it."

"Then, let's go."

Mr. Weldon wished Will and Alia good luck and safe travels. Saydon Nemscally opened the manager's office door and led them out into The Gallery. Will and Alia followed Saydon to a nearby workshop. There were several work tables in the workshop. On a few of the tables were objects in different stages of restoration. On the wall was a large electronic calendar.

Will noted the date and time. April 2nd 11 am. He and Alia had agreed to put in a garden in the yard behind their house. Looks like planting will be a little late he thought to himself.

In the corner of the workshop was a tall piece of furniture covered by a red cloth. The object appeared to be about three feet wide and seven feet high. Saydon reached up and pulled the cloth off revealing a large oval mirror set in an intricately carved walnut frame.

Alia looked. She could see herself and Will reflected in the mirror.

"It's a mirror."

"It is a portal," replied Saydon. "Look as your dragon friend, Ramador taught you."

On their last adventure, Will and Alia had needed to visualize the portal that was their only way home. Those who know how to look can see portals. The last dragon of Alderwood, Ramador, had instructed them how to see portals.

Will and Alia looked at the mirror. They tilted their heads ever so slightly and looked out of the corners of their eyes. Their reflections disappeared. Instead, they saw what appeared to be a small room with bolts of cloth stacked high. A tape measure and scissors lay on a nearby table.

Saydon saw that Will and Alia were now focused on their destination. "Good luck. You will be appropriately clothed and accessorized as you go. Please, step through."

And they did.

# Chapter 3. Omphalos

Alia led, followed by Will, as they stepped through the mirror onto the wooden floor of a shop. As he stepped through, Will felt the familiar slight whooshing as though a breeze had momentarily washed across his body. Just steps ahead of him, he could see that Alia's clothing had changed. Alia was wearing a simple light purple shirt and tan pants with calf-high hiking boots. The collar and cuffs of her shirt were decorated with embroidery giving her, a styled look.

Will glanced at his clothing. He was dressed similarly to Alia with a belted tunic, pants, and boots though his clothes, being shades of brown, were not as colorful as Alia's. Will felt in his rather large pockets. Besides his book of charms, there was a small pouch. He opened the pouch and dumped its contents into his hand. There were several round objects each stamped with the image of a phoenix on one side and a number on the other.

"This must be some sort of money," said Alia examining the contents of the pouch she had found in her own pocket.

They looked around the room. They had stepped into a workroom of a tailor shop. The room was lined with shelves on two sides stacked high with bolts of both plain and brightly colored cloth mostly blues and reds. There were two well-worn work tables, and a mannequin with a partially tailored garment draped over it. Will noted a door at the back of the room. On the opposite side of the room, curtains hung in a doorway that separated the workroom from the front of the shop.

In the other room, a small bell jingled over the entrance to the shop. Alia walked over, then peeked through the curtain that divided the rooms. An older man in a tailor's apron with a measuring tape looped around his neck greeted a younger woman as she entered the shop.

"It looks like he's got a customer," she said. "I guess we need to wait."

Will and Alia stood on either side of the mirror looking around the room. On a nearby work table, the pieces of a garment were laid out along with shears that were being used to cut out the cloth.

In a short time, the bell jingled again as the customer left.

Will's eyes moved to the curtained doorway. An older man, apparently the tailor, took in Will and Alia unsurprised.

"Ah, you have arrived," he remarked.

"Mr. Benson? Korbin?" asked Alia.

The man frowned slightly. "Ah, no, I am not Korbin. I am called Thomas. You must be the Watchers he told me were coming."

"Yes, I am Alia, and this is my brother Will," said Alia. "Do you know where we can find Mr. Benson?"

"He goes by Korbin or Mr. Korbin, and I am not sure where you can find him," said Thomas frowning again. He was called away to dispatch a wayward zenegar, but I expected him back sooner.

"Zenegar? What is a zenegar?" asked Will. "And why do they need dispatching."

Zenegar are lizard-like creatures from the world of Zene and are about the size of a cat. They have six legs and are what you would call reptiles. Zenegar are quite beautiful. They are covered with cobalt blue scales with whorls of black along their legs and abdomen. A tall tuft of orange hair runs from head to tail along their back. They have yellow eyes and very sharp teeth. No two of them are exactly alike. They are rare and are quite popular among a few of the wealthier people of Tarda who keep them on display.

"What is the world of Zene?" asked Will.

The world of Zene connects to Tarda via a portal in the mountains north of the city of Zaga in the state of Zolara. Most people on Tarda are aware of the existence of this port, though few can actually find it. Even if they could find it, people would not go to Zene. It has a different atmosphere than Tarda. The atmosphere would be toxic to anyone trying to travel there. Zenegar must be kept in sealed glass tanks that have an atmosphere like that of Zene, or there are issues. Maintaining the correct atmosphere is relatively easy to do as there are a few plant species on Tarda that emit small quantities of the gas that is found in large amounts on Zene. Display tanks for zenegar are planted with those particular plants, and the zenegar are fed through portals in the tank, which is sealed to keep the atmosphere trapped inside. Zenegar are omnivorous. They eat plants, bugs, and small rodents. There are no wild zenegar on Tarda, but they manage to wander through the portal. There are trappers in the Zolarian mountains that keep traps set in the area of the portal. Because they are so rare and beautiful, a captured zenegar is worth a lot of money. The trappers capture zenegar and transfer them to a sealed tank and sell them for display.

"So why did Korbin go to dispatch a zenegar?" asked Will repeating his original question.

"Rarely, one gets past the trappers. Although in the world of Zene, the zenegar are cat-sized, in Tarda's atmosphere in a few days, they become ten times the size. They become aggressive and carnivorous. They develop a taste for people. When they get out, they run amok, can kill people and must be destroyed."

"Ouch," remarked Will. "Note to self . . . avoid zenegar."

"Zenegar eat people, not pets or livestock?" questioned Alia.

"There are no livestock on Tarda," replied William. The people on Tarda are vegetarians. Also, we have advanced past our need to use livestock for transport. Some wild animals live in the forests and on the plains of Tarda. There are few pets on Tarda. A few birds, and, of course, zenegar. But all pets must be in cages.

"So, should we wait here for Korbin?" asked Alia.

"Korbin said that members of the Tardian Council would be expecting you. The council building is at one end of the park that surrounds the fountain at the center of Omphalos," said Thomas. "Once you meet with the Council, you can wait for Korbin at his home. Someone in the Council will direct you there."

"How do we get to the council building?" inquired Alia.

"Finding your way in Omphalos is simple. The buildings of the city are aligned in rows running east and west. Wide pedestrian walkways instead of streets run in front of all the buildings. At the end of each block are alleyways that run at a lower level perpendicular to the walkways. These alleyways allow for people-transport between the walkways. There are also alleyways that run behind the buildings. Goods and services arrive via these alleyways to delivery docks located behind buildings. All traffic on alleyways is via vehicles called glides that both hover and move via magnetic repulsion. There are large glides for transport of goods and services and smaller glides transporting people between walkways. Where these alleyways intersect the pedestrian walkways, the walkways arch over them and stairs lead up from the alleyways to the walkways. This shop is on the main pedestrian walkway, and you will not need to take a glide to another walkway since the council building is due east of here. Just go out of the shop and turn right and follow the walkway over six arches to the park. You will see the council building at the far end of the park. Watch out for street urchins."

"What are street urchins?" asked Will.

"They are a band of orphans who roam the streets," replied William. "Oh, they are harmless enough, but they support themselves by pickpocketing and breaking into stores. Mostly for food. Watch your money."

"Thanks, for the warning," said Will.

"Let's go," said Alia, motioning toward the door at the front of the shop.

They thanked Thomas and proceeded out of the front door. The shop opened onto a wide paved thoroughfare that was the pedestrian walkway. There were a variety of shops on both sides. In addition, vendors had stalls in the middle of the walkway. Pedestrians crowded the walkways visiting shops and making purchases from the street stalls.

Alia led the way as they travelled along the walkway. When they reached the end of the block the walkway arched up, passing over an alleyway. Looking down over the parapet side-wall of the archway, they could see a large glide passing below. They watched as it proceeded a half a block then slowly turned to follow the alleyway that ran at the back of the buildings. A much smaller glide carrying a dozen passengers stopped at a platform beneath the arch. A few people got off and climbed stairs leading to the walkway and joined the crowd of pedestrians walking along in front of the many shops. Will and Alia moved off the arch and continued along the thoroughfare.

As they walked, Will noticed that most of the people wore the same simple garb he and Alia wore. His head swiveled as he looked around taking in the sights. He felt a bump at his side. He saw that he had bumped into a small boy. The boy fell crying out in alarm.

Odd, thought Will, I barely touched him. Will bent down and helped the boy to his feet. He felt something brush his pocket. He turned and saw another small boy walking rapidly away. Will looked down to say something to the little boy who had been knocked down, but he had disappeared into the crowd. Alia had stopped several feet ahead of him and was looking back at Will.

Will felt his pocket. The small pouch that held coins was gone.

"That boy," he said pointing. "He stole my money! We need to catch him."

Alia could just see the head of the boy bobbing in the crowd. The boy turned and looked back. He saw that Will and Alia had spotted him, and picked up his pace, dashing to the other side of the walkway and heading for the stairs that led down to the alleyway. Will and Alia moved through the pedestrians trying not to lose sight of the boy. Will altered course and headed straight for the stairway. The boy stopped at the top of the stairway glanced back. Seeing that Will and Alia were following, he ran down the stairs just a dozen yards ahead of Will and Alia.

They followed him down the stairs. The boy jumped from the platform at the base of the stairs and into the alleyway itself. He ran down the alleyway then darted into the smaller alleyway that ran behind the buildings. Will and Alia followed. This alleyway was deep in shadows as most of the light from the afternoon sun was blocked by the tall buildings on both sides. Will paused letting his eyes get accustomed to the shade. Alia too paused.

"There!" she said pointing further down the alleyway. The boy was walking along one side of the alleyway deep in shade, under the edge of the docks that were a few feet above the alleyway floor.

Will broke into a jog moving further down the alleyway. Alia followed.

The boy was only a few yards ahead of them when suddenly he stopped and spun around.

"Want this?" he said holding out Will's pouch of coins.

Alia and Will stopped, surprised.

The boy smiled. "We will have the lady's purse too!"

Will had a sense of something falling from overhead. Without warning, a large heavy net dropped on them knocking them to the ground.

Peering up through the thick mesh of the net, Will could see several figures moving to surround them. Even in the dim light, he could see the glint of what looked like a weapon in each person's hand.

"This lady has a surprise for them," growled Alia, "They're armed. Can you get us out of this?

"Get ready," Will whispered. "I will dissolve the net."

Will grasped the net in his left hand. " _Evanesco_ ," he whispered citing the charm he had memorized.

Several things happened almost simultaneously. The net vaporized. In the instant that the net vanished, freed of the heavy weight that had forced them to the ground, Will and Alia bounded up and positioned themselves back-to-back to face their assailants who moved to surround them. As they got up, Will grabbed a few small sticks lying in the alleyway.

And just a fraction of a second later, Will, whispered, " _Converta armo_."

The two sticks were converted to stout staffs in Will's hands. He handed one to Alia.

Now Will and Alia focused on their attackers. And noticed a very curious thing. They were looking down at their attackers. Figures that had looked imposing when they were looking up from under the crushing weight of the net, now looked not nearly so imposing from their standing position.

"They're children . . . kiddos, sprouts, moppets!" Alia whispered over her shoulder to Will, who, having similar cognitive skills as his twin sister, had come to the same realization. They were surrounded by boys and girls none of whom seemed older than twelve or thirteen.

Will looked curiously at the short stick-like object that each of their assailants was brandishing. "Still, children with weapons of some sort."

"Wait!" a voice rang out from the alleyway the entrance at the end of the block.

Will turned and looked. He saw a dark-haired boy running toward them.

"What happened," the boy asked as he reached the outskirts of the group that surrounded Will and Alia.

"I did a little grab," said the boy who had bumped into Will. "They looked like they could afford it. And they followed, so we figured we would take the lady's money too."

Another boy scratched his head and glanced warily at Alia who was ready to pounce. "Then our net disappeared, and they somehow got fighting sticks, big fighting sticks."

"We agreed no more stealing," said the dark-haired boy. "Lower your weapons."

The children – for that was indeed what they were – all lowered their short stick-like weapons.

The dark-haired boy moved through the group and reached Will and Alia who turned to face him.

He was slim and taller than most of the group but still a foot shorter than Will or Alia. He had dark, almost black, hair that fell to a few inches above his shoulders. His skin was a mixture of natural light-brown color further darkened by exposure to the sun. His dark brown eyes glinted with intelligence and friendliness.

"I am Rami," he said introducing himself. "And you are twins."

"Yes," replied Will intrigued at the young boy's perception. Will marveled at how self-assured the boy was. The others listened to him with respect.

Alia spoke, "I believe you have something that belongs to us."

The boy who had snatched Will's pouch looked at Rami. Rami nodded, and the boy held out the pouch to Will. Will retrieved the pouch and put it in his pocket.

"What are you using to defend yourselves?" asked Alia, nodding at the stick-like objects that each person held. The objects were about eight inches long and appeared to be shiny metallic rods. There was a bright purple tip at one end.

"Those are stun sticks," replied Rami. "They carry a small amount of an extract from a plant that grows wild on Tarda. If it touches your skin, it causes rapid paralysis that lasts about 5 minutes."

"Good to know," said Alia as she watched everyone putting the sticks away in small sheaths that each wore attached to their belts.

"You two are new to the city," said Rami. "Why are you here?

"It's a big city," replied Will. "Why do you think we are new to it?"

"Although you dress like us, you don't quite sound like us," replied Rami. "Or act like us. No one I know can make capture nets disappear or have a stout staff appear in their hands. Who are you and why are you here?"

"We come from another place. We have been sent to find the phoenix," Will responded.

"Oh, you are Watchers," said Rami. "Like Korbin."

Will was startled. "You know about Watchers? And Korbin Benson?"

"Everyone knows about Korbin. He dispatches the zenegar that get loose from Zene and grow too big. The Council has been asking him to look into the disappearance of the phoenix."

"What do you know of that?" asked Will.

"Nothing," replied Rami, "we were all excited when the phoenix appeared. That meant a new leader would be chosen. We have petitioned the Council for work so we can earn more money for food, but they appear unwilling to decide until a new leader is chosen. Plus, we need the phoenix."

Will noted a look of concern cross Rami's face.

"Why do you need the phoenix?"

"He is beautiful." "He is strong." "He is powerful." A chorus of different answers from the group answered Will.

"Without the phoenix, we will have no leader. Without a leader we have no one to guide the Council and keep peace between the Acorians and Zolarians," replied Rami.

"Why do you steal?" asked Alia.

"Where most of us live, The Shelter can only afford to feed us one meal a day. We need money for food. We are quite good at pickpocketing and lock picking. We target only those who can afford it."

"Why did you agree to stop stealing?" Alia asked.

Rami lower his eyes. He shrugged his shoulders then looked around at his group. "This may sound strange, but after the phoenix appeared, several of us met it in our dreams. It told us all the same thing. Stop stealing."

Will glanced at Rami's friends. All were nodding.

"Has the phoenix talked to you about anything else?" asked Alia.

"Before it disappeared, a few of us dreamt that the phoenix said we should find the zenegar. But that made little sense. That is what Korbin does, he finds zenegar. The ones that are loose anyway. And speaking of Korbin. We are worried. He should be back by now. He is quite good at what he does and finding and dispatching a zenegar should not have taken him more than a day or two.

"In fact, we are here to meet Korbin," said Will. "We were instructed to pay a visit to the Council then go to Korbin's home.

"I can take you to the council building," said Rami.

"Thanks," said Alia. "It looks like we are almost done here." She glanced at Will.

"Almost?" inquired Rami.

Will pulled the pouch back out of his pocket. He tossed it to the young boy. "Take it. It sounds like you need it more than I do."

As one, a gasp arose from the group of children as they noticed the heft of the pouch and heard the clink of coins. Their faces lit with smiles.

"Thank you!" said the small boy grinning broadly.

"Now we are done," said Alia.

As the group dispersed, Alia and Will followed Rami, backtracking down the alleyways then up the stairs to the pedestrian walkway. They resumed making their way down the crowded walkway toward the park.

"Do you know where Korbin went?" Will asked Rami.

"There was word that a zenegar was seen near a sawmill outside Woba, a town on the western edge of the great plain," replied Rami. "I suspect that the Council will ask you to find him. I can take you to Woba."

"If Omphalos is in the center and the plain is 2,000 miles across, then Woba must be about 1000 miles from us," said Will. "How will we get there?"

"We can either walk or use glides to get to the outer limits of Omphalos. Freight travels to other cities and towns on glides on special roads throughout Tarda, and those are fairly rapid; however, it would still take a good part of the day. But for people to travel outside of Omphalos, we have whisks."

"What are whisks?" asked Will.

"It is easier to show you," replied Rami. "First, I will take you to the council building. It is at one end of the central park in the middle of Omphalos.

In a short time, they arrived at the park, which appeared to be a few blocks wide and several blocks long. Rami crossed the walkway that ran around the park and headed straight along the main walkway through the middle of the park. They passed large clumps of trees interspersed among grassy fields. People were on benches alongside the walkway or scattered over the grass, some walking, some lying on blankets on the grass. The air was filled with the scent of the trees and flowers. They reached a large fountain at the center of the park. The fountain was large bowl, thirty feet across, made of white stone that held water about a foot deep. In the middle of the fountain, on the backs of six swan-like birds was a second bowl. Around the rim of the upper bowl, water spouted from the mouths of three koi-like creatures into the upper bowl then overflowed the edges of the bowl to drip into the lower bowl. In the center of the upper bowl stood a large bird made of rose colored-stone. From its crested head and hooked beak to its sharp talons, it was clearly meant to depict the phoenix.

"The phoenix fountain," noted Rami as they passed. "The cubila tree where the phoenix was last seen is nearby."

As the group continued, Will observed Rami's head was down as he walked frowning slightly.

"What's wrong?" Will asked.

Rami looked up. "Oh, besides Korbin being gone too long, some of my friends have also disappeared over the last week or two. They are not in the city, and they have no reason to be anywhere else on Tarda. Ever since the phoenix disappeared, there has been a strangeness in the air. It is worrisome. I hope that you can find the phoenix. Maybe the disappearance of my friends is related."

Rami paused looking in the direction they were traveling.

Just ahead at the end of the block, they could see a large light gray building with a portico that spanned the front of the building. Steps led up to a large double door.

"That's the council building," said Rami pointing. He led the way through the rest of the park to the council building. A waist-high wrought-metal fence surrounded the council building. A gap in the fence allowed for paved path to the wide steps of the portico. Will and Alia followed Rami down the walkway then up the steps and through the double doors.

"You will have to announce yourselves," Rami said, stepping aside and letting Will and Alia approach a man seated behind a reception station in the enclosed lobby.

Will hesitated. "Ah, er, my name is Will Barclay, and this is my sister Alia Barclay. We were told that the Council wants to see us."

The man at the station looked down and touched a screen on a tablet in front of him.

He examined "Ah, yes. Mr. Will and Miss Alia. Please go through that door," he said pointing to a door on the right-hand side of the lobby. "Meeting room one is the first room on the right. Members of the Council will join you there."

"May we take our guide with us?" asked Will, indicating Rami standing a few steps behind them.

"Mr. Rami is always welcome in council chambers," the man said. "I will announce him too. Please proceed."

Alia led followed by Rami, then Will.

"Do they know you here?" Alia inquired looking at Rami.

"I am a bit of a thorn in their side," said Rami. "The Shelter needs a lot and, along with Cornelia Cross, the head of The Shelter, I have not been shy to ask."

They arrived at the door labeled Room 1 and entered. Inside was a long table with four chairs on one side and three chairs on another. They stood, waiting. In a few minutes, they could hear activity on the other side a door that opened into the room. The door opened, and four women entered. The women moved to the side of the table with four chairs.

"I am Amzi of Acor," said the woman who led. She was the shortest of the women and was solidly proportioned. She dressed in a reddish blouse over a floor-length red skirt. Her black hair was cut short, and her blue eyes gazed calmly at the visitors. "This is Narah of Zolara," she continued, touching the shoulder of the woman on her right. "We are council co-chairs. And this is Opha and Cornelia, also council members," she said, indicating the other women. "Opha is Narah's daughter and a graduate of Leader School. Cornelia is the head of The Shelter. Welcome Will and Alia Barclay."

Nara was slender and a head taller than Amzi She was dressed in a blue blouse, and her blue skirt also brushed the floor. Her attractive brown eyes peered out from an oval face framed by long brown hair. Opha was a younger version of her mother Will noted. Though she was dressed similarly to her mother, subtle differences in her features suggested that she would turn heads in the capital city.

The woman introduced as Cornelia was older than the others. Her short hair had traces of gray. Her blue eyes sparked and enhanced her smile as she greeted them.

"Hello Rami," she said.

Rami smiled. "Hello, Cornelia." He turned to Will and Alia. "Besides running The Shelter, Cornelia is also our primary teacher at The Shelter school."

"Welcome all," said Amzi. "Please sit."

"As they were seating themselves, Will was observing Amzi and Narah. Although they had both entered the room with the confidence one would attribute to council leaders, Will thought he detected a hint of nervousness in their eyes.

Any hint of nervousness evaporated when Amzi spoke. "We will get right to business. We have asked for help from the Watchers because the phoenix has disappeared. It must be found as soon as possible. The peace and security of Tarda depend on it."

"That is why we are here," Will said. "What can you tell us of the disappearance?"

"The phoenix first appeared in the cubila tree, near the central fountain in Omphalos. It was there for a few days, then it was gone," said Amzi.

"Who would benefit if the phoenix were to disappear?" asked Alia.

"No one stands to benefit if the phoenix does not choose a new leader," replied Narah emphatically. "Quite the opposite in fact. My husband is Malchus, governor of Zolara. Amzi's husband is Boaz, governor of Acor. The years of peace have brought prosperity to both cities and the surrounding territories. But what now is competitive co-existence could change to something less peaceful. To this day, Acorians and Zolarians still dislike each other."

"Why is that?" asked Alia.

"That is one of the unexplained mysteries of Tarda," said Amzi. "The people are different. Narah and I are examples of the differences. Most Acorians are right handed while Zolarians are left handed. Acorians are shorter and have dark hair while Zolarians are taller and have lighter hair. Acorians prefer the color red, and that is reflected in their clothing choices while Zolarians prefer blue. The great central plain lies between the two capital cities and their surrounding regions. This geographical separation has helped perpetuate the dislike and fears passed down for generations. Even the geographical position of the regions must have some unexplainable influence on the behavior of the people. The remarkable thing is that people from either region who have moved to the city of Omphalos change. Without exception, within a year or two of moving, they lose their animosity toward those from the other region. They even lose their preference for red or blue color. In fact, Narah and I are good friends. We wear these colors because we represent the two different areas."

Narah nodded in agreement. "We are the best of friends. And we have shared conversations that our husbands have had with us with each other. Both men would like to expand their areas of influence. Both have already talked about what should happen if no new leader is chosen. Each maintains that the new leader should come from an area that has a history of great leadership namely Acor or Zolara. And each feels they would be the best choice. And neither thinks the other would be a worthy choice."

"Without the phoenix and a new leader, we can foresee there would be an inevitable conflict," continued Amzi. "The Council could not choose a leader without alienating the people of one or both regions. The security force of Omphalos is by far the largest security force on Tarda, but it is dedicated to the city and pledged to follow the leader, not the Council. Without a new leader, our husbands would be tempted to annex areas and towns in the great plain. Eventually, there would be conflict. No one would benefit, and many would suffer."

"But it sounds like your husbands' conversations started after the phoenix disappeared, so neither of them was planning the disappearance," noted Will.

"Was there any suspicious activity reported in the area where the phoenix appeared?" asked Alia.

Will noticed a quick glance passed between Narah and Amzi before Amzi responded.

"Security reported that there were more of Vargon Timitri's men in the area of the park for several days around the time of the appearance of the phoenix. But Vargon has several businesses in the area, and their presence may have been related to that."

"Has anyone questioned Mr. Timitri?" asked Will.

"Vargon Timitri owns a lot of businesses in the city and has been a benefactor to Omphalos and many council projects," replied Narah. "We thought it best if Watchers questioned him rather than the Council."

"Well, we can start there," said Will. "We will also inspect the area where the phoenix was resting. But first, we need to go to Woba to find Korbin."

All four council members nodded.

"That is our other concern," said Narah. "Korbin Benson is a skilled zenegar catcher. We expected him back sooner. Something must have delayed him. We can offer you a member of our security force to show you the way to Woba."

"No need," replied Alia. "Rami has offered to accompany us."

"Then good luck," replied Narah. "And please hurry back and find the phoenix."

Will, Alia, and Rami bade the council members good-by. The council members rose and filed out. All except one – the woman introduced as Cornelia.

"Rami, you must return quickly. In two days is the test for admission to Leader School. It is a privilege that you were accepted for the test. You must not miss it."

"I am sure we will be back by then," replied Rami.

"Very well," replied Cornelia. "Then you should go. Take care and return safely."

Will and Alia said goodbye to Cornelia then followed Rami back into the hallway.

As they made their way toward the outer doors, Alia spoke to Rami.

"You are applying to Leader School?"

"Yes," replied Rami. "No one from The Shelter has ever been accepted, but Cornelia Cross says I have a good chance to get in. The test is given every other year to select pupils for the next class."

"What is Leader School?"

"Under the guidance of the first leader, the Council set up a special school. They thought that by mixing students from across Tarda, they would better learn to work together, thereby promoting peace. The brightest children are brought together and live at Leader School. Besides their regular studies, they are given classes in the history and culture of Acor and Zolara and the people of the great plains. There are also classes in business and art. After graduation, students return to their regions. Because of the friendships that develop at Leader School, most become businessmen or women or leaders of town councils. It contributes to the stability of Tarda. Plus, the new leader is almost always chosen from graduates of Leader School. As you heard, Narah's daughter Opha is a graduate of Leader School. As is Amzi's son Caleb."

"Then we need to make sure you are back in two days," said Will.

"We will travel to Woba via whisk," said Rami.

"And the sooner we set out, the sooner we will return," said Alia. "Lead the way."

The group made their way out of the council building. As they were leaving the council building a young man up ahead who was standing just outside of the building suddenly turned aside and disappeared into one of the small gardens that ran along the side of the building.

"Odd," remarked Rami. "I am sure that was Caleb, son of Boaz and Amzi. He looked like he was trying to avoid us."

"Besides the Councilwomen, is it unusual for Acorians and Zolarians come to Omphalos?" asked Will.

"Depends," replied Rami, "there are some who are very much rooted in the Acorian or Zolarian way, which includes distrust of the other side. Those people seldom leave their respective state. The governors also almost never leave. They send representatives to the Council to make whatever case they are trying to make. But many Acorians or Zolarians, especially the younger ones, travel throughout Tarda including Omphalos. Of course, Opha travels to Omphalos. She is the only daughter of Malchus and Narah and sits on the Council. Caleb stays more in Acor now that he has more responsibilities in the governing of Acor, but he is seen now and again in Omphalos. I have spoken to him occasionally. He is intelligent and polite. Odd that he would not say hello."

They continued on to the pedestrian walkway that led back through the park. They walked quickly making their way through the heart of Omphalos.

Will marveled at the expanse of the city. Most of the buildings were three or four stories high. The first and second floors were reserved for businesses while people lived on the floors above. In a few places, an individual building rose in the air a few stories higher. The buildings were all similar, covered with a light-colored stucco material. The walls of the buildings were flat, but the corners, edges, and roof lines all were decorated with intricate whorls and curves of stucco in a myriad of shapes and forms. All had finely crafted doors and painted signage. The main walkway was lined with shops of all kinds. There were stores dedicated to clothing, food, and household goods as well as jewelry and furniture. There were restaurants with seating inside along with tables and chairs outdoors. People sat eating and drinking while observing the busy travel on the pedestrian walkway. Several larger stores appeared to have a variety of goods for sale. As they passed over intersecting alleyways, Will could see glides packed with people moving up or down to nearby blocks.

"Are all the walkways as busy as this one?" he asked.

"This one through the center of town is the busiest," replied Rami. There are several more that, though not as crowded, are quite busy. As you get further away from downtown, things change."

Soon they were making their way toward the outskirts of town. The shops were fewer and fewer. There were more residences, many on the ground floor of the buildings. Up ahead was a large two-story stone building that stretched the length of half of a block. As the entered the building, Will observed that they were in a large high-ceilinged lobby. Multiple openings were evenly spaced around the perimeter of the lobby. Very dark openings. In fact, it was impossible to see anything in the openings except darkness. Over each opening was a sign. Rami approached the opening under the sign that said Woba.

"Here is the whisk to Woba," said Rami leading the way. "This opening will get us to Woba in a few seconds."

"How can that be?" asked Alia frowning. "You said Woba is almost 1,000 miles away."

"I don't know, it just does," replied Rami. "Legend has it that the phoenix worked with the trolls to develop these passageways at the time of the first leader. Whisks exist between Omphalos and most of the larger towns in the plain as well as from Omphalos to Acor and Zolara. Follow me"

Now you or I would not be so trusting as to believe a boy we had just recently met who tells us that entering a very dark doorway would allow us to travel nearly 1,000 miles in a few steps. But Will and Alia had been through some interesting experiences in their trip to Alderwood. They had learned that there are people who you can trust and there are things that just are. So, they followed Rami into the doorway without a second thought.

# Chapter 4. Finding the Watcher

Will noticed that travel through the dark doorway was similar to stepping through the portal into Tarda. Once he had stepped through the opening, he could see he had arrived in a station similar to the one that he had left. Will emerged right behind Rami and Alia who were already heading toward the station exit. Will took note that this station had only the single doorway through which they had come under a sign that read, Omphalos.

Rami stopped at the door to the outside as a melodic tone sounded behind them. They turned and looked back at the doorway through which they had come. As they watched, the doorway changed from a dark opening to the appearance of a closed wooden door. The image of the door dissolved, and two men dressed in work clothes walked out. Then the doorway returned to its original dark appearance.

"That's what happens when someone is coming through from the other side," said Rami. "When it looks like a real door, it is closed, and you cannot enter."

"Amazing," said Will. "And built by trolls?"

"Yes," said Rami. "The trolls are said to be masters of underground construction. It is said that their continued work diverts any volcanic activity to the seaside of the land mass rather than the plain side of the mountains."

Rami led the way into the walkways of Woba. Woba, like Omphalos, had pedestrian walkways crossing over the grid of alleyways for commercial vehicles. Alia and Will followed closely. Even though Woba was much smaller than Omphalos, there were still several main walkways all busy with activity and a central park with a smaller version of the fountain at Omphalos. Just at the outskirts of town, they came to a river.

Rami pointed to a path next to the river. "We need to follow this river for about a mile. That will lead to the sawmill. It is the area around the sawmill where the zenegar was reported to be on the prowl."

The three followed the path flanked by tall bushes on the left and the river running on the right just below the path. Soon, in the distance, they could see a place where the river widened. On a small spit of land separated from the river bank by a channel, a two-story wooden building with a water wheel on one side was connected by a footbridge to the mainland.

"That channel has been dug to divert part of the river," explained Rami. "The sawmill is on an island with the river on one side and the channel on the other. Water from the river that is diverted into the channel powers the sawmill. Water turns the wheel that drives both the circular saw blade and the conveyor that transports logs through the blade."

The sawmill was still some distance off when Rami suddenly moved from the riverbank into the cover of nearby bushes motioning Alia and Will to follow him.

"It's quite odd," he said, "someone appears to be guarding the entrance to the sawmill."

Will and Alia peeked through the brush. They could see a man standing at the head of the wooden footbridge that crossed the channel and led to the sawmill buildings. The man held a rather long shaft in his hand.

"That's a stun spear," said Rami.

"I take it there are not usually men with stun spears guarding the bridge," remarked Alia. "Do you know who he is?"

"He is not wearing a uniform or an armband of either the security force of Acor or Zolara," replied Rami. "Nor is he dressed like Omphalos security who sometimes help Korbin dispatch zenegar."

"If someone is trying to keep people out, then that's where we need to get in," said Will matter-of-factly.

Will and Alia put their heads together. Then they discussed their plan with Rami.

"We will need a distraction so we can get by the guard," explained Will.

"I can take care of that," replied Rami. He gave his stun stick to Alia, "Here, you might need this."

"Thanks," said Alia. "Let's get started."

" _Disapero_ ," Will whispered as he touched the sleeve of Alia's tunic.

Will and Alia vanished.

Rami gasped, "I heard that there was a Watcher who could do magic. It's you!"

"Yes, it's me, but I am still learning," came Will's reply as if from thin air. "Now you do your part."

Rami walked toward the sawmill bridge. As he neared the bridge, he hailed the man guarding the bridge entrance.

"Sir, have you seen a young girl come this way?"

"No one has come by for the past hour," replied the guard.

"She likes to visit the mill, I need to go there and look for her," Rami reached the guard and attempted to move past him onto the footbridge.

One hand still holding his stun spear erect, the guard reached down and pushed Rami back by the shoulder.

"No one is allowed inside."

Rami approached the guard again and attempted to squeeze between the guard and the rail of the bridge on the guard's left side. "But I must go inside to look for her."

This time, the guard moved over pinning Rami to the rail. He pushed Rami back from the bridge then, grasping his shoulder, turned him around and gave him a push.

"Leave now," the guard said, lowering his stun spear and pointing it at Rami.

"Your sister is not here. Do not return today."

Rami stood a little way off and faced the guard. He noticed that the footbridge wavered slightly. Then the door to the upper level of the mill opened and closed quickly. He smiled to himself. As per their plan, he had created a diversion and moved the guard a bit to the left so that Will and Alia could creep past. He moved off back down the trail over which they had just traveled. Once out of sight of the guard, he crept back through the bushes to watch.

Will and Alia had crept past the guard and, as quietly as possible, crept across the bridge and up the outer stairway to the second level of the mill. The door flashing open and closed that Rami had spied had marked their entry into the upper level. Once inside, they paused and looked over the rail to the scene below.

There were four men on the work floor. Two of the men stood with their hands on levers. One was near a huge round saw blade at the head of a large 20-foot-long log. The second was at a lever near the end of the log. The third man, a short bearded fellow, was near the middle of the log and was leaning over a fourth man. The fourth man was lying down, tied securely face-up on the log. His hands were bound together at his waist. A couple of turns of rope wrapped his chest to the log beneath him. An additional rope secured his ankles to the log. The man on the log was dressed differently from the others. The three standing men were dressed in simple tan work shirt and pants. The man on the log was dressed in what looked to be hunter's clothing. He had heavy boots and pants with many pockets. Both shirt and pants were a swirling mixture of gray, green, and brown camouflage color. His gray hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and a full gray beard covered the lower part of his face. And he was smiling!

"The man on the log must be Korbin," Will whispered.

The bearded man scowled at the man tied to the log (who indeed was Korbin). "Tell us where and when the Watchers are arriving."

"I'd prefer if you'd just let me off of this log and we have a civilized discussion," replied Korbin. "It's really not safe here."

"I'll show you not safe," growled the bearded man. He nodded to the man at the head of the log. "Start it up."

The man pulled on a large lever fastened into the floor. Gears moved as the power from the water wheel outside was transferred inside. The great circular saw blade moved slowly, then faster as it spun up to speed.

"If you don't talk, there will be two of you," said the bearded man nodding to the man at the other lever at the foot of the log.

The man pulled back on that lever, and the log advanced toward the blade. The front of the log met the spinning blade, and the blade cut into it. A cloud of sawdust rose as the spinning disc moved through the wood. The blade began to slice the log neatly in half as it moved closer to Korbin's head.

Although Alia was invisible, Will had his hand on Alia's shoulder so that he could tell where she was. He raised his voice over the whine of the blade.

"You take the man running the log control, and I will take the man at the blade control. Let's get both turned off, then free Korbin."

Will and Alia crept down the inside stairway then separated moving carefully toward their respective men.

The bearded man signaled to the man on the lever that controlled the log, and the log stopped its progress through the saw blade.

"Tell me what I want to know. When and where will the Watchers arrive?"

"Why do you need to know?" asked Korbin still apparently unconcerned about the circular blade still spinning but now stopped about one foot from his head. "Do you want to welcome them here?"

"Oh, yes," said the bearded man snickering as he looked at the other two men. "We have a welcome planned for them."

Just then the lower door to the sawmill opened, and three men entered. Will recognized two of the men as the men they had seen exit the whisk behind them at the station.

The third man, the man who had been guarding the footbridge, spoke. "The Watchers have arrived! They were sighted in Omphalos. He indicated his companions. "These two followed them to Woba." The man scanned around the interior of the mill. "The Watchers must be nearby!"

"We will look for them. And I guess we don't need this one," the bearded man said glancing at Korbin. He nodded toward the man controlling the log.

The man leaned on the lever, and the log moved again toward the spinning saw blade. Korbin glanced over his head as the blade inched closer.

Several things happened almost at once. Alia and Will, both still invisible, reached their respective targets. Alia reached out and touched her man with her stun stick. The man stiffened and fell over. Alia reached up and pulled the lever, stopping the progress of the log toward the saw blade. Will reached out and touched his man. At the same time, he whispered " _Lapidoro tempro_." His man quickly became rigid, and froze standing in place. Will reached out and slammed the lever in the opposite direction stopping the saw blade.

But perhaps most notable was Korbin. While Will and Alia were attending to their men and stopping Korbin from progressing through the saw blade, Korbin was speaking and moving.

"Time to get up." And, with that, he made a few deft movements of his hands, and the rope fell from his wrists. He reached into one of his many pockets and pulled out a large knife. He flicked his wrist snapping the large razor-sharp blade into place. Swiftly, he severed the ropes at his chest and ankles that bound him to the log. Then Korbin stepped down from the log, both feet firmly on the mill floor.

All of this took only a few seconds. The four men who were not paralyzed – the bearded man and the three who had just arrived, were momentarily stunned. Two of their associates were paralyzed, and their captive was standing next to the log to which, only a few seconds previous, he had been securely tied. But the four recovered rapidly. All four reached for weapons. The bearded man, less than a yard from Korbin, unsheathed a large knife from his belt. The other three, several yards away, pulled out stun sticks and turned towards Korbin.

But Korbin was not done. Reaching into another of his many pockets he took out a handful of stun sticks. And just as fast, he threw them at his assailants. Each was struck as the tip of the stun stick hit the bare skin of their foreheads then bounced off. And each went stiff, paralyzed by the toxin at the end of the stick.

"Well, that's done," said Korbin looking satisfied. "Will, Alia, I suppose you're nearby. Can you make yourselves visible?"

Will whispered the reversal charm and popped into visibility just a few yards from Korbin. In less than a minute, he heard Alia whisper next to him.

"I'm here."

He felt her grasp his hand and whispered the reversal charm, and she too became visible.

Korbin nodded. "Ah, there you are. Nice to meet you. We must go now as the stun sticks will wear off in about five minutes." He reached down beside the log to which he had been bound and picked up a long curved sword in a scabbard. "Perhaps, if we hurry, we can catch up to the boy who came with you."

Korbin launched into a jog as he headed for the door to the outside with Alia and Will right behind him. The three dashed out of the mill and across the bridge. They slowed to a brisk walk following the trail beside the river. Up ahead, Rami popped out of the bushes and onto the trail.

"You've found Korbin," he said nodding.

"Yes," said Will. "Korbin, this is Rami."

"Ah, Rami," said Korbin nodding. "Cornelia Cross has spoken highly of you. I believe you are to take the Leader exam in two days."

"I am pleased to meet you," replied Rami.

"I think it is best if we all return to Omphalos as soon as possible," said Korbin. "Let's talk on the way back."

All four continued on the path to the whisk station.

"Was there a zenegar on the loose after all?" asked Rami.

"There was a zenegar loose, and it was a large one," replied Kozar. "I dispatched it. It is odd for one to be seen this far west, but this is the fourth in the last few months. Odd coincidence that the men caught up to me right after I dispatched the zenegar. They were waiting for me. Some of those men had traces of zenegar scent about them. I suspect that they let that zenegar loose to lure me to Woba. Those men seemed particularly concerned about when and where new Watchers would arrive. I suspect they had something planned for you two," he said, looking at Will and Alia.

"So, it must be related to the disappearance of the phoenix," remarked Will. "They wanted to stop us."

"In the past few months, there has been an increase in the number of zenegar reported on the loose," Korbin said. "The trappers out of Zolara also report that the numbers in their traps are up but only slightly. It looks like more zenegar are finding their way through the portal. This is very unusual. So, the number of zenegar coming through the portal in the last few months goes up then the phoenix disappears. Coincidence? Perhaps not. But what does it all mean? Let's return to Omphalos. You will stay at my house, and we can discuss what we need to do to get to the bottom of this."

# Chapter 5. Korbin's House

The sun was setting as they reached the outskirts of Woba. They made their way through town and to the Woba whisk station. The small whisk station was empty. Korbin led as they walked to the doorway marked Omphalos and stepped through.

The Omphalos station was busy with people entering and exiting portals marked with various destinations. Exiting the station, Korbin led them away from the main thoroughfare into a more residential part of the city with fewer shops and no factories. Here stone steps led directly from the pedestrian walkway up to single- or multi-family residences, each two or three stories tall. Each house was separated from the next by a narrow space on one side, which led to a small backyard. In the middle of the block, Korbin stopped at a house constructed of smooth brown natural stone.

"Twenty-Seven, that's me," he said as he walked up the five steps that led to the doorway.

He flipped several small levers that were lined up on the door, apparently some type of mechanical locking mechanism. Korbin pushed the door inward and gestured for them to enter.

The front door opened into a large foyer. Inside the door was a wooden rack with many hooks half of which were occupied by hats or coats or vests. On the left, Will saw that a doorway led to a small library with floor-to-ceiling shelves packed with books. On the right, a doorway led to a parlor with two chairs, a table, and a small couch. Straight ahead an arched opening led to the living room.

Korbin stepped aside and gestured for his guests to enter the living room. "You should be careful . . . ."

Alia, the first through the living room, jumped back startled as something on the left moved. A sharp click, click, click chatter reverberated from the room.

"As I was saying," Korbin repeated, his voice low and calm. "You should be careful not to startle the zenegar."

Alia advanced cautiously with Will right beside her. To their left was a structure resembling a large glass aquarium. It was about a yard wide and two yards tall and another two yards deep. It was big enough to hold a school of good-sized fish; however, there was no water. Sand covered the bottom with small mountains of stone sloping upward from the sand floor and reaching almost the top of the container. Several deep green leafy shrubs were growing out of the stone, and a light green moss covered much of the stone. As Will took in the details of the container, he was startled by eyes staring at him. In the middle of the structure, about halfway up the face of the stone on a ledge was a creature the size of a cat. Two yellow reptilian eyes stared directly at them. A tuft of orange hair ran from head to tail, and cobalt blue scales, through which ran swirls of black, covered its body. It stood on four legs with two more legs raised in front. It rapidly opened and closed the pincers of its front legs making a sharp clicking noise.

"This is Zorba," said Korbin. "Obviously a zenegar. He was caught two years ago."

"He's beautiful!" exclaimed Alia.

"Yes," agreed Kozar. "He has calmed down considerably but is still quite animated. Make note of that clicking sound. That is the warning sound that zenegars give before they either charge or retreat. Of course, since he is confined in this container, he is harmless. Beautiful but deadly when larger. Consider the alternative," he said, pointing across the living room.

Will's gaze followed the direction Korbin was pointing, and he spied the same cobalt blue zenegar color. Startled, he realized that he was looking at a creature the size of a large tiger. This one was also standing on four legs with its front two legs raised and pincers open. Its mouth was open showing rows of razor-sharp teeth. Fortunately, this one was not moving.

"That's what happens when zenegar are exposed to the atmosphere of Tarda for more than a day or two," explained Korbin. "And, they get very aggressive. I stuffed that one. I take him around to the towns on Tarda to remind folks just how dangerous they are and to report sightings of the small ones immediately."

"How do you defend yourself against something that size, much less kill it?" asked Alia.

"Water balloons," replied Korbin.

"Water balloons?!" chorused Alia, Will, and Rami.

"Zenegar are dissolved by water. If I have to go after one such as that, I will lob a few water balloons at it, hoping to hit the body. A few well-placed balloons will cause enough damage to distract it enough that I can move in. First, I disable the pincers, then go for the head. That does it. If the zenegar swats the balloons with its front feet, that works too, since invariably it will swat the balloon with one or both pincers, which will dissolve them essentially disarming it. All I have to do then is avoid the teeth until I cut its head off."

Alia was thoroughly intrigued. "What do you use to cut off its head?"

Korbin raised the scabbard containing the sword he had picked up at the mill. He also pointed to two crossed swords mounted on the wall.

Alia was familiar with this type of weapons. They closely resembled katanas, Japanese samurai swords from her world. She had done training with them from masters who visited her fencing class when she was growing up at Farmstead Academy.

"I will give you a quick tour, then I will make us something to eat," Korbin said.

Korbin showed them around the house. On the first floor, besides having the foyer and living room, the house consisted of the small library, a bathroom, the parlor, and a kitchen with a large table surrounded by four chairs. There were three bedrooms upstairs and a small stairway that led to an attic. A door off of the mudroom at the back of the house led to a small backyard containing a garden, and a shed that served as Korbin's workshop.

The three made themselves comfortable in the living room while Korbin cooked. They could hear chopping and banging of pots. Soon they heard bubbling as a pot of stew began to cook. This was followed in short order by the intriguing scent of stew wafting from the kitchen.

In a short time, Korbin invited them all to sit at the kitchen table. He dished up a stew heavy with multi-colored vegetables. Puffs of warm vapor rose from the freshly baked brown bread as he sliced it open.

After they had all had at least a start on squelching the hungry rumblings of their stomachs, Korbin began the discussion.

"We need to know who was seen near the location of the phoenix around the time of its disappearance and how they might benefit from its disappearance."

"My friends saw both Amzi and Narah trying to speak with the phoenix," said Rami.

"Interesting that they did not mention that when we spoke with them," commented Will.

"And Amzi and Narah reported that Vargon Timitri's men were seen spending more time around the fountain square near where the phoenix was spending much of its time," reported Alia.

"How would he benefit by the absence of the phoenix?" asked Will.

"In the short term, Vargon's businesses would benefit since people would buy up goods in anticipation of a conflict," Korbin remarked. "And I suppose long term, if war started between Zolara and Acor, he would make money. But Vargon is a smart man. He knows that conflict would lead to destruction of both cities and the surrounding countryside and ultimately his businesses would be ruined."

"Unless he is backing one side or the other," mused Alia. "And has a way of tipping the scales."

"I am fairly certain those were Boaz's men at the mill who were trying to get me to tell them when Watchers would arrive," replied Korbin. "Boaz is the governor of Acor, and his security is headed by his brother Kozar. One or both of them might think that, in the absence of the phoenix, Boaz could get himself chosen as the new leader."

"We know that Malchus, the governor of Zolara feels the same way," commented Will.

"So, we have Amzi and Narah; Malchus and Boaz; and Vargon Timitri," Korbin summarized. "We need to investigate each of them further. I propose that Rami and his friends spend time following Amzi and Narah and asking around Omphalos to see if there is a good reason for them to want the phoenix to disappear. Also, if they wanted the phoenix gone, they would have needed a crew to catch it and remove it, so see if there is any talk about a team of trappers working for the Council. I will take Will and Alia and, with the excuse of introducing them to Malchus, travel to Zolara and poke around. We will also visit the area near the portal to Zene and talk to the trappers to see if I can figure out why there are more zenegar coming through. We can travel to Acor and visit with Boaz to get a sense of what he is up to. Then we will return here and compare notes."

"Rami, when is your exam?" asked Alia.

"The day after tomorrow, it takes all afternoon. I can meet with you in the evening."

"Good luck," said Will yawning.

"Ah, yes," said Korbin. "Time for some well-deserved sleep.

And, with that, all said their good-nights and were soon sleeping soundly.

# Chapter 6. A Visit to Zolara.

The next morning Will and Alia awoke with the sunrise. Will could hear noises in the kitchen. He concluded that Korbin was already up. Sure enough, by the time he and Alia made their way to the kitchen, Korbin was just finishing preparing breakfast, and Rami was sitting at the table.

Will and Alia joined Rami at the table. While Korbin made breakfast, Will paged through his book of charms.

"What's that?" asked Rami.

"It's my book of charms," replied Will.

Rami leaned forward and looked at the pages of the book.

"The pages are blank!"

"Only people who can do charms can see what is written," Alia explained.

"I hate to interrupt the discussion of Will's magical powers, but it's time for breakfast," Korbin said as he began to set plates on the table.

Korbin placed a pile of steaming hot pancakes on the table. They helped themselves then smothered their servings with fruit and sweet syrup mix. After stuffing themselves, Will and Alia volunteered to clean up. While they were still washing dishes, Rami stepped in to tell them goodbye.

"Good luck on your exam tomorrow," Alia called as Rami was leaving.

Korbin entered the foyer with a pack on his back.

"Supplies," he remarked to Will's questioning glance. Will noticed that there was a large curved sword in a scabbard strapped to the outside of the pack. Will and Alia finished the dishes then packed up their few possessions. Soon the three were out of the house and heading for the whisk station. Arriving at the busy station, they entered through the double doors. Will and Alia followed Korbin into the large high-ceilinged lobby to the door marked Zaga. Korbin stepped through the doorway closely followed by Alia and Will.

They found themselves in a station somewhat smaller than that at Omphalos. Besides the door through which they had walked, there were an additional two doors marked Omphalos and several other doors all labeled with the names of towns that Will did not recognize.

"Those other doors are all whisks to towns throughout Tarda," Korbin informed them. "This station is linked to Omphalos and all the towns on Tarda but not to any of the towns within Zolara. A separate whisk system within the wall is connected to all the towns in Zolara. The setup is similar in Amara."

"Wall?" questioned Alia. "What wall?"

Korbin smiled as he turned toward the exit doors of the station. "Follow me."

Will and Alia followed Korbin through the exit doors and out of the station. They stopped when Korbin stopped. Korbin pointed and waved his arm across the whole field of their horizon.

"The wall."

Starting about 100 yards in front of them and from left to right as far as they could see was a stone wall that reached 50 feet high.

Will and Alia were dumbstruck. In fact, Will's mouth hung open just slightly as he took in the massive structure.

"Let me explain what you are seeing," said Korbin. "As you know, volcanic mountains completely encircle Tarda. This wall is semicircular and completely walls off the state of Zolara. It starts at the mountains on the west and m into moves north into the plain of Tarda then proceeds back to meet the mountains on the east. It is 200 miles long and completely separates the region of Zolara from the rest of Tarda. In front of the wall is a moat that is actually a river that was engineered to flow along the entire front of the wall. In front of you is a gatehouse complete with drawbridge and towers on either side of the entryway. There is a gatehouse about every 20 miles along the wall. The wall is about 30 feet deep, and there is a platform that runs along the top of the wall. The top part of the wall that looks like teeth is the battlement, a place where defenders can peer out.

"How long did it take to build this?" asked Alia.

"Perhaps 10 years. It was begun once the cities of Acrune and Zaga had migrated further away from each other," replied Korbin. "It was finished as part of the peace agreement negotiated by the first leader."

"Is it still necessary?" asked Will as they walked away from the station and toward the gatehouse.

"I think the wall is a symbol of independence and security more than a necessity. I am pretty sure that the drawbridges have not been raised in some time, though I notice they are working on this one now," Korbin remarked as they crossed the drawbridge.

Looking down, they saw a few men working on the machinery that raised and lowered the bridge. They could see two men in brown work clothes moving in and around the mechanism that controlled the drawbridge.

The trio crossed the bridge, through the gateway and walked into the city on the main pedestrian walkway that led from the gate. Except for the unique river moat that protected the city, Zaga was set up much like Omphalos. Glides ran on a grid of alleyways. North-south alleyways dropped passengers off at stairs leading to pedestrian walkways and also connected to east-west alleyways running behind buildings. A wide perimeter alleyway surrounded the city and intersected the ends of the alleyway grid. The pedestrian walkways, running east-west served as the main thoroughfare in front of buildings. Here too, where pedestrian walkways crossed alleyways, the alleyway dipped slightly as the walkway arched over top.

The blue-gray brick buildings along the walkways were well built but with none of the scrollwork or embellishments like the buildings in Omphalos. All of the signage, though varying in size, was the same style and color. There were numerous shops carrying every sort of goods imaginable and carts with vendors selling foods and smaller objects. The walkways were bustling with people, all similarly dressed as the citizens of Omphalos except almost everyone wore clothing in shades of blue. There were men dressed in identical blue tunics and pants with knee-high leggings. Each wore a blue armband with an insignia showing a shield with a crossed sword and stun spear. Each man carried either a stun lance or long-handled stun stick at the ready. The men were organized in pairs and were stationed at each junction where walkways and alleyways crossed. None of the men were smiling and, though they nodded solemnly to Korbin as the group walked past, they eyed Will and Alia warily.

A slight smile touched Korbin's face. "I see the security staff of Zolara are still on high alert. That started when the phoenix disappeared."

Some distance ahead, they saw that the walkway passed through an arched gateway in a gray stone wall 10 feet tall. Behind the wall, they spotted the upper floors of a large white edifice.

Korbin noted that both Will and Alia had spotted the building as they got closer. "That is the governor's palace complex. It houses the governor's family, his special guards and most of the principal offices that serve the people of Zolara."

Soon they had arrived at the gateway. The gateway, which was the entire width of the pedestrian walkway, was wide open. There were guards with stun spears on either side, but they did not stop any of the people passing through. Korbin led the trio through the gateway, and they continued for half a block noting offices for transportation, building, water, agriculture, and taxes in one-story buildings along the walkway. Then they arrived at the palace itself in the center of the complex. Here the door was guarded.

Korbin spoke to one of the guards.

"We are here to meet with Malchus. Please tell him that Korbin Benson and his associates have arrived."

The guard disappeared inside. In a few minutes, he came back with a small, balding, man dressed in a flowing blue robe. Will noted the man's face was hard to read. He had an open, almost expressionless face. The corners of his mouth were upturned in a polite smile, but his eyes flitted back and forth among the newcomers.

Korbin took the man's outstretched hand and shook it. "Zander, it is nice to see you again. These are my associates, Will and Alia Barclay. Zander is the interior minister for Zolara."

Zander bowed to his guests. "You have arrived at an opportune time. Malchus is having his weekly meeting with the ministers of his inner council. One of the topics that has come up for discussion recently is the increase in zenegar sightings. As you have often worked with our hunters to dispatch wayward zenegar, Malchus was sure you would come to visit at some point and has been postponing any discussion pending your arrival. He will be happy to see you."

They followed Zander inside. Will was at once struck by the contrast between the inside of the palace and everything outside of the wall surrounding the governor's palace. Whereas buildings in the rest of the city were plain and practical, inside the palace was ornate, almost gaudy. They moved over polished white stone floors past walls hung with bright tapestries fringed in blue and gold. White stone benches inlaid with swirls of color and plush chairs covered in shiny, colorful fabrics were scattered throughout the high ceiling rooms they passed through.

"Did we take a doorway to a different country?" commented Alia looking at the extravagant furnishings.

Will thought he detected a hint of amusement in Zander's tone as he spoke.

"The people of Zolara revere their governor and are happy to maintain him and his family in the style that they deserve," said Zander as they continued moving through the opulence.

They arrived at a tall door made of polished black wood. Zander knocked then, excusing himself, went inside, and closed the door behind him. Will could hear muffled conversation within. Then Zander was back, opening the door and gesturing for them to enter.

Zander waved his hand from the guests to the men seated at a table in the room. "May I present our guests, Korbin and his associates Will and Alia Barclay."

Four men were seated at a table that would easily seat a dozen or so. Each had papers and ledgers scattered about them on the table. They sat on either of the long sides of the table chairs tilted to face the head of the table. At the head of the table, sat a man with a full gray beard dressed in a long flowing blue robe. His dark curly gray hair draped onto his shoulders. The blue robe was trimmed with gold, and a large medal with the stun spear crest hung from a gold chain around his neck. He sat in a heavy, intricately-carved wooden chair elevated by a small platform.

"May I present, the governor, Malchus of Zolara, and his ministers," said Zander continuing the introductions.

Korbin bowed from the waist and, following his example, Will and Alia did the same.

"Ah, come in, come in and welcome," said Malchus beaming. "These are my ministers of taxes, agriculture, forestry, and transportation," he continued indicating the men seated at the sides of the table. "Please be seated. I wish to discuss the zenegar issue."

"Before we discuss the zenegar issue," Korbin said as the trio seated themselves. "I would like to know if you have any concerns regarding the disappearance of the phoenix."

Will noticed that Malchus did not pause or hesitate. He seemed open and friendly.

Malchus sat straighter in his chair and leaned forward. "It is of great concern to my people and me. We need a leader chosen by the phoenix. Without such a leader, the Council cannot function. I hear Boaz has volunteered his services as leader. That would be totally unacceptable to the people of Zolara. Perhaps we could have an election. I would put myself up for such an election as would many council members or even town leaders. But who would trust a leader not chosen by the phoenix? Would someone try to assume the leadership by force? Such thoughts and discussions have alarmed my people. That is why I have put my security force on alert. I understand that is why the two new Watchers have been sent. Hopefully, they can find the missing phoenix." He sat back in his chair his glace moving from Will to Alia and back to Korbin.

"That is why Will and Alia have been sent," agreed Korbin. "They are experts in this area, and no doubt will succeed."

Will was determined to keep the appearance of confidence on his face. He glanced sidewise at Alia and caught her flash of eyebrows raised in surprise before she resumed a look of nonchalance.

"Now, what are your concerns regarding zenegar?" asked Korbin.

"As you know, there has been an increase in zenegar sightings over the past few months. Our trappers have set more traps in the area where you have indicated that the portal to Zene lies, but they have only caught a few more than usual, and they are selling well-within the limits that have been set. There have been some sightings of large zenegar. This has caused quite a disruption among my people. What do you think is the cause, and what can we do about it?"

"Before I can answer your questions, I will need to look around the area of the portal," replied Korbin. "Once I have checked it out, I will be better able to provide answers."

Malchus nodded. "By all means. We will assist you however we can."

"Of course, you must look around wherever you need," said Zander quickly (and somewhat nervously Will thought).

"Why don't you relax and refresh yourselves. Your inspections can wait until this afternoon.

"Zander, we came by whisk, it was not an exhausting trip," replied Korbin.

"But . . . " began Zander.

"In fact," interrupted Korbin rising from his chair, "we should get started right away."

"Perhaps, you are right," said Zander hurriedly. "We can use your expertise. But please stay and have lunch with us."

"Thank you, but no, we should be on our way. Malchus was kind enough to let us interrupt his meeting, but we will get on with our business."

And, with that, Korbin once again bowed to Malchus, nodded to the ministers and led the way out of the conference room, leaving an obviously startled Zander standing next to the table.

"What was that?" asked Will.

"Zander is hiding something," said Korbin. "I have never seen him so friendly and accommodating. I think we need to get to the area of the portal to Zene before he can cover up what's going on."

With Korbin in the lead, they walked to the whisk station inside the city of Zaga. This whisk station was as large as the one outside the wall. It had no doorways to Omphalos but had 15 doorways each labeled with the name of a town. They walked a short distance to a doorway under the sign marked Zona. Korbin stepped through, followed by Alia then Will.

There was no one else in the Zona whisk station. As they moved away from the doorway, Will looked back and saw that the sign over the doorway read Zaga. The sign over the other doorway also read Zaga. End of the line, thought Will.

Zona was considerably smaller than Zaga. Will counted that they crossed five north-south alleyways between blocks as they made their way westward from the center to the outer limits of the town. Only a few people were on the pedestrian walkways. Soon they were crossing the perimeter alleyway that surrounded the town and were on a road into the forest.

"Can the people of Tarda see the portal to Zene?" asked Alia.

"They cannot," replied Korbin. "Oh, if we took the time, we could teach some of them to see the portal, much like you two were taught by Ramador, the dragon from Alderwood. But I don't think anything good would come from them knowing exactly where the portal is, so I have indicated the area around the portal as the best place for the trappers to set their traps. Now either the zenegar have learned how to avoid the traps, or for some reason, more zenegar are making their way through the portal, and some are missing the traps."

"Could something be happening on Zene that is driving the zenegar through the portal?" asked Will.

"That is possible but not likely," replied Korbin. "The atmosphere of Zene is pretty inhospitable to humans or creatures like humans, which makes it difficult to check out. But I have queried a few of the creatures that live on the other side and use the portal, and none of them has reported anything unusual. I understand that the portal on Zene is in an area with lots of zenegar. I am pretty sure that the only reason Tarda gets any zenegar is that an occasional one stumbles through the portal and can't find its way back."

"So, what are we going to do?" asked Alia.

"We will start at the portal and work our way outward in circles," replied Korbin. "I want to inspect the area around the portal, then examine the traps that are set to see if I can find anything unusual."

Korbin left the road and led them following a path deeper into the woods. Soon, they left the path. Occasionally they passed over an ill-defined trail, but Korbin continued to step across trails and through the ground cover beneath the trees of the forest. Korbin obviously knew where he was going, but Will could not see any trace of a path. They crossed a small stream and intersected another path heading toward the mountains. This one Korbin turned to follow. Soon they entered a small clearing. Up ahead, Will could see that some bare rocks were visible at the foot of the mountain as it rose up in front of them.

"We're here," stated Korbin matter-of-factly.

Will and Alia examined the area. The portal was not obvious.

Then Alia looked at the rocks directly in front of them and tilted her head slightly as both she and Will had been taught by the dragon, Ramador.

"Ahh," she said. "I see it."

Will looked too, focusing on the rocks where Alia appeared to be looking. A dark oval about the half the height of a man appeared. There was no stone doorway blocking the portal as they had seen in the kingdom of Alderwood, just a dark opening.

The three were standing about twenty feet from the portal. Korbin raised his nose slightly and sniffed. He grabbed Will and Alia and pulled them into the brush out of the clearing.

"What is it?" asked Alia.

"Wait, and watch," said Korbin pointing toward the portal and ducking down.

Will and Alia crouched down peering at the portal through the brush. Nothing happened for a minute, then they were able to make out two yellow eyes moving back and forth in the portal. Soon they could make out the rounded snout and the small orange tufted head of a zenegar moving back and forth as its cobalt blue body slowly emerged from the darkness of the portal. The zenegar appeared to be sniffing the air as its head continued to be moving back and forth. Its cat-sized body paused just outside of the entrance to the portal.

Korbin rose silently and quick as a flash hurled a feather-fletched stun stick at the zenegar. The stun stick struck the zenegar on its side and bounced off. Startled the zenegar turned toward the portal but appeared not to be able to detect the opening. The zenegar stiffened in place. Korbin dashed up and grabbed the paralyzed creature. He then moved to the portal and, arcing his arm back, lobbed the still zenegar back through the portal.

"No point in dispatching that one," said Korbin. "Stun sticks work perfectly well on the small version. They are quite intelligent. No doubt that one will recall its lousy experience and give the portal a wide berth.

"How did you know it was in the portal?" asked Alia.

"After years of hunting these beasts, I can smell them at a distance," answered Korbin. "Come here." He picked up a pile of leaves from where the stunned zenegar had lain and held it out. "Smell this."

Will and Alia walked over and carefully sniffed the leaves in Korbin's outstretched hand.

"The scent is still on these leaves," Korbin remarked.

Will sniffed. A tiny bitter scent stung his nose.

"Got it," he said, standing back up and moving away.

Alia crinkled her nose as she too caught the scent.

"Now you know," said Korbin. "Remember that smell. As long as the wind is blowing in the right direction, it will alert you when one is nearby.

Korbin walked in partial circles, each time moving farther and farther from the portal.

"I don't see any obvious reason for zenegar to be coming through."

He moved to the edge of the clearing, this time he poked in the denser patches of brush.

"Aha!" he cried, pulling a mass of leaves and sticks aside. "This would do it."

Will walked over and looked down. There was a small wire box trap that had leaves and twigs woven into its wire mesh. Inside, he saw a small cage holding two small, black rodents.

"Those are Tardian peppersqueaks," said Korbin. "Zenegar love to eat live rodents and peppersqueaks are one of their favorite foods. I noticed that the zenegar seemed to be sniffing as he came through the portal. Someone has placed these peppersqueaks here to attract them.

Alia had been searching the brush just at the border of the clearing.

"Here's another," she said, pulling some brush aside.

The three continued to search and found two more traps containing peppersqueaks hidden just outside of the clearing. One trap contained a zenegar which, once again, Korbin paralyzed then lobbed through the portal.

"That explains why there are an increased number of zenegar," said Korbin. "Some of them must be avoiding the traps, or the traps are already full. I suspect that also explains why Zander wanted to delay our trip. He must have wanted to get someone to remove the evidence that they were trying to attract zenegar from the other side."

"But, why would he want more zenegar?" asked Alia.

"Perhaps for the money," mused Korbin. "Zenegar for display are worth quite a lot."

Will frowned. "But that doesn't appear to relate to the disappearance of the phoenix."

"Perhaps we are missing something," said Korbin. "We will spend more time in this area looking for clues."

After releasing the peppersqueaks from the cages in the traps, with Korbin leading, the three went down trails that led from the clearing where the portal was located. They explored for about three-quarters of a mile down one trail then would return to the clearing and explore another. After a good half day of walking, they returned to the clearing for a rest. Korbin broke out some food, which he shared with Will and Alia.

"There is one trail that appears to be getting more use than the others," remarked Korbin. "I think we should follow that one and see what we can find. If nothing turns up, we will return to Zona before dark. I want to be back in Omphalos this evening. We have time for a few more meetings before we meet with Rami and review what he has discovered."

After a rest, Will, Alia, and Korbin were back on the trail that Korbin had selected. To Will, the trail did not appear much used, but he trusted that Korbin's experience and instinct would help them find something. Alia was full of questions. She was interested in what Korbin was looking for especially when the trail forked and why Korbin would choose one path over the other. Korbin would patiently answer Alia's questions, occasionally stopping to show her something on a branch or the path itself that he recognized as a sign of recent use. They followed the path for more than an hour and it appeared to be heading back toward town.

All at once Korbin stood erect, nose in the air. He turned his head left and right sniffing.

"There are zenegar ahead. Several of them."

He moved cautiously, staying low on the trail and avoiding stepping on anything that would make a sound and give their approach away. Will thought he detected faint sounds ahead. Men talking. Now he too could smell the slight stinging sensation of zenegar that Korbin had introduced them to earlier. They continued moving slowly down the path.

In front of him, Korbin stopped. Just ahead was a clearing. Korbin rose up surveying the open space. Then he turned to Will and Alia.

"Two of those men are Zolarian trappers. The other two . . . I'm not sure. Let's watch."

The two trappers, dressed in camouflage garb similar to what Korbin wore, were talking to two men dressed in a brown shirt and pants. Between the pairs of men were three small cages, each containing a zenegar. Behind the men in brown were several medium-sized cages and two large tents. After a few more minutes of discussion, the men in brown appeared to be paying the trappers who then moved off down the trail towards town.

Korbin rose and led the way, stepping out into the clearing. Behind the men, Will could now make out that the medium-sized cages each held one or two cat-size zenegar.

"Hail the camp," Korbin called.

The men turned quickly. Will saw one man reach for the stun stick at his side but then withdraw his hand. The men looked at each other. One said something to the other.

"Approach," the first man called. "And welcome!"

Korbin led with Alia and Will right behind. Will observed that the men were dressed more like the merchants they had seen in Zaga; however, their clothes were brown rather than the Zolarian blue. Each had the blue armband signifying allegiance to the governor of Zolara. Both men were short and stocky with black hair. One was bearded and the other clean-shaven.

"Are you lost?" asked the bearded man.

"I am Korbin, zenegar hunter out of Omphalos," answered Korbin. "I have been asked by governor Malchus to look into the increase in zenegar running wild."

The second man had a ruddy face and a large bumpy nose. Will noticed that a look passed between the two men before the man stepped forward to address Korbin.

"We are licensed by the interior ministry to buy and sell zenegar."

"I am not trying to catch zenegar this trip, but am checking on the numbers caught." replied Korbin. "I noticed that you have so many that you must put two to a cage." He began to move closer to the chamber, but the man with the large nose stepped in front of him blocking the path to the cages.

"Do not get too close," the man said, "they are quite wild, and we do not wish to agitate them further."

Korbin paused and looked around the campsite. He sniffed the air and moved to the right in the direction of the two large tents.

All of a sudden, there was a commotion coming from one tent. There was banging and thumping of something moving around, then a loud clicking that Will thought sounded familiar. Then he realized it was the same sound that the small zenegar at Korbin's home had made. The sound that zenegar made when they were alarmed or angry. Though this sound was much louder.

Korbin also recognized the sound and reached for his stun stick, but the man with the bumpy nose was quicker. He touched Korbin with his stun stick. Korbin immediately began to slow then stopped, frozen in place. Will and Alia both jumped back, but both men turned and ran toward the large tent from which the clicking noise emanated.

"They know," shouted the bearded man.

"And it will be the last thing they know," replied the other. "Help me let it out."

Will froze when he heard the words let it out. In a flash, he remembered what they had been told about zenegar: vicious, deadly, eat humans!

The two hunters, grabbing stun spears and a ladder, scrambled onto the top of the tent. Instead of collapsing, it sagged, revealing the boxy shape of what it was covering. They reached down and grabbed the front of the tent flaps pulling them aside. There, not 15 yards from Will, Alia, and Korbin, was a huge zenegar, its front claws flashing through the bars of the large cage that had been hidden by the tent. One man pulled a pin at the top of the cage, and the cage door swung open. Will recognized intelligence in the zenegar's eyes as it looked up at the hunters then at Will, Alia, and Korbin, gauging which way to go. Will could swear he saw its yellow eyes gleam with pleasure at the anticipation of a meal. Choice made, it headed toward them. As soon as the zenegar advanced on Will and Alia, the men, still holding their stun spears, jumped from the top of tent-covered cage and vanished into the woods.

Will glanced at Korbin's eyes gazing in despair at the oncoming zenegar then back at Will and Alia. Will thought. Korbin's desperate? NO! He's trying to tell us something. Will looked again. Korbin was looking back and forth between Alia and his pack, which had fallen to the ground as he became paralyzed.

Will understood. He grabbed the pack.

"Alia, this is for you!" He unfastened the sword and scabbard that was fixed to Korbin's pack, then tossed it to Alia. "Get ready."

Having fixed on its first victim, the zenegar hissed loudly showing sharp rows of teeth and clacked the pincers of its two front feet. Slowly but steadily it moved toward Korbin.

Alia unsheathed the sword – the curved blade gleaming in the sunlight. Both she and Will moved to intercept the zenegar placing themselves between it and Korbin's frozen figure. At breakfast, Will had been paging through his book of charms. It always seemed to present charms appropriate to the situation. It had not failed him. He reached down and picked up a handful of pebbles from the ground.

" _Aquo vesico_ ," he murmured. Now he had what he needed. The pebbles had changed in his hand.

"Ready?" he said, glancing at Alia and moving two steps closer to the advancing zenegar

"As I'll ever be," she replied, moving to his side.

Will tossed the first water balloon at the zenegar – a long arcing toss with plenty of time for the zenegar to see and react to the incoming missile.

Sure enough, it instinctively swung at the balloon and struck it with its claw. Then screamed in surprise as the balloon burst and its claw dissolved.

Alia moved forward, now only a few yards from the zenegar but still to one side.

Will tossed another balloon, this one at the gnashing jaws of the still advancing zenegar. Again, the zenegar swung to intercept the incoming balloon, this time swiping it aside with its other claw. The balloon burst coating the second claw with water and the claw dissolved.

As the zenegar screamed, reacting to the loss of its second claw, Alia moved in. With one swing, the curved blade of the sword caught the zenegar's short neck and severed it from its body. As the head rolled to one side, the zenegar's body collapsed in a heap on the ground.

"Good throws," commented Alia.

"Nice, slice, err swing, err sword-work," replied Will, slumping to the ground. "My heart is still going a mile a minute."

"Yea, well, that was a bit exciting," said Alia.

They moved over and sat next to Korbin. Though he was still paralyzed, his eyes were smiling.

In a short while, the paralysis began to wear off. Scarcely able to move, Korbin could talk.

"Nice work you two," he commented. "I wasn't sure you would understand what I was trying for. By the way, there are water balloons in my pack."

"Yes, I thought there might be," replied Will. "That was plan B. I wasn't sure they were there, and I didn't know if I could get them out in time, and I was pretty sure I remembered the charm, so I went with plan A."

"And it worked. Who would have thought a magic book would have a charm for water balloons," mused Korbin.

"It always seems to know what I need," replied Will. "I've stopped trying to figure it out."

Korbin flexed his legs, then his arms. The paralysis was almost gone.

"Before we even heard the large zenegar, I knew something was up."

"What do you mean?" asked Alia.

"Look at those zenegar in the medium-sized cages," answered Korbin. "Notice how there is one larger than the other in each cage."

Will and Alia nodded.

"That's because one is male and the other is female. It looks like they are planning to breed zenegar.

"Can you breed zenegar on Tarda?" asked Will.

"Breeding zenegar is forbidden on Tarda," replied Korbin. "That being said, they can be bred. Years ago, when zenegar were first discovered, people found that, once they change size, the animals instinctively look to mate. Once they mate, the female kills the male, and it serves as nourishment for the female. The female will then find a warm spot and lay fifteen to twenty eggs. Once they are laid, it takes three weeks for the eggs to hatch. Once hatched, they would have to move the offspring to cages with special atmosphere. Large zenegar only live about 3 months."

"It sounds complicated. So why breed them?" asked Alia. "Why not just catch the wild little ones?

"Each zenegar is unique and quite beautiful. There are many people who would like to have one. Having your own zenegar is a status symbol. They could sell as many as they could raise. There is a limit on how many wild-caught zenegar may be kept and sold. In order to control the numbers of zenegar, the interior ministry of Zolara will buy all zenegar caught by hunters. The ministry destroys all but those designated for sale. If anyone could get a pair of zenegar and breed them, they would be able to sell the offspring on the black market and make lots of money."

"So, it looks like the problem is not the hunters but the men who buy for the interior ministry," concluded Will.

"Right," said Korbin. "And from the way he was behaving, Zander is in on it."

"So, what do we do?" asked Alia.

"We've disrupted them for the moment, but we still don't have any proof that Zander is involved," replied Korbin. "Plus, we do not have a clue as to why the phoenix has disappeared or whether its disappearance is even related to the scheme to breed zenegar. If it is just a matter of some wayward official breeding extra zenegar to line his pockets with money, then Tardan Council can deal with it. I have a feeling that we are missing something. You said Vargon Timitri's men were also seen in the area at the time the phoenix disappeared. We should return to Omphalos and interview Vargon. Then we will go to Acor and visit with governor Boaz to determine whether the Acorans might be involved with the disappearance of the phoenix. We should be able to complete our interviews by the time Rami finishes his test for Leader School. Then we can meet with him. Once we find all the pieces of this puzzle, we will put them together and come up with a plan. Right now, I need to look around."

Will and Alia watched as, from several feet away, Korbin inspected the caged zenegar. As he moved closer, the zenegar responded by hissing and clicking their claws. Will noticed that the zenegar backed away as Korbin approached.

"They are afraid," Will noted.

"Yes, unlike the larger zenegar which was quick to attack, these little ones are still afraid. I think it would be safe to return these to the portal."

"Since you can dissolve them with water, why not just simply dispatch them here?" asked Alia.

"A fair question," Korbin said. "First, as you noticed when Will tossed the water balloons at the attacking zenegar, it is painful, if only for a few seconds. Second, the zenegar are only a problem if they remain in this atmosphere. If they are returned to Zene, they will not grow and can live their lives where they belong. Most importantly, they are living creatures and part of the balance of nature that exists between worlds. That balance is complicated and one which I do not completely understand. Although it would save us a hike back to the portal, expediency is not enough of a reason for me to end their lives now."

He rifled through his pack and brought out a small pouch. He untied the thong from the top of the pouch and poured the contents into his open hand. Small bright blue pebble-like bits rolled around on his palm.

"Zenegar treats," he said, smiling as he noticed the curious looks from Alia and Will. "I make these up special at home. They contain a sedative that will keep these creatures calm and quiet for the trip back."

With that, he dropped a few treats into each zenegar cage. The zenegar quickly gobbled them up. In a few minutes, the zenegar were flopped over, with eyes closed and a what sounded like a loud purr coming from the throat of each. Once they were unconscious, Korbin could pack all the zenegar into one cage, which he hoisted over his shoulder.

With Korbin in the lead, the trio made their way back to the portal to Zene. Once there, Korbin lobbed the still sleeping zenegar back through the portal.

"I noticed when we first got to camp that the zenegar were exhibiting courtship behavior. Once they wake up, they will have enough on their minds to not stumble back through the portal."

Korbin looked up at the sky. "I think there is still time to make it back to Omphalos before sunset if we move along."

The trio arrived back in Omphalos just as the sun was setting. They were exhausted and hungry but went to a local market to pick up groceries. Korbin gave Will and Alia a short list while he went deeper into the market to speak with some contacts. Shortly after that, they arrived at Korbin's home. With Will assisting by chopping vegetables, Korbin soon had a hearty vegetable stew cooking on the stove. Meanwhile, Alia set about to make her favorite dessert. Pie.

"What are these berries you got for me to put in the pie?" she asked Korbin.

"Those are redberries. They are almost like sweet cherries. They grow on bushes in the mountainous area of Tarda."

Alia tasted a few of the raw berries. Her face lit up in a smile. "These are delicious. They will make a great pie."

And, after a hearty and satisfying stew, she was proved right as the three tired travelers finished off their dinner with warm redberry pie fresh from the oven.

"That was quite good," remarked Korbin as he finished the remaining crumbs of his redberry pie.

"Don't get her started," quipped Will. "Alia sometimes eats pie for breakfast, lunch, and dinner."

"True," sighed Alia contentedly. "I think I could live on pie alone. But enough of this talk about the finer things of life, have we heard from Rami and what's on the agenda for tomorrow?"

"Rami and his friends are still tracking down a lead, Korbin said. He left a message that he should have something to report late tomorrow after he returns from his test. In the morning we have an appointment with Vargon Timitri. Remember, the Council decided it would be better for us to interview him."

"Is the Council afraid of him?" asked Will.

"Not exactly afraid, but Vargon is an influential man on Tarda. He has his hands in lots of businesses, employs lots of people, and is very supportive of council projects. I think the Council wants to stay on his good side."

"How did he get to be so important?" asked Alia.

"That's a good question," said Korbin. "I have been here almost 15 years, and his holdings have been growing all of that time. When I arrived, he was already a prosperous businessman - he owned one of the larger transport companies on Tarda. Since that time, he has bought out his rivals and expanded into real estate. He transports all over the country – the great plain as well as Acor and Zolara and owns storage facilities all across Tarda."

"How old is he?" asked Will.

Korbin frowned. "I don't know exactly. He must be in his seventies. The story is that he grew up in a small village on the great plain. As a young boy, he worked for one of the transport companies. He moved up in the organization fairly quickly and, after the owner died, ran the company. After a while, he owned the company. He has been expanding ever since."

"Does he have a family? asked Alia.

"He is not married," replied Korbin. "He has said his parents died some time ago, and he has no brothers or sisters. In fact, no one knows what village he came from. There are a few older people who say they remember him as a young man working in the original transport company. He is quite sociable and is seen at council sponsored events mixing with people but does not appear to have any close friends. His employees are genuinely devoted to him, and he seems to be quite dedicated to his businesses.

"So, what do you make of the reports of his men hanging out near where the phoenix was before it disappeared?" asked Will.

"I would not make too much if it," replied Korbin. "Vargon's employees are seen all over Omphalos. With his transport business, I would be surprised if they were not seen near the fountain near where the phoenix was residing. It is in the center of the city, and the alleyways that run nearby are quite busy."

Alia looked puzzled. "Then why are we going to talk to him?"

"I am using the Council's request that I talk with him as an excuse to get to know him better," replied Korbin. "Vargon has always interested me. He has a vague background, and his organization is heavily involved in transport all over Tarda. As a Watcher, with an eye on what comes and goes through the portals, I need to better understand what his goals are as well as his capabilities for transport. As I have noticed him become more and more influential, I wonder if there is more to him than meets the eye. I have met him before, but only briefly. This will be an excellent opportunity to get a better sense of who he is."

Alia yawned. "Well, if we are going to investigate him, then we had better get some rest."

"Agreed," said Will and Korbin simultaneously.

In a very short time, all three were deeply asleep.

# Chapter 7. Vargon Timitri

After breakfast, the three were on their way to their meeting. With Korbin leading, they made their way back toward the center of Omphalos. The thoroughfares, as usual, bustled with activity. They traveled over a pedestrian walkway just a block off the main walkway that ran through the park at the center of Omphalos. As they walked through the city, Will noticed the different styles of architecture along the way. While most of the buildings appeared to be built of stone, each block was slightly different with different architecture or color schemes giving unity and tone to the neighborhood. Some blocks had almost white stones while others had reddish or brown stones. Brightly painted signs indicated the type of building whether it be a restaurant, a clothing store, or a center of one of the many trades in the city. As they turned onto the next block, Korbin in the lead paused and stepped aside. Will and Alia came up short. The buildings of the entire neighborhood were polished black stone. Will noticed there was less pedestrian traffic on this block. Most of the people moving from building to building were dressed in black or brown shirts and pants. Also, he could not see any street vendors and almost no signage on the buildings indicating what businesses existed here. In the middle of the block, he saw a large sign with the letters VTH.

"Whoa," remarked Alia. "What is this? This whole block looks like it is part of one business."

"Vargon Timitri Holdings," said Korbin, by way of explanation. All of these buildings represent the core of Vargon's business. Vargon's employees dress in black or brown. His buildings are uniformly black. Either built of black volcanic stone like these or at least painted with volcanic black pigment."

They proceeded toward the middle of the block and stopped in front of the double doors under the sign bearing the VTH logo.

"Is that . . ." Alia began while staring at the sign.

"Yes, that lettering is done in fine gold leaf. Vargon insists it came from the mountains of Tarda. No one else has ever discovered gold. That is just one reason he interests me so much. I suspect he has done trade with some of the trolls that live on Tarda but pass between worlds."

Korbin pushed through the double doors followed by Alia, then Will. The doors opened into a lobby with a floor of white stone containing swirls of gray. Large slabs of polished black stone covered the walls. Behind a large, centrally located glass counter stood a medium-sized young man dressed in black. He looked up as they entered.

"Mr. Korbin, welcome. And this must be Mr. Will and Miss Alia."

"Hello and good morning," replied Korbin. "We have an appointment with Mr. Timitri."

"Yes, Mr. Timitri will see you now," the man said turning and heading toward a door located to the right. "This way please."

The trio followed him out of the lobby and into a long hallway covered with the same marbled white floor and polished black stone walls.

As they followed the young man down the hallway, Korbin whispered to Alia and Will. "This young man is a graduate of The Leader School. Vargon Timitri employs many graduates of the school."

Will was impressed by the smooth efficiency with which they were met and the expert craftsmanship apparent in the construction of the building. As they walked, he raised his eyebrows and gave a sister a glance. She nodded.

"Do they know you here?" he asked Korbin.

"Apparently so," replied Korbin, a slightly puzzled look on his face.

They followed the young man down several corridors. At regular intervals along the way they saw depictions representing the history of the company. At last, they stopped at a closed, unmarked doorway. The young man opened the doorway and ushered them in. Another man, this one older but also in black sat at a desk in this small room. Behind him was another door. On the door, the lettering. V. Timitri.

The man at the desk looked up then pressed a button on his desk. He rose and greeted them. "Welcome, Mr. Timitri will see you now." He opened the door behind them and gestured for them to go in.

As they entered the office, Vargon Timitri rose to greet them. He was tall and slim, dressed all in black. He had tightly cropped black hair and a short, well-kept beard. Despite Korbin's estimate that he was in his 70s, Vargon Timitri's skin appeared smooth, his face unlined. But the eyes. Will found himself looking into two of the bluest eyes he had ever seen. They were a deep sapphire blue and, for a second, he saw milky swirls of white. And the pupils were vertically elliptical, like reptile eyes. What strange eyes Will thought. Will blinked and the eyes appearance changed. He was looking into normal, yet remarkable crystal blue eyes. Will blinked again. Had he imagined the strange eye color?

"Come in, please and sit down," Vargon said smiling and gesturing toward several chairs arranged around a rug off to one side of the office. "Mr. Korbin, I have heard much about you and have been looking forward to meeting you. And Mr. Will and Miss Alia, our guests from the Watchers, here to find the missing phoenix. Welcome."

Smooth as silk thought Will. All business and smiling. A people person. No wonder his enterprise ranged all across Tarda.

"Thank you for seeing us Mr. Timitri," said Korbin as they sat down.

"Please, call me Vargon or Mr. Vargon, as it suits you."

"Vargon, then," responded Korbin. "The Council has asked me to assist Will and Alia in their inquiries about the disappearance of the phoenix. But first, I must say that I admire how you have developed your businesses. I see your men all over Tarda."

"I have been fortunate in that regard," replied Vargon. "As you must know, I come from a small village on the plain. I was lucky enough to get a job in a local transport company when I was a young boy. After many years of hard work, I ended up owning the company. I do not have a family and my needs are few; therefore, I used the profits to invest in more businesses. My employees work hard but are well paid. Together, we have built up this enterprise."

"What about business with worlds connected to Tarda?" asked Korbin.

Vargon chuckled. "Ah, the zenegar. I have no interest in zenegar as a business. Of course, my people are involved in the transport of zenegar caught under license in Zolara, but that is the extent of any involvement my people have with the little creatures."

"Thank you for your candor," Korbin said. "I believe Will and Alia have some questions."

"We were told that your men were seen in the area from where the phoenix disappeared," said Will. "What can you tell us about that?"

"As you know, I have many businesses on Tarda. My men are busy with local deliveries in Omphalos. I could tell you they are seen throughout Omphalos and it would be quite normal to see them passing through the area. But if you inquire further, you would find that my men appeared to be lingering in the area where the phoenix was seen. Especially near the woods where the large cubila tree is located. So I must be frank with you. My men were there because I sent them there. As much as it pains me to tell you, I suspected that certain well-known citizens may have intended to harm the phoenix. My men were there to watch and observe. And to protect the phoenix if it came to that. Despite their best efforts, they failed. You know the rest. The phoenix has disappeared.

"Who are these well-known citizens and what made you suspect them?" asked Alia.

"There are two situations, somewhat related," said Vargon. "About the time of the first reappearance of the phoenix, my men reported they had seen Councilwomen Amzi and Narah enter the woods where the cubila tree is located. One of my men followed them. They were seen in what appeared to be an argument with the phoenix, which was perched in the tree. My man could not hear what was said, but he reported that they observed much gesturing on the part of the women and they appeared angry when they left. My men reported that the Councilwomen returned at least one more time to the cubila tree when the phoenix was present."

"Amzi and Narah," Will remarked. "The wives of Boaz and Malchus, the governors of Acor and Zolara."

"Quite so," agreed Vargon. "And that brings me to the second situation. About the same time that the Councilwomen were seen having their disagreements with the phoenix, my men noticed a small group of Acorian men in the same area over several days. Through other sources, I found out that these men are part of the security service that reports to Kozar, the brother of Boaz. Unfortunately, the Acorians became aware that my men were observing them. They disappeared from the area. However, a few days later, the phoenix disappeared. I must tell you that it is no secret that Kozar relishes the power and wealth that comes with belonging to the ruling family of Acor. Since the phoenix disappeared, he has made no secret of the fact that he thinks his brother is entitled to the role."

"But Malchus and the Zolarians would not let that happen," replied Will.

"Perhaps not," said Vargon. "Long ago the two tribes were evenly matched. Neither could overcome the other. That is why the appearance of the phoenix was so welcomed. But over the last twenty years, although both areas have prospered, Acor has become more militant. I think its security forces would have the edge. But what matters is what is in the mind of Kozar. He certainly believes that one Acorian could overcome ten Zolarians. His belief could lead to trouble. However, since the disappearance of the phoenix, despite the best efforts of my men, I have not found any evidence that either the Councilwomen or Kozar's men had a hand in its disappearance."

"Thank you for sharing what you know with us," said Will.

"Yes," agreed Alia. "We will keep investigating. We will find out what has happened to the phoenix."

"And I will share any new information that comes my way," said Vargon rising.

Korbin, Will, and Alia got up from their chairs. The door to the office opened, and the man from the outer office appeared and escorted them out to the hallway where they met the younger man who had accompanied them from the lobby. He smiled.

"I hope your visit was productive,"

Korbin nodded. "It was. Thank you."

They followed the man back to the lobby and left the building.

As they walked away from the building, Will spoke up. "Did either of you notice anything unusual about Vargon's eyes?"

"I saw nothing unusual," said Korbin.

"Quite blue, but not unusual," agreed Alia. "Did you notice something?"

"For just a second, I thought I saw a swirl of milky white in his blue eyes. And the pupils were vertical slits. But only for a second. I blinked, and they looked normal.

"Hmm," replied Korbin. "That description is vaguely familiar. I once heard some tale about people with those eyes. Maybe you heard the same thing and thought you saw that in his eyes. But my memory fails me on that. I will send a message to Amadeus Weldon at the Gallery. He may know something."

"How can you get him a message?" asked Will.

"Oh, there are creatures moving through the portals. There is a message station where creatures moving to our world will pick up messages. Amadeus should get my message in a day or so. But do either of you have any thoughts considering what we learned today?"

"I need to think more about it," said Alia as they made their way along the pedestrian walkways of Omphalos back toward Korbin's house. "That was a lot of new information. He suspects both Councilwomen and the brother of the governor of Acor. Could he be right? And which of his suspicions is correct – one or both?"

"Could Councilwoman Amzi be working with her brother-in-law to make the phoenix disappear?" questioned Will. "And why?"

"Much to be determined," replied Korbin. "Remember that Rami and his friends are looking into why the Councilwomen were spending time in the area of the phoenix. Now we know that they were having some sort of discussion with the phoenix, but perhaps Rami and his friends have learned more about what was reported. We will travel to Acor to visit with Boaz and his brother Kozar. Perhaps we can determine if Kozar might be interested in having the phoenix disappear. And we still are no closer to understanding how this ties into the increase in zenegar. Or if it even does. There is still time today. Let's head to Acor and see if we can meet with Boaz. Later this afternoon we will meet with Rami and see what he has learned."

# Chapter 8. A Visit to Acor

The trio made their way to the central whisk station in Omphala. As usual, it was a beehive of activity with people disappearing into doorways and popping out of others. Korbin stopped and used one of the communication terminals. Will and Alia listened as he contacted government headquarters to set up a meeting with Boaz. On a second call, he arranged to have a message taken to Amadeus Weldon at The Gallery.

Korbin stepped away from the communication station. "Boaz has agreed to talk to you two regarding the investigation of the disappearance of the phoenix and to me concerning the zenegar issue."

"Why is there a zenegar issue in Acor?" asked Will. "Zenegar would have to make it across the moat that surrounds Zolara to even get to the great plain. Then Acor is so far north, how could zenegar get that far without being spotted?"

"That, my young friend is an excellent question," replied Korbin. "Let me remind you that one source of zenegar might be those that escape from individual owners. That being said, those numbers have always been low. Recently I have been called to dispatch more zenegar in the areas west of the wall around Acor. After what we discovered yesterday in Zolara, I am starting to think that zenegar are being smuggled to places all over Tarda. Perhaps a few are escaping. This could turn much more serious if a breeding pair escapes. That would be ten to fifteen young zenegar hatching. And, being born in this atmosphere, they would turn into large, nasty, hungry zenegar."

Will shuddered at the thought of a small horde of zenegar running loose.

Alia was much less intimidated at the thought of loose zenegar. "Now that would be a challenge," she remarked grinning.

Korbin led the way through the whisk station toward the section where the doorways to Acor were located. Will could see the doorways ahead. Some appeared as darkened openings, but one looked like a closed door. From their previous visit, Will knew that the one appearing as a closed door had someone coming through. Sure enough, the door opened, and a man and woman leading two small children walked out.

Korbin led them to the doorway that had just been used. He stepped through closely followed by Alia then Will.

Once again, Will had the comfortable feeling of passing through a breezy open field despite the darkness that surrounded him for a second. Stepping through, he followed Alia as she and Korbin moved through the whisk station at Acor.

This whisk station was similar to the station at Zolara. It was smaller than that at Omphalos. Besides the door they walked through, there were two other doors marked Omphalos and several other doors all labeled with the names of towns that Will surmised must be towns in the great plain.

As they exited the whisk station, Korbin said, "This view will be familiar to you."

One hundred yards from the station, Will and Alia found themselves looking at a high stone wall. The wall stretched as far as they could see east and west. Off in the distance, they observed that the wall curved away ever so slightly toward the mountains in the distance behind the wall.

"The wall here is similar to the wall that surrounds Zolara. Acor being the northern state on Tarda, the wall starts at the northern mountains that surround the Tardan land mass and drops south of the capital city of Acrune, then travels back up to meet the mountains. A river moat lies in front of this wall as well. A mountain river was diverted to flow in the moat channel."

They made their way toward the nearest gatehouse. Here too, there were security guards at the gate, but they did not appear to be stopping anyone.

As they passed over the bridge across the moat, Korbin looked down and remarked, "Must be the season, men are working on the moat bridges here too."

Just below the level of the bridge, three men dressed in brown worked on the mechanism that raised and lowered the bridge.

The trio continued through the gate and entered the main pedestrian walkway into the capital city of Acrune. Where the buildings of Zaga had been gray stone and plain, the buildings of this city were a light-colored stone almost white with bright flowing red script denoting the businesses within. Flags flew along the street all containing the crest of the Acorians – a silhouette of a red phoenix holding a shield in one set of talons and a stun stick in the other. People filled the walkway moving from one business to the other doing their daily shopping. Here most people dressed in shades of red with security staff easily identifiable by their uniform of rose-colored tunic and darker red pants with black boots. They were armed with holstered stun sticks and wore armbands carrying the Acorian crest. Security eyed the trio as they passed but dismissed them as not being a threat.

Korbin led Will and Alia along the walkway. Up ahead they could see the wall that surrounded a cluster of buildings that housed the offices of the government. Pedestrian traffic dwindled but did not stop as people entered and left the gate that passed through the wall. They made their way to the governor's palace, a large white stone building in the center of the complex. The large door to the palace was guarded by two guards who stood in front of the door.

"We are here to see governor Boaz," Korbin announced.

One guard stepped aside and spoke into a communication device next to the door. Then he opened the door.

"Straight through the atrium to the main reception room."

This time, Alia led followed by Korbin then Will. But in just a moment her pace slowed as she gazed at the sight directly ahead. They had entered a large atrium. The floor of the atrium was polished white stone while the walls were a faint crimson color. At the center of the atrium was a light pink stone fountain thirty feet across. From the center of the fountain, a stone phoenix rose from a pile of orange and yellow crystals polished to look like fire. From twelve spouts evenly spaced around the circumference of the fountain, water arced, landing just short of the fiery crystals and sparkling in the pool of the fountain. Statues in the atrium around the fountain depicted soldiers in hand-to-hand combat. The coloration of the stones made it clear that, in each case, red-clad soldiers were soundly defeating blue-clad ones.

At the far end of the atrium, they caught sight of a large, stout man speaking to a shorter, younger one. His deep voice, though not loud, still traveled across the atrium.

"You are spending far too much time in Omphalos," he said looking down on the young man. "You are a man of Acor and should spend more time with the people of Acor."

"But I like visiting Omphalos. The people are interesting," replied the young man.

The large man's voice became louder. "Nevertheless, they are not Acorian. In time you will succeed your father, and you must have the interests of Acor foremost in your thoughts."

By this time, Korbin, Alia, and Will were halfway across the atrium. The large man looked up and noticed them.

"I see you have discovered one of our greatest historical sites," his voice boomed from across the atrium.

The two men separated, and the younger disappeared down one hallway. The older man strode across the atrium. "Greetings, Watchers! I am Kozar, brother of Boaz, the governor and leader of the great state of Acor. He had an unruly head of black hair and a full bushy beard. His shirt was a deep red with the Acorian crest in black on the chest while the red pants met knee-high scuffed black boots. His clothes appeared made for out-of-doors as the cloth was heavy with several flapped pockets distributed across both the shirt and pants.

"This atrium depicts the finest hours of the Acorian army when they were handing defeat to the Zolarians. And, of course, it honors our revered phoenix." His mention of the phoenix was said almost as an afterthought. It was clear to Will that Acorian victories were more important to him than the phoenix.

Korbin stepped forward. "Greetings, Kozar. It is good to meet you again. These two Watchers are Will and Alia. As you have no doubt heard, they are here to find the phoenix."

Kozar reached forward and shook hands with each of them in turn.

Will noticed that his grip was substantial and his hands were rough. No soft life of royalty for this one he thought.

"Yes, so sad, the disappearance of the phoenix," replied Kozar. "But if the phoenix does not turn up, my brother Boaz will be ready to take over as leader of Tarda. And my security forces will be prepared to support him.

To Will, Kozar's declaration of sadness at the disappearance of the phoenix seemed less than heartfelt especially since it was followed by his obvious delight at the thought of Boaz taking over the leader position.

"I assure you that my colleagues are very good at what they do," replied Korbin. "They will find the phoenix.

Will caught Alia's raised eyebrows. Now Korbin had assured both governors of their success. Best not to disappoint.

"Well then, since you are here to see my brother, I will take you to him," boomed Kozar. "This way."

Kozar led them through the atrium through a wide hallway of smoothly polished stone to a set of tall wooden double doors. He knocked loudly then threw the doors wide open announcing, "Brother Boaz, your guests have arrived." He ushered the trio into the room then left, the double doors closing behind him.

The room held a large carved wooden table, long enough to seat 20 people. At the head of the table was an ornate wooden chair on a slightly raised dais. The carvings and scrollwork on the chair were inset with smoothly polished stones. Almost a throne thought Will.

The man sitting in the chair was a bit stouter than Kozar. His hair and beard contained flecks of gray. He smiled at them. "Welcome Watchers, I am looking forward to hearing any news from outside."

His voice was loud and strong but with none of the boastfulness of his brother. And his tone was sincerely welcoming, thought Will.

"I am afraid that we have little in the way of news," replied Korbin. "May I introduce Will and Alia Barclay, the Watchers tasked with finding the phoenix."

"Barclay?" I knew some Barclays a long time ago – Alvar and Rhian." Boaz abruptly stopped speaking. He looked back and forth between Will and Alia. "Yes, I see the resemblance. You must be related."

Will felt a tingling up and down his spine. Here was someone who knew their parents!

"They were our parents, sir," Will responded. "They died when we were young. We do not remember them."

"Ah, I am sorry to hear that," replied Boaz. "They were quite the pair. Perhaps another time I can tell you what I knew of them. But now, what of this disappearance of the phoenix?"

"We hoped that you could tell us what you know," said Alia. "Your security forces were reported being seen in the area before the phoenix disappeared. And your brother Kozar seems more than ready for you to assume the leadership of Tarda if the phoenix does not make a choice."

Boaz sat up and leaned forward looking directly at Alia. "Your mother, Rhian, would be quite proud, young woman. You have her ability to get right to the point, and you are not afraid of ruffling feathers." He sat back in his chair addressing all three. "While I have indicated to both my wife and my brother that I would not be willing to be under the thumb of the Zolarians and would be ready to be the new leader of Tarda, perhaps these musings were taken too seriously. I am afraid that my brother has a different view of our history than myself. He revels in stories of bravery shown, and battles won. What my father and grandfather emphasized to me was the waste and devastation brought about by years of conflict between Acorians and Zolarians. Despite my brother's assertions, I know we cannot regress. The phoenix must be found so that a new leader can be appropriately selected. The security forces are under my brother's charge; however, they ultimately report to me. I will look into the matter."

Will was struck by the sincerity of Boaz. He had no doubts that Boaz was willing to help and would share anything he found out with them.

"Now, please. Fill me in on your efforts to date," said Boaz. "I have not been out of Acor for quite some time and am interested in your perspective."

First Korbin told the story of being held at the mill, then Alia told of their trip to Zolara. Without giving details of the involvement of the Councilwomen, Will related that they were following up on leads provided by Vargon Timitri.

"Ah, yes, Vargon," noted Boaz. "His company does most of our transport. He is well connected throughout Tarda and is a hardworking businessman. Back to the topic at hand, it sounds like Korbin's capture is related to someone worrying that more Watchers were coming to look for the phoenix. And the three of you have discovered that someone is trying to import more zenegar. But are these two related? Or is this just a coincidence?"

"It could be a coincidence," replied Korbin nodding. "In any case, my priority is the zenegar while Will and Alia are focusing on the phoenix. They are gathering information slowly but steadily. If you can find out what your security forces were doing in Omphalos when the phoenix disappeared, that will be helpful."

Boaz nodded to Will and Alia. "I will look into it, and get back to you within a day or so. Now, might I interest you in lunch? I am happy to share what I know of your parents."

Will looked at Alia and read the look of anticipation on her face.

"We would be happy to eat lunch and grateful for any information you can share about our parents," said Will.

Boaz pulled a small lever on the side of his hair. Will could hear a bell sound some distance away. A large man wearing an apron entered the room from a side door.

"This is Wilmore, my chef," announced Boaz. "Wilmore, these three will be joining me for lunch."

"Very good sir," said Wilmore who turned and left the room.

In a short time, he returned pushing a cart. The cart had several interesting vegetarian dishes as well as a few carafes of brightly colored liquids.

"These are vegetables that are specialties of Acor and juices from Acorian fruits," announced Wilmore. "I hope you like them."

Will and Alia were pleasantly surprised at the variety and tastiness of the dishes. And the fruit juices were especially refreshing.

As they ate, Boaz talked to them.

"Your parents were on Tarda for a few months trying to track down the source of a rumor about the Founders," Boaz said.

"Who are the Founders?" asked Alia.

"More like who were the Founders," Boaz said glancing at Korbin. "I am sure Korbin can tell you more, but when your parents arrived on Tarda, they told us they were looking into what might be a reappearance of a society that, at one time ruled many worlds."

"Yes," said Korbin nodding. "The Foundation was a powerful warrior society that grew too large for their world. They were led by a group of three men known as the Founders. The Founders discovered a portal on their planet that led to another world. In fact, they had a knack for finding portals that led to other worlds. They used this skill to discover and take over other worlds. One or two members of the Foundation would first appear as traders interested in trading goods and services with a world. After they learned the strengths and weaknesses of a world, the Foundation would invade wiping out the population or killing the leaders of a world and using its citizens as slaves. They were ruthless but cunning. As they expanded, they learned some of the skills of the people of the worlds they conquered. Some members of the Foundation even learned magic. But like all powerful societies, the Foundation began to have problems. Three things contributed to the demise of the Foundation. First, they expanded too far. As they took over more worlds, it became more and more difficult for the Founders to exert their authority and control. And more and more worlds became alerted to the existence of the Foundation. A diverse group of people from across several worlds banded together to address this danger. The Watchers were formed. They were bound together by their concern for the welfare of people and creatures, by their spirit of adventure, and by their ability to do magic."

Alia interrupted. "All Watchers could do magic?"

"Every Watcher has a unique talent for some sort of magic," replied Korbin nodding.

"But I can't do magic," said Alia frowning.

"And yet, you are a Watcher," responded Korbin. "That would suggest that you simply have not yet discovered your unique magical talent."

A hidden talent thought Will as Alia settled back in her chair contemplating what she had just learned.

"Please continue," Boaz requested.

"As I was saying," continued Korbin. "The Foundation expanded widely across worlds and the control of the Founders from their homeworld weakened. Then the Watchers banded together and began to try to thwart their advance mostly by using magic to close off ports and assisting worlds to fight back. And the third thing is what also happens when creatures become powerful.

"They want more," interjected Will.

"Exactly,' replied Korbin. "The three Founders began to disagree. Each wanted more and more power, and their followers fought among themselves. The combination of external harassment from Watchers and resisting worlds and internal fighting among Foundation members resulted in collapse. In the end, the Watchers were able to seal off the portal to the Foundation homeworld even as a civil war was taking place on that homeworld."

"So it sounds like the Founders and the Foundation were defeated," said Will. "At least they were confined to their home planet. Then what were our parents doing on Tarda?

"There was a certain trader on Tarda who aroused the interest of the Watchers. It was known that he came from another world, but he brought with him some interesting new spices. He was human in appearance, so he fit in easily with the other traders. After a while, he seemed to be unusually interested in how the government of Tarda worked and about the animosity between Acor and Zolara. But shortly after your parents arrived and began asking questions, he left. He said he was returning to his world for more spices, but he never returned. Your parents left Tarda to track him down. Since they never returned to Tarda, we assumed that they had found him. After all, they were Watchers."

"Did they find him?" asked Alia turning to Korbin.

Korbin shook his head sadly. "Ah, no. They spent a month tracking him across several worlds. They were killed when an avalanche in the mountainous region of one of those worlds swept them into a crevasse. It was ruled an accident by the leaders of that world. However, Amadeus Weldon has always suspected that it was not."

Will and Alia were stunned to learn about how their parents had died.

"Were they found?" asked Alia.

Korbin shook his head. "They were not."

Silence descended on the room.

"I am saddened to hear about the fate of Rhian and Alvar," said Boaz. "We only knew them for a short time, but they were well liked in our city. You two will always be welcome here."

There was a bit more conversation as Will and Alia learned about the state of Acor and the interests of its people. But Will kept thinking about what he had heard regarding his parents. Soon, lunch was over.

"Thank you," replied Will coming out of his preoccupation with the demise of his parents and rising from the table. "We have work to do. Please look into the goings on of your security forces around the time of the disappearance of the phoenix and let us know what you find."

Korbin and Alia also rose. They thanked Boaz and bid him goodbye.

As they were leaving, Alia turned to Korbin, "Am I like my mother?" she asked.

"You remind me of both your mother and father," replied Korbin. "You have your mother's looks and directness, but you have your father's skill with weapons.

"What about me?" asked Will.

"You look more like your father, but appear to have your mother's ability for magic."

They continued on, making their way out of the building. Korbin stopped. He spied someone moving down a walkway that traveled just inside the wall.

"Hello Caleb," he cried, hailing a young man moving away from them.

The young man stopped then turned around. Korbin motioned for Will and Alia to follow as he advanced to meet him.

Will could see that Caleb appeared to be 18 or 19 years old. He had jet black hair and blue eyes. He was of average height, carried himself well, and wore a finely tailored red shirt over tan pants and highly polished boots.

"Caleb, this is Will and Alia Barclay," Korbin said introducing the twins. "They were with Rami the other day at the council office. Rami said he thought they just missed you there."

"Ah, yes," Caleb said frowning. He kept his gaze on the ground, not looking at Korbin. "I was meeting someone in the gardens."

"It sounds like your uncle would prefer you to spend more time in Acor," said Korbin, changing the subject.

"Oh, you heard him speaking to me in the atrium," said Caleb shaking his head. "Uncle Kozar is quite serious when it comes to the state of Acor. My father and mother disagree with his views on isolation but have given up trying to change him. Father says that his dedication makes him a good head of security. As for me, I have interests in Omphalos and will continue my visits."

Will noticed that, with this last statement, Caleb's eyes shone. When he spoke of Omphalos, his whole demeanor changed. He smiled and looked directly from Will to Alia then Korbin.

"What do you think about the disappearance of the phoenix?" asked Alia.

"It is a serious matter," replied Caleb. "We need a new leader, and the phoenix is the only one who can choose him or her."

Will, watching closely, thought Caleb was sincere.

"Do you know of anyone who would like the phoenix to disappear?" Alia asked.

"No one except Uncle Kozar," Caleb responded. Then, seeing the look on Alia's face, he continued. "Uncle thinks it would be a good idea if Acor was the center of Tarda, but few others believe as he does. Neither my mother nor my father would support that position, and neither do I."

"But could Kozar capture the phoenix if he wanted to?" asked Alia, thinking of the report that Kozar's men were seen in the area from which the phoenix disappeared.

Caleb frowned slightly. "Oh, I suppose he could. There are a few men in the security force who are very loyal to him. But if the phoenix was in Acor, surely word would get out? Uncle spends a lot of time outside of the city of Acrune, but I have not heard of any phoenix sightings since its initial disappearance."

"We must return to Omphalos to continue our investigation," Will said. "If you notice anything suspicious, please do not hesitate to contact us. And thank you for speaking with us."

Will, Alia, and Korbin left Caleb and made their way out of the city. As they walked, Alia summed up what they had learned the last few days.

"It seems to me that Malchus and Boaz, the leaders of the separate states are sincere in their concern for the disappearance of the phoenix and the impracticality of assuming the leadership of Tarda. However, someone close to Kozar and minister Zander has other interests. Zander, appears to be involved in the increase in zenegar and Kozar would be happy if the phoenix did not choose the next leader. But we still haven't found a connection."

The pedestrian walkway was crowded. Up ahead, they could see a commotion. Someone small was moving through the crowd. They could not see the person; however, they saw the crowd parting as someone passed through heading in their direction. As the person neared, Will could see that it was one of Rami's friends. The small boy halted in front of them.

"Come quickly," the boy said gasping to regain his breath. "Rami has disappeared."

# Chapter 9. Rami

After breakfast with Korbin, Alia, and Will, Rami went off to meet with his friends. They devised a plan to keep track of council leaders Opha and Narah and follow them whenever they left home or the council building. The first day they learned a lot. Opha and Narah were indeed up to something, but not quite what was suspected.

Rami's second day did not go as planned. It began well enough. In the cool shade outside of the council building, he was talking to two of his friends when Narah and her daughter Opha left the council building together. After a conversation involving much gesticulating, they went separate ways.

"I will follow Narah," Rami said. "You two can follow Opha and see if she again meets with the person we saw her with yesterday."

For Rami, at first it was easy to blend in with the crowd and follow Narah from a distance as she made her way on the pedestrian walkway through the heart of Omphalos. But after a while, Narah moved to one of the less busy pedestrian walkways. Now Rami had to follow from farther back in order not be too conspicuous. Narah appeared to be checking to see if anyone was following her. She would make sudden stops in front of stores, looking in the store window then double back a short distance the way she had come, all the while observing the people around her. Rami needed to stay well back in order to not be caught up in one of Nara's reverse sweeps.

Now he watched as she descended from the pedestrian walkway and caught a glide that transported people along the alleyway. He was not close enough to catch the glide nor would he have dared since she was sure to notice him. He watched Narah take a seat as the glide pulled away. Rami figured that he could run to the next alleyway and track the glide peeking around corners to see if she got off at one of the stops. He ran along the walkway and descended into the next alleyway. This one was not so wide and open as the one with the glide carrying Narah, and there were no glides in sight. No one was out working on the docks of the alleyway. Rami ran along the docks next to the alleyway hopping over the low curb that separated one dock from another. Up ahead, he noticed two men in standard workmen's clothing move into the alleyway. They appeared to be carrying a rolled-up rug between them. The two were talking and did not seem to pay any attention to him as he ran toward them. Rami thought nothing of it, assuming the two were returning to work on one of the docks. He did not see the man in black who had descended into the alleyway behind him and was following at a distance nor did he notice the transport glide that was slowly making its way up the alleyway behind the man in black. As he neared the men, Rami continued moving and planned his path so he would pass well to one side of the men. He glanced at them and nodded, smiling. The men nodded back. Just as he passed, one man suddenly moved in his direction. Rami felt something touch his bare arm. Too late, he realized it was a stun stick.

"Grab him," one man said to the other as Rami became stiff. They grabbed Rami and laid him on the now opened rug, then rolled it around him. Though his vision was partially obscured, Rami noticed the man in black arriving at the spot where the two workmen had captured Rami. He waved his arm signaling the glide that had been following. This glide was a transport glide loaded with crates and boxes. The pilot stopped the glide next to where the other men were standing, and the rug containing Rami was loaded onto the glide. The lid on one of the crates was opened; the rug containing Rami was placed inside and the crate lid was secured.

Slowly the paralyzing agent of the stun stick wore off, and Rami could move. There was enough room inside the crate that Rami shook off the rug and freed himself. The crate was dark, but there was one small crack between the wood planks of the crate that allowed a shaft of light through. Rami could hear activity outside as the glide passed other docks. He felt the movement as the transport glide moved through the alleyways of Omphalos. The glide slowed then stopped only for a few seconds. Rami felt someone hop onto the glide platform.

Rami heard the mechanical locks of the crate lid being worked, then a shaft of light entered the crate as the one side of the lid was opened. An arm reached down holding a water bottle in front of him.

"Take this," a voice said.

Rami took the bottle.

"And this," the same voice, this time accompanying an arm that held a small sandwich wrapped in paper. "Do not make a sound or I will use the stun stick again."

Rami took the sandwich, and the crate lid was closed and the mechanical locks secured. Then he heard a voice.

"We are to take him with us to the warehouse," the voice said. "He was seen with the Watchers. Dragus wants to talk to him and find out what he knows."

The glide began to move slowly. Rami put his eye against the narrow opening between the planks of the crate. He could make out a narrow view of the outside as it moved past the opening. He watched as the glide made its way along the double alleyway that encircled the city of Omphalos. Each time a man walked past the crate, Rami would pull his head back from the crack so they could not tell that he was trying to determine where the glide was going. In a little while, the glide passed the large warehouses on the western end of the city.

The glide came to a stop. Rami heard conversations. Suddenly the tip of a stun spear appeared next to the crack through which he was looking.

"Be silent, or I will use this," a voice said.

The glide shifted forward. Rami could hear conversation as the paperwork required for the glide to exit the city was examined. Then the glide started forward. It left the large double alleyway and headed west on a roadway meant for transportation of goods to all parts of Tarda.

Once out of the city, the glide picked up speed. Farm after farm flashed by and Rami got an indication of how vast the great plain of Tarda was. He could tell that they were heading westward.

The glide flew rapidly along the roadway. The sun beat down on the crate that held Rami. He was becoming warm despite the breeze created by the fast-moving glide. It must be nearly noon thought Rami, as he felt the glide slowing down. Soon it was entering another alleyway that encircled a town, though this one seemed much smaller than Omphalos. As the glide circled the town, Rami pressed his eye against the crack in the crate struggling to get a sign of where they were. The town seemed vaguely familiar. The glide slowed and passed a large docking station where other glides were offloading. This must be the main dock for the town thought Rami. Right next to the dock, he could see a small whisk station. The sign overhead read Woba.

Woba! Just a few days ago, Rami had been here with Will and Alia to free Korbin. There was almost no traffic in the alleyway, and soon the glide diverted onto another alleyway, this one running north to south. Rami could feel rather than see the presence of mountains. The air was cooler, and the sharp scent of the Tardan equivalent of pine trees filled the air.

As they floated through the town, Rami noticed that there were only about a half-dozen pedestrian walkways. In a short time, the glide slowed then stopped at the loading dock of a warehouse. The men moved crates and boxes of supplies onto the dock. Rami heard a roll-up door open and felt his crate being lifted and carried inside the warehouse. The roll-up door closed as the crate holding Rami was lowered onto the floor

Rami could see that they were in the loading bay of a warehouse. He heard a door open off to one side and heard someone approaching.

"Who's this?" a voice asked.

"Falgo, sir, we've caught the boy who was seen with the two new Watchers in Omphalos and Woba," the man replied. "Dragus ordered us to catch him and bring him here."

"If he's been with the Watchers, he may be valuable. Take him inside but keep him away from the others." The man giving the orders moved off and Rami heard a door open and close again. Then Rami heard the mechanical locks on his crate being released. A man removed the top from the crate and lights from above spilled into the crate causing Rami to blink.

"Get up," the man said.

Rami stood up and stretched and looked around.

Inside there appeared to be in a loading bay that ran the width of the warehouse. A wall with another roll-up door in its center separated the loading bay from the rest of the warehouse. The loading bay held several different sized empty cages on wheels. At one side of the bay was a small office.

The man standing beside the crate reached down and picked Rami up, then set him down on the stone warehouse floor keeping one large hand on Rami's shoulder. The man moved to a lever on the wall near the inside roll-up door and pulled it. Slowly the door rose. Rami could see that the inside of the warehouse was dim, the only light coming from windows high on the walls. The man holding Rami grabbed a light stick. It cast a small circle of light on the area of the warehouse just around them. The man moved forward guiding Rami ahead of him through the door.

In the dim light, Rami could scarcely make out anything. The central floor of the warehouse was empty. But he heard whispers and strange noises. Also, there was an exotic, pungent scent in the air.

Several cages were lined up along the far wall straight ahead. There was a small light over the cage on the left. Rami gasped. He could see three small boys and one girl. Some of his missing friends were here! He noticed all of his friends were staring at the cages to their left. No one spoke. They looked scared. Very scared.

Rami's captor tightened his grip on Rami's shoulder and turned him toward the other corner at the back of the warehouse. They walked past the cages next to his friends. A strange clicking sound came from the cages and the things inside moved.

"Curious, eh?" said Rami's captor looking down at him. "I'll give you a look, but we'll not get too close."

The man held the light stick over his head. He moved his arm so that the orb of light illuminated the bars of one of the cages.

There was a furious clicking sound as the creature in the nearest cage threw itself at them slamming into the cage bars. Two cobalt blue scaly legs with claws reached through the bars. Although they were safely out of reach from the claws, the violent action was enough to make them jump back.

A reptilian head with two yellow eyes stared hungrily out at Rami. The elongated open mouth showed rows of small razor-sharp teeth. Zenegar! Rami had seen the stuffed zenegar on display in Korbin's house, but this one was larger and alive. Its tuft of orange hair flashed in the dim light as it swayed to and fro trying to get closer to its intended prey. The creature withdrew slightly, its eyes still focused on Rami. As they continued past the other cages, Rami could see that there was a zenegar in each cage.

The man holding Rami marched him to a small cage several feet away. Next to it was a much larger cage on wheels. One man opened the door of the small cage, and the man with his hand on Rami's shoulder gave him a shove and pushed him into the cage. The door clanged shut behind him. Another man turned a key in the door and locked it, then pocketed the key. Both men moved away leaving Rami in deep shadows.

Rami sat quietly, letting his eyes become accustomed to the dim lighting coming from the windows high on the warehouse walls. He examined his surroundings. There were heavy metal bars on all four walls of the cage and the ceiling. A wooden floor covered the bars on the cage bottom. The cage was bolted to the floor. He reached up and easily touched the bars over his head. Spreading his arms, he could touch the sides of the cage. Rami's eyes were becoming accustomed to the shadows. He looked around. There was a blanket folded on the floor of the cage. In one corner was a bucket. It was clean but smelled slightly of disinfectant. Rami knew what it was for. Immediately outside of one side of his cage were the bars of the larger cage. That cage was twice as tall and wide as the cage in which Rami sat.

Rami first sensed rather than saw that there was something larger than a man in the middle of cage next to him. It stood quietly in the shadows and was elongated in shape. It moved slightly and Rami heard something rustle, like leaves, no, feathers. Rami focused. As the thing moved, Rami caught a brief flash of red and gold. Feathers . . . Red and gold. The phoenix was here!

In the middle of his head, Rami felt rather than heard the voice.

"Ah, young Rami, they have caught you." The phoenix spoke to him. The voice was low and deep. And very calm.

"You are here!" whispered Rami. Still not quite believing.

"Ah, yes, "the phoenix replied, a low chuckle in its voice. "Your senses are keen as ever. Your powers of deduction have not left you. I am here. How is it that you have arrived here?"

Rami told the phoenix about meeting Will and Alia and going with them to the sawmill to find Korbin. He relayed how he was caught while following Narah.

"How did you get here?", asked Rami.

The phoenix sighed. "Ah, a trap. People often leave fruits and vegetables out for me. I spied a large collection of delicious looking fruits and flew down to sample them. The food must have contained a sleeping potion. I awoke in this cage. Since then, they have kept me warm, dry, and fed."

"But it is said that the phoenix is invincible," whispered Rami with some fear in his heart. "Can't you escape?"

"It is true that when I die, I will be reborn again," replied the phoenix answering the first part of Rami's question. "But that time has not yet come. And something is amiss on Tarda. I must find out what is wrong."

"What do you mean?", asked Rami.

"My disappearance is part of some plan," replied the phoenix. "You have seen the zenegar and the captive children. The men give hints in their conversations with one another of some larger plan. Something more than caging a phoenix. We will need the Watchers."

Rami was startled. "You knew they would come?"

"That is what Watchers do," replied the phoenix. "They come when needed.

"Then we must get to them for help," replied Rami. "We need to figure out how to escape." He tested the bars and door of his cage. "But this feels solid."

"I must continue a bit further on this journey," replied the phoenix. "You need to watch for your chance to escape. This will help." The phoenix shook itself, ruffling its feathers.

Two feathers each about five inches long floated down by Rami's feet. Even in the dim light, they glistened red and gold. Rami picked them up. They were light – as feathers are – but the central shaft of each was firm and strong. Rami bent one of the feathers, and it sprung back to its original shape. The shaft had the strength of steel. A light went on in Rami's head. He had an idea. He pocketed the feathers.

Again, Rami felt the voice. "You will know when to use it."

"And then what? When I find the Watchers? What can they do?" asked Rami.

"One thing at a time," replied the phoenix calmly.

"Phoenix, aren't you afraid?" asked Rami.

"Are you?" replied the phoenix returning the question to Rami.

"No. Well, a little," replied Rami with a pause.

"You could be running the streets of Omphalos or taking the test for Leader school. And yet here you are," replied the phoenix.

The thought of the Leader exam caused Rami's shoulders to sag. He would, no doubt, miss it. Well, maybe next year, he thought.

"Why were you assisting the Watchers young Rami?" the phoenix asked

"I don't know exactly," was Rami's reply. "They needed to find Korbin and then to find you. We need you to choose a new leader. I could help, so I did."

"Why is a new leader so important?" asked the phoenix.

Rami thought a bit, then replied. "I think it is not that Tarda needs a leader as much as what a leader stands for."

"Yes?" responded the phoenix, its silence asking for more.

"Tarda has plenty of smart people to get things done," continued Rami. "But it also has the governors of Zolara and Acor and plenty of opportunity for conflict. By his or her interaction with people, the leader of Tarda sets the example for how people are to behave to one another. Knowing there is a succession of leaders also gives people hope for continued peace and prosperity. Also, through his or her guidance, the leader helps people or helps the people of Tarda help each other. Everyone needs help sometimes."

"And that appears to include you and me," responded the phoenix.

"Phoenix, what can we do?" asked Rami. "Neither my friends nor the Watchers know where we are. These cages seem very sturdy. Plus, all of these zenegar. We must warn someone. What can I do?"

There was quiet for a minute. Then Rami again heard the voice of the phoenix in his head.

"You must rest for now. Save your energy for the task ahead. You will know when the time comes."

And, with that, the phoenix seemed to settle down. Rami too tried to make himself comfortable and rest while, at the same time, observing his surroundings. There did not seem to be many men running this warehouse. Four men dressed as workers seemed to be doing all the work. Although they were wearing rust-colored work clothes, the men were all short with dark hair. Acorians, Rami thought.

Occasionally the man his captors had addressed as Falgo would come from the front of the warehouse and say something to one of the men.

There were 10 cages of zenegar plus three others – the one Rami was in; the one his friends were in, and the one holding the phoenix. There were also several crates that appeared to contain supplies. The men were busy at first, then things quieted down. Afternoon came and went. Even the zenegar seemed to be napping. As evening approached, the activity of the men increased, and they appeared to be making final preparations for something.

There was a commotion. Two men carrying lightsticks moved a cage on wheels over in front of the cage that held Rami's friends. They rolled the portable enclosure against the cage where the children were standing. The doors to the cages were on tracks and could be slid open. The doors were opened, and the children were told to move to the cage on wheels. The children did as they were told and moved to the smaller cage. They fit but barely. One by one, the cages of the zenegar, which were already on wheels, were carefully rolled into large wooden crates. The side was nailed shut, completely enclosing the zenegar protecting their captors from their grasping claws. Each crate was moved out into the loading bay using a lift glide.

Three men approached the cage that held the phoenix. The phoenix was illuminated in the lights brought by the men. Rami could see it stood a half-man taller than even the largest of the men. Its dark feet were covered with reddish scales and tipped with razor-sharp talons. Even in the dim light of the lightsticks, the red and gold feathers of the phoenix shown like jewels lit from inside. It had a crest of feathers on its head and a sharp curved beak. But the eyes of the phoenix were the most notable. Even more arresting than its plumage, the golden eyes of the phoenix burned deep and bright. He stared at the men.

They were very cautious. The bars of the cage that held the phoenix were close enough together that there was little chance that neither the feet nor the beak of the great bird could pass between them. Nonetheless, the men stayed some distance from the bars. They used long poles with grappling hooks to roll the cage away from the wall. Then they tossed a large canvas over the cage, pulled it down and tied it snugly around the cage. They used ropes attached to the cage to wheel it out through the roll-up door and next to the crates. Men moved in and draped a tarp over the cage holding Rami's friends, tying it down securely and hiding the children inside. The men walked away from Rami rolling the covered cage holding his friends to the loading bay.

"Where are you taking my friends?" shouted Rami.

One of the men laughed. "Oh, they're off to meet more zenegar."

"What do we do with this one?" another man asked.

"Dragus and his crew have not yet returned from Omphalos," Falgo responded. "We need to get the phoenix, the children, and the supplies to the project in the mountains. Leave him here for now. He turned and addressed one man. "Wait at the station. Tell Dragus that the boy is here. He can decide whether to bring him along or be done with him."

All the men moved to the loading bay. The roll-up door between the warehouse and the bay was slammed shut, leaving Rami in complete darkness. The sun had set. Only moonlight entered the warehouse from outside. Rami waited. He could hear activity from beyond the roll-up door. He heard the outside door roll up. Then more activity. Then silence. Rami waited 5 minutes. Then 10. They are not coming back, he thought. But the man they called Dragus might soon be here. Rami knew exactly what he had to do. He removed the phoenix feathers from his pocket and moved to the door of his cage. Rami could pick locks with the best of them, and the phoenix feathers were precisely the tools he needed. Somehow the phoenix knew this. Rami reached around and inserted the stiff central shaft of one feather into the lock mechanism. Most locks worked the same, especially simple locks. This one was no different. Rami twisted the feather in the opening of the lock, applying tension to the lock tumbler as he slowly inserted the second feather deep into the lock mechanism. By feel, he clicked the pins into place, then twisted the feathers further, throwing the bolt that held the lock secure. Once the bolt was thrown, Rami slid the door open.

In the darkness, Rami slowly made his way to the roll-up door. Again, he listened carefully for any activity from the bay on the other side. Not a sound. Rami tugged at the lever that controlled the door. He raised the door only a foot then stopped it and scooted under the door into the loading bay. Rami moved to the small door at the front of the warehouse. It was locked. However, the deadbolt that required a key from the outside only needed him to flip the thumb-turn lever from the inside. Rami unlocked the door. He opened the door just a crack and peeked out. Lights from several of the buildings dimly illuminated the night. No one was in sight. Rami moved quickly across the dock and dropped onto the glide alleyway. The surface of the alley had a smooth texture, its magnetic stone surface serving as part of the mechanism for the frictionless travel of the glides. The dock of each building hung over the alleyway a few feet. A large glide transporting the crates from the warehouse would travel slowly while in town. Rami made his way down the alleyway as quickly as he could and found the nearest pedestrian walkway. Woba was a small town, and it would not take long for the transport glide to reach its outer limits. Rami knew there would be a few take-off points where the alleyway that encircled the town led to glide roads to other towns. Hopefully, there would be a slight delay as the paperwork necessary to exit was reviewed. He had seen the take-off point that led to the mountains when he had come with Will and Alia to find Korbin. It had been right next to the Woba whisk station. The glide would have to make its way to the alleyway that circled the town then travel around the town to get to the mountain road take-off point. Rami hoped that, by cutting across town on pedestrian walkways, he could catch the glide. Once it left town, it would pick up speed, and he would never catch it.

Rami used a combination of walkways and alleyways to traverse the town. There were people out shopping, but the walkways were not crowded. In order not to draw attention to himself, he settled for a fast walk on the walkways, but he ran in the alleyways to make up time. Turning a corner, he saw the lights of the glide departure station just ahead. His heart was in his throat as he hoped that the glide had not yet left the circular alleyway. He ducked behind a corner of the nearest building. Cautiously he poked his head out to get a view of the departure station.

There! The large glide slid to a stop at the departure station with no other glides behind it. In the dim lights from the station office, Rami could see someone handing documentation to the man operating the departure station. Rami observed the outlines of the glide pilot and three other men in the small cab at the front of the glide. The glide platform was stacked high with cargo covered with a huge tarp held to the sides of the glide with ropes.

Rami looked left and right then dropped onto the pavement of the alleyway. Staying concealed under the overhang, he approached the small red indicator lights at the back of the glide. The bottom of the glide hovered only about 4 inches above the alleyway surface. The glide platform was large, almost 40 feet long with two-foot-high sides and a back that could be folded down to load or unload cargo. Rami listened carefully. He could hear muffled conversations taking place at the front of the glide. The large tarp cover was tied down loosely over the cargo and hung just over the edge of the back. Rami reached up and tugged on it, loosening a small area. Grasping the top edge of the back of the glide, he pulled himself up and dropped down on the glide platform. There was room at the back of the glide for Rami to squish himself in between some of the crates that were loaded at the very back. Rami tugged the tarp back down over the place where he had entered. He felt the glide slowly exit the circular alleyway then move to the road. Rami settled in for a ride.

In a short time, Rami could feel the change. Leaving town, the glide speed increased as the magnetic propulsion system fully engaged. The dark night air became cooler and more strongly scented with mountain pines. The glide tipped slightly, its front end rising as it left the flatness of the great prairie and moved into the mountains. The glide road became a series of gentle curves as it ascended.

After about an hour, he felt the glide slow. Rami raised the corner of the tarp and scrambled back over the rear of the glide, dropping to the pavement. He noticed that, unlike most of the glide roads that were old and weathered, this one appeared relatively new. Carefully, he moved to the side of the road near the undergrowth, which grew right up to the road surface. A short distance from the road, on both sides the forest was dense. The glide was moving slowly now, and Rami let it pull ahead, satisfied to follow at a distance. The lights of the glide disappeared as it moved around a corner in the road. Rami followed peering cautiously around the corner of the road. The glide had stopped about 200 yards ahead. There was a small light ahead of it, which seemed to be in the rock wall. Rami heard water flowing somewhere up ahead.

In the moonlight, he saw that the road appeared to be heading directly toward a small cleft in the line of the mountain ridge. On either side of the cleft, the ridge curved away slightly, merging into taller mountains behind it. Rami thought it must be the rim of a small dormant volcano that had formed the mountains of Tarda. If so, a crater lay on the other side. The trees on the slopes of the ridge were smaller, and the last 50 feet or so was a jumble of rock with bits of low vegetation clinging to the rocky surface. Rami could see a stream coming down the mountains off to the left and disappearing as it reached the level of the ground in front of the mountain. The sounds of water flowing grew louder as Rami moved through the underbrush just into the forest. The ground next to the road rose as it approached the base of the mountain. Maintaining sight of the glide, he moved through the trees keeping parallel to the road. Now he noticed that the stream coming down the mountain entered a man-made moat that ran along the entire front of the wall that rose directly in front of the glide. The moat ran right next to the mountain wall except for a small area in front glide where a strip of ground ran between the mountain and a bridge that crossed the moat. One man on the glide called out, and there was an answering call out that sounded like it came from the mountainside in front of the glide.

As he moved closer, Rami noted that the glide had stopped just short of the wooden bridge that crossed the moat. Across the moat, a stone gatehouse had been built across the front of the cleft in the mountain. Someone had cut a passage through the rim of the volcano into the crater beyond and built a gatehouse across the front of the channel. A light came in the second story of the gatehouse directly above the gate, and a man looked out of a set of windows. Rami crept to the edge of the forest. He was looking down on the glide, which now hovered on the bridge in front of the closed gate. He could not see the men's faces but could clearly hear them.

"What have you got?" the man said, addressing the men in the glide.

"More zenegar, a few more kids, supplies, and the bird itself," replied one of the men. Rami recognized the voice as the man others addressed as Falgo, who had been in charge at the warehouse.

The man in the window disappeared. In a few minutes the portcullis, the large metal grid in front of the gate, began to rise. Then the doors of the gate folded inward.

Again Rami heard Falgo's voice. "Let's get this glide inside. I am expecting that Dragus will be arriving shortly."

As the glide crossed the drawbridge, a man on the glide spoke. "Gives me the creeps, it does, being near so many zenegar. We must be far from here and behind the moat in Acor when it happens."

"It begins this week," Falgo's voice replied. "We'll want to be well away from here in the next few days."

Rami did not understand what they were referring to. He decided that he needed to see what was on the other side of the gatehouse. If he ascended to the top of the rim, perhaps he would have a view of the other side.

Just then, Rami heard the soft hum of a glide moving up the road to the cave. Looking out, he observed a smaller glide holding several men. As they got closer, Rami noticed one man dressed all in black standing next to the pilot at the front of the glide. He was shorter than all the rest with a short black beard covering most of his pale almost white face. His mouth was pulled in a tight line as he stared directly at the gate. He was clearly upset. As the glide pulled up to the cave entrance, Falgo's voice projected from the gatehouse entrance.

"Dragus, any news?"

"The new Watchers have arrived and are poking around with Korbin," Dragus replied clearly unhappy.

"Where is the boy? Falgo said.

"We stopped at the warehouse, but it was empty," replied Dragus. "I figured you changed your mind and brought him here."

"We left him locked in a cage," said Falgo. "If he is not there, then he has escaped! He will tell the Watchers."

"It matters little," replied Dragus. "We are well secreted here. They will not find us. In a few days, it will not matter anyway. Let us enter, then secure the gates behind us."

Rami moved back into the woods some distance from the gate. With the light of the full moon to guide him, he walked along a game trail parallel to the rim of the crater. He heard water flowing and moved toward it. The forest of tall trees grew right to the edge of the river that had been transformed into a moat. Rami saw it was too wide to cross. He found a large tree with low-hanging branches. He climbed up and up.

Staying concealed in the tree, he reached a height where he could just see over the rim. Still not quite dawn, moonlight lit the scene below. He was looking out over a crater about 500 yards in diameter. To his right, the front half of the rim of the crater curved out to meet the road while a short distance to his left, the rest of the circumference merged into the mountains that rose up behind. He was able to see the dark shadow that was the opening where the passage had been cut from the gatehouse into the crater.

Although the mountain coolness surrounded him near the crater rim, Rami could feel the heat rising from the crater. There must still be some volcanic activity in the earth below the crater to generate that warmth, he thought. Rami waited.

Now the sun was just starting to rise. The light from the Tardan sun crept over the rim of the crater and began to spill into the crater illuminating its contents. On the side where gatehouse passage entered the crater, a long high metal fence had been strung from one side of the rim to the other dividing the crater floor into two sections. The section nearest the gatehouse passage was a courtyard about 100 yards wide and 50 yards deep. The courtyard contained two one-story stone buildings with their backs built into the rim one on each side of the gatehouse passage opening and halfway between the opening and the fence. Rami could see just see some cages lined up next to one of the buildings.

On the other side of the fence, there was a slight slope leading to the central part of the crater itself. In the main body of the crater, Rami could see a broad field of oblong melon-sized objects laid on some type of straw. Huge zenegar moved from one object to the other rolling them around. Slowly, the realization of what he was seeing dawned on Rami. Despite the heat from below, a cold chill moved down his spine. He climbed down the tree and back to the path through the woods. Just out of sight of the gatehouse, he dropped onto the glide road.

Then he began to run. He needed help. He had to find the Watchers.

# Chapter 10. Return to Omphalos

Korbin, Alia, and Will were stunned to learn of Rami's disappearance.

"What happened?" asked Will.

"We don't know," replied the boy. "We split up so he could follow Councilwoman Narah. He was supposed to follow her then go to the Leader exam in the afternoon. When he did not show up for the Leader exam, Cornelia Cross raised the alarm. She asked me to come and find you."

"We must return to Omphalos immediately," said Korbin. He headed toward the outer gate of Acor at a fast pace followed by Will, Alia, and the boy. All three passed into the whisk station and were quickly back in Omphalos where the sun had just begun to set.

They walked to the Leader Academy where they were let into the office of Cornelia Cross. Several of Rami's friends were gathered around Cornelia's desk. Frowns hung on their faces and a cloud of gloom loomed over the group.

"Something serious must have happened," remarked Cornelia looking despondent. "The exam was very important to him. When he was not present for the start of the exam, I knew something must be wrong. As soon as I could, I sent for you.

"Where was Rami last seen?" asked Will.

A boy replied, "We were waiting outside the council building. When Councilwoman Narah and her daughter Opha came out, they separated. When the two parted, we split up. Rami was following Narah as she headed toward the center of town."

"Where have you looked?" asked Alia.

One girl replied, "We checked all of our regular meeting places. We also looked downtown and asked several of the shopkeepers if they had seen him. One of them told us she had seen Rami before noon but not after that.

"We also need to talk to Councilwoman Narah," said Will.

"She has gone to Zolara," said Cornelia Cross. "She returns tomorrow."

"Then we should return to where Rami was last seen," said Will. "We can divide up and interview all of the shopkeepers and anyone else who frequents the area."

"Let's go," said Alia.

The group exited Cornelia's office and traveled the pedestrian walkway to downtown. There they split up and began their questioning of all the shopkeepers on the block where Rami was last seen. Having no new reports of Rami being sighted, they expanded their search to the blocks of shops surrounding that area.

Darkness fell, and the group extended their search even farther out from the spot where Rami was last seen, but they found no one who had seen Rami in the late morning or early afternoon.

"He's been taken," said one of his friends. "Just like some of the others in our group. Disappeared without a trace."

The group had met back at Korbin's house and were discussing things over a very late-night supper.

"Councilwoman Narah returns tomorrow," said Will. "Let's meet at the council building and talk with her. If Rami was following her, perhaps she caught sight of him."

Rami's friends left to return to The Shelter. A few took Korbin up on his offer to let them stay the night. Soon everyone had fallen into a restless sleep.

Will was up before sunrise. He quietly made his way to Korbin's kitchen in search of a cup of morba tea. Something he could put both hands around for warmth while sipping its calming liquid to slow the jangling of his nerves. He needed time to think. He tiptoed towards the kitchen.

A single light glowed in the kitchen. Alia and Korbin were already there deep in muted discussion.

"We've got to find him," Alia whispered. She noticed Will as he moved stocking-footed into the kitchen and sat down at the table.

Korbin poured him a cup of tea from the pot sitting on the tea warmer plate in the middle of the table.

"Surely he has been taken. First thing this morning, we talk to Narah," said Korbin. "There's a chance she saw Rami following her. At least we might find a different location where we can begin a new search. You can't just haul a captive through the streets of Omphalos, so he must have been concealed somehow. Once we know the area, we can ask about deliveries. Any packages large enough to carry a boy."

The sun came up. The few friends of Rami who had stayed overnight wandered into the kitchen stretching and yawning. Korbin fed them and told them the plans for the day. They were all too eager to wait around. They left the house to continue searching. Korbin arranged to meet up with them in a few hours at The Shelter after he, Will, and Alia had spoken with Narah.

The pedestrian walkways were just starting to fill up as Korbin, Will, and Alia made their way to toward the center of Omphalos and the council building. Shops were opening, and workers were making their way to their places of work as the early sunlight streaked into corners that only a half-hour previously had been dark.

"We should have met her at her home," sighed Alia chafing at the wait.

"I do not want to alarm her," said Korbin. "She will be more comfortable and willing to talk with us at her office rather than being accosted outside of her home."

"We're not accosting anyone," replied Alia. "We can be nice. And polite."

Will rolled his eyes. "This will work. We can ask her to tell us where she was going the day that Rami vanished. That will at least give us a path along which to question shopkeepers."

They skirted the park at the center of Omphalos and arrived at the council building. Moving hurriedly through the double doors, they startled the man sitting at the reception area station.

"We are here to see Councilwoman Narah," announced Korbin. "She is not expecting us but this is an emergency, and I am sure she will see us."

The man touched the communication device on his station and whispered something. A voice asked a question, but the sound was so low that none of the trio could tell what was said.

"Mr. Korbin, Mr. Will, and Miss Alia," the man said into the device, still whispering but loudly enough to be overheard by the trio.

"Please go to Councilwoman Narah's office," the man said gesturing toward the door to the left side of the atrium. It is the third door on the left.

Alia let the way to the Councilwoman's office her brisk pace forcing Will to lengthen his stride to keep up. Alia knocked on the door and entered the office with Will and Korbin behind her.

Councilwoman Nara sat at a small meeting area on one side of the office. Several cushioned chairs were arranged around a table. The slim Zolarian was seated on in one of the chairs. Her hazel eyes looked up at them, and she smiled slightly.

"Good morning, I understand you want to talk with me."

Will could see that Alia was making a deliberate effort to appear calm and not in a hurry. Her twitching eyebrow hinted at her true feelings.

"You may have heard Rami is missing," Alia said. "We are trying to determine where he was last seen. Did you see him yesterday?"

"Why, yes I did," replied Narah. "Shortly before noon, I noticed him down the block from me. I was walking to meet, ah, er a friend across town."

"Where was this?" asked Will.

"It was the third pedestrian walkway four blocks to the west of center city when I first saw him," replied Narah. "Then I thought I saw him when I got into a glide a few blocks later."

Will debated before asking his next question. He did not want Narah to know that they were checking up on her, but it was essential to know the path that Rami had taken when he was snatched. "Where were you headed?"

"I was meeting my friend in a small park by the warehouse district," Narah said. "Why do you ask?"

"She was doing her best to appear calm, but Will thought Narah looked slightly uncomfortable. Could she be involved in the disappearance of the phoenix?

Alia spoke first, "We asked Rami and his friends to follow both you and Amzi because you were both seen talking to the phoenix before it disappeared, we thought we had to investigate further."

Narah looked down briefly then looked up at Alia. Sparks shone in her eyes. "And you suspected me of being involved in the disappearance of the phoenix?" she said, her voice rising.

"We meant no disrespect," Alia replied. "We were trying to follow up without upsetting you. Since we have failed in that, why were you and Amzi talking with the phoenix?"

Narah blushed deeply as she again looked down. "It was a personal matter," she said, her voice lowering. "I cannot say anything further at this time."

"We think that Rami has been taken," continued Alia.

"But who would take him and why?" asked Narah.

"Rami was seen helping us, and now he has disappeared. We suspect it may have something to do with keeping us from finding the phoenix."

"You have given us a place to continue our search for Rami," interjected Will. "We will leave now. We are meeting with Rami's friends and will organize to begin our search."

And, with that, Will, Alia and Korbin, after thanking Narah, left the building and made their way back to Korbin's house. They were still a block from Korbin's house when they saw two girls who they recognized as Rami's friends running to meet them. The girls stopped right in front of them bending over, hands on knees, to catch their breath. They both spoke simultaneously.

"He's back! Rami's back."

"Where?" said Korbin.

"He just showed up at your house a few minutes ago," said one of the girls.

"Let's go," said Alia launching into a run to Korbin's house.

Relief flooded through Will when he saw Rami sitting in Korbin's living room sprawled on the sofa. He looked worn out and disheveled, but otherwise unhurt.

Rami looked up smiling weakly.

"Ran back . . . Wisk from Woba . . . Lots of zenegar!" he blurted.

"Woa," interrupted Will. "Slow down and start from the beginning. You were snatched."

Alia came in from the kitchen. She handed Rami a glass of juice and a sandwich.

"Eat first," she said.

Rami devoured the sandwich and gulped down the juice. He caught his breath then began his story. He related his capture and meeting the phoenix.

Will and Alia listened without interrupting.

Rami told of his escape and following the glide that carried his friends and the phoenix deep into the mountains outside of Woba. Then he told them what he saw. He described the fortifications built at the front of the old volcano crater.

"About a dozen men are running the whole thing. It was too dark to see faces, but heard them talking. Most of of them are from Kozar's security forces. There were more than thirty large zenegar confined inside the crater," he said. "But there were several hundred eggs, maybe a thousand. They are about the size of a Tardian melon," he said, holding his hands about 10 inches apart. The eggs were in clusters in nests of straw. And the big zenegar would roll them around turning them over."

"Those zenegar eggs will hatch and quickly grow into large zenegar," said Korbin. "The large zenegar are females. They are turning the eggs to keep them warm. Kozar is breeding a thousand zenegar."

"And they are hatching in less than a week," Rami said. "I heard the men talking."

"What would Kozar be doing with a thousand zenegar?" asked Will.

"I think he will turn them loose," said Rami. "His men talked about being back behind the Acorian wall where the moats will protect them."

"That would devastate Omphalos and most of Tarda," said Alia. "But Zolara is also protected by a moat and a wall."

"Not if the moat bridges are not working," said Will. "We saw men doing work on the moat mechanisms. What if the mechanisms were sabotaged at Zolara?"

"Then Zolara would be overrun," said Korbin. "Few people but Acorians would be left if one thousand zenegar were let loose on Tarda."

"But why capture children?" questioned Alia.

Korbin shuddered. "Zenegar favor what they first eat. The mothers will make sure any available food is shared amongst the first to hatch. Once they imprint on humans, they will lead the others to their favorite food source. I suspect that Kozar is going to allow the children to be used as the first food for the zenegar."

There was stunned silence in the group. Rami and his companions were horrified as they realized the potential fate of their captured friends.

# Chapter 11. Rescue Plan

"We need a plan," said Alia. "First we must rescue Rami's friends and free the phoenix. Then we need to destroy the zenegar eggs and adults.

"And no time to lose," added Will, "since the zenegar will hatch any day now."

"It sounds like the zenegar are nesting in an old volcano crater," said Korbin, his mind rapidly running through various solutions. "If we can get lava flowing again and keep the gates shut, all the zenegar will be destroyed. I can get to the trolls and convince them to re-engineer the lava flow. They have mechanisms in place right now to keep lava flowing to the outside rim of Tarda. I am certain they can re-direct the lava back into the crater. It will take a little time for me to get to them". He looked directly at Will and Alia. "If you two can get to the zenegar nursery to free the kids and the phoenix, we just need to keep the zenegar in the crater until the trolls can do their bit. That's a lot to ask, and you may need help, but we must start immediately."

Will conferred quickly with his sister. "Alia and I will have Rami take us to the site of the zenegar nursery. We will finalize our rescue plan there. Maybe you should swing by the council area before you visit the trolls so you can get us some reinforcements. At least you could alert the Council as to the dangers so they can mount defenses."

"But we don't know if we can trust the Council," interjected Alia. "Councilwomen Nara and Amzi have both been behaving suspiciously."

"About that," interrupted Rami, "my friends and I have sorted that out over the last few days by following the Councilwomen. It has nothing to do with the disappearance of the phoenix. Narah's daughter Opha and Amzi's son Caleb have been seeing each other. It turns out that they are very much in love. The mothers are trying to work out a solution so the two can be married without their fathers and the states of Acor and Zolara being completely disrupted. The phoenix told them the problem was theirs to solve. That was why they were upset talking with the phoenix and why they have been behaving oddly."

There was stunned silence for a few seconds as Will, Alia, and Korbin digested this news.

"So, I think we have a start," said Will. "Alia, Rami, and I will go to rescue the phoenix and the children. We will need to assess the situation before we finalize a rescue plan. Korbin can alert the Council and visit the trolls. Korbin, catch up with us when you can."

In almost no time, they had gathered what they needed for their trips. Korbin was off to the Council building and then to find the trolls. Rami's friends wanted to accompany their newly returned leader and help rescue their friends. But Will and Alia convinced them (with Rami's help) that it would be safer and quicker for Will, Rami, and Alia to make the trip alone.

Alia, Will, and Rami exited from the whisk station at Woba by midmorning. Rami retraced his steps to the outskirts of Woba. There they hitched a ride on a transport glide that was traveling to a mountain logging camp. Although they made rapid progress, it was midafternoon when they dropped off of the glide as it reached a fork in the glide path.

Rami indicated a single-width road that ran toward the nearby forest and the mountain peaks farther on. "This is the path to the zenegar nursery." The three began the hike, staying on the paved road to make better time.

"Did you notice any guards along the way?" asked Alia.

"There were none," replied Rami.

The glide road entered the forest. Soon it began to zig-zag back and forth as it rose up the side of the mountain. Will lengthened his stride to keep up with Alia who seemed tireless in her quest to reach the destination. After a while, Rami began to struggle. His ordeal over the last day caught up with him, sapping his strength. Will carried him piggy-back, working hard to keep up with Alia. Will stopped and put Rami down so that he could catch his breath. Will was refreshed by the pine-like scent as he took in gulps of cool mountain air. He picked Rami up, and the three continued up the mountain following the glide road.

Finally, Rami said. "Put me down. We need to get off of the glide road and into the forest. The nesting site is within a half mile."

They moved off of the glide road, keeping it in sight but moving through the forest next to it. They slowed, moving as quietly as possible. Staying concealed in the brush, Rami took them to where they could peer through the brush and observe the gatehouse. They saw that the drawbridge was lowered, but the gate was shut, and the portcullis in front of it was down. Rami led them farther away from the glide road and onto the path that paralleled the crater rim. They reached the large tree near the moat and climbed up and up. Soon they were looking out over the rim to the courtyard and crater beyond.

It was just as Rami had described. They could see that the river below formed a moat that ran in front of the rim of the crater. From their elevation, they saw the gateway passage leading from the gatehouse to their right. In the light of day, they observed the two stone buildings in the courtyard created by the fence between the front of the crater and the large area of nesting zenegar. Next to one of the stone buildings, on the side toward the fence, they could also see tarps covering two cages and a third empty cage all next to one of the stone buildings.

Alia let out a gasp as she took in the zenegar nesting site. Will could scarcely believe his eyes. Large zenegar scuttled spider-like among clutches of ten or so eggs, carefully rolling them over to keep them evenly warmed. There were at least a hundred nests of eggs bedded in the decaying brown vegetable matter mixed with straw. The air above the nests was a wavy haze where the warmth from the nests met the cooler mountain air.

They descended from the tree.

"I saw almost no guards," remarked Alia.

"It doesn't take many," said Rami. "Just some for the gates and some to care for the prisoners. If the leaders are there, they will be in the stone building next to the prisoner cages."

"So what do you think?" Alia asked Will. "Do we go now or wait for reinforcements?"

"I think we should wait for dark before we make our move," answered Will.

Alia nodded. "Agreed."

They moved down the mountain and back closer to the road then settled down to review their plan and wait. Will was confident that, with a little magic, he could get them through the gate without being seen. Once through the cleft in the crater rim, they would free the children and the phoenix, who they were fairly sure were being held in the cages. Under cover of darkness, they thought they could sneak away. If they met resistance, between Alia's collection of stun sticks and Will's magic, they thought they could manage to leave with the children. The phoenix could simply fly away.

Darkness was settling in. A deep silence fell over the area.

Suddenly, there was a disturbance in the woods behind them. A short whistle sounded. A credible imitation of a mountain bird. Then another.

Will, Alia, and Rami froze.

"Pssst . . . Mr. Will, Miss Alia," a whisper off to their right.

"Over here," Will called keeping his voice as soft and low as possible.

The brush beneath the trees parted as four men became visible. One was all in black, the other three wore heavy cloth brown shirts and pants.

"Vargon Timitri sent us," the lead man said. "More will follow, but they are a few hours behind."

The man explained that Korbin had met with the Council and explained the situation. The Council felt that they would deploy Omphalos security forces to defend the city without alarming the citizenry. Messages would also be sent to security forces in villages throughout Tarda. They had decided against alerting governors in the capital cities of Acrune and Zaga as they would be well protected by their walls and moats.

Vargon's men moved close gathering around Will and Alia. Will noticed that Rami was looking puzzled.

"What's wrong?" Will asked.

Rami whispered. "That voice. I heard it when . . . "

Too late, Will felt the touch of a stun stick. At the same time, he saw sticks reach out and touch both Alia and Rami. He managed a half a step away from the grinning men, then fell over stiffly.

# Chapter 12. Reversal

Will, Alia, and Rami were quickly bound and thrown over the shoulders of three of the men while the fourth led the way back to the glide road and the gatehouse. As they neared the moat, their leader hailed the gatehouse sentries, and the portcullis was raised, and the doors of the gate through the crater rim were opened. They were taken through the gate, into the passage through the crater rim, and into the courtyard. Across the courtyard on the right just past a stone building, there were two covered cages. The smaller of the two was close to the fence that separated the courtyard from the rest of the crater. Between the larger cage and the side of the building was a third uncovered cage with its door open. They were brought over to the third cage, and the knots to their ties were loosened; then they were dumped inside the cage, and the door was slammed shut and locked.

Will could feel sensation returning to his limbs, but he could not yet stand. He was lying on the cage floor with his head facing the doorway to the nearest stone building. He saw the leader of the four men who had captured him go into the building. In a short time that man and another man exited the building and turned toward the captives.

The two men were dressed in black. One was short and stout with black hair and a trimmed beard. Will recognized him as the one who had been interviewing Korbin at the sawmill. The other was of medium height and slim. He too had black hair and was clean shaven.

"Dragus and Falgo," murmured Rami, who was also lying facing the stone building. "Falgo was the leader of the men who captured me. It was his voice I recognized right before we were stunned."

The two men stopped just outside the cage.

"Well done, Falgo," said the bearded man.

"It was easy as the boss said it would be," Falgo replied. H looked from Will to Alia. "Watchers are not welcome. They will only interfere with our timeline. And you," he said looking at Rami, "now you can join your friends as food for the zenegar."

That confirms that theory Will thought to himself.

Dragus moved over to the door of the cage. He took a small pouch from his pocket. From the pouch, he removed a handful of silvery powder which he sprinkled over the lock mechanism. He tossed a few handfuls at the bars as he walked around the cage murmuring words that Will could not decipher.

"There, that's done," he said. "The boss will be here soon, and we can finish up and leave this place." Both men walked away moving back into the stone building.

Will, Alia, and Rami shook off their bindings and looked around. The three moved around their enclosure. Their cage had room enough for the five or six people to lie down or stand. Next to them was a larger cage draped in a tarp. Farther down closer to the fence, they could see the front of the third cage. After a while, two men dressed in brown emerged from the stone building across the way. As they moved past, Will noticed that now they had armbands carrying the crest of Acor. Each held several bowls. They moved to the far cage, the one nearest the metal fence. Placing his bowls down, one man pulled aside the tarp covering the front of the cage, said something then opened the door to the cage. The second man put the bowls on the floor of the cage. The two men moved off going back into the building.

"That cage must be where they are holding my friends," said Rami.

Alia pointed to the building across the courtyard. "And that must be the barracks for the security forces from Acor,"

"And this must be where the leaders of this undertaking are hanging out," said Will, indicating the stone building next to their cage. "I have not seen Falgo or Dragus come out since they spoke to us, but men seem to be going in and out of this building. Getting instructions perhaps."

Throughout the rest of the day, men dressed in brown came and moved around the courtyard performing various tasks. As Will noted, several times one or two would go into the nearby stone building then come out and begin a new assignment. Late in the afternoon, the men appeared to be stacking gear in a pile outside of the far stone building preparing for departure. As the sun dipped down behind the mountains, men no longer came out of the building except in pairs as the guards changed at the front gate. It looked like things were quieting down for the night.

Will and Alia put their heads together and whispered back and forth. With Rami's input, they agreed on a plan for escape. With the moon at full, there would be shadows, but the area would be well lit. They agreed to wait a little while longer to make sure everyone had settled for the evening.

Occasionally they could hear children's voices from the cage farther down where Rami's friends were held. There had been no sounds from the large cage next to them. Will was staring at the tarp that had been draped over it concentrating on the plan that was in his head. The tarp's edges hung just short of the ground waving slightly in the breeze.

"The Watchers have come," a voice sounded inside Will's head. "And young Rami has returned with them. Well done."

"Phoenix!" Rami cried excitedly, though his voice was just above a whisper. "You are here."

"Yes," the voice sounded again. "I am here as are all of your friends. They are alive and well for the moment."

"Where are you?" asked Alia, for she too could hear the great bird in her head.

"I am in the cage next to you, Alia," the phoenix said.

"You know my name," Alia said, surprised.

"Rami has told me about you and your brother, Will," the phoenix remarked. "I have been waiting for you."

"Yes well, I am sorry we are meeting under these circumstances," said Will

"Phoenix, what do you know of this plan to capture you?" asked Alia.

"I know that my capture is but a small part of a larger plan," replied the phoenix. "I was captured to prevent me from discovering this zenegar breeding site during one of my flights above Tarda. The real plan is the breeding of zenegar."

"Do you know who is involved and why?" Will asked.

"Although there are not more than a dozen men involved, there appear to be two groups. Most of the men are part of Kozar's security forces, and I have heard them let slip at least pieces of their plans. Their plan appears to be to let loose the zenegar on Tarda. They plan to retreat behind the wall of Acor while the zenegar decimate all of the other the cities and towns on Tarda.

Alia looked puzzled. "But the Zolarians have a wall too. They will survive, and there will be war between the two states like before."

"Apparently, Kozar plans to disable the bridge mechanisms of the Zolarians. Zolara will be overrun."

"Just as we suspected," Alia said. "You said there were two groups. Who is the other group?"

"Of that, I am not certain," replied the phoenix. "There are two men who show up periodically to interact with Kozar's men. They are the men who call themselves Dragus and Falgo. They only talk with Kozar's men about the details of the breeding program. They never discuss any plans at least not in my hearing. Although they have befriended Kozar's men, they appear to have a different leader. They hide it well, but I sense that there is something sinister about these men.

Rami interrupted. "Phoenix, when the Watchers free you, will you choose a new leader for Tarda?"

"I shall."

"Have you decided who you will choose,"

"I have."

"Can you tell us who it is?" asked Rami, the excitement showing in his eyes.

"For that, young Rami, you will have to wait like everyone else," replied the phoenix. "For now, please concentrate on helping our young Watchers to free us all."

"We have a plan, and it's time to begin," remarked Will. He moved over to the door of their cage, reached out, and grasped the barred door firmly. " _Ramal versus exclamador_ ," he whispered using the unlocking charm – the first charm he had ever learned to use and the one that had freed the dragon, at Alderwood. The lock glowed briefly then faded. He tried the door. Nothing. It was still firmly locked.

All at once there was a commotion. They could hear someone hail the gatehouse. They heard the portcullis raising and the gates creaking open. A group of men with lightsticks came through the gateway passage. One large man holding a lightstick held high led three men close together followed by another several steps behind. They headed toward the cage holding Will, Alia, and Rami. Dragus and Falgo emerged from the far stone building and also headed toward their cage. As the group neared, Will could see that the large man holding the lightstick was Kozar.

"Not unexpected," remarked Alia, glaring at the approaching men.

Of the three men who were together, two held the third between them. His hands were bound and a hood was over his head. The group arrived at the door to the cage holding Will, Alia, and Rami and were met by Dragus who pulled a gold key from his pocket. He unlocked the door, and the hooded man was tossed to the floor of the cage. Although he was roughly shoved and had his hands bound behind him, the hooded man did not fall in a heap on the cage floor. As his shoulder struck the floor, he tucked and rolled arriving on his feet.

Will was stunned. He only knew one person with that kind of coordination. He reached over and pulled at the hood. Korbin's face grinned at him.

"Will, I did not expect to see you so soon!" he said.

"Korbin," gasped Will.

"He was trying to interfere," spat out Kozar angrily. "So we invited him to the party!"

"Party?" Will retorted. "You plan to kill most of the population of Tarda so that Acorians can take over. That is so wrong."

"The affairs on Tarda are no business for the Watchers. Now you can contribute to my plan. As food for newly hatched zenegar."

"Korbin, what happened?" asked Will.

"I met with the Council and told them I was going to find the trolls to solicit their help. The trolls don't do anything for free. The Council asked me to take a representative from Tarda to help convince the trolls. Vargon Timitri offered to accompany me. He said he would pay whatever the trolls asked."

"Did you meet with the trolls?" asked Alia.

Korbin shook his head sadly. "I did not even make it out of Omphalos. And Vargon Timitri is not our friend. He looked out at the men who had brought him.

The man at the rear of the group stepped forward into the light.

Vargon Timitri smiled at the captives.

"A meeting with trolls was not in our best interest," he said. He turned to Dragus. "Where are we on the breeding program.?"

"The hatching is almost beginning," said Dragus. "By midmorning tomorrow, the first hatchlings will emerge."

Vargon turned to Kozar. "In the morning, you and your men can return to the safety of Acor. Your men can have the night off. My men and I will complete our part of the agreement. Dragus and Falgo will guard the gate. We will wait until the hatching is completed then open the gates to let the zenegar loose. We will, of course, also provide the hatchlings with their first meal." He turned and looked at Will, Alia, Rami, and Korbin. "Including these four."

"As we agreed," replied Kozar, "Once the Tarda is cleansed of Zolarians and others, you will be governor of Omphalos." Kozar walked toward the stone building across the courtyard accompanied by the two men who had held Korbin. As he entered the doorway, a cheer went up as the men inside greeted their leader.

Only Vargon, Dragus and Falgo remained outside of the cage. Vargon looked at the cage door. The lock on the door was tarnished from Will's attempt to unlock it using the charm. He smiled.

"I see that you have learned that there are others with magic more powerful than yours." He smiled again, this time a cold, mirthless smile and Will saw the reptilian eyes flash again for a second.

Vargon turned and walked away heading toward the doorway to the nearby stone building followed by Dragus and Falgo.

"Did you see . . ?" asked Will, turning to his companions.

"Yes!" replied Alia even as Korbin and Rami nodded.

"And I remember what I have heard about creatures with those eyes," said Korbin. "They are not eyes of anyone from Tarda. They are the eyes of creatures from the small world of Origo – home of the Founders."

"So they do exist!" said Alia. "But why would they want to help Kozar?"

"Simple," said Will. "By helping Kozar, they get rid of most of the population of Tarda. Then they only have to deal with the Acorians."

Korbin nodded thoughtfully. "That plan would work. But something bothers me about that. Something we've seen in the last few days. It will come to me."

In less than an hour, the entire area was quiet again. A full Tardan moon was up casting a glow on everything and making it seem like early morning. Korbin stopped pacing. He had explored every inch of the cage that held them.

"I can't see any way out. What did Vargon mean when he said that there are others with magic more powerful than yours?"

Will looked up. He had been looking through his small book of charms. The one he always kept with him. Its pages always seemed to change, but it had never failed to provide him with a charm that fit the circumstances of his particular conundrum. But now it only offered the same unlocking charm he had already tried.

"I tried my unlocking charm. It has always worked in the past but not this time. I saw Drago sprinkle some dust on the lock after they put us in here. He must have used some sort of magic that is stronger than mine."

"How does your magic work?" The voice of the phoenix sounded in Will's head. He could tell that the others had heard it too.

"I have to touch whatever I need my charms to work on," replied Will.

"Does your book say that you have to touch to work your magic?"

"No. When I discovered I could do magic, I discovered that I needed touch to make it work. Simply saying the words did not work."

"Do you have a wand?" asked the phoenix.

"A wand?" responded Will.

"A wand serves to focus magic charms," the phoenix stated matter of factly. "Perhaps I can help."

There was a rustling sound from the cage next door. A single feather fell from under the tarp to just outside of the cage that held Will. It was a feather not unlike the one that the phoenix had provided Rami though it was half again as large and had a stout central shaft.

"Some of the best wands contain phoenix feathers," the phoenix said. "It will focus your power. Hold the shaft and point the tip. Touch it to the object if you need to, but with practice, there should be no need to touch."

Will picked up the feather. Moonlight danced across its golden color and sparkled at its red fringes. He moved to the cage door.

Suddenly, a light came on in the stone building next to them, and Will froze in place. In the moonlight, they could see three figures exiting the stone building and head across the courtyard. Falgo, Dragus, and Vargon were crossing over to the other building.

"I wonder what they are up to?" mused Alia.

Will, Korbin, Rami, and Alia all focused on the figures as they crept into the building holding Kozar and his men. There was a sudden cry of alarm, but it was brief. Muffled sound came from the building across the courtyard, then silence filled the night. After a few more minutes, they observed the three figures dragging the stiffened bodies of Kozar and two others out of the building. They pulled the bodies toward the metal fence separating the courtyard from the rest of the crater.

"They must have stunned them all, but they are dragging those three to the fence," said Will excitedly.

They continued to watch as the men dropped the bodies on the ground next to the metal fence. Vargon Timitri reached up and pulled a lever. The entire fence collapsed leaving the courtyard completely exposed to the crater and the nesting zenegar. He poked each body again with a stun stick. Vargon followed by Dragus and Falgo walked away from the fence and the incapacitated bodies. This time they did not go into the stone building. They passed the stone building. They exited the courtyard disappearing into the gateway passage. Will could hear the sounds of the gate doors being opened and the portcullis being raised. The men had freed the zenegar and were leaving!

"Now I remember what was bothering me," remarked Korbin. "We saw men working on the drawbridge mechanisms at both Zolar and Acor. While Kozar was managing to impair the drawbridge mechanism for the gates to Zolara, I'll bet Vargon was doing the same at Acor. That's what the Founders are up to. Their plan is for Zenegar to overrun all of Tarda."

Suddenly, they heard several loud clicking sounds coming from the direction of the crater. Three huge zenegar females moved up the crater slope. On finding no barrier between themselves and the courtyard, each dashed up and grabbed a paralyzed man and sped back to the crater side. The only sound was the excited chittering of the zenegar at the discovery of their new-found prey.

"Time to go!" exclaimed Alia looking at Will. "Let's see if you've still got it."

Will touched the phoenix feather to the lock and recited the words of the charm, " _Ramal versus exclamador._ "

This time the lock glowed, and there was an audible click. The door popped open.

"If you can undo the locks, Rami and will I help the children escape while you free the phoenix," Korbin cried leaping through the doorway.

Will reached down and picked up a stick. He whispered the charm " _Converta armo_ " and the stick was converted to a katana a duplicate of the sword that Korbin had used in Zolara. Will handed it to Korbin. He picked up another stick and whispered the charm again repeating the process. Another sword appeared, which he gave to Alia.

"You may need this," he murmured.

Will led the way followed closely by Korbin then Rami and Alia. He passed the cage holding the phoenix and moved to the one holding the children. Korbin threw aside the tarp covering the front of the cage allowing Will to move forward and touch the lock on the door. The lock glowed and, with a click, the door popped open. The children were huddled at the back of the dimly lit cage looking scared and disheveled.

Rami ran inside and gathered his friends. "Follow me," he said leading them out and heading for opening that led to the gatehouse while Korbin remained at the cage door. He was nearest the end of the courtyard, now open with the collapse of the fence.

Three large zenegar females appeared at the edge of the courtyard. One headed toward the doorway to the stone hut across the way. It entered the building. In a minute cries of alarm could be heard from inside. The other two zenegar headed toward Korbin.

"You help Korbin," said Will to his sister. "I will free the phoenix."

As Alia moved forward. Will threw back the tarp covering the door to the cage that held the phoenix, touched the lock with the feather, and recited the charm. The lock clicked. Will flung the door open and stepped aside. The phoenix moved forward through the door of the cage. For just a moment, Will was mesmerized as the majestic red and gold bird passed in front of him, its golden eyes looked down at him as he heard, "Thank you, Will."

With a mighty leap, the phoenix took to the air as its powerful wings launching it skyward. It soared up over the crater wall.

Out of the corner of his eye, Will saw several of Kozar's men who had been in the stone building across the way backing the female zenegar out through the doorway using stun sticks. Although the female was not incapacitated by the stun sticks, they appeared to cause some irritation as she retreated swiping at the stun sticks with her foreclaws. Will saw the zenegar look around and focus on Rami and the group of children who were moving on the other side of the courtyard just even with the stone building. They were heading for the gateway passage. Rami was doing his best to encourage his friends to keep moving, but Will could see that they were moving slowly, no doubt being weak from their confinement.

Noticing that the zenegar was distracted, the men with stun sticks ran for the opening of the channel to the gateway. They gained the opening and disappeared out of the courtyard. The female zenegar turned her attention to the group of children. Will knew she could catch them.

"Rami run," he shouted. He picked up a stone. " _Aquo vesico_ ," he recited as the stone turned into a water balloon. He hauled back and heaved the balloon. It fell way short of the zenegar now advancing on the children.

The zenegar had seen Will's water balloon fall short. Instead of heading across the courtyard toward Rami and the children, she skittered toward the gateway entrance then turned. Now she was even farther from Will and had cut off Ram and his friends from the exit.

Will picked up another stone and ran toward the zenegar. Even as he ran, he knew that the zenegar was too fast. She would reach Rami before Will could get close enough for another throw.

Seeing that they were cut off, Rami and his group stopped. They shrank against the wall. Rami bent down and picked up a large stick. He moved forward and swung it at the zenegar. In a lightning fast move, she snatched the stick from Rami's hand and tossed it aside. She slashed Rami's leg, opening a deep wound. Rami crumpled to the ground just in front of the voracious zenegar. She reached again cutting Rami's arm as he tried to crawl away. Now she would have her meal.

There was a piercing scream as the phoenix plunged down from the sky. Its razor-sharp talons caught the zenegar in mid-body while its beak reached down and severed the zenegar's neck in one bite. The zenegar's body collapsed while its head fell with a thump. As the phoenix took to the air, its voice sounded in Will's head, "Get them to safety."

Still running toward Rami and the children, Will opened his book of charms paging quickly. Once again, it did not fail him. Snapping the book shut and he tucked it away. Snatching a small box that was lying in the courtyard near the group, he recited, "Res fluo." The box became a small glide.

Will hopped on the glide. The controls were simple. One stick forward, reverse, and steering. He pushed the lever forward and piloted it to where Rami sat, surrounded by his friends. Rami's leg wound was seeping blood, but it was not spurting. Will created a bandage and secured it over the gash staunching the flow of blood. He helped Rami onto the glide while the other children piled on. Will assumed the controls and headed the glide toward the gateway. As he drove it out through the gateway passage, he turned to look for his friends and gasped. Now six zenegar surrounded Korbin and Alia.

Alia and Korbin were back to back facing the zenegar. The zenegar were closing in staying just outside of the slashing blades as first Korbin then Alia swung their swords trying to lop off any claw that came close.

Alia concentrated on the zenegar directly in front of her. She could see the intelligence in its gleaming eyes. She feinted at its neighbor then, just as its claw darted out, she swung severing the arm where it met the claw. The zenegar female screamed, but instead of dropping back, she reflexively struck back with her other claw. The open claw grabbed the base of the sword wrenching it from Alia's hands. The zenegar flung the sword aside.

Korbin moved to protect Alia swinging his blade as a huge female charged. Korbin's blade caught the female's claws just as they were about to grab Alia, severing them both. Korbin's blade swung again, severing the head from the zenegar, which dropped like a stone. But a second zenegar swung its arm at Korbin, catching him on his side and tossing him off to the side away from Alia. Now they had separated Korbin and Alia. Four zenegar circled Korbin leaving the fifth female the easy task of finishing off weaponless Alia.

Time slowed for Alia. Thoughts whizzed through her brain as she assessed her position. Her sword lay twenty feet away, but it may as well have been a mile. The zenegar had positioned herself between Alia and her sword. Now the zenegar moved forward its mouth open. No need for claws. She would take a bite from this tasty morsel.

As she watched, Alia saw one of the zenegar females score a hit as it struck Korbin and he went down. Alia knew her brother would quickly return once Rami and the children were safe. She needed to stay alive. She needed to help Korbin. A deep calm descended over her. A thought. A wish. She reached out her hand and pointed to her sword willing it to return.

The female zenegar approached then sprang with neck outstretched and mouth wide open. But faster than the zenegar, the sword flew into Alia's outstretched hand. With one motion, she lopped off the zenegar's head. Swiftly, she turned to save Korbin. In the few seconds it took to get to Korbin, a rush came over Alia. She had found her magic!

As fast as he could, Will drove the glide across the drawbridge and deposited Rami and his friends. Then he turned around and headed back toward the gateway. As he crossed the drawbridge, he took out the phoenix feather. Reaching down, he touched the drawbridge and said, " _Evanesco_." The drawbridge dissolved behind Will as he drove the glide back through the gateway. Here too he paused for only a moment as he touched the chain that held the portcullis. This charm loosened the chain, and the heavy grating crashed down sealing the entrance. With a portcullis and moat between the children and the zenegar, they were safe for now.

The glide moved only slightly faster than Will could run and he was far from the action taking place at the far end of the courtyard more than 50 yards away. More zenegar had joined the fight. He could see that the phoenix had returned and was fighting off two large zenegar. Three zenegar appeared dead while a third was missing a claw. Korbin was down with blood flowing from wounds in his side and head. Alia stood over him swinging her sword at two more zenegar that were trying to snatch at Korbin's body. But Alia now had her back to the end of the courtyard open to the nesting site. And while the two zenegar were keeping her busy, a third zenegar was creeping up the slope approaching her back.

"Alia, behind you!" Will screamed a warning at his sister.

The three zenegar were working together. Will recognized the coordination in their moves. The two were attacking to draw Alia's attention as the third moved closer to her back. The glide was too slow. Will had been in dangerous situations with his sister before but never this bad. Alia might die.

These thoughts moved through Will's consciousness in the blink of an eye. Having decapitated one, the phoenix was holding its own against the other zenegar but could not make its way to aid Alia. Alia lopped off the claw of one zenegar while dodging the claws of the second. But the third, approaching directly from behind her was almost on her.

Will had to do something. In a flash of insight, he remembered what the phoenix had said. Does your book say that you have to touch to work your magic? Will knew a charm he had seen in his book but never used. He raised the phoenix feather above his head then brought it down pointing it at the zenegar attacking Alia from the rear. " _Reso fulmeo_!"

A bolt of lightning flew from the tip of the phoenix feather and struck the zenegar, vaporizing it instantly.

It worked! Will was stunned at the power of the charm thrown from the phoenix father. Quickly he turned his attention to the two zenegar barely being held off by his sister. Shouting the charm, he aimed and let loose. In quick succession, two bolts of lightning vaporized the zenegar. The phoenix decapitated one of the zenegar that was attacking it and the second hastily retreated as it saw the others disappear in a puff of smoke. The phoenix pointed its beak up and leaped toward the sky. It gained the crater rim, circling overhead.

Alia was stunned. She stared at the smoking piles of ash – all that was left of the zenegar. She looked around and saw Will standing with the phoenix feather still pointing in the direction of the vanquished zenegar.

"Yesss! Thank you brother!" she cried.

At her feet, Korbin groaned. She looked down, then called to Will. "He's bleeding, Will. Help me."

Will brought the glide to a halt then leaped off and dashed over to where Korbin lay. Alia was using strips of cloth torn from her shirt to try and stop the bleeding. Will knew a charm to stop bleeding. He touched the feather to Korbin's side and recited the charm then repeated it for the wound on the head. The bleeding slowed to a trickle then stopped.

"Ah, what a fight," Korbin said, his voice weakened. "Thank you, master Will, for stopping the bleeding. And Alia, did I see what I think I saw?"

"What?" questioned Will. For he had been outside with Rami and the children when Alia found her magic.

Alia turned and looked at her brother grinning from ear to ear. "I found my magic!"

"What?" asked Will, confused.

"Watch," she said. Korbin was still lying by Alia's feet. She stepped back, then pointed her open hand toward him. Slowly his body floated upward then moved toward the glide. Alia lowered her arm, gently depositing Korbin on the glide.

Wil grinned. "Levitation! You can move things. You've found your magic."

While Korbin regained his color and his strength, the three took stock. There were still several large zenegar in a defensive line at the bottom of the slope, snapping their claws and screeching. Behind them, the eggs were beginning to hatch.

"We need to get out of here and figure out a way to kill the zenegar and destroy the nest site," said Will.

"Can you use your wand to lightning bolt them like you did the others?" asked Alia.

Will sat down, hanging his head in exhaustion. "I am afraid not. You know that magic takes energy. I'm afraid I don't have much in me for now."

"Then let us get to safety first," replied Alia. "Where are Rami and the children?"

"Outside the gate," replied Will, getting up slowly.

Will and Alia joined Korbin on the glide. Will reversed it and drove it back to the lowered portcullis. Alia hopped down and, with a rapidly recovering Korbin, manipulated the wheel that raised the portcullis. But the glide could move only a few feet. In front of them was a space where previously the drawbridge had been. They stared down at the swiftly moving moat water.

"Will?" said Alia, looking at her brother who was sitting quietly at the controls of the glide.

Will reached into his pocket and pulled out the phoenix feather. He leaned over the side of the glide and touched a twig that was lying in the gateway.

" _Restituero ponso_ ," he uttered.

A new drawbridge reappeared. Will drove the glide across the drawbridge and stopped. The road ahead was empty.

"Rami!" he called. "It is safe to come out."

The bushes to one side of the glide road moved. Out of the forest came Rami leading his friends. They were tired and scruffy looking, but no longer had fearful faces.

A small boy looked up at Will asking, "Can we go home now?"

"In a little while," said Will. "We have one more thing to do."

"I need to rest a bit," he said. "But looking down at the moat water has given me an idea." He explained his idea.

"That should work," replied Korbin. "While you rest, we'll get started.

While Will rested, Korbin used the glide to transport loose rocks and debris and pile it in front of the drawbridge. Then, using an axe that Will had created, he felled several large trees. Alia levitated large stones in piles across the front of the moat. She then stacked the trees on the drawbridge.

In about an hour, Will was ready. He pointed the phoenix feather at the gateway opening. During their previous adventure, he had used a charm to dig ditches to defend the castle at Alderwood. He used the same charm as he deepened the passage that led from the gatehouse to the crater. Now the floor of the passageway was lower, resting only a few feet above the water in the moat. Next he cemented the large stones that Alia had piled up, building a wall that paralleled the front of the moat. Finally, pointing the phoenix feather, he severed the drawbridge from its hinges.

Will looked at his sister. "Your turn."

Alia raised her arm and pointed at the pile of trees on the drawbridge. She waved her hand, and the trees slid into the moat. The blockage from the trees caused the water level in the stream to begin rising. Then she tilted the drawbridge up and laid it straight down in front of the trees completely damming the flow of water at the gateway.

Everyone hopped onto the glide and watched as the water in the moat rose higher and higher in front of the gateway. The short wall Will had created stopped any water from spilling over the front of the moat. The dam that Alia had created stopped any water from flowing further along the moat. Water rushed from the moat through the gateway and into the courtyard and the crater beyond.

Alia darted off to get a view of what was happening inside the crater. Will and Korbin attended to the children. Will created some food, and Korbin found water in a nearby creek. Soon the children were looking much better.

A shadow crossed the space where Will and Korbin were attending to the children. Will looked up and saw the phoenix fly overhead. It circled high over the crater then turned and headed toward the clearing where they were resting. The phoenix descended and glided to land a few dozen feet away.

Will heard the voice in his head. "I see you have rescued the children. And Rami, how are you?"

"I will be fine," Rami responded pointing to his bandaged leg and arm. "These will heal."

"Then I am done here," the phoenix said. Turning and gazing skyward, it launched itself up. It circled once overhead then headed inland. In a minute, the phoenix was a tiny red-gold dot in the sky.

Just as the phoenix was disappearing from sight, Alia returned. "They are all destroyed."

"There's nothing left?" asked Rami somberly.

"Water flowed into the crater," related Alia. "I watched the forward edge of the water as it covered the last of the eggs. Everything dissolved."

"Why so sad?" said Will, looking at Rami.

"As nasty and fearsome as the zenegar are, they are beautiful creatures," said Rami. "And, as much as I did not want myself or my friends to be their next meal, they have a place in the universe. They belong on Zene. It is our world that has made them the terrible creatures that they are. No more zenegar should be allowed to wander into Tarda from Zene. The portal to Zene should be closed permanently?"

"There are other creatures that use the portal," replied Korbin. "And they do no harm. In fact, they do much good."

Rami thought a moment. "Then we should figure out how to prevent zenegar from wandering out of the portal. Or catch them and return them. When we have a new leader, I will ask that this be done."

"Speaking of a new leader, look," replied Alia, pointing to a few small feathers on the ground.

Will looked down. Two of the smaller body feathers from the phoenix were lying on the ground. Although they were still red-gold, their outer edges appeared a lustrous blue. Will remembered what they had been told.

"The phoenix is changing. His body feathers are turning blue. He will choose the new leader soon."

# Chapter 13. Race to the Portal

"We must return to Omphalos to witness the selection," said Rami.

"Yes, you should go," agreed Korbin, "but the Watchers have a more pressing mission. We need to catch up to Vargon, Dragus, and Falgo before they disappear. From what Will saw, we know at least that Vargon is from the Founder world and I'll bet the other two are Foundation members also. They all must be trying to leave and return after the zenegar decimate Tarda. If we can capture them, it will significantly impede the Founders and whatever plans they have for taking over more worlds."

"But how do we catch them?" asked Alia. "We don't know where they've gone."

"One of the portals on Tarda is not far from here," replied Korbin. "My guess is the reason they chose this area for the zenegar breeding facility was so that they could get easy access to escape once they set their plan in motion. If we can beat them to the portal, we can keep them from escaping."

"They have a head start, but they are on foot," remarked Will. "Also, they left before we broke free, so they have no reason to know we will be chasing them. Can we use the glide to catch them?"

"We can get halfway there by going back down the glide road," said Korbin. "Then we will travel cross country. Can you make the glide go faster, Will?"

Once again Will reached for his book of charms. It was never the same inside, but it seemed to anticipate his needs each time.

"Hmm," he said reading to himself. "This might work."

Everyone boarded the glide.

"Sit down and hold on," said Will as he aimed the glide back down the path and, while pushing the glide control lever as far forward muttered, " _Citio itero_."

The glide started smoothly down the hill. As Will moved the glide lever forward, their speed increased in response. In a minute, they could feel the wind in their faces as the glide roller-coastered through the turns and plunged down the straight ways. Alia and Korbin made sure that the children were sitting and holding tightly to the low rail that surrounded the glide. Will felt his ears pop as they descended rapidly down the hill. Alia turned to Will a grin on her face. Korbin's gray beard was streaming over one shoulder, dodging left and right as Will took the turns in the glide road as fast as he could.

Korbin's eyes squinted slightly as he watched the path ahead. In a moment, they lit with recognition. "Ok, stop at that large stone at the next switchback."

Will pulled back on the glide controls, and the glide slid to a stop shortly before the turn. A large rock protruded out above the path.

"This is where we get off," said Korbin pointing to a path almost unnoticeable next to the rock. "Rami, you and your friends will wait here. If we are not back by dark, make your way to Woba and get assistance there."

Korbin hopped off of the glide and onto the path. He hefted the sword he had been given to fight the zenegar. Alia too had hers in hand.

"We may need your magic to overcome Vargon and his men," Korbin said to Will. "But first we have to catch sight of them." He pointed to a broken twig on the brush next to the path. "Someone has been here recently. Follow me closely!"

Korbin led, moving down the path as quickly and quietly as he could. He silently pointed out things to avoid - overhanging branches and places in the path where there were protruding roots. Occasionally, he would pause only briefly to examine the path.

After one brief pause, he looked up at Will and Alia, a light in his eyes. "They are only minutes ahead!" he said excitedly.

Korbin picked up the pace, still trying to move as quietly as possible but now taking large strides and advancing swiftly along the path. As he led, he looked back over his shoulder at Will.

"Can you make me some stun sticks for throwing?"

"Sure," said Will. Keeping up his rapid pace, he grabbed some pine needles from the ground and murmured the charm. Carefully, he passed a handful of them up to Korbin.

"It's just ahead," said Korbin. "There is a clearing around a large cluster of stones. If we're in time, we'll see them."

Korbin raised a stun stick over his head, ready to throw. Will pulled out the phoenix feather prepared to cast a stun spell as they burst into the clearing.

Nothing. The clearing was empty. Up ahead, just in front of a small grove of trees was a large gray stone tipped on one end. Will could see the slit-like glow of the portal, but there was no one there.

"They beat us," said Korbin hanging his head in disappointment. "All of the sign indicated they came this way. We are just too late."

They moved closer to the portal. Korbin was examining the grass in the clearing.

"Three men, they were here all right," he said despondently.

They were thirty feet from the portal. Suddenly from the grove of trees, a figure emerged. A large figure wearing a brown hooded robe.

The three were startled. Alia raised her sword in front of her while Korbin raised his arm to throw a stun stick. Will lifted the phoenix feather ready to point it at the figure. Something made him pause. Something about the figure. The quite large figure. A body so broad that, when you followed it through the Gallery, it obscured your view.

"Saydon Nemscally!" blurted Korbin. "What are you doing here?"

Saydon pulled back his hood and looked at his startled colleagues. Will had never seen Saydon smile, but he looked like he was having trouble trying to maintain his stoic composure.

"We got your message about the marble eyes," Saydon said in his deep rumbling voice. "Knew it must be Founders. I did some checking with a few of the creatures that routinely use the Tardan ports. By process of elimination, I figured this was the one that the Founders were using. It takes several portals but leads back to their world eventually.

Alia frowned. "And we missed them. We were so close!"

"Yes, you missed them," said Saydon matter-of-factly. He pulled a wand from his robe and waved it at the stone that held the portal.

Will saw the portal shift ever so slightly.

"Saydon, what did you do?" he asked.

"I hid the real portal. I created a temporary portal right next to it. Now you are looking at the real portal. The temporary portal is gone. Forever."

"So where did the temporary portal lead?" asked Will.

"There is a rather small world with a livable but relatively inhospitable climate. There is some plant life, but no other creatures live there. It is possible for creatures to subsist on the world with some effort. That is where your captors have gone."

"Forever?" asked Alia.

"Forever."

"And now, I must leave you, my friends," said Saydon. (And Will could detect the slight sadness in his eyes no matter how good Saydon was at hiding his feelings)

"But Saydon, the portal to the Gallery is in Omphalos," said Alia.

"Ah, yes Miss Alia. The direct portal is in Omphalos," replied Saydon. "But this one leads there eventually. And I have several stops to make. Goodbye."

And, with that, he was gone.

"Well, let's see," quipped Alia, a grin spreading across her face. "With the immense help of the inscrutable Saydon Nemscally, we have succeeded. We have freed the phoenix AND thwarted the Founders attempted takeover of Tarda."

"So, we might as well stick around for the rest of it," said Will. "Let's go see the phoenix choose a new leader. Then we will give a complete report to Mr. Weldon. Though, I would not be all that surprised if he has the news almost as soon as it happens."

The three retraced their steps back to where they had left Rami and his friends. Although the trip back was made without the urgency as the trip to the portal, they still arrived well before dark. Rami and his friends were happy to see them. Rami was especially thrilled when he learned the fate of Vargon and his men.

"You certainly have done more for Tarda than was asked of you," he said addressing Korbin as well as Will and Alia. You not only recovered the phoenix but prevented the demise of most of the civilian population of Tarda and the takeover of our world. I will make sure that the new leader hears of your accomplishments."

Will, Alia, and Korbin clambered back onto the glide, exhausted but feeling a warm glow of satisfaction. Will drove the glide back to the town of Zaga though Korbin convinced him that the speeding charm was not necessary. The group arrived in Zaga tired but happy. From Zaga they rapidly whisked back to Omphalos.

As they exited the whisk from Zaga, they were met by a contingent of Omphalos security led by Councilwomen Narah and Amzi along with Cornelia Cross the head of the Shelter. It turned out that the men working for Boaz had been intercepted at the station by Omphalos security, who were on high alert due to the zenegar scare. They smelled so much like zenegar that they were held and interrogated. They told everything including the demise of Kozar. The Councilwomen and Cornelia had gathered up a squad of security force and were determined, despite the apparent danger, to go to Zaga to at least rescue the children. The sight of the children brought tears to Cornelia's eyes.

"My children are safe," said Cornelia Cross, her open arms hugging as many as she could surround. "And Rami, what has happened to your leg?"

"It got in the way of a zenegar," replied Rami matter-of-factly. This, of course, started the children talking, each one telling their version of their capture and rescue.

"And the phoenix was there," more than one small voice spoke of the presence of the phoenix.

Narah and Amzi turned to Will.

"Is this true?" asked Amzi.

"Yes," replied Will. "It appears that capturing the phoenix was part of the plan to keep a zenegar breeding project going. We will give you a full report in the morning. For now, we would like to head to Korbin's house for some food and then rest."

"The children are all welcome to eat at my house," said Korbin.

"That will not be necessary," said Cornelia. "We have food and beds for all of them already prepared at the Shelter. And a doctor is coming to look them over. And to examine Rami's wound."

So Rami and his friends left with Cornelia Cross for The Shelter while Korbin led a weary Alia and Will to his home. Once there, he made up some sandwiches and a stew. The three tired souls were quickly sound asleep.

# Chapter 14. A New Leader

"The phoenix has arrived! The phoenix is here!" Will was awakened by multiple shouts, excited voices from outside. Sunlight streaked through the window where he and Alia had slept. It was still morning, but the sun had been up at least an hour. Will scrambled up. He noticed that the bed where Alia had slept was already neatly made. He left the room and walked down the hallway to the kitchen. Alia sat at the table while Korbin was making breakfast. The warm bread like smell of Tardan pancakes filled the kitchen. Alia was already eying the large pitcher of Sosa syrup that would be used to smother the pancakes (like earth-world maple syrup with a light cherry sweetness – you would like it).

"People are saying the phoenix is in Omphalos," Will said.

"Yes," replied Korbin. "It was seen just a short while ago circling overhead. That probably means that the leader is someone in the city. If past history is a prediction, the phoenix will land in the cubila tree at the grove by the fountain. Shortly after that, it will make its way to the home of the new leader. There it will burst into flames, leaving an egg that will open at the touch of the chosen one. The phoenix has not yet settled in the cubila tree. I think we have time for breakfast.

Despite having eaten the night before, all three were still quite hungry. Stacks of pancakes smothered in syrup were consumed by each of them. This was washed down with warm nut-milk, tasting remarkably like coffee to Will and Alia.

The cries outside suddenly changed. "The phoenix has landed!" The call was repeated as people began to stream toward the central park.

Alia set down her empty cup of nut-milk. "Time to go." She and Will cleared the table and washed the dishes, placing them on the drying rack next to the sink.

Korbin led the twins out the door and in the direction of the park at the center of Omphalos. The closer they got, the more people they encountered. The pedestrian walkways were packed with people streaming toward the park.

They were still a block away from the beginning of the park.

Will eyed the crowd. "It will be tough to get close."

"I know another way," said Korbin. "Follow me."

He took one of the stairways that led from the pedestrian walkway to the alleyway for glides.

"Korbin, you know the alleyways do not travel into the park," Will reminded him.

"Yes, but this does," said Korbin, smiling and pointing to a large grate that was built into the side of the alleyway. "This is the access to the plumbing system for the fountain. It comes up near the fountain, which is right next to small woods where the cubila tree is located. The phoenix will be sitting in that tree at least until it makes its way to the home of the chosen leader.

Korbin unfastened one side of the grate and swung it open on its hinges. He motioned Will and Alia into the passageway behind the grate, then swung the grate closed behind them. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a light stick and turned it on. The stick illuminated a passageway about one and a half people wide and tall enough to accommodate the passage of Will and Alia without crouching. Korbin, having to duck a bit to avoid bumping his head on the smooth ceiling of the passageway, led the way. He held the light stick in front and slightly to the side so that it cast its light on the passage in front and left enough light for Will and Alia to easily see where they were going as they followed behind.

One long stretch, a turn to the left then another long stretch, and they arrived at a metal ladder heading up. At the top, they could see two dots of light as sunlight streamed through two holes in the metal cover over the opening.

Korbin scrambled up the ladder then carefully raised the metal cover, which was hinged on one side. Seeing that it was clear, he pulled himself out then turned and offered his hand, assisting Will and Alia up through the hole.

Will looked around. They were just within the edge of a grove of tall trees. Behind them, he heard the bubbling of the fountain. Deeper into the woods, he saw the tall branches of the cubila tree rising several feet above the other trees. People were beginning to pass into the grove heading for the cubila tree.

Dried leaves crunched beneath their feet as Korbin, Alia, and Will made their way toward the cubila tree. The clearing around the tree was roped off. A golden restraining rope provided a barrier that kept everyone about 30 feet from the tree. Omphala security guards stood every ten feet along the rope. The crowd was just beginning to form, and the three were able to find a place on the rope. The base of the tree was almost 10 feet in diameter and covered with smooth, charcoal-gray bark. It rose thirty feet in the air before separating into five equal-sized limbs, which spread out horizontally then continued rising skyward.

The phoenix was resting in the platform formed by the spreading limbs.

Will stared at the phoenix. Although it was standing erect in the tree, its shoulders seemed to sag slightly. The red-gold feathers of its head neck and wings glowed with a luster that had softened a bit. But the most pronounced change was the bright gold and red feathers of its body had turned a deep sapphire blue.

"He is getting ready to die," commented Korbin.

"No!" shouted Rami, who unnoticed by the trio had just arrived and was standing just behind them.

Rami ducked under the restraining rope and limped to the base of the tree. Looking up, he reached out. "Phoenix don't go! Not yet! Please."

A security guard moved to remove Rami from the cordoned-off area. But he stopped suddenly and looked up at the phoenix. Although Will had not heard anything, he could tell that the security guard had been spoken to by the phoenix. The guard backed away.

The phoenix raised himself slightly on his perch then spread his wings and glided down landing just in front of Rami. He looked down at the boy.

Will strained to overhear the conversation but could only catch what Rami said.

"Because I have only just met you."

"But why can't choosing a leader wait, for just a little while?"

"It's too soon. I will miss you."

"Yes, I understand."

Rami hung his head and turned from the phoenix. He trudged back to where Will, Alia, and Korbin stood. Then he turned back toward the phoenix and waved goodbye.

This time Will heard the voice. He could tell that Alia and Korbin heard too. None of the people around them reacted, so he was certain that no one else besides Korbin, Alia, and Rami heard.

"Goodbye my friends."

The phoenix crouched slightly then launched itself skyward as it spread its wings. In a few powerful strokes, it was circling high overhead.

The crowd gasped. "It is going to the home of the new leader!"

As the phoenix circled overhead, the crowd scattered trying to anticipate where the phoenix was going. The phoenix circled wider and wider as it slowly rose above the city of Omphalos.

Korbin, Rami, Will, and Alia remained in place as people left the area of the park streaming to all parts of the city.

"It's going to the council building," whispered Rami.

"How do you know?" asked Alia eyes widening.

"The phoenix told me," Rami replied matter-of-factly.

"Then let's go," said Korbin, beginning the short walk through the park to the council building.

As the phoenix circled high overhead, the four walked past the fountain and along the pedestrian walkway toward the large gray building just outside of the park.

Most of the people had their eyes skyward, barely noticing the four of them as they walked resolutely toward the council building. The council building lay in the middle of a small lawn surrounded by a waist-high fence. A smaller walkway led from the pedestrian walkway, through an opening in the fence to the stairs that led to the doors to the council building. Korbin, Rami, Will, and Alia stopped at the opening in the fence and gazed skyward.

The phoenix had completed an arc over the far reaches of the city. It turned and began to descend. Its speed increased as it swooped down over the pedestrian walkway heading straight for the council building. Wings flared wide and legs extended, it glided over the lawn and landed on the steps of the council building. It turned and faced the crowd now forming at the fence line. Security rushed to stand in the opening in the fence restraining the crowd from coming closer.

More and more people gathered at the edge of the lawn. In a few minutes, people were packed twenty deep all around the fence facing the building.

The phoenix stood calmly looking out at the crowd. Wisps of smoke rose from the feathers at the periphery of the phoenix. The tendrils of smoke turned into tiny flames. Suddenly the phoenix burst into flames. As one, the crowd gasped and stepped back.

All except Korbin, Rami, Will, and Alia. At first, they stood in silence. They could see a silhouette of the phoenix within the flames that completely engulfed the magnificent bird.

Rami bent his head and began to cry. He leaned on Alia for support. Alia stroked his head.

The flames lasted only a minute or so. Where the phoenix stood, a pile of ashes remained. A slight breeze parted the ashes. There, amid the residue was a reddish gold egg about the size of a large melon.

"How unusual," said Korbin. "The phoenix didn't incinerate itself on the doorstep of the new leader. The egg is on the steps of the council building."

Behind the pile of ashes, the doors to the council building opened. Members of the Council including Narah and her daughter Opha along with Amzi and Cornelia Cross came out forming a semicircle behind the egg.

"This is not how it is supposed to happen," said Narah. "No one lives here!"

Rami raised his head and wiped the tears from his eyes. He limped forward, but two security guards stood before him.

Rami addressed the Council, "I want to say goodbye. One last time."

"Let him pass," called Narah.

Rami and knelt beside the egg. He reached out, touched the egg, and whispered. "Goodbye my friend." Then he turned and trudged back toward where Will, Alia, and Korbin were standing.

Will heard the sound coming from the direction of the egg. A soft crack. A fissure appeared in the middle of the egg, and the halves of the egg separated.

A golden red figure unfolded from the egg. The council members pulled back. The figure rose higher and wider until it was taller than any man or woman on Tarda. A head appeared as the neck unfolded. Two golden eyes looked out over the crowd from a feather-crested head atop a slim neck and body covered with shimmering red-gold plumage. The phoenix was reborn.

The eyes looked down at where Rami stood with Korbin, Will, and Alia.

Will heard the voice. "Hello, friends."

And even as Korbin said it, Will understood.

"It's Rami! The phoenix was born again on the steps of the council building because Rami has no specific home. Omphalos is his home!"

The phoenix turned. Will could see that he was talking to the Councilwomen. They looked from the phoenix to Rami than back to the phoenix. In a minute they were nodding. They motioned to Rami to join them on the steps.

As Rami slowly limped toward the phoenix, again Will could hear Rami's half of the conversation.

"No."

"But I can't."

"I'm not ready."

"You will?"

"Whenever I need you?"

Rami reached the steps where the phoenix stood. He stood in front of the phoenix and turned to face the crowd. The phoenix spread his wings behind Rami.

This time everyone heard the voice. "Here is your new leader!"

A roar went up from the crowd. Rami's friends began to chant. Rami! Rami! Rami! Soon everyone was clapping and cheering.

And, with that, the phoenix launched itself into the sky, circled overhead then off toward the distant mountains. Or somewhere . . . No one really knows where the phoenix resides on Tarda.

# Chapter 15. Home Again

The investiture of Rami as the new leader and the celebration thereafter lasted two days. Will, Alia, and Korbin were toasted as heroes. There were plenty of exotic pies to be sampled, so Alia was quite thrilled (and stuffed), and Will had to admit that there was something to be said for having a different pie to sample at each meal. After a good night's rest, Will and Alia accompanied by Korbin made their way to their departure portal in the tailor's shop in downtown Omphala. There, after hugging Korbin goodbye, they stepped through the mirror. Will experienced the slight disassociation he always noticed when stepping through a portal. For a fraction of a second his vision blurred as he felt the gentle whooshing of a breeze but, as his foot came down and touched the floor, instantly everything cleared and he recognized the workshop in The Gallery from which they had departed a few weeks before.

They were met by Saydon Nemscally. "There you are, welcome back. Mr. Weldon s expecting you. Please follow me."

Saydon led them back down the hallway to Mr. Weldon's office, knocked and opened the door allowing them to pass then followed them in closing the door behind himself.

Amadeus Weldon looked up from his papers and beamed.

"Welcome back," he said. "I reviewed Korbin's report. You two have done well. Not only did you recover the phoenix as requested, but you managed to save all of Tarda as well."

"As you know, we could not have done it without Korbin and Rami and even the phoenix itself," Will remarked. "And without Saydon, we would not have diverted the men working for the Founders."

"The involvement of the Founders surprised us all," replied Mr. Weldon. "If I had any inkling that the Founders were involved, I would not have sent you two alone. But Korbin's timely question alerted us, so Saydon was able to provide assistance. You have foiled their incursion into Tarda. Now that we know that they are back, we must learn what they are up to. I am certain this is not the last we have heard from them."

Alia said. "What will happen to Rami? He is so young. Will he be up to his new position? Leader of Tarda. That is a daunting responsibility."

"He is rather young, but there have been other young leaders chosen for Tarda. The phoenix appears to somehow always make choices that work. That is why the people have so much faith in whoever the phoenix chooses. And the phoenix will still be around to advise him. With the Founders and Kozar gone, there are no immediate dangers. That coupled with the fact that Rami was involved in finding the phoenix and saving Tarda from being overrun by zenegar, I would stay make quite a good start for his reputation as the chosen leader. It will please you to know that Malchus and Narah announced the wedding of their daughter Narah to Caleb, the son of Boaz and Amzi. It appears that Rami's first order of business was to help the wives speak with their husbands about the interests of their children. That wedding should promote better relations between the people of Zolara and Acor. And for his part in the zenegar scheme, Zander, the chief minister of Zolara has been thrown in jail. Tarda looks to be heading toward peaceful times."

"And we are looking forward to a few days' rest," said Will, as he and Alia got up preparing to depart.

"Before you go, one last thing," said Amadeus Weldon. "Alia, for you I have a few words of advice. You have learned that you too possess an unusual gift. The ability levitate objects is a powerful ability that neither your father nor mother possessed. You will need to learn the extent of this ability by using it, but be careful. As with Will's exercise of magic charms, it comes at an energy cost to you."

He opened a drawer and took out a small oak wooden box. The box was less than a foot long and only a few inches wide and tall. Small silver hinges kept the lid in place. He handed it to Will.

"Korbin sent this. He said that the phoenix had some friends make it for you."

Will opened the box. Laying on a velvety orange-red cloth was a slender, smooth black rod about 8 inches long. One end had a small carved grip while the other ended in a taper.

Will picked it up. It was light and felt comfortable in his hands.

"It looks like a wand."

"I understand that you were able to concentrate the power of your charms using a phoenix feather," said Amadeus Weldon. "The phoenix is far more knowledgeable about these things than any of us. It sent this wand constructed of wood from the cubila tree. Its core contains pieces of the egg that hatched the phoenix. And a message: trust your instincts and practice with care."

"But we've only just returned," said Will. "How could the phoenix have had time to have this made?"

Alia looked at the electronic clock on the wall of the office. "I noticed that when we left. It was April 2nd 11am. Now it says April 2nd 11:20. But we were gone more than a week!"

Will frowned. "I remember something similar happened on our trip to Alderwood. We were gone for weeks, but only a few days had passed when we returned."

"Is it true that we have been gone for only a few minutes?" asked Alia.

"It is true," Amadeus Weldon answered. "There are different temporal relationships between most worlds connected by portals. One of the unique features of this world is that we can be gone for what seems to be a long time in the other world but return having lost little time in this world. But it is not that simple. There may be future assignments where you must deal with a more complicated situation. Either Saydon or I can spend more time sharing our understanding. For now, the time you spent has earned you a well-deserved rest."

Will and Alia turned and left the office. Saydon escorted them to the entrance of The Gallery. They said their goodbyes; thanking Saydon who, in his usual way, acted like he had done practically nothing. They caught the city transport line traveling toward the part of town where they lived and exited the bus a few blocks from their house.

"I wonder what other creatures we might meet," mused Will. "So far we have befriended a dragon and a phoenix and learned that zenegar are not to be trifled with."

"Don't forget that trolls are working somewhere on Tarda and that both Korbin and Amadeus Weldon mentioned that many creatures routinely travel via portals," said Alia.

"And now it appears that we have Founders to deal with," replied Will. "I wonder if they will steal something else we will be asked to recover?"

Alia smiled at her brother. "I am looking forward to it."

They turned onto the block where they lived. Up ahead was the small Craftsman-style gray house with the white picket fence where they lived. Will and Alia were tired but fulfilled. They had accomplished much but, for now, it was time to go home.

And so, they did.

# ###

About the Author

Kram Scavok is a pseudonym for the author. The author was born in the USA and has lived in several cities all across the US including the East Coast, Midwest, Mountain States, and West Coast. Interested in animals from an early age, he studied biological sciences as an undergraduate, earned a master's degree in physiology, then went on to receive a degree in veterinary medicine and became a practicing veterinarian. On the way to becoming a veterinarian, the author held a variety of jobs including: work on a dairy farm, a cattle ranch, an animal shelter, as a short order cook and service in the hospital corps of the US Army. Reading favorites include Science Fiction and Fantasy, Action/Adventure, Mysteries and, of course, Harry Potter.

Other Books by Kram Scavok

### There Might Be Dragons

### A Backdoor in Time

