 
Jack Jackson vs The Midnight Army

Jack Jackson

vs

The Midnight Army

Emlyn Hall

For Boyston 1 & Ganoosh

Little Bottombump

Jack Jackson was a 10-year-old boy. To be a little more precise, Jack was a skinny little 10-year-old boy. He was in fact so skinny that if he were to take off his T-shirt, you would be able to see all of his ribs.

Jack lived in a tiny village called Little Bottombump. Little Bottombump was a particularly tiny village. In the village there were just five houses, a shop (which was also a post office), a bakery and a pub.

The village was arranged either side of the main road that ran through it. If you were driving on that road, there is a very real chance that you would not even notice that you were passing through a village at all; it was that small.

On one side of the road there were three large houses next to each other, all identical except for the colour of their front doors. A blue door, a red door and a green door. Next to the house with the green door was the shop (which was also a post office).

On the opposite side of the road was another identical house (but this time with a yellow door), the bakery, the pub and Jack's house.

Jack's house was not identical. It was however, an enormous house – an enormous old house, to be more accurate. Whereas all the other houses in the village had four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a lounge, a kitchen and a garage, Jack's house had fourteen bedrooms, four lounges, three kitchens and two garages. The house was five storeys high and looked as if it could fall down at any moment. The house was covered from top to bottom in cobwebs, and people who lived in the village used to laugh and say that it was only the cobwebs that held it together!

Jack loved Little Bottombump but he hated his house. He lived in the enormous house with his dad. His mum had passed away after she fell sick giving birth to him, so it was just him and dad. No brothers or sisters, just him and his dad. This would have all been fine, but he never really saw his dad as he spent every minute of his waking time fixing the old enormous house.

One day his dad would be up on the roof fixing some tiles, another day he would be in the basement trying to stop the damp from rising. Jack's dad did not have a job, the constant need to repair the house meant that he did not have time for a job. Because Jack's dad didn't have a job, this meant that they didn't have any money and what money they did have was always spent on nails, paint, wood or other things needed to fix the house.

That was why Jack was skinny. That was why Jack hated his house. It stopped him from being with his dad. He loved his dad more than anything in the whole world and if he had his way, he would spend every waking moment with his dad, playing games and listening to his silly stories.

Jack's dad was also called Jack, although Jack's real name was actually Jackson, he chose to shorten it to Jack as Jackson Jackson was just silly! His dad sometimes just called him Junior, Jack liked being called Junior, but only by his dad.

Jack was a friendly, clever and well-liked boy, everybody in the village loved him. He was a little short for his age, which was probably due to the fact that he didn't eat very much. Jack had lots of scruffy black hair which grew out of his head at all manner of strange angles and gave him a very unique hairstyle. Jack always had a dirty face and the clothes he wore were always second-hand and full of holes. Jack was quite a sad little boy, he loved his village and all of the people that lived there but none of them were children. In fact, the youngest person in the village (apart from Jack) was his dad, and he was forty-four. Some of the other people in the village did have children, but they were all grown up and had all moved away.

In the house with the blue door lived a lovely old couple called Trevor and Heather Evans. They had a son called Evan, that's right – Evan Evans. He was thirty-two and now lived in London where he worked in a bike shop.

In the house with the red door lived another couple called Boris and Doris Phillips. They too had a son, his name was Phillip, that's right – Phillip Phillips. He was also thirty-two and also lived in London where he made household electrical items.

In the house with the green door lived a little old lady called Mavis Davis. She was 103 years old but looked brilliant for her age. Jack would wave to her every morning as she jogged past his enormous old house on her daily seven mile run.

In the house with the yellow door lived an old man called David Davies. David was 102 years old and the brother of Mavis. Even though he was a whole year younger than his sister, he looked a lot older. Jack never saw him go jogging like his sister, but he did see him speed past the house every evening on his very expensive racing bike.

The shop (which was also a post office) was owned and run by a couple called Matt and Pat Nicolson. They worked in the shop during the daytime, seven days a week and lived in the flat above it. They had a daughter called Nicola, that's right – Nicola Nicolson. Nicola was at drama school training to be an actress.

The bakery was owned by a couple called Bill and Jill Perman. They worked in the bakery during the daytime, seven days a week and lived in the flat above it. They too had a daughter, her name was Sue, that's right – Sue Perman. Sue lived in London and worked as a fire fighter, an ambulance driver and at weekends would travel to the Lake District where she would help the mountain rescue service to save people.

The pub's landlord was a fifty-three-year-old man who lived their alone, his name was Brian Watkins, he was new to the area.

Penny's Penny

Every morning, Jack would wait outside the front of his old, enormous house and wait patiently for the school bus to arrive. Jack was always the first to be picked up by the school bus as he lived so far away. It took Jack over an hour to get to school and the bus driver was desperately unhappy about having to go so far out of his way every morning.

Once the bus arrived, Jack would shout out a "goodbye!" to his dad, who would either poke his head out of a window, appear over the roof or lean off of a ladder to wave goodbye.

Each morning, Jack would step up on to the empty bus under the menacing stare of the driver, Mr Grimson.

"Good morning, Mr Grimson," Jack said every morning, doing his best to try and sound jolly.

"Huh, sit down, do up your belt and no talking," was the standard grumpy reply. Mr Grimson was indeed, as his name suggested, very grim.

Jack sat in the same seat every morning, just behind Mr Grimson. He loved to sit there as he could see clearly out of the big front windscreen and pretend that he was the driver. It took Jack and Mr Grimson a good half an hour before they reached the next bus stop, in another little village called Penny Downhill. Jack's dad had once told him that the village was called Penny Downhill because once upon a time a wealthy and eccentric landowner staged a competition on the top of the steepest and highest hill in his land. He placed a single penny in an old empty beer barrel and announced:

"The first person to catch the barrel, break it open and return it to me will win a large plot of my land!" With that he kicked the barrel down the hill. People had travelled from far and wide to try and win the land.

Down the barrel rolled, faster and faster. The huge crowd of people followed. The hill was so steep and slippery that everyone soon fell over. It must have looked like an avalanche of arms and legs. Men and women, boys and girls all fell, and spun and tumbled and fell some more.

Arms broke, noses bled, fingers crunched and still the barrel tumbled away from them, faster and faster. Then all of a sudden, out of the wailing spinning mass of people a little girl emerged, running faster than the wind, her legs a complete blur as she zoomed after the barrel.

The barrel reached the bottom of the hill and began to slow down, but the girl ran faster and faster. The barrel stopped, the girl tried to slow herself down, but could not, she was running just too fast. She closed her eyes, raised her hands across her face, screamed and ran straight through the barrel. The barrel splintered into a thousand pieces. She pulled her hands away from her eyes and began to circle the barrel as tightly as she could in search of the penny. 'It isn't here!' She thought to herself.

Certain that there was no penny inside, she turned a big U-turn and began back up the hill as fast as she could go, dodging the falling crowd of people as she went. She arrived at the top of the hill and stopped in front of the wealthy, eccentric landowner and fell to her knees in sheer exhaustion.

Then she began to cough. Little coughs at first, followed by larger hacking coughs, followed by enormous gut shaking rasps.

There was a huge plopping sound and the coughing stopped. The penny that moments before had been stuck in the back of the young girl's throat was now sitting in the middle of her cupped hands, covered in saliva. The young girl smiled and held her hands upwards towards the landowner.

The landowner reached forwards, retrieved the penny, wiped the saliva from it and held it up high in the air.

"I proclaim that this young girl is the winner!" He stooped low to whisper to the young girl. "What is your name, dear?" he asked in a friendly voice.

The young girl was breathing very heavily indeed. It was fair to say that the combination of running like the wind and coughing up the coin had clearly taken a lot out of her. A minute passed and her breathing had slowed enough for her to speak.

"Penny," she panted.

Penny went on to form the village of Penny Downhill from the land she was given, where she still lives to this very day at the ripe old age of 112. But saying her name at the top of the hill was the last time she ever spoke.

Jack had heard his dad tell the story many times, but never believed a word of it.

Unless somebody was unwell, thirteen children got on board the bus at Penny Downhill. Not one of them ever sat next to Jack.

Another ten minutes of driving they stopped at another little village called Bumblebee Farm. Five children got on board here, again not one of them ever sat next to Jack.

Another four villages and another twenty-two children. Not one of them ever sat next to Jack.

It was fair to say that Jack was a bit of a loner. It was also fair to say that Jack was a little bit lonely too.

Jack's Abseiling Dad

Jack's alarm clock rang out so loudly that it even woke up Mrs Nicolson in the shop (which was also a post office) and Mr Watkins in the pub.

It was a warm Monday morning; Jack's window was wide open. The breeze was cooling as it rolled in. The sound coming from the two very large bells on the top of Jack's alarm clock was deafening as it rolled out.

Jack instinctively rolled away from the clock, placed a pillow over his head and continued to snore away happily. Jack was a very heavy sleeper.

In many ways, Jack was quite aware that the alarm was ringing out, but he was having such a nice dream about playing in the anti-gravity, football World Cup Final that he wasn't really interested in waking up just yet.

The ringing stopped. Jack's dad, who had been painting the window frames of Jack's bedroom, leaned in and silenced the clock.

"Oi!!" Jack's dad shouted. "Wake up, sleepy head!!"

Jack's eyes sprang open immediately and he turned to see the rather surprising sight of his dad dangling through his open window by a length of old and frayed blue rope. Jack smiled at the sight although he was not completely surprised; his dad had a habit of dangling from bits of rope all over the house.

His dad was a particularly funny sight this morning. A paint brush and tin of paint in one hand, paint all over his face and hair and his blue work trousers halfway down his legs revealing a pair of bright yellow pants.

"Good morning, Dad," said Jack, half speaking and half laughing at the same time. "You do realise that you are showing your pants to the world don't you?"

Jack's dad turned his head around and looked at his yellow pants, turned back and nodded with a guilty smile.

"They fell down a few minutes ago, but my hands are too full to pull them back up. Wrong day to wear the yellow perils, eh Jackson!" Jack's dad didn't often call him Jackson but when he did it usually meant he was being silly.

"To be honest, Dad, I don't think there is ever a right day to wear those horrific pants!" laughed Jack.

Jack's dad laughed. "That's enough insulting my underwear for one day, you need to get yourself up, dressed and off to school, the bus will be here in twenty minutes."

Jack nodded and swung his tired legs over the bed and on to the floor. At the precise moment his feet hit the floor a loud crashing of breaking glass rang out from the back of the house. Jack looked up at his dad.

"Oops, better go. That sounded like the bathroom window. Have a good day in school," said Jack's dad as he disappeared back out of his window.

Jack pulled on his uniform and walked across the large corridor outside his bedroom to the bathroom, he paused for a moment at the sink to pull out a long splinter from his foot and began to brush his teeth. Sure enough, the window had indeed fallen out.

"Have a great day!" shouted Jack's dad as he abseiled past the window on his old blue rope.

Jack finished up in the bathroom and walked carefully down the old rickety stairs, avoiding the big hole halfway down and making sure that he did not put his hand on the recently lacquered banister (complete with missing spindles).

He packed his school bag with his books, pencil case and lunchbox (complete with his dad's painted handprint) and strode out of the front door to wait for the school bus.

Mr Grimson pulled up outside of Jack's house at 7:20am. The smell of dust, paint and lacquer became fainter as Jack walked away from his enormous old house and it was replaced by the delicious smell of freshly baked bread from Mr and Mrs Perman's bakery. Jack closed his eyes and breathed it in deep as he did every morning.

"Good morning, Mr Grimson," said Jack, doing his best to try and sound jolly.

"Huh, sit down, do up your belt and no talking," came the usual grumpy reply.

Jack sat quietly on the bus and stared out of the front window as usual. The bus filled up slowly with the usual children from the other usual villages.

As usual, the bus arrived at Jack's school at 8:30, the school day began at 8:40. The other children would laugh and joke around for those ten minutes, Jack always went into school and sat at his desk alone and waited for the rest of the class to come in.

Jack's school was called The Merryman Community School. Jack liked his school, but he never really found it to be a merry place and he certainly didn't feel part of the community.

Jack's teacher was called Mrs Snuggles; she was a huge jolly lady in her late fifties. Mrs Snuggles always wore pink suits that didn't quite fit her and she spoke in the poshest and highest pitch voice you could possibly imagine.

Jack really liked Mrs Snuggles, sure she was a little odd and sure she had an incredibly funny name, but she was always nice to Jack and the only person in the school that ever spoke to him.

"Why, gooood morning, my dear boy!" said Mrs Snuggles loudly as she walked into the classroom. "And how are you this fine morning?" she asked.

"I'm fine, Miss, thank you for asking. How are you?" replied Jack.

"That's good to hear, Jack my dear child, I am absolutely peachy, absolutely peachy," replied Mrs Snuggles, she often repeated the last thing she said, but at a slightly higher pitch.

As usual, the school day seemed to happen around Jack. Registration, maths, story writing, break time, art, science, lunch, reading, geography and then it was time to go home.

"Good afternoon, Mr Grimson," said Jack, doing his best to try and sound jolly.

"Urggn," came the reply.

Jack sat in his usual seat, the bus filled up with the usual children and then they set off on what would prove to be a most unusual journey home.

The Refreshing Breakdown

The school bus pulled into the bus stop in Penny Downhill a little after 4:30pm and the thirteen particularly noisy children that lived in the village got off.

Jack was, as usual, the last passenger left on the bus. Jack looked out of the window as the children laughed and joked with each other as they made their way home, Jack felt a little sad and wished (not for the first time) that he too had some friends. It didn't even need to be friends, just one friend would do.

He was deep in thought about what his ideal friend would look like when a tremendous growling and clunking noise jolted him back to reality. The bus shook violently, more growling followed, then more clunking and finally a little bit of spluttering before the sound stopped and the bus returned to being silent and still... very still!

Jack, who was sitting in his usual seat, looked out of the front window, smoke was bellowing out of the bonnet. Thick, dark, black smoke. A little of the smoke wafted into the bus and made Jack begin to cough; it really wasn't a very pleasant smell at all.

Mr Grimson unclipped his seat belt, stood up and faced the back of the bus.

"Right, that's it, everybody off the bus!" he shouted.

"Umm, Mr Grimson, it's just me on the bus, sir," said Jack with a rather puzzled look on his face. Jack was now in year six of primary school and had been catching Mr Grimson's bus since year one. 'How could he not know that I'm the last person on the bus?' Thought Jack. Am I really that forgettable?

"Well," replied Mr Grimson, turning his attention to Jack, with a particularly mean looking expression across his face. "Get off the bus then!"

Jack stood up immediately and exited the bus; the black smoke was filling up inside the cabin now and was starting to burn Jack's eyes. There was black smoke everywhere outside, so Jack walked to the back end of the bus and found a wall to sit on where the air was a lot cleaner.

Jack reached into his bag and took out his old notepad and a pencil, then began sketching to kill the time. Jack loved to doodle, he particularly liked to draw big battle scenes where the goodies took on hordes of baddies. He would construct huge armies on either side of the page and then they would start to fight. Jack would make noises to himself as the lasers whooshed across the page and crashed into the goodies and baddies. There would be explosions and tanks and aircraft and giant robots, depending on how the moment took him. But there would always be a final showdown:

The main goodie vs the main baddie.

It was just as Jack was about to fire the decisive laser bolt from the last goodie that his concentration was broken by a tapping sound. He pulled his pencil from the page and looked around, he could not figure out where the tapping had come from.

Mr Grimson was pacing back and forth impatiently and biting his nails, he stopped when he noticed Jack looking at him. Jack quickly looked away, but it was too late. Mr Grimson marched over to him and began shouting.

"What do you think you are looking at boy?! I would keep myself to myself if I were you! I wouldn't be surprised if you or one of the other little animals had something to do with this! You horrible little children!" Mr Grimson paused and took a breath, as he did so Jack heard the tapping. He looked around again, he still could not figure out where the sound was coming from.

"You will look at me when I am talking to you, boy!" He continued. "Why I put up with you bunch of noisy little urchins is beyond me! Bunch of no good freeloaders who think they are better than me!" Another pause for breath. Jack spotted the source of the tapping sound, it was coming from the window of the house's wall he was sitting on. A little, very old frail lady with a very cross look on her face was tapping away on the window with the handle of her walking stick. 'Oh dear.' Thought Jack, I think she wants me to get off her wall. Jack stood up and started to back off from Mr Grimson.

"And where on earth do you think you are off to, lad?! You will sit yourself back down immediately and listen to me or you can just about forget about getting home at all! Yes young man, I am very much in charge here and you will do exactly what you are told for a change! I am fed up with your generation thinking that you can just do whatever you like when you..." A huge thudding sound spelt the end of Mr Grimson's rant.

The frail little old lady that had been tapping on the window moments before had sprinted nimbly across the lawn, hopped over the wall gracefully and brought the palm of her bony hand down with terrific force, right on the top of Mr Grimson's head. He stopped shouting immediately, stumbled into the side of the bus, fell on the floor and began snoring.

"Don't you worry about him; he will be just fine," said the very old lady in a very croaky voice. "It was what I like to call a 'sleepy slap'. He will be on his feet in exactly thirty minutes and won't remember a thing. In the meantime, Mr Jack Jackson, I think you need to come inside with me. There is something I would like to talk to you about."

Jack just stood there in complete shock, mouth open and unable to make sense of what had just happened. Who is this old lady? How does she know my name? How do you knock someone out by patting them on the head? Why does she want me to come inside with her? Those were just a few of the questions buzzing around Jack's head!

The Greenhouse and the Stone

"I'm sorry, miss, but I'm afraid that I am not allowed to talk with strangers," said the still very puzzled Jack as he took a cautionary step backwards.

"And rightly so," came the very croaky response. "You have been raised very well, Jack, and are a credit to your father."

"Do you know me?" asked Jack.

"Yes, well in a manner of speaking, my dear boy. We have never actually met, but I have met your father many times, I also know that he too is called Jack. I am not too sure that he would remember me though," said the very old lady as she took a seat on her wall. "Take a seat, Jack. We can speak here a while."

Jack took a further step backwards and perched himself on the wall. The old lady was very strange but did have a kind face, he guessed that it would be OK to sit and talk for a while.

"OK," said Jack.

"I used to see your father when he was a little boy. He used to come to my house in the summer and play with my niece and nephew in the garden. You see, I never had children myself, I never married in fact, but my younger brother used to come and visit and he would bring his children over to play. I have a very big garden, it's perfect for building dens and playing football," said the old lady.

"How did my dad know your nephew and niece?" asked Jack.

"Your granddad and my brother were best friends. They grew up together, went to school together, the same school that you go to actually, although it had a different name back then. As they both grew older my brother moved away to work in London and when he came to visit me, your grandfather would come and spend time with us and bring your young dad over to play in the garden. Your grandfather passed away when your dad was about your age and sadly, the visits stopped," said the old lady.

"So, if you haven't seen him since he was ten, how do you know who I am?" asked Jack.

"Another good question, young man," continued the old lady. "I am a very old lady and I don't get out and about very often, most of the time I just sit at the window. Your bus stops outside my window every morning as I'm sitting at the window having breakfast. You look an awful lot like your dad you know and you sit in the same seat that he did when he used to catch the school bus. I guess I just put two and two together," said the old lady.

"But how did you know my name is jack though?" asked Jack.

"Well that was a bit of a guess, Mr Jackson, one of the games your father used to play in the garden was 'happy families'. My niece was your father's wife in the game and my nephew was always the son who they always called Jack or Junior. My niece went on to have a son and she too called him Jack. The things we do when we are children are the most important things we do," said the old lady.

"So what is your name?" asked Jack.

"My name is Penny," said the old lady with a smile.

"You mean, you are the girl that ran down the hill?" asked Jack.

"The very same," said Penny, bowing comically.

"But I thought you stopped speaking after you won the completion," said Jack.

"I did, young man, I did. This is the first time I have spoken since then," said Penny with a childish grin.

"So why stay quiet for so long? And why speak now after all this time?" asked a very confused Jack.

"I had to, Jack," said Penny. "At the top of that hill I discovered that I had won a lot more than the land that we now stand upon. The eccentric landowner also gave me a stone, a stone from another world. The competition's real aim was actually to find someone with the bravery and strength needed for a secret and special purpose. To accept the stone and responsibility I decided to also accept a vow of silence, it was just made things easier. Today, I am going to give the stone to you, Jack."

Jack looked even more confused and was completely lost for words. "What did you...? Why would I...? What is...? What can I...?"

Penny laughed, a croaky but friendly laugh. "I know how you feel, Jack, I really do and please understand that you can say no, I will not force you to do anything you don't want to do. But you will, Jack, you will."

"I'm sorry, miss, I think you have got the wrong person," said Jack

"I am certain that I have exactly the right person, Jack. I think it's time for you to see. The stone is in my greenhouse, in my garden. You will have to come with me, Jack." With that, Penny stood up and held out a hand for Jack to hold.

Jack looked at her hand and Jack looked at the happily sleeping Mr Grimson snoring away on the floor.

Jack was not sure what to do. He knew that he should not go with the very strange old lady but he was really intrigued and wanted to know more.

He looked at Penny's face. It was a kind face, a happy face, a face that filled him with confidence.

He reached out and took Penny's hand.

A Jump into the Light

Penny led Jack across the garden, down the side of her house and into the garden. The garden was beautiful, it was clear that a lot of love and time was put into it. The concoction of smells was bliss, sweet from the left, herby from the right; it was just what Jack needed after inhaling lungfuls of the rancid black smoke.

"This is the garden your father used to play in when he was a boy, what I have to show you is in the greenhouse at the far end," said Penny.

The pair walked through the beautiful garden, past an old rusty swing, past a fish pond packed with goldfish, past a neatly decorated blue shed and past a series of very neat raised vegetable beds. All the while Jack's heart beat like a drum roll. He still wasn't sure whether he had made the right decision to take Penny's hand.

The pair reached the very back of the garden and the greenhouse. It was a very ordinary looking greenhouse, filled mainly with tomato plants and seed trays sat on the potting tables that lay on either side.

Penny led Jack into the greenhouse and stopped at one of the potting tables.

"There it is my dear boy. The stone I was given when I was a little girl. The stone I was given that changed my life forever. The stone that I was given, that I shall soon give to you, Jack," said Penny.

"I don't see any stone," said a rather confused Jack.

Penny let go of Jack's hand and pointed to an old and cracked flowerpot. "In there," she said with a smile. The pair of them peered into the pot.

The stone was indeed sat in the flowerpot. The stone looked like any other regular stone. It looked like a pebble, much like any you would find on any beach. It was a perfectly smooth stone, no chips, no scratches, but something about it made it look very old. Behind the thin layer of dust, Jack could see that the stone was steel blue in colour with thin bands of brown which ran around it.

"This very ordinary looking stone is called the 'Stone of Waking Veil'. It is from another world," said Penny. "Pull up a seat and I will tell you a little about it."

Penny gestured to an old fold-up chair which rested against one of the potting tables, Jack opened it and sat down. Penny retrieved another and did the same. Jack thought that Penny must have been crazy, but thought it best to sit and listen, plus it was definitely the polite thing to do.

"We need to start at the very beginning," began Penny. "The universe started with the Big Bang – a huge unimaginable explosion of energy that created tiny particles out of nothing. Time began and those little particles made from the energy of the Bang raced away from the point of the explosion, they raced and raced, faster and faster. The particles joined with other particles, bigger and bigger they grew until they formed unimaginably vast clouds of particles. Millions upon millions of vast clouds in a dark sea of nothing. One of those millions of clouds grew and grew and started to spin, eventually forming the galaxy within which we now live, the Milky Way. You see, Jack, the Milky Way, like all galaxies, is a huge, vast place, like giant star cities. We live at the very edge of the galaxy within the solar system, which I am certain you have studied in school."

Jack nodded.

"Just before the Milky Way was formed from its vast cloud, a rip in the newly formed universe appeared and the first black hole was born. The cloud was moving away from the rip, but the pull was so great that the cloud was torn into two. Two identical clouds. One travelled into the black hole, the other carried on moving away.

So you see, Jack, there are two Milky Ways in the universe. The one that we are in and another made from the exact same ingredients which made ours. The black hole sucked up other half of the cloud and spat it out on the opposite side of the universe. It is identical in almost every way." Penny paused for a moment and smiled towards Jack. "You look a little confused, Jack."

"I am a little confused. Are you telling me that we started as a big cloud of stuff, half of that cloud got sucked away and two identical galaxies were made?" said Jack.

"Exactly!" shouted Penny excitedly, clapping her hands together. "The ingredients were identical, half went one way, and half went the other."

"But there are bound to be differences aren't there?" asked Jack.

"You really are a very clever boy, Jack; I knew I had chosen well. You are right, there are differences. Everything is identical physically, all the stars are the same, the solar system is the same, the Earth is the same, even the way the countries are arranged are the same, but it is the living things which are different," said Penny.

"Different how?" asked Jack.

"I will show you," said Penny standing up. She reached forwards and picked the stone out of the flowerpot. "Using this."

"How?" asked Jack.

"This stone is part of the 'other Earth', my dear boy. It was brought here many thousands of years ago. It is a link between here and there," said Penny. "Its name is the Great Stone of Waking Veil."

Penny walked to the door of the greenhouse and gestured for Jack to join her. Jack stood up and left the greenhouse as instructed.

Once outside, Penny held the Great Stone of Waking Veil to her lips then high into the air.

"Jack, hold my arm and when I say jump, jump. Anything touching me will travel too," said Penny.

Jack had loved the story and found it all so fascinating, but he still didn't believe a word of what Penny said. 'I will just hold on to be nice and then go. Mr Grimson should be awake very soon and I really just want to go home, see my dad and have something to eat, it's been a long day and I'm starving.' Thought Jack.

"OK. After three then," said Penny moving her thumb across the surface of the stone in a bizarre pattern. "One, two, three, jump!"

Jack jumped as he was instructed and was immediately engulfed in the brightest light you could possibly imagine.

Penny and Jack disappeared from the garden.

The Seekers Rise

Siinjid Azzar was huge. Standing at a little over eight feet tall he was far bigger than most Brachanids. Brachanids were a strange race of beings who had two legs, four arms and were covered in a spikey thick black exoskeleton. Brachanids are large beings, but Siinjid was particularly large.

His four arms were similar in size and shape to those of a gigantic bodybuilder, his shoulders gave him the width of a double decker bus. Siinjid's chest looked like he had two suitcases attached to him, two suitcases full of iron that is.

From his enormous chest, Siinjid's body narrowed to his waist, then back out again to reveal two of the most powerful legs you could imagine. Siinjid was built for one thing and one thing only – war.

Siinjid was born to fight and trained to kill as soon as he could walk. He was born in the Brachanid capital of Vassash and enrolled in the Midnight Army when he was just two years old. It is customary for strong Brachanids to join the army when they are five, but because Siinjid was such a huge child and his father was a very successful and respected section leader within the army, his family was given the great honour of having one so young taken into the ranks.

Siinjid trained very hard from the moment he joined and he excelled as a natural warrior. He grew stronger and stronger and bigger and bigger. By the age of five he was a better warrior than most teenage Brachanids. By the age of fifteen he was promoted to the Doffu Kane, the Special Forces section of the Midnight Army. Siinjid was the youngest ever Brachanid to be given that honour. By the age of twenty-one, Siinjid was a section leader like his father had once been and he began to take part in a number of battles during the Great Gannish War against the Zephods. The Plains of Gannish were lands which historically belonged to the Zephods but were highly desired by the Brachanids because below them lay a vast source of valuable spring water. Fresh water was very scarce.

The Great Gannish War ended in victory for the Brachanids and Siinjid's ferocity as a cruel and merciless foe was an essential ingredient for the Brachanids in winning the war.

The Zephods were crushed during the war, with many tens of thousands of them losing their lives and many more Zephods were taken as slaves by the Brachanids. The Brachanids did not treat their slaves well. They were not fed well, were forced to live in ridiculously cramped conditions and made to work for eighteen hours a day. The work they were forced to do was backbreaking and very hard, mainly digging pointlessly through solid rock. Some dug for water. Some dug for the one thing that the Brachanids desired more than anything else in the whole world, the Great Stone of Craksik Mull.

Thousands of years ago, during the reign of the Ungan Dazafs, the Brachanids were a race of slaves. The Ungan Dazafs were a formidable race. They were huge warriors and extremely intelligent. The Ungan Dazafs had fully grasped the science of the universe and were technological geniuses. The Ungan Dazafs had terrifying weapons and were many in numbers. They developed the Great Stones by harnessing their great technology and understanding of the laws of physics. Some Great Stones were used to travel great distances, some were used to help defy gravity, others to alter the way people think. All were very powerful and together they made the Ungan Dazafs the most powerful force on the planet – and maybe even in the whole universe.

But one day the Ungan Dazafs just disappeared. Gone without a trace, that is apart from the Great Stones. Wherever the great race of the Ungan Dazaf's went remained a mystery, as did why they left the Great Stones behind, scattered as they were, across the four corners of the world.

The Brachanids were free. They flourished in the rich lands that were once occupied by the Ungan Dazafs and vowed never again to become the slaves of anyone. They would in time rise up as a powerful warrior people and claim the planet as their own, so began the Midnight Army. So began the age of the Brachanids. They grew in numbers; they grew in strength. They became cruel, they became feared. They became the dark rulers of the world.

The Brachanids now occupied all of the fertile areas on the planet. They sought out anywhere with a good supply of food and water and moved in, crushing anyone that stood in their way. They took the strongest of the warriors they defeated as slaves and entertainment leaving none others alive. Since the rise of the Brachanids, all other civilisations on the planet had diminished, becoming mere shadows of their previous selves. Nothing could stop the Brachanids and all worried that they would soon occupy the whole planet, leaving all others extinct – draining the world of its very last drop of water and eating to the very last crumb. The greedy, selfish and power hungry Brachanids were slowly but surely killing the entire planet. Over the years, the prosperous Brachanid kingdom grew and grew, not only in number, but also in stature. From weak and supressed slaves, the Brachanids reinvented themselves as gigantic muscular war creatures with sharp dagger-like teeth and blood red eyes set where once eyes as blue as a deep ocean danced. Some say that the Brachanid's eyes changed colour on account of the vast pools of blood they not only witnessed, but created.

After his successes during the Great Gannish War, Siinjid was elected by the people to become the leader of the Midnight Army.

The cruellest, the strongest, most merciless and the most feared leader ever.

Home is Where the Water is

Bafflebod Klimbod was a ten-year-old Zephod. More accurately, he was an exceptionally skinny and pale Zephod. Zephods were a peaceful race and looked like humans in every imaginable way, apart from one.

Zephods had enormous fingers. Their fingers were as long as pencils and twice as sharp. Zephods used these fingers to help them to dig. Zephods were exceptional diggers, it was this skill that had ensured that they survived on the planet despite the roaming hordes of vicious Brachanids.

Zephods lived underground in vast networks of tunnels. The tunnels were a little like man-sized rabbit warrens. By living underground, the Zephods remained relatively safe from the much larger and infinitely more deadly Brachanids, but it did mean that water and food in particular were very hard to come by. The Zephods survived in most part by digging huge deep wells within the lowest chambers of their tunnel systems in attempts to access ancient sources of water. For food, they relied mainly on the roots of plants which grew above and a type of moss they harvested on rocks in special food chambers.

Food sources in Bafflebod's tunnel had been low for a number of months now. This was why Bafflebod was exceptionally skinny and very pale.

Things had gotten progressively worse for Bafflebod and the rest of the group of Zephods he lived with in his little underground community over the last few years. The Brachanid scouts were passing overhead with greater and greater frequency as they scoured the lands for food and water. Fortunately, the Zephods were experts at hiding and the openings to their tunnel systems were almost impossible to find to the untrained eye. Being trapped underground for such long periods of time was not a good thing, even for the Zephods. They had lots of moss, roots and a plentiful supply of water, but they desperately lacked the warmth of the sun and the nutrients they usually gained through fruit, vegetables and the meat they would hunt. The news from other tunnel communities was not good either, it was the same story everywhere. The Zephods had lived this way for centuries and all agreed that things were getting progressively worse.

It was fair to say that Bafflebod's days were boring, long and monotonous. The highlight of his day was bedtime. At bedtime, his father would tuck him in so that he was nice and cosy and tell him tales of the ancient and glorious Zephod Empire. He would tell him stories of Zinish The brave who singlehandedly defeated over twenty Brachanids during the Great Gannish War, saving the lives of many hundreds of Zephods. And tales of Funiry of Gann who had led the great Zephod exodus during the first age, after the once bountiful realm of Gann became infested with diseases and plague. Bafflebod loved the stories of old, they made him feel proud to be a Zephod and the sound of his father's voice made him feel safe. Most of all the tales gave him hope. Hope that things could change.

After his father had finished his tales, Bafflebod would fall asleep and dream. Technically, the Zephod's did not dream in the way we do, but more as a series of images. If he was lucky, Bafflebod would dream about his mother.

Bafflebod had never seen his mother, she was taken as a prisoner by the Brachanids while she was gathering fruit, Bafflebod was just a baby when this happened. Despite having never met his mother, he was certain that the woman who appeared to him in his dreams, with the pretty and kind face was her.

Within Bafflebod's tunnel community lived fifty families of very peaceful Zephods all doing the best they could to stay alive in a very difficult situation. A stone's throw from Bafflebod's tunnel network lay one of the most important of all Zephod tunnel systems, the Leader's Barracks.

About 200 warrior Zephods were based within the Leader's Barracks, along with the great leader of the Zephods himself, Dev Pron. Warrior Zephods are fierce warriors, highly trained and very skilful. Using their long sharp extended fingers, bio armour and amazing dexterity, Zephod warriors hold their own against the Brachanid troops. They are incredible archers and fantastic swordsman. Zephod warriors lack nothing in battle skills. What they do lack however, is numbers. After the Great Gannish War just 10,000 warriors remained, with just a scattering of those located near Waking Veil and Bafflebod's community. It was fair to say that Bafflebod's community were quite alone.

Dev Pron was a great leader and well loved by all Zephods. Dev was a quiet man, covered in scars and wearing an eye patch which covered the small pebble which sat in his now empty eye socket. Dev lost his eye during a battle again a Brachanid hunting party. Dev and four warrior Zephods had been above ground ten miles south of the barracks hunting when they were ambushed by the Brachanids. All four warrior Zephods died in the attack and Dev was slashed across the face with a Brachanid sword which also took his eye. Dev did not flinch as the sword struck, just grimaced, spun and drove his sword deep into his attacker's chest. Dev walked the ten miles back to his barracks leaving a trail of blood behind him. None of the twelve Brachanids who ambushed Dev survived.

As the leader of the Zephods, Dev was the holder of the Great Stone of Haffin Thorpe. The Stone of Haffin Thorpe was discovered by the Zephods at the beginning of the first age and had been passed from leader to leader ever since. The Zephod people experimented with the Great Stone for centuries, unravelling it secrets and abilities. Of all its powers, the main use for the Zephods had always been to utilise its powers of cloaking. The Zephods used the stone's power to hide the entrances to their tunnels.

The Zephods discovered that the Great Stone had a finite limit of power which can be utilised by the drawing of different symbols on its surface, different symbols reveal different powers. They discovered that the Great Stone's power diminished if kept out of the reach of the sun's great energy. This posed problems for the underground dwelling Zephods, as it needed to be regularly taken above ground in order to recharge its essence.

The Zephods calculated that they used around eighty per cent of the Stone of Haffin Thorpe's power to help remain hidden, keeping the other twenty per cent in reserve in case of an emergency.

Bafflebod loved his home, he loved his dad and he loved being a Zephod. But he was lonely and sick of having to spend all of his time underground with very little to eat and nobody to play with. Bafflebod was the youngest in his community by quite a few years, with the next youngest being a fifteen-year-old male Zephod called Feron, who he didn't really get along with.

It was fair to say that with no friends, a rumbling empty tummy and a persistent cough from the underground dust, that Bafflebod was a little bit fed up.

The Beach at Veil

As quickly as the bright light started, it stopped. Penny and Jack's feet landed back on the ground. A different ground, a very different ground.

The soft, springy texture of grass had been replaced by the tough and unyielding resistance of solid rock.

Jack looked around, Penny's house and garden had gone and he found himself gazing upon a vast open plain. The rock upon which they now stood spread out in all directions for miles and miles, as far as the eye could see. In the far distance to his left, Jack could make out huge cliffs that rose proudly towards the crystal blue skies.

The rocks themselves appeared to be stained with a dried up and dead and shrivelled brown plant. Shells and small skeletons from all manner of strange creatures littered the surface. It was clear that nothing had lived in this barren place for years.

A light breeze swept across the pair of them, bringing with it an unpleasant and sweet smell, as if something within the land was rotting away slowly. It certainly did not have the 'scent appeal' of Penny's beautifully fragranced garden.

"Where are we?" asked Jack

"Welcome to Waking Veil, Jack," replied Penny, while gently dusting herself down.

"You mean... we are in... isn't that the name of the stone?" stuttered Jack.

"It certainly is. The stone was named after the very place we now stand," said Penny. "Legend has it that this place was once a great sea and the stone was once just a pebble like any other, that is until the Ungan Dazafs breathed life into it. It is now a means of teleport from our world to this world. Don't worry, Jack, it will take us home again too."

"The Ungan what?" asked Jack.

"The Ungan Dazafs were an ancient race of people who once lived upon this world. Most believe that they were a colony of explorers from another world who settled here many thousands of years ago. They possessed the ability to create worm holes out of rocks, just like the one I hold in my hand. Legend tells us of six stones in total, commonly called the Great Stones. The stone of Haffin Thorpe, the stone of Breet, the stone of Exing Shol, the stone of Zannit Fru, the stone of Craksik Mull and this one, the stone of Waking Veil.

"Two of the stones are currently lost, the fabled stone of Craksik Mull has never been discovered, but the stone of Zannit Fru was lost a few decades ago in a great battle. We have this one and the other three are in safe hands too," said Penny.

"So who has the other three?" asked Jack. As Penny opened her mouth to answer Jack's question, the sound of a huge deep horn interrupted her as it rang out across the land shaking the very ground beneath their feet.

"We had better get to safety, Jack. I will tell you more then," said Penny

Penny reached out, took Jack's hand and started to walk at a very brisk pace towards the distant cliffs.

"What was that sound?" asked Jack, doing his best to keep up.

"That, Jack, was the sound of trouble, serious trouble. It was the war horn of the Midnight Army. They know we have arrived and they are after the stone. We must be quick," replied Penny.

The horn rang out again and was this time followed by an almighty boom as if 10,000 voices all called out together in anger.

Penny broke into a run and pulled Jack along. Jack was amazed at just how fast this little old lady was actually going and found it a real struggle to keep up.

Faster and faster they ran, Jack's legs started to become a blur. He would occasionally lose his footing and find himself being dragged for a few paces and it felt like he was flying. Jack was amazed at just how strong this little old lady was.

The horn rang again out, again followed by the boom of voices and again Penny increased the speed. Jack looked over his shoulder towards the source of the sound. In the distance Jack could just about make out a dark black mass of shapes which appeared to be moving towards them with what looked like a large gathering cloud of dust which hung gently below the brilliant blue sky.

Jack turned his head back, the cliffs were close now. The cliffs spanned left and right as far as the eye could see and were like vast sheets of impenetrable rock. Jack wondered how on earth they were going to get up and over.

They reached the foot of the cliffs and stopped dead, Jack stumbled forwards with the suddenness of Penny's sharp braking. He stood up, dusted himself down and looked back, the shapes and cloud were growing ever closer. He looked at Penny, she was busy retrieving the stone from her pocket.

"Quickly, Jack, come here!" she shouted.

Jack quickly walked over to Penny. The shapes were getting closer. He could now see what he thought looked like a vast army. A vast army of large people riding what looked like huge horses.

"Hold on to my waist tightly, Jack," said Penny. Jack did as he was told. Penny held out the stone before them in her left hand and with her right thumb she painted out a series of shapes on to its surface. The pair of them shot into the air with tremendous speed. They were flying!

Jack clung on to Penny's waist for dear life. Up they rose like a rocket. They reached the top of the cliff in a second, skimmed across the land which lay above like a flat stone on a still pond for 100 metres or so before coming to a particularly bumpy and quite painful halt.

"Wow!" said Jack. "That was amazing!"

"Quickly," said Penny. "Take my hand, we are nearly there."

Jack grabbed Penny's hand and they were off again, racing across the soft grass. A few minutes later the pair stopped. Again, Penny pulled out the stone and drew on its surface. A shower of light flowed from the stone and settled across the floor in front of them. The light sparkled, faded and, where moments before there had been nothing but soft sweet green grass, a large heavy wooden door had appeared. Penny knelt on the grass and banged on the door with an elaborate series of knocks that reminded Jack of the lesson he had done in school about the Morse code.

Moments later the great door opened inwards. It was pitch black inside.

A friendly looking pale face popped out.

"Ah, Miss Penny! How lovely to see you!" said the very pale and very thin face. "Do come in!"

Jack and Penny climbed down and walked into the darkness.

Dark Seeking the Dark

Crake Zee was Siinjid Azzar's second in command and a fearsome warrior. He sat on top of his Cara cara and snarled. His blood red eyes shone with menace from within his horned black helmet.

"They have gone up and over the cliffs," snarled Crake Zee to his second in command.

Crake was the only member of the Midnight Army who was not a Brachanid, he was a member of a race of strange beings called the Janyilids. The Janyilids had dark human-shaped bodies covered in scales similar to those on a snake and a head that looked like a cross between that of a snake and a lion, flat and sleek, with enormous teeth and piercing red eyes. They were similar in colour to those of the Brachanids, but with almond shaped pupils similar to those of a cat.

The Janyili's, much like the Brachanids were once slaves of the great Ungan Dazaf people. However, when the Ungan Dazafs disappeared, the Brachanids, being the species with greater numbers, enslaved the Janyilids immediately, using them to build, grow food and as entertainment in the fight pits. The Brachanids bred them in prison camps and trained the male Janyilids to fight from an early age to prepare them for a short adult life in the fight pits. The women were put to work making armour and weapons for the Midnight Army.

Crake Zee was a pit fighter and spent the best part of his life in the pits fighting to the death against all manner of opposition.

Pit fights were quite simple really. Two opponents went into a fight pit, often with no weapons and only one ever came out. During his time, Crake Zee came out of more than 300 pits. Crake Zee had survived as a pit fighter for nearly three years, the average life expectancy for a new pit fighter was just two months.

It was Siinjid himself who had freed Crake after witnessing the battle skills he had developed during his time in the fight pits. Siinjid took it upon himself to train Crake in weapon combat and when he was ready, Siinjid was so impressed by Crake that he promoted him to his second in command.

The giant horse-like Cara cara bellowed smoke from his nose and Crake gave a sharp tug of the reigns as if to remind it of who exactly was in charge.

"Head for the cliff pass!" screamed Crake in his deep and gravelly voice.

The great horn bellowed out and the company of Brachanids roared as they were led off by Crake at a tremendous gallop. Within minutes they were negotiating a narrow path which cut its way like a zigzag through the cliffs. The path was so narrow that even by going single file some of the Cara caras would occasionally get stuck, requiring the Cara cara behind to give it a good shove to get it free again.

It took the company of Brachanids over an hour to climb to the top of the cliff. They gathered on the velvety grass surface above and the Cara caras grazed happily, thankful for the rest and the unexpected meal.

"They will be around here somewhere!" shouted Crake. "They are allies of the worthless Zephod scum and I am certain there is a Zephod nest near here, I have trodden these plains before and smelt their foul stench in the air. I am sure there are two of them and I would wager they have 'jumped' here with a great rock. Split up and search every inch carefully as any Zephod hole will surely be protected by that cursed rock which they yield! Get to it!"

With that the company scattered and began the search. Crake sat motionless on top of his Cara cara, closed his blood red eyes, poked out his very long forked tongue and began to taste the air. His huge chest rose and fell as he drew the air in deep from all directions. Janyilids had a quite amazing sense of smell.

Crake's eyes sprung open and his black oval pupils shrunk to pin holes in the bright light. Crake had a scent, he dug his heels sharply into the side of the Cara cara which instantly stopped eating grass and started to run. Crake's tongue flickered out all the while, the scent was getting stronger and stronger. He tugged the reigns and brought the Cara cara to an instant halt.

Crake dismounted and drew his jagged and cruel looking sword. Dark grey eyelids slid sideways across the surface of his eyes and he scanned the grass very carefully. Janyilid's second eyelids allow them to detect heat and right now Crake was staring at a square of heat. Crake guessed correctly that the heat was seeping from the edges of a door leading to a Zephod tunnel system.

He returned to his Cara cara, retrieved his distress horn and blew loudly. Within minutes, Crake was standing at the door entrance with 500 battle hardened Brachanids behind him.

"Zephod cowards!" began Crake. "We, the feared Midnight Army are here, if you come out now we will spare your worthless lives and you will find sanctuary in our lands, wanting for nothing! If you do not, and decide to spurn my great generosity, there will be no mercy! There will not be another dawn! I will spare no man, no woman and no child! The tunnels will run red with your blood!"

Inside the Lion's Den

Penny and Jack were ushered through the large wooden door hastily and it was immediately slammed shut behind them.

"It is so good to see you Miss Penny," said the very pale and very thin-faced man.

"Likewise, Brinmad, it's very good to see you too," replied Penny.

"It's been ages since you were here last, how long has it been?" asked Brinmad.

"Just a year, Brinmad, it really wasn't that long ago. Although, this visit shall be my last I am sad to say, I have decided to retire you see, I'm getting too old for all the adventure and excitement. May I introduce Jack; he will be the new carrier," said Penny, turning and smiling to Jack.

Brinmad bowed low. "It's an honour to meet you, young sir. Indeed, any friend of Miss Penny is a friend of mine and all Zephods for that matter, we owe her so much. And the new carrier no less, indeed this is an honour," he said.

"Thank you," said Jack looking a little embarrassed and a lot confused.

"I need to speak with Dev as a matter of urgency, Brinmad, can you find out if he is available?" asked Penny in a very business-like tone.

"Of course, Miss Penny, right away." With that, Brinmad saluted, spun and zoomed off into the gloom of the tunnel. Zephods are extremely fast, particularly underground.

"What is this place? What do you mean, this is your last visit? What were those things chasing us? What do you mean 'new carrier'? Is that a magic stone? How did we get here? What on earth is going on?" questioned Jack in a fit of utter confusion.

Penny smiled a warm and friendly smile and began to chuckle to herself, quiet at first then louder and louder, until she was almost crying. Still confused, Jack began to chuckle too, although he did not really know why.

"My dear boy, you must be so confused. Let us sit while we wait for Brinmad to get back to us and I will fill in a few gaps for you," said Penny, controlling her laughter.

"This, Jack, is planet Arithis. As I told you earlier, it is an exact mirror image of our own Earth. The countries are all in the same place, but there are some big differences, not just the inhabitants. We are currently sitting in a tunnel that on our planet would be in Normandy in France. You may have noticed that the place where we arrived used to be a sea. Well, that would have been where the English Channel would have been. There are no seas on this planet, Jack, they were stolen."

If it were possible, Jack now looked even more confused than he did before Penny had begun explaining.

"Stolen? But who steals a sea? And how?" he asked, scratching his head.

"Long, long ago, when the dinosaurs walked upon our world, lived a magnificent and advanced race called the Ungan Dazafs. Some believe the Ungan Dazafs to be a race from another world, maybe from a neighbouring galaxy that seek out new places for food and resources. They settle, use and take what they want and move on. It seems that somehow, they have managed to rid the planet of all of its seas and then vanish without a trace, apart from the stones that is," said Penny.

"Like the magic stone you have?" asked Jack.

"Precisely," said Penny. "As you know, this is the Great Stone of Waking Veil. There are six great stones in total. Four are held by those entrusted to use them for good and two are missing. I suppose you could think of the stones as being magical, but I like to think of them as being part of a science that we do not truly understand. The Ungan Dazafs somehow managed to form the stones using powers and skills way beyond our comprehension. They are all different, but all very powerful and all have one thing in common. Light, they all need light to work, which is why I leave mine in a flowerpot in the greenhouse!"

"I know it can transport you from Earth to here and make you jump high, but what else can it do?" asked Jack.

"Indeed, Jack, and as I mentioned earlier, there really is no need to worry, it can also get us home again. The power of this stone is huge and even though I have had it for over ninety years I only know a little of its capabilities. One thing I know for sure is that it somehow extends life. I am 112 years old and as fit as a fiddle. It seems that this power is quite far reaching too, for instance the people in your village, Little Bottombump are all very good for their age too. You must have noticed that," said Penny.

"So you think it is the power of the stone that keeps Mavis Davis jogging?" asked Jack.

"I am certain of it, Jack, look at me I am 112 years old now and don't feel a day over fifty!" replied Penny. "The stone will allow you to jump very high, in fact through experimenting I have even managed to jump as high as 200 metres, but you can't technically fly with it, just up and down. The man we will meet in a while is called Dev Pron, he is the leader of the Zephods and carrier of Great Stone of Haffin Thorpe. It is the power of that stone which is responsible for the invisible door we discovered. His stone can hide things, ours can find things."

"So what are these Zephod things? Are they like humans? They have the strangest fingers," said Jack.

"The Zephods are very similar to humans, but they are a different species. They do look a lot like us, but there are a few differences, as well as the fingers. They have better eyesight than us, especially in the dark. They are more muscular and interestingly have a second heart, a sort of back up heart," replied Penny.

"The thing is, Jack, not a great deal of the planet is inhabitable any more and it is a struggle to survive for all species. Planet Earth is comparatively well resourced you see, we currently have well over seven billion humans and rising. This planet could not even support one million, it is that bad. Here they have huge ice caps, vast regions of desert and weather that is very unpredictable and very dangerous. Regular hurricanes, tornados, tsunamis and earthquakes. It is not a happy place, but we are here to help."

"So why are there different creatures and beings here? I thought it was exactly the same as our planet, even in the same galaxy," said Jack.

"Nobody really knows for sure, some believe that the Ungan Dazafs took something from the sun long ago. Some believe that the different neighbouring galaxies have an influence on this planet, but we just don't know," said Penny.

Just as Penny finished speaking a rather flushed Brinmad appeared out of the dark of the tunnel.

"He... he, will s... s... see you know, miss," said a rather out breath Brinmad.

The Three Carriers

Brinmad led Jack and Penny into the oppressive darkness of the Zephod tunnel system, lit dimly by a strange glowing orb that Brinmad held in his hand.

The tunnels were large and did not smell particularly pleasant at all. Jack thought to himself that it smelt a bit like the boys changing room at school mixed with sewage. He was quite familiar with the smell of sewage as the ancient waste pipes in Jack's house were forever bursting, which was not pleasant at all. Jack noticed that the walls looked as though they had scratch marks all over them.

"What are those scratches?" he asked.

"The scratches? Those are from our fingers, Jack; we dig out the tunnels using our bare hands. Zephods are expert diggers you know," replied Brinmad.

On they walked. Down, then up, then left, then right. On and on. Jack noticed that occasionally they would walk past a wooden door neatly constructed on the side of the tunnel.

"What are behind the doors?" he asked.

"Those are quarters, Jack, where we live. In fact, the one you just passed is mine, it's where I live with my family. I will take you there a little later and you can meet my son, he is about the same age as you. His name is Bafflebod, I know the name may sound funny to your kind, but in Zephod it means 'little warrior'. He is due to start his warrior training tomorrow."

On and on they walked, eventually arriving at a huge wooden door which looked exactly the same as the one Penny revealed when they entered the tunnels. Brinmad tapped on the door with his long thin fingers, drumming out an elaborate pattern. The door shuddered and began to swing open, light sprang out and flooded the tunnel hurting Jack's eyes which had grown accustomed to the intense darkness.

A tall Zephod dressed in full battle armour stood in the doorway, looked at them suspiciously and then gestured for the three of them to enter. Brinmad led them onwards through well-lit tunnels which were painted in bright colours. The paintings showed a variety of scenes from what Jack guessed were great battles fought by the Zephods.

The three of them arrived at a large red door, again Brinmad drummed a tune and it swung open. This time there was no warrior on the other side. What lay within was just a large chamber, very well lit, full of statues and painted walls. In the centre of the room was a table and sat at that table was just one man. Dev Pron, the leader of the Zephods.

Dev Pron was a very tall and muscular Zephod, his skin was darker than most due to his spending a lot of time above the ground hunting and tracking water. He had long black hair that rested neatly upon his shoulders and a moustache and goatee which were immaculately trimmed.

"Welcome, Penny, and welcome to you, young master Jack," said Dev rising from his chair. "To what do owe this great pleasure?"

"It's great to see you, Dev, you look well. I have come to introduce you to Jack, the new carrier of the stone. I have come to ask that you train him as a warrior as your people once trained me many years ago. I have come to say goodbye, for this is my last visit. I am 112, Dev, and feel that I need a well-earned rest," said Penny.

"Well it is with a heavy heart we meet then, Miss Penny," said Dev bowing low out of courtesy. "May I ask why you have chosen this boy as the Great Stone's new carrier?"

"The boy has a pure soul, he is good and that is a very rare thing nowadays in my world. He is bright, fit and keen to learn. He is the perfect blank canvas, I am sure you will see that I am right, I have watched him for a very long time and know he comes from a good, honest family," replied Penny.

"I trust your decision completely," said Dev, again bowing. "You have been a source of infinite help to my people over the years and we are forever indebted to you, I am very grateful for all you have done and for choosing a new carrier to help us and the other peaceful races of this world to stand up against our cruel foe. So, young Jack, what do you think about all of this?"

"Well, Mr Pron, to be honest with you I am still enormously confused by all of this, but if I can help in any way then I will. But I am just a little boy, I don't think I will be able to help much at all I'm afraid," said Jack.

Dev smiled and placed a hand on Jack's shoulder. "You have chosen well, Miss Penny; I am sure of it. The boy's training will start tomorrow. For now, take them back to the habitation tunnels, you can stay with Brinmad if that's OK with you? You will be safe there. But for now, I must leave you, I have reports that a Brachanid scout party is overhead so I am afraid you have no choice but to stay overnight."

"That is no problem with me, sir," said Brinmad. "It would be an honour."

"But what about home?" asked Jack. "My father will be expecting me home; he will be worried sick. I am going to need to go home."

"It is not as bad as you may think, Jack," said Penny. "I told you that there were some big differences, time is probably the biggest. Ten hours on this planet is just like one hour on ours. You will be late home, but it will not be anywhere near as bad as you think."

"Why does time run more slowly here?" asked Jack.

"We don't know for sure, but again, some believe that has something to do with the Ungan Dazaf and the way they used to harness the power of the sun. There is a lot we don't know I'm afraid," chuckled Penny.

"Brinmad, can you please take them now. I am going to need to prepare a welcome party for our 'uninvited guests'. Assemble the warriors!" Commanded Dev, turning away from Penny and Jack abruptly.

Brinmad nodded and ushered Jack and Penny out of the room and back towards the habitation tunnels.

Dev pulled on some light armour, slung a quiver of arrows across his back, grabbed his sword and bow, and marched out to join the assembling troops.

"Zephods! Prepare for battle!" He roared.

The Battle on the Cliffs

"I will spare no man, no woman and no child! The tunnels will run red with your stinking blood!" screamed Crake.

As soon as Crake had uttered his last word, an arrow whistled through the air at terrific speed straight towards his head. In a blur of movement, Crake spun and caught the arrow with ease. Crake snapped the arrow and identified the source. A small group of Zephods had climbed out of a secret hole about 100 metres from where the company of Brachanids had assembled and had begun firing arrows at a blistering rate. The Brachanids were showered with wave after wave of arrows. Zephod soldiers are very well trained warriors and superb marksmen and this was a perfect lesson in accuracy. Brachanid after Brachanid fell, the Cara caras bellowed and rose up on their hind legs in fear, throwing many of their riders to the ground. There was panic in the Brachanid ranks and still the arrows mercilessly poured towards them.

"Pull back to the cliff's edge!" ordered Crake sensing the disorder and the rising number of casualties his unit were suffering.

Immediately the remaining Brachanids turned and retreated, leaving around twenty dead or mortally wounded behind including one motionless Cara cara.

The Brachanids reached the cliff's edge, turned, formed a line and charged. Faster and faster they travelled, long, jagged, cruel looking swords held out ahead of them.

The Zephods were now reinforced and one hundred of them stood in a row, bows poised and stone faced. In the centre of the line stood Dev Pron wearing a brown cloak which fluttered freely in the light spring breeze. In his left hand, Dev held the Great Stone of Haffin Thorpe.

The Brachanids galloped into range and the Zephods began to fire their arrows at an even faster rate than before. Brachanid after Brachanid fell from their Cara cara's backs. Closer and closer the remaining Brachanids, led by Crake, approached. Dev stepped forwards and calmly drew an intricate shape on the surface of the stone with his right thumb. A deafening bang rang out as the stone produced a huge wave of energy that rushed out to meet the oncoming Brachanid warriors.

The wave struck, stopping all instantly and sending them hurtling backwards. The arrows continued to pour down on them.

The last handful of Brachanids did their best to remount their Cara caras and began to retreat, the arrows continued to pour and pour. Of the 500-strong Brachanid company, just twenty-two remained, injured and retreating towards the cliff pass. Amongst the small remaining number was Crake Zee. He was wounded with two arrows protruding from his right arm and blood across his face where he had taken a heavy fall from his Cara cara, but he was alive.

A huge cheer erupted from the Zephod line as their enemy disappeared down the cliff pass defeated and the arrow onslaught finally ceased.

"Men, bury the dead and tend to the living. Those who live we shall take as prisoners," ordered Dev. "They know where we are now, we are going to have to act fast. Send scouts for help from the other local tunnels. This is a big defeat for the Brachanids, they won't take this well and will certainly be back and in much greater numbers. We must be ready to leave these lands as soon as possible, by tomorrow night at the latest." With that, Dev spun and returned to his chamber underground.

Jack could hear the battle going on overhead. After being led from Dev's main chamber, Jack and Penny had returned to the habitation side of the Zephod tunnel complex. Brinmad had opened the wooden door in the side of the tunnel they passed earlier and introduced them both to his son, Bafflebod.

Jack and Bafflebod hit it off immediately. Bafflebod took him to his bedroom and showed Jack how to play some traditional Zephod games. They had just begun a game of Weling Snood (similar to draughts on our planet, but in 3D) when the battle broke out above.

"Don't worry, Jack, you are safe here. The tunnels are protected by the Great Stone," said Bafflebod. "And besides, the Zephod warriors are exceptional fighters, in fact I am going to begin my training to be a warrior tomorrow."

"Me too," said Jack.

"That's amazing, we will train together. How long are you staying?" asked Bafflebod.

"Not for long I don't think; I am going to need to get back soon as my dad will be worried about me. But I will be back, I am to be the next carrier," said Jack.

"Really! That is so exciting, do you have the stone now?" asked Bafflebod.

"No, Penny still has it, but I think she wants to pass it on to me. It's all a bit nerve wracking and confusing if I am honest with you. I don't really know why she chose me but it is exciting I guess. What happens in training?" asked Jack.

"I don't really know what to expect either, Jack. Zephods are superb archers, so I hope that we will begin with that, I have always wanted to have a go with a real bow and arrow," said Bafflebod. "My dad made me a small one when I was younger, but I was never very good at it. You have to be quite strong to be able to hold the bow steady and as you can see, I am not the most powerful of Zephods."

"I am sure you will be a brilliant archer, if that's what you want. It's just practise, practise, practise. Well, at least that what my teacher say about anything, I think she is probably right," said Jack.

The pair of them paused their conversation for a moment as the sound of hundreds of hoofs drummed on the surface overhead. Jack looked at Bafflebod, whose mouth had dropped open.

"What was that?" he asked.

"I am not sure, sounds like the Brachanids have charged us. It didn't half sound like a lot of them!" said Bafflebod, looking quite alarmed.

"Are you worried? Are you sure we are safe here?" asked Jack, also starting to look a little concerned.

"I'm not worried, Dev is a great leader and he has the stone. But I am worried that they now know where we are. I think we will probably have to leave here and find somewhere else to live," said Bafflebod sadly. "Even if we do win this battle, they will be back in huge numbers."

Bafflebod's room shook as Dev's energy wave tore across the land above. A soft patter of hoofs in the opposite direction, followed by a triumphant cheer signalled the abrupt end to the battle above.

"I think we have won!" said Bafflebod with a huge smile spreading across his pale thin face. A loud siren rang out through the tunnel system and Bafflebod nodded. "Yep, we have won!"

The celebrations following the battle lasted late into the night. Jack had never eaten or danced so much in his life and when the celebrating had finished, he returned with Bafflebod to his room completely exhausted. The makeshift bed which Bafflebod's dad had quickly made for Jack earlier in the day was hard and very uncomfortable, but Jack didn't mind. Jack and his new friend laughed, joked and told stories wearily for a few minutes until sleep eventually caught up with both of them. Despite the hard bed, unfamiliar surroundings and strange smells, Jack had the best night's sleep of his life.

Siinjid's Battle Plan

Crake Zee returned to Vassash, the Brachanid's capital wounded and defeated. With just twenty-two of the 500-strong company he had left with, it was crystal clear that the mission had been a complete failure. Crake's company had been on a scouting mission searching for Zephods when a bolt of light from the sky alerted them to the arrival of Penny and Jack.

Crake walked up the many stairs of the Dark Tower with a very heavy heart, failure was not accepted in the Midnight Army and he was expecting to be punished, maybe even executed.

Crake reached the top of the stairs and paused at a great black door. His forked tongue flickered as he took a deep breath and knocked.

"Enter!" came the very loud and angry reply. Crake opened the door and walked in.

"Ah, Crake. I wondered if you would have the nerve to return after your failings on the battlefield. You have cast shame across my people, do you have anything to say before I cast you back into the pits?" said Siinjid, his eyes burning red with rage.

Crake bowed humbly and placed one knee on the floor. "My master, words cannot explain the shame I feel. The pits are a lenient punishment for my failings as a leader, but some good has come from our sacrifice, master."

"Some good?! Some good?!" boomed Siinjid. "What possible good could come from losing 500 of our troops to the filthy Zephod scum?" Siinjid's needle-sharp teeth were fully revealed as his thin black lips rode upwards with fury. Crake paused before replying, half expecting Siinjid to attack him.

"We found a tunnel complex, master, there were hundreds of warriors and I would bet that nearby there would be families too. If we act fast and attack with many, we would crush them and take their resources. The ground the cowards hide beneath is fertile and lush, there must be a good supply of water. It would prove a most valuable gain for our civilisation," said Crake.

"Interesting," said Siinjid and a slight smile grew across his face. "Vengeance and reward for my people. I will personally lead the attack."

"There is one problem though, sire," said Crake.

"Which is?" enquired Siinjid.

"Dev Pron was among their number and he carries a great stone. He used it to throw us from our beasts. How could we possibly combat against that?" asked Crake.

"You leave Dev Pron to me, master Crake, we have a new weapon for just such an occasion. You will be given the chance to redeem yourself after all, assemble a party of twenty to ride tonight, your task will be to turn out the sun. When the Zephods wake, there will be no morning."

As Siinjid spoke, a confused expression grew across Crake's face. 'What weapon? Turn out the sun? Has he gone mad?' Thought Crake.

"Go and assemble your men, master Crake, I will brief you at the foot of the tower in one hour.

Crake could not believe that he had escaped without punishment, he was certain that something foul awaited him, possibly even death. He stood, bowed, and left the room heading back towards the stairs with a rising feeling of guilt. Crake was a proud warrior and felt a deep shame for his failings on the battlefield, he felt as if he needed to be punished.

Crake assembled his troops and ensured that his party was ready and waiting ten minutes early.

Siinjid walked out of the tower precisely on time and the party gathered around in complete silence, joined by hordes of curious Brachanid passers-by.

"Fellow Brachanids, tonight you ride under the cover of darkness to deliver a fatal blow for the glorious Brachanid civilisation. Our scientists have developed a weapon to allow us to combat the Great Stones. Your role will be to deliver the weapon. The weapon will need to be planted under a great land mass and once activated it will send the very Earth above it high into the air, blocking out the sun. Once darkness has fallen we shall attack the Zephod filth and wipe their cowardly presence from the planet. I will send Halknin with you, an honourable scientist who will carry the weapon and set it to activate. Ride now my brave Brachanids, to the glory of our people and for victory!"

Crake blew his battle horn, his Cara cara reared up and he led the party away from the tower and into the darkness.

Dawn was rising as Crake and his party approached the cliffs.

"Look for a cave, we will plant the weapon within and I will activate it," said Halknin to Crake as they rode. "Once it has been triggered, you will need to be far away from here. You will need to be very far away from here."

After a short search of the cliff face a small opening was found. Crake and Halknin both dismounted and entered. The cave was perfect, it drilled its way inwards for just over 100 metres and then it opened up into a large chamber.

"This is perfect," said Halknin. "I will activate the weapon and we can then be on our way."

"You will be on your way, I will remain," said Crake.

"But you will be destroyed, my master," said Halknin.

"This is my chance to redeem myself. This is how I would like to be remembered, I have shamed myself on the field of combat and without punishment I don't know how I will be able to carry on. I will ensure that the weapon is unhindered and maybe one day, someone may decide to sing a song about me rather than laugh. My being here will ensure that everything goes according to my master's plans, nothing can interfere with that," replied Crake with sorrow heavy in his burning red eyes.

"If you are sure," said Halknin.

"More than anything I have ever done," replied Crake. "Now be gone."

Halknin bowed with respect, activated the weapon, turned and left Crake alone to guard the weapon in the dark of the cave.

Crake smiled sadly to himself, sat on the damp cave floor and bowed his head, closed his tired eyes and waited.

Training and Jumping

Jack was woken up by Brinmad and although there were no windows, Jack could tell that is was very early. Even after a very good night's sleep, he was still exhausted and a day of training was the last thing he wanted, all he really wanted to do was to go home and see his dad. The air in Bafflebod's room was stuffy and damp, Jack's chest felt heavy and he wondered how the Zephods could live like this, cooped up hiding underground their whole lives. 'This surely isn't right,' Jack thought to himself. 'I understand why I need to help, but what can I do?'

Jack dressed and joined everyone else for breakfast. The breakfast was at best disgusting, a bowl of sour tasting mashed roots and a small glass of dirty brown water with lots of bits floating in it. Jack did his best to eat out of politeness even though every mouthful made him retch.

He was reassured to see Penny doing the same as him across the table. Bafflebod and his father however did not seem to have a problem with the food and their bowls and glasses were soon empty.

"So Jack," began Brinmad. "This is your first day of training, how do you feel about that?"

"I am sure it will be OK, sir, I am just very tired though and if I'm honest a little nervous," said Jack fighting back a yawn.

"You will be fine, they will take it very easy with you at the start I am sure, but it does get harder," said Brinmad. "Believe me, I remember it well."

"Do you know what will we be doing?" asked Jack.

"I don't, I'm afraid, a lot has changed since I was a young lad beginning my training. But I do know however, that you will not be training with Bafflebod today, you will be training one-on-one with Dev Pron himself. Now that is a great honour," said Brinmad. Jack looked across the table to Bafflebod who could not hide his disappointment that his new friend would not be training with him after all.

"You are very lucky indeed," said Penny. "Dev is a very wise man and a formidable warrior. You will need this though." Penny pulled out the great stone and passed it to Jack. "This now belongs to you, Jack. You are its new carrier, guard it and its secrets with your life. If this stone were to fall into the wrong hands it could spell an end to all life on not only this planet, but ours too. What I pass to you is not only a great power, but also a great responsibility. I am certain that you will serve it and the people of these lands very well. You have a pure heart."

"Thank you, Penny," said Jack. He stared down at the very ordinary looking stone in his hands and felt the butterflies rise in his stomach, now he was scared.

A loud knocking on the door brought Jack back to reality with jump. Brinmad opened the door and was greeted by two very tall, very serious looking Zephod warriors in full battle dress.

"We are here to collect the carrier," said one of the warriors very abruptly.

"Of course, I will just get him," replied Brinmad. He turned back into the room and gestured to Jack to hurry along. Jack popped the stone safely into his front pocket, bid farewell to everyone and walked over to the door.

"Come with us," said the warrior, again very abruptly.

Jack nervously did as he was told and followed the two warriors down the tunnel. The warriors walked very quickly and Jack found it a struggle to keep up. They led Jack through the tunnels and back to the door through which Brinmad had welcomed him and Penny the day before. The door swung open and the bright light poured in hurting Jack's eyes. Jack followed the warriors outside and was met by the sight of Dev Pron sat on top what looked like a gigantic horse. Dev was holding the reigns of another which Jack guessed was for him to ride.

"Good morning, Jack. This is your Seffinpor, climb aboard, we don't have very much time."

"Good morning," replied Jack. The two warriors helped Jack climb aboard the Seffinpor and they were off. Dev kept a slow pace to begin with, for which Jack was very grateful, as he was a long way up and was finding it tricky to maintain his balance.

"I understand that Miss Penny has given you the stone. Your first lesson today will be on how to use it. The stones are very complicated to use, so we will only be covering some basics. Unfortunately, we will not have very long together, young Jack, as I must return to my people, we are going to have to move everybody from these lands as the enemy knows where we are and it will not be long before they coordinate an attack with huge numbers," said Dev.

"Is it our fault that they know where you are, I mean they followed us didn't they?" said Jack.

"Do not blame yourself, Jack, they would have found us soon enough, they always do. We have lived in this particular tunnel system for over a year and have been preparing for a move, it is our way of life. The enemy has been searching the area with ever increasing frequency over the last few weeks, so it was just a matter of time. We have finished the construction of a new tunnel and I will move my people to their new home tonight," said Dev.

"Why don't you stay and fight?" asked Jack.

"One day we will. But it will not be today, they are great in number, we are very few. Just a little further now, Jack, and we will begin," said Dev.

Dev and Jack stopped and dismounted by the entrance to a large cave opening. The wind had picked up while they were riding and talking and it was now making an eerie whistling sound around the entrance to the cave. The cave scared Jack and he wished that he did not have to go in, Dev ushered him on, he took a deep breath and followed.

The pair descended into the dark and stopped when they reached a large open chamber. Dev lit the torches that lined the walls revealing a huge room which was covered from floor to ceiling in similar paintings to those within Dev's chamber.

"This is a training cave, my people have been training here for years, we have many of them scattered around the land. Take out your stone, Jack," said Dev.

Jack pulled the stone from his pocket and held it nervously in front of him.

"As I'm sure Miss Penny has already told you, the power of the stone relies on the sun's rays striking its surface, the more time the stone is hidden from the sun's light, the weaker it will become. To access the stone's abilities, we use the ancient symbols of the Ungan Dazaf. Each stone has its own unique set of abilities and relies on the symbol being drawn on the surface of the stone. Let me show you the symbols we know," said Dev.

Dev walked to one of the walls of the cave and gestured to Jack to take a look. On the wall, which was well illuminated by torches either side, was a large list of mysterious symbols.

"These are all of the symbols we currently know, although we are certain that there are others. When the Ungan Dazaf left they took everything with them, apart from the stones and what little knowledge was left behind with the slaves. It is this information that has been passed down through the generations and which you now gaze upon, young Jack. Not all symbols will work upon the surface of your stone and there are many that we do not know which will. Over time, you will learn to mater the stone," said Dev.

"To travel from your planet to this, you need to draw this symbol." Dev pointed to a symbol on the wall. "To return home it is this one." Again Dev pointed.

Jack spent the rest of his morning learning symbol after symbol. Dev made Jack write the symbols again and again on the dusty floor using a small stick. When Dev announced that they had finished with symbols for the day Jack's head was a confused jumble of new symbols.

"Before we do something a little different, Jack, let me see you fly," said Dev.

Jack scratched his head and stared down at the very ordinary looking stone he held in his hand. His mind raced through the symbols he had been learning, he settled on one and hovered a shaking thumb over the stone. He drew the symbol on the surface.

The stone lit up brightly in his hand and trembled. A large boom announced the production of a large energy wave which blasted out of the stone, throwing Dev violently against the wall and showering them both in clouds of dust from the ceiling. Dev stood up, dusted himself off and walked back over to Jack with a smile on his face.

"OK, try again," said Dev tapping at the correct symbol on the wall.

The very red faced and embarrassed Jack tried again. This time he got it right, a little too right. Jack was launched into the air at a blistering pace and hit the ceiling with a terrific thump.

"The size of the symbol determines how high you go!" called out Dev, with an even bigger grin on his face. "Now do the same symbol but backwards to come down."

Jack nodded with difficulty as his cheek was pressed firmly against the ceiling, did as he was instructed and returned to the ground with a little more control.

"You will soon get the hang of it Jack," laughed Dev. The pair of them rested for a short while before spending the rest of the day focussing on swordplay and archery. Jack had never held a real sword before and was amazed at just how heavy it was, let alone wield it in combat. He found that archery came a lot more naturally to him, but after nearly three hours of it, he had had enough of both and could barely lift his aching right arm.

"Let us return, there is much to be done," said Dev finally.

The pair of them remounted their Seffinpors and headed off back to the Zephod tunnels. Once they returned Jack rushed back to Brinmad's home and told Penny about all he had learned that morning. Dev followed him in and embraced Penny, bidding her farewell and thanking her for all of her help over the years. Dev nodded to Jack, turned and left.

"Well done, Jack, you have taken the first steps along a very exciting path, but now we must return home. Your father will be starting to get a little worried," said Penny.

The pair of them walked back to the cliffs along with two Zephod warriors, down the cliff pass and back to Waking Veil, where they had arrived just the day before.

"This is the only place the stone will work to get you home, Jack," said Penny. "OK, take us back."

Jack nodded, held Penny by the hand and drew the symbol he had cast to memory that morning on the surface of the stone.

"Three, two, one! Jump!" he cried.

The pair of them jumped into the air and disappeared.

A split second later they arrived with a bump in Penny's garden. The sun was low in the sky and Jack guessed that it must have been have been approaching 9pm. At the front of the house the school bus and Mr Grimson had both gone.

"Pop inside for a moment, Jack, you will soon be home with your father, I will ask my neighbour if he wouldn't mind dropping you home," said Penny.

Dark Skies at Sunrise

Penny fixed Jack something to eat and drink and popped next door to arrange a lift home for him. Her neighbour, Mr Stevens was shocked to hear Penny speak but agreed to help Jack out. In the thirty-five years that Steven Stevens had lived next door to Penny he had never once heard her utter a single word, nobody had.

In the back of Mr Stevens' car, Penny whispered in Jack's ear. "You must keep the stone safe and in the light of the sun as much as you can. You cannot talk to a soul about the stone or what you have done, not even to your father. People will not understand and it could be disastrous, that is why I took a vow of silence. For me, I could see no other way."

Jack nodded and yawned loudly, he was exhausted.

"You will sleep well tonight, Jack, and tomorrow, after school you will return and continue your training," said Penny.

Jack's father was pacing around the ginormous living room when the doorbell chimed. He opened the door and sighed with relief to see Jack accompanied by Penny.

"I have been worried sick, Jack! Where on earth have you been?" said his dad with a combination of anger and excitement. He reached forward and scooped up Jack into his arms squeezing Jack a little too tight, forcing the wind right out of him.

"Mr Jackson, I am so sorry that Jack is late home," began Penny. "His bus broke down outside my house you see and we had to wait for my neighbour to return so I could bring him back. I have fed him, but he is very tired. He is a charming young man and has been lovely company. I have invited him for tea after school tomorrow as well – if that is OK with you? Mr Stevens will happily drop him home again if you agree."

"Yes, that would be fine and thank you so much for looking after him I have been worried sick. I'm sorry I don't know your name," said Mr Jackson.

"It's Penny," said Penny. "You do know me, Mr Jackson, or rather, you did. You used to play in my garden when you were a little boy."

"Oh my goodness, of course! How silly of me, but... but... you can talk!" said Mr Jackson.

"Yes, I seem to have found my voice and it has been nice speaking with you and Jack, but I'm afraid that I really must go. Mr Stevens is waiting to take me home. Goodbye, Jack, I look forward to seeing you again tomorrow," said Penny.

Jack and his dad bid their farewells and waved as Penny got back into Mr Stevens' car and drove off. A quick bath, a spot of supper and Jack was tucked up warmly in bed. He placed the stone on the bedside table, placed his head on the pillow and instantly fell into a deep and relaxing sleep.

Jack was jolted awake from a dream about flying with Bafflebod by an almighty crash. He leaped out of bed and sprinted downstairs as fast as his sockless feet would carry him, to where he was certain that the sound had come from. He reached the door to the kitchen with four fresh new splinters in his feet and a stubbed little toe, but these were the last things on his mind. What was on his mind was – where had the kitchen had gone? Instead of a kitchen, the door now led into a big square hole filled with rubble and badly damaged electrical appliances.

"Dad?!" shouted Jack desperately. "Are you down there? Are you OK?"

"Ummm, I think so," came the rather hesitant reply from his dad. "I am a little bit buried and I think I may have broken my leg. Probably a good idea to call the fire brigade and ambulance, Junior, there's a good lad."

"OK, be back in a mo," Jack replied. Jack rushed off and dialled 999 as quickly as he could. He explained the situation to the man on the other end of the line while painfully attempting to pick out the splinters he acquired moments before. Once he was assured that help was on its way he returned to the place where his kitchen once stood.

"Dad? Are you OK? I have called them; they are on their way," said Jack.

"Good job, Junior! I think I may have broken my arm too you know, it's very painful," replied his dad.

"What happened?" asked Jack.

"I'm not too sure to be honest with you," came the mumbled reply from beneath the rubble. "I was fixing myself a bowl of cornflakes and then I just, sort of ended up here. I am beginning to think that the rotten beam that I removed yesterday was probably quite important."

"I would probably agree, Dad; you really are silly at times. I really think that we should give up on this old house and move somewhere safer. It's just a matter of time before it all falls down if you ask me," said Jack.

"Nonsense," replied his dad. "This house has been in the family for generations. It's nothing I cannot handle and besides I will be up and about in no time."

"But you spend more time fixing this house than you do playing with me, I hate it," said Jack with tears welling up in his eyes.

No sound came back from under the rubble, Jack's words hit Mr Jackson hard, harder than the fall from the kitchen into the basement. He hadn't realised that he had been neglecting his son and he felt awful. So awful that he didn't know what to say.

The awkward silence was broken by a loud knock on the front door, followed by a crash. Jack went to investigate and discovered the fire brigade and ambulance had arrived and that the front door was laying flat on the dusty floor.

"I barely touched it," said a rather shocked looking fireman.

"Don't worry, it's always doing that," replied a slightly embarrassed Jack.

Ten minutes later and Jack was with his dad in the back of the ambulance whizzing off to hospital. While the emergency services worked to free his father, Jack managed to get himself dressed, pack a small rucksack with some clothes and popped the stone into his pocket.

At the hospital the doctor confirmed that Mr Jackson had indeed broken his arm and leg. The leg break was particularly nasty and the doctor insisted that he should stay in hospital overnight so they could keep an eye on him.

"I have packed some overnight things and thought I could ask Penny if she wouldn't mind me staying there. I am supposed to be going there for dinner anyway," said Jack.

"I think I would prefer you stay with someone in the village, Junior, but if you are sure then I suppose I'm OK with it, she is 111 after all," replied Jack's dad.

"112, Dad and yes I am sure," said Jack.

Jack sat at his dad's bedside all day. His dad told him silly story after silly story and bad joke after bad joke. Despite his injuries, Jack's dad was in surprisingly good form.

"You had better go, Jack, it's nearly teatime and you must surely be hungry," said Mr Jackson.

"I suppose," shrugged Jack.

Jack put his coat on, hugged his dad and turned to go.

"I am sorry, Jack. I am sorry I have been a terrible dad. I am sorry that I have spent more time painting than playing with you. It will change you know, maybe we should move, Jack. Perhaps we should find a flat nearer your school and maybe I should even get a job. Perhaps it's time I grew up, Junior," said Mr Jackson with a smile. Jack ran back and hugged his dad.

"Thanks, Fad, I will see you tomorrow." With that Jack left to catch the bus to Penny Downhill.

"Why hello Jack," said Penny as he walked up the path towards her house.

Jack told Penny all about his dad and the kitchen and asked whether it would be OK to stay the night.

"I'm so sorry to hear about your dad, but it sounds to me as if he is going to be just fine, he is in good hands. Now you have eaten, don't you think you had better catch up with the Zephods and continue with your training?" said Penny.

"I guess. Are you coming too?" asked Jack.

"Not any more, Jack, you are the carrier now. Remember to head for the cliff pass when you arrive."

Penny prepared some food and reminded Jack of the symbols he would need to leap to Waking Veil, how to run faster and jump.

Penny led Jack into the garden, kissed him on the cheek and said, "Good luck, Jack, see you in a little while."

Jack pulled the stone from his pocket, drew a symbol on its surface, took a deep breath and jumped.

Jack touched down at Waking Veil. It was pitch black and raining ash heavily from the invisible sky above. Something was wrong. Something was seriously wrong.

Alone in a Hole

Jack's first instinct was to jump straight back to Penny's garden, but something deep in his stomach that he could not explain stopped him. Something was wrong and he wanted to find out what. He felt deep within his bones that he had some part to play here. He felt as though he could help in some way.

He began walking in the direction of where he guessed the cliffs would be with just the dull light from his digital watch as a break from the pitch black which engulfed him. After twenty minutes of walking he realised that he was correct but the cliffs were no longer there. The dark clouds overhead broke for a moment and the bright low moon illuminated the scene. Thick dark ash rained down heavy on an area strewn with rubble as far as the eye could see. Where the cliffs had been there was now a hill of rubble which stretched as far left and right as Jack could see. The gap in the clouds closed and blackness engulfed him once more.

Jack began to make his way up the seemingly endless hill of freshly created rubble, the hill eventually flattened out and soon the hard unforgiving texture of rock underfoot was replaced by the soft tread of lush grass. Jack fell.

Jack pressed the light button on his watch to see what object had tripped him and sent him tumbling to the floor. Jack jumped back and adrenaline flooded through his every blood vessel as the light from his watch fell upon the face of a dead Zephod warrior. The clouds above broke again and once more the bright, full moon illuminated the landscape for miles around.

The sight was horrifying. The lush green plains which once lay above the cliffs were now muddied, scorched and littered with dead. The wind changed direction and the smell hit Jack hard, burning deep inside his nostrils. The smell of death, a smell which he had never before chanced upon but instantly recognised.

Jack gathered himself up and continued to walk, stepping over bodies and arcing around pools of stagnating blood as he went. All Zephods, all dead. Brachanids do not take prisoners, they only take slaves. Those who fall injured in battle against the Brachanids are always dispatched onwards, without mercy and without exception. Those who are not killed and surrender with minimal injury are taken to spend the rest of their days either carrying out back breaking work or fighting for Brachanid amusement in the pits.

On Jack walked, until he arrived at the once strong wooden doorway that protected the Zephod community, it now lay twisted and hanging from its frame.

Jack walked into the tunnel, more Zephods lay littered throughout the tunnels which were dimly lit by the last embers of torches which spluttered on the walls throwing ever changing and terrifying shadows on the scratched, damp walls. Jack wanted to run, he wanted to just go home, but something deep within him drove him on further into the tunnel. 'Surely there is someone left alive.' he thought to himself. Moments later Jack arrived at Bafflebod's door, it too was broken and hanging open. Jack walked in.

"Bafflebod?" called out Jack quietly. No response came except that of the whistle of the wind through the lifeless tunnel. Jack walked further into his new friend's home, the place had been turned upside down.

"Bafflebod?" called Jack again, this time slightly louder as tears began to well in his eyes. 'What has happened here, is everyone really dead? Should I return and get Penny, I am not ready for this.' Thought Jack. Jack opened the door to Bafflebod's room.

"Is anyone here?" called out Jack as he entered.

"Jack, is that really you?" came a very quiet and shaky reply.

"Bafflebod?" asked Jack, with his eyes desperately scanning the room for the source of his friend's voice.

"Yes," Bafflebod replied, crawling out from a hole he had cleverly dug and covered with a mat underneath his bed.

Bafflebod stood and the pair of new friends embraced and cried.

"What has happened here?" asked Jack as Bafflebod stood and began dusting himself down.

"They came, Jack, they came and they caught us by surprise. Yesterday morning, we were all busy packing our belongings ready to travel to our new tunnel when it happened," said Bafflebod.

"When what happened?" asked Jack impatiently.

"A huge explosion, it shook the world and then turned out the sun. The cliffs were blown up into the air and the skies filled with black dust and rock which fell back as ash. We tried to leave but we were cut off, they had surrounded us, tens of thousands of Brachanids. But they did not attack us, they just waited, and we waited too, waited for the end. The attack came as night fell and turned the land blacker still. The attack was fast and brutal, they killed hundreds of us and took many more as slaves. The battle, if you could call it a battle, was over in a matter of minutes. They were too strong, they were too many and the stone had such little power in it to help us in the black the Brachanids had brought upon us," continued Bafflebod.

"What happened to your father? What about Dev?" asked Jack.

"They were captured; they are now slaves, or worse," replied Bafflebod, tears began to run down his gaunt cheeks and dripped on to the dusty floor.

"Then we must free them," said Jack with a confident and determined look in his eyes.

The pair of them embraced and cried together.

The Dark Tower

Siinjid stood on the balcony of his chamber high up in the Dark Tower, hundreds of thousands of Brachanids carpeted the floor below eager to hear the leader of the Midnight Army's address, the thick dark ash from the Brachanid's new weapon poured down upon them.

"My dear fellow Brachanids, our glorious Midnight Army was once again victorious on this night." A huge cheers rang out and the Dark Tower vibrated as the jubilant crowd stamped their feet and clapped their four hands together in rhythmic celebration. Siinjid continued, "We located a Zephod nest, a Zephod nest which contained the leader of the filth, Dev Pron." The crowd hissed in unison. "As you know, the weaklings had the Great Stone of Haffin Thorpe, so we used our new mighty weapon and turned out the sun. Defenceless, we ran them down, killing without mercy and taking the remaining strong as slaves to serve or entertain us until death. Including Dev himself!" A huge cheer rang out.

"And my friends and fellow warriors, we have a trophy. The Great Stone!" shouted Siinjid and he held the stone up high into the air to the rapturous delight of the crowd.

"Crake Zee gave his life to ensure the victory, tonight we remember him in our hearts and our songs. Crake Zee gave his life to ensure that we were able to seize this great stone! With the power of this stone on our side we are unstoppable, we will sweep all that oppose us away like dust from our boots. We will seek fair lands and we shall take them. Never again will our people want for anything, never will our people be cast aside as slaves! Never again!" Siinjid again held up the stone to the delight of the crowd, then turned and re-entered the Dark Tower.

The Brachanid capital Vassash was a dark and loveless place with the Dark Tower rising proudly at its very centre. Brachanids lived in long hills arranged in rows much like lines on a page. Brachanid families were only allowed to bear one child due to the shortage of food and water within the world. Those females found to be pregnant with a second were cast into the pits to fight until death.

The fight pits were everywhere around the city and formed the main source of entertainment and punishment. Slaves who were chosen to fight were held in the pit holdings and treated well. They were provided with good food and drink and allowed time to train on their fighting skills. Every night, each pit would stage two fights. Always two fights and always to the death. The winner would rise from the pits as a hero, while the loser would be fed to the ravenous packs of waiting Cara caras.

The victor would be returned to the pit holdings and allowed to recover for a few days before being forced to fight again, and again. Life was hard as a pit fighter but some would argue that it was preferable to being a slave in the work pens, at least you had some control over your destiny.

Dev Pron sat alone in his cell in the pit holding. Dev did not give up the stone without a fight and had the injuries to prove it. The Brachanid medics had done well to piece him back together after the battle, Siinjid had no intention of allowing his greatest ever prisoner to just perish or be worked to death with the other common slaves. As soon as Dev was rested he would be made to fight, to entertain and eventually to die under the merciless glare of the Brachanids.

Dev sat and meditated in his underground cell, he wiped his mind of all things. No pain, no past and most of all no hope. He sat perfectly still, his breathing and heart rate reduced to an absolute minimum and he waited.

Jack and Bafflebod had managed to pack together the essentials they would need for their journey. They had gathered a good supply of roots and water together with a sword and bow each. Arrows were a little harder to come by, but they managed to find fifteen which had been fired and missed their targets around the battlefield.

"We must travel to Vassash, which is where I am certain that my people will be imprisoned. The mission is most likely hopeless, but I am willing to die trying. I would rather die than spend the rest of my life hiding in a hole under my bed like a scared animal," said Bafflebod.

"I have held a sword once, I have shot a bow a few times and I wasn't much good with either. I would be lying if I said that I wasn't scared. More scared than I think anyone has ever been, but I am with you, if I can be of any help at all, I swear I will," replied Jack.

"Are you sure, Jack? It would take a mighty army to overcome them in their capital and we are just two. Why don't you just go back home? You have a father and a home, it doesn't seem right to risk all of that for me, for us," said Bafflebod.

"We are not an army and we do not pretend to be an army. We are the unseen thieves. We will steal back what they have stolen. I will not leap back, I am here for a reason, I know it. The stone is in the dark and its powers will soon fade, but not just yet. I do not know how to use it very well, but if Dev is still alive and if we can somehow free him, he may and what power remains in it could be put to some good use. I am scared, but I will do what I can to help," said Jack.

"OK, if you are sure. I roughly know where Vassash is, it will take us a few days of walking to get there and the journey could be dangerous, especially in this endless dark," said Bafflebod.

The pair of them embraced again, as if sharing each other's strength, gathered up their things and set off in the direction of Vassash.

Days of Ash and Gloom

The two new friends stumbled down the pile of rubble where once the cliffs stood proud and began walking silently across the Waking Veil. The darkness was oppressive and the thick ash that relentlessly fell from the unseen sky above caught in their mouths and noses.

Occasionally one of them would stumble and fall, but the other would always quickly help them back to their feet. The moon, which was rapidly retreating would occasionally find a break in the darkened skies and give the pair a welcome respite from the intense darkness.

The rising sun not only signalled the beginning of a new day, it also provided a small amount of light which made it a lot easier to walk. The Waking Veil seemed to be endless, the pair walked as fast as they could as the sun rose, taking full advantage of being able to see their feet. All the while, the endless black ash continued to fall.

"I think we should stop and rest," said Bafflebod eventually, as the sun began to fall again. "I am sure we will reach the other side of the Veil tomorrow. It surely can't be much further now. There is nothing that lives on the Veil so we should be safe, but if you like I will stay awake while you sleep and then maybe you could do the same for me," said Bafflebod.

"I agree, I'm exhausted and my knees ache from pounding on this solid uneven rock," said Jack.

Despite the merciless hard ground upon which he lay, Jack fell asleep instantly. It seemed like just five minutes had passed when Bafflebod gently shook him awake for his watch.

"Sweet dreams," said Jack as Bafflebod closed his eyes and fell asleep. Jack sat and stared out into the intense darkness. It was a warm night and the wind gently brushed past him. The silence was only softly broken by the rhythmic sound of Bafflebod's breathing. Jack thought of home, he thought of his dad, Penny and his little village. Jack had never felt so alone in his life, but he also never felt so determined.

After waking, the pair shared a bland breakfast of roots and water and set off again. When the sun was highest in the sky a break in the clouds illuminated the land fully, and to the delight of Jack and Bafflebod presented a band of white cliffs on the horizon. The clouds snapped shut above and returned the pair to the gloom they had grown accustomed to.

Jack and Bafflebod reached the foot of the white cliffs as night fell and settled down to eat and sleep.

"Tell me about your parents," said Jack laying down after he finished eating a handful of dry and tasteless roots.

"My mum was taken by the Brachanids when I was a baby, I don't really have any clear memories of her, except that she was very happy. Whenever I think of her it makes me feel happy, I know she had a pretty and kind face but I have no real memory of it, just feelings really," said Bafflebod.

"I lost my mother too when I was a baby. She developed an infection after giving birth to me and was just too weak to fight it. Like you I have no memory of her but my dad says that she was incredibly pretty and kind. I have seen photos of her and she was certainly very pretty. I would have loved to have met her, just to hug her once," said Jack sadly. "I do dream of her though."

"What are photos? And what are dreams? You said sweet dreams yesterday but I was too tired to ask what it meant," asked Bafflebod.

"Wow, OK I will start with photos I guess, as dreams are tougher to explain. A photo is a picture of something. We have things called cameras that are able to capture a picture of what you are looking at," said Jack.

"I think I understand. Sort of like an image that you can keep of what you are looking at," said Bafflebod, Jack nodded. "And dreams?"

"When we sleep we sometimes see images or things happening; we play out stories in our head as we sleep. We have no real control over them, sometimes they are nice but sometimes they are not and can be quite scary. We call the scary dreams nightmares; they are not nice at all," said Jack.

"We have something similar to those, but we call them daffrant's," said Bafflebod. "They are a little different though, our 'dreams' are just images, they don't actually move. I think a moving daffrant would scare me!"

"No it wouldn't, a good dream can be amazing. Sometimes you can fly, swim for hours at the bottom of the sea and you get to see people that you wouldn't otherwise. I love dreams when I get to see my mum and when I am playing with her and my dad together. If I didn't dream, I would never see her," said Jack.

"I wish we could dream like you; I see my mum sometimes when I sleep, but they are just blurred pictures." said Bafflebod.

The pair took turns sleeping and in the morning they packed up their things and stood at the base of the huge white cliff.

"How are we going to get over it?" asked Bafflebod.

"Hold on tightly to my waist," said Jack pulling the stone from his pocket.

Jack carefully drew the symbol for jumping on the stone and the pair of them shot into the air. They rose fast and stopped about five metres short of the top.

"Grab the rock face, we will need to climb the rest of the way, I have not quite got the hang of this thing!" said Jack in a panic dangling in mid-air.

Bafflebod did as he was instructed and let go of Jack's waist. The soft chalk rock began to crumble under the weight of his feet and he scrambled to get a secure foothold. Jack found a good finger hold and clung on to the cliff tightly, placing the stone securely back into his pocket.

Bafflebod's long sharp fingers dug deeply into the cliff face and within moments he was pulling himself up and over the edge. Jack was not finding the going anywhere near as easy and the soft chalk crumbled around his hands and feet. He looked downwards in the direction of the falling chalk and was instantly frozen with fear when he realised just how high up he was.

The chalk continued to give way under his feet and hands. Both foot holds broke away and his feet scrambled desperately against the slippery rock face, there was nowhere left to stand. His fingers were buckling under the strain; he was going to fall. His fingers sprang open.

Jack closed his eyes as he began to fall and immediately felt a tight grip around his wrist. He stopped falling instantly. Bafflebod has been watching his new friend struggle on the cliff face and quickly scrambled back over the edge to lend a hand.

Jack dangled helplessly held by Bafflebod who had the fingers from his other hand buried deep into the cliff.

"My fingers are slipping, Jack, get a grip of something!" shouted Bafflebod. "Quickly!"

Jack frantically scanned the rock face, it was perfectly smooth there was nothing to grab.

"There is nothing! There is nothing!" cried Jack in desperation.

"I'm slipping, Jack, I'm slipping!" said Bafflebod.

"Just let go of me, save yourself. It is silly if we both die," said Jack calmly. "Just let go."

"Never, if you fall I fall with you," said Bafflebod.

A large rope slapped hard against the chalk cliff just right of Jack's head, followed by a booming voice from above them.

"Grab hold! I will pull you up!"

Jack and Bafflebod did as instructed, their arms and fingers ached but they clung on as tightly as they could to the thick rope, it began to pull them up.

Moments later they arrived safely at the top of the cliff and stood exhausted, turning to thank whoever had saved them.

In front of them stood a very old Zephod man dressed in animal skins. He was tall, had wild long hair and a beard which stretched all the way down to his waist.

"Greetings," he said. "I am Clevan Stanha." He bowed low and Bafflebod's jaw dropped open in complete surprise.

Clevan Stanha

Clevan Stanha was a comical looking figure. Jack thought that he looked like a cross between a cave man and an Irish wolfhound. His long hair and beard was grey and matted and hid an aged face that was as brown and wrinkled as a piece of old rough leather. It was clear by just looking at his dark coloration that Clevan had spent the majority of his time above ground, quite unlike most Zephods.

"You have had a busy day," said Clevan. "I have been watching you travel and thought you may need a hand to get over these cliffs, they are treacherous. If you wish, my home is not far from here, I have hot food and plenty to drink and I may even be able to help you."

Jack and Bafflebod nodded at each other and agreed to go with Clevan. Despite his rather odd looking appearance, Clevan had a calm air of strength about him and a face which looked both trustworthy and wise.

The three of them walked and talked. "Are you the Clevan Stanha?" asked Bafflebod.

"I most certainly am, young sir; I take it you have heard of me," replied Clevan.

"Of course I have heard of you. All Zephods have. What are you doing here?" asked Bafflebod.

"I have been here for nearly forty years, sir. I live a peaceful existence now; I live off the land alone. I trouble nobody and nobody troubles me," replied Clevan.

"Did you really lose the stone?" asked Bafflebod.

"When I was a young man I was, as I am sure you know, the leader of the Zephods, I was a powerful and skilled warrior, even if I do say so myself. I was indeed the carrier of the Great Stone of Zannit Fru, it was passed down to me by my father and I wielded it well for many years protecting my people and holding the evil Brachanid hordes at bay. Our tunnels were however, sadly discovered by Brachanid scouts and we were overrun by the Midnight Army. During the fight I was thrown from the battlefield by a great explosion, seriously injured and left for dead. The Great Stone was cast high into the air from my hand and remains lost to this day. Some believe that it was destroyed by the fierce blast, others that it was carried high into the atmosphere where it was blown by the strong winds far across the lands. The Brachanids searched and dug the lands for years and found nothing, thankfully.

"I was defeated, I had lost the great stone and had let my people down. I was carried from the battlefield as my people retreated. They healed me and then I was banished in shame for my great loss. So I wandered for weeks unsure of what to do and eventually wound up here, in the wilderness forever with the shame of my great defeat forever heavy in my heart.

"But the Zephods still hold the Great Stone of Haffin Thorpe so at least there is hope for our people and Dev Pron is a great leader," said Clevan.

"We have neither," began Bafflebod sombrely. "We were attacked and many were killed. They have taken many of my people as slaves including Dev and my father. They have the Great Stone. We are heading to Vassash to free them if we can."

"This is awful news!" exclaimed Clevan. "I did see the great explosion which turned out the sun and hid as the Midnight Army rode through these parts and again as they returned to the capital, but I guess I hoped that the Zephods had hidden well using the stone's great power as protection."

"The Brachanids turned out the sun to drain the power of the stone. Dev fought well and did what he could with the power that remained in the stone, but it drained quickly and we were soon overrun," said Bafflebod.

The news had shocked Clevan and the three of them walked in complete silence the rest of the way.

"We are here, my young friends, let us eat and talk more. These are desperate and evil times, but I will help you all I can," said Clevan as they approached a set of trees. Just beyond the treeline was a small clearing, Clevan brushed some branches and leaves aside and revealed a small hidden door, he glanced around quickly to ensure that he was not seen and opened it, silently gesturing for the pair to enter quickly.

The tunnel beyond the door was much like the one where Bafflebod had lived but seemed somewhat more cosy and comfortable.

"Come my friends follow me, I have a fire and a meat stew on the boil," said Clevan.

Jack and Bafflebod followed Clevan into the kitchen area and sat around a stone pot which hung from the ceiling in the middle of the room. Below it was a fire burning slowly with coal and wood in the middle of a circle of stones. The fumes rose up, hugged around the outside of the pot and out of the kitchen chamber through a well-designed ventilation hole in the ceiling.

"Aren't you worried that the Brachanids will see the smoke coming out of the ground?" asked Jack.

"No my dear friend, but it is a very good question. The smoke travels underground to the other side of the forest and exits underneath a waterfall. It took me a long time to build, but time is something I have," replied Clevan.

Jack nodded and smiled. "That is very clever," se said.

"May I see the stone?" asked Clevan.

"Excuse me?" replied Jack growing instantly red faced. "What stone are you talking about?"

"The stone you used to rise up the cliff face, dear boy. If I am not mistaken I believe that it is the Great Stone of Waking Veil, which must make you its new carrier. May I ask what happened to its previous carrier? Penny, if my memory serves me correctly."

"You are correct," replied Jack removing the stone from his pocket and holding it out nervously for Clevan to see. "Penny has decided to retire."

"Hmm," said Clevan staring intently at the dull looking stone in Jack's hands. "There is not a huge amount of power left in it, it desperately needs some of the sun's golden energy for it to be of great use, but while we have this we have more hope than I think you would believe. I studied the stones for many years and I know a lot about this one and its capabilities. If you are indeed heading to Vassash I will come with you but before we go, I will show you how to harness some of its power if you are willing."

"That would be incredible," said Jack excitedly.

"It's agreed then, let us now eat and rest a while. We will begin on clear heads and full stomachs," said Clevan.

Clevan filled stone bowls with stew for his guests and one for himself and then poured them each a large stone mug of root wine.

The three of them ate, drank and chatted for hours until the combination a full belly and the heat from the fire had Jack and Bafflebod yawning and drifting off.

"I will leave you to sleep a while my friends and once rested, we can begin our training. Sleep well my friends, you are safe here," said Clevan.

Bafflebod and Jack curled up by the side of fire and fell into a deep and restful sleep.

The Pit and the Pebble

Dev was snapped back to reality by a bucket of icy water. He inhaled sharply and stood shakily to face a rough looking Brachanid guard, bucket in one hand, cruel looking sharp blades in the other three.

"Come with me, filth; tonight you fight," said the guard with a low croaky voice. With that he dropped the bucket and shoved Dev in the direction of the door.

Once outside, Dev walked down a dark corridor, lined with more Brachanid guards. He quickly put any thoughts of escape to the very back of his mind. The corridor stretched on for what must have been a close to a kilometre before rising steeply.

The corridor eventually stopped at a large heavy metal door. The guard retrieved a key from his belt, unlocked it and swung it open. The cool evening breeze flooded into the corridor, Dev closed his eyes and savoured it. A sharp shove forced Dev's eyes back open and he staggered out of the doorway and into the open. His arrival was met with a huge jeer from the vast awaiting crowd and a steady stream of black ash from the darkened clouds above.

The crowd fell silent as the large and menacing figure of Siinjid Azzar emerged from the shadows.

"My brave and loyal Brachanids, I am proud to introduce you to our very special guest, Dev Pron!" The crowd erupted as Siinjid gestured towards Dev.

"And tonight my friends and fellow warriors, we will see for ourselves whether the man lives up to his myth. Tonight Dev will fight in the pits." Again the large crowd roared with delight at their leader's words.

"Take him down!" shouted Siinjid over the frenzied masses.

Two fully armoured Brachanid warriors roughly grabbed Dev by his shoulders and marched him through the crowds and towards the pits.

The pit Dev was being led to was the main pit in the capital. The pit itself was only the size of a tennis court, the walls were about ten feet tall all the way around. A ring of seats for the most important Brachanids surrounded the top of the pit, with the land surrounding rising up in a cone to allow tens of thousands of Brachanids to witness the brutality of the nighty combats.

Dev was led down a path on the side of the surrounding arena which was already heaving with cheering spectators. Dev looked up to see his opponent being led down a path on the opposite side of the arena. His opponent was a large Janyilid whose burning red almond eyes were fixed upon Dev as he slowly made his way to the pit.

Just my luck, thought Dev to himself. My first fight and I'm up against a veteran of the pits.

Dev was led all the way down to the pit's edge where he was halted, waiting for his fearsome looking opponent to reach the opposite side. When the Janyilid arrived, he too was halted and Siinjid rose out of his front row seat and the enormous crowd fell silent.

"Be respectful my brothers and sisters of the warriors we shall now witness in their fight to the death!" The crowd cheered loudly and were again silenced by the mighty outstretched hand of Siinjid. "There will be one winner and one loser. The winner will rise up and out of the pit a champion of our people, while the loser will leave this world and begin upon a new adventure." Again, the crowd cheered. "Tonight our warriors will battle with daggers!" Siinjid held aloft two razor sharp blades that twinkled in the light of the many thousand torches that lit the vast arena. He threw one to each edge of the pit, paused and shouted, "Put them in!"

Dev had been wondering how he would enter the pit as there did not seem to be ladders on the side, just sheer flat surfaces covered in the dirt and blood from previous combats. He wondered no more as two of the Brachanid warriors lifted him and threw him over the edge. Dev's legs buckled on landing, sending him rolling helplessly to his left. He regained focus fast and grabbed the dagger which lay before him. He stood quickly and the giant Janyilid was on him, eyes ruby red and focussed on Dev. He rose the dagger and lashed out towards Dev. Dev recoiled, but not enough and the blade cut deep into his face. The crowd roared out in approval. Blood ran fast out of the large gaping wound the cruel knife had created. Dev stumbled back, gasping in pain. The Janyilid hissed and strode forwards, knife raised, determined to press his advantage and finish the fight as quickly as he could.

The Janyilid struck out again, this time lunging towards the retreating Dev. Dev rolled out of harm's way as the blade ran down the side of his thick leather belt. Dev continued to back away, the Janyilid continued his advance.

Dev held up his knife as purposefully as he could, although he was unable to stop it from shaking. Dev swiped the blade towards the Janyilid's face, he didn't flinch, just smiled sarcastically and flicked out his large snake-like tongue as if tasting Dev's fear in the air.

The Janyilid struck again. It hit Dev's knife holding hand so hard that it sent the blade spinning high into the air, landing at the other side of the pit. Its own knife shot forwards, Dev did his best to spin out of its way but it struck his bicep hard, pinning his arm against the pit wall. The crowd above erupted in delight. The Janyilid pulled hard to retrieve his weapon, but it was stuck too tight.

Frustrated, the Janyilid reigned down blow upon blow on Dev. Punching his head and body with terrible force until he was reduced to his knees, held up dangling by his pinned arm. The Janyilid stopped, turned and walked to the other side of the pit to collect Dev's dagger. The crowd above began chanting in unison for the kill. Dev's head swam as he tried hard to remain conscious. Through blurred eyes he watched the Janyilid stoop and pick up the blade. He walked back across the pit towards Dev and held the blade up high to the crowd, they responded with frenzied approval, willing him on to make the killer blow. Dev regained a little more focus and scrabbled around on the floor with his free hand looking for something, anything to help.

His long pointy fingers ran across a smooth hard object, a pebble. He grabbed it, brought his arm back and threw it towards the approaching Janyilid with all his might.

Waking alone in Waking

Jack woke with a jump. He had been dreaming about climbing the cliff with his father when the pair of them both slipped and fell.

Bafflebod was still asleep on the other side of the now smouldering fire. Jack gingerly rose to his feet and stretched. He had slept well, but in a funny angle around the fire and his back was aching.

He checked his pocket. The stone had gone.

"Wake up! Wake up!" shouted Jack. Bafflebod's eyes sprang open and he sat bolt upright rubbing the sleep away from his eyes.

"What, what is it? What is the matter?" asked Bafflebod.

"The stone has gone. Clevan has stolen it, what the hell are we going to do?" said Jack with tears of anger beginning to well in his eyes.

The pair of them searched Clevan's tunnel from top to bottom; he had gone.

"I knew it! I knew we shouldn't have trusted him; no wonder he was banished from the Zephod kingdom!" raged Bafflebod.

They sat in silence for a while considering their next move when a sudden creak jolted them both back to reality. Jack dived across the room and retrieved his sword, Bafflebod quickly loaded an arrow into his bow. Footsteps approached towards them, they readied themselves for battle.

"Good morning, young sirs!" bellowed Clevan as he poked his head around the corner. The two friends immediately lowered their weapons and let out large sighs of relief.

"Sorry to have startled you, I had hoped to get back before you had awoken. Here Jack, this is yours," said Clevan handing the stone back to him. "It was quite bright this morning so I took it to the top of a hill to allow it some time in the sun, sorry to have taken it from your pocket, but I thought it was important and didn't want to wake you," he continued.

"We thought you had stolen the stone and fled," said Jack placing the stone back into his pocket.

"I am sorry young, sir; I did not intend anything but good. I figured that if I were to train you further in the use of the great stone, then we would need to charge it as much as possible," replied Clevan.

Clevan fixed the three of them some breakfast. It was a sticky tasteless porridge, but Jack didn't mind as it filled him up and even made his aching back feel better.

"What are we eating?" asked Jack.

"We call it Wort Fel, it is made from a grass-like plant. It doesn't taste of much, but it's filling and will make you feel better," replied Clevan.

"It has made my bad back go away," claimed Jack.

Clevan nodded while eagerly shovelling the last few spoonfuls of Wort Fel into his mouth. "It has healing properties," he said finally. "OK Jack, you get started with the cleaning up and Bafflebod and I will get started with the planning next door."

Jack set to work scraping the remains of the breakfast into the bin and washed the hand carved wooden bowls and spoons in the water trough, setting them to dry on a series of wall hooks Clevan had cleverly designed. Jack finished up and walked next door to join the others.

"What are you looking at?" asked Jack.

"We are looking for the best approach to Vassash. Clevan has been to the outskirts of the city many times and has mapped it, look," said Bafflebod, pulling a map from below the one they were studying.

Jack looked at the crudely drawn map as Clevan started to point out some of its key features.

"Our best chance of freeing those held as slaves, whilst remaining undetected, is to enter the city here," said Clevan pointing at the west edge of the city. "The slave pens are here and here, we will not be able to reach the ones near the Dark Tower, but these ones on the edge we can. It will be heavily defended and we cannot dig our way in as it lined with metal."

"So how can we get them out?" asked Jack.

"We will use the stone; I will show you how," replied Clevan.

The three of them studied the map for a further hour and agreed the route they would follow to Vassash. It was not a straight forward route and Clevan estimated that it would take them the best part of three days to reach the edge of the Brachanid city.

"OK young sirs, now we have agreed on the route, we need to prepare for what to do when we get there and how to deal with any problems we may encounter along the way," said Clevan. "There is a small cave about ten minutes away which is perfect for our needs. Bring your weapons and the stone. Hurry, for time is not on our side."

Stones, Swords and Arrows

Clevan, Jack and Bafflebod hurriedly packed their things, grabbed their weapons and set off for the small cave.

After ten minutes of walking through dark, thick forest they arrived.

"Can I please use the stone, Jack?" asked Clevan. Jack nodded, reached into his pocket and handed it over.

Clevan drew a simple symbol on the surface. The stone began to glow and a wind picked up around them channelling as it seemed into the stone. Jack noticed a tiny spark, then another and all of a sudden the wind stopped and a small ball of fire rose out of the great stone about the size of a golf ball and hung mysteriously a few centimetres above it. As Clevan's hand moved the stone, the perfect ball of fire stayed in exactly the same place, both Jack and Bafflebod found it incredibly hypnotic.

"Shall we go in, young sirs? There is much to do," said Clevan; instantly bringing the pair back to reality.

The three of them walked into the cave and Clevan set about lighting the many torches which lined the large chamber. After he was finished, he waved his hand through the gap between the ball of fire and the stone and it extinguished instantly.

"This is your first lesson," said Clevan, who suddenly looked very noble and proud in the flickering orange light of the torches. "This stone has many hidden powers, what you just witnessed was however its very essence. This stone, like the others, has the ability to transform one element into another. Fire, Earth, Air and Water. They are all interchangeable through this magnificent stone. These are the four symbols you need." Clevan proceeded to draw the four element symbols on the dusty ground and Jack was made to practise them over and over until he had mastered them.

"Next, young master, stealth is going to be our biggest ally if we are going to stand any chance of succeeding. Please pass me the stone, Jack, and I will show you," said Clevan and Jack did as he was asked.

Clevan skilfully moved his thumb around on the stone's surface, painting out what was clearly a very complicated series of symbols. As he finished the great stone began to glow with a silver shimmer.

"Now Jack, what would you like to hide?" asked Clevan with a subtle smile on his face.

"How about the sword?" asked Jack pulling it from his belt.

"I was thinking of something a little bigger," replied Clevan looking directly at Bafflebod.

"I... I... Don't think that would be a goo..." Before Bafflebod could complete his protest, Clevan had brushed the silver shimmer from the stone on to him. As it struck, the shimmer grew around him in all directions and within seconds he had completely vanished.

"What... what has happened to me?" cried Bafflebod.

"Relax my friend, you are quite alright I assure you. I have used the stone to make you invisible. It is only a weak glow which I have created and it will soon wear off. But I will teach you, Jack, I will teach you how to do this and I will show you how to make it much more powerful. How do you feel, Bafflebod?"

"Very strange indeed. I can't really see my body, just a faint silver lining really. It would certainly take a bit of getting used to if we are going to walk around like this!" said Bafflebod, now from the other side of the cave.

Clevan spent the next few hours showing Jack how to harness the cloaking powers of the great stone. They each spent time being invisible as Jack perfected the complex symbols required.

After Clevan finally popped back into visibility, the three of them sat in the centre on the cave, ate and rested for a while. When they had finished eating their meal, Clevan showed Jack how to perform an energy blast from the stone, which Jack thought was tremendous fun.

"Try not to over use the energy blast, it will only render enemies unconscious and uses a vast amount of the stone's power. I will teach you some more soon, now we will spend a little time with the weapons. It is important that you can defend yourself with conventional weapons too, we can't always rely on the stone. We are going to have to set off tomorrow, it seems as if the ash in the air is getting thinner, soon the sun will return to its normal brightness. After we have practised with the weapons we will return to my home," said Clevan.

"Surely that's a good thing that the ash is clearing, isn't it?" asked Jack. "I mean, the stone will become fully charged and it will be much more powerful."

"It will, my young friend, but remember, the enemy too have a stone which will also become more powerful. I do not know how much the Brachanid scholars know of its powers, but they will know something and that's for sure. Besides, young Jack, one thing which is also for sure is that Siinjid Azzar knows of your world, and it will only be a matter of time until he finds a way to get there with his great stone. This world is as I'm sure you know, short on resources and it has been understood for a long time that Siinjid has had his eye on invading your world. Thankfully, until now he has lacked the one thing he desperately needed to see his great plan come alive. A Great Stone, sadly he now has one and we must do whatever we can to prevent him from using it. Let's get to work."

Although small, the swords were surprisingly very heavy. Jack had remembered a fair amount from his brief time training with Dev and after just a short while of training he was beginning to look like an accomplished swordsman. As much as the pair enjoyed the sword play, both Jack and Bafflebod were quite ready to stop after an intensive two-hour session.

After a short break which the young pair spent rubbing their sore biceps, it was time for some archery practice.

"Why you're a natural, Jack!" said Clevan following three solid, direct hits on the lump of wood they had hung from the wall as a target.

"Thanks," replied Jack. "It looks like the training with Dev is paying off."

"That is hardly surprising, Dev Pron is one of the finest archers this world has ever seen. Now, keep your concentration and do try to keep your left arm straight, Jack, you are bending a little at the elbow and losing power. Brachanid armour is quite thick, as is their skin. You need as much speed as possible if your arrows are going to have any effect."

After a little more practise Clevan was finally satisfied that Jack's technique was ready for combat. Bafflebod's archery skills were however, not quite up to standard and Clevan advised that he should just concentrate on using his sword if the need arose.

Before the three of them left to return to Clevan's home, he made Jack recall all of the stone symbols he had learned earlier in the day.

In all of Jack's ten years, he had never slept as well as he did that night, curled up round Clevan's roaring fire.

From the Pit to the Pen

The stone struck the advancing Janyilid hard in the middle of the forehead, rendering him unconscious immediately and sending him crashing down on to the floor of the pit.

The crowd fell silent and Dev rose unsteadily to his feet. He shook the dagger back and forth until it came loose from the pit wall. He held his breath and pulled the dagger back through his bicep, wincing with pain as he did so. Dev approached the unconscious Janyilid, dagger in hand.

The crowd began clapping in unison, cheering Dev on to make the kill. He stared down at the body of his opponent, blood ran freely down his injured arm and dripped on to the pit floor. He raised the dagger up high over his head and paused. The crowd clapped faster and faster, Dev's heart beat steadily. He moved his arm forward as fast as he could and released the blade.

The blade's target was not the Janyilid on the pit floor, but Siinjid, sat in the front row. Dev's aim was good, but his speed was not and Siinjid made easy work of it, swatting it away as if it were just an annoying fly. The crowd immediately fell silent; Siinjid rose to his feet and stepped towards the edge of the pit.

"For this outrage!" Siinjid blasted. "You shall both be executed! At dawn's first light, you will both be taken to the Karkan's pen and cast in!" Siinjid signalled to the guards on the opposite side of the pit and they immediately leapt in. A sharp blow to the side of Dev's head and he was unconscious.

Dev woke up back in his cell his wounded arm freshly bandaged and his brain still pounding from the heavy hit to his head. The Janyilid who he had fought was in the cell too and already awake pacing backwards and forwards impatiently within the narrow confines of the cell.

"Ahh, you're finally awake," hissed the Janyilid noticing that Dev had opened his eyes.

"Just about, I'm very dizzy though," said Dev gingerly.

"Here, drink this, it helps," said the Janyilid handing Dev a half empty wooden cup from the floor. "It's just water which has run down the wall from above, but it's clean."

"Thank you," said Dev gratefully. He sipped the water slowly, savouring the soft sting it brought to his parched lips and throat. He drank half of the offering and passed the cup back to the Janyilid, nodding in appreciation.

"So we are to be executed," said the Janyilid. "You should have killed me."

"Maybe," replied Dev. "Maybe not. But it is not my nature, it is not the nature of my people."

"I like that," said the Janyilid nodding in respect.

"Me too," smiled Dev. "So what is your name, friend? I am Dev Pron, once leader to the Zephods."

"I know who you are, Dev Pron," said the Janyilid bowing gently. "I am Sevvin Harsvel, I am no leader. I was born and raised in the slave pits of Vassash. My father died in the pits before I was born. I was raised by my mother and aunt who are slaves of the Brachanids, making swords and armour for the Midnight Army. As soon as I was old enough I was taken from my mother and trained as a pit warrior and once I was ready I was forced to fight until death brings me release from this cruel life."

"Have you been fighting for a long time?" asked Dev.

"I no longer know how many fights I have had, or how many souls I have sent onwards, but I have been in the pits for nearly ten years now. I am strong and fast and valued as a champion by the Brachanids, so tend to fight the new and weak," replied Sevvin.

Dev laughed. "So they consider me weak."

"With the greatest respect, sir, they would just consider you new," said Sevvin, bowing his head.

"So tomorrow we die, what is the Karkan's pen anyway? If I'm honest, it doesn't sound great," said Dev.

"It's not, sir," replied Sevvin. "The Karkan is a foul beast, it is the size of ten of me, has six legs and a huge mouth covered in tentacles which it uses to help pull you in. Its mouth is full of razor sharp teeth, each the size of a hand. It is a terrifying and foul beast. The Brachanids caught this one years ago and use it as an entertaining means of disposing of enemies or those who step out of line."

"Like us," said Dev.

"Like us," said Sevvin.

"Tell me about the pen it is kept in, have you seen it?" asked Dev.

"I have seen it; the beast is kept in a large underground corridor with viewing windows and only one way in or out, a hole at the top. You stand on the edge, the doors open, you are shoved in and down you fall. Once you are in the Karkan's pen, there is no escape. I have seen many disappear down that chute, nothing but the blood curdling screams of those being eaten alive escape," said Sevvin.

"Have you ever seen them put two victims in at the same time?" asked Dev.

"Never, only one at a time," replied Sevvin.

"If they do decide to put us both in at the same time, we may have a chance to escape," said Dev, sitting up with purpose.

"Escape? That's impossible," said Sevvin.

"Maybe," replied Dev with a sly smile growing on his face. "Maybe not."

The Road to Vassash

Jack, Clevan and Bafflebod set off at dawn. The ash which had been raining heavily was now fall very slowly and the sun was beginning to make a valiant effort to cut through. Jack carried the stone in an effort to allow it to soak up as much of the sun's energy as possible.

They didn't talk much at all during the morning walk, all of them felt nervous and quietly reflected on the great danger they were deliberately walking towards.

Clevan led the way, skilfully using his weathered staff to silently brush branches and thorns out of his way. They walked through mile after mile of lush green forest, wherever possible steering clear of any well-trodden paths. At noon they chanced across a small hidden clearing in the forest and took a well-earned break. The three of them were sweating heavily, the combination of the warm sun beating down, the ash hanging in the air and the thick forest canopy left the air around them very humid. Jack thought to himself that the small supply of water that they had brought with them might not be enough.

Lunch was very dull and consisted of dry leaves and a dense dry biscuit, which Clevan assured them was full of goodness. By the time they had finished, only half the water they had brought with them remained.

"I think we will have to deviate a little from our route," said Clevan plunging the cork back into his water flask. "We are getting through the water fast. I didn't really want to, but we should track the steam for a while."

"Why wouldn't you want to track the water, surely that's the most sensible route?" queried Jack.

"I wish it were that straightforward, Jack," replied Clevan. "But we are not the only living things who develop a thirst. In these lands clean water is a precious thing which makes areas like streams dangerous places full of wild animals. We will have to be on our guard if we go that way, anything could happen."

Jack and Bafflebod looked at each other, both wearing the same nervous expression and simultaneously gulped at the same time,

"OK," said Clevan breaking the awkward silence. "Let's get going."

It took a further hour of battling through the dense foliage before the forest started to thin out and they started to descend steadily towards the stream. As they silently approached, an uneasiness fell over them all. It was as if their every move was being watched by a hundred pairs of hidden eyes.

The stream was smaller than Jack had expected. It cut its way meekly through the land and certainly did not look as clean as Clevan had suggested it would be. They transferred all of the clean water they had into two bottles and Jack quietly filled the two empty bottles with water from the grubby steam.

"The water is a little low at the moment," said Clevan, "it has been quite warm lately. It looks dirty too, probably from all of the ash which has been raining down across the land. I am sure it will be OK to drink once it has had a chance to sett..." Clevan stopped talking midsentence and held up a hand in signal to the others to stop what they were doing and stay completely still.

Jack looked up from the stream at the now frozen Clevan, whose facial expression didn't fill him with much confidence at all.

"What is it?" mouthed Jack.

Clevan swallowed hard and beads of perspiration ran freely down his weathered face. His raised hand slowly closed until a single finger remained. Clevan bent his hand forward, pointing into the treeline just behind Jack.

Jack froze with fear. There was something behind him. There was something scary behind him. Jack reached slowly to his belt and wrapped his fingers around the cold metal handle of his sword and waited, his eyes fixed on Clevan the whole time.

All of a sudden Clevan's face transformed from one of tension and panic to one of relief. He exhaled hard and signalled for Jack to come up out of the stream. Jack did just that, pushing the stoppers back into the now filled flasks.

"What was that?" whispered Jack, still visibly shaken by the ordeal.

"That, my dear boy, was a close call," said Clevan, speaking in hushed tones. "What was standing directly behind you was a..." Clevan did not have a chance to finish his sentence, a huge beast looking like an extremely muscular black lion leapt unseen from the forest, knocking Jack out of the way and landing on Clevan, driving him to the ground with terrifying force.

The beast dragged a huge paw down Clevan's body, ripping cloth and skin as it went. It pulled its gigantic head back, opening its mouth revealing a ferocious set of razor sharp teeth dripping with rancid saliva. It roared and lunged with lightning speed straight towards Clevan's helplessly exposed neck.

Clevan closed his eyes and waited for the teeth to clamp down upon him. An eerie silence fell for a moment which was broken as abruptly as it was formed by a whistling sound and a large thud. An arrow struck the beast hard in the neck, sending its falling jaws off target and into the dusty ground. A second whistle and the beast lay slain.

Clevan scrambled back up the bank and away from the dead creature, breathing heavily and bleeding from the fresh wounds which ran down his chest.

Bafflebod stood ten feet away, frozen in the pose he cast just moments ago, his bow still quivering in his left hand.

"What was that?" asked Jack, now pale white and soaked to the skin after being bundled into the stream.

"A Savveroff," replied Clevan trying hard to steady his breathing. "I am lucky to be alive, that was some fine bow work Bafflebod, you are indeed a fine archer after all! I think we should be getting along now, We have had quite enough surprises for one day."

The three of them walked back up the bank and put a little distance between them and the stream.

"I warned you that it would be dangerous near the water. We will track the water at a distance for now and only go back down if we are running low. I know of a hidden clearing a few hours walk from here, we will head for that and get some well-earned rest," said Clevan.

Into the Pen

When Dev awoke he was greeted by a thin sliver of light which cut its way into the gloomy cell through a narrow metal slit near the ceiling. The room smelled of an interesting combination of damp and stale smoke, which seeped into Dev's nostrils from the long extinguished wall torches.

Sevvin was still asleep on the other side of the cell, snoring away happily.

Dev pulled himself upright and sat with his back pressed against the slimy damp wall. This is it, he thought as he rubbed his injured arm. Keys jangled outside the door, they rattled clumsily causing Sevvin's blood red eyes to spring open.

The heavy door swung open revealing two grinning Brachanid warriors.

"Get up scum, today you are going in the pen!" blasted the Brachanid with the keys. His accomplice laughed so hard that his fat belly, which hung over his leather shorts, wobbled as he did so. "The Karkan has not been fed in weeks, it's going to chew you two right up, bones and all. Now get up and get out!" he growled.

Dev and Sevvin did as they were ordered without hesitation, it made sense to be compliant with Brachanids at all times as they looked for any excuse to be cruel and inflict pain on their enemies, it was drummed into them from an early age, especially those selected to train for the Midnight Army.

Dev and Sevvin were marched along the seemingly endless corridor which Dev had walked just the day before. The two guards taunted them and jabbed them with their swords all the way. When the pair reached the door they were greeted by thousands of Brachanids, who had turned up early to witness the grisly demise of one of the Brachanid's most hated enemies.

As Dev and Sevvin were led through the crowds towards the Karkan pen the crowds cheered with glee, throwing rotting food and stones all the while. By the time they reached the edge of the pen Dev was bleeding heavily from a head wound caused by a large sharp stone which struck him at point blank range just above his temple. Dev felt dizzy as a result and desperately tried to keep his focus; he was going to need all of his wits about him and could not afford to feel the least bit dizzy.

Sevvin had not escaped from injury either and blood ran freely from his mouth as he stepped over the two teeth a well-aimed stone had knocked free.

The crowd's frenzy and jeers began to quieten, eventually falling to complete silence. The crowds on the other side of the pen entrance began to shuffle awkwardly, then began to part. A minute or so of tense jostling for position and Siinjid appeared at the pen's edge.

"Enemies of the glorious Brachanid empire, you have been sentenced to die upon this day. Your fate awaits you below ground, it is my wish that you die in great pain and without honour. Do you have anything that you wish to say before you are cast in and from the bodies your foul souls occupy?" said Siinjid.

The crowd grew quieter still with all Brachanids listening intently, hoping that the Karkan's prey would break down and cry for mercy as most facing the same fate would. The silence was uncomfortable, both Dev and Sevvin stood proud, with eyes full of strength and defiance. Dev spoke.

"I will not call for mercy, I know that you are incapable of displaying that and I do not choose to spend the last of my air providing any of you with any sense of satisfaction. While air remains in my lungs, you should fear me. I am not dead yet."

The crowd remained silent for a moment after Dev finished speaking, confused by the level of defiance and confidence in his voice. Nobody had ever shown such strength when they were about to be cast to a cruel and painful death. Siinjid was annoyed by his enemy, his blood boiled and his eyes glowed with hatred.

"Cast them to their deaths!" he screamed and retreated to view the spectacle underground. Those deemed worthy enough to join the leader of the Midnight Army hurriedly fought their way through the crowds and took up their places at the subterranean windows.

The guards moved Dev and Sevvin into position at the edge of the pen's entrance, the tips of their swords placed snuggly into the smalls of their prisoners' backs. Dev looked down. The entrance to the pen was a large hole in the ground, it was usually covered by two semi-circular wooden doors which were now resting open and either side. The bottom of the pit was about twenty feet away and glowed orange from the bright flaming torches which has been placed into the adjacent tunnel to illuminate the macabre action for the spectators below. It was time.

The Brachanid guards nodded to each other and shoved both Sevvin and Dev over the edge. Dev landed well, he bent his knees and rolled rising quickly to his feet. Sevvin was not so lucky and like so many before him landed awkwardly and the sharp snapping sound of his upper left arm was welcomed by the crowd above and the hundreds of delighted faces pressed against the windows below.

Sevvin cursed his luck, grimaced in pain and rose gingerly to his feet. Dev and Sevvin scanned the large corridor within which they now stood. The Karkan was not in the corridor.

Brachanids beat against the windows, pushing each other in attempts to gain the best view point. Siinjid sat in a large chair with an even larger window all to himself halfway down the long corridor. At the far end was a giant wooden door. The sound of heavy chains being slowly pulled began to emanate from behind it. The door started to rise and a warm rancid breeze seeped from below filling the corridor and making Dev retch. The door continued to rise.

A tremendous screeching roar erupted, the Karkan had caught scent of it meal. The door continued to rise. Tentacles rolled out from the growing gap and thrashed around, sweeping the air for food. The door continued to rise. Another roar, the door opened fully and the Karkan strode out of the shadows and into full view. Dev froze for a moment in fear, Sevvin's description had fallen someway short of just how terrifying a creature it really was. Its saucer-sized eyes spotted its prey and great bucketfuls of slime ran out of its horrific looking mouth. It was hungry. Its six legs sprang into action and it began to move with real purpose down the corridor towards Dev and Sevvin.

"Now!" shouted Dev and the pair of them ran down each edge of the corridor as fast as they could straight towards the foul beast, screaming and waving their arms violently. Dev clinging to the left, Sevvin to the right. The Karkan stopped in its tracks, it was confused. It had never experienced food like this. Dev and Sevvin ran straight past the creature, Sevvin slowed and took up a position behind it, Dev carried on even faster disappearing into the room from which the Karkan had arrived from just moments before.

The Brachanids watching from their windows fell silent, Siinjid stood up. This was not how things usually happened.

The Karkan seemed to snap out of its confused state and turned, determined to have its meal. Sevvin clung on to the back of its hairy swollen abdomen, swinging around as the beast changed direction, which was easier said than done with one badly broken arm. The Karkan noticed the unwanted passenger and turned again, then again and again. The spinning became faster and faster as the creature became increasingly frustrated and determined to shake off its meal. Sevvin clang on for dear life. A change of tack and the creature began thrusting its abdomen into the walls and ceiling, all the while Sevvin clung on in sheer defiance.

A huge thrust and a window in the corridor shattered, the Karkan turned sharply at the new noise and thrust its tentacles through the hole pulling two Brachanids into the tunnel. It pulled one up to its jaws and bit it in half with minimum effort, the other Brachanid passed out in fear shortly before it too met the same brutal fate. The Karkan sat still for a moment and began to slowly eat the two halves of Brachanid it still held in its tentacles. Sevvin needed no second invitation and silently slipped off of the Karkan back and run up the tunnel towards the gate, disappearing into the black beyond.

Siinjid's eyes burned with rage, he drew his huge black jagged sword, let out a terrifying battle cry, swung at the window with all his strength and arrived in the corridor in a shower of glass. The Karkan turned to face him, dropping the bloody remains of its meal and lunging towards Siinjid. Siinjid leapt high into the air, sword held behind his head. As the tentacles reached him, Siinjid brought the sword down with amazing force, it struck the Karkan's head and sank straight through, coming out of the bottom of its mouth. The Karkan fell lifeless to the floor.

Siinjid flicked the blue blood from the blade, turned and ran down the corridor and into the room the prisoners had fled to.

They had gone.

The battle in the night

Clevan, Jack and Bafflebod reached the clearing in the early evening and began to settle in for the night. The ash from above had all but finished raining and the sweet fragrances of the forest were beginning to return, as was Jack's sense of smell. Since he jumped back to this world, Jack had not stopped blowing his nose. In truth he had never really seen the value of the handkerchief that his dad had always insisted that he carried. But the black ash he had constantly been inhaling had to come out somehow and the nose was as good a place as any. The handkerchief was completely black and disgusting.

Following Clevan's instructions, Bafflebod dug a deep pit and filled the bottom with as many dry sticks as he could find and Clevan took a bow and one arrow, and ventured off alone into the forest to find them all something to eat.

"How far away are we?" asked Jack arranging blackened fallen leaves of the ground in the shape of three beds.

"I am not sure, but I think we have one more full day of walking ahead," replied Bafflebod.

"Are you scared?" asked Jack.

"No," replied Bafflebod abruptly. "I miss my father; I am scared about what is happening to him I guess. But as for me, I'm not in the least bit scared. Are you?"

"I am terrified," replied Jack with a nervous smile. "I have a constant knot in my stomach and waves of butterflies that make me feel quite giddy at times. But I think I actually like being terrified which is strange."

"What are butterflies?" asked Bafflebod.

"They are little creatures with large wings, they are very pretty," replied Jack.

"And you have waves of them inside of you?" asked Bafflebod who had stopped what he was doing and now looked very perplexed. "Do all humans have them?"

Jack began to laugh, a little at first but before long he was rolling around on the leaf beds he had created in a fit of hysteria with tears streaming down his face. He paused and pulled himself to his knees and faced the extremely confuse Bafflebod.

"It's just a saying on my planet. I guess it's because the wings are so light and ticklish that it kind of feels like lots of them are in you and tickling whenever you feel nervous," said Jack.

Bafflebod's serious expression broke and he grinned at Jack. "I see. We have similar things on this world too," he said.

"Give me an example," said Jack wiping the tears out of his eyes.

"Let me think," said Bafflebod. "Oh, I have one similar to yours. When we are shocked or surprised we often say that it feels like our brains have a Gondrak in them." With that Bafflebod immediately began chuckling to himself. Jack's smile evaporated as a confused glaze grew across his face.

"What does that mean?" asked Jack.

"Gondraks!" exclaimed Bafflebod. Jack shrugged his shoulders.

"Never heard of them," said Jack.

"They are probably a little like your butterflies, but they have a nasty little sting which makes you feel icy cold," said Bafflebod.

"Ah," said Jack bluntly. "It's not overly catchy, is it? I think I prefer ours." The pair of them laughed and continued with their work.

Clevan returned as the sun was almost gone to find Jack and Bafflebod laying on the leaf beds and sharing stories of their respective worlds.

"Come on you lazy pair, I'm hungry, let's eat," said Clevan.

Clevan had caught six little animals which Jack thought looked a little like fat squirrels. Clevan cleaned them up and skinned them. He placed them on wooden skewers and wedged them across the hole which Bafflebod had dug. Clevan reached into his pocket and pulled out a little pouch which contained what the Zephods called 'firestones'. A couple of strikes later and the small bed of dry grass in the palm of Clevan's hand was on fire. He dropped this to the bottom of the hole and set about covering their newly created oven with branches and leaves to slow down and disperse the smoke which readily rose up.

Thirty minutes passed and Clevan reopened the hole retrieving the skewers of perfectly cooked meat. As he sat and ate, Jack could not recall a tastier meal that he had ever eaten. The three of them ate happily and drank the remaining fresh water, Clevan decanted the stream water into the empty flasks and the three of them settled down to sleep.

"I will take first watch," said Clevan. "You two look exhausted."

"Thank you, I am," said Jack yawning. "I will take the second watch." With that, he rolled over and instantly fell asleep.

The blackness cleared in Jack's head and he was standing on the top of a really high mountain. Jack's dad was a few metres away, precariously reaching for something unseen over the edge of a pathway.

"Dad!" screamed Jack. "Come away from the edge, you will fall!" His dad continued to reach out, not acknowledging Jack's calls. Stones beneath his feet crumbled and fell as he shuffled forwards. Jack tried to walk closer, but it was impossible, no matter how hard he tried to run, his legs would not touch the ground. His father reached a little too far and tumbled over the edge, letting out a fearful shout as he disappeared from Jack's view. Jack screamed, his feet grabbed the floor hard and he ran to the cliffs edge and over, following his dad down. He tried to run but the steep drop was too sheer and his legs soon gave way sending him tumbling head over heels.

As Jack fell he gathered speed, faster and faster he tumbled, gaining on his father who was spinning out of control in much the same way just ahead of him. Jack managed to turn out of his spin and began to slide down his back, his father just a little ahead now. Jack gained more, he reached out a hand and his father vanished.

Jack slid over the edge of a cliff and fell alone forwards hurtling towards the ground. The floor rose up to meet him fast, he closed his eyes.

Jack's eyes sprang open. He was dripping in sweat, breathing quickly and shaking. Bafflebod was fast asleep next to him. Clevan was sat up against a tree on the other side of the clearing, he too was asleep. A loud snap made Jack jump and ensured that his heart maintained its brisk pace.

Jack shook Bafflebod awake and signalled to him for silence as soon as his eyelids flickered open. The pair of them rose, Jack drew his sword, Bafflebod loaded his bow and they tiptoed across the clearing towards Clevan, all the while scanning the intense blackness of the surrounding dense foliage for any movement. Jack prodded Clevan awake with his sword, again signalling for silence. Clevan groggily shook his head and stood up. The three of them stood back to back, turning slowly with weapons at the ready. Then it happened.

An arrow whistled through the air striking Clevan in the shoulder, sending his sword to the floor. Another arrow zipped through the air, this time grazing across Bafflebod's left cheek. A huge battle cry rang out as a dozen Brachanids poured into the clearing with weapons drawn. The light from their torches illuminated the scene. Clevan sat slumped on his knees trying to pull the arrow in his shoulder free.

Bafflebod and Jack had gone.

Tunnels and Darkness

Siinjid desperately searched the chamber, they had completely disappeared.

"Brachanids, bring torches!" screamed Siinjid back down the corridor. Within seconds a large group of Brachanids arrived into the Karkan's chamber with torches, illuminating the chamber.

"Search everywhere, then search it again! They cannot simply vanish! I want them found and I want them found now!" roared Siinjid wildly swinging his black sword around in frustration.

The Brachanids looked at each other in confusion, there was nowhere to search, there was no furniture, nothing to hide behind. The room was barren apart from the large variety of skeletons, bones and occasional lumps of rotting organic material which littered the dusty floor. The Brachanids walked around the chamber slowly, kicking bones out of the way and doing their best to look as though they were busy searching in an effort to keep Siinjid satisfied.

Siinjid stopped pacing and stood very still.

"Search the walls! Search for anything that looks different! Zephods can dig fast with their hands," he said.

The Brachanids spread out and began searching the walls.

"Here sir!" shouted one of the Brachanids from near the door. Siinjid ran over and looked towards where his solider was pointing. The Brachanid was pointing to an area of displaced earth where the floor met the wall.

"That's it!" shouted Siinjid, and with that he quickly started digging at the area with his sword, the earth and wall came away very easily, revealing the start of a tunnel.

"Keep collapsing it," whispered Dev. "I will start heading up soon, then it will be even easier to fill behind us."

"It is not easy with one arm but I am trying. This thigh bone is almost worn out," said Sevvin blindly scratching at the ceiling of the tunnel. "I'm starting to feel light headed, there is no air in here."

"I will be going up in a moment, we will have air soon enough. For now, stop talking," said Dev.

In the Karkan's chamber Siinjid had commanded some of his troops to fetch shovels while the others took turns attempting to dig out the tunnel which Sevvin had deliberately collapsed as the dug deeper into the earth.

"Dig faster!" yelled Siinjid. "They have a huge head start. You, get above ground and ensure we have units ready in case they attempt to surface. They will need air soon and I want their foul heads chopped off the moment they raise them above the ground."

Dev was sweating heavily and his shoulders ached, but there was no option but to keep up the effort. He lay in the narrow tunnel he had created with his arms stretched out in front of him, his hands busily scraping the soft sandy clay away. Every few minutes Dev would stop burrowing and scoop the loose earth underneath him for Sevvin to deal with.

Sevvin was finding things even tougher. His broken arm was in a bad way, blood ran from a wound the bone inside had punctured and his fingers had lost all feeling. He did his best to keep up with Dev but was clearly starting to fall behind the efficient Zephod.

"OK back there? I am going to start going up," said Dev pausing for a moment.

"I'm still here, although I'm not sure about OK. Life was easier in the pits," replied the heavy breathing Sevvin.

A further thirty minutes of hard digging and Dev's sharp fingers cut their way into the open air. Sunlight streamed in along with cool air. Dev retreated back down the tunnel, dug two seats into the side and helped Sevvin climb up and take his seat.

"I have no idea where we have come out, but I say we wait here until darkness falls," said Dev.

"I agree," said Sevvin clutching his arm and panting heavily.

"It will be heavily guarded out there and I know they will be following our tunnel behind us, but waiting until darkness is really our only chance," said Dev. "I could kill for some water; my throat is so dry."

"Don't think me rude or weak, but I am going to have to pass out for a while," said Sevvin immediately closing his eyes and slumping against the wall of the tunnel.

I think I will join you, said Dev to himself as he curled up on his step and fell asleep.

Dev opened his eyes. The sound of scraping below was worryingly close, he looked up. Darkness.

"Wake up," Dev said as he shook Sevvin gently. Sevvin did not wake up. Dev placed his fingers on his friend's neck and bowed his head in sadness.

"You died in freedom my friend and for your help I shall be forever grateful. If I get out of here, your name will be sung and remembered for all time. Sleep well." Dev kissed his hand and placed it on Sevvin's cold cheek. "Sleep well."

Dev focussed, exhaled and climbed to the surface. He picked quietly at the surface until he had created a hole large enough to look out of. Dev rose up pushing his eyes up into the cool evening air. He had risen next to the wall of a small hut, the area was empty and deathly quiet. Dev spotted a line of trees in the distance and decided that was his best option. Within seconds, Dev was on the ground, crouched into the shadows.

As stealthily as he could, Dev hugged the wall. He reached the end of the wall and crossed the empty street quickly and quiet. On the other side of the street was a Cara cara enclosure, Dev stayed close to the fence and continued on. Footsteps in the distance froze Dev like a statue. He waited and listened, which was easier said than done when you are crouched next to ten snoring Cara caras. The footsteps were coming closer; they were behind him.

Dev had no choice, he cut through the fence with his sharp fingers, creating as big a hole as time would allow. A Cara cara was fast asleep next to the large hole he had now created. He reached in and drove his pointy fingers deep into the giant animal's hind, turned and sprinted for the treeline.

The Cara cara woke instantly and went into a panicked frenzy, kicking out, destroying the fence and waking the rest.

The troop of Brachanid guards turned the corner just as the Cara cara stampede started. The scene was one of pure chaos; the huge beasts had now all broken free and were rampaging through the streets destroying everything.

Dev was nowhere to be seen.

The Edge of the Stream

Clevan was scooped up from the ground and pinned to a tree by two heavily armoured Brachanid warriors. The leader of the group stepped forwards and yanked the arrow violently from Clevan's shoulder causing him to scream out and almost faint with the pain. The lead Brachanid eyed the arrow carefully, stuck out his slime covered pink tongue, slowly licked the blood from it and placed it with the others in his quiver.

"There were three of you, where are the other two?" the lead Brachanid asked in a calm, gravelly voice. Clevan looked at the Brachanid in defiance.

"I do not know, but if I did know, please be clear that there is nothing you could do to me to make me tell you," said Clevan.

"Maybe, maybe not. We will soon find out." The lead Brachanid pushed a finger into Clevan's arrow wound, drew his face so close that their noses were almost touching. "Where are the other two?"

Clevan winced in pain, then composed himself and stared deep into his enemy's eyes and said, "I do not know."

"We shall see," said the Brachanid digging his finger in deeper and turning it. "First I will remove your hands, let's see if that refreshes your memory. Hold him."

Despite Clevan's best efforts, the two Brachanids holding him were far too strong and in seconds he found himself on his knees with his left hand securely held on a tree stump. The lead Brachanid rested his sword on Clevan's wrist. "Where are the other two?"

"I don't know," said Clevan bracing himself for what was coming. The sword was raised.

A huge cracking sound erupted above the clearing followed by a blinding flash of light. As the energy wave struck, it sent everyone in the clearing to the floor like dominoes, including Clevan.

Jack moved his thumb on the stone and he and Bafflebod descended from the sky above and back towards the clearing. Jack was relieved to see that everyone was unconscious, it was safe to land.

Jack and Bafflebod touched down, grabbed hold of Clevan and began dragging him out of the clearing. As they reached the edge, Jack noticed that one or two of the Brachanid warriors were already starting to come around from the stone's energy blast. He drew another symbol on the stone's surface and the three of them vanished from view.

Jack and Bafflebod were only small and even though Clevan wasn't a particularly large Zephod dragging him along the forest floor was very hard work.

"What are we going to do?" asked Jack quietly. "This is impossible and we really need to put some distance between us and those creatures."

"Let's head for the stream. I know it's dangerous, but it is downhill and it will be a lot easier to pull him," replied Bafflebod.

"OK, I like it. But we can't stay invisible forever, we are going to need some of the stone's powers when we reach the capital," said Jack.

"Let's just get down there and hold out until morning," said Bafflebod, Jack nodded and the pair of them began pulling Clevan towards the stream.

"Those creatures were Brachanids, they are the Midnight Army," said Bafflebod.

"I feared as much," replied Jack. "They are certainly a lot bigger than I thought they would be and a lot scarier too."

By the time Jack and Bafflebod reached the stream the sun was already starting to rise and was casting long strange shadows across the land. Bafflebod set to work digging a tunnel into the side of a bank next to the stream in an attempt to give them some shelter.

When he was finished, Jack and Bafflebod bundled Clevan in and then joined him. Jack drew a further symbol on the stone rendering them all visible.

They removed their wet shoes and huddled together for warmth, it certainly did not appear that it was going to be a particularly warm morning at all.

"So we just wait?" said Jack.

"I guess so, we just wait. Hopefully he will come around soon and we won't have to drag him everywhere we go," said Bafflebod.

The pair of them spent the early hours of the morning dozing happily in the cold but cosy tunnel they had skilfully dug.

Both Jack and Bafflebod were woken from their shallow sleep by coughing.

"Clevan! You are awake," said Jack, barely able to contain his relief.

"I suppose I am," replied Clevan in a weak voice. He shuffled around and propped himself up against the wall of the tunnel.

Jack explained to Clevan what had happened back at the clearing and all about how he had grabbed Bafflebod and risen with him quickly into the dark night sky the moment the second arrow was fired.

"I am sorry I blasted you," Jack said.

Clevan laughed. "Nonsense, you saved my life! You saved all of our lives with your quick thinking. I think Penny would be proud of you."

"Did you know Penny well?" asked Jack with a quizzical look upon his face.

"Of course I knew her well, I used to lead the Zephods, remember? She and I fought many battles together." Clevan stopped talking and held his hand up asking for silence. The three of them waited in fear.

"Something is coming," Clevan whispered.

The Tower and the Plan

Siinjid paced around the Dark Tower in a furious rage. Dev's escape had infuriated Siinjid so much that he had ordered the immediate execution of five of his officers for their incompetence.

'The time has come to use the stone,' thought Siinjid to himself, pulling it from his pocket. 'With this, I will raise this world to ash, build a slave army and march upon the kingdom of men which sits behind the Waking Veil. Never will my people want for the basics in life or learn to live a barren existence. Never will we be slaves, to another race or to the limited resources of a dying and barren world!'

Siinjid swung open the great door to his chamber and commanded the guards, "Bring me the scientist Halknin immediately." The two burley guards nodded and hurried away.

Moments later, two bangs upon the great door announced the return of the guards. Siinjid opened it, bowed to the scientist, invited him in and slammed the door shut.

"To what do I owe this great honour, my master?" asked Halknin deliberately bowing lower than Siinjid had.

"The time has come to unlock the mysteries of this Great Stone and I want you to help me do it. I know a little of its capabilities and that its powers are unleashed by the use of ancient symbols, but I am not one of science and learning, merely a tool of suffering and war. I need your help, the entire race of the Brachanids needs your help," said Siinjid.

"It will take a little time sire. I am aware of a little of the history of stone lore. The symbols used to harness the stone's great energy are ancient characters from an early form of the Ungan Dazaf alphabet. If you permit me, sire, I can begin immediately," said Halknin.

"Permit you? I command it. Let us be clear, however before you begin. I am not interested in the stone's range of party tricks and light shows. I am interested only in the stone's ability to travel to other worlds. Are we clear?" said Siinjid.

"I will do my best, sire, but as I said, it will take a little time," said Halknin nervously.

"Very well, a little time is exactly what you have. I expect you to have solved the stone's riddle within two days. If you fail me, I will kill you with it. Are we clear?" said Siinjid in a quietly menacing voice.

Halknin bowed nervously. "Of course, sire. I will try my best."

"Good, I do like you, Halknin. It would be a shame to lose you. I must go now, you will stay here with the stone and get to work. I have to hunt its previous owner. I will leave the two guards outside of the door; just ask them if you need anything. Good luck, Halknin." Siinjid turned and left. Halknin walked over to the table and stared at the stone.

"Let's see what you are capable of," he said.

At the bottom of the Dark Tower, Siinjid had assembled a group of his finest warriors who were waiting patiently for their leader on the backs of their huge Cara caras.

Siinjid leapt up on his beast, sharply dug his heels in its side and led the group through the streets and towards the very forest which Dev had vanished into over an hour earlier.

"I know he is in here somewhere. Spread out and alert us all if your ride picks up a scent!" yelled Siinjid as they disappeared into the treeline.

As well as being vast horse-like creatures with an amazing capacity for heavy work over long periods of time, Cara caras also have a phenomenal sense of smell. Brachanids have been using Cara caras as their main form of transportation for centuries, but they also use them as their primary method for tracking and running down their enemy. Some say that a Cara cara's sense of smell is so good that it can smell a single drop of blood from well over a mile away.

"Sire, we have a strong scent!" yelled one of Siinjid's group.

"Excellent!" Smiled Siinjid turning his Cara cara. "Let's ride him down!"

The group hit full speed, skilfully dodging the large trees and riding straight over the smaller ones. On and on they rode, deeper and deeper into the forest. All the while the Cara caras bellowed out plumes of black smoke from their nostrils, drawing in great volumes of fresh air to keep them focussed upon the scent trail left behind by their target.

The trail took a sharp turn and led them downhill. Faster and faster, steeper and steeper. The Cara caras suddenly jolted to a complete stand still. They had lost the scent.

Siinjid and his hunting group were now standing in the middle of a small but rapidly flowing stream.

"He has travelled through the water to keep us from his foul scent. He is smarter than I thought, but there will be no escape. Onwards!" said Siinjid.

The Unexpected Guest

Clevan, Jack and Bafflebod sat silently in their tunnel at the side of the river. Jack reached blindly for the stone, which he had placed by his side in the sun to reenergise. His fingers brushed the surface of it sending it tumbling over the edge. Despite Jack's best efforts to catch it, it bounced off the bank and landed in the stream with an almighty plop. The colour drained from Jack's face when he realised the seriousness of the situation.

Not only was someone or something approaching, but now they knew exactly where they were. Furthermore, they no longer had the stone and were completely visible. Jack could think of nothing else to do. He grabbed his sword, drew it and before Clevan or Bafflebod could react he leapt from the tunnel and into the stream, screaming at the top of his voice.

Jack froze as soon as he landed. Clevan and Bafflebod scrabbled out of the hole, both falling face first into the ice cold water.

"Dev? Is that really you?" asked Jack.

Dev bent down and scooped the stone off the bottom of the stream. "Here, I think you dropped this," he said with a small smile growing on his face.

"I have no time to explain, or for small talk. We have to move, they will be tracking me and fast. I suggest that we follow the stream. There is less chance of the Cara caras picking up our scent if we keep to the water," said Dev.

"No Dev, that is pointless," said Clevan. "If you were alone then maybe you would evade them for a while, but they are not stupid. They would follow the river, travelling much faster than you. It would just be a matter of time. With four of us, the scent is impossible to hide, that is unless there is..."

"A fire!" interrupted Dev. "Of course! Jack, can you do that with the stone?" Jack nodded his head. "Well go then, boy, we have no time to waste."

Jack nodded again and drew the fire symbol on the stone's surface. The stone shimmered and produced the hovering golf ball sized flame that Clevan had taught him.

"There," said Jack. "But what now?"

"Grab it and throw it, Jack, it's quite safe," said Clevan.

Jack slowly and nervously reached into the strange flame. It felt as cold as ice. He closed his hand around the flame, pulled his arm back and threw. A huge fireball erupted from Jack's hand and zoomed off into the forest igniting everything in its path.

"Now throw more, Jack, and we will retreat back to my home, we will have to lay low for a while," said Clevan

The four of them started to walk back up the bank and Clevan led the way back towards his home. All the while Jack unleashed fireballs to ensure that their scent was destroyed, making following them impossible.

The four of them walked quickly all day and arrived back at Clevan's home in the early hours of the following morning.

"We have burnt down so much forest," said Jack pulling the front door closed behind him.

"It is unfortunate indeed," said Clevan. "But we did not really have much of a choice. In the great scheme of things, it was a necessary evil we needed to commit. The reality of the situation is that we four and the Great Stone you hold are probably the only chance this world has of stopping the Brachanids from complete domination. I have a feeling that before this whole mess is over, many more sacrifices will need to be made, Jack."

"We all need to get some rest. Tomorrow is going to be a very long day. Clevan, come with me, we need to dress and treat that wound before it becomes infected," said Dev.

With that, Dev and Clevan disappeared into another room leaving Jack and Bafflebod alone. The pair of them warmed themselves by the fire and then hung up their wet things to ensure they were dry for the morning. Jack settled himself down by the fire and tried to drift off to sleep, but it was impossible. So much had happened and so much was going to happen that his mind would just not switch off. He thought about the Brachanids, their red eyes, huge bodies and gigantic frames. He thought about the burning forest and thousands of trees, plants and animals he must have destroyed with his fire. He thought about the Savveroff and of just how scared he was when it attacked at the stream. He thought about his dad and just how much he missed him. He thought about his enormous old house and his sleepy little village. It was no use; he could just not relax enough to fall asleep.

"Bafflebod," whispered Jack, "are you asleep?"

"Not even close," came the whispered reply from the other side of the fire. "My mind is racing. I think if I fall asleep I may even have one of those dream things you talked about."

"Will you two knock it off and get some sleep," said Dev from the other side of the room.

"We can't," replied Jack and Bafflebod together.

Dev stood up, walked across the room and joined them at the fire. "Very well then, perhaps a song will help send us all off." Dev sang quietly and slowly with a tenderness his looks did not suggest he had.

Away in the rolling peaceful mountains

Under the clouds which hug a sky so blue

The peaceful wind that laps the shadows

Oh the place I lay with you

From the shallows to the deepest seas

Under trees so tall and dells so green

A day so pure with air to match

Oh the place you remain my queen

Sand that stretches and caresses rock

Streams which dance and sing their song

Fields of colour and scent of heaven

Oh the place where we belong

Colours so bright and air so clear

Warm days stretched out as if they a year

Clean air and peace in the realm of my hand

Oh the place where we live without fear

Dev looked down on the two friends as they slept deeply, smiled to himself, returned to his side of the room and settled down to sleep himself.

When dawn broke, Clevan busied himself making a large breakfast and preparing everything the party needed for their second attempt at reaching Vassash. Swords, bow, arrows, food and water were meticulously prepared and arranged while the others slept on.

After everyone had woken and washed, they sat around and ate, discussing the plan.

"The way you were planning on entering Vassash was just right," said Dev drawing the outline of the city on the dusty floor with a stick. "It is generally not well guarded here and here, with only sentries who pass randomly during the day. There are slave holdings here and here and this is the entrance to the underground cells which hold the pit fighters. If we can reach this side of the city, we can use the power of the stone to hide us and we can free at least two slave holdings and maybe even the underground cells. What we do after that will depend upon the condition of the prisoners. It would be foolish to turn and run. The Midnight Army would simply run us all down, we would not stand a chance. I propose that we attack."

"Attack?" said Clevan. "Are you crazy? We have no weapons and like you say, who knows what kind of state the poor captives are in, my guess is that it will not be very good."

"Believe me, I wish that there was another way. I do not like the odds of this battle, but we have the element of surprise on our side and that counts for a lot. I am pretty sure that this building here is a factory where the slaves make weapons and armour for the Midnight Army. It should be easy to take with the numbers in the pens. Our key objective has to be the pit fighter cells. I have walked the corridor and there are hundreds of cells and in each is a fighter skilled in hand-to-hand combat, who I am certain would fight to the death for the slightest chance of freedom. We will attack them from within their own walls; they will not expect it and we do have a chance. Besides, I do have one final idea which may well help us."

Dev explained the remainder of his plan, the group finished their meal and prepared themselves for the dangerous journey ahead.

"We will walk fast and with luck will reach the outskirts of the city in the night. There we will wait until the hour before dawn before we make our move," said Dev, his eyes burning with determination.

"Let's go!"

The Dark Stone

Repelled by the raging fires, Siinjid returned to Vassash late into the night, empty handed. He flung the door to his chamber open to see Halknin asleep on the table next to the stone.

"I see that you value sleep more than your life!" shouted Siinjid, instantly jolting Halknin awake and sending him crashing to the floor in fear and surprise.

"Master, apologies for my laziness," srovelled Halknin. "I have however made a lot of progress since you have been away. Let me show you."

Siinjid sat in a chair behind the table and poured himself a foul smelling green drink. "Go ahead," he said.

"I know you are not interested in the lesser things that the stone can do, but let me humour you first, my lord, just so you can see some of the stone's other uses," said Halknin. Siinjid nodded and drank deeply, draining his cup.

"Firstly, the elements, sire." Halknin demonstrated the stone's ability to conjure flames in exactly the same way that Jack had done earlier that day to throw Siinjid off their trail.

Next Halknin demonstrated the stone's water ability. "Sire, if I may borrow your cup?" Siinjid passed Halknin his empty cup and after he had drawn the symbol on the stone's surface a yellow glow emanated from it. Halknin pointed the stone at the dusty ground and it began to shake. Tiny beads of water began to rise from the ground and collected in a swirling ball over the surface of the stone. Halknin brought the cup close and caught the sphere. He used his thumb and swiped it across the surface, the yellow glow vanished and the last of the rising beads dropped back to the cold earth below.

"Making water does however seem to drain the stone's power, so it is not really very useful," said Halknin.

Halknin offered Siinjid the cup. Siinjid merely peered inside out of curiosity and gestured Halknin to get on with his show.

"Next sir, air," said Halknin. He drew the symbol on the surface. This time the stone glowed with a mysterious green light. The room which was lit by flickering orange torches on all wall dimmed eerily as thousands of tiny sparks of light travelled towards the stone, joined together forming a small cloudy white ball. The light returned to normal and Halknin began to demonstrate the power by sending icy cold blasts of air across the room, extinguishing the torches on the wall, leaving them covered in a thin layer of frost. He then spun his finger around the white orb, unleashing several mini tornados which swept around the chamber destroying furniture as they went. Halknin ran his thumb across the surface again and the tornados disappeared instantly.

"Sire, you of course have to imagine each of these on a much bigger scale. All of these could prove very useful. The last element however is my favourite. If I may have your permission, I have a slave outside for me to demonstrate upon," said Halknin.

"Proceed," said Siinjid who leaned forwards in his chair, his curiosity fully aroused.

"Guards! Bring in the slave!" shouted Halknin.

The great door swung open and the two guards on the other side of the door walked in holding an elderly looking Zephod between them. The Zephod did not struggle but walked calmly into the chamber wearing tattered robes and a long matted white beard. His eyes were sad as if he knew what was about to happen but his bright blue eyes showed strength, dignity and defiance.

Halknin drew the symbol upon the stone's surface. The stone began to glow a mesmerising light blue colour and a strange misty cloud began to circle around Halknin's hand.

"Do you have any last words, slave?" asked Halknin.

"Just this," said the elderly Zephod. "I go to my death happy and without fear. Your time will come, my friend and it will come sooner than you think. Your foul species' time upon this world is almost at an end."

"Yes, of course it is," laughed Halknin. He waved his hand through the spinning cloud and a bolt of light shot across the chamber instantly turning the elderly Zephod into solid stone.

"Impressive," said Siinjid sitting back in his chair smiling.

"Guards leave us," said Halknin and the two rather shocked looking soldiers did so immediately. "My lord, I believe I have saved the best until last."

Halknin drew a very complicated series of symbols upon the stone's surface making it glow a brilliant and sparkling white. Tiny beads of water rose from the floor, the remaining torches dimmed sending showers of minute sparks across the room, air rushed in from all directions and the mist once again spun around Halknin's hand. Halknin drew one further symbol upon the stone. A huge flash of blinding light and a thunderous bang rang out shaking the Dark Tower, then all went silent. In the middle of the chamber spun a disk of swirling white cloud the size of a bicycle wheel and in its centre a black hole had opened up.

"This, sire, is a portal," said Halknin. "The gateway to the world of men."

Siinjid stood up in awe and walked across the room towards it, hypnotised by its swirling beauty. Halknin swiped his thumb upon the surface and the disk vanished.

"Halknin, that is incredible. You have surpassed my expectations. I will see to it that you are greatly rewarded for your services," said Siinjid.

"Thank you, sire. I still have a little work to do in ensuring that the hole is large enough for a Brachanid to travel through, but that will just take a little bit of practise. I will then test the portal and await your orders sire," said Halknin.

"This is a significant day for my people. We have conquered this world. Now our glorious empire shall force the world of men to fall before our feet," said Siinjid, his eyes burning as red as rubies.

The Liberation

Dev's pace though the smouldering forest was brisk to say the least and everybody was finding it difficult to keep up. There was no rest, no stopping and no let up.

"How are you keeping old timer?" said Dev to Clevan.

"Tired and sore, but otherwise OK," he replied.

"It's good to see you and I am glad you are here. How are the young ones coping with all of this? I had hoped to have trained Jack a lot more before he faced the Midnight Army, but that didn't really work out," said Dev.

"The boys have shown amazing bravery and resilience. Penny has chosen wisely; he will truly become a great warrior," said Clevan.

"Not a day goes by that I do not think about banishing you from our people. I think now that I made a poor decision, I was just a boy myself and wasn't ready to deal with such things. Do I now banish myself for losing the stone and failing my people?" said Dev.

"Nonsense," said Clevan with a slight smile on his face. "The decision you made was right and it was a strong one. You are a fine leader and your people love you. There are some things which will always remain out of our control and I am afraid that the actions of our enemies will always be one of them. Besides, history is no longer our concern, it is what we do now that matters."

Dev patted Clevan on the back and smiled. "I think we can afford to stop for a moment. Those two could do with a little break," said Dev nodding over his shoulder towards Jack and Bafflebod who had slipped quite far behind.

After a brief rest the group set off again. It was pitch black by the time they reached the city's edge. Dev and Bafflebod quickly dug a small trench so they could all observe any activity taking place, while remaining out of the enemy's view.

"We will hold here for a few hours until they are all asleep before we make our move. I will keep a look out and suggest you all try to get a little rest. Huddle close to keep warm," whispered Dev.

Clevan, Jack and Bafflebod did as they were instructed and Jack quickly drifted into a very shallow sleep nestled in between the other two. With images of his father's face still at the front of his mind, Jack felt himself being gently shaken awake by Bafflebod.

"Wake up, Jack, its time," said Bafflebod nervously.

"OK, this is it. I have been watching for hours and there is only one sentry that appears at the end of that street." Dev pointed. "If I am right, then he will shortly be making an appearance and if I am accurate, it will be his last."

Dev loaded an arrow into his bow and dug another in the soft earth beside him just in case. He settled upon his knees in the trench and waited silently. The others lay hidden and still, scarcely able to breathe with the tension.

Through the soft night breeze came the light crunch of boots on gravel spelling the imminent arrival of the guard. Dev pulled back the arrow and focussed. The large Brachanid emerged into view sleepily rubbing his eyes, he reached the end of the street, rocked back on his heels and stretched. Dev released the string.

The Brachanid guard flinched as he heard the soft whistling noise, a millisecond later he was dead before he hit the floor. Dev truly was a fantastic archer.

"OK, let's move," said Dev calmly.

The four of them broke from the trench and quickly and quietly covered the ground between them and the fallen sentry. Once there, Dev held guard while Clevan stripped him of all weapons.

"At the end of this street is the first of the slave pens, there will be guards. Jack, we must use the stone here. We simply cannot be seen," said Dev.

Jack nodded and pulled the stone from his pocket and drew the symbol Clevan had taught him. Once the stone had rendered them all invisible they set off as quietly as they could down the dark Brachanid street towards the pen.

When they reached the end, Dev peered around the corner then turned back and whispered.

"There are three guards at the gate to the enclosure. We cannot use the stone as it cannot do two things at the same time, but if we can creep close enough, arrows would be the best solution. I will take the one on the left, Clevan you the centre and Jack you the third on the right. Bafflebod, you load your bow and be ready to finish anything we miss."

The four turned the corner and covered half of the distance to the gates where the guards stood idly chatting. They stopped, kneeled and readied their bows. Jack exhaled and braced himself.

The three arrows raced through the air. Dev's arrow struck first dropping his guard instantly. Clevan's arrow hit next, but only striking the Brachanid in the shoulder causing him to scream out in a mixture of pain and surprise. Jack's arrow struck his Brachanid's head killing him instantly. Dev reloaded his bow as quickly as he could and was pulling the string back as Bafflebod's arrow struck Clevan's wounded guard sending him crashing lifelessly to the ground.

"Great shooting, let's move. One of them will have the keys. Let's search the bodies and pull them out of view," said Dev.

"I have them," said Bafflebod.

"Great, now let's get that gate open," said Dev.

Dev placed the key in the large metal gate, turned it until it clicked, then slid it open and went inside. The smell from within the dark pen was dreadful and all apart from Dev felt the need to pull their sleeves across their faces to reduce the smell.

The slave pen was organised into four blocks with each holding close to 300 captives. The majority of them being Zephods with a few Janyilids who were kept from the pits for particularly strenuous manual work.

"OK, split up and take a block each," said Dev. "Take them back the way we came in and wait by the treeline out of sight. When we are all back, Jack, I want you to use the stone to hide everyone, I will show you how. Let's get this done."

Jack ran down the corridor, turned a corner and entered his block. The room was gigantic with a dull eerie glow from the many slow burning oil lanterns embedded in the wall behind cages. The was full of row upon row of bunk beds, all three beds high and it appeared that despite the commotion that they were all still fast asleep. Jack walked up to the first bed and shook awake the female Zephod who slept on the bottom bed.

"Hi, I'm Jack. I am here with Dev Pron and others. We are here to free you. Wake up as many others as you can and head out of the building, the gates are open and we will lead you to the edge of the forest." The female Zephod propped herself up on her bed in complete shock before leaping out and starting to wake the others. Jack walked from bunk to bunk spreading the word and soon there was a steady stream of prisoners leaving his block and heading down the corridor to join the others. In no time at all, the whole pen had been emptied and a line of very tired, confused and malnourished Zephods and Janyilids walked silently towards the forest.

Once the last of the captives was safely out of view, Dev, Clevan, Jack and Bafflebod regrouped to discuss the next part of the plan.

"Jack, I want you to stay here and hide these people with the stone. You two will come with me, we are going to try and free the pit fighters. If we can free the warriors, we will have a chance of putting up a fight if need be. There is also one more slave pen nearby and I am keen to get those poor souls out tonight too. Once we have freed this side of the city, I have an idea which may well help us to free the pens on the other side. OK Jack, bring the stone and let's get this lot hidden and safe," said Dev.

The Assault on Vassash

With the escapees hidden and safe for the time being, Dev, Clevan and Bafflebod set off towards the pit fighter cells.

"This is going to be a whole lot trickier. This block is well-guarded both outside and in. Each cell has its own door which we are going to need to unlock, that is going to take some time. Plus, this time we can be seen," said Dev.

The disposal of the four guards and evacuation had not seemed to have raised any alarms in the city and all remained just as tranquil as when they first arrived.

"That is the entrance to the cell ahead. I see just two guards outside, but I am certain there will be at least twice as many inside. We are going to have to dispose of these as quietly as possible. I think one of them is asleep, I will take the other out, just be ready with arrows in case I need help. Stay here."

With that Dev turned back and disappeared down a side street leaving Clevan and Bafflebod waiting nervously in the shadows on the corner. A few minutes passed and Bafflebod saw a shape emerge along the side of the prison complex. Bafflebod loaded his bow, Clevan did the same.

One of the guards was dozing, happily slumped against a stone pillar, the other was standing nearby, busily trimming his finger nails on his sword. Bafflebod watched as the shape turned the corner and emerged behind the standing Brachanid. Bafflebod saw the knife flicker in the moon, the Brachanid did not see a thing. Dev lowered the guards body silently to the floor and moved over to the pillar with his knife raised.

Moments later Dev waved an arm signalling that all was clear. Bafflebod and Clevan stepped out and covered the open ground as quickly and as quietly as they could. When they arrived at the entrance Dev was just finishing cleaning the red from his blade and placing the dagger back into its sheaf on his belt.

They walked to the large metal door, it was unlocked.

"Neither of these have keys. Bows at the ready and just keep firing," whispered Dev. "Ready?"

Bafflebod and Clevan nodded. Dev swung the door open. As they stepped in through the doorway, the path led downwards into the long corridor that Dev was very familiar with. Down they went until the corridor flattened out. A loud shout rang out and in the flickering orange distance shapes moved and rumbled. It was soon clear that those shapes were five Brachanid warriors running directly at them. They began firing. By the time they were on them only two remained, both with arrows extruding from arms and legs.

The first Brachanid swung his mighty black sword directly at Dev. Dev caught the Brachanid's hand with his bow and ducked underneath. The sword came loose and spun dangerously past Clevan's head. The Brachanid's momentum carried him over Dev and Clevan drew his sword and finished him cleanly.

By the time Dev had risen to his feet the second Brachanid was already on Bafflebod, sword raised. With a blood curdling roar, he aimed it at his head and brought it crashing down. Bafflebod froze, closed his eyes and waited for the end. Nothing. He quickly opened his eyes, surprised to still be alive, to see a large powerful hand sticking out of the cell door bars holding the Brachanid's arm by the wrist. Dev swung his sword and the Brachanid fell lifeless and headless to the floor.

"Dat one's got da keysss," hissed the voice behind the door. "Dat one wiv no head."

Dev searched the body and found them. "Stand back and I will release you," he said. The gigantic arm recoiled and Dev quickly unlocked the door and pushed it open. Out of the shadows walked a gigantic Janyilid. His eyes burning red and face covered in hundreds of scars.

The gigantic Janyilid scooped down and picked up one of the black swords.

"My namesss Tanic, I owess you me life," he said in a deep and booming voice.

"And I owe you mine," said Bafflebod still visibly shaking.

"There is no time for this! Tanic, start freeing the others," commanded Dev. Tanic did not need telling twice and ran off down the corridor opening cell after cell. Dev rushed back up towards the entrance and peered, all was still clear.

Bafflebod and Clevan directed the freed prisoners up the corridor towards Dev.

"There isss a weaponsss cupboard by the main door. Makesss sure you grabsss one," said Tanic over and over again as he swung each cell door open.

The cell block corridor was a fearsome sight. Zephods, Janyilids and even imprisoned Brachanids bounded their way towards the exit. Each of them fully battle scarred and full of muscle.

"We have company!" came the shout from Dev at the entrance. Tanic tossed the keys to Bafflebod and sprinted down the corridor, barging all out of his way. When he reached the door, Dev was already outside with a number of his new allies. A dozen Brachanids were making their way directly towards him. One near the back stopped in his tracks and raised his battle horn to his mouth. Dev's arrow struck his forehead before he could breathe a note into it.

The remaining eleven charged. Dev fired on them as quickly as he could, dropping four more before pulling out his sword.

Tanic burst through the door, his black sword held high and his eyes burning with hatred. He brushed Dev aside and ran straight into the pack of Brachanids roaring and flicking his sword with skill and ferocious force. Three Brachanids dropped dead to the floor within a seconds. Tanic ran through and out the other side unscathed. He turned to charge again, but Dev and the other prisoners were already engaged in combat. Tanic walked back towards the melee and threw his blood soaked sword down. The Brachanids were huge, but Tanic was gigantic and his massive arm muscles rippled as he grabbed the first Brachanid and swung him by the neck until the life left him. Another took a swing at Tanic, lightning fast reflexes honed over years of forced hand to hand combat meant that Tanic saw the attack coming from miles away and within a nanosecond he had stepped in and caught his attacker's arm. Tanic laughed and waited for the terrified Brachanid to make his next move. The attack came quickly, but nowhere near quick enough. He pulled the dagger from his belt and lunged it towards Tanic's stomach. Tanic caught his hand, snapped his wrist like a twig and plunged the blade deep into the Brachanid's chest. The Brachanid gurgled as he slumped dead to the floor.

The others were dead by the time Tanic had finished. Dev nodded at Tanic in admiration of his battle skills. Tanic grinned back, then dipped and retrieved his black sword.

Within a few minutes the entire block was empty and all souls were stood outside. Dev addressed them.

"My dear warriors, you are free. You may use your freedom however you see fit, I have no hold upon you and I will not begrudge those who wish to flee. But tonight we have a great chance to dent the Midnight Army and to bring freedom to even more. I beg you to join and fight with me. My friends Clevan and Bafflebod will take those who wish to join me to the edge of the forest where you will join many more freed slaves. Those who do not, I wish you peace and happiness for the rest of your days."

As Clevan and Bafflebod started to walk off, Dev called to them.

"As you walk back, you will pass a Cara cara pen. Get as many riders on board as you can and take them all, we will need them for the next phase of my plan." He then turned to Tanic.

"I need you to come with me. More slaves need our help, my fearsome friend."

Tanic's menacing grin turned into a smile and the pair set off towards the next slave pen.

Jack sat in the trench shivering and staring at the hypnotically glowing stone in the palm of his hand. A crunching noise from the end of the street made Jack jump out of his skin and he almost dropped the stone. He pulled the bow from his back, loaded an arrow and took aim.

Jack waited, arrow poised and focussed on the large shape which strode into view. Another appeared, then another, a blast of flaming smoke poured from the first shape, which Jack now identified as being a strange gigantic horse-like creature.

"Jack? Are you here?" came the call from the first beast. Jack recognised Bafflebod's voice immediately. He waved his hand across the surface of the stone and strode out to meet his friend and the huge creature he was sat upon.

The group of slaves and warriors welcomed each other, although they remained almost silent, the joy on the faces of all was clear. Some who had been reunited after many cruel years apart, embraced and cried.

Jack ushered all of the new arrivals behind the treeline and again used the stone's powers to conceal everyone.

Dev and Tanic were not too far behind and led the very weary looking occupants of the second slave pen straight towards where Jack and Bafflebod were resting. The sun was beginning to cut through and one by one the faces came into view.

"Dad!" screamed Bafflebod. "Is that really you?"

Bafflebod and his father ran to each other and embraced as tightly as they could, their faces both covered in tears.

Jack looked on and smiled.

The Charge of the Midnight Army

Clevan jumped back on his Cara cara and led the group of brave volunteers out of the forest and back into Vassash. Clevan and Bafflebod had found twenty-six Cara caras in the pen on their way back to the forest, all of which were now being ridden by brave volunteers mainly from the slave pens. Dawn was fast approaching as Clevan and his troops turned another corner and increased their speed.

Clevan shook the Cara cara's reins and struck it sharply with his heels, the huge beast complained then accelerated until it reached its top speed, the others did the same. Blurry eyed Brachanids who had just woken and left their homes were frozen in fear as the group of invaders thundered through the streets.

Clevan shouted at the top of his lungs over and over again, "Death to the Brachanids! Death to the Brachanids!" He swung his sword wildly either side of the huge beast and Brachanids dived out of the way to avoid his blows. The others all followed suit. Together they made a tremendous noise.

Word spread quickly around Vassash that they were being invaded by a large group of warriors on Cara caras. The Midnight Army began to assemble. The first to react was a barracks of over a thousand troops on the same side of the city as Clevan and his men. They quickly dressed, armed and mounted their Cara caras and were off in hot pursuit.

Onwards Clevan rode, where possible the group split up and rode down parallel streets to maximise the panic and noise. They rode past the Dark Tower, waking Siinjid from his slumber. By the time they reached the far south of the city, the group of twenty-six had several thousand enemies riding after them.

It was at this point that that Dev put the next part of his plan into effect. He attacked.

Clevan's diversion seemed to have done the trick. The streets were starting to come alive with confused and frightened Brachanids who were discussing what had just happened. Dev and his army of close to two thousand, desperate ex slaves and freed pit warriors entered the city at the same place they had escaped earlier that morning.

Dev had taken the decision that the majority of the pit fighters should stay with him and attack the city while those less skilled at fighting should lead the diversion.

The city was now fully awake and Brachanids had congregated in the streets to talk about what had happened. As Dev and his troops turned a corner, the Brachanids that were there turned and ran, shouting out in panic warning others as they went.

"No civilians are to be harmed, just those in armour, or those who engage us. Jack, fire up the stone and burn everything," said Dev, Jack did as he was ordered and moments later the empty houses either side of the street were burning fiercely.

On they walked, street after street meeting very little in the way of resistance. Those soldiers who were left behind were either cut down quickly or ran with the civilians for their lives. The majority of the Midnight Army was currently chasing a mere twenty-six Cara caras or busy reinforcing the south side of the city.

By the time Dev's small army reached the Dark Tower all had managed to locate weapons. A group of over a hundred members of the Midnight Army were based at the Dark Tower and were well dug in. As they approached, Dev could see that a large number of archers were busy preparing defences.

Dev signalled the group to a halt just out of the enemy's arrow range.

"The Brachanid will have the tower guarded, this will not be easy, but if we are going to change things, we are going to have to take it. They have a lot of archers in position, no doubt the tips of some of the arrows will be explosive. If we rush them, it will cost us heavily. Jack, stay by my side, we are going to need to use the stone here. Those of you with bows, split into two groups and be prepared to flank them, make sure you take some muscle with you," said Dev.

Jack took up position at Dev's side. "What is it you would like me to do?" he asked.

"Jack, do you know how to summon the power of the wind?"

"I don't," replied Jack.

"Then my friend, would you allow me to use the stone for a few moments?" asked Dev.

"Of course," replied Jack pulling out the stone and holding it out for Dev to take.

Dev drew on the stone with his thumb and it immediately began to glow a mysterious green colour, a strange shadow appeared around Dev for a moment and then faded. Dev began to spin his finger around the white ball which had formed, slow at first, then faster and faster. The ball started to swell in size and shook violently above the stone. It grew to the size of a basketball and Dev pushed his palm through it towards the Dark Tower. Green bolts of light sparked wildly from the stone. As the bolts struck the dusty floor below, tornados the size of lampposts cracked into life and began rolling across the open ground towards the archers at the base of the tower. The five furiously spinning columns of wind tore through the makeshift defences, scattered arrows and threw a number of archers from their positions.

"Full attack!" screamed Dev while sending a huge energy blast towards the already panicked enemy.

Some of the Brachanids began to flee in terror, others were knocked unconscious by the blast, the rest were showered in a merciless onslaught of arrows.

Dev and his troops reached the foot of the Dark Tower. It was silent.

"Thank you, Jack," said Dev handing his back the stone, "Now we destroy it! Gather up as many of the exploding arrows as you can and bring them to me. Zephods, I want you to dig a large hole here, under the base of the tower."

A few minutes later a huge hole had been dug under the tower and stuffed with all of the exploding arrows they could find, bar one.

Dev led his forces away from the tower towards another slave pen on the east side of the city. Before leaving, Dev placed the last remaining exploding arrow into his bow, pulled back the string, then released it.

Siinjid drew his guards to a halt when he reached the edge of the city. South of Vassash were plains that stretched out of miles.

"We may have been tricked, this looks like a trap. There is very little dust being kicked up by their Cara caras. I would guess there is fewer than fifty riders. With all the ash on the ground, an army would send up a huge cloud. Blow the horn, call our forces back. The city is at risk," said Siinjid to Halknin.

The horn rang out and Siinjid turned his group around and began to head back towards the tower.

A huge cloud of flame and smoke rose up high into the air from the centre of the city, followed by a bang as loud as thunder. Siinjid and his troops watched in horror as the Dark Tower began to fall.

The Long March Home

By the time Siinjid had reached the remains of the Dark Tower, Dev and his troops had released the two thousand slaves from the east of the city.

"There is one more slave prison in the south of the city, but it would be foolish to make an attempt for it. It is with a heavy heart that I walk away from them. We will continue to head east and loop around the city far in the north. We can then head west, pass Waking Veil and onwards. My people have prepared a new tunnel system there, although it is a little small for our new needs, it is a start and hopefully a place we can call home. The Brachanids have been hit hard today and it will take them a long time to recover from this defeat. We must now rebuild, train and prepare. This is far from over. There are still many Brachanid warriors and other cites which will undoubtedly reinforce this one. But if we can get home, tonight has brought us two precious things, time and perhaps more importantly, hope. We have a long walk ahead of us, but take each step at a time and with each, savour the taste of the fresh air, embrace the light from above and welcome the energy that freedom provides. Onwards!" shouted Dev.

The forces exited the city leaving a trail of fire behind them. As they climbed north and away from the city, it became clear to Jack as to the scale of devastation they had left behind.

Jack and Bafflebod walked together arm in arm, both with huge smiles across their faces.

"What about Clevan?" asked Jack.

"He will be meeting us there; he knows where we are heading. He was planning to lead the Brachanids towards another forest far in the south and use fire once again to cover his tracks," said Bafflebod.

"I hope he is OK," said Jack, his smile dipping for a moment.

"One things for sure though," said Bafflebod.

"What?" asked Jack.

"He will certainly no longer be banished," said Bafflebod. The smile returned to Jack's face.

The sun was starting to fall as they reached northern side of the forest. Hunters from the group ventured out as the rest settled down in a large meadow they had stumbled upon. The group separated up into lots of smaller gatherings who warmed themselves by the side of the hundred or so fires which Jack had busily lit with the stone.

The hunters returned in their dozens with more than enough meat for everyone to eat happily. The meadow's soft lush grass provided a perfect mattress for all to get a good night's sleep. Jack used the stone to ensure everyone was well hidden before settling down himself and drifting into a deep and peaceful sleep.

It took two more days of tiring walking for them all to reach the new Zephod tunnels. As soon as they arrived, Dev ordered the Zephods to immediately begin extending the tunnel system to ensure there was enough space for everybody.

When everyone was busy, Dev walked over to Jack who was sat with Bafflebod and his father resting.

"We are going to have to get you home, my friend. The day is drawing to an end but when morning comes we will make arrangements for you to return. On behalf of my people and those you have helped, I would like to thank you. We have no ceremonies and no medals I'm afraid, but you have my friendship and will want for nothing whenever you step into my world, young Jack. Penny has chosen very wisely; you are indeed a great carrier. But remember, this is just the beginning. For there is much that needs to happen here before we achieve peace for this world," said Dev.

"Thank you," said Jack looking a little embarrassed.

When darkness fell, fires were lit and everyone danced and sang at the tops of their voices. Jack had never seen anything like it. He had never felt so happy.

Two Zephods who had been on look-out, ran back towards the tunnels. Jack overheard them talking to Dev.

"There are riders on Cara caras approaching from the south. They may be friendly, but..." said one of them gasping for breath, Dev cut him off before he could finish his sentence.

"Tanic, gather some of the men, we may have company."

"Yesss sssir," hissed Tanic.

Dev and around fifty of his new warriors ran south with the two Zephods leading the way. It wasn't long before they were returning with a number of their allies sat on the backs of a number of very tired looking Cara caras.

Jack counted thirteen of them in total. He got up from his place beside the fire and went to meet his friend Clevan.

Dev's face was grim. He put his arm around Jack and said, "It doesn't look like Clevan made it, Jack." Jack exhaled slowly and tears began to well up in his eyes.

"What happened?" Jack asked.

A young Zephod jumped down from his Cara cara and knelt down at Jack's side.

"We rode as fast and hard as we could. The enemy are skilled on these beasts, far more so than we are. When the Brachanid horn rang out, a large number of them turned back to the city, but there were still hundreds of them in pursuit. They were gaining on us too quickly. Clevan ordered that we split up into two groups. As we pulled away from him and headed north I saw him being struck with an arrow from a Brachanid rider and fall from his ride. I don't know what happened to the rest of them, but I can't imagine that they could have made it. The enemy were too many, I am certain they would have been caught. We are lucky to have escaped."

Jack returned to Bafflebod with a heavy heart and told him the news. The pair of them cried together for the loss of their friend.

Dev addressed the gathering crowds who had heard word of the loss.

"My dear friends, tonight we celebrate a victory against the Brachanids and the freedom of many of you. Tonight we celebrate, but tonight we also remember. We remember those who have fallen. We remember those who stood and fought and those who struggled and failed. It is, however, with a heart gripped with sadness that I tell you that a great leader of our people has passed. Clevan led the charge through Vassash, diverting the Midnight Army and clearing our path. He was struck with an arrow and has fallen. We have much to thank him for and much more to celebrate than be sad for. Tonight we celebrate, my friends, and tonight we honour and remember Clevan in our stories and songs."

All of those watching applauded loudly and began to chant Clevan's name over and over again.

Dev wandered away from the group and found a fallen tree to sit upon. He looked up into the night sky and said, "Thanks also to you, Sevvin, my brave friend. Sleep well."

Goodbyes and Hellos

"Jack, wake up it's time for you to go home," said Bafflebod.

Jack pulled himself up and made his way out of the tunnel. Dev was waiting outside on the back of a Cara cara.

"Good morning, Jack, jump aboard. These beasts travel pretty quickly and we should have you back by noon. Don't worry, I have packed a little breakfast for you to eat on the way," said Dev.

Jack turned and hugged Bafflebod who was in floods of tears at the entrance to the tunnel.

"Don't worry," said Jack. "I'm not dying, you know I will be back sooner than you think."

"I know," said Bafflebod wiping the tears from his eyes. "I have never really had a friend before, so I'm really going to miss you." The pair of them embraced each other and smiled.

"Me neither, but like I said, I will be back before you know it. Gotta go, my dad's gonna kill me," said Jack grinning. Dev held out a hand and Jack pulled himself up on to the back of the huge creature and sat nervously behind Dev. Jack waved as they galloped away.

Sure enough, it was noon when the pair arrived at Waking Veil. The cloud of smoke from the still burning Vassash was visible in the distance.

"We will see you again soon, young Jack. Give Penny my regards," said Dev. Jack nodded and pulled the stone out of his pocket.

Jack drew the symbol on the surface and jumped. A second later he found himself standing in Penny's beautifully smelling garden. The birds were still singing their morning songs in the trees. Jack smiled to himself and said, "I'm home."

Jack walked down the path and knocked on Penny's back door.

"Jack my boy, I was wondering when we would see you again," smiled Penny.

"How long have I been away?" asked Jack.

"Nearly three days. Don't worry though, I told your father that you have been a little unwell and have needed your rest. Come in, we will get you cleaned up and those clothes washed before we take you home. You look like you have been dragged through a puddle," said Penny.

Penny fixed Jack some food and washed and dried his clothes while Jack filled her in on all that had happened.

"Great news!" exclaimed Penny when Jack had finished. "So, when are you planning on going back?"

"Soon," said Jack. "I think I will spend a little time with Dad first, how is he?"

"He is fine and at home now, which is where you should be. I will ask Mr Stevens to drop you home if that's OK," said Penny. Jack nodded excitedly.

Penny smiled and walked out of the room leaving Jack to finish his cheese and pickle sandwich.

Mr Stevens happily agreed and pulled his car up out the front of Penny's house. It was just starting to get dark as Jack stared happily out of the car window on his way home.

Mr Stevens' car pulled up outside of Jack's gigantic old house. It looked exactly the same as it did when he had left with his dad to go to the hospital, as did his little sleepy village of little Bottombump. The house looked exactly the same that is, apart from one subtle difference. A 'for sale' sign.

"Thank you, Penny, thank you, Mr Stevens," said Jack. Penny smiled and winked to him.

Jack turned and felt the butterflies rise in his stomach, he had not looked forward to holding his dad as much in his life as he did right now. He ran up the path to the huge house, up the steps and through the door (which was still off its hinges).

"Dad!!!" shouted Jack. "I'm home!"

The Beginning

"I think I have got it," said Halknin drawing a complex series of symbols on the surface of the stone. A huge black portal appeared, surrounded by a violently spinning mass of dark grey and black cloud.

"You have done it," said Siinjid stepping through.

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