

# THE LAST PORTAL

# (Book 1 of the Mytar series)

## ROBERT COLE

Published by Robert Cole

Copyright 2016

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

This is a work of fiction. All the characters, organizations, and events depicted in this novel are either products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.

All rights reserved.

# Acknowledgements

No-one writes in isolation. I would like to thank my children for their inspiration, my mother for her proofreading and my colleagues for their many thoughtful comments.

# Map of Cathora

Contents

Prologue

Map of Cathora

Acknowledgements

Chapter 1: Schoolyard Bullies

Chapter 2: Cathora

Chapter 3: Mind Over Matter

Chapter 4: Into the Storm

Chapter 5: An Ancient Race

Chapter 6: A Road Less Travelled

Chapter 7: Strange Happenings

Chapter 8: The Zentor

Chapter 9: Down a Hole

Chapter 10: Under the Mountain

Chapter 11: The Portal

Chapter 12: Demoss

Chapter 13: A Battle of Wills

Chapter 14: The Journey Home

Other books by Rob Cole

# Prologue

The dawn was windless and cold, allowing the smoke from hundreds of smouldering fires to spiral high into the atmosphere of Cathora. Zelnoff surveyed the smouldering ruins of dozens of towns, and the wreckage of many ships still burning along the river banks. This region had once been an important trading and agricultural centre. Now only ruins remained. The sight gave him immense satisfaction. The night's attacks had gone well. Another of the few pockets of resistance left on the planet had been crushed, and the guardian that ruled this area had been killed. Even now, his forces were dismantling his portal for transport to Zelnoff's home base. Everything was going to plan. The few guardians that remained could never mount any serious opposition and he now possessed most of the portals. This planet, like so many others before, would soon fall to his rule.

# Chapter 1: Schoolyard Bullies

The two boys made a strange sight as they wrestled their way through the lunchtime crowd of students at Stanworth High school. The larger boy was well muscled, with short, neatly spiked hair and broad shoulders. His arms were firmly clamped around the head of a much smaller boy that he was dragging around the playground in a head-lock. When the pair reached the base of a tree, the larger boy flung the smaller one into it and viciously kicked him in the side as he slid to the ground.

All around a crowd was gathering, their faces bearing the faint smiles of anticipation - everyone knew what was coming. Jeff stood over his victim, legs slightly apart, like a gladiator displaying his defeated opponent. Chris climbed onto his knees; he represented a stark contrast to Jeff, small, even for first-year high school, with unkempt wiry brown hair and a narrow face which culminated in a pointed, deeply cleft chin that gave him an almost cartoon-like appearance.

"You're such a pathetic creature," Jeff sneered, his newly broken voice booming out amongst the gathering crowd.

Chris wiped a few spots of blood from his nose with the sleeve of his shirt.

Jeff leaned closer and lowered his voice. "You know, E.T., the problem is that huge nose of yours. It gets in the way. Maybe I should re-arrange it for you, so you're not so ugly."

Chris risked a glance up at Jeff. His spiked blonde hair was still neatly in place and his pale features remained perfectly calm; only his grey eyes, like liquid pools of ice, betrayed his cruelty.

"Come on, get up," Jeff taunted, "can't grovel in the dirt forever." He crouched down to Chris's level. "What's up?" he whispered, "TOO SCARED!" he shouted directly in Chris's face.

Chris pulled himself up against the tree, but made no attempt to climb to his feet. He knew Jeff's routine all too well. He would bully kids to stand up, only to push or knock them down again. Eventually his victim would burst into tears. That was his measure of success, and what the crowd, his devoted followers, were waiting for.

Jeff stood up and placed both hands on his hips. "Come on, get up E.T..." He gestured with his hand. "Come on, up."

Chris didn't move.

"UP!"

Chris kept his face turned away, giving Jeff nothing to work with.

"A-li-en, a-li-en, A-LI-EN!" The chant quickly gained momentum as the crowd thickened around them.

Jeff sighed theatrically, then grabbed a fistful of Chris's hair and began pulling him to his feet. Chris swung a punch into his mid-rift, then another, then another. With each punch the roar of laughter from the crowd intensified.

Jeff joined in the laugher. "Is that it? Is that all you've got?"

With a hand still holding Chris by the hair, Jeff turned to his audience, like an actor bowing after a performance. Chris grabbed Jeff's outstretched arm and dug his nails in deep. Amid a stream of swear words, Chris was spun around, and then thrown back against the tree. His face met the tree with a sickening smack on its way to the ground.

Seconds passed before Chris slowly rose up on an elbow. His head felt dizzy and something wet was spilling down his face. This time, when he touched his nose, his hand came back covered in blood.

"Leave him alone!" Joe Parkinson, a pear-shaped boy about Chris's size, with beady eyes and fat pink cheeks, pushed his way to the front of the crowd. He knelt down and examined Chris. "You've done it now," he said, glaring up at Jeff over his shoulder. "When the teacher sees this, you're history."

Jeff eyed Joe. "Shut-up, Piglet. You say anything and you'll be history."

"Yep, you'll be suspended alright," Joe added, pushing back a mop of greasy brown hair that had fallen over his eyes.

Jeff looked down at Chris, who was wiping away more blood with his sleeve. "E. T. just ran into the tree."

This comment sent a wave of chuckles around the crowd.

"You threw him into a tree." A tall girl stepped forward with a mop of springy, sandy-coloured hair that appeared to sit on her shoulders rather than hang down from her head.

"He dug his nails into me, like a girl." Jeff displayed three red marks on his right arm to the crowd.

The girl placed her long, impossibly thin arms on her hips. "You had him by the hair."

Jeff pulled himself up to his full height, only slightly taller than the girl. "That's because he's too gutless to stand up."

"What? So you can hit him again? You should be ashamed of yourself, you're twice his size."

Jeff opened his mouth but no words came out. Clearly there was no arguing this point.

"You're just a coward," the girl added, pushing her flecked covered nose closer to Jeff's.

Jeff's features hardened at the word "coward". No one called him that. The general rumble of the crowd stalled as everyone listened for his response. "You watch who you're calling a coward or I'll..."

"Hit me," she mocked. "You big brave man."

"That's right... and you're an ugly..."

WHACK!

Jeff's face jolted back. His look of arrogance momentarily slapped away. The seconds passed, but only Jeff's deepening frown showed any sign of movement. Chris could almost feel what Jeff was thinking. No guy in his right mind would hit him, but a girl? Jeff was like a startled rabbit caught in the headlights of a car.

Some of the girls were beginning to giggle and the guys were trying not to join in.

"Now what are you going to do?" the girl asked, pushing her face closer as though daring him to hit her.

The girl's finger marks spread across Jeff's pale features, leaving a perfect imprint of her hand. This sight set another wave of giggles through the crowd. Now completely red-faced, Jeff turned to Chris.

"You're such a loser, E. T. You even need a girl to stand up for you." His eyes surveyed the three of them. "You three are all just freaks anyway," he concluded, before turning and pushing his way through the crowd.

Chris hauled himself up to a sitting position. Susie was one of his best friends, and had a formidable mouth on her, especially when it extended to injustices, such as environmental issues, bad exam results and bullies. But hitting Jeff? This was a step up. It was like pulling the pin of a hand grenade and hoping it wouldn't explode.

With the entertainment finished, the crowd dispersed, amid much laughter and chatter. Chris wished Susie hadn't slapped Jeff. This would only make things worse. He could already imagine the taunts about a girl coming to his rescue.

"You alright?" Susie asked.

Chris wiped the blood from his nose with some tissues he found in his pocket. "Yeah."

"So what was it about this time?" she continued, wearing her most earnest expression.

In typical fashion, Susie was demanding an explanation from him for Jeff's actions. "How would I know?"

"Well everyone has..."

"A reason for doing things," Chris completed her sentence.

"That's right, maybe you ..."

"No, I didn't annoy him. I spend most of my lunchtimes trying to get as far away from Jeff as possible."

"Well it's time we went..."

"No." Chris shook his head. "You're not telling the teachers."

"Well, how else are you going..."

"I'll figure something out."

Susie flicked back some of her hair off her shoulder in a gesture Chris knew meant she was becoming irritated.

"Well at least you can show some ..."

"Gratitude? Thanks for the help, but don't do it again. I can fight my own battles."

"Will you stop finishing my sentences for me? You know how annoying that is. And that's the last..."

"...time I'm going to help you. Yeah, I know."

"Chris Reynolds, you are so..."

"...rude and ungrateful."

Susie's eyes widened and she grunted loudly, then spun round and strode off.

Joe, who had been listening in the background, pulled out a large and rather dirty looking handkerchief and handed it to Chris. Chris accepted it, trying not to think where it had been. Joe was the only person he knew who still had a handkerchief, which was fine in itself, except he remembered seeing that same handkerchief for months, slowly getting dirtier and dirtier. Much like his clothes, Chris thought. Joe had a tendency to wear his clothes until they physically fell apart on his body. Not a good look.

"I was sure Jeff was gonna do something," Joe said. "I wouldn't have put it past him to hit her back."

"Nah, he'd never hit a girl."

"Uhh... How would you know?"

"I know."

"Oh yeah, that psycho thing..."

"Psychic," Chris corrected.

Joe rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

Chris finished wiping away the remaining blood, then screwed up the handkerchief and handed it back to Joe.

"You know, Susie is pretty mad at you," Joe said.

"Well, it was a stupid question, anyway," Chris replied. "Picking on other kids is just what Jeff does. He doesn't have any mysterious reason for doing it, other than it's fun."

Joe nodded slightly then lowered his head. Chris instinctively knew what he was thinking. Joe was overweight, seriously overweight, and bad at most things. Jeff, and an equally large bully called Matt, preyed on him mercilessly most lunch times. To Joe's credit, there was one thing that he was really good at - hiding. If hide and seek was a school subject, he would get an A. Some lunch times, even he couldn't find Joe.

The bell rang for class.

Chris rushed to the toilets and washed the blood off his face. He was glad to see that his nose had stopped bleeding, although it was now so clogged with blood that he couldn't breathe through it any longer. His shirt sleeves presented more of a problem and took some determined scrubbing to remove all the blood. By the time he had finished he looked as if he had taken a bath up to his elbows. Sighing to himself, he rolled up his sleeves and headed off to class. This afternoon was biology with "blowfly Kennel," the Science teacher who earned his nickname from his unfortunate habit of rubbing his hands together, like a fly.

When they reached the classroom, Mr Kennel was standing by the door.

"Today we're studying insect biology," he announced, as the students filed past him. He was tall, with thinning hair, wide-set eyes and no chin, rather like a praying mantis, Chris thought. On each classroom bench was a large glass container filled with a clear liquid and large, spiky objects.

"I want you all to draw the insects in the jars on the sheets of paper provided," he went on, in his usual monotone drawl.

Looks of disgust and horror spread across the students' faces as they realised the spiky objects were actually cockroaches.

"The cockroaches have been preserved in alcohol. I would like you each to take one using the tweezers provided, not your fingers." He scowled at Jeff, who was already flicking the liquid contents of a bottle at some girls. "Follow the instructions for dissection. The worksheets on each bench explain what I want you to do. Hurry up," he added, "there's a lot to do this afternoon."

"Cockroach dissection, just what I feel like after lunch," Joe sighed.

The feeling was echoed in collective moans around the class. They looked just like the monstrous black cockroaches that Chris regularly saw scuttling around the school. He had visions of Mr Kennel creeping around the school late at night, armed with a net and a bottle of alcohol.

A bench further back, Jeff and his friends were already in their usual spot. Amid giggles and muffled screams, Jeff was threatening to drop a cockroach down Cathy's top. When he saw Chris, he whispered something to Cathy and they both burst out laughing. Chris tried his best not to notice, although every giggle and whisper felt like a gun aimed at the back of his head. Susie had already taken out her cockroach, and dropped it on the floor. She was now bending over awkwardly to pick it up with a pair of tweezers. Chris got a view of a pair of long, white legs and bony arms plucking away at an upturned cockroach. After several attempts, she managed to lift it halfway to the bench before it fell back to the floor. Susie was left holding a black, hairy cockroach leg firmly grasped in the prongs of her tweezers. An immediate burst of laughter erupted from the bench behind. Cathy was leaning over the bench, her hand held over her mouth as she giggled.

"You're such an unco," Jeff smirked, casually leaning over next to Cathy.

Susie went slightly pink. "If you've got nothing intelligent to say, just don't talk."

"But you're such a rich source of entertainment," Cathy said. "No one in school is as hopeless at sport and spends her whole time buried in nature books and lecturing everyone on the environment. You're an unco, nerd."

Jeff burst into laughter again as Susie went bright red.

"Well, I prefer to read books than spend my whole time making stupid comments and giggling like a six-year-old," she counted.

Cathy's response to Susie was something resembling a snarl of a dog accompanied by a rude hand gesture. Chris could never work out why they hated each other so much. Only last year, Susie and Cathy had been the best of friends. They were always around each other's places. But then something had happened. Chris wasn't really sure what. Something to do with Susie losing some of Cathy's textbooks, he thought, although it seemed a really silly reason for breaking up a friendship. Since then, Cathy had refused to speak to Susie and had gravitated to Jeff's group. Now they couldn't stand each other.

Chris noticed Mr Kennel, now at the front desk, lean over a thick textbook and attempt to lift it from the desk. The book, however, seemed to have a mind of its own, and wouldn't budge. His face went from confusion to annoyance. Then, with a loud ripping sound, the book gave way and Mr Kennel nearly toppled backward on to the floor.

There was an immediate burst of laughter from behind Chris. When he turned around, Jeff and Cathy were prodding each other in their sides and sniggering. Mr Kennel held the textbook in his hand, now ripped in half, the bottom part still firmly attached to the desk.

"Superglue!" Mr Kennel's already pink cheeks went a deep red.

"Who did this?" He strode to the front of the class and slammed the torn book on a bench. "This isn't funny!"

The class went silent.

" _Jeff Wilock,"_ Mr Kennel called. _"What are you laughing at?"_

"Arr...nothing."

" _Nothing_? You think this is nothing?"

"Arr... I wasn't laughing at your book. Cathy just told me a funny joke."

Mr Kennel continued to stare coldly at Jeff for some moments. Chris knew what he was thinking. The likelihood that Jeff was involved was almost certain. But he hadn't a shred of evidence to prove it.

"Right." Mr Kennel stood directly in front of the class. "I want everyone to close their books and sit with their eyes directly in front of them. No one will say or do anything until the class is finished."

The remainder of the period was spent in complete silence while Mr Kennel roamed the benches much like an enraged bull. At the end of the lesson he gave everyone the extra homework of completing the section of the practical that was supposed to be covered in class using the internet.

After school, Chris, Joe and Susie gathered to walk home. Chris could see Jeff in a corner of the playground amongst his friends, in full animation, describing his latest exploit.

"That was so cruel," Susie said, also watching Jeff.

"Yeah, but it was funny," Joe said.

"Not really," Susie replied, "since we've all been given at least an hour's extra homework."

Chris watched Jeff, now impersonating Mr Kennel trying to pull the book off the desk. A small group of his devoted followers were trying their best to outdo each other laughing at his antics. He turned away in disgust.

That night, Chris had one of his strange dreams. He was walking down a narrow lane close to his house. It was night, but part of the sky still had a blue tinge, as though the sun had only just set. He was dressed in his school clothes and still had his school bag slung over his shoulder. Someone or something was following him, but there were no footsteps or sounds of any kind, only the feeling of a presence. Each time he turned to face whatever it was, there was nothing, no sound, except the rise and fall of the wind whistling in the overhead wires.

When he walked on again, the sense of something closing in on him became stronger. The urge to break into a sprint became almost overpowering. He quickened his pace, then moved into a jog, switching between laneways in an attempt to lose an invisible pursuer. His heart began to pound in his chest and his breath became laboured, but the presence never faded. It was always there, just behind, never seen. Eventually the laneway ended in a high fence, topped with razor wire. All around him were brick walls with no street lights to fend off the gathering night. He was trapped. He turned and stared into the blackness. It was still there, closing in through the darkness.

Chris woke up with a start. He'd been having dreams like this for weeks, always being followed but never able to see his pursuer, only the scenery in each dream changed. His bedside clock read 8:10. The bus would leave for school in fifteen minutes. He shot out of bed, threw on his clothes, grabbed his schoolbag and tore down the stairs.

Chris's little sister, Fiona, was sitting at the kitchen table, lazily smearing large chunks of strawberry jam on her toast. She looked different today; her hair was neatly pinned back into two tight little plaits. Chris concluded that his mother must have attacked her hair before breakfast.

Fiona looked across the table at him and frowned. "You've missed the bus again. Now you'll have to walk all the way to school." She flicked back a long strand of brown hair that his mother must have missed and gave him a big beaming smile.

Fiona was a year younger than him and still in primary school, and her bus followed a different route so she didn't have to leave until half an hour later, something she always liked to point out when Chris was late.

"I'm still good," Chris grinned back.

Fiona fluttered her eyes at him. "I don't think so."

Chris leaned across and snatched her toast, grabbed his school bag, then ran out of the house. He could hear Fiona shouting abuse at him as he sprinted up the front path, and his mother telling his sister off for yelling.

The bus drove off just as he reached the bus stop. Chris could see Joe and Susie waving merrily from the back.

Even if he ran all the way, he would never reach the school before classes started. This meant automatic detention if he didn't have a note from his parents. He thought briefly about writing one, but knew he could never copy his mother's ridiculously complicated signature. Besides, after yesterday's incident, he felt less inclined to serve as another day's entertainment for Jeff. He looked up at the sky. It was brilliant blue and the sun was warm and inviting. He took off his jumper and tied it around his waist. He was in no hurry. If he was going to get detention for being late, he may as well give them a good reason for it.

A short distance away the road dipped sharply into a forest, nestled in the crease of a valley. At the valley's lowest point, a creek gurgled under an old wooden bridge. Chris ran down to the bridge and leaned over the railing. Autumn rains had swelled the normal trickle of water into a swiftly moving torrent. Plastic bags, cartons and aluminium cans marked the highest point of the recent rains. In one of the rock pools he noticed something reflecting the sunlight and climbed down to investigate. Unfortunately, it wasn't money, as he had hoped, but some type of key. He picked it up and turned it over in his hand. Its shape was odd. Instead of being flat, like normal keys, one end was splayed out at right angles in four different directions, as though it fitted some type of three-dimensional lock. It looked like metal, but had almost no weight. He tried bending it without success, then he noticed the colour change; first to pink, then dull red, finally ending up bright red. Some type of electronic device possibly, he pondered. He was just deciding what to do with it, when some movement on the bridge caught his attention, but when he looked up there was nothing. Yet he felt there was something there, a presence. For a moment he struggled to pull the feeling from the back of his mind. Then he remembered; the same presence was also in his dreams. With a growing sense of unease, he pocketed the key and took off at a slow jog.

He arrived at school only to be met by Mrs Wright, the History teacher, who seemed to take particular delight in prowling around the school entrances and catching straggling students. Chris had recognised her bullfrog face thrust out of the front gate some distance away. She bellowed out his name from the gate, and then cheerfully marked him down for Friday detention.

The rest of the day went routinely enough. Jeff pushed Joe down some stairs and into the Geography teacher. Susie, who was always losing her things, lost her English book, but found a Maths book from last year which belonged to Cathy, who didn't appreciate getting it back. It wasn't until late afternoon, when he was walking home with Susie and Joe, that Chris remembered the key. He placed it on a fence post in front of Joe and Susie. As he anticipated, it changed from red to a metallic grey in front of their eyes.

"Cool." Joe snatched it up, his face breaking out into a smile when the key changed to blue in his hand.

When Joe handed the key to Susie it changed to bright yellow. "Where did you get this?" she asked.

"I found it in a rock pool."

She held it up and inspected it for a hidden battery compartment. "Must be some new kind of gadget. Does it change colour every time it's touched?"

"I'm not sure," Chris replied.

Chris took the key and immediately it changed back to red. "No, it seems to change to a certain colour depending on who's touching it."

"How's it powered?" Susie asked.

Chris shrugged. "No idea."

"I know," Joe said. "It's solar powered."

"If the key was solar powered it would become dull if I covered it with my hand," Susie said, flicking a condescending glance at Joe, "which it doesn't."

"Well, it's probably got a battery then."

"There's no room for a battery," Susie went on. "Besides a battery would make it heavy and it barely weighs anything."

Chris couldn't help smiling. Susie was the smartest person he knew. She always came top in Science and spent much of her free time caring for animals. Over the years she had cared for everything from rabbits, guinea pigs, frogs, ferrets, two cats, three dogs; even salamanders and goldfish, until they ate all her tadpoles and she had to get rid of them. And she was forever taking home birds with broken wings, lizards, sick native animals that she would nurse back to health and then release back into the wild.

Her ability to learn languages was also uncanny. She even studied French and Italian as an extra-curriculum activity. None of which made her popular, of course. She was considered a nerd and avoided by most of the year - boys and girls alike. But she fitted in perfectly with Joe and himself. All three would rather read a book than play sports. And Joe and he had other oddities that made them unpopular. Apart from being overweight, Joe smelt funny and had a habit of saying the wrong things to the wrong people. And as for himself, well, he was just considered a weirdo. Not in the sense of knowledge, like Susie, he just sensed things, knew what people were thinking. It freaked people out. Over the years he had learnt to hide this part of himself. But his funny looks and mannerisms still set him apart. It was only with Susie and Joe that he could be himself. Their combined weirdness made them great friends.

"This thing is really strange," Susie commented.

Chris could see a disturbed and deepening frown creasing her forehead.

"I've never seen anything that behaves like this," she continued, turning to Chris. He knew exactly what she meant. If it was a key, it was the strangest key he had even seen. His mind went back to the creek where he had found it, and the presence that appeared to be lingering there. Something wasn't right. He didn't know what.

That night, Chris was again pursued by someone in his dreams. As always, the scenery changed. This time he was walking along a creek bed. He recognised it immediately as the same creek where he had found the key. The presence was there again, but this time when he turned around he saw a tall, grey-skinned man with pale green eyes and long, greasy black hair, combed back against his skull. He was dressed in a blue robe that reached past his knees and was tied by a thin strip of leather. The man made no attempt to move, he just stood watching Chris.

Summoning all his courage, Chris called out. "What do you want?"

With still no response, Chris ventured a few steps toward him.

The man flickered, like an image on a TV set, then vanished, seemingly into thin air.

At breakfast, his sister sat sullenly across from him at the table. Chris could tell from the way she crunched through her cereal that she was still angry. Apparently the fight between her and their mother had gotten seriously worse after his quick exit. Fiona had accidently knocked over a fruit bowl in the resulting argument. This drew the penalty of no pocket money, or TV, for the next week. Chris smiled pleasantly at the thought.

"What are you smiling at?"

Chris noted one of Fiona's hands was clenched tight on the table. He continued smiling.

"It's your fault anyway," she said. "If you hadn't stolen my toast..."

"If you hadn't lost your temper," Chris pointed out.

"You should be banned from the TV too."

"I didn't break Mum's best China bowl," Chris reminded her with a grin.

This had its desired effect. Fiona's face flushed red and she looked as though she was about to launch herself across the table at him.

" _Both of you stop it!"_ Their mother appeared, frowning disapprovingly.

Fiona shrank back into her chair and shot a disgusted look across at Chris.

Chris knew he would have to play things carefully. Any slip-up would result in a similar fate to Fiona's.

"Have you done all your homework, Christopher?"

His mother only used his full name when he was in serious trouble. "Yep, all done," he said brightly.

"While I hold your sister largely responsible for the trouble yesterday, your behaviour left a lot to be desired."

"Sorry, Mum." He smiled across at his sister.

She replied with a rude sign.

"Fiona, that's enough."

"Well it was his fault anyway."

"That's no excuse for smashing my best China. You have to control that temper of yours."

Fiona glared at Chris and then climbed to her feet, ensuring everything in the vicinity was knocked or banged in the process. "I'm not staying in the same room with him for another second," she spat, before stalking out.

Later that day, several storm fronts hit the city, accompanied by high winds and nearly horizontal sheets of rain. While rain was not uncommon at this time of the year, the frequency and ferocity of the weather was unprecedented. At school, several trees lost large branches and some classrooms developed leaks that quickly turned into floods when the wind peeled off large sections of roofing.

The rain had cleared by the time school had finished, but the sky still looked threatening. Chris, Susie and Joe decided to take the bus home, but as it neared Chris's home the sky darkened to the south and the wind dropped. Although it was only a little after four in the afternoon, the light dimmed to the point where passing cars had to use their headlights, and the streetlights came on. Chris loved storms, and this one showed real promise. He could see the whole sky flick on and off like a faulty light switch. Always the optimist, he never took a raincoat to school, figuring there were always enough trees to hide from the rain between the bus stop and his home. This time he was proved wrong. The sky opened up. Despite sprinting from tree to tree, he got drenched, and then pounded with hailstones.

He arrived home with a collection of the biggest hailstones in his trouser pocket. But when he proudly showed his mother, she just looked horrified and got mad at him for collecting hailstones in the middle of a hailstorm. Since he also looked like he had just crawled out of someone's swimming pool, she shooed him upstairs to the shower and scolded him for not having a raincoat.

When he came back down later, he found his parents sitting in the lounge watching the family's new smart TV. The images on the news showed flooded streets, houses with missing roofs and people moving down flooded streets in motor boats. The commentator was standing on the roof of a house surrounded on all sides by water and explaining that the number of droughts, freak storms and floods was unprecedented. She went on to describe similar events across the world, concluding this weather pattern was a world-wide phenomenon.

Chris's father, a tall, balding man with the same cleft chin as Chris, was shaking his head slowly. "We've caused all of this," he concluded. "Too much greenhouse gases and not enough will to change."

His mother pushed back some strands of brown hair behind her ears and nodded her agreement. "I worry for the next generation," she said, across at Chris. "I wonder what you will inherit."

The front door opened and Fiona burst in wearing a raincoat, but still completely soaked. "I accidently fell into a pool of water on the way home," she explained.

Fiona, like him, loved playing in the rain. More than likely she was jumping in water puddles on the way home, Chris thought. She was also ordered upstairs to change.

When the hail stopped Chris looked through the window, the garden and street were buried under a layer of glistening white hailstones.

"Come on, let's go outside." Fiona was back downstairs, pushing her hair under the hood of her raincoat, her anger at Chris momentarily forgotten at the thought of a hail fight.

Amid calls from their mother to come straight back inside if it started to rain again, Chris put on his raincoat and ran outside. Immediately, Fiona started throwing hailstones at him. Chris was always a better aim than Fiona, and soon scored several direct hits. But Fiona cheated by trying to turn the hose on him when his back was turned. The game only ended when more rain arrived and the wind picked up, accompanied by loud thunder. When they ran back inside, the TV was filled with more reports of fallen trees and broken roofs across the city.

Then the power went off. In the growing dusk, the house was plunged into near darkness. Their parents scratched around in the kitchen and came back with a battery-powered lantern and an assortment of torches.

Their father placed the lantern on the lounge table and started examining the torches. He picked up the largest torch and inserted four batteries.

"Can I have that one?" Chris asked.

" _But I'm really scared,"_ Fiona said. _"Can I have it?"_

"You love storms," Chris said.

Fiona shook her head earnestly. "No, they _really_ do scare me."

Chris could hear the clear note of attempted sincerity in her voice and looked across at his father. He had that "you poor little thing" expression on his face and Chris knew immediately he had already lost.

"Sure, Fi. It's all yours."

Fiona accepted the torch with a sweet smile and, when their father had turned away, she stuck her tongue out at Chris.

Outside, the storm, like some enraged, groaning monster, flung objects against the side of the house. Chris settled on the couch with his sister, who was flashing her torch everywhere. Each time there was a lightning strike he could see his sister with a broad grin on her face. The lightning and thunder were now almost simultaneous, and the house shook with every thunderclap. By the next lightning strike, he noticed that Fiona had slid up next to him and was staring at something in the pocket of his jeans.

"You know; your jeans are glowing."

He rummaged through his pockets and pulled out the key. Its glow lit up half the lounge room.

"Wow," Fiona grinned, "that's cool, is it one of those glow-in-the-dark toys?"

Chris didn't answer. He had an unreasonable urge to run to the closest toilet and flush the key away.

Fiona lunged forward and snatched the key from his hand. It changed immediately back to grey, but the glow still remained. Chris knocked the key out of her hand and it slid under the couch.

"What did you do that for?" she asked indignantly.

The room lit up a split second before the crack of a huge lightning strike rattled the house. Chris rushed over to the window just in time to see the neighbour's tree burst into flames. "Awesome!" he gasped, watching the showers of sparks and shattered branches spraying across the front garden as the tree turned into a giant torch. Seconds later, there was a cracking sound and the tree split down the middle, with half toppling over the fence, headed directly for their lounge. Chris and Fiona dived away just as the front window exploded. Glass, broken branches, and splintered wood sprayed everywhere.

Chris looked around for his family and saw Fiona huddled in the corner of the room, still clutching her torch. His mother rushed across and, after checking Fiona hadn't actually been hit by anything, hugged her hard. Chris and his father ran into the kitchen, filled some buckets with water and doused the few flickering flames that still clung to the tree trunk. The strengthening wind blew out the remaining glass panels of the window, spraying everyone with more glass.

His father pulled Chris back and signalled the others to retreat into the adjoining dining room to wait out the storm.

In less than half-an-hour the storm front had passed and the sky had cleared. The family filed back into the lounge room to inspect the damage. The tree trunk now rested squarely on the couch where Chris and Fiona had been sitting. Glass was everywhere, and parts of the curtains and the wooden window frames were burnt. Only the sheer volume of water dumped into the lounge room during the storm had saved the house from being guttered by fire. They had been very lucky.

When Chris looked out of his bedroom window the next morning, he could see his neighbours busily cleaning up the debris from last night's storm. Fallen trees and branches were liberally strewn across driveways and along the road. Several fences lay in tatters and a newly constructed garden shed had lost its roof. His father was already up and inspecting the fallen tree with the neighbour. But the sky was a brilliant blue and the sun was out. All the fears of the previous night seemed to evaporate. Chris dressed quickly for school and ran downstairs, only to be informed by his mother that school had been cancelled for the rest of the week, due to severe storm damage.

"Yes!" He ran back upstairs and changed into an old tattered pair of jeans and a T-shirt, then ran down stairs and retrieved the key from under the couch. The glow was gone, but the red colour returned when he touched it. He had come to a decision. Somehow, everything was connected; the key, his dreams, and the creek under the old wooden bridge. Once and for all, he was going to solve this. Although he had spent many long hours clambering along the local creek beds, he had never walked up this particular one. He rang Susie and Joe and asked them to meet him down by the wooden bridge.

When he arrived, they were both waiting expectantly. He explained the events of the previous night, and the strange glow that had come from the key at the height of the storm. Susie and Joe took it in turns to hold it. As previously, the key changed to a different colour each time someone touched it.

"Maybe it responds to the heat from our hands," Susie suggested.

She climbed down to the stream, which had swollen to a torrent, and being careful not to get too close to the muddy water, dipped in one end of the key. It remained bright yellow, despite the water being much colder than her hand.

"It's still warm," she announced.

"We're all warm," Joe said.

"No, that's not what I meant. Whatever this thing is... it's generating heat. It's warmer than my hand, even the end I dipped in the water."

Chris was only partly listening. He started heading downstream to where the valley narrowed between steep cliffs. Between these cliffs, the stream seemed to disappear. He shaded his eyes from the glare of the sun, but still couldn't see anything beyond a certain point. It was as though he was looking through a heat haze.

He hadn't gone far when Susie caught up to him. "It's getting warmer."

"Uh..."

"The key..."

She pressed it into the palm of his hand. The heat was unmistakable. Chris turned back towards the stream. Now that they were closer to where the stream seemed to disappear, he could see a circular area that appeared blurred. They climbed over some boulders and arrived at the point where the stream narrowed. A little further on, everything, the rocks, the water and the bushes that hugged the banks of the stream, all seemed to blur.

"Can anyone see where the stream leads?" Chris asked. He could tell from the frowns and squinting eyes that it wasn't just his imagination. They finally stopped directly in front of some type of distortion. Ahead was a blurred area with the stream flowing through its centre.

"This is unreal," Chris muttered under his breath.

"Awesome," Joe agreed, drawing alongside him.

The distortion started spinning. The key flew out of Chris's hand and vanished into the blur. Suddenly they found themselves struggling against a powerful wind that threatened to suck them into a growing vortex. Chris felt himself being dragged forward as the vortex spun faster and faster, increasing the strength of the wind. As the wind increased, the stream itself appeared to lift up and funnel into the centre of the vortex. Leaves, branches of trees and even small rocks flew past him. The force continued to build until Chris felt his feet sliding on the loose gravel of the creek bed. Susie flew past and vanished, followed closely by Joe. Finally, Chris was swept up and sucked headfirst through the vortex after his friends.

# Chapter 2: Cathora

Chris tumbled a short distance and ended up in some bushes. He was completely soaked but unhurt. The key had landed a short distance away, amongst some rocks. When he picked it up, although still warm, it was much cooler than before, and changed immediately to red. The wind that had thrown him through the vortex only moments earlier was gone. In fact, the distortion itself was now barely visible and could easily be missed. And there was something else; a control panel, or something resembling one, close to the distortion.

Joe and Susie had landed in an untidy heap some distance away and were slowly untangling themselves, groaning noisily as they did so.

When Chris looked around, he realised none of his surroundings were familiar. The boulders, the stream and cliffs were all gone. In their place was a forest with tall, umbrella-shaped trees he couldn't identify. It was cold too, maybe ten degrees cooler.

Joe had climbed to his feet and was slowly pivoting on his heels as he gazed around him.

Susie hadn't risen from a sitting position. Her hair, always a wild tangle at best, was now plastered to her face.

"The trees are like huge mushrooms," she exclaimed, parting her hair and looking up. "And this place smells different."

Chris stood up and brushed some of the mud off his clothes. The tree trunks were strange colours; red, grey, and shades of bluey-brown. He looked up and realized the trees were similar colours. And Susie was right about the smell. A slight breeze carried with it scents and odours he couldn't identify - sweet, musty, spicy...he couldn't really identify any of the smells.

"I don't recognise any of this," Joe said, wrapping his arms around his soaking clothes, "and I'm cold and wet. "We shouldn't be here...we gotta get back."

Chris focused on the device next to the distortion. It was about the size of a small desk with a screen and key board on top.

When Joe saw it, he rushed past Chris.

Susie sprang after him. "Don't touch anything!" She cried, pulling Joe's hand away from a large button he was about to press.

"Well, don't you want you go back?" Joe said, wrenching his hand away from Susie's grasp.

"That button could do anything. Even transport us to another place entirely."

"Well..." Joe's thin eyebrows knitted together in concentration, "how else are we ever going to get back?"

"I'm sure there's an explanation for all this," Chris said, stepping up behind them.

Susie turned to him.

"I just can't think of one... yet," he said with a shrug.

"Nothing can explain what just happened," Joe replied.

Before Chris could stop him, Joe reached across to the distortion and thrust his hand through. When nothing happened, he walked straight through and appeared out the other side. "Maybe we've been sucked through a time machine," he suggested, walking back through the distortion a second time. "That's why this place looks so different. It's millions of years ago."

Joe could always be counted on to come up with the most ridiculous explanations. "I don't see any dinosaurs," Chris commented.

"Well, we're only just arrived, haven't we?"

"I don't recognise any of these words," Susie said, leaning over the control panel and running her fingers across a series of symbols.

Chris moved up beside her. The symbols looked a bit like stick figures with geometrical shapes like triangles and squares all mixed in. Certainly nothing he had ever seen.

Looking around, Chris noticed that the land was sloping downwards. Maybe they were on the side of a hill or mountain, but it was difficult to tell since the tree canopy obscured everything. Further down he noticed that the ground cover gave way to rock. Here the overhead canopy thinned. He jogged down and found the rock was part of a ledge. Chris crept up to the edge and peered out. He found himself staring out at a totally alien landscape. Countless saw tooth-shaped mountains, covered in sheets of ice and snow, stretched as far as he could see. The closest mountains stood beyond a gold-coloured lake, which lay directly below him, some distance away.

"Over here," he yelled back to the others.

Susie and Joe arrived soon afterwards and stood in silence next to him.

On the lake's shore stood a village, except it wasn't like any village he had ever seen. The houses were more like stone towers, which rose above the forest canopy, like a series of rounded spikes. The tops of these towers were interlaced with walkways and roads, crowded with figures. Except these figures didn't like any humans he had ever seen.

Susie pointed to the sun. "Look at the colour."

The sun was much redder and larger than the Earth's sun. This, at least, explained some of the strange colours around them. But it also meant they couldn't be on Earth, or even in the same solar system, for that matter.

There was a tap on Chris's shoulder, and he turned around to see Joe pointing toward at a tall, dark haired man.

"Welcome to Cathora," the man said with a faint smile.

Instantly Chris recognised the grey face and pale green eyes.

"My name is Batarr," the man said.

Some type of flying creature started circling. Like everything else here, it bore little resemblance to anything that Chris had ever seen. Instead of one pair of wings, it had two pairs that appeared to flap independently of each other, like a huge dragonfly. The creature circled once then landed on a tree branch next to Batarr, neatly folding its wings into its body as it landed. Chris estimated it was the size of a large turkey, but there the resemblance stopped. It had a broad leathery face, a mouth full of sharp teeth and eyes that moved independently of each other. The rest of its body was covered in soft grey fur, except for two scaly legs, which ended in sharp talons.

"This is Sasli, my companion."

The creature dipped its head once, as though acknowledging Batarr's words.

"Do you have the key?" Batarr asked.

Chris, feeling as though he was still in one of his dreams, pulled the key from his pocket.

"Very good." Batarr gave a satisfied nod. "Chris, I'm very happy to finally meet you in person." He smiled warmly. "And, of course, your two companions, Susie and Joe." He paused, studying each in turn. "It will be dark soon and considerably colder. I have a warm fire waiting for us and a change of clothes."

Chris had forgotten how wet and muddy he was. Joe and Susie were also looking at their wet clothes.

"There is much to talk about, but it's too dangerous to linger long in this place. If you would please follow me, I'll answer all your questions."

With this comment he abruptly turned and walked off. The creature unfolded his wings and fluttered after him.

"What did he mean when he said he was happy to meet you?" Susie asked.

"And how did he know our names?" Joe added.

"What...?" Chris was still trying to comprehend the sight of someone walking off with a creature that resembled a cross between a butterfly and a bat fluttering over his shoulder.

Joe nudged Chris in the side. "How does he know you?"

Chris explained how Batarr had appeared in his dreams. But he could offer no further explanation as to what any of this meant.

"We have creatures that are similar to your wolves," Batarr called back when no one moved. "And they're always on the lookout for an easy meal, so I would advise you all to keep up."

After glancing at each other one last time, the three friends ran after him.

After some time, they entered a narrow gully filled with prickly bushes. Batarr searched among these bushes and found a narrow path that weaved toward a cluster of large trees. "It's not long now," he called back, before striding ahead again.

Finally, they stopped in front of an enormous tree. Chris estimated the entire trunk was the size of a small house. The trunk rose vertically for maybe forty metres before branching out into a thick mat of green and brown foliage. At ground level the trunk split into a tangle of roots that reminded Chris of the arms of an octopus. A path was cut through these roots that ended at the base of the tree.

Sasli was perched on top of one of the exposed roots, waiting for them.

When Batarr approached, Sasli burst into song. He nodded, then walked straight into a narrow passage carved out of the trunk. When the others followed, they found a door which opened onto a narrow spiral staircase. The stairs led down into a large roughly circular chamber, with a beautifully carved wooden table at one end and a large fireplace at the other. Along the sides of the chamber, set in metal holders, were a series of glowing crystals that bathed the chamber in a soft red glow. Batarr led them to the fireplace and gestured for them to sit on some chairs arranged in a semi-circle around the fire.

Once they had settled, Batarr went to a cupboard and pulled out some thick robes and offered them. After some hesitation, they changed out of their wet clothes while Batarr set about lighting a fire.

Chris watched in fascination as Batarr used some type of flint box to strike sparks into straw at the base of the fire. With only a few strikes a small flame crackled into life.

"I apologise for not explaining anything when we first met," Batarr said, when he was satisfied the flames had taken amongst the kindling. "But it's dangerous to linger too long on the surface."

"Where are we?" Joe asked.

"I'll answer all your questions soon, but first please listen to what I have to say." Batarr threw a few pieces of wood on to the growing flames then came and stood directly in front of them.

This was the first time Chris had seen Batarr up close, and it was clear he wasn't human. Apart from his grey skin, his eyes had no pupils or eyelashes, which gave the unnerving impression that he was constantly staring at whoever he looked at. The rest of his face was human-like, except his nose was too short and slightly upturned. From the lines under his eyes, Chris estimated, Batarr might be in his late thirties. That's if these people aged at the same rate as humans.

"This may sound strange, but you have all fallen through a portal into another dimension," Batarr continued, looking at each of them in turn.

"You've having us on," Joe said after a moments silence, glancing around at Chris and Susie.

"I assure you, I'm not," Batarr replied. "You have already seen things that couldn't possibly exist on your planet."

"We didn't fall through," Susie said. "We were sucked through."

Batarr looked at her for a moment. "Yes, that's probably more accurate. It was necessary that you came."

"You did it?" Chris asked.

"In a manner of speaking... yes," Batarr replied. He held up his hand before Chris could ask any further questions. "Please let me explain. I'm a Guardian of a portal, or what you might term a gateway, that exists between your dimension and ours. You're in a parallel dimension. This planet, Cathora, shares the same time and space as your world, but vibrates at a different frequency. Earth and Cathora could be considered sister planets. Our size is similar, so is our climate, and our more intelligent inhabitants have followed a very similar evolutionary path to humans on Earth."

"We can't be in another dimension," Joe said, looking at Chris and Susie as though they could offer a better explanation.

"I can see," Batarr continued, "that my words have caused more than a little confusion." He paused, as though deciding what to say next. "I think," he said finally, "that we need to go back to the beginning in order to understand what I'm saying." He brushed a loose strand of hair behind his ear. "As a Guardian of one of the portals to your world I have certain responsibilities to keep the balance between your dimension and ours. You were brought here to ensure that the balance between our two worlds is maintained."

"You mean you can control events in our world?" Chris asked.

"No, no. I just try and divert potential disasters, and I only interfere as a last resort."

"And you use these portals to monitor Earth?" Chris asked.

"Yes, to stop humans destroying themselves and their environment. And there are Guardians on your planet who will be doing the same to the planet that Earth is linked to. It's like a huge chain linked by portals. Each planet monitors and looks after the next, so the dimensions are kept in balance and intelligent life can thrive."

"Cool," Chris grasped, nodding slowly to himself. "You know... when I think about it... that's really cool. The portals act like safety valves so that life doesn't destroy itself."

"Exactly," Batarr smiled, "It's a very simple but very effective way of maintaining intelligent life since many civilisations, at some point, will self-destruct, sometimes taking all life on the planet with them."

"So who built these portals?" Chris asked.

"Hmmm... That I don't know," Batarr replied. "These portals were left many thousands of years ago by very advanced beings who had mastered the ability to travel between worlds and dimensions. No one knows what they looked like, or where they have gone. All we know for sure is that they built the portals for a very specific purpose, to act as safety valves for all creation. And they left behind a key with each portal."

At this point there was a burst of song from Sasli.

"Good idea," Batarr nodded, when the song ended.

"Please take out your key again," he instructed Chris.

Chris pulled out the key, which was bright red, and held it in the palm of his hand.

"The key exists independently of time and space and is indestructible," Batarr explained. "It's used to locate individuals who have special powers and are capable of crossing through portals without being killed. Please pass the key to Susie."

In Susie's hand the key, as before, changed to yellow.

"Now Joe."

It changed to blue.

"Each colour represents a specific power that the key holder has."

"What powers?" Chris asked.

"Powers to control the weather, read minds, move objects, change shape and communicate with all living creatures."

"And we have these powers?" Susie queried.

"Yes, each one of you will have a specific power, but until your powers develop, I won't know who has which power."

"So that's why you brought us here, because we have these powers?" Chris asked.

"You three are very special. You are what the builders of the portals called "Mytar" and I brought you here, not to stop something happening in your world, but to stop something reaching your world; something that would cause the destruction of your society and the enslavement of the human race."

There was another awkward silence. Chris had now convinced himself he was having a rather confusing nightmare and he would wake up any minute. He looked across at Joe and Susie, but their faces showed only confusion.

He shivered and leant closer to the fire.

"Five years ago..." There was a burst of song from Sasli. "I stand corrected, it was only four, but it seems longer. Our planet was invaded by a creature from the planet that was connected to us by portals. We were totally unprepared. We had simply become too complacent and never thought such a thing could happen. Well, anyway...without the Mytar to protect us we were quickly overpowered."

"We're only kids," Chris said, wishing this absurd nightmare would go away.

" _You are Mytar."_ Batarr spoke in a slow deliberate tone, as though trying to burn the words into them. "You wouldn't have survived the transition into this world, and you wouldn't be able to understand our language, if you weren't."

"And we're supposed to stop this evil creature," Joe said, a grin breaking out on his face. "He's not called Darth Vader by any chance?"

Susie and Chris chuckled. Batarr, however, did not share their humour. He shook his head slowly, his eyes narrowing on them. "This is _not_ a children's game. This is deadly serious!"

A burst of song from Sasli seemed to calm Batarr down. He selected a log from a pile next to the fireplace and threw it into the fire. When he turned back he appeared to have regained his composure.

"Sasli is right," Susie said. "We can't be expected to understand what you're telling us."

Everyone looked at Susie. "Well, it's true," she added, turning slightly pink.

"Can you understand what Sasli is saying?" Chris asked.

"Yeah... can't you?"

Chris shook his head.

"Me neither," Joe added.

"Ahh..." Batarr was suddenly beaming. "It has taken me years to understand the language of the Caan. This must be your gift. You understand the languages of all the creatures of this world without being taught."

Sasli was now watching Susie intently. A moment later he burst into song. This time directed at Susie.

Susie smiled broadly. "And it's nice meeting you."

Sasli continued singing while Susie listened, occasionally smiling and nodding, or commenting. "Yes... I see, I understand... that's terrible..." frowning more and more as the song continued.

When Sasli had finished, Susie remained silent, a troubled expression on her face. "Horrible things have happened to this planet," she said, her voice now as serious and grim as Batarr's.

"Like what?" Joe asked.

"Many towns and villages have been attacked by creatures that no one's ever seen before."

"You mean like us?" Chris asked.

"No," Susie shook her head strongly. "Not like us... insect-like creatures, huge flying snakes, creatures with claws for hands... things of nightmares."

"And they came through a portal, like us?" Joe asked.

"Yes. This planet was once peaceful. There were no wars, or starvation. Now everything's changed. The population is being turned into an army to attack the next planet linked to this one." She looked across at Chris and Joe. " _Us_. _We're the next target."_

Confirmation of Batarr's story, coming from Susie, somehow seemed far more real to Chris. He looked over at Joe. The levity and disbelief of a few minutes ago was gone, now replaced by a growing look of horror.

"On every planet with intelligent life there is a group of Mytar with these powers," Batarr said.

"And how many Mytar are there?" Chris asked.

"There are six in a group," Batarr replied. "Mytar are no different from any other people on your planet. For thousands of years they have lived normal lives. Grown up, had children, aged and died, never knowing they were Mytar. Because they are mortal, a new group of Mytar is born for every generation of a species. For humans this is twenty years. This is to ensure that at any one time there will always be a group of Mytar of fighting age."

"Fighting age?" Chris didn't like the sound of those words. "Fighting what exactly?"

"In your case, Zelnoff."

"And who's Zelnoff?"

"He's a creature from another dimension that now controls most of this planet. No one has ever seen him, but we know he has the power to project his will over vast armies, and has already used these portals to conquer untold worlds in this dimension and others."

"So he has a huge army," Chris said.

Batarr shook his head. "He will build an army to subdue your world, but he doesn't rule by brute force. Instead, he feeds off people's fears and insecurities and turns friends against each other. He can turn the strongest army against itself by seeding lies and mistrust amongst its members. He rules by mistrust and fear and his spies are everywhere, which is also why we had to reach a safe place quickly when you arrived. If any of Zelnoff's spies saw you and realised who you were, soldiers would soon sweep down, burning and slaughtering every living thing in this whole region."

He paused, watching the growing horror on their faces. "There are seven portals into your world," he continued. "To the best of my knowledge, four have already fallen to the forces of Zelnoff and their Guardians have been killed. Three, including this one, remain."

"And what happens when the remaining three portals fall?" Chris asked, not sure whether he wanted to hear the answer.

"Then he has won. Zelnoff is free to invade and conquer your world and nothing can stop him."

"So you're saying," Chris continued, "that it is basically all up to us?"

Batarr glanced at Sasli. "Yes," he nodded, "it is."

"But we're too young to fight," Chris said.

At this question Batarr shrugged. "You are young, I admit. But you're the only group I have been able to find in over a year of searching the dreams of your people. I have found no trace of the older groups."

"How come?" Joe asked.

"There is a distinct possibility that Zelnoff has already found them. In which case, they are certainly dead."

"I wanna go home," Joe said. "I can't even stop anyone bullying me at school. How can I stop an army invading Earth?"

"You have more strength than you realise," Batarr said, trying to calm things down.

"Everyone kicks me around!" Joe said, shaking his head miserably. "My family will miss me. My mum will miss me. She's probably looking for me now. I've got to go." He climbed to his feet and walked past Batarr toward the stairs as though expecting Batarr to immediately escort him back to the portal.

"When this is over I will take you all back to the exact time you left your world. No one will miss you," Batarr said, watching Joe curiously.

"Maybe we can go back with the key and find the other Mytar," Susie suggested.

"Yeah." Joe's face lit up. "Then there would be six of us against Zelnoff's massive invading army, instead of only three."

It was clear Batarr didn't know whether to take this suggestion seriously. "It's not possible," he answered at length. "I can't risk opening the portal again on the chance you may be able to locate the remaining Mytar."

"You've kidnapped us!" Joe exploded. "And now we're going to be sacrificed in a hopeless cause."

"How do you know this Zelnoff wants to invade Earth anyway?" Chris asked. "He may have no plans at all."

"Haven't you been experiencing unusual weather patterns, droughts, floods, disease, earthquakes? Your planet is out of balance. This has been caused by the advance guard of Zelnoff's army crossing over to your world and destabilising the balance between these two dimensions. His spies are now working to stabilise your planet. When this is done the next wave of his armies will invade and conquer your Earth. Even now, this same advance guard is gathering information on how to immobilise your defence capabilities so your planet's armed forces, and all their weapons, will be paralysed when Zelnoff's armies cross over." He shook his head firmly. "No, there is no doubt Zelnoff will invade your planet, as he has countless others."

Chris watched the dejection on the faces of his friends. This was real. They had been kidnapped and thrown into someone else's nightmare.

"I don't have all the answers," Batarr continued solemnly. "First we must wait until your gifts become more obvious. In this world your powers will develop rapidly. When we understand your gifts more, we can formulate a plan to stop Zelnoff."

"So you don't even have a plan," Joe said, making no attempt to conceal the disgust in his voice. "You're just hoping an idea will pop into your head."

"You must have faith in yourselves," Batarr offered, "and faith that a path through this crisis will be found."

"All you really have then, is faith," Joe concluded.

"And you three," Batarr said quietly, a clear note of resignation in his voice.

"You're a lunatic!" Joe accused.

"A maniac,' Susie agreed, with a consenting nod from Chris.

"You have to face up to your responsibilities," Batarr countered.

"You sound like my mother," Joe snapped.

"Luckily, I'm not!" Batarr replied angrily.

"Well, I want to go home _now_!" Susie demanded, folding her hands across her chest defiantly. "You had no right to kidnap us like this."

Chris and Joe nodded their agreement.

"And when you take us back, don't ever come near us again," Joe added for good measure.

Batarr looked at their sullen, defiant faces, then threw his hands in the air, spun around and abruptly walked out. Susie burst into tears. Joe crawled into a corner of the room and curled up into a ball against the wall. Chris slumped further down into his chair.

Throughout the conversation Sasli had been watching them in silence. Presently he hopped up onto the table and burst into song. But this song was not like his previous songs. The notes seemed to rise and resonate around the room. The melody lifted Chris up and made his mind soar. It swept away all of his troubles in an instant and replaced them with visions of strength and triumph. He felt he could achieve anything, endure anything, overcome anything. Susie had stopped crying and Joe rose from his foetal position in the corner of the room.

"What's he saying?" Joe asked Susie.

"It's not words," she replied, her eyes transfixed on Sasli. "It's just pure notes and melodies."

Chris realised how beautiful this planet must have been, how beautiful it still was, and how desperate Batarr must be to even attempt to stop Zelnoff with the likes of Joe, Susie and himself. He felt ashamed of all the things that had been said. This situation was not Batarr's fault. He was just playing the only cards he had left.

# Chapter 3: Mind Over Matter

Days passed. The hysteria of their first meeting gradually faded as everyone realised their situation wouldn't change - no matter how much they complained. Susie spent long hours locked in conversation with Sasli. When these sessions ended, she would relay some of the history of Cathora to Chris. This planet was like Earth in many ways, but in others, totally alien. At some point in the planet's history, the different hominid species had managed to communicate. This had broken the inter-tribal and inter-species conflicts that had so marked human evolution. Consequently, seven different hominids species now co-existed peacefully on Cathora. Each had their own unique geographical location, but communities containing a mixture of species were also very common.

Each species that could communicate, and had a written language, had been recognised by the ancient builders and given a portal. These builders had also selected a representative of each species and trained him, or her, as a Guardian. Since the selection of the first Guardians, the bloodlines had remained unbroken. The seven Guardians formed the ruling council that governed the planet, and had largely been responsible for the sustained peace that had lasted thousands of years. It was generally accepted that the builders had modified these individuals in some way, so that they had a range of unique mental abilities tailored for the portals. For instance, Batarr had a far greater ability to see distant worlds than the other Guardians, and was therefore considered the leader of the Council. He also could decipher and speak the language of certain intelligent animals such as the Caan. Although conflicts still occurred, destructive weapons, so prevalent on Earth, had never been invented simply because the idea of using such weapons was considered abhorrent.

Susie actually had to spend some time persuading Sasli that these weapons existed on Earth. Batarr, however, knew all about humans and their destructive nature. If Zelnoff managed to access and harness Earth's weapon stockpiles, there would be little chance of ever stopping him. This realisation hit everyone hard.

The situation was further reinforced when Batarr announced he had lost contact with the Guardian of the portal to the west.

When Joe asked what this meant, he said simply, "Zelnoff's forces killed her. There are now only two of us left."

Yet, against this backdrop there was also hope. Within a few days, Chris started receiving random thoughts he couldn't identify. On the third day, this fact was dramatically brought home. Chris was sitting with Joe eating lunch amongst a group of Batarr's soldiers when he began hearing voices.

"They're so young and look so strange," a voice was saying. "What's Batarr doing with such creatures?"

Chris looked up from examining his strange-smelling food.

"Huh...you know I can't identify anything on this plate." Joe complained.

"Well, what do you expect?" Chris replied, searching for the owner of the voice. "We're not even in the same dimension."

"The one with the chin. He looks nasty to me. And that fat smelly one... how can these creatures be of any use?"

"You know," Joe leaned over and sniffed his food, "this food smells off to me. And what's this brown stuff?" He tried lifting up a puddle of brown goo with his fork. The food just flowed back onto the plate. "It's like runny poo. How are we supposed to eat this?"

In the far corner of the room a woman, who had the same grey features and pale green eyes as Batarr, was staring across at them. If these people aged at the same rate as humans, she would be around thirty, Chris estimated.

When she realised Chris was looking at her, the voice said, "He's watching me. How did he know I was thinking about him? Must not stare, these creatures are supposed to have strange powers." Immediately she averted her eyes.

Chris realised he had been reading her thoughts. When he concentrated, the thoughts of other soldiers also flowed into his mind. No one, it appeared, seemed to be able to conceal their thoughts from him. Well, not quite "no one". When he turned his attention to Joe and Susie he got nothing. Apparently, Batarr explained later, his powers did not extend to fellow Mytar.

With his new found abilities, Chris spent much of the next few days wandering amongst Batarr's soldiers trying to understand their thoughts. The underground complex was much larger than he had first realised and seemed to be designed a bit like a spider web. Layers of rooms were strung around a central complex consisting of a meeting room, where they had first talked to Batarr, a staff eating area and an adjoining kitchen. The living quarters came in the next layers, with the higher-ranking soldiers in the rooms closest to the centre. Lastly, the outermost circuit of rooms consisted of supplies and ammunition stores. In all, there were at least fifty separate rooms, housing well over three hundred of Batarr's personal guard and servants. Chris detected strong emotions amongst these people, some confusion and apprehension, but largely a fierce loyalty to Batarr that, if necessary, would extend to their lives.

But as Chris's powers of perception grew, so did a new set of problems. In a crowded room, the thoughts of others seemed to magnify. It was like a hundred screaming kids wanting his attention all at once. His mind was consumed with so much thought he found it almost impossible to untangle his own thought processes from those of others − headaches, nausea, and even vomiting followed. Chris was quickly driven to the most isolated parts of the complex, where he would huddle in the corner of rooms for hours clutching at his head and even screaming − anything to still the voices.

When Susie and Joe found him in this state they immediately alerted Batarr. His reaction was to initiate an intensive training course to teach Chris to block out these random thoughts. He taught Chris to calm his mind and take it to another place; peaceful, serene and enclosed by impenetrable mental barriers that were impervious to random thoughts. Every time he visualised this place it became more real, easier to step into, more inviting to stay and meditate in. In the end, Chris could conjure up this vision in any situation and under any circumstance and drive the voices into submission. These lessons came just in time. The creeping sense of insanity retreated as Chris regained control of his soaring abilities.

After a week of these lessons, Chris was starting to feel normal again. He felt confident enough to resume his wandering of the complex, but this time focusing his mind only on the people that he selected. During one of these late night trips, he encountered Batarr warming himself by the fire, with a hot drink. Chris knew Batarr was deep in thought and didn't want to be disturbed. But he was a Mytar, after all. He no longer needed to talk to someone to know their thoughts.

He crept up behind Batarr, being careful not to alert him to his presence. This would be fun, he thought, as he locked his mind onto the back of Batarr's head. He would be able to tell Susie and Joe exactly what Batarr was thinking at any time. For a few moments he received impressions of an unfamiliar place. A room, sparsely decorated, and there was also some other presence, but he couldn't form an image of this person in his mind. Then, in an instant, the image vanished. In his mind, he saw Batarr turn toward him, but this was not the Batarr he knew. A searing pain struck one side of his head like a hammer blow. He lurched backwards and fell onto the floor. Vision after vision crashed through his brain in quick succession: hideous visions of demons, monsters, countless hordes of creatures fighting and dying, huge flying creatures with bat-like wings and red insect eyes that rained down destruction on whole towns and cities, people screaming, burning, dying, their eyes wide with pain and terror.

Chris felt the grip of powerful hands lift him up and sit him in a chair. Susie's deeply concerned face appeared; her mouth moving rapidly as she shook him. But he couldn't hear anything over the multitude of hideous voices and sounds that were pounding at his brain. Then, as suddenly as it had started, the pain, the voices and the visions were gone. Susie was screaming hysterically into his face.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Chris moaned, trying to focus on Susie's flushed features.

"What happened?" she cried.

Batarr was crouched next to him. "This is my fault." He ran his hand through his greasy hair. "I had no idea."

"No idea of what?" Joe asked.

"The damage we were doing."

"What are you talking about?" Susie asked.

"I was communicating with the last Guardian when I felt that my thoughts were being probed. My immediate reaction was to repel the intruder by flooding his mind with destructive images which would have forced him to break contact, or lose his mind. I had no idea it was Chris. The other Guardian would have also done the same, so Chris would have received double the dose. By the time I realised our error, Chris had already suffered enormously."

Chris looked up into his pale green eyes, which a moment ago seemed so frightening. Joe scowled at Batarr, but said nothing.

"There's no lasting damage," Batarr continued in a surprisingly up-beat tone. "You have a very powerful gift. I'm very pleased at your progress. Few, if any, could have penetrated my thoughts successfully. But I must first teach you how to read someone's mind without being discovered, and how to protect yourself in case you are."

The enthusiasm in Batarr's voice was obvious and rather surprised Chris. "And this gift helps us how?"

"If it's developed properly, your gift could be used over long distances."

Chris was completely lost. "Long distances?"

"With my help, you should be able to train your mind to leave your body and travel anywhere."

"You mean look for Zelnoff?"

"Yes. Soon Zelnoff will be gathering his advance forces at a captured portal to cross into your world. He'll have to make a personal appearance to direct proceedings. But we don't know which portal he'll use, and without this information we cannot mount an attack."

"An attack!" Batarr now had Joe's full attention. "You want to attack Zelnoff?"

Batarr smiled briefly at Joe's incredulous tone. "He will never expect us to attack him. If we can kill, or even injure him, his whole command could crumple."

"So you want me to find him?" Chris asked.

Batarr nodded.

Chris could see the logic of this argument. If Zelnoff used his strength of will to control this planet, only a strike aimed directly at him would stand any chance of success. Susie and Joe were watching Chris intently, and a wave of resentment swept across him. He should be home watching TV, or playing computer games, not embarking on this madness. Haven't Joe or Susie got similar powers, can't they help?" he asked.

At this comment Batarr sighed, a distinctly strained expression spreading over his face. "Do you know Chris, why I found you before any of the other Mytar?"

Chris shook his head.

"Because your vibrations were much stronger, I could feel your presence long before the others. Susie and Joe have their abilities, but you have the powerful Mytar gift to travel great distances with your mind and read the thoughts of other intelligent creatures."

Chris thought that would be his answer. Susie and Joe looked on in silence. Their lack of any counter argument confirmed that they couldn't offer any other alternatives.

He nodded slowly. "Alright," he said finally, "so when do you start teaching me how to avoid getting my brain fried?"

In the following days, Batarr and Chris were locked for many hours in strenuous mental exercises that left Chris with acute exhaustion and bad headaches. His two friends could do little except look on and provide sympathy. Each night, Batarr brewed a concoction from the roots of local plants that had been collected during the day. The mixture tasted sweet and spicy and it burned all the way down to Chris's stomach, but it cured his headaches and spread reassuring warmth throughout his body.

At first, Batarr immediately knew each time Chris tried to read his thoughts, but with every passing day, Chris's abilities grew. He could read more and more of Batarr's thoughts before he was detected. Batarr, however, retained the ability to block off his mind at will, so Chris could never access his thoughts unless he permitted it. This ability Batarr also taught Chris, so he could construct a mental wall of thought to avoid anyone else reading his mind.

A week later, Batarr met them at breakfast - something he never did. His usual warm greetings and accompanying smiles were replaced by an earnest intensity that Chris was quickly learning meant only bad news.

"I lost contact with the last remaining Guardian yesterday," Batarr said, dropping into a chair and focusing his attention exclusively on Chris. "The day before, this Guardian had observed unusual activity around his area."

"What type of activity?" Susie asked.

"Troop movements largely," Batarr said, pulling at his long black hair. A habit, Chris noticed, Batarr usually engaged in when he was deeply troubled.

"I can usually feel his presence, but this morning there was nothing."

Batarr focused on Chris. "I was hoping there would be more time, but Zelnoff may have already extracted information about our whereabouts. You'll have to make the attempt as soon as possible."

Chris felt a shudder travel down his spine. "You mean today?"

"I mean this morning, there's no time to waste."

"But I'm not ready."

Batarr had blocked his thoughts so Chris couldn't read him, but there was finality in his voice that drained away any further argument.

"I'm truly sorry this has turned out like this," Batarr said solemnly. _"But there's no other choice."_

They met in the main meeting room two hours later. Chris looked pale. He had been physically sick with fear and had to use the toilet more times than he cared to remember. Susie had tried to comfort him earlier, after one of these visits, only to be snapped at. Since then, Chris had not spoken to anyone. He was withdrawing into himself, trying to find the strength he needed to survive this ordeal.

When Batarr saw Chris, he beckoned him to sit down around a small wooden table. Sasli chirped away to Batarr for some time, while Susie and Batarr nodded agreement. Finally, Batarr reached into his pocket and pulled out a small knife in a leather sheath, and placed it in front of Chris. "I believe this is Zelnoff's knife. The only thing we have of his. You must use this to focus your thoughts."

Chris picked up the knife and examined it in detail. The handle was bone, embedded with blue and red crystals and carved with strange symbols.

"Remember all that I have taught you," Batarr instructed. "When you start receiving impressions don't focus all your energy at once, no matter how tempting. Build up your concentration slowly, and withdraw if you feel he is beginning to detect you. Concentrate on the surrounding country, so we can get a fix on his location."

Chris nodded. He had rehearsed the whole procedure continually over the last two hours and a focused, determined calm had descended on him. He held the knife loosely in his hands, closed his eyes and began clearing his mind as Batarr had instructed. The images came almost immediately, but he didn't focus his thoughts on the images, instead he let them diffuse into his mind.

He saw mountains, massive and ice-capped, with mist streaming off their peaks. Lodged between two of these peaks was an L-shaped lake. Along one side of the lake was a sandy beach where there was a lot of activity. Strange squat-looking creatures, with long torsos and short thick legs, were gathering water in large buckets. Other creatures, much larger, with long arms and completely covered in thick brown hair, were swimming in the lake, periodically pulling up large shells and placing them into cane baskets.

Amongst all this activity stood a tall, bald man, who appeared to be directing proceedings. Chris was immediately drawn to his strong vibrations. He looked about fifty and had a long, angular face with bushy eyebrows that crowned a pair of almost black eyes. Chris moved closer. This man was relaying instructions to the soldiers around him, his dark orbs darting around as he rapidly issued orders. Chris swallowed involuntarily. He was looking at Zelnoff. Any mistake now could cost him his life. He tried to tune into Zelnoff's vibrations to detect any stray thoughts. This was a food-gathering party and he was in a hurry. Chris read apprehension and an enormously powerful will to succeed.

Carefully, he moved a little closer, trying gently to absorb his thoughts. The flow of information suddenly stopped. Zelnoff's expression changed and he looked around, frowning deeply. Chris immediately withdrew himself to a safe distance. Zelnoff turned back to his task, directing his men to a number of large carts, already overflowing with supplies. All around the carts were groups of soldiers, heavily armed with short swords and other weapons Chris had never seen before.

Chris looked around further; one of the peaks was a volcano. A large plume of smoke was pouring from one side of the mountain. Zelnoff was now moving off with the supplies. Chris decided he would have one last try. He focused on the back of Zelnoff as he moved up the beach. Zelnoff immediately turned round and stared directly at him, his eyes narrowing. Chris felt a build-up of power around him. Zelnoff had sensed him. Chris let go. The images swirled for an instant, then he was back, the expectant faces of his friends staring at him.

"Are you alright?" Batarr asked.

Chris nodded, an enormous sense of relief flooding through him. "He almost discovered me. Another moment and he'd have had me."

"Zelnoff?"

"Yeah, but I managed to pull back before he could do anything."

"What did he look like?" Batarr asked eagerly.

Chris described what had happened and Zelnoff's appearance. When he mentioned the volcano, Batarr's eyes lit up. He pulled out a large map, meticulously drawn in the finest detail, and laid it on the table.

"There are only two volcanoes that are currently active on this planet," he announced. "And only one of them is near a portal." He pointed to a large mountainous plateau pitted with snow-capped mountains. "This is Mount Caporel. It has been smoking for about ten years now, and on the east side is a lake."

Chris looked at where Batarr was pointing. The lake was L-shaped.

"It says Lake Kipi," Susie interjected.

"That's correct." Batarr raised an eyebrow. "You can read alien languages too, very impressive."

Susie beamed back at him.

"Lake Kipi is a beautiful place," Batarr continued. "It's a shame Zelnoff has chosen to gather his forces there. I doubt there will be much left, when he's through." He began pacing the floor in his now all too familiar manner. This time, however, there was quickness and sense of urgency to his step. "It's some distance, so it will take us a little time to reach it," he said quickly, flicking back some hair from his face.

Chris didn't like the sound of the word "us." "You mean it will take a while to find enough soldiers to attack Zelnoff?"

Batarr stopped pacing and looked at Chris's hopeful face. "We have a bit of a problem."

Joe groaned loudly.

"You can't expect us to fight in your war," Chris said, "we're just kids."

" _You are Mytar!"_ Batarr was suddenly flushed with anger. "It's your destiny to help both this world and yours. After all that you have seen and experienced, do you still care so little?"

His words bit hard, but Chris didn't care. "We don't know how to fight. None of us even know how to handle weapons."

"I don't expect you to fight Zelnoff single-handed," Batarr snapped, his usual grey features flushing red. "Chris must have found Zelnoff when he was collecting supplies. We still don't know where his actual base is."

"You want me to try again?" Chris said, starting to feel sick again.

"No, no, he will surely discover you if you try again. That's not what I meant. As I'm sure you remember, the key becomes warm when it's near the portal."

"So you just want the key?" Chris eagerly pulled the key out of his pocket and offered it to Batarr.

Batarr pursed his lips and shook his head slowly. "The key is no good to me. I'm not a Mytar."

Everyone groaned, seeing for the first time where all this was leading.

"You, I'm afraid, are the only ones the key will work for. We need you to find the portal because that's where Zelnoff's base will be. I'll do my very best to protect you," he added, after surveying their gloomy faces.

"But don't you know where the portals are already?" Susie asked.

"I used to know," Batarr said, "but they have been moved since they were captured. We need to find them again."

"And how many soldiers will come with us?" Chris asked.

"We should be able to spare at least two hundred soldiers, and more will join us on the journey to Mount Caporel."

Chris had read some of the thoughts of the elite group of soldiers that protected Batarr. He knew of their enormous dedication and fighting abilities, and drew some comfort from this.

Batarr showed them the route they would take. The lake they had seen when they first arrived was called Lake Sekpa. They would have to cross this lake and head through the Pasein Mountains beyond. There were several routes through these mountains to Mount Caporel, but they were likely to be watched. Batarr knew of another, more difficult route, which would take them through country that was rarely travelled. If they took this path, Batarr estimated, the trip would take around two weeks.

Chris listened to the increasingly enthusiastic tones of Batarr and watched the increasing dejection of his friends. "When do we start?" he asked, when Batarr had finished outlining his plan.

"The preparations will be complete by tonight," Batarr replied, rolling up the map. "Tomorrow you will all experience first-hand the beauty of this planet."

# Chapter 4: Into the Storm

As the first rays of sun filtered through the tree canopy, Batarr's forces assembled on the surface. They had emerged, single file, from a narrow, moss-lined tunnel had been chiselled between two sandstone rock outcrops.

Compared to the underground complex, the surface was a cold and windy place. A light dusting of frost clung to the ground and the wind whistled and tore at the gathering company. To ward off the cold, the Mytar had been fitted with garments that had been soaked in oil derived from the boiled skins of warm-blooded fish. This oil was renowned for its unique properties. In the cold weather it solidified, sealing in the body's warmth, while in hot weather it softened, allowing the skin to breathe.

Chris flexed his arms, twisted and crouched down into a squat. His clothes seemed to flex and mould themselves to fit the changing shape of his body. He pulled the hood of his jacket over his head and sniffed at the strange oily smell of the fabric.

"They're made from the finest material in the land." A deep, resonating voice jerked Chris out of his preoccupation with his clothes.

Chris looked up at a man over twice his size with dark, intense eyes buried above high cheek-bones and a long tapering jaw.

"I'm Altac, Leader of the Guard," the man said.

When he smiled Chris noticed a pink scar running from the side of his mouth to the corner of his jaw.

"I'm Chris," he replied, feeling rather small and insignificant.

Altac brushed back some of the long curls of black hair that trailed down to his shoulder and bowed in what Chris assumed was this world's version of a handshake.

"I believe you need no introduction," he replied. "After all, aren't you the reason we are embarking on this little errand?"

Chris smiled uncertainly, trying with his new found talents to catch something of Altac's thoughts. He read admiration, mixed in with surprise at how young and small the Mytar were. Like so many of Batarr's soldiers, Altac thought that the Mytar had volunteered to come and save Cathora from Zelnoff. Chris swallowed back some of his guilt, thankful that Altac hadn't witnessed their behaviour when they first arrived.

Altac's smile slid away. "I suggest yourself and your fellow Mytar travel in the centre of the company, where you will be best protected at all times," he said, in a more solemn tone.

Chris nodded. Mingled with Altac's admiration, he picked up the concern for their vulnerability.

By this time Susie and Joe had appeared. Chris noticed that both their eyes widened at the sight of this man. He wore what appeared to be a chest plate made of thick hide and metal, and a long dagger was strapped to his hip. Slung over his shoulder was the same weapon Chris had seen Zelnoff's soldiers wearing in his vision. It looked a bit like a rifle, Chris thought, except it was shorter and bulkier. Altac greeted Susie and Joe with the same politeness he had shown Chris, bowing respectfully at each of them.

Joe circled Altac, paying particular attention to the weapon that hung by his side.

Altac, after seeing Joe's interest, unslung his weapon and held it out for Joe to examine.

"What does this crystal do?" Joe asked, pointing to a blue-coloured crystal that was embedded in the butt of the weapon.

"It is the power source of the weapon," Altac responded. "These crystals store vast amounts of energy which can be focused into a narrow beam by a series of lenses." Altac pointed to a series of concave lenses along the barrel of the weapon that lead from the apex of the crystal.

"Cool," Joe gasped, his eyes wide with excitement.

Altac pointed a weapon at a nearby rock. When he pressed the trigger, a blue light shot out and the rock exploded.

"Can I try?" Joe asked.

This drew some subdued chuckles and smiles from some of the surrounding soldiers.

"These weapons are extremely powerful," Altac said, smiling patiently. "A soldier has to undergo an intensive course of instruction before he is allowed to use one."

"So I guess that's a no."

"You will all be well protected," Altac said, smiling mildly at the disappointment on Joe's face. "There'll be no need to carry such weapons."

Joe nodded slowly, but Chris didn't need to read Joe's thoughts to sense his disappointment.

Altac said his good-byes and strode off to direct his command. The last of the company had now reached the surface. Chris lost count at around a hundred soldiers but figured there could be around twice that number with additional porters and servants carrying food and supplies. There appeared to be equal numbers of male and female soldiers, representing three distinct kinds of species. Many, like Altac, looked almost human, but the other two types were more alien. Many of the servants were no taller than Chris or Joe. Their large jagged ears and hazel eyes appeared to be in constant motion as they ran around organising food and supplies.

The third, and most frightening type, stood a short distance from the rest of the company, completely motionless, as though someone had temporarily switched them off. Some stood well over two metres high and they had broad flattened faces, protruding eyes ridges and no hair on their bodies at all, which only emphasised their huge muscles. Chris found it very hard to distinguish male from female, since both were the same size and shape. But the most unnerving thing about them was their eyes - large, pale yellow with a blue centre. And there was something else. It took a moment for Chris to work it out. Their eyes were further apart than humans, suggesting they could see more to the side. They would be hard to sneak up on, he concluded. He tried to pick up their thoughts, but received nothing. Their minds seemed to be operating in a manner he couldn't interpret.

"You alright?" Susie was peering closely at him.

"Yeah, just watching those big guys," Chris replied, still trying to concentrate.

"They're weird alright," she agreed, trying to tuck the tangled mass of her hair under the hood of her jacket. "I've been talking to Sasli about them. They're called Taal and they were the first of the human-like species to develop written and spoken language. Apparently there are seven humanoid species on this planet. Isn't that amazing?" Susie beamed back at Chris. "Imagine if the same thing had happened on Earth. _Homo habilis_ , Neanderthals, _Homo erectus_ , _Homo floresiensis_ and all the other species that we only know as fossils, all still around. Wouldn't it be exciting?"

Susie was something of an archaeology buff. The thought of so many different species was obviously exciting for her. For the first time in over a week, she was smiling and there was a definite buzz to her voice. Despite everything, Chris also felt good. He was above ground and about to embark on the adventure of his life on a totally unexplored planet. Every schoolboy's dream, he thought mildly. "Yeah, it's pretty cool isn't it?" he smiled back.

A short distance away, they found Joe sitting on a rock with his head in his hands.

"What's up?" Chris asked, as they approached.

Joe only grunted, not bothering to look up.

Susie crouched down to Joe's level. "You okay?"

"I just don't feel right," Joe said after a long sigh.

Chris looked at him more closely. "Are you sick?"

"No, no... I don't feel... I don't think I fit in," he replied, searching hard to find the words to explain. "Look... you can read people's thoughts." He waved his hand in Susie's direction. "Susie can understand strange languages. What can I do? Where do I fit into all this?"

"The key changed colour in your hands so you must be one of us," Chris replied.

"Maybe the key was wrong? Maybe I'm a huge mistake?"

"Remember what Batarr said. You survived the trip here, so you must be one of us," Susie added.

"Then why haven't I got any powers? Why can't I make it rain, or move things with my mind?"

"Maybe your powers take longer to develop," Chris suggested.

"And if they don't?"

"Then we'll protect you," Chris said with a smirk.

Joe's head jerked up. _"I don't need your protection!"_ he spat.

Shaking his head, he stood up and stalked off.

Soon afterwards, the company began their descent to the lake. As Altac had suggested, the three Mytar walked in the centre, flanked on either side by soldiers. Scouts had been sent ahead to organise transport across the lake with the fishermen from one of the local towns. The route down was steep, but the ground was even and they made good progress. With Joe largely keeping to himself, Chris and Susie spent their time trying to catch sight of the local wildlife. There were flying creatures that looked a lot like the birds of Earth, while others were covered in fur, or had transparent wings, and hovered rather than flew across their path. One such creature landed on a nearby log. It had a set of seriously sharp teeth, a bony horn on its forehead, and when it flew off it sounded like a nest of bees. There were also slow-moving creatures, shaped rather like flat spiky bath mats, that clung to many of the larger trees. During one of their rest periods, Altac peeled one of these creatures from a tree and turned it over. Underneath was a series of suction pads and a circular set of teeth for grinding holes in trees to suck sap. Other creatures, similar to squirrels on Earth and too fast to catch more than a glimpse of, ran up and down trees at will. Even the ground was alive with life. Small furry creatures would pop out of nowhere, run a short distance, then vanish again in a flurry of flying dirt and rocks. Then there were the sounds of the forest, strange whistles, raucous calls, squeals which started low and quickly climbed in pitch. All these sounds spoke of myriads creatures lurking just out of sight.

By late afternoon, the land flattened out and the tree canopy was replaced by grasslands. They reached the lake at dusk, and the company started setting up camp for the night. A gentle breeze was blowing and the sun, larger and redder than Earth's, was setting over the mountains in a blaze of purples and reds. Chris stood on the shore of the lake, looking at the sunset. He couldn't remember seeing a more spectacular sight.

"Wow, this is cool." Susie slapped Chris on the back playfully. "Race you along to the beach." She brushed past him, almost knocking him over. Despite being nearly a head taller than Chris, Susie was a terrible runner, all flailing arms and legs. It didn't take him long to overhaul her. He raced past her and sprinted into the shallows. Susie arrived moments later, but was careful not to follow him into the water.

"Now you've got your shoes wet," she taunted. "Can't change into another pair around here. Poor little boy will have wet shoes tonight."

"Well, you're going to have wet clothes." He chased after her with every intention of crash-tackling her, when he noticed several groups of soldiers watching them. He read curiosity, and an aura of respect and admiration in their thoughts. He slowed, and then ground to a halt. A week ago he would have thrown Susie into the water, regardless of what people thought, but somehow he doubted the sight of two Mytar, rolling in the mud of a lake trying to drown each other, would be very impressive.

A short distance away, Batarr was standing next to the three large fishing boats that were waiting to take the company across the lake. Sasli fluttered down next to him and immediately engaged him in an animated singing conversation. Of all the strange things Chris had seen since his arrival, this one still sent a smile across his face, a man and a bird-creature singing to each other. Sadly, no one would ever believe him back on Earth.

"Can you understand what they are saying?" he whispered to Susie, as they crept closer.

She motioned for quiet. "Sasli is giving Batarr news from the town," she said. "Um... sounds serious," she frowned, "a few days ago there was fighting across the lake where we'll be going. There was also a lot of smoke and fires."

There was a pause while Batarr considered this information.

Sasli burst into song again.

"Also something about a storm approaching," she whispered.

Batarr called Altac over, and after a few words, Altac issued the orders to break camp immediately and board the boats. This was not a popular decision with Chris or Susie, who were just starting to enjoy themselves. Joe, who was nursing his sore feet by dipping them in the lake, was even less impressed, and said so, muttering several obscenities under his breath.

It was nearly dark by the time the company set sail. The trip across the lake would take the night and most of the next day. Batarr had placed them on the largest of the fishing boats; a wooden-hulled vessel that had both a sail and an engine. The engine, like the soldiers' weapons and most machinery on Cathora, was powered by the same blue crystals and was completely silent. A fact completely lost on Chris until he noticed the boat was gliding through the water without any sails.

As the boat cut though the water, Chris, Susie and Joe sat on the deck staring up at the stars. This was the first time they had seen the sky at night and the sight left them awe-struck. Not one, but two moons circled this planet. The smaller one was silver in colour, and across its surface ran hundreds of what looked like tiny orange-coloured cracks, which gave the impression it was made of glass and could shatter at any moment into a thousand pieces.

"The smaller moon is called Sarous," Altac said. He had been watching them as they gazed into the sky. "In our ancient stories it is said that a huge storm once engulfed the whole planet." He walked over and sat down next to them. "The storm was so large and powerful the whole land was thrown into darkness. Huge hailstones destroyed villages and towns, and massive lightning bolts started forest fires. One of these lightning bolts was so powerful that it struck the moon and shattered it."

"Yeah, right..." Joe said.

"It's folklore," Susie scolded. "It's not supposed to be true."

"In our ancient language Sarous means 'shining path'," Altac continued. "When it is full, like tonight, you can walk by its light without needing lanterns."

"Awesome," Chris whispered under his breath.

"The larger moon is called Heoans," Altac continued.

Heoans was much larger than the Earth's moon, and plastered with impact craters. Beyond this moon was the reason for its appearance - millions of rocks circled this planet in a tight glittering ring that spiralled across the sky before fading into the mountains beyond.

"It's lovely," Susie said softly, not taking her eyes off the sky.

"Any of those rocks flying around up there ever crash into this planet?" Joe asked, somewhat spoiling the mood.

"We have had occasional impacts," Altac replied, "but they're rare. Although there have been more meteor showers than usual."

"Many more?" Chris asked.

"Yes, in recent years. There has been strange weather too. High winds and more violent storms."

"Like the storm that's approaching?" Chris asked, at the same time realising he had never been on the water in a storm.

There was a brief pause before Altac answered this question, and Chris read apprehension in his thoughts.

"We should be across the lake by the time the storm hits," Altac replied thoughtfully.

Chris looked towards the mountains in the distance. Already, some of the peaks had been engulfed by a large black mass. "So... is this a particularly bad storm?" he asked, realising he actually hated boats and was nearly always seasick.

"I don't know what you call bad," Altac said, "but small craft will have some difficulties if caught in the open."

"But we're not small, right?" Joe asked.

Altac rose to his feet, his large frame blocking out most of the lantern light. "I can assure you, we're in good hands. Batarr doesn't make these decisions lightly," he said, his voice strong and resolute. "Now if you would excuse me, I must go and secure the boat."

With these words he began to move off, but after a few steps he turned back. "Remember, Mytar, from now on you all must be very careful. The way ahead will not be easy."

Chris tried to probe Altac's thoughts as he left but only received impressions of all the supplies he was thinking of strapping firmly to the deck of the boat.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Joe said, pulling a face. "And what does he mean, "we're in good hands?" Whose hands? Not Batarr's, I hope."

"Keep your voice down," Susie hissed.

"Why should I?"

"Because you will be overheard and these soldiers are very loyal to Batarr."

"Just because you can read their language and Sasli has told you a few things, you think you're an instant expert."

"I don't think I'm an expert," Susie replied indignantly. "I'm just not as rude as you."

"I'm just honest."

" _You're rude and insensitive."_

"And you're a know-it-all who can't keep your nose out of other people's business."

"Not when it makes us all look bad."

Joe glared at Susie a moment. "Well, anyway, I hate water and I'm not very good at swimming in mountainous seas."

"It won't come to that," Chris said.

"And how do you know?" Joe replied.

"I'm sure Batarr has a plan if the weather turns bad."

"Yeah, we all swim."

Chris could see Joe was in one of his stubborn moods. "There are probably something like life-jackets around here, or a life boat if something really bad happens."

"Where?"

"I don't know," Chris replied, trying not to allow his irritation to seep into his voice. "All I'm saying is Batarr wouldn't take unnecessary risks. Not with all that's at stake."

Joe didn't answer. He just turned back to looking over the water.

The activity on the boat had increased markedly after Altac left. The soldiers were busy stowing away, or strapping down, anything that could cause damage in bad weather. Altac reappeared and suggested they should get a few hours' rest while the weather was still calm. This suggestion was eagerly accepted. They followed him below deck to a cabin with several rows of bunk beds, some of which were already occupied.

Despite the excitement of the day's events, everyone felt tired and accepted the beds gladly. Within minutes, Chris fell fast asleep.

Chris woke with a jolt. He had landed on the floor of the cabin after rolling off his bunk. As he rose to his feet, another wave hit the boat and toppled him back onto his bunk. It was light, and he could hear rain pounding on the deck above. Joe and Susie's bunks were already empty. He noticed a light coming from his trouser pocket and pulled out the key - it was glowing.

More waves crashed into the boat, sending him sprawling across the floor for a second time. Mainly by crawling on his hands and knees, he managed to reach the hatch to the main cabin. When he opened it, he found Susie and Joe clinging to a series of benches in the corner of the cabin with the rest of the crew. There was no sign of Batarr or Altac.

"How long has it been like this?" Chris asked, after half sliding across the cabin floor to his friends. The boat lurched sideways again and everyone slid across the floor. Chris slid into a bench, followed by several soldiers and Joe.

"Maybe ten minutes," Joe said, in a voice wavering with fear.

Chris clambered over to one of the portholes and looked out. The sea was already mountainous.

"What about the other boats?"

"We've lost contact with them," Joe yelled above the rising noise of the wind.

Even in the short time he had been awake, Chris noticed the light had faded markedly. The rest of the company was also gathering around the portholes. The sounds of thunder could now be clearly heard over the chatter of the soldiers. Joe and Susie pushed their way to Chris's side. There were now frequent lightning strikes and the waves were being whipped to foam by the wind and rain. Another wave hit the boat, sending the crew and soldiers sprawling across the floor again. The boat lurched sharply and there was loud crash as the whole deck vibrated. Chris looked out the porthole to see the main mast hanging over the side of the boat.

The hatch flung open and Altac appeared amidst a torrent of water. A lightning strike lit up his face. His eyes were wide with fear and his scar stood out, dark and jagged, against his pale features. He barked orders at his soldiers and four Taal rushed outside, slamming the hatch behind them. The darkness outside was now almost complete. There was a loud thud on the deck, then another and another. Soon the deck vibrated like a huge drum, as thousands of hailstones, some the size of human fists, pounded the boat. The crew huddled close, then first one porthole, then another, cracked and smashed, spraying glass fragments and water everywhere, and sending the crew scurrying to patch the holes with anything they could find.

The hatch flung open again and this time Batarr appeared. He looked around quickly. When he saw Chris, he pushed he way through the knot of soldiers still clinging to each other on the floor and gripped him by the shoulder.

" _You must help us, Mytar!"_ he bellowed over the fury of the storm. His green eyes locked Chris in their stare, filling him with terror.

" _What can I do?"_ Chris shouted back.

"I can't reach them."

" _Reach who?"_

Batarr didn't answer; gripping him by the collar, he dragged Chris to the hatch leading to the sleeping quarters and threw him in. Chris started looking around for something he could use to defend himself. Batarr jumped down and closed the hatch behind him as Chris retreated to the far corner of the cabin. But in the next lightning strike, Chris saw that Batarr's eyes were fixed intently on him in hope, not fury. Batarr pulled what appeared to be a large tooth from his coat.

"Remember when you used the knife to locate Zelnoff?" he said.

"Yes..."

"I've been trying to contact the Wassin, who live in these waters. They're like the dolphins on your home planet, except much larger. The boat's engine has stalled and the mast's broken. They're the only ones who can help us now."

He thrust the tooth toward Chris. "Clear your mind and concentrate on the tooth," he demanded.

Chris took the tooth. Another lightning strike momentarily lit up Batarr's face. There were deep lines on his forehead and shadows of exhaustion under his eyes. "Where'll I tell them to go?"

"Once you make contact, I'll direct them here. Hurry."

As previously, Chris held the tooth loosely in his hand. The visions came immediately. A pod of about ten Wassin was swimming just below the surface. They were huge, with bulbous heads and rows of sharp teeth. He concentrated on the lead Wassin. Immediately images started flowing into his mind. The Wassin had already found the wreckage of the other two boats and were aware that Batarr and his people were in trouble. The pod was close but heading in the wrong direction. Chris felt the presence of another mind - Batarr was there. The leader stopped swimming, turned sharply and headed toward them. The link was suddenly broken. Chris opened his eyes to find Batarr had taken the tooth out of his hand.

"You've done well, Mytar," he said, and in two strides, he had vanished through the hatchway.

When Chris reached the cabin he explained to Susie and Joe what had happened. The pounding on the deck appeared to be less intense but the boat was still pitching dangerously. Water was now pouring in through the smashed portholes, and soldiers were busy bailing with anything they could find, or plugging the holes with parts of benches ripped from the galley.

In the brief few seconds he had contact with the Guardian's mind, Chris had learned that Batarr's men were standing by on the deck of the boat with ropes. These would be thrown to the Wassin when they arrived. It would be their last chance. Without any form of power, the boat, like the other two fishing boats, would surely be swamped and smashed to pieces by the sea.

Now knowing the crisis they were in, Chris couldn't just wait and do nothing. On impulse, he decided to help direct the Wassin to the boat. He quickly clambered past the sprawling bodies of soldiers to the hatchway leading outside.

"Where're you going?" asked one of the soldiers Chris had climbed over.

Chris didn't answer. Instead, he pushed hard against the hatch. It flew open and he clambered out. He knew immediately he had made a big mistake. The freezing wind, like a huge moaning monster, knocked him flat on his back. Wave after wave slammed into the side of the boat, throwing him aimlessly across the deck. Each time he tried to rise from his knees, the lurching boat made him slip on the piles of hailstones. He heard shouts as Altac's men realised he was on the deck. Another wave slammed into the boat, throwing him hard against a railing. Finally, he managed to grab hold and haul himself to his feet. Several soldiers at the front of the boat were holding on to ropes they had thrown over the side. He could sense the Wassin were now circling the boat. Another soldier was slowly edging along the railing toward him. It was Altac.

The boat jolted forward as the Wassin began pulling on the ropes. The jolt dislodged Chris's grip and he tumbled back further, only managing to grab the rail at the very rear of the boat. He started screaming for help. Another wave struck and he almost choked on all the water he swallowed. The rail was cutting into his hands and the water almost blinded him. Gathering all his remaining strength, Chris dragged himself forward along the railing.

Through the rain, he could see several figures crawling along the railing toward him. They were screaming something and pointing, but the wind carried their voices away. Then, with a growing, sickening realisation, Chris turned to where they were pointing. A massive wall of water was bearing down on him. Powerless to do anything, he watched as the wave rose and broke over him. He was lifted away from the boat and thrown into the depths of the sea. Deeper and deeper the swirl of current dragged him, until the force of the wave was finally spent. Only then, with bursting lungs, was he was able to claw back to the surface.

When Chris broke through, the boat was already a distant bobbing cork, disappearing amongst mountainous sea. The rain had nearly stopped, but he knew that land was a long way off. The waves continually tossed and dunked him, so that it took all his strength just to keep afloat. But there was still hope. Not all the Wassin had left with the boat, and the remaining Wassin were close, searching for something. Chris concentrated his thoughts, trying to guide them to him. He felt their presence. Then he saw himself, two legs and arms thrashing out against the sea. A Wassin surged. The roughness of the creature's skin brushed against him. He clutched at the dorsal fin and was jolted forward as a wall of muscle lifted him out of the water.

What happened next was a blur of cold, terror and exhaustion. He measured time only by the frequent periods underwater and the fear of losing his grip on the creature as it dived under the waves. Many times his grip failed him, and for some seconds he was left floundering amongst the waves, but always the rough re-assuring mound of Wassin muscle rose out of the waves to support him, allowing him valuable time to catch his breath and renew his grip on the creature. Then the nightmare of diving and surfacing would continue. After what seemed like hours, with his grip finally failing and consciousness slipping away, he felt one last powerful thrust and found himself thrown up on dry land.

He rolled over several times before stopping. The Wassin, who had saved him, was half out of the water, looking straight at him like some hungry, greedy shark. Then, with a flick of its tail, the creature was gone.

Chris rolled onto his side. In front of him, the mountains towered into the clouds like a series of giant, white coated, metal spikes. The wind had dropped and the sun was beginning to break through the clouds. The warmth was magical. He crawled on his hands and knees higher up the beach, shivering uncontrollably in his wet clothes. Waves of exhaustion swept through him as he collapsed on his back. The rays of sun on his skin felt marvellous. He closed his eyes and thought he would sleep for just a moment.

# Chapter 5: An Ancient Race

Chris could hear his mother and father discussing him in the kitchen. If he was quiet, he could sneak over and listen by the door. But as he crept closer he found it difficult to recognise their voices. They sounded very nasal, and tended to hiss when they spoke.

"He'ss a boy, he'ss a boy," his mother was saying.

"Yess, I ssee," his father said in a deeper and rather guttural voice.

"What'ss a boy doing wasshed up on the sshore?" his mother said.

"Maybe he'ss a fissherboy?"

"No, no fissherboyss don't dresss like that. And hiss handss are ssoft."

"True, true hiss hands are ssoft. Not hard like a fisherboy'ss handss."

Chris jolted awake. He wasn't at home sneaking up on his parents. He was lost and hungry in another dimension with little chance of ever finding his way home. And who knew what creatures were about to attack him. He kept very still with his eyes shut, hoping they would go away.

"Lovely clothess," the female voice continued.

"Yess, lovely clothess," the deeper voice agreed.

"Besst quality, yess, besst quality," the female voice hissed. "Musst be from a rich family over the other sside of the lake."

"Yess, musst be," the deeper voice agreed.

"Lookss very thin."

"Yess. Lookss very thin."

"Maybe he would like ssome nice fressh fissh?"

"Yess, maybe he would like ssome nice fressh fissh."

"Sshall we wake him and assk?"

"Yess, let'ss wake him."

Chris was nudged gently on his shoulder. With little choice, he rolled over and sat up facing the direction of the voices. He found himself staring at two of the most peculiar creatures he had ever seen. They were smaller than him, covered in dark hair, with long noses that looked more like snouts. But the strangest feature was their eyes, which were completely black and actually protruded slightly from their eye sockets.

"Who are you?" he blurted, rather too loudly.

The slightly lighter coloured creature took a step toward him. "Very impolite."

"Yess," the darker haired creature knitted his hairy eyebrows, so they formed one long black line. "Maybe he'ss jusst sscared?"

"Yess, we sshould introduce oursselvess. That may help."

"Yess that'ss a good idea."

The lighter-coloured creature smiled, revealing a row of yellow teeth, then bowed. "My name iss Casss," she hissed.

"And mine iss Dusss." The darker-coloured creature also bowed, revealing similar rows of yellow teeth.

"We are the Nethral," Cass announced, in a rather proud tone.

This was obviously meant to mean something, but Chris had no idea who they were. "My name is Chris," he said finally, not knowing what else to say.

"Oh that'ss a funny name," Cass said, her voice suddenly quickening and climbing an octave.

"Yess," Duss agreed, "a very funny name. Where do you come from?"

"From the other side of the lake," Chris said cautiously. "I fell off a fishing boat in the storm."

"Oh you musst be a good sswimmer then," said Cass. "Don't like sswimming mysself."

"No, no," agreed Duss. "We don't like the water."

Chris nodded, not knowing what to make of these two creatures. Were they just acting silly, or was this their natural behaviour? Yet, he could detect no hidden thoughts behind their words.

"Have you seen any other people or kids that look like me?" he asked, deciding to steer the conversation in a more sensible direction. "Or maybe some wreckage washed up on the beach?"

Duss and Cass looked at each other, then shook their heads vigorously. Too vigorously, Chris thought. It was almost comical. If this was Earth, he would have thought they were mocking him.

"We've not sseen anyone," Cass said.

"But we've not been looking," Duss added, tilting his head slightly to one side.

"Yess, yess, that'ss true... we've not been looking," Cass confirmed.

Chris leaned back trying to take stock of his situation. His senses told him these creatures were totally harmless. He felt dizzy, hungry and sore. The sun was still out, but it looked like late afternoon, and there was no way of knowing if the others had made it to shore, or how far away they were. He felt in his pockets. The key was still there. And his clothes were nearly dry.

"Would you like ssome nice fissh?" Cass offered. Like Duss, her face was tilted to the side.

This must be some peculiar mannerism unique to these creatures, Chris thought. He could read only innocence and goodwill in her thoughts. "Yes," he said. "I'd love some."

Chris was led a short distance along the beach to where a column of smoke was visible. Behind some boulders, a small area had been cleared and a large smoky fire constructed, which was piled high with green leaves. Several rows of fish were strung across the billowing column of smoke.

Cass went over to these fish and selected one. "Try thiss," she hissed, handing him a large silvery fish with skin like leather. "Thiss iss a delicacy among our people."

She took another fish and peeled the skin away with her teeth. Chris, deciding not to risk his taste buds, dug his nails into the tail section and found the skin peeled away easily, revealing a deep smoky-brown flesh. Not normally a fan of fish, Chris picked off a piece. It had a flaky texture and tasted a bit like beef. He took a big bite, only to find it did have one characteristic of fish - bones.

Cass pulled a large tuber from the coals of the fire and presented it to Chris. It had the texture of a potato and tasted delicious, like a cross between a pumpkin and a sweet potato.

"We're on a fisshing trip," Duss explained, as Chris greedily devoured his fish. "But we don't come up on the ssurface very often anymore."

Chris stopped eating and looked across at Duss. He sensed there was a deeper meaning to his words than mere polite conversation. "So you live underground all the time?" he queried, noticing for the first time that the fingers on these creatures' hands were partly fused together, so they looked more like shovels than hands, and each finger ended in a thick, sharp nail.

"Yess, our home iss the underworld," Duss continued. "We come up to the ssurface for fissh and fressh fruit from the treess," Duss continued. "But there hass been many bad thingss happening on the ssurface recently. It'ss no longer a ssafe place."

"Yess," Cass agreed. "No longer ssafe."

"What things?" Chris asked.

"Bad thingss." Duss shook his large furry head as though the memories were very painful. "There hass been much fighting... much killing."

Images crowded into Chris's head of burning villages, weapon fire, children and women dying.

"We don't really undersstand why it hass all happened," Duss continued, looking across at Chris. "Do you undersstand thesse thingss?"

Confusion, fear, horror; all these emotions Chris felt in the minds of these creatures. They had witnessed terrible things and understood none of them. "I don't know much." He paused, not knowing what else to say. "But I do know this planet is in heaps of trouble, and some dude is causing it."

Cass and Duss continued looking at him, but he detected no understanding.

"I mean...there's a dangerous person trying to control this world."

"Zelnoff?" Duss asked.

Chris stopped, wondering if he had already said too much. "Yes, Zelnoff. You've heard of him?"

"Not until recently," Cass said. "Then the ssurface people sstarted acting sstrangely. Many fightss, killingss, whole villagess gone. We don't undersstand thiss."

"No," Duss said, "we don't undersstand thesse thingss."

Chris nodded. "I think Zelnoff is trying to conquer Cathora. But he hasn't won yet. There's still people fighting him."

"You mean Kaloc?" Duss asked.

"Kaloc?"

"We haven't sseen him, but we have heard he'ss ssome type of Guardian," Duss said.

"Yess, yess, he hass sspecial powerss to fight Zelnoff," Cass added, looking over at Duss as she spoke.

"What powers?" Chris asked.

"We don't know," said Cass, "but I think he'ss fighting Zelnoff and trying to protect the planet."

"Hmm..." Chris wiped his mouth with his sleeve and flung the remains of the fish into the fire. "You know where this Kaloc lives?"

"No one knowss where he livess. We have only heard rumourss about him," Cass said.

"What rumours?" Chris asked.

"That he livess ssomewhere around here, but no one knowss where," Cass replied.

"We didn't know anything about Zelnoff, or Kaloc or Guardianss until recently," Duss said. "Now there'ss rumourss everywhere about warss, people dying, sstrange happeningss. We don't know what'ss the truth anymore." He shook his head miserably. "We don't undersstand."

"No, we no longer undersstand," Cass added, munching into her tuber with big greedy bites.

Chris could sense their growing frustration and despair. "Have you heard of Batarr?" he asked, finishing his tuber and throwing it into the fire.

This drew an immediate reaction. Cass stopped in mid-chew and looked across at Chris. "Yess, yess Batarr iss another Guardian, I have heard people talk about him."

"Well, he was also on the fishing boat with me."

"He went fisshing with you?" Duss asked.

"Arr...not exactly. We were trying to cross the lake when the storm struck."

Both Nethral were now watching him. Their furry eyebrows knitted into thick lines across their faces. Chris felt the questions forming in their minds.

"We were trying to find Zelnoff. Ah...I mean Batarr was trying to find Zelnoff."

"Sso doess Batarr know where Zelnoff iss?" Cass asked, her head tilted to one side.

"No, we were hoping to find that out when we got here."

Cass and Duss looked at each other, but said nothing. Chris read surprise in their thoughts, but nothing else. "Batarr was going to gather a larger force on route," he added.

"Ssoldierss...sso he had ssoldiers with him?" Duss asked, also tilting his head sideways, indicating this was an important development.

"Yeah... a few. We were travelling in three boats...two sank. I was on the third."

"And you were with thesse ssoldierss?" Duss asked.

"Not me personally," Chris replied. "I was just helping with supplies, cooking, that sort of thing."

"You are very young for ssuch a venture," Cass commented.

"I had friends that let me come along," Chris lied.

There was a pause, while Duss and Cass tried to digest this information.

"Sso you really need to find out what happened to your friendss," Cass said finally.

Chris nodded.

"We will help," she said, looking across at Duss.

"Yess, yess, you're too young to do thiss by yoursself," Duss said. "We will find your friendss for you."

Chris felt profound relief. "Thanks," he said smiling broadly, "I was hoping you would say that."

By the time they had finished eating, the light was fading. Chris helped Duss and Cass gather the rows of fish that had been smoking over the fire. They were nervous about sleeping in the open at night and suggested that Chris should sleep with them underground, where it was warmer and safer. Thinking that they must know a small cave somewhere, he gladly accepted. Instead, they led him to the back of a shallow cave a short distance away and rolled away a large rock. Behind the rock was a hole, just large enough to fit a child. Cass immediately climbed in and signalled for Chris to follow. After some hesitation, he followed, wondering what he was letting himself in for.

The tunnel was narrow and steep and he had to crawl on his stomach. Behind him, Duss sealed the entrance, completing the blackness. But when Chris's eyes adjusted he could see Cass further down the tunnel silhouetted against a faint light. The tunnel soon widened and opened up into a cavern that rose high above their heads. This cavern was lit entirely by what Chris would have called glow-worms on Earth, except it wasn't just the worms that were producing the light. Numerous insects buzzed around the worms with bright luminescent abdomens, and larger creatures, resembling insect bats, flew amongst these insects with luminescent wings. Essentially, the whole roof was a mass of whirling and darting lights.

"Pretty, issn't it?" Cass said, as she came up alongside him.

"It's amazing," Chris marvelled.

Cass nodded that she understood. "Ssurface dwellerss don't realisse what iss down here, but under thesse mountainss are countlesss communitiess of creaturess and plantss, and magnificent cavernss that glissten with beauty, far away from the horrible thingss that are happening on the ssurface."

Duss appeared next to them. "Yess," he nodded enthusiastically. "Thiss iss our world, our people have lived down here for ass long ass time itsself. We know thiss world and we protect it, and it protectss uss."

Chris stared up at the roof until the pain in his neck forced his head level again. "How many caves are there like this?"

"They're all like thiss," Duss said proudly, his voice raised an octave. "And no one knowss, not even uss, how far they extend."

For the first time, Chris heard Duss laugh. "One can sspend oness whole life travelling through thesse cavess and not find their end."

"So they extend right under these mountains?"

"Ssome ssay they never end," Cass said. "They continue throughout the whole planet. They are our home, our world."

"Yess, yess," Duss agreed with a certain awe, "Our world, our life."

They showed Chris to their camp in a corner of the cavern. For several hours they continued to talk, while they drank an elixir distilled from one of the many plants that grew in the underworld. Chris could not identify the taste. It was sweet and tangy at the same time, with a refreshing after-taste of lemons. He drank greedily as they talked for hours about the history of the Nethral. Apparently, they were the oldest race on the planet. Their fierce sense of independence stemmed from their belief that they were the first species to develop speech and a written language, and they lived in a world and a society that was infinitely more beautiful and caring than what had evolved on the surface. Considering what he had already witnessed since his arrival, Chris found it hard to disagree with them.

Eventually the conversation waned and Cass and Duss turned in for the night. Chris was given some blankets, although, unlike the surface at night, the underworld was not cold. Cass and Duss bade him goodnight and he was left to contemplate all that had happened to him over the last few days. Yet, despite all these experiences, his last thoughts were of Susie and Joe and his home back on Earth. He wondered if his parents were missing him, or was Batarr right, and after living weeks on this planet he could still be returned to Earth without any passage of time. Either way, he still wished none of this had ever happened.

When he awoke, Cass and Duss were already busy preparing for the day's activities.

"It'll be light on the ssurface ssoon," Duss said, handing Chris some breakfast of fruit and fish. "We musst make hasste."

Unlike the previous night, Cass and Duss had a more business-like manner. They had already packed the supplies and waited impatiently for Chris to finish his meal before they set off. They reached the cave just on sunrise and immediately started for the beach. Since it was unclear where on the coast the fishing boat would have landed, Cass and Duss decided to climb a nearby hill which offered expansive views of the coastline in both directions. By the time they were half way up, however, it was clear that wreckage was strewn over a wide area. When they reached the top, Cass and Duss, with their large sensitive eyes, immediately pointed to a distant speck on the horizon.

"I think it'ss a fisshing boat that hass been beached," Cass said.

"Yess, a large boat definitely," Duss continued, shading his eyes with one of his spade-like hands.

Chris knew there was nothing wrong with his eyes, but he could see nothing more than a dot on a beach. "Are you sure it's a fishing boat?"

"Yess, yess... and the back hass been broken off," Cass said.

In the end, Chris had to put his trust in their superior eyesight. It took the rest of the day to cover the distance to the boat. On the way, they saw more wreckage and, much to Chris's unease, the bodies of several of Batarr's soldiers. Many of these bodies had been partly eaten; others were attracting the attention of scavenging animals and bird-like creatures similar to vultures in Earth. All of the bodies were already bloated from many hours in the water.

They reached the fishing boat at sunset. The ropes that had been used by the Wassin to tow the boat were still attached. Chris rushed on board, but was disappointed to find that the cabin was deserted and all the supplies had been removed. When he searched the gallery, he found a note pinned to the table. It was written in Susie's handwriting and read:

Hi Chris,

Somehow we survived, and the Wassin even managed to save some of the soldiers from the other fishing boats. We have around 100 soldiers, including Altac and Sasli. Batarr says that he thinks you are safe and somewhere along the coast. We searched until dark, but found no trace of you. Batarr refused to search any longer saying that his soldiers were too exposed on the beach and may alert Zelnoff to his presence. Despite our complaints, he wouldn't stay any longer (we are both really angry with him). Sasli is still looking for you.

Guess what, Batarr has a second key that is identical to yours and also changes colour. Cool Huh. The bad news is we still have to locate Zelnoff for him, so we have to leave for Mount Caporel (we both wanted to stay and find you, but he wouldn't listen). Batarr is hoping to recruit more volunteers on the way. We have left supplies under your bunk. Just stay here until we get back.

Susie and Joe

Chris felt relieved at the news, but there was no way he was staying behind. He found a small hunting knife and collected the supplies that they had left. Searching through the cupboards in the galley, he also found a hessian bag tried with a cord. He filled the bag with the supplies then used a length of rope to strap it to his back.

Cass and Duss had been examining the beach in front of the boat. They confirmed that a party of about one hundred surface people had headed into the surrounding forest.

"From the look of their trackss, they sset out at firsst light," Duss said, examining the footprints that led into the trees.

"Many large ssurface people," Cass added. "And from the deep impresssionss, ssome are carrying heavy loadss."

"Yess, yess," Duss agreed, crouching down and examining the tracks more closely. "They have at leasst a twelve-hour head sstart. Do you know where they're going?"

Chris read out the note.

"Yess, yess we know Mount Caporel," Cass said. "It'll take them over a week to reach it."

"Do you know the way?" Chris asked.

"There is only one route through thesse mountainss from here. It iss very ssteep and dangerouss and there hass been much fighting along it recently," Duss said.

"It's not ssafe," Cass agreed.

"Batarr iss obvioussly in a hurry and we cannot travel as fasst ass they can," Duss continued thoughtfully. "But there may be another way of catching them. We have tunnelss all over thiss area. One of them ssurfacess near here and alsso interssectss the route to Mount Caporel."

"Yeah..." Chris perked up. "How long will it take to reach Mount Caporel?" "If we can find the right tunnelss," Duss paused and Chris got the impression of a mind quickly calculating travel times and distances. "It sshould take uss about five dayss."

"Yess, yess," Cass agreed, "we sshould ssurface well ahead of them."

"Cool." Chris smiled.

By this time, the sun had already set behind the mountains. Like the previous day, Chris felt an increasing level of agitation among Duss and Cass as night drew closer. They quickly led Chris along the beach to a series of rock outcrops, and then followed these formations into the forest. When they stopped it was almost dark. The smaller of the moons, Sarous, was already high in the sky, bathing the forest in a silvery twilight.

"The entrance iss around here." Cass pointed to a series of shallow caves.

"No, over here." Duss moved off to the right and began scratching amongst some boulders.

"I remember it wass closser to the cliff," Cass insisted, pointing to an overhanging rock face a little distance away.

"No, no, I remember thiss tree," Duss insisted.

Chris sat down on a rock, somewhat bemused by their conversation. Absent-mindedly, he was playing with the key, flicking it over between the knuckles of his fingers − something he wasn't good at. Inevitably it ended up on the ground. But despite the near darkness he was surprised how easily he could see its outline. Curious, he held the key up against the dark backdrop of the forest. It was glowing, like back on Earth when the tree struck his house and on the fishing boat in the storm. As he watched, the glow quickly intensified.

He pocketed the key as the sounds of distant growls started to drift though the forest. These noises had an immediate impact on Duss and Cass. They began sniffing the air with their long snouts and their searching became more frantic. Pushing back a sudden tightening in his chest, Chris unstrapped his bag and took out the hunting knife. He could clearly read the thoughts of Duss and Cass. They were very scared of a creature called a Prower. He received an impression of a large black, cat-like animal, similar in appearance to a leopard, but shorter and very powerful. It particularly liked the taste of Nethral. He thought these might be the wolf-like animals that Batarr had warned them about.

Duss and Cass began clawing around some rocks at the front of a shallow cave. Chris backed towards them, at the same time keeping an eye on the surrounding forest. The growls were becoming much more frequent and closer. He pulled out the key again. Its glow now lit up the surrounding forest. For the first time he could see the Prower. Pairs of red eyes stared back at him from the trees and bushes, and black shapes crouched on nearby rocks. He held the knife in his other hand and placed himself between the Nethral and the advancing Prower.

The leader of the Prower moved into the light and stared at Chris. It had black fur, a wide head with hungry red eyes and a short snort, ringed by sharp teeth. There was a moment of contact when their eyes were locked together. He felt its animal instincts; its drive to kill, to eat. He focused all his energy, all his will, into driving back the creature. It roared. A terrifying roar filled with malice and hunger. The rest of the pack advanced from the shadows. Duss and Cass gave several frightened whimpers behind him and renewed their frantic digging. Chris hadn't taken his eyes off the leader.

The creature roared again, but this time the roar was not so certain, not so powerful. The pack failed to advance further out of the shadows. Chris, by now, had lost all fear, all sense of self-preservation. His mind was locked against the mind of the leader of the Prower. He advanced on the leader, closing within a short distance. Cass and Duss were screaming at him from behind but Chris was committed. Nothing else mattered. The creature took a step backwards, still growling. Chris felt its growing uncertainty, its confusion, and its hunger. Then, finally, fear. The Prower leader took a further step back, spun around, and was gone. The whole pack turned and followed, howling into the night. The light of the key immediately dimmed and extinguished.

Cass and Duss ran up to him and tugged him back.

"Come on..." Duss pulled him toward the hole they had uncovered. "We're very lucky. I have never sseen the Prower run off like that when they were sso closse. I thought we were finisshed. We musst go underground before they come back." He shook his head in disbelief. "No one will ever believe uss when we tell them thiss happened."

Cass tugged at his other arm. Chris could feel the questions rising in her mind. "I sstill don't believe it. A pack that ssize doessn't jusst turn around and run off. What were you doing walking toward them like that?"

"Maybe the light scared them away?" Chris suggested.

"What light?"

Chris realised that neither had seen the light from his key. He wasn't even sure if the Prower had seen it. "I mean the moonlight," he said stupidly.

"Come on," Duss urged, as he stuck his head out of the hole.

Chris scrambled down behind him. Cass followed, sealing the entrance with a large rock. As before, the tunnel was small and narrow and he had to crawl some way before it widened. They emerged into a slightly smaller cavern than the previous night's, but still teeming with glow-worm and insect life. Along one side ran a stream surrounded by a thick mat of ferns, and many strange plants Chris couldn't identify.

He walked over to the stream and splashed some water on his face. The encounter with the Prower had left him drained and shaken, but there was also a sense of exhilaration, of power. Cass came over and sat down on a rock next to him.

"I have never sseen Prower behave like that," she said thoughtfully, watching Chris splash some more water on his face.

Chris didn't answer. He couldn't tell her that the Prower had fled because he mentally faced down their leader.

"Have you ever sseen Prower behave like that?" she asked.

"I think that the Prower, where I come from, behave quite differently," Chris replied.

Cass leaned forward on the rock, placing her short arms on her even shorter legs. "In what way?"

"Ah... I think they are more scared of people, so I wasn't really surprised when they fled."

Cass took a moment to consider his answer. "And where did you ssay you came from?"

"From the other side of the lake. A very long way from here."

"Exactly where?"

"Arr... well past the other side of the lake. In fact, over the other side of the planet."

"Oh...you are a long way from home then."

Chris looked directly at Cass. "Yes I am."

Her head was tilted to one side as she tried to comprehend his answer. "When we firsst told you who we were, you acted as though you had never heard of the Nethral."

Chris read her thoughts immediately. Nearly everyone on this planet had heard of the Nethral, although most believed they were a myth and very few surface people had actually seen them. "I was very confused when I first woke up. I didn't even know where I was."

She nodded slowly.

Chris could see she wasn't convinced. "Where do we go from here?" he asked, deciding to change the subject.

She pointed along the stream. "If we follow thiss sstream for a few hourss it will lead to a large lake. From there we can take lotss of routess to reach your friendss."

Chris nodded, relieved, for now at least, the questions were over.

Over the next few days, Chris saw and experienced a world that went well beyond anything he could have imagined. The subterranean world was immense, both in size and beauty. They entered caverns which took several hours to traverse and teemed with animal and plant life. Vast forests and lakes were common place. Waterfalls spouted from every crevice and streams and rivers criss-crossed each cavern, like flowing lines of silver. And amongst all this stood glistening limestone cathedrals made from hundreds of thousands of stalactites and stalagmites, illuminated from above by the eerie phosphorescent glow of millions of worms and insects that never faded, like the glow of the stars except a thousand times more intense.

Chris wandered through the caverns in a type of dream, gazing at the vast array of colours and sights. Duss and Cass found his behaviour very amusing and they swelled with pride at his many exclamations of amazement and wonder at their subterranean world.

The local Nethral communities that occupied many of the larger caverns greeted Chris with a mixture of curiosity and astonishment. Initially, when they sighted him, they stepped away into the shadows, muttering to themselves. It was clear that visitors from the surface were either rare or non-existent. But once Cass explained Chris's circumstances, and rather embarrassingly credited him with saving their lives, they drew closer again, peering at him with the same black protruding orbs. If he stayed perfectly still, without any sudden moves, they would gather around, nostrils flaring at his strange smell. Only then, after a thorough inspection, could he feel their tension ease.

Cass and Duss turned out to be well known amongst the Nethral communities they passed, and their progress was followed with great interest. Chris would hear countless thoughts flying at him as he passed by. "Doesn't he have a small nose? Where's all his hair? Why is he so thin? Where are his parents? His head looks really strange."

In all, he found their comments very amusing and at times had difficulty stopping himself laughing out loud. But the Nethral were also very generous, and all three travellers were provided with gifts of food, sweet treats and drinks derived from local fruits and vegetables, all of which tasted like nothing Chris had ever tried before.

On the morning of their fifth sleep, which Chris assumed was the fifth day underground, the caverns became smaller and less frequent. There were also fewer glow-worms and insects, which reduced the light so much that Chris started tripping over rocks and hitting his head on the many limestone stalactites. The tunnels were also starting to climb steeply, making the going harder. By the end of the day, they had reached the intersection of two tunnels situated in a small poorly lit cavern, covered with a dense mat of moss and lichen.

"We'll camp here for the night," Cass said, throwing her pack on a bed of moss.

"Yess, yess, thiss iss good place," Duss agreed, doing likewise.

"We're not far from the main route through thesse mountainss to Mount Caporel," Cass explained. "It'ss already night outsside, sso we'll camp here till morning."

That night, whilst sitting by the light of a small fire, Duss and Cass told many stories about the history of their people.

"There had been many warss between the ssurface racess and the Nethral," Cass said, as they sat down to share some fish.

"In the passt the ssurface people ssent whole armiess into the underworld to try and desstroy uss," Duss added. "But they never managed to penetrate very far. They either became hopelesssly losst in the maze of tunnelss, or were killed by Nethral ambusshess."

"We've never been conquered," Cass said proudly.

"No, no never conquered," Duss repeated.

Chris smiled back, reading a huge sense of pride when they talked of their peoples' victories over the surface dwellers.

"And we alsso learnt from thesse experiencess," Cass went on. "Now we hide our tunnel entrancess and make them only ssmall enough for Nethral to enter."

"Thesse dayss we only vissit the ssurface to collect the fissh and fruit we cannot get underground," Duss said. "Thesse dayss the ssurface iss too dangerouss for the Nethral."

Cass nodded slowly, her black orbs fixed on Chris. "We all hope that one day thiss will change, but for now, the ssurface iss a bad place."

As the night progressed, the sombre mood changed. Duss and Cass started telling stories of all the different places in the underworld, and the types of animals and plants that lived in them. It appeared that many creatures of the underworld were unique. They had been separated from their ancestors on the surface for so long that they no longer bore much resemblance to them. Still others creatures had no ancestors, living or dead, on the surface.

"They were created along with the underworld," Duss said, "and dwell in the deepesst, darkesst parts, preying on any creature that sstrayss into their domain."

"They are called the Idesss," Cass said. "And they live in complete darknesss, away from any glow-wormss."

"They don't like glow-wormss," Duss said.

"No they don't like glow-wormss," Cass continued solemnly.

"And no Nethral go down there," Duss said.

"There are many sstoriess," Cass said, "about what happened when Nethral go too deep into the underworld."

"Bad sstoriess," Duss said, "terrible sstoriess, whole communitiess have dissappeared when there hass been a quake. And the glow-wormss have gone out."

"It iss not wisse to go too deep," Duss said.

"No, not wisse at all," Cass confirmed.

Chris picked up visions in Duss's mind of hairless creatures with large heads, dark-green eyes and long spindly limbs. He didn't know whether they were real images or a product of Duss's overactive imagination, but the images were hideous and brought back just how far away from Earth he really was.

Cass and Duss told many more stories about the Nethral and the underworld as the night wore on until Chris couldn't keep his eyes open. His last sleep in the underworld was deep, and full of the images he had seen in the minds of Duss and Cass.

The next day they emerged at sunrise from a tunnel at the back of a small cave. The first thing that struck Chris was how cold it was. There was a light dusting of snow on the ground, but the sun was out and there was a gentle breeze. Chris took a deep breath, realising how much he had missed the sun, the breeze, and the smell of the surface, even if this surface smelt markedly different from Earth's.

They had emerged into a valley with a large forest that stretched in every direction. Either side were mountains that rose steeply into the cloud cover above. Cass and Duss quickly shouldered their packs and led him down into the bottom of the valley. Chris noticed their levels of apprehension rise sharply once they had entered the forest.

"Thiss iss the route to Mount Caporel that your friendss have taken," Duss said, as he pointed along a rocky path that followed the course of the river. "They sshould be coming along here ssometime today, if they are travelling fasst."

Despite encouragement from Chris, Cass and Duss would not go any further. Instead, they found a vantage point where they could safely watch the path and sat down to wait.

They hadn't waited long when they noticed signs of activity over the next valley. High-flying birds and distant sounds indicated that a large company was approaching, stirring up the valley creatures as it advanced. Chris could feel the agitation growing in his companions. Soon the first soldiers appeared, heavily armed with weapons drawn; they systematically searched all the surrounding trees and shrubs along the riverbank. Once an area had been searched, a second group of soldiers would station themselves there while the first group continued further up the riverbank. A huge beast that looked like a cross between a rhinoceros and a horse emerged from the valley. On its back sat Altac, riding up and down a column of soldiers as he directed their search.

Cass tapped Chris on his shoulder, then pointed to the distant ridge. Over the rise a large company of soldiers was emerging, flanked by Taal. In the middle, Chris could see the bushy locks of Susie's hair, and alongside her, with his head lowered, was Joe. Batarr was behind, on another great beast, also directing the soldiers. Chris started to climb to his feet, but was immediately stopped by Duss. He could feel the fear pouring from Duss's mind.

"We musstn't be disscovered by thesse ssurface people," Duss hissed.

"No we musstn't," Cass agreed, as she gathered up her pack.

"But before we leave, I would like you to have thiss." Cass pushed a crystal into Chris's hand. "It will change to bright green when you are near one of our entrancess. Pleasse keep it ssafe."

"Yesss, yess, guard it well," Duss said. "It will help you find the underworld if you ever need our help."

With a rising sense of loss, he turned to thank them. But they had already fled into the undergrowth in the direction of the cave.

When they were out of sight, Chris waited a few minutes, then started walking toward the approaching company. He hadn't walked far when two Taal, brandishing their weapons, stopped him. One of them had been on his fishing boat and clearly recognised him. Even in the normally expressionless features of the Taal, Chris could read confusion. He seemed unsure whether he should shoot him, or welcome him back with open arms.

Chris smiled slightly at his confusion. "Can you please take me back to Batarr and the other Mytar?" he said flatly.

# Chapter 6: A Road Less Travelled

Altac saw Chris first. He rode up and in one smooth movement swept him up, like a piece of baggage.

"I'm very happy to see you," he remarked in his usual formal manner, as he rode hard toward the main company. "And I do apologise for my lack of manners, but you're too exposed. You need to be out of danger before all else."

Batarr looked positively shell-shocked to see him. Chris could sense his total confusion. Initially, Susie and Joe just stared, not willing to trust their eyes, but as he got closer and became more real, they leapt in the air and came racing over, throwing themselves at him so they all ended up in an ungainly pile on the ground. Susie only stopped squealing when one of the soldiers asked her if she had hurt herself.

Chris was totally unprepared for this welcome, and soon realised they thought he was dead. Batarr demanded to know every detail of what had happened to him, and was only satisfied when Chris showed him the key and it was still red.

Apparently, a lot had happened to the company since his unfortunate departure. In all, including the soldiers that were saved by the Wassin, just over one hundred of the original two hundred and fifteen soldiers survived the storm. Batarr had planned to recruit more men at several coastal villages near where they had landed, but when they arrived only smoking ruins and scattered villagers were left. These people told stories of horrible monsters and huge flying creatures that attacked in the middle of the night. Although these stories were obviously exaggerated, it was clear the attack had been swift and deadly. The surviving villagers really had no idea what had happened. Some of these folk readily joined the ranks of the soldiers, fearing a return of the creatures that had attacked them. These new recruits, however, had done little to boost morale. Instead, their hysterical stories fuelled rumours of some unforeseen force that attacked without warning or mercy. Despite repeated questioning by Susie, Batarr refused to be drawn on this subject, but it was obvious he knew more than he was saying.

The relationship between Joe and Batarr was also very strained. When Joe found out that Chris had fallen overboard, he ordered Batarr to jump in after him. When Batarr refused, he ordered him to stop the boat. When this demand was also ignored, Joe broke into a stream of obscenities lasting some minutes.

Although Batarr did not understand all the words, he got the general gist. The relationship had been somewhat icy ever since. The long trek of the past few days had done little to mend the rift. Joe had lost a lot of weight. His usual full face had shrunk back to his cheekbones and his skin had become pale and blotchy. Not a good sight, Chris thought. And Joe's growing exhaustion had done little to ease his temper, which he liberally vented on Batarr and usually within earshot of Batarr's soldiers.

Susie explained to Chris that she had tried to reason with Joe, but it always ended up in screaming matches, usually by the campfire, and again in front of an astonished company of soldiers. Chris read a growing sense of confusion and disrespect amongst the soldiers towards Susie and Joe. This had also added to the general low morale amongst the company. Only the Taal, their minds impenetrable as ever, appeared impervious to the events around them.

The rest of the day was spent battling their way through dense undergrowth and climbing up and down steep slopes of mountains. In places the path became so steep that Batarr and Altac had to dismount their rides and climb on foot. Susie took these opportunities to become very friendly with their mounts. Altac called them Jarwat. They were truly fearsome beasts. With massive heads and shoulders covered in thick hide, they rose nearly three metres off the ground. A single horn protruded up to a metre from their heads. Apparently many a soldier had been impaled on this horn whilst trying to train them. Under Susie's guidance however they became as tame as lambs, meekly following her anywhere without the need for a halter or leash to restrain them. Chris read sheer amazement and disbelief in the minds of the soldiers who witnessed this. In fact, this single act did much to repair the damage Joe had caused by his constant insults and bickering.

As the sun was setting, the company pitched camp by the river in a small clearing. The weather had closed in and the wind had picked up. Like the rest of the company, Chris felt cold and exhausted, but the long hours of trekking had given him time to think.

He had assumed that Kaloc was the Guardian Batarr had lost contact with just before they had started their journey. The news of his continued existence should have sparked some type of reaction from him, yet there was nothing \- even though Altac got quite excited. Then there was the matter of the second key. Chris had decided to raise both these issues as soon as he could catch Batarr alone. This, however, proved difficult, as he rode amongst his troops until late, ordering a final sweep of the forest. Chris finally managed to catch him later that evening, when most of the company had already turned in for the night.

He found Batarr pacing slowly in front of the fire, a hot drink warming his hands. Chris could feel he was struggling with some problem, and hesitated before interrupting. However, Batarr saw Chris and beckoned him to sit down. In the firelight, Batarr cut a dishevelled figure. Unshaven and gaunt, with rings of exhaustion circling his eyes, he appeared to have aged enormously in only the few weeks Chris had known him. Although Chris could not read his thoughts, he could feel the anxiety radiating from him.

"I'm very relieved to see you again." He turned toward Chris and smiled briefly when Chris made eye contact. "An amazing turn of events. The Nethral are very reclusive. You should feel very privileged at being given the opportunity to see their world."

"I do." Chris nodded. "They were cool."

Batarr smiled at Chris for a moment, then his expression became very serious. "In a few days we will reach Mount Caporel. Your key should start feeling warm as we near the portal."

"Yeah, maybe," Chris shrugged, watching Batarr pace slowly in front of him. "I heard you have a second key?"

Batarr paused directly in front of the fire and took a sip of his drink. "That's right. It belonged to another Guardian, who was killed by Zelnoff."

With the fire behind Batarr, Chris could only see his silhouette, but he got the impression the mention of the key was an unwelcome topic. "How'd you get it?" he asked.

"The Guardian who had this key felt he had been discovered and gave it to me for safekeeping. His fears unfortunately proved correct. Within a few days, Zelnoff's forces overran him."

"Are you sure they killed him?"

"He was killed," Batarr said flatly, leaving no room for further questioning.

"Then who's Kaloc?"

There was a pause while Batarr took another sip of his drink. Chris tried hard to absorb some impression or emotion, something that would reveal his state of mind, but there was nothing. It was as though an impenetrable mental wall had been thrown up.

"Kaloc was one of the first Guardians to fall under Zelnoff's spell," Batarr replied, after another sip. "He now commands many of Zelnoff's forces."

"But the Nethral..."

" _The Nethral are ill-informed,"_ Batarr cut him off irritably. "They don't really know what's happening on the surface."

"So Kaloc could be behind these night attacks on the villagers?"

"Yes, it's very likely."

"Umm... so do you think this Kaloc, or Zelnoff, knows we're coming?"

"It's possible," he said, after a few seconds pause. "Either way, we don't have much time. We need to locate the portal and find Zelnoff quickly. Otherwise, what little advantage we have, will be lost."

"But don't we need more men?"

"To locate the portal we only require a small force. Any more will attract too much attention."

"But what happens if we're discovered?"

"If we are discovered," Batarr said, "we won't have a chance anyway. Only a very large army will have any chance of attacking Zelnoff, and they would be detected long before they got anywhere near his base. We're not dealing with a local military commander here. We're dealing with a creature who has already crossed dimensions and conquered many planets. He won't be approached easily and, once detected, escape would probably be impossible anyway. No... as small a party as possible is needed to find his exact position. There is a much larger force, not far from here, waiting for me to relay the exact location of Zelnoff's base."

Chris raised his head. "You have more soldiers?"

"Yes, a substantial force."

"That's fantastic. How many?"

"Enough to give Zelnoff a sizeable headache," Batarr reflected. "And, if we are lucky and surprise him, we may even capture or kill him."

His tone sounded almost confident and Chris felt his own spirits lift. "So all you want us to do is find the portal?"

Batarr sat down on a log next to Chris and put down his drink. "We have two keys, so we will split up into two small groups of five," he continued. "A Caan will accompany each group. Whichever group finds the portal first can then send a message to the other group. You and I will be in one group, and Susie and Joe will join the other."

"Oh no, come on... you want to separate us again, I've only just found you."

"I need a Mytar in each group, and besides, we can't risk travelling this route any longer. It's too exposed. Tomorrow we must leave the main company and make our own way to Mount Caporel. The rest of the company will continue on to join the main force."

Chris was about to hurl forth a torrent of objections and complaints, but the words wouldn't come. He had seen too much, experienced too much, knew too much, to doubt Batarr's reasoning or motives. There was nothing he could say that wouldn't sound like some childish tantrum. He only wished he had never decided to question Batarr. At least then he would have had the benefit of a good night's sleep.

Batarr drained his cup. In the flames of the fire, his grey features looked almost rosy. "You have already achieved much, Mytar. More than I would have ever expected, and you are still growing stronger." He leaned over and put an arm around Chris's shoulder. "Get some sleep. Tomorrow this will not feel like such an impossible task."

Chris looked up into Batarr eyes. He didn't know why, but he didn't believe him.

When Chris woke up the sun was well over the horizon. The air was still but cold, and patches of frost lay on the ground in places the sun hadn't penetrated. He hadn't slept well. There had been many strange sounds in the night, and among them he had clearly recognised the Prower. Not far away, he could hear Joe's nearly hysterical voice ripping into Batarr yet again. He guessed Batarr had told Joe and Susie of his plans. Joe, to put it mildly, was not taking the news well.

"I used to think I was badly treated on Earth," Joe was saying. "But compared to this..." He waved his hand toward the camp. "And you," he pointed rudely at Batarr, "forced marches, hardly any food... Prisoners in jails get better treatment."

Batarr looked unimpressed and stood impassively listening to Joe's ranting's.

Susie smiled briefly at Chris when he approached.

"Just take me home. I don't belong here." Joe pointed to his feet. "I've got blisters. My feet are bleeding. I need a doctor."

"We have some herbs that will help your blisters," Batarr suggested.

Joe's face went red. "Don't you understand? This has all been a big mistake. I don't have any special powers."

Batarr remained impassive.

Joe turned to Chris when he caught sight of him. "Have you heard of his latest grand plan?"

Chris was in no mood to join in the insults. "I think it's a good idea," he said bluntly. "This route is bound to be watched. We need to split into smaller groups."

With this reply, a fresh flush of red appeared on Joe's cheeks. _"You sound like him,"_ he spluttered.

"The sooner we reach the portal, the sooner we can get home," Chris replied. He turned to Batarr. "Once we find the portal you can send us home?"

Batarr raised an eyebrow. "Yes, I don't see why not."

Joe looked from Chris to Batarr and back again, not knowing whether to believe either of them.

"Whichever group finds the portal first will immediately notify the other," Batarr said, assuming the discussion was now over.

"But we might get lost," Joe said.

"You won't get lost. Sasli will be with you. If you have any problems, Sasli will find us."

"But won't the portal be guarded?" Joe continued, in voice that was quickly deteriorating into a whine. "I mean Zelnoff's not going to just let us wander in there."

"You only need to find the approximate location. Any sign of danger and you should return straight away, or send Sasli to find us."

Joe grunted, but it was clear he couldn't think of any further objections.

"Maybe the two groups can travel together and split up when we get closer to Mount Caporel?" Susie suggested.

Batarr considered Susie's suggestion for a moment. "I have no objections, as long as it is understood that we split up when the keys start to become warm."

After some further debate between Batarr and Altac, it was decided to take an alternative route through the region known as the Murtral. This region was the main catchment basin for Mt Caporel and the surrounding mountains. Consequently, the area was streaked with tumbling waterfalls and fast-flowing rivers that spawned some of the densest sub-tropical rainforest on the planet. The perfect cover, Altac had argued, to approach Mt. Caporel undetected.

An hour later, at the junction of two valleys, a party of ten, consisting of two Caan, the Mytar, Batarr, Altac and three Taal, separated from the main company. The going was hard. The valley they had taken climbed steeply between two snow-capped peaks. Along its length, a torrent of foaming water spilled down moss-covered boulders and over cliffs carved from basalt lava flows. These obstacles had to be negotiated by beating a path through the surrounding undergrowth, thick with strangler vines and prickly bushes. The Taal led the way, cutting a path with huge hatchets. Despite the cold weather, their bodies were soon covered in sweat from their exertions.

Chris walked alongside Susie who, in contrast to Joe, seemed as though she was almost enjoying herself.

As they climbed a rock outcrop, Susie suddenly stopped and bent over. "What have you found?" Chris asked, peering over her shoulder.

Susie had picked up what Chris would have called a rabbit on Earth. "It's what Altac calls an ilper," she replied, stroking its fur.

"Is it sick?"

"No, it's quite healthy, just startled by all this activity." She placed the ilper down and it ran into a nearby bush.

"So, the animals around here must be pretty tame."

She shook her head. "Quite the opposite."

Then he realised; Susie's powers, like his own, were still growing. "Can you control animals?"

She stood up and flicked some strands of hair from her face. "No, not really, but I am beginning to understand their thoughts... maybe even communicate with them. It's really cool." She flashed a smile at him, then ran over to a nearby tree and placed both hands on it. "This tree is about eighty years old. It has borers and some kind of grub eating its leaves." She moved her hands to different parts of the trunk, closing her eyes in concentration. "I can even tell what animals live in it and what animals regularly visit it. I'm starting to sense all the life of this planet."

"Wow, that's cool," Chris agreed, viewing Susie with a new sense of awe.

"But I can't do what you can do. I can't read people's thoughts, or travel in my mind to distant places."

"But between us," Chris added with a smile, "we can eavesdrop on just about all the life of this planet."

She beamed broadly back at him.

"Have you told Joe?" Chris asked.

Susie paused thoughtfully. "I think this is the last thing he would want to hear."

"Hmm... How about Batarr?"

She shook her head. "I was going to a number of times, but... well I felt there was something not quite right about telling him."

"What do you mean?"

"Something about his mood."

"Can you sense feelings?"

"Sometimes...although it's more that he just seems pre-occupied."

Chris nodded. "Then don't tell him for now."

When the red ball of the sun had reached its highest point in the sky, the company paused for lunch. They were perched above a cliff that provided spectacular views right down the valley. Above them, a grey mist, like a huge blanket, was rolling down the valley, engulfing all in its path. By the time lunch was over, the first tentacles of mist were creeping across the sun, diffusing the light into deep-reds and purples. A cold, white dampness started to descend, reducing the visibility to little more than a handful of metres.

By late afternoon, the dwindling light, exhaustion, and many bitter complaints from Joe forced Batarr to call a halt for the night. After devouring their food, the Mytar collapsed into their makeshift beds, too exhausted even to talk.

The next day the company broke camp at first light. The mist had not lifted but at least it was slightly warmer than the previous morning. With sinking spirits, they trudged on. Joe had ceased to talk to Chris or Susie, preferring his own sullen silence. Altac, however, chattered on happily. It turned out he was something of a herbalist in his spare time. Periodically, he pointed out plants that could cure various ailments and explained the ways important ingredients were extracted. These conversations did wonders to lift Chris and Susie's spirits as Batarr had also fallen silent, preferring only to sing to Sasli in low tones that Susie could not overhear.

It was late afternoon on the second day when Chris noticed the key was changing. Although not warm, it no longer felt cold in his pocket.

"I think we're near the portal," he whispered to Joe and Susie as he brought out the key and examined it. "Who has the second key?"

"Batarr won't let it out of his sight," Joe whispered.

They pushed their way past the Taal and caught up to Batarr, who was singing quietly to Sasli.

"Are you sure?" Batarr queried when Chris told him.

"I think so. Give me the other key and I'll check."

Batarr reached into his robe and pulled out the second key. In Chris's hands, it immediately changed to red but, more importantly, there was a subtle increase in temperature.

"Yep, this key too." He smiled back at Batarr.

Batarr returned his smile with a broad grin of his own. "It's here, we're close." He focused back on Chris. "There's no time to lose." He took a key from Chris and handed it to Susie. "You must lead the second group. Each group will have a Caan. The first group that finds the portal can use the Caan to tell the other."

Chris was amazed at the burst of enthusiasm from Batarr. He seemed surprisingly excited for someone who was about to walk into Zelnoff's stronghold. "What about Zelnoff's soldiers?"

"We will have to be very careful, of course," Batarr added, in a more subdued tone. "But we may be on the verge of discovering Zelnoff's hiding place and that's something no one has done before."

Altac, who had been listening from a short distance away, came forward and whispered into Batarr's ear. Batarr nodded for a moment then announced, "we won't split up just yet."

When the company began moving forward again, Joe drew alongside Chris. "I wonder what that was about?"

"I think I know," Susie said. "I didn't sleep well last night. There were a lot of strange sounds coming from the forest."

"Howls?" Chris asked.

"Yeah, and twice the Taal fired their weapons into the trees but missed whatever they were aiming at."

"Maybe the Taal are just getting jumpy," Joe suggested.

Chris shook his head. "I can't imagine a Taal firing randomly into the forest because he was jumpy."

"I think they were Prower," Susie said, dropping her voice to a whisper. "Today, when I passed by some trees I put my hands on their trunks. There were large creatures in their upper branches. I think we're being followed."

"I've also felt something," Chris added. "I think we're being watched."

"Oh, give us a break," Joe said. "Neither of you has seen anything. You both just think you can feel things that aren't even there."

There was a thinly concealed contempt in Joe's voice that made Chris turn to study him. "Don't you believe us?"

Joe's mouth curled into a sneer. "Nah... You might have Batarr fooled but I don't believe any of it."

"Well, how to you explain the fact that I can understand Sasli?" Susie asked; stopping and glaring down at Joe.

The corners of Joe's mouth sank, but he said nothing. Chris knew Joe believed them. That wasn't the issue. "Look, you're just a late developer," Chris said.

"What?"

"Your powers."

"Oh...you think so?" Joe shook his head miserably, then turned and walked off.

Chris was considering whether to follow him when Batarr reappeared. "There's only about an hour of light left, so we will pitch camp for the night and make a fresh start in the morning."

This was excellent news. An hour of daylight left and they didn't have to spend it plodding up a mountain! Chris and Susie slipped away as soon as the Taal turned their backs and found a stream with a large pool, a little distance from the camp.

Susie dipped her hand in the water. "There's some big fish in here."

"Maybe we should get some for dinner," Chris suggested. "You try and be their friend, and I'll grab them when they come close."

She grinned at him. "Ha, ha. I'm not about to kill anything. I think I'll become vegetarian when I get back home."

Chris pulled a face. "But don't vegetables have feelings too? Won't they get upset if you eat them?"

She ignored his comment and placed her hand on a nearby tree. "Um..." She frowned. "There's some type of creature sitting high up in this tree."

They both looked up, but the trunk disappeared into an impossibly thick canopy above their heads.

"Are you sure?"

She walked over to several other trees and placed her hands on them, then nodded. "And they're in these trees as well."

Chris sent his senses out to probe the surrounding forest. There was also a humanoid presence, and it was close.

"Come on," he said, lowering his voice. "Let's get back."

Susie didn't need any encouragement. Together they turned and ran back the way they came. They had not gone far, however, before they found their path blocked by three large gorilla-like creatures dressed in the same metal chest plates and thick hides as Batarr's soldiers. Chris immediately recognised them as the same species he had seen with Zelnoff in his vision.

Both parties stared at each other. Chris read that these soldiers had been searching for them. Instinctively he dived for cover, dragging Susie behind him. A blue beam of light struck the tree next to one of the soldiers, igniting it in a shower of sparks and flame. The soldiers swung around and started returning fire. There were more shouts, explosions, beams from weapon fire. More trees exploded as the forest lit up like some macabre light show.

Chris and Susie ran for their lives, clambering and clawing their way back to the stream, then straight through it, barely noticing the icy water. When they reached the opposite bank they crashed through the undergrowth and ran until their legs and lungs could carry them no further. Finally, wet and exhausted, they dropped behind a large rotting log, too frightened to move.

The weapons fire didn't last long. The forest quickly reverted to silence with only the smell of smoke and the distant glow of fires remaining. Chris tentatively stuck his head out over the top of the log. There was no movement, nothing to indicate what had just happened.

"We have to find Joe," Susie whispered, also peering over the log.

Chris looked across at her. She was shivering uncontrollably. Her wet hair hung around her face like many loose springs and she had her arms wrapped around herself in a futile attempt to keep warm. "Yeah," he agreed, feeling rather frightened at the prospect. "We'll have to go back."

He settled back and pulled out his key. It was glowing. A shiver of fear and cold shook his body violently.

"What does that mean?" Susie asked, crawling up next to him.

"I think it glows when I'm in danger," he replied, instinctively dropping his voice to a whisper.

Susie pulled out her key. It, too, was glowing.

Chris peered over the log again into the gathering twilight, trying to identify any possible danger. A short distance away there was some movement. Someone was creeping through the undergrowth towards them. In the dimming light, however, he couldn't tell who it was. Further away there were other noises. Zelnoff's soldiers appeared, spread out in a search pattern as they swept toward them. The figure crept closer. It was Batarr. Chris, feeling greatly relieved, signalled to him. He waved back and crept toward them.

"What's happened?" Chris whispered, when Batarr was within earshot.

At first Batarr didn't answer, but kept watching the soldiers. "You have done very well, Mytar," he said finally.

His voice was strange, almost mechanical and they were the last words Chris expected, given the situation.

Chris glanced at Susie. She, too, looked puzzled. He tried to sense something of Batarr's mood but was met with a huge confusion of feelings, anger, power, fear, vengeance. They were all there, swirling around in a vortex of emotion. "What do you mean?" he asked finally.

"We wouldn't have been able to find Kaloc and the portal without you."

Chris felt Susie grip him on the arm and pull him back. "What are you talking about?" he asked. "You mean Zelnoff, don't you?"

Both keys were now glowing strongly, illuminating the whole area. Susie saw it too, but Batarr didn't react. Chris suddenly felt a surge of power building inside Batarr. He stared at Chris, fixing him in a grip he couldn't break.

"Hey, Batarr!" Joe's voice called.

Batarr turned toward the voice. What looked like the stump of a tree was pointing a crystal weapon directly at him. The weapon fired. A blue flash of light exploded next to Batarr. The tree stump swore, then fired again and again. Each time Batarr was just quick enough to avoid being struck. The advancing soldiers also saw Batarr and opened fire, driving him to cover amongst a thicket of trees.

Then everything changed. The closest soldier stopped firing, paused for a moment, as though he was thinking, then turned and shot the soldier next to him in the chest. At such a close range the soldier was thrown into the air. This immediately stalled the attack as the soldiers looked blankly at the soldier who had killed his comrade. This soldier took aim at another soldier and shot him in the head, killing him instantly. He was then shot from behind. The soldier who had shot him was also killed. Soon the attack descended into a slaughter as everyone began shooting each other until there was only one soldier left. He then promptly shot himself.

Batarr turned his attention back to the tree stump. Chris could feel the power radiating from him. The tree turned into Joe. His face was bright red, eyes wide with horror. Slowly, as though wrestling with himself, he started to point the weapon toward Chris and Susie. Chris threw all his mental strength at Joe, trying to break Batarr's hold. The weapon stopped rotating toward them. Joe's grip on the trigger loosened. The weapon dropped to the ground.

Batarr fixed his attention back on Chris. He felt the images flood into his mind, self-mutilation; the urge to strangle Susie and kill Joe. Image after image flooded his consciousness. But Batarr himself had taught Chris how to block out these images. He removed himself behind a mental wall and imagined himself building up the wall brick by brick. And with each brick the images weakened, fading until they had no more impact than images in a cinema, then a T.V. Then, in an instant, they were gone.

He looked toward Batarr and found that his attention was focused on a tall, bald man carrying a staff who was striding quickly toward him. Chris immediately recognised Zelnoff. His heart sank. Against two beings with these powers, he stood no chance, yet Chris could detect no enhancement of their powers. Instead, they appeared to be locked in a battle of wills against each other. Zelnoff was trying to destroy Batarr. This was their chance. He grabbed Susie by the arm and signalled Joe; together all three fled.

This time, they only stopped briefly to re-gain their breath before plunging ahead again. When they finally stopped the sun had completely set, and the asteroid belt and both moons were visible in the night sky, bathing the land in shades of silver and greys. Near complete exhaustion, they stopped in a small clearing, ringed by tall trees.

"I think...I think...we've lost them," Joe panted, his eyes straining through the gloom.

"So you do have powers." Susie slapped Joe on the back.

"I can be anything I want," he grinned back, "I just have to think of it."

"How did you find out?" she asked.

"Arr...well..." he paused thoughtfully, "I was with Altac and the others when I heard the soldiers approach," Joe began, for the first time a clear note of excitement in his voice. "I looked around for a place to hide, but couldn't find anything. I think... I wished I was a rock, or a tree, or something. Anything so they couldn't see me and they just walked straight past. They must have seen me, but hadn't recognised me. I realised this must be my power. That's when I saw the battle." He paused for a moment. "I think Sasli escaped, but the other Caan was killed. Altac was also wounded. I think they captured him. Batarr did what you just saw him do. He made the soldiers fire on each other and then he escaped. I picked up a weapon from one of the dead soldiers and followed him."

"But how did you know he was trying to hurt us?" Susie asked.

"I didn't. But I remembered Chris saying the key glowed whenever there was danger. When I saw that, I figured Batarr was going to do something pretty nasty."

"I don't understand any of this," Chris admitted. "Why would Batarr suddenly turn on us like that, and why did he say he had found Kaloc? I thought we were after Zelnoff?"

Susie had been touching the trunks of the nearby trees. "We haven't escaped," she announced. "I think the Prower have been following us in the trees."

At that moment, several dark shapes leapt down from the trees. They immediately began howling and were answered by a series of more distant howls.

Chris pulled out his key. This time there was no glow.

Susie, despite warnings from Chris and Joe, moved closer to the shapes. They backed away, growling threateningly. "They've been told to guard us," she said. "They're waiting for someone. Someone who's their friend and wants very much to meet us."

As she spoke, more Prower arrived, quickly encircling them. By this time it was almost completely dark, but Chris sensed the approach of someone powerful. Suddenly some type of light illuminated the whole area. Zelnoff was standing in front of them, flanked by many soldiers. He was holding up a staff with a large blue crystal at its apex, which emitted a powerful light that flooded the whole area.

"Mytar," he smiled warmly. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you."

# Chapter 7: Strange Happenings

The events of that night were as terrifying as they were amazing, as weird they were wonderful. Whilst Susie and Joe stepped back at the sight of Zelnoff, Chris held his ground. He felt all his senses heighten and his fingers tingle; the urge to fight crystallised his thoughts. His growing mental powers gathered for one final surge.

Zelnoff felt it too. His welcoming smile turned to confusion, then disbelief. "Stop!" he shouted, holding out his hands and shaking his head vigorously. "I'm not who you think I am. I'm not your enemy! "I'm Kaloc! Batarr and Zelnoff are the ones you should be fighting, not me."

Chris felt a hand on his shoulder. "He's not our enemy," Susie whispered. "I don't feel he will attack us."

With enormous difficulty, he pulled himself back.

For the first time Chris found he could probe this man's thoughts. His name was Kaloc. It was true. He was a Guardian and he had been fighting Batarr and Zelnoff.

"Please, you're all cold and wet," Kaloc continued. "This seems as good a place as anywhere to set up camp." He pointed his staff at a rotting tree stump a short distance away and a beam of white light shot from the top of his staff. When the beam hit the stump it instantly burst into flames. "Please warm yourselves." He gestured toward the now fiercely burning stump. "My men will bring food and drink and I will answer all your questions." He sounded positively animated, as if he had just discovered a fortune in his own backyard.

Chris looked across at Joe and Susie. In the glow of the fire, all he could see was relief etched in their faces. Joe was already shuffling closer to the growing flames, the palms of his hands held up for warmth. Chris just felt exhausted. At this moment he didn't care. As long as this person wasn't going to kill them, he could be anyone he wanted to be. The surrounding Prower had stopped guarding them and were roaming around like a lot of very large domesticated cats, except they growled instead of purred. The key, still in his hand, showed no glow. He noticed Susie was also examining her key, with similar results.

"Please make yourselves at home," Kaloc smiled reassuringly.

More soldiers arrived with supplies and started building up the fire. As the flames grew higher, Chris noticed a tall figure, supported by two soldiers, limping toward them.

"Altac," Susie squealed, running over immediately.

Altac smiled broadly when he saw them. "I'm very glad to see you're all still in good health," he said in his usual formal tone.

Susie looked at his leg, then drew a sharp breath.

"It's not as bad as it looks," Altac said, almost casually. "It will heal in no time. I don't believe there'll be any permanent damage." The soldiers sat him down on a log close to the fire. Chris immediately probed his thoughts. He was in pain, but didn't fear for his life. In his mind, this man was indeed Kaloc, whom he had met many times in the past twenty years and considered a friend. But at a deeper level, his mind was in turmoil. Chris read confusion and anger at the attack on Batarr, but for the moment anyway, Altac had decided to bide his time and wait for an explanation for this horrendous betrayal of Batarr and the Mytar.

Kaloc drew closer and inspected the Mytar. "My men should be able to supply some dry clothes. Although the clothes may be a little too large," he added as an afterthought.

He stabbed his staff into the ground a little distance from the fire and the soldiers began erecting a camp around the light. Chris judged there were now about sixty soldiers busily at work. Some, like Altac, had wounds from weapon fire and were being attended to in a makeshift shelter, while other soldiers carried in supplies. Several logs were rolled across in front of the fire, providing convenient seats.

Kaloc sat down on a log and studied each Mytar in turn as they stood in front of him. "I still can't get used to the idea," he said at last. "Children Mytar... Who would have believed it? I feel very sorry you have been dragged into this mess, but I'm also very happy you're here."

Chris tried again to probe his thoughts, but this time he was locked out. Clearly Kaloc had only allowed him access to his thoughts briefly to confirm his identity.

"Why are you so happy we're here?" Joe asked, watching Kaloc suspiciously.

Kaloc's eyes narrowed, as though contemplating how to answer this question. "First, I would like you to explain to me how you got here."

After quickly searching the faces of Joe and Susie, and seeing they were not about to volunteer an explanation, Chris began. He explained how he found the key, how they had fallen through the portal, the meeting with Batarr, his vision where he had seen Kaloc collecting food, and all the events leading up to the present, with Joe and Susie periodically injecting their own perspectives. Kaloc listened carefully, nodding at certain points and grunting agreement at others, as though their story was confirming his suspicions.

"This explains a lot," he said, when Chris had finished. "The knife Batarr gave you was my favourite fruit-peeling knife. Zelnoff has already made several attempts to find me using this knife, but I know what his presence is like and can shield myself. But your vibrations were totally different. I realised too late that I was being watched."

"I didn't know it was you, we..."

"It's fine, it's fine," Kaloc cut in. "In fact, considering what has happened, it's been the best possible outcome."

Kaloc leaned forward eagerly. "Who has the key?"

Chris pulled out his key and Susie also pulled out her key.

Kaloc's face broadened in laughter when he saw the second key. "Excellent. I couldn't have planned for a better outcome." He took Susie's key and examined it closely. "This key belonged to Yemac, a good friend of mine," he said sadly. "He underestimated the power of Zelnoff to corrupt even his most trusted advisors." He handed the key back to Susie. "He was betrayed and killed and the key fell into Batarr's hands. But now..." He smiled across at the Mytar. "You not only have Yemac's key, but Batarr's key as well. He has lost the Mytar and both the keys."

Even in the dim light of the fire, Chris could see the clear sparkle in Kaloc's eyes.

"Batarr has made his first mistake," Kaloc continued. "It's up to me to ensure it will be a very costly one."

In answer to their confused expressions, Kaloc gestured for them to sit down. "Batarr was once a very powerful and strong leader," he continued, "and his ability to project himself into your dimension and others went well beyond the abilities of the other six Guardians of this planet. Apparently, whilst exploring these other dimensions, he must have found Zelnoff, or Zelnoff found him. I'm not sure whether Batarr voluntarily allowed Zelnoff to enter this world, or Zelnoff had control of him, but either way, the result has been the same. We are an occupied world and I lead the only remaining resistance, and hold the last remaining portal to your world." He paused for a moment to observe the effect of his words. "And you three, I believe, are part of the last remaining group of Mytar on your planet."

"That's not true," Chris objected. "There should be other Mytar on Earth."

Kaloc shook his head. "You are the last. As you already know, the groups of Mytar are spaced apart so that at least another three older groups should still exist on your planet. Their vibrations would have been much stronger than yours and easier to detect. When Zelnoff invaded this planet, we immediately started trying to locate the strongest Mytar in your world. It shouldn't have been a difficult task, but each time we found a group of Mytar, Batarr managed to kill them before we could transport them back here."

"Batarr killed all the other Mytar," Joe said, his jaw dropping. "Why didn't you stop him?"

"We simply didn't know he was working for Zelnoff. We thought Zelnoff was killing the Mytar, not Batarr."

There was a prolonged silence after these words. Chris couldn't read Kaloc's thoughts, but the gravity of his voice left no doubt in Chris's mind that he was telling the truth.

"So he saved us because we could use the keys to find your portal?" Chris summarised.

"Zelnoff cannot make the leap safely to your world unless he controls all the portals," Kaloc continued. "As long as I'm alive and have control of a portal, he'll be in danger of me disrupting the transport to your planet. He knows this, but so far hasn't been able to find my portal, or me."

"Until now," Susie interrupted. "Because of us, Batarr now knows where the portal is."

Kaloc nodded. "Zelnoff couldn't find my portal so he needed Mytar to operate the keys to find it. As all of the adult Mytar were already dead. That only left your group. It appears from your presence that Batarr succeeded in finding you. I couldn't have done this. Your signal would've been too weak for me to detect."

"So why are you so happy to see us?" Chris asked.

"You represent the only force that's still capable of stopping Zelnoff. I can only delay his conquest of this world, I cannot ultimately defeat him. Eventually he will find the portal and me. But now, with your help, there is a chance of not only stopping him reaching your world, but throwing him out of ours."

There was a collective gasp of exasperation. _"We're too young,"_ Joe pleaded. _"We can't do anything."_

"This task shouldn't have fallen to you," Kaloc admitted. "But whether you yet fully realise it or not, you possess abilities that make you capable of extraordinary feats."

"But I thought we were going to go back to Earth," Joe said, sounding more miserable by the second.

"Batarr had no intention of returning you to your home once you located the portal," Kaloc replied. "You are Mytar, and even though you're still young, you represent a serious threat to Zelnoff's plans. You saw for yourselves that Batarr was going to kill you. As long as any Mytar are alive, they will threaten Zelnoff."

"But I still don't get it," Susie said. "How are we a threat?"

"Each Mytar has unique powers that are magnified in the presence of the rest of the group," Kaloc explained. "If we can find and transport the remaining Mytar from your world to this one, then, when all the Mytar powers are combined, we may be able to defeat Zelnoff."

"Only maybe?" Chris queried, feeling he had heard this record before.

"You're young and immature, and your true powers have yet to develop. I cannot say if your combined strength will be enough."

"So we're back to saving the planet," Joe groaned, sounding disgusted.

"After what you have seen, surely you cannot doubt the seriousness of this situation," Kaloc replied, raising an eyebrow at Joe.

"But how can we fight an army?" Joe asked.

"You cannot fight anyone until you find the remaining Mytar. I don't have the ability to detect them from here, so you will have to go back through the portal and find them yourselves."

At the mention of returning to Earth, Susie and Joe grinned at each other.

"But not yet," Kaloc added quickly. "Batarr has escaped. He will be rushing back to his forces, which are massing in the next valley. We must return to the portal before Zelnoff's forces find it. At the moment, it's well hidden in the underworld under the protection of the Nethral."

"The Nethral..." Chris repeated.

Kaloc smiled at Chris. "I thought that name might stir some reaction. They were the first to alert me to your presence. News travels fast when a child can stare down hungry Prower."

Chris felt himself going red. "So do you know Duss and Cass?"

"Not personally, but they were impressed enough to tell the high council of the Nethral all about your exploits. It wasn't long before the news got back to me. Then, when my Prower reported a strange party of soldiers led by Batarr and accompanied by children, I took an educated guess."

Chris looked across at Altac. He was listening with a mixture of confusion and astonishment on his face. Clearly Kaloc's words were a complete revelation to him. His mind was having extreme difficulty believing that all this time, his master, the Guardian he had served for so long and devoted his life to, was a servant of Zelnoff.

"But how could Batarr hide his connection to Zelnoff?" Chris asked, deciding to voice the question Altac was burning to ask.

Kaloc nodded, as though expecting this question. "Did any of you have any doubts who Batarr really was?"

"Well... I never liked him," Joe piped up, trying to sound as if he had known all along.

"But did you ever suspect he was working for Zelnoff?"

Joe grumbled under his breath but in the end, like Chris and Susie, had to admit he had no idea.

"That's what makes Zelnoff so dangerous. He has the ability to manipulate people with promises of power, or control them with his will. His influence spreads into every corner of the land, like a disease. Even I don't know who has fallen under his control."

"When did you know that Batarr was with Zelnoff?" Altac asked.

"Not for a long time," Kaloc replied softly, after watching his friend. "We thought we were only fighting Zelnoff. Before we realised, three Guardians had been killed and the armies of Zelnoff were pouring through their portals. Zelnoff never used Batarr's portal. That's why we never suspected anything. We thought Batarr was helping us when, in fact, he was using his powers to find and kill the Mytar in your world, while Zelnoff was waging war on us here. Batarr carried out this deception for years. Only when I was the last remaining Guardian did I suspect him."

"And what made you suspicious?" Susie asked.

"Hmm... Nothing obvious," Kaloc said slowly, "only minor things. For instance, Zelnoff always seemed to know where the portals were, no matter where we re-located them, and he never attempted to find Batarr's portal, even though, as you have seen, it is quite exposed." He paused for a moment. "And probably in hindsight the most obvious; Batarr always wanted know the whereabouts of the other portals. We trusted him; he was our leader, so he was always told everything. When I moved the portal to the underworld, I decided not to tell anyone where it was located. It appears that's what saved me."

"So you were never absolutely sure it was Batarr?" Altac asked.

"No, I was never absolutely sure. Only when I heard about Chris's abilities and the presence of two other children in Batarr's company did I put the final pieces of the puzzle together. He wouldn't have guarded you so well if you weren't the child Mytar."

"So it was Zelnoff's armies that destroyed those villages we saw on the lake," Susie concluded.

"You must understand," Kaloc replied, his voice becoming very serious, "that this area is the last part of this planet that's not under Zelnoff's rule. There were people in those villages who spied on Zelnoff's forces for me. Because Zelnoff didn't know who were responsible, he destroyed them all." He looked away into the flames of the fire. "This isn't an unusual tactic for Zelnoff," he added bitterly.

Chris looked across at Altac, who was sitting nursing his leg, his coarse features wrapped in misery.

"I know this must be hard for you," Kaloc addressed Altac, an almost apologetic tone in his voice. "You trusted Batarr and were willing to die for him. I can only say how sorry I am for having to tell you this. Batarr didn't try to convince you that I was working for Zelnoff because he knew you would have difficulty believing it. Instead he twisted the truth and said he was looking for Zelnoff. He knew you would defend him first and ask questions later, and that's exactly what happened."

Altac didn't react. Instead he stared blankly into the fire.

Chris read enormous sadness and hurt in his thoughts, but his disbelief was gone. Kaloc's explanation, for the moment at least, appeared to have satisfied his most pressing questions. "So how do we stop someone like Zelnoff?" Chris asked.

"Batarr has actually told you more of the truth than he realised," Kaloc said thoughtfully. "Zelnoff's strength is also his greatest weakness. If we defeat him, his whole empire will crumble."

"But no one even knows what he looks like," Joe complained.

"That's true." Kaloc turned his attention to Chris. "You have already used your abilities to find the Wassin and myself. You may also be able to use these abilities to find Zelnoff."

"So you've got something of Zelnoff's I can use?" Chris asked, feeling the now all too familiar fluttering in his stomach.

"No, but you mightn't have to find him. He may come looking for you. On your planet, Batarr has already shown that he can reach you in your sleep. He may try the same thing tonight to find our exact location. If he does, you mustn't try to block him out. He must be allowed to enter your dreams."

"Why?" Chris frowned.

"Look for someone in the background. I don't believe, considering your growing powers, Batarr would attempt this without help from Zelnoff. Zelnoff will be there somewhere. You must look for him. But don't try to probe his thoughts, just try to see what he looks like."

Chris had the same sinking feeling he had experienced when Batarr had first asked him to find Zelnoff. He watched Kaloc as he began rubbing the tummy of a Prower, who had been lying on its back, patiently waiting for attention. If he protested, he would get the same stock response that Batarr had always given him. "Because you are Mytar." Chris decided to hold his tongue.

The Mytar were presented with dry clothes, although they fitted so badly that Chris decided to change back into the clothes Batarr had given him as soon as they were dry. While everyone ate, Prower roamed freely around the camp and were fed scraps from the dinner. Chris judged there were three different humanoid species among Kaloc's forces. Apart from the human-looking ones like Altac and Kaloc, the others, who he had previously seen in his vision, looked even more alien up close. The large gorilla-looking people varied from black to light brown in colour, with long furry arms, thick eyebrow ridges and receding foreheads. They reminded him of the pictures he had once seen in a book on Neanderthal Man. The smaller humanoids, however, with their saucer-shaped eyes and disproportionately long torsos and ridiculously short, stout arms, looked totally unlike anything he had ever seen, or could have ever imagined. But he was pleased to find that he could read all their thoughts, and found confirmation of Kaloc's words. The only new piece of information he obtained was that Kaloc alone had a unique gift amongst the Guardians: he could communicate with the Prower. No other Guardian could do this.

Makeshift shelters were erected around the fire, and the Mytar were shown beds covered with soft, warm blankets. Before Chris went to sleep, Kaloc paid him another visit. He was very concerned about the ability of Batarr to penetrate his dreams, and offered one more piece of advice. "Remember, you are ultimately in control of everything that happens in your dreams." He left, saying, "he would be looking out for him," a comment Chris didn't understand at all.

Susie and Joe climbed into their beds and were asleep within minutes. Chris was also exhausted, but the events of the day and Kaloc's final warning played on his mind. His last conscious thoughts were that he didn't want to meet Batarr in his dreams, much less Zelnoff.

# Chapter 8: The Zentor

Chris found himself walking along a tunnel. It was narrow and only dimly lit by sporadic patches of glow-worm colonies. The walls were also wet and slippery and the ground was covered in loose rocks and boulders. Somewhere up ahead was the portal and home. He just had to reach it. But there was also at least one other presence somewhere behind him. He felt its malice, its power, its burning need to find the portal. But no matter how many times he looked back, he couldn't see it. He broke into a trot. The tunnel ahead was becoming narrower, darker, the ground more uneven. Then, as though someone had turned off a switch, the light from the glow-worms vanished. He found himself in complete darkness. Behind, he could clearly hear the sound of many footsteps. Seized by panic, he ran on blindly, crashing into overhead stalactites and tripping over loose rocks.

A stream appeared from nowhere, gushing over his feet, and filled with slippery rocks and gravel. He slipped and fell to his knees, rose, fell again, then crawled his way forward, clambering blindly over huge boulders and wading through waist-deep pools of icy water. Still the sounds came closer. A second wave of panic sent him bouncing off the walls, clawing his way over more boulders and splashing through pools of water. Then, as suddenly as they had disappeared, the glow-worms were back. He could see, yet there was nothing, only the sounds of some invisible monster lumbering behind him. Panting and exhausted, he turned to run once more. Then he saw it, the familiar distortion of the tunnel walls − the portal. The breeze was in his face, drawing him forward. He ran wildly on, but the distortions seemed to retreat as fast as he could run. The vortex was turning faster. Harder and harder he pushed himself, until he felt his lungs were about to burst.

Then there were footsteps, many footsteps, becoming louder, gaining ground. Strong hands clutched at him. He fought hard, broke their grip, lashed out at any attempt to stop him, but there were too many and they were too strong. Something large hit him in the side and he fell to the ground. Severely winded, he tried to move, but a large weight was on his chest, pinning him helplessly to the ground.

He woke up screaming. Two soldiers had pinned his arms to the ground and Joe was sitting on him, breathing heavily, as if he had just run a sprint race. Moments later, Kaloc and Susie appeared, also out of breath. The light from Kaloc's staff revealed they were alongside a river.

"Is he alright?" Susie's concerned face peered down at him amidst a tangle of hair.

"I think he's waking up." Joe's flushed, pink cheeks appeared directly over the top of him.

" _Get off me,"_ Chris gasped.

Joe grinned briefly, then climbed to his feet.

Chris rolled over, clutching his stomach.

"Wow, that was a great ride," Joe continued cheerfully. "How'd you like my running tackle? Maybe I should join the rugby team when we get back."

Kaloc leant down and helped Chris to his feet, staring into his eyes as he did so. "It's all right, he's fully awake now." He signalled his soldiers, who promptly stepped back.

Chris looked down. He was a sorrowful sight, soaking wet, bruised and bleeding from too many cuts and grazes to count.

"You are remarkably fast for one so small." Kaloc smiled warmly. "If it wasn't for your friend, we mightn't have caught you in time."

"In time for what?" Chris asked.

Kaloc pointed along the direction of the river. "Only a short distance further on it plunges over a cliff."

Chris could hear the roar of the falls.

"That's twice in less than twenty-four hours I've saved your neck," Joe piped up, obviously enjoying himself.

Chris looked around but couldn't recognise anything. "How far have I run?"

"Quite some distance," Kaloc replied. "You'll have to tell us exactly what you were running from."

Chris groaned quietly to himself, now remembering what had caused his flight. "I couldn't make out what was chasing me. But I was running toward the portal."

"So you didn't see Batarr or Zelnoff?" Kaloc asked.

Chris shook his head. "I was in a tunnel and the portal was ahead of me, but no matter how hard I ran, it always seemed to be just in front of me."

"So you were trying to reach the portal when we caught you?"

"Yeah," Chris replied, feeling like an idiot.

"Hmm..." Kaloc was quiet for a moment. "It's probably safe to assume Batarr and Zelnoff now know where we are. Otherwise they wouldn't have known where the nearest cliff was. This will complicate matters. It means we'll have little time to reach safety."

Kaloc wouldn't explain his comment further, but it was clear the night's events had greatly disturbed him. Chris trudged back to the camp, shivering uncontrollably and feeling thoroughly disgusted at himself for not realising he was dreaming.

"Don't feel too bad about what has happened." Joe drew alongside Chris and Susie. "Kaloc knew all along that you would do a runner. He had guards posted outside your tent all night, just waiting for you to bolt. What he didn't realise was that you would be such a slippery customer to catch."

"He was hoping I might get a look at Zelnoff." Chris shook his head miserably. "But I saw nothing. I couldn't even see Batarr."

"Well, next time you'll do better," Joe said.

Chris grunted a reply, feeling Joe had no idea what he was up against.

"Did you feel there was more than one person following you?" Susie asked.

"Yeah... maybe," Chris said thoughtfully.

"Well that's why you couldn't see Batarr. Zelnoff must have been helping him."

Chris didn't know if this was good or bad news. If Batarr and Zelnoff could combine their thoughts, he would never stop them invading his dreams.

When they reached camp the sky was already changing to lighter shades of blue, and the asteroid belt that surrounded the planet was fading. Chris quickly changed back into his old clothes and was given a hot glutinous mixture, which tasted remarkably like porridge, and told to warm himself by the fire. While Chris ate, the camp was quickly disassembled and the supplies distributed amongst the soldiers. By the time the first rays of sun peeked over the mountains the company had already begun their trek. This was the first day there was no mist or low-lying cloud to obscure the view and Chris was amazed to see Mount Caporel directly ahead of him, complete with a snow-capped cone and a column of black smoke. He had never before seen an active volcano, and watched in awe as the smoke billowed high into the atmosphere, where it seemed to condense into dark rain clouds that streamed into the distance. The sight triggered much chattering and excitement amongst the company.

The clear weather, however, had the opposite effect on Kaloc. He roamed about morosely, issuing orders and pushing his men to move faster.

Joe excitedly tried to ask Kaloc where they were going.

"It's better not to know the details," Kaloc replied grimly. "Our destination mustn't become common knowledge."

"Well, I won't tell everyone," Joe said.

Kaloc glanced down at Joe and his features softened. "No, I'm sure you wouldn't, not willingly anyway. The trouble is that in these times our enemies have many spies and unguarded information has already cost our planet dearly."

By mid-morning they had already been travelling for many hours without a break and everyone was exhausted. The injured in their company were also falling behind. Finally, to allow the company to regroup and the stragglers to catch up, Kaloc called a rest.

The company pitched camp on top of a large rock outcrop, which gave spectacular views up and down the valley. Ahead, the valley curled around a mountain before heading directly toward Mount Caporel. Kaloc sat down on a rock and watched Chris greedily gulping water from a flask made from animal hide that was being passed around. Susie was crawling on her hands and knees trying to catch a six-legged lizard. Eventually the lizard ran out from under a pile of dead leaves and escaped over a ledge.

"Susie," he called, after watching her preciously balancing on the ledge. "I know what Joe and Chris's particular talents are, but I'm still unsure about you."

She turned around sharply and almost toppled over.

"I can read emotions...thoughts of animals...that sort of stuff," she replied with a quick smile. "You know... I can tell all about a tree, or an animal, just by touching them."

These words drew a wide grin from Kaloc. "I was almost too scared to ask, but I had hoped." His eyes narrowed on Susie. "Does Batarr know?"

"He knows I can interpret languages, emotions... stuff like that. But I've only just realised I can sense animals and plants."

Another smile swept across Kaloc's face. "Excellent. We're not done for yet. I believe we can still give Zelnoff and Batarr a few very unpleasant surprises."

"What do you mean?" Chris asked.

"I assume Batarr never explained the types of powers each Mytar may possess," Kaloc said, leaning forward on his staff and staring intently at Chris.

Chris wiped away some water that had spilled on to his chin. "Not in much detail."

"Well I guess it wasn't in his interest to explain too much." He paused, ensuring Joe and Susie were also listening. "Each group of six Mytar will have a slightly different range of powers, but their powers will always fall into the same basic categories. Chris, you have the ability to travel with your mind to distant places and read and even control minds. Susie, you cannot read minds, but you can sense emotions and communicate with animals. These powers are similar and complementary. Joe can change shape. Another Mytar will have the power to move objects, and yet another can change the weather."

"That's only five," Chris said.

"The sixth Mytar doesn't have any powers," Kaloc explained, "but, in a way, this one is the most important. For without this Mytar, the other Mytar cannot merge their powers. Once merged, you will all become much stronger."

"Awesome," Joe said.

"But to reach the level of ability to merge all your powers won't be easy."

The measured words of Kaloc's last comment sent a tingle down Chris's spine. "How much time will it take?" he asked.

"I can't say. This is not something I've had any experience in."

"You have no idea?" Chris queried.

"Batarr, as our leader, knew much more about this than I did. I was his duty to study the Mytar and their powers. I'm afraid my knowledge is very limited."

"So what happens? Joe asked. "You just hang around and wait and hope we grow stronger."

"There are sources of knowledge we can tap to guide your development," Kaloc replied. "I will have to think carefully how best to access these."

"Well, can you at least help get Zelnoff and Batarr out of my dreams?" Chris asked.

"I can teach you how to defend yourself against them, but first you must recognise you're dreaming. If you cannot do that, I'm afraid they'll always have control."

"Then can you teach me to recognise I'm dreaming?"

"Unfortunately I can't. This realisation has to come from you. Most dreams don't make sense or have parts of them that are absurd. You have to look for this. Recognise the impossibility of the dream. Once you recognise you are dreaming you can take control of it. It also helps if you also prepare yourself. Before sleep, your last thought at night must be that you alone can control your dreams. Only when you have control can you defend yourself."

"Can't you do anything?" Joe asked. "I mean, you're a Guardian, aren't you? Can't you get into dreams, like Batarr could, and stop them trying to kill Chris?"

Kaloc looked vaguely embarrassed by the question. "I don't have the same abilities as Batarr, I'm afraid. I can only offer advice...."

"Advice won't stop Chris trying to run off the nearest cliff at night, will it?" Joe replied bluntly. "It sounds like we'll have to tie Chris up at night."

Kaloc rose to his full height, which towered over Joe. "That's a very good suggestion, Joe," he said mildly, seemingly unaffected by Joe's brash comments. "Until Chris has managed to control his dreams that may be your only option."

Joe stared blankly at Kaloc. "I was only joking. You don't really want us to tie him to his bed, do you?"

"It would be safer for all concerned," Kaloc replied, at least until we know Chris will not run off."

Chris was going to say something further, but he started to feel a heightened sense of apprehension amongst the surrounding soldiers. He looked across at Susie. She was shielding her eyes against the sun and staring up the valley. Several other soldiers were also staring in the same direction and pointing at the sky. Kaloc's commander was making his way quickly toward them, but Kaloc had already seen it. Chris felt a surge of dread and fear that quickly receded as Kaloc wrestled back control of his emotions.

"Zentor! Everyone under cover!" Kaloc shouted

The soldiers scattered. Chris, Susie and Joe were swept up in powerful arms and carried to the nearest cover. Chris was dumped roughly into the middle of a large bush and told not to move. Soldiers began running everywhere as they drew their weapons and searched for the best vantage points. He parted some branches to see what had caused all the commotion. High in the sky were large numbers of black specks. As Chris watched they grew quickly in size. At first he thought they were insects, then birds, then he realised they were at least the size of horses and travelling very fast on huge black wings. As they flew closer, he realised they looked nothing like horses. Their heads were triangular-shaped, like insects, with huge red eyes, their legs were claws and their bodies tapered to long tails, not unlike those of snakes. They were repulsive, and he couldn't tear his eyes away from the sight. As he watched, more and more appeared, until the sky seemed black with their hideous forms.

The lead creatures circled directly overhead, searching the ground for any signs of movement. Then one peeled off the main group and swooped lower, a crystal weapon in its claws. The others, flying in single file, streamed down behind the first one, then fanned out in every direction when they reached the tree level. The main part of the swarm circled higher up, as though waiting for a signal that their quarry had been discovered.

The spectacle drove home the awesome forces Zelnoff must command. Chris found himself physically shaking, unable to think or do anything except watch as these creatures repeatedly swooped over the forest. Some movement in a tree close by finally snapped him back. It was a soldier; he was terrified, but too well trained to panic, or do anything except obey orders. He had seen these Zentors before - swarms of them. He had fought them and almost died, as had many of his fellow soldiers. One of these creatures flew so low the wind from its wings momentarily fanned the trees. Chris caught the foul stench of its body.

Another Zentor passed low overhead. As it passed, it let out a hideous shriek that was immediately answered by the other Zentor. Like the tormented screams of thousands of people, the noise quickly intensified, filling the air. Chris covered his ears, but his eardrums still felt as if they were about to explode. A short distance away, Susie was curled up into a tight ball, covering her ears with her hands. Joe was crouched in a bush next to her staring up at the sky, his hands also over his ears.

Every tree and bush suddenly erupted in beams of blue light. A white beam cut a Zentor in half, and Chris saw Kaloc standing in a small clearing with his staff held high, a brilliant white beam blasting from the crystal on top. All the low-flying Zentor were quickly sent crashing into the trees.

The destruction of these low-flying Zentor, however, only signalled the start of the real battle. High in the sky the remaining Zentor, like ants, massed then streamed toward the ground in a continuous dive. As they neared the ground they fired their weapons, instantly incinerating bushes and blasting branches off trees. Despite the ferocity of the attack, Kaloc's men held their ground, blasting many of the creatures from the sky. Chris could see soldiers darting in and out of the trees, so the swooping Zentor couldn't accurately fix their positions.

A bush in front of Chris exploded in flame, sending Chris scampering over to Susie and Joe. Another bolt of light struck the tree above and rained flaming branches on top of them. Several soldiers lay dead by the tree. Joe crept over and took their weapons, throwing one to Chris. The foul smell of Zentor, mixed with smoke and weapon fire, filled the air. Chris judged that around half the surrounding forest was now on fire. The smoke filtered up and covered the sun, shrouding the forest in an eerie twilight. Still the battle raged. Beams of light flashed everywhere, splintering trees and sending others up in flames.

With the fires gaining hold around them, Chris signalled to Susie and Joe, and they retreated further into the forest where the canopy was thicker and offered more cover. But they hadn't run far when two Zentor crashed through the canopy and landed in front of them. Both creatures were still twitching and clutching their weapons in their claws, even though they were clearly in their death throes from deep wounds. Despite pleas from Joe and Susie, Chris approached to within a short distance of one of these creatures. Its huge insect head and red eyes fascinated him. Somehow he had seen this creature before, but he knew this was impossible. Another Zentor landed, only this one wasn't dead. It was scuttling across the forest floor like a huge cockroach, a crystal weapon firmly clasped one of its front claws. For the briefest moment, Chris looked right into its eyes. This creature was part of a swarm of hunters. The joy of the hunt, the slaughter, was all it lived for. It had found its prey. He felt the surge of excitement, the anticipation of the kill. This creature had only known war, only wanted war, only lived war. It killed indiscriminately and without mercy, or even pity. The vision swallowed him up in its horror. He had seen these creatures before; it struck him like a hammer blow. When he first arrived in this world and he had eavesdropped on Batarr's thoughts, these creatures were there; swarms of them in endless battles on endless planets. They rained down the same destruction and terror he had just witnessed. They had destroyed the villages by the lake. He remembered the destruction and carnage he had seen in Batarr's thoughts.

The creature raised its weapon. In a moment it would blast a hole through his chest. This was what it wanted. Its mission was the destruction of the Mytar. Chris stood there immobile, unable to think or act decisively. Something heavy bowled him over as a tree exploded behind him. Joe managed to spout off a few obscenities, directed at Chris, as he sprawled across the ground. The creature scuttled quickly toward them, then stopped abruptly. Chris and Susie had disappeared behind a boulder. The creature stood up on its back legs, as though trying to scan the area for Chris. A weapon blast from the boulder struck it in the chest, throwing it onto its back. It lay there kicking and twitching, spilling out a green putrid liquid on to the ground.

The boulder turned back into Joe. "Come on!" he yelled, waving them on as they sprinted deeper into the forest.

# 

# Chapter 9: Down a Hole

Chris, Susie and Joe only stopped running when their legs and lungs couldn't carry them a step further. By this time, they were a long way from the battle, deep within the forest and concealed by a dense overhead canopy - a comforting roof to seal out the Zentor. They stopped by a stream, each panting hard to regain their breath. The stream flowed into a deep, moss-laden pool. Chris took off his shoes and waded in up to his knees and splashed some water on to his face, trying to wash away acrid taste of smoke and battle.

"What do you think you were doing?"

Chris turned to see Joe, red faced, panting heavily and bent over nearly double, with his hands on his knees. His whole body bathed in sweat.

"Offering yourself for target practice? You almost got us killed."

Chris opened his mouth but no words came out. Joe waded into the water and pushed Chris backwards. "You almost got _me_ killed!"

" _Don't push._ I'm sorry, okay." Chris returned his glare.

"Well, sorry doesn't cut it. Next time I mightn't be around to bail you out." He went to push Chris again, but Chris grabbed his arm and steered it away.

" _Stop it, both of you!"_ Susie shouted. "I'm sure Chris didn't just deliberately stand there."

"I had a vision," Chris said, knowing how lame he sounded. "I saw something and I couldn't move."

"You couldn't move enough to dodge a crystal weapon blast?" Joe spat.

"Well, you didn't see what I saw."

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"Those flying creatures come from another dimension," Chris said. "And what I saw was all the towns and villages they've destroyed. The Zentors are Zelnoff's favourite enforcers. They kill anything on his command. And they want us. They've been sent here to kill us. You know...us...the Mytar. Zelnoff sent all those Zentors just to kill us three."

Joe blinked several times. "Well, I figured that,' he said finally. "Are they still after us?"

"Of course they're still after us," Susie interjected. "We're still alive, aren't we?"

Joe glanced sideways at Susie. "Well at least you can say thanks. That's three times in less than a day I've saved you."

"Thanks," Chris said, trying to sound sincere.

Joe drew a deep breath then looked down at his shoes, now completely immersed in water. "I don't feel that well," he said, sounding increasingly miserable.

Chris watched Joe stalk out of the water, sit down against a tree trunk and begin unlacing his shoes to drain out the water. He bore little resemblance to the Joe he had known even a week ago. His plump appearance was replaced by a much thinner version, with an ashen face and deep shadows clinging below each eye. Feeling all of Joe's anger had now dissipated, Chris waded ashore and picked up his shoes before sitting down next to Joe. Only Susie seemed to maintain any enthusiasm as she walked around placing her hands on nearby tree trunks.

"We're not alone," she said after touching the trunks of the nearby trees. "I can sense Prower in the trees. I think they've been following us. Kaloc must have sent them."

"Then Kaloc must know where we are," Chris said.

"If he's still alive," Joe added miserably.

Susie continued to move from tree to tree, sometimes frowning, sometimes expressing surprise. Chris and Joe felt too tired to ask her what all her various facial expressions meant. When she finished her survey she sat down next to them, her blue eyes contrasting markedly with her dirty face and mat of tangled hair.

"There's also been Zentors in the tree tops," she said, after watching them both with a faintly disturbed look. "It seems they've been continually landing and taking off."

Chris looked up at the dense canopy overhead. There was no sign of Prower or Zentor. The only movement was from a gentle breeze, which swayed the highest parts of the canopy, but, like Susie, Chris could feel them. They had been sent to destroy all the Mytar, and that's what they were still trying to do.

"Well, we can't go back, that's obvious," Joe said, now speaking softly, as though afraid of being overheard.

Chris pulled out the key. It was cold. They were out of range of the portal, but at least it wasn't glowing. He thrust it back in his pocket in disgust.

In the same pocket his hand also touched the crystal that Cass had given him. He pulled this out and held it up to the light. There was a faint tinge of green. Chris leapt to his feet. "We're near a Nethral tunnel."

Joe looked up at him blankly. "Huh..."

"The crystal the Nethral gave me. It's changed colour."

"So?" Joe shrugged.

"Cass said that when it turns bright green it indicates that a Nethral tunnel is close by."

"So we can escape into the underworld," Susie concluded. "But you can't be sure a Nethral tunnel will lead to the portal."

"True," Chris conceded. "But at least we'd be safe."

"I think we should just keep running. Get as far away from here as possible," Joe said, concentrating on ringing out his socks.

"Then we would end up totally lost," Chris replied. "No one would ever find us again and we've got no food, not even any warm clothes."

"And we'd freeze at night," Susie agreed.

Joe folded his arms in front of him. "I don't like holes."

"Maybe we can wait here during the day and search for the Nethral entrance at night," Susie suggested.

"That's another thing I saw," Chris said. "The Zentor can see just as well, night or day. Even if we could hide during the day, at night we would probably walk straight into them."

In the end, with few real options, it was decided to try for the Nethral tunnel. Unfortunately, the crystal seemed to become greener only when they retraced their steps. This put everyone on edge, and several times they stopped and fell into a heated debate about whether to continue. But each time, with no better suggestions, they decided to resume their search. In particular, Joe became very nervous and several times Susie had to re-assure him that the noises they occasionally heard were only Prower following them.

After a while, Chris noticed that the overhead canopy was beginning to thin. Shafts of light penetrated to the ground more frequently, turning the forest floor into a mosaic of light and dark. He continued to urge the others on, promising the entrance was close, and periodically showing them the crystal for encouragement.

Further on, the canopy disappeared completely. Directly ahead they faced a solid wall of rock, which towered high above the forest. At intervals along the base of this rock face were a series of what looked like small caves, caused by the wind. Already knowing the Nethral preference for concealing their entrances at the back of caves, Chris felt sure he only had to find the right one. They stopped behind some bushes next to the clearing, hotly debating what to do next.

"We'll be sitting ducks," Joe said, scanning the distance between them and the caves. It only needs one Zentor to find us and the rest would be all over us in seconds."

"Maybe we should wait for nightfall," Susie suggested.

"I told you they can see just as well at night," Chris argued. "Trying to cross in the dark would be more dangerous. We couldn't see anything, but the Zentors could see us perfectly."

"Are you sure they see that well at night?" Susie asked.

"When I looked into that Zentor's mind I saw that they attacked mainly at night while their intended victims were asleep. That massacre at night by the lake was done by the Zentors. Attacking in the middle of the night is just what they do."

Chris slung is weapon over his shoulder. "I'm going. The longer we stay here the more chance there is that a passing Zentor will spot us. If I find something, I will signal and you can come across."

With neither Joe nor Susie raising any further objections, Chris started creeping toward the caves. The first part was easy. A series of small trees and bushes provided cover. He crept into the last bush and peered out. Ahead was a clearing the size of a football pitch with little more than knee-high grass for concealment. This was the first time Chris could see a large portion of the sky, and he was dismayed to find the black shapes of Zentor still gliding high over the forest. Holding the crystal in front of him, he crept on his hands and knees across the grass, periodically looking up for signs of Zentor. Then he heard it, a hideous screech that sent shudders through his body and made his skin creep. He rolled on to his side and unslung his weapon. A Zentor, circling high above, had seen him. It threw back its head and spewed out its repulsive call. As he watched, other Zentor appeared, and an answering chorus of shrieks quickly filled the air. The first Zentor folded its wings and looped into a dive, but as it reached tree-height a beam of blue light cut through one of the wings, sending it spinning into the ground a short distance away. Joe and Susie came running toward him. He climbed to his feet and together they sprinted for the nearest cave.

When they reached the cave, Chris began wildly pushing and flinging all the boulders and rocks around, but there was no sign of the entrance. Several Zentor were now circling over the spot where the first Zentor had fallen. Chris, finding nothing, ran out of the cave and along the rock ledge to the next cave. The Zentor immediately spotted the movement and began gliding down toward them. They were met with several blasts of light from Joe, which sent another Zentor ploughing into the ground. Chris reached the second cave. It was even shallower than the first. The crystal had also turned a slightly duller green. Now in a mad panic, he ran back past Joe, who was firing at the rapidly increasing numbers of Zentor. He reached a third cave, closely followed by Joe and Susie, just as several bolts of light exploded on the walls behind them. This one was much deeper. They ran to the back and Chris and Susie started pulling away the rocks, while Joe stood guard at the entrance. The crystal was now bright green. They dragged, clawed and dug savagely at the piles of rocks. Like Susie, Chris could feel the presence of the approaching Zentor, and he was almost manic with fear.

Several Zentor landed at the entrance of the cave and were greeted with blasts from Joe. Still more arrived, their sheer numbers forcing Joe to retreat further into the cave. Chris knew Joe would die if he couldn't find the entrance. Susie abruptly stopped digging and looked across at Chris. He thought she had found the entrance, but instead she whispered, almost to herself. "Prower."

Chris paused. There was the unmistakable sound of the Prower.

The Zentor, now well advanced in to the cave, had stopped their assault on Joe and their shrieking. At the moment they turned around, the Prower arrived. A wall of fur and gnashing teeth advanced on them, tearing into their numbers and ripping their bodies to shreds. In less than a minute, all the Zentor at the cave entrance were dead.

The Prower ran straight past Joe and Chris and right up to Susie howling and whimpering.

"They say we don't have much time," Susie said. "The Zentor are regrouping. They won't be able to defend us a second time."

All round the cave Prower began sniffing and scraping the ground with their claws. Soon one of the Prower started growling excitedly and digging.

They both ran over. The Prower was scratching at the base of a large flat rock. Just the type of rock the Nethral would use, Chris thought, as he slipped his hands under one side of it. Heaving with all his strength, he shifted the rock enough to show the opening of a hole. With Susie's help they dragged the rock further away, revealing a tunnel barely large enough to fit through.

The cave entrance was now being peppered with light blasts. The Prower were retreating quickly. Joe jumped into the tunnel, followed by Susie, and finally Chris.

Like the Nethral entrances Chris had seen previously, this tunnel was small, forcing them to crawl on their stomachs. When they had descended only a short distance, Chris heard weapon fire behind him, followed by a rumble, then a puff of wind. The Zentor had fired into the tunnel and collapsed it when they realised they couldn't follow. He had to fight back the feeling of being buried alive. But ahead was the Nethral and the underworld, he thought to himself - things can only improve from here.

# Chapter 10: Under the Mountain

They crawled and slid for a long time before reaching a place large enough to stand up. By this time their arms and legs were covered with scratches and bruises and their clothes were filthy from the wet, muddy ground. But they were safe - there were no complaints. They found themselves in a small cavern, only dimly lit by glow-worms. Chris took a few deep breaths. The air smelt stale and rotten. It should have been fresh, and there was no sign of the usual accompanying insect and bat life.

Susie and Joe walked around the cavern, gingerly stretching their muscles and inspecting their surroundings with a mixture of curiosity and distaste. A small stream fed into a murky pool of water, along one side of the cavern. Chris knelt down and tried to wash some of the mud and grime from his hands and face. To his annoyance, he had lost his crystal weapon in the mad scramble to find the entrance to the Nethral tunnel.

Joe joined him and began washing some mud from his weapon.

"You alright?" Chris asked.

Joe nodded as he looked around the cavern, sampling the air with a series of long sniffs. "You sure there's a way out of here?"

Chris pushed his doubts to the back of his mind. "There are heaps of tunnels down here. We'll find a way out," he said confidently.

A short distance away the cavern narrowed again to a dark tunnel, barely high enough for them to avoid crouching as they walked. Susie had been peering down it. She came back and washed her face in the pool.

"Does your key show any signs of feeling warm?" she asked Chris.

Chris checked the key - nothing.

"Mine neither," she sighed. "We can't be in range of the portal."

"Once we find the Nethral, I'm sure they'll lead us to the portal," Chris said, rising to his feet.

After everyone had drunk enough water, they set off down the tunnel with Chris in the lead. The going was hard. In some places it narrowed, so they had to crawl on their hands and knees and, in others, there were so few glow-worm colonies that they had to feel their way forward, often over protruding rocks and down sharp inclines. Chris was becoming less confident of finding the underworld the further they went, as it was becoming clear that the huge caverns and forests he had been promising were not materialising. Instead the air was becoming increasingly warm and putrid and the colonies of glow-worms smaller and fewer, further reducing the light. There was much more water, too. At times they were forced to wade for long periods in knee-deep pools that were unusually warm and stank of rotten-egg gas. Chris also noticed white or yellow-coloured deposits on many of the rocks they passed. Joe touched one of these deposits and then licked his finger. Many swear words later, and after thoroughly washing out his mouth, he concluded the deposits were toxic.

After several hours of walking it was clear the situation was getting worse. The air was so hot they became drenched in sweat, and so rancid that every breath felt as if they were breathing acid. Despite their growing thirst, they had long since stopped drinking from the warm, smelly water that flowed along the tunnel floor. Chris took to monitoring any cracks or holes in the walls for a slight breeze, anything that would indicate there was another tunnel they could try, but there was nothing. The tunnel seemed to be diving into the bowels of the planet, probably right underneath Mount Caporel. Although no one said anything, Chris knew Joe and Susie were half expecting to see pools of boiling lava around the next bend. The final straw was the appearance of hot vents of scalding gas, which seeped through cracks in the tunnel floor. By now, the glow-worm colonies had almost disappeared, and with them, the last remnants of light. In the near total darkness, crawling along on their hands and knees, Joe nearly fell into one of these vents. It was only the quick action of Susie that saved him. After this incident, Chris called a stop to their descent. Painstakingly, they retraced their steps until the light improved and the air became less rancid. When they reached a small cavern they stopped for a rest. No one spoke for some time, the reality of their situation almost too awful to contemplate.

"Maybe we could dig our way back to the surface?" Susie suggested, breaking the sullen mood.

"Nah... wouldn't work. Those creatures probably caved in the whole top section of the tunnel. It would take weeks to clear a path," Joe said, now lying flat on his back and staring up at the dimly lit clusters of glow-worms.

Chris crouched next to a pool and scooped up a mouthful of water. It tasted like a combination of mud and rotten eggs, but at least it was drinkable. "We may have no other choice," he said, glancing across at the others.

Joe let out a loud burst of laughter. "So what happened to all those beautiful forests and happy Nethral just waiting to meet us?"

"I don't know," Chris said, feeling irritated at the mention of the Nethral. "We must have come the wrong way."

"Not according to that crystal thing you got," Joe replied.

Chris didn't care for Joe's tone. "We must have missed a side tunnel, or something. We'll just have to retrace our steps."

"Well I didn't see any tunnel but this one," Joe said, flicking mud onto the roof of the cavern and dimming a section of the glow-worms.

"Well what do you suggest?" Chris flared. "Just sit here and whinge until we starve to death?"

" _Stop it, you two,"_ Susie hissed. "This isn't getting us anywhere."

"Whose idea was it to come down here in the first place?" Joe continued. "I just wanted to get the hell away from those Zentor, not crawl down the nearest rat hole."

"If we had listened to you, we would all be charred corpses by now," Chris replied harshly, not bothering to conceal his anger.

You're right, of course," Joe continued casually. "Now we have a choice of deaths; starvation, choking, poisoning, being buried or burned alive." He marked off the choices with his fingers.

"Please stop it," Susie pleaded. "Arguing isn't going to solve anything."

Joe was going to say something, but thought better of it. Instead he crawled over to a corner of the cavern and curled up into a ball, cradling his weapon like a small child hugging his favourite toy. Susie and Chris also fell into a dejected silence.

After a while, because he could think of nothing better to do, Chris pulled out the Nethral crystal. Susie watched him flick it from hand to hand. "Can't you use the crystal to contact your Nethral friends? I mean use your abilities to tell them where we are?" she continued when Chris looked at her blankly.

"I can try," Chris said, sitting up and examining the crystal with new interest.

"Try!" Joe said, lifting up his head.

Chris, as before, held the crystal in his hand and cleared his mind. But this time he only received vague, fleeting images of Nethral that disappeared before he could focus his thoughts.

"Nothing," he said, after several minutes of determined effort. "I don't think my powers are developed enough."

Joe groaned, then dropped his head back onto the ground.

Chris was about to put the crystal away when he noticed the colour had changed. Although still green, it now looked duller, like when he ran into the wrong cave in the surface. He sat up and held the crystal against the light of the glow-worms.

"What's up?" Susie asked.

"The crystal was bright green, now it's a dull green."

"Huh...so it changed while we walked." She moved up to Chris and looked over his shoulder. "Maybe, as well as showing you where the Nethral tunnels are on the surface, the crystal also acts like some kind of homing beacon that guides you through the right tunnels to the underworld."

"You mean we can still use the crystal?" Joe asked.

Susie nodded.

They started back along the tunnel and it wasn't long before Chris could detect a difference in the crystal's colour, it was turning greener as they climbed. After retracing their steps for some distance, Chris estimated the colour was close to the colour he had seen near the tunnel entrance, although it was difficult to judge in the reduced light. At this point, they slowed their progress and began examining the tunnel walls for any signs of an intersecting tunnel. When Chris couldn't detect any further change in the crystal, they turned around and retraced their steps again. Eventually, they narrowed down the area from where the crystal started to change from bright green to a straight stretch of tunnel about hundred metres long. The tunnel through this region was narrow and poorly lit. They examined this area very carefully but couldn't find any obvious side tunnels. There was one place, however, where rubble and boulders had spilled across the tunnel floor from a cave-in. Chris climbed up to the top of the rubble and examined the glow-worm colonies on the roof. They appeared to disappear into the rubble. He pulled away some of the loose rocks. Dead glow-worm colonies were on parts of the roof he had just exposed. He dug further and found the newly exposed roof was thick with them. The rest of the roof, however, had collapsed, so the more he dug, the more rocks fell down from above.

Joe and Susie joined in the digging and soon recovered more rocks from the original roof that were also covered in glow-worm colonies. They continued to claw and drag more rubble away, but for every piece of rubble they removed, more fell down from above. Finally, tired and exhausted, they were forced to stop.

"Maybe I could blast a hole through the rubble," Joe suggested, after staring earnestly at his crystal weapon for some time.

Susie looked doubtful. "Won't you cave-in the rest of the roof?"

"Umm... maybe," Joe conceded. "But I could also blast a hole clean through."

"Or you could kill us all," Susie said.

"Nah, there can't be much more rubble to come down," Joe said, leaning over to peer up through the hole they had dug.

Susie turned to Chris for support, but he just shrugged, feeling Joe had a valid point. Surely all the loose rubble should have fallen down by now.

Susie crossed her arms. "You both have no idea what will happen if you fire that thing in here. You're playing with our lives."

"Nah, it'll be good," Joe said confidently.

"At least we should try digging a bit longer," Susie suggested, looking hopefully at Chris.

Chris just stared blankly back at her.

"Well, I'm not going to be anywhere near here when you cave in the tunnel," she said, stalking up the tunnel a safe distance.

Joe grinned at Chris and then aimed his weapon directly at the rubble.

"You sure you know how to work this thing?" Chris asked, now feeling less certain, after watching Joe behave as if he was in a shoot-out in a cheap western.

"What do you think I was doing to those Zentor?"

"Yeah, I know, but there's not much space and these weapons are pretty powerful."

"I'll just give it a short burst," Joe said. "Just to see what it does."

Joe took a few steps back and aimed his weapon at a large boulder protruding from the rubble. The weapon fired, lighting up the whole tunnel and spraying rock fragments everywhere. Chris and Joe rushed forward to inspect the damage, but were disappointed to find only a small hole.

"A longer burst should do it," Joe said confidently.

They stood back again, and this time Joe delivered a sustained blast. The whole boulder exploded, sending rock fragments smashing into the roof. Immediately more of the roof started collapsing. Chris and Joe had to scramble up the tunnel to avoid being engulfed by falling rubble. When the glow-worm light came back on and the dust had cleared, they found the tunnel had been completely sealed by the collapsed roof.

"Yep, that did it."

Chris looked up at Susie, who was shaking her head in that determinedly disgusted fashion she used only when something truly appalled her. "You just had to play with guns, didn't you?'

Even in the subdued light of the tunnel, Chris could see her face was turning pink. Chris slowly picked himself off the floor and brushed off the dirt.

"It might have worked," Joe said, also picking himself off the ground.

"Now we'll never get out." Susie glared at the two of them.

"Well, at least I tried," Joe said, in rather an uncharacteristically subdued voice.

"Well, congratulations!" Susie shouted, pointing toward the cave-in. "You tried and you succeeded in caving in the whole tunnel!"

Chris and Joe said nothing. She had every right to be furious. The new cave-in had not only sealed the tunnel; it had brought down tonnes of rubble. The task to dig through to the other tunnel now seemed almost impossible. Susie stormed off further up the tunnel and sat down, periodically shooting venomous looks at them. Chris and Joe, lacking the energy or will to resume digging, sat down despondently on the tunnel floor.

Joe examined his weapon for a while, as though somehow it was the weapon's fault, not the fact that he couldn't take his finger off the trigger.

Chris leaned back against the tunnel wall and closed his eyes. He could feel the dampness of the tunnel wall seeping into his shirt and soaking his back. He didn't care. There had to be a way out of this, but the more he tried to think the more he felt like falling asleep. He heard a noise and opened his eyes. Joe's head had fallen forward and he had dropped his crystal weapon onto the tunnel floor beside him. He began making soft snoring sounds.

Susie, despite her fury, was also beginning to nod off.

Chris closed his eyes and began to drift off to sleep. Then he remembered. "I can't fall asleep!" he almost shouted. You've got to keep me awake, or at least tie me to something."

Joe jolted awake. "You don't really want us to tie you up?"

"Yeah, I do," Chris insisted.

"But you can't go anywhere," Susie said.

"I could kill myself with a rock, or kill you with a rock...or strangle you."

"Okay, okay, I get it," Joe said, climbing to his feet.

"But just the legs, so I can't go running off," Chris said.

Joe wearily came over and tired Chris's legs together using a thin cord that had been used to hold up Chris's pants, then curled up around his weapon again and quickly fell asleep. Susie, feeling somewhat calmer, came over and sat down closer to Chris.

"Come to check his handy-work?" Chris asked, hoping her temper had cooled.

Susie just grunted.

Chris manoeuvred himself into a more comfortable position.

"Remember Kaloc's advice," she lectured. "The last thing you should think of before you to go to sleep is that you can control your dreams."

Chris nodded solemnly.

Susie began clearing away rocks and digging out a bed for herself from the surrounding dirt. "I will be next to you if you need me," she said, sounding a bit like an angry schoolteacher.

Chris smiled at her and she managed a weak grimace. Much of the determination he usually saw in her eyes was gone. Instead, her eyes were moist, red and rimmed with deepening shadows of exhaustion. Like Joe, her face was also thinner, her lips cracked, and lines of dirt trailed down her cheeks. She pushed back some dirty strands of hair behind her ear. She was a mess. But he couldn't find any comforting words. Not knowing what to say, or what to do, he looked away.

Joe was snoring lightly a little distance away with the weapon on the ground next to him. Chris cleared away any rocks and lay back. When he looked back at Susie, she was leaning back against the wall of the tunnel with her head lolling forward. He stared up at the tunnel roof until the points of glow-worm light began to fade and his eyelids became too heavy to hold open. His last thought was not to let Batarr and Zelnoff control his dreams.

Chris woke up and found he couldn't feel his feet. The cord that Joe had tied his legs with was digging into him. Joe and Susie were still asleep. He sat up and tried to untie the cord, but the knot had tightened. He was looking for something sharp to prise open the knot when some movement up the tunnel caught his eye. The shape was unmistakable; a Zentor was scuttling toward him. Its huge insect head and red eyes flicking back and forth as it scanned the tunnel ahead.

For a few moments Chris froze, but this time he snapped out of it. Joe was just across the tunnel, fast asleep. Chris slowly dragged himself toward Joe until he drew level with him. He prayed Joe wouldn't roll over or start snoring. Without making a sound, he carefully lifted up Joe's weapon. The Zentor had moved closer, and was now no more than thirty metres away. Chris took aim at the creature's hideous head. Something wasn't right. The Zentor should have seen him by now. Then he realised. This wasn't real. He focused all his thought on the Zentor. Slowly the vision started to blur, then transformed into the sleeping figure of Susie, just across the tunnel.

He quickly pulled the weapon away and threw out his senses beyond Susie. There was at least one other presence further down the tunnel. As he concentrated he began to see its shape. Other strange visions came into his thoughts, but he knew these were false. He re-doubled his efforts to unmask whoever was there. The shape started to come into focus. Batarr appeared, his face strained with effort, but Chris had him now. He locked the Guardian in a battle of wills, trying to break through the mental barrier Batarr had thrown up. Batarr's face began to contort with extreme effort. Shadows of his thoughts were beginning to emerge. Still the visions flew at Chris, but he brushed them away easily. Slowly he began to extract isolated thoughts.

Then there was nothing, as if another, much stronger barrier, had been brought down. There was a second presence; more powerful, impenetrable. Chris refocused. He felt this entity's enormous mental power, its will, its purpose.

Suddenly something hit hard him in the side and knocked the wind out of him. It was Joe.

"Get off me!" he screamed.

"You had my weapon," Joe said indignantly.

"I wasn't going to use it," Chris yelled.

"Well, what were you doing then?"

Chris managed to free his legs enough to give Joe a kick that sent him careering across the tunnel and almost into Susie.

"I was dreaming, except I had control of the dream. I almost had Batarr too, then a second presence intervened."

"Zelnoff?" Susie asked, still rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"I guess so. Anyway, there was no way I could read his thoughts."

"So you did it." Susie leaned forward excitedly. "You managed to control your dreams."

"Yeah, I guess I did." Chris decided not to tell Susie that he had almost shot her.

"So what were you doing with my weapon?" Joe asked.

"Well... at first I didn't realise it was a dream," Chris said. "They managed to convince me that a Zentor was coming down the tunnel, so I crept across and got your weapon."

"And you could actually see Batarr?" Susie asked.

"Yeah, I saw him alright, and I could also feel Zelnoff."

"But you couldn't see him?"

"No, he was too strong, I couldn't force him to do anything," Chris said, still remembering the enormous power that seemed to radiate from Zelnoff.

"So does that mean they know we're here?" Joe asked.

"Maybe...Yeah I suppose," Chris said, feeling a sudden unease at the memory of the Zentor attack soon after his last dream.

Joe came across and, after considerable difficulty, managed to untie Chris. With little other options, they decided to continue digging in the hope that they could reach the Nethral before Zelnoff found them. After a drink from a foul-smelling pool of water, the digging resumed. It wasn't long, however, before Susie signalled for Chris and Joe to be quiet. She brushed away her hair and placed her ear against a rock.

"What do you hear?" Joe asked.

"There are sounds coming from somewhere behind the rubble," she said.

"I hope it's not Batarr and his buddy Zelnoff," Joe said, picking up his weapon and pointed it toward the rubble.

"Maybe we should hide further up the tunnel," Susie suggested.

"There's nowhere to hide," Chris replied, after a quick shake of his head. "At least here, if it's Zelnoff, we can shoot them as they come out."

Susie went back to monitoring the rubble. "I can hear scraping sounds. I don't think they're removing the rubble at the other end." She repositioned her ear over a large, deeply buried boulder. "It sounds like they are burrowing a separate tunnel around the cave-in."

"The Nethral," Chris shouted, as he rushed forward and pressed his ear against the rubble. "Surely only the Nethral could dig a new tunnel."

The sounds of digging quickly increased. Joe aimed his weapon in the direction of the sounds. The wait proved short. The mound of rubble soon began to vibrate, and rocks and gravel slid down to the tunnel floor. Then, in a shower of dirt and rocks, a small, furry creature with shovel-like hands and a long snout burst through the rubble.

Chris leaped into the air. "Duss!" he screamed, then rushed forward and dragged the funny creature into the centre of the tunnel and embraced him.

The creature looked a little confused, but was clearly also delighted to see Chris. He gave a low and very formal bow, which made everyone laugh. Then a second creature burst through the tunnel, widening it further.

"Cass!" Chris rushed over and embraced her just as warmly. Cass also bowed low, while Chris introduced Joe and Susie.

"How did you find us?" Chris asked.

"We were told how you esscaped the Zentor by finding one of our tunnelsss," Cass replied.

"We apologisse," Duss added quickly.

"Yess, yess, we apologisse," Cass continued. "Not all of our tunnelss are in good repair."

"No, not all are in good repair," Duss repeated. "We immediately followed thiss one up and found it wass blocked."

"So who told you how we escaped from the Zentor?" Chris asked.

At this question Duss and Cass looked briefly at each other before Cass spoke. "We were sssummoned by our high council and told who you really were. And how important it wass to find you."

"We were assked to help in the ssearch," Duss added.

"Yees, yess, we were very excited to help them ssearch," Cass said, her voice rising an octave. "We knew there wass ssomething sstrange about you, but we had no idea."

"No, no idea," Duss continued.

"But who told the council?" Chris asked.

As if in answer to this question more sounds came from the newly dug tunnel and several soldiers climbed out, followed by Kaloc. Susie rushed forward and flung her arms around him.

"We thought you may have been killed," Susie explained, looking slightly embarrassed.

Kaloc nodded reassuringly. "Yes, it did get a bit dangerous there for a while," he agreed. "But I fear you were in much more danger than I was. The Zentor were sent after the three of you. They broke off their assault when they realised you had run into the forest."

"Is that when you sent the Prower to protect us?" Susie asked.

"Yes, and they told me how you escaped."

He looked them over carefully. "I would imagine," he said with a growing smile, "that food and a wash would be among your highest priorities at the moment."

For the first time Chris noticed how dirty the three of them were.

"Come on," Kaloc said. "We must return quickly to the safety of the underworld."

# Chapter 11: The Portal

Soon Kaloc was leading them through vast networks of tunnels and caverns filled with streams, lakes and forests, and all under a roof teaming with glow-worm and insect life. This was how Chris remembered it, and he spent much of his time proudly explaining to Joe and Susie the wonders of the underworld. Joe and Susie were totally mesmerised by what they saw. They spent all their time gazing at the arrays of limestone formations that adorned the roofs of the caverns, or rose up like shimmering minarets from the floors. And amongst all this beauty were the Nethral, who milled around the party, excitedly firing questions at Kaloc as they passed. But Kaloc did not stop and chat to the Nethral. Instead, he strode out, setting a pace that Chris, Susie and Joe had to run periodically to keep up with.

As they passed groups of Nethral, Chris detected heightened levels of fear. Many were aware of a large invasion force gathering on the surface near Mount Caporel, intent on capturing the portal. The Nethral had pledged to defend the portal, but this task was almost impossible. Unlike the small tunnels the Nethral had dug to the surface, the tunnels in this region had been carved out over the millennia by volcanic activity and vast underground rivers. Consequently, they were numerous and large, impossible to defend against any determined assault. Despite this, many Nethral had already left to join in the defence of the underworld. These Nethral were essentially going to war against an enemy they could not defeat.

The reading of this information quickly drove away all of Chris's initial excitement at seeing the Nethral again. Visions of the underworld forests and all its life burning under the weapon fire of the Zentor plagued his thoughts. Now he understood Kaloc's haste to return, but he could not see how the Mytar, or Kaloc, or anyone else for that matter, could ever stand against such a force.

After an hour of hard walking, the party had reached the end of a large cavern. This cavern was actually the home of Duss and Cass and was one of the most extensive and beautiful caverns Chris had so far seen. He estimated that it was around two kilometres across and close to twice as long. The party had walked its full length before Kaloc finally stopped next to a narrow gap in the wall. After motioning the rest to follow, he disappeared through the gap. When they climbed through after him, they found themselves in a small dimly lit tunnel which quickly widened. Then they saw it, the distortion was unmistakable; in the centre of the cavern was the portal with the control panel next to it.

Joe and Susie rushed forward as if greeting a long-lost friend, but Chris hung back. He had been worried about the meaning of the information he had received from the Nethral and decided to talk to Kaloc about it. He found Kaloc in deep discussion with some of his commanders over the allocation of weapons to the Nethral. Apparently, the Nethral didn't like surface weapons and preferred blowpipes, short swords and axes; weapons they could use at close range in the tunnels without causing cave-ins. Kaloc ended up agreeing to deploy the Nethral soldiers in the smaller tunnels, while his soldiers would concentrate on defending the larger tunnels and the caverns. Chris waited until the last of Kaloc's commanders had left. When he approached Kaloc, he found him studying a Nethral map of the surrounding caverns, spread out on a large limestone table.

"Has Zelnoff found out where the portal is?" he asked when Kaloc looked up.

Kaloc carefully rolled up the map and placed it in a drawer. Chris could see from his slow deliberate movements that he was mentally trying to focus on something he found painful.

"As you know, the Zentor stopped their assault when they realised you weren't there," he began, turning to Chris. "We weren't in good shape. Many of my men were injured, so we headed for the safety of the tunnels near Mount Caporel. I knew it was a risk." He paused for a moment, his eyes staring distantly at some point behind Chris's head. "We couldn't see any sign of the Zentor. They appeared to have broken off contact with us together, so I decided it was safe to enter the underworld." Kaloc looked directly at him and Chris saw the answer in his eyes before he spoke. "I'm afraid I was wrong. The Zentor must have seen us enter the underworld. Zelnoff, I'm sure, now realises the portal is here."

From the despair in Kaloc's voice, Chris knew this was a disaster.

"We will talk more of these matters later," Kaloc said. "First, eat and get cleaned up."

Chris wasn't finished asking questions, but it was clear from Kaloc's tone that this would have to wait. He wandered back past the portal to where the tunnel expanded into a large chamber filled with supplies and weapons. In one area, queues of Nethral were being fitted with cut-down versions of the same type of armour that Kaloc's men wore. Much to his delight, Altac was there, talking to Joe and Susie. Chris noticed, to his astonishment, that Altac's leg wound had almost healed. But his face looked tired and drawn, as though he hadn't slept since their encounter with the Zentor.

"Can you walk on it now?" Chris asked, bending over to take a closer look at a compress that was still strapped to Altac's left leg.

Altac put all his weight on the leg, then walked several steps without any sign of a limp.

"It does get sore if I walk any distance," he said. "The Nethral have some herbs down here that have disappeared from the surface many thousands of years ago. They have amazing regenerative powers. I have ordered their collection to heal our wounded."

Altac directed them toward what looked to be the mess hall. "Please, you must all be very hungry."

Once they had eaten and washed, Kaloc re-appeared and led them to a small room on one side of the chamber. This must have been Kaloc's personal office, Chris thought. Inside, the walls were decorated with beautiful landscapes, paintings of Kaloc amongst various family groups, and one large striking portrait of Kaloc with a woman with long, dark hair which flowed past her shoulders. Chris was immediately drawn to this painting. The woman was nearly as tall as Kaloc, with striking hazel-coloured eyes and a beautiful warm smile. Kaloc had his arm around her and a look of complete joy and contentment on his face. Chris could hardly recognise him. The Kaloc that stood beside him today was a mocking contrast to this picture.

Chris detected strong emotions and looked up. Kaloc was standing next to him in silence, also staring at the painting. Chris felt an enormous sense of loss and sadness radiating from the Guardian. Kaloc's eyes were unfocused, almost glazed, as though he was recalling a past that no longer existed.

"Who's she?" Chris asked, feeling immediately that he was prying into things Kaloc didn't want to talk about.

Kaloc continued to stare at the painting with a distant expression. "Someone I knew long ago," he sighed. "Before this world had ever heard of Zelnoff...or the Zentor."

Chris watched Kaloc's face, discerning the misery in his eyes. "You must hate Batarr for doing this."

Kaloc shook his head slowly. "Batarr is Batarr. He can't change what he is. We should have seen more...recognised the danger."

"But Batarr helped Zelnoff invade the planet."

"The blame doesn't rest on Batarr alone. We knew there was a disturbance across the dimensions, but we ignored the signs. We were blinded by our own denial."

"But he also helped Zelnoff kill the Mytar?"

"Batarr was no more than a tool. If it wasn't Batarr, it would have been someone else. The result would ultimately have been the same."

Chris looked up at Kaloc in surprise. He seemed almost resigned to defeat. "You mean you can't stop Zelnoff?"

"Only the Mytar can stop Zelnoff," Kaloc replied. "And in our world, they were either not found, or killed before we realised what was happening."

There was silence after this last comment. Chris avoided looking across at Susie and Joe. He already knew what they were thinking. The immensely of what they were facing felt like a huge hand slowly squeezing the life out of each of them.

"But you knew who the Mytar were?" Susie asked, stepping up next to Kaloc.

Kaloc shook his head. "The Guardians can detect the Mytar on the planet the portals are linked to, not our own. I say they were not found or killed because the previous world fell even more quickly than ours. No conflict, no wars, he swept through unopposed. Such a thing could only happen if the Mytar from this world were killed or never found."

"Well, can't you contact the Guardians on Earth and warn them about Zelnoff? Get them to contact the Mytar on the next planet?" Chris asked.

"We don't know who the Guardians on your planet are."

Chris frowned up at Kaloc, unsure whether to believe him. "But that's silly," he said finally. "If all the Mytar and Guardians got together, then someone like Zelnoff could be stopped."

This comment drew a wry smile from Kaloc. "Who do you think Zelnoff is?" he said, turning to Chris.

Chris shrugged.

Susie, who had been listening intently, spoke up. "He's a Guardian."

Kaloc nodded. "That's possible, or a Mytar; someone who has special powers like the Mytar and has managed to develop them to an extraordinary degree. He also possesses knowledge of inter-dimension travel that not even the most accomplished Guardian would know. Either way, he hasn't been able to gain this knowledge and power by himself. Originally he must have had help from either Mytar or Guardians like Batarr. Whoever designed the portals and created the Guardians foresaw this possibility and split the powers of the Mytar among six individuals. They also ensured the Guardians could not contact each other in case they learnt how to travel between worlds like Zelnoff can now."

"And now this system will work in Zelnoff's favour," Chris said. "The Guardians can't warn each other about Zelnoff."

"Your Guardians should already be aware of entities crossing into your world and causing atmospheric and climatic disturbances," Kaloc replied, after a moment's thought. "I just hope they are wiser and more vigilant than we were and have already contacted the Mytar in the next world."

"But can just one group of Mytar stand against Zelnoff?" Susie asked.

"Any fully functional group of Mytar will be more than a match for any single entity such as Zelnoff. Zelnoff knows this, which is why he has already gone to great lengths to destroy you. Still, none of you comprehend the powers of a fully functional group of Mytar."

Joe groaned loudly at this remark. _"But we're too young,"_ he said. "And we don't know who the other Mytar are."

Kaloc looked at Joe thoughtfully. "You are no match for Zelnoff in your present form, I agree. We have to find the others, but first we must first delay Zelnoff's invasion of your world, if only to give the Guardians of your world more time to prepare."

"How? By defending the portal?" Joe asked anxiously.

"Actually, we have already lost this portal," Kaloc replied, pausing and scanning their faces. "The Nethral will defend valiantly, but the entrances around Mount Caporel are too large, and Zelnoff's army is too strong. Ultimately Zelnoff will be able to invade the underworld."

"Then we have lost," Chris said, barely able to contain his own anger at Kaloc's apparent lack of emotion. "You're saying that we can't stop Zelnoff reaching the last portal ...?"

"If this was the last portal, I would never surrender it while I still lived," Kaloc said, with a hint of steel in his voice that stopped Chris in his tracks.

" _There's another one?"_ All three spoke at once.

Kaloc walked over to a picture at the other side of the room. "Do you see anything odd about this picture?"

It was a group of seven hominids dressed very formally in long flowing robes. In the centre of the group was Batarr; this time dressed in a golden robe with a bright red sash. His black hair was neatly pinned back behind his head and he had something that looked like a sceptre in his arms. A more youthful Kaloc stood in the second row, a full head taller than most of the other Guardians. Chris guessed that this group represented all of the intelligent species on Cathora. There was a large hairless Taal, and the gorilla-like species that seemed to make up the bulk of Kaloc's soldiers. There was a dark-skinned lady with black eyes, wispy blonde hair and almost no mouth, and another much smaller lady with large jagged ears and hazel eyes. The array of odd shapes and sizes was staggering.

Chris guessed they were probably the Guardians in happier times. Then he realised. _"There's no Nethral."_

"That's right. Every major species is represented except the Nethral. The surface people have been separated from the Nethral for so long that many have forgotten they exist. And no one knows, not even Batarr, how extensive the underworld really is."

"You had no idea what was down here?" Chris asked, finding Kaloc's lack of knowledge of his own planet difficult to believe.

"We thought there were no more than a few isolated groups of Nethral living in dark tunnels," Kaloc said. "There has actually been no direct contact between the Nethral and the surface people for centuries. I just had no idea," he waved his hand in the air, "that all this existed."

"But whoever made the portals knew." Joe voiced what everyone was thinking.

Kaloc nodded. "I was forced to hide in the tunnels around Mount Caporel to avoid detection by Zelnoff's soldiers. That's when I first encountered the Nethral and realised these people were not primitive tunnel dwellers, but they inhabited a world every bit as extensive and beautiful as that of the surface. That's when I realised there must be another portal here somewhere, and with the help of their high council, I have found it."

"Where?" Chris asked.

"It's a long way from here."

"Does it have a Guardian?"

Kaloc shook his head. "There was an ancient legend about its existence and a rough location. It took me nearly a year of searching the underworld before I found it. Although it didn't have a Guardian, it was still operational. It appears that the line of Guardians that operated it died out thousands of years ago."

"And Batarr has no idea it exists?" Susie asked.

"No Guardian, or Nethral for that matter, knows anything about it. I have told you now because it will become necessary to use it in the near future. The Nethral have been instructed to hold back Zelnoff's forces just long enough to allow this immediate part of the underworld to be evacuated, they will then melt back into the underworld and leave Batarr and Zelnoff to the portal."

"And we will transport to this other portal," Chris said.

"Yes," Kaloc nodded. "Then I will teach Susie and yourself to combine your powers of telepathy."

Chris and Susie looked at each other.

"What for?" Susie asked.

"When this portal is captured, Zelnoff will believe he has possession of all the portals and we have transported to another location. He will not be guarding against a possible eighth portal. Zelnoff will then prepare his forces for the final crossing into your world. To co-ordinate the simultaneous crossing of his forces through seven portals at once will be a difficult process, even for Zelnoff with Batarr's help. It will require all his concentration. At that time, he will be at his most vulnerable to an attack."

"What type of attack?" Chris asked, suddenly feeling the weight of the world back on his shoulders.

"With your help, I should be able to send his forces into another dimension altogether. Somewhere they can do no harm and Zelnoff cannot retrieve them."

"So they will never reach Earth," Joe said.

"That's right. They will disappear forever. It will be some time before Zelnoff can assemble another invasion force. This should give you valuable time to find the other Mytar."

"You mean we can go home?" Joe asked.

"Yes." Kaloc smiled at Joe's sudden enthusiasm. "But you must promise to come back."

There was a collective nod of agreement. Chris looked around the faces of his friends. He had not believed it till now, but just maybe there was something different about the three of them after all.

The meeting broke up soon afterwards, when one of Kaloc's commanders came with the news that Zelnoff's forces had begun their march into the underworld. The Nethral had booby-trapped many of the tunnels and the initial assault had been repelled. But Zelnoff's soldiers were massing again, and a second attack was imminent. Kaloc left in a hurry, in deep discussion with his commander.

Cass and Duss were waiting for Chris near the mess hall. They seemed very flustered and confused about what was happening. Chris had to spend a considerable amount of time explaining why Zelnoff wanted the portal and why Kaloc was trying to stop him. Finally, they shook their heads and said the planet was not a safe place, and they didn't understand these things. Chris had to agree. After many reassurances that he would be all right, they left to collect their belongings and join the evacuation.

Several hours later, Chris climbed through the narrow gap in the cavern wall to say goodbye to Cass and Duss. From here he could see over most of this vast underworld cavern. Streams of Nethral were already leaving their houses and disappearing into the many tunnels leading off the central cavern.

"Where will you go?" he asked.

At this comment, at least, they did not seem confused. "We have many friendss," Cass said.

"And many relativess," Duss added.

"They will be very happy to ssee uss," Cass said.

"Yess very happy," Duss again added.

"Don't worry about uss. Jusst make ssure that thiss Zelnoff doess not get to the portal," Cass said, taking Chris by the shoulders and peering deeply into his eyes.

Chris smiled reassuringly. "I will do my best."

"And don't get caught up in the fighting. You are too young for ssuch thingss," Cass went on.

Chris nodded. He could read only concern for his welfare in Cass's huge black orbs and it made him feel ashamed about all the things he couldn't tell her. Then, with a parting wave, they were gone, fading into the streams of Nethral who were abandoning their homes to certain destruction from Zelnoff's forces. Chris quickly turned away from the sight and headed back to the portal.

When he arrived he found Susie, Joe and Kaloc huddled around a small fire, deep in discussion. Kaloc was explaining some of his future plans. He immediately made a space for Chris on the bench beside him.

"I was just telling Joe and Susie about the need for secrecy concerning the existence of the Nethral portal," he said. "And they have been telling me the details of your escape from the Zentor; a very close call, by all accounts. The Prower also tell of Joe's remarkable ability with the crystal weapon."

"Yeah, I killed at least ten Zentor," Joe said, "I even blasted them right out of the sky."

Kaloc lips tightened as he nodded slowly. "That is impressive."

"And Altac said it would take ages to learn how to use a crystal weapon," Joe added proudly.

"To operate, load and service correctly, that is very true," Kaloc said, fixing Joe with a stern look.

"Right," Joe said a little more quietly.

"That staff of yours," Chris said, "now that's really cool."

Kaloc picked up his staff from the ground and put it across his lap. "As with everything, there is a story behind this staff. The builders of the portals left behind many items. Some still remain a mystery, as the knowledge of their use has been lost over thousands of years, but the purpose of three of their items is known; the portal, the key and this staff. This is the only offensive weapon that the builders of the portals left. Its mechanism is unknown, but it is powered by the same blue crystals that power our crystal weapons. Somehow it converts the energy from these crystals to a white light that is much more powerful than the blue light of our crystal weapons."

"So you just press a button to fire it?" Joe asked.

Kaloc smiled. "Nothing so crude. Somehow the staff locks into the user's thought processes. I just have to think, aim and fire."

"Wow...that really is awesome," Joe said.

"And there's only one staff?" Susie asked.

"Yes, I'm afraid so. The staff has always been passed to the Guardian that is in charge of Defence. That was me; a bit like your Minister of Defence back on your Earth. Of course, until Zelnoff invaded Cathora, the staff was purely a symbol of authority, since there were no serious conflicts on Cathora. Unfortunately, now it has become the most powerful part of my arsenal." Kaloc paused and smiled at the three of them. "That is, of course, until you three came along. I'm very pleased with the progress of all three of you." He turned his attention to Chris. "Especially you. Joe tells me you managed to gain control of your dreams after only the second night. Indeed, I doubt if Batarr would make a third attempt, since it is clear that you have already surpassed his powers and can no longer be manipulated in your dreams."

"So you don't think we need to tie him up?" Joe asked, sounding disappointed, but grinning wickedly at Chris at the same time.

"No, I believe it won't be necessary," Kaloc answered, smiling mildly at Joe. He paused for a moment. "There is something that I would like Chris to help me with. So far, I have not told anyone, except you three, about the Nethral portal. But we'll need some loyal soldiers to help us when we reach it. Chris, no one can hide his or her true allegiances from you. I need to have a group of about five trusted soldiers who will come with us to the Nethral portal. These soldiers will form the core of a future resistance movement and will help shape the Nethral into a fighting force, if necessary."

"So you want me to read the minds of your men?" Chris asked.

"Yes, I do. I need soldiers I can rely on and trust."

Chris looked across at Joe and Susie, but they only shrugged.

"Sure, I can do that," Chris said.

"Good," Kaloc climbed to his feet. "I must go and organise the defence of the tunnels. There isn't much time, so please start straight away."

"Anyone in particular you want me to concentrate on?" Chris asked as Kaloc was leaving.

"My personal staff," he called back over his shoulder.

Over the next twenty-four hours they received a constant stream of reports from the battle. The second assault was more organised and extensive than the first. As Kaloc had predicted, the sheer magnitude of the forces aligned against the Nethral and the large number of entrances into the underworld was proving too much to defend. There were also other creatures that even Kaloc had not seen before that spearheaded the attack; boulder-like creatures that appeared impervious to weapon fire and could smash their way through cave-ins with apparent ease. Insect-like soldiers that rushed ahead of the main forces blasting away at anything that moved. And creatures that curled themselves up into balls and rolled forward at incredible speeds, only to spring open again when they reached their objective. All these creatures were totally alien to Cathora, and drove deep into the Nethral defences, forcing the Nethral to retreat further into the underworld.

While the reports of the battle came in, Chris moved around the camp trying to engage Kaloc's key personnel in conversation. Altac was easy, as it was clear that speaking to the Mytar seemed to ease his own fears. He spent a lot of time talking about all the amazing variety of herbs he had already seen in the underworld. The other staff members, however, were more difficult to engage in dialogue, particularly when it became clear the battle was not going well for the Nethral. As the day progressed, the trickle of wounded became a flood, and the need for more medical supplies and weapons sent Kaloc's staff into a frenzy. Chris managed to select five staff, including Altac. The other staff were Ranus and Seanus from the race of gorilla-like soldiers that seemed to make up the bulk of Kaloc's fighting force, Denma from the same race as Altac, and Pepas, a small dwarf-like creature with dark skin, pointed ears and saucer-shaped eyes. All these soldiers seemed to be driven by the same sense of fierce loyalty to Kaloc and an abhorrence of everything that Zelnoff stood for.

As night on the surface came, Kaloc's staff barely had time to stop for more than a few minutes to rest. Chris and Joe helped out by preparing meals, while Susie, Altac and a team of Kaloc's medical staff, applied Altac's various herb remedies to the mounting flood of wounded, while other staff did their best to stitch their wounds. As the battle wore on, the wounded soon overflowed the medical area and eventually spilled out into all the sections of the tunnel and beyond.

It was the morning of the next day when Kaloc finally re-appeared. He looked utterly exhausted and leaned heavily on his staff for support, but his eyes were bright and his expression determined. Chris could feel the emotion and power radiating from him.

"Zelnoff's forces aren't far behind," he announced. "I have ordered the Nethral to retreat. "We must also abandon this site."

Kaloc focused his attention on Chris, allowing him to read his thoughts. He was asking whom he had selected. Chris quickly told him, receiving a nod of approval before Kaloc summoned these soldiers into his office. After a brief meeting they re-emerged. Chris probed their thoughts. Each soldier had quickly accepted his new assignment, the honour of being selected to continue the fight with the Mytar uppermost in his mind.

When the last of Kaloc's soldiers had disappeared into the underworld, Kaloc caved in the tunnel leading into the main cavern by firing a bolt of light from his staff. Without a word he strode over to the portal and started manipulating the dials. The vortex started to rotate slowly, then picked up speed, and a low hum began resonating from it. Since the portal was not linked to another dimension, the enormous wind that had sucked Chris, Susie and Joe between dimensions was gone.

Chris grabbed several boxes of dried food and slung three crystal weapons over his shoulder. Susie took the medical supplies and Joe took as many crystals and weapons as he could carry. On Kaloc's signal, Altac and the other four soldiers, also loaded down with supplies and weapons, disappeared into the spinning vortex. The Mytar followed, and lastly Kaloc, carrying a box filled with his last remaining possessions.

Loud cheers and shouts greeted the sudden disappearance of any resistance from the Nethral. Batarr was less inclined to celebrate. Zelnoff was a hard taskmaster, and he hadn't been pleased that the three Mytar had escaped. The last episode with Chris had particularly unsettled him, as it was obvious Chris was still gaining strength. Zelnoff, however, would be very pleased once they had captured the last portal.

One of the commanders, a Taal, reported that the advanced Zentor units had reached a large underground cavern. Batarr already knew the location of the portal. Zelnoff had extracted this information from some hapless Nethral soldier.

"Excellent. Proceed as quickly as possible to the end of the cavern. There will be a small gap in the wall. The portal will be through there," Batarr replied.

Without the slightest hint of emotion, the Taal commander turned and strode off.

Batarr watched the Taal disappear down the tunnel. The Taal nation will make a valuable addition to Zelnoff's army, he thought. They were fiercely loyal with the ability to obey without question or emotion. The perfect battle troops, he sighed. But his heart found no comfort in the thought.

With the order to advance, the Zentor took to the air, flying high above a patchwork of forests and green fields, split by the coursing lines of streams and rivers. Clustered squares of thatched roofs marked Nethral settlements, dotted along the riverbanks. As the swarm advanced, singularly or in small groups, Zentor peeled off to destroy these settlements. Their war cries remained unchallenged. Only startled cries and scurried activity greeted the incineration of each settlement as the animals of the underworld retreated into the forests. The leading Zentor soon arrived at the caved-in entrance to the portal. Using their weapons, they quickly blasted a path through the collapsed tunnel. Once inside, they scuttled forward, screeching excitedly when they found the portal still intact. After quickly securing all the exits, several Zentor took to the air, shrieking loudly as they flew back over the burning Nethral villages, eager to report their success to their commander.

# Chapter 12: Demoss

The party emerged into a dimly lit tunnel. Ahead, it broadened into a narrow cavern with a high roof, studded with thousands of micro-stalactites. The floor was bare limestone in places, and carpeted in thick green moss in others. On the far side of the cavern was the control panel of the Nethral portal. Chris dumped his supplies and walked around it a few times. It was identical to the previous two control panels he had seen, except the seat was higher. The cavern smelt of dampness and moss. In contrast to where he had come from, it was also quiet. The silence made Chris realise just how tired he was.

Ignoring the portal entirely, Susie and Joe had headed directly to some makeshift beds that had been assembled against the opposite wall of the cavern. When Chris joined them, they were lying on the beds with their eyes already flickering shut. They both looked exhausted. Chris estimated that their last sleep was nearly two days ago, just before Kaloc rescued them. Chris had never before seen kids his age with such dark shadows under their eyes and grey complexions.

Kaloc finished directing his soldiers and came over, a concerned expression appearing on his face when he saw the condition of the Mytar. He knelt down and watched them for a moment. If anything, Chris thought, he looked even worse, with deep lines of exhaustion carved under each eye.

"Come on, I want to show you all something that might surprise you," Kaloc said, in an unexpectedly upbeat tone.

"I just need some sleep," Joe moaned.

Kaloc nodded that he understood. "But aren't you hungry?"

At this, Joe's eyes opened slightly. "Yeah..."

"Well, I know a place not far from here which will provide a feast."

"Real food, not supplies?" Joe asked.

"Food that will have you begging for more," Kaloc assured him.

"How far?" Susie asked.

Kaloc smiled and rose to his feet, then signalled Altac to follow. "Not far, I promise. Come on, it's time we celebrated our escape with some good food and company."

Kaloc led them at a brisk pace down an increasingly narrow and twisting tunnel, which soon forced everyone to walk in single file. As they walked, the tunnel became increasingly dark, but just when it seemed too dark to continue, a light appeared in the distance. The distinctive sounds of the Nethral could be heard coming from what appeared to be a narrow opening ahead.

They reached the opening and stumbled into bright light, their sudden appearance startling several Nethral. Chris had never seen a tunnel this size before. It reminded him of the large, elongated dome of a grand train station, except, instead of fluorescent lights overhead, it was lit by glittering glow-worm colonies as far as he could see. The floor of this tunnel was alive with furry, brown and black heads as the Nethral passed by carrying or hauling produce and wares. The passing carts were filled with all types of dried meat and fish, household wares, clothes, even books and jewellery. Chris figured this must of be one of the major trading thoroughfares.

When he turned to Susie and Joe, he saw they were looking in the opposite direction. Several hundred metres away the tunnel opened up into the biggest cavern Chris had ever seen. And in the centre was what appeared to be a Nethral city. Chris followed Susie and Joe as they weaved their way through the Nethral crowds for a closer look. The city was vast, and covered so completely in glow-worms and insects it seemed to glisten and glow like some vast luminescent monster.

"Beautiful, isn't it." Kaloc appeared beside them, and was watching their reactions with a faint smile. "I was as amazed as you are when I first saw this place. The city is called Demoss. It is one of several cities deep under the surface. There are over half a million Nethral in this city alone."

Chris now understood the reasons behind the pride he had detected in Cass's and Duss's voices when they spoke of the vastness of the underworld. Nothing he had seen on the surface compared to this.

"Come on, there is much to see," Kaloc said, leading them forward amongst a gathering sea of Nethral.

As they walked, the Nethral talked to Kaloc excitedly. Clearly he was already a well-known and popular figure here. The rest of the party continued in silence, trying to absorb every detail of their surroundings. The cavern roof was so high it was merely a blur of light surrounded by the constant swirling activity of luminescent insect and bat life.

The city itself was encircled by several rings of closely packed trees that were much larger than anything Chris had previously seen in the underworld. When they passed through them, Chris could see packs of long-tailed creatures, similar to monkeys on Earth, screeching and chattering as they swung amongst the branches overhead. Past the trees, the road split into a number of smaller roads that entered the city at different locations. Kaloc led them along the main thoroughfare, followed by a healthy escort of Nethral. Chris sent out his senses amongst the gathering crowd of onlookers. They were aware of Zelnoff, and had heard about the Mytar, but they were expecting strong powerful soldiers, not children. Consequently, Susie, Joe and himself were viewed more as a curiosity. This explained why they had largely been ignored. Apparently, Kaloc had felt it unwise to inform the Nethral that their fate actually rested in the hands of ones so young.

They continued their journey down the main road, which quickly became crowded with stalls selling food and other merchandise. Chris had never seen such strange things, and gravitated to the stalls. One appeared to sell nothing but mushrooms. There were pink, green, blue and yellow ones, and other mushrooms with these colours in every possible combination. Some were no larger than his thumb, while others were so large you could use them as stools. Every category of mushroom was neatly bundled according to weight. There were also small bags of powdered mushrooms, used as medicines. This news instantly attracted Altac, who, using Chris as an interpreter, began asking questions about where in the underworld he could find these mushrooms growing, and what ailments they cured. Kaloc, however, was in no mood to linger, and soon pushed them along. After walking for some time, they reached a large, paved plaza with a circular building in the centre, completely covered in glow-worms.

News of Kaloc's arrival had travelled fast, as several rather colourfully dressed and important-looking Nethral were already gathered outside. They bowed low when they saw Kaloc. Their leader wore a bright yellow tunic with what looked like red flowers painted on it, and a black hat with a wide, curled rim. Joe began sniggering when he saw this, and received a sharp jab in the side from Susie for his troubles.

"Sso you've come back?" the Nethral leader said, taking off his hat and bowing. His expression, however, was very un-Nethral-like, Chris thought - more like he was attending a funeral.

Kaloc nodded coolly, then introduced Chris, Joe and Susie without any explanation as to who they were.

"This is Sharess. He's the leader of the High Council of the city," Kaloc said, sounding wooden and formal.

Chris focused his mind on this Nethral. He was uncomfortable with surface people, but the gravity of this situation clearly overrode all such concerns. His large dark orbs were fixed on Chris. He already suspected they were the Mytar. Chris could read the disappointment and dismay at seeing how young they were.

Sharess moved to one side and gestured toward the circular building. "Pleasse, you all look tired. Come and have ssome food and resst."

They were led through the main door into a room with a low, curved ceiling. Set in rows along the ceiling were clusters of glow-worm colonies, which acted much like light bulbs would on Earth, and provided a bright and even light throughout the room. The walls were covered in murals depicting different scenes in the underworld, and along each wall were glass cabinets displaying the many different types of underworld crystals. Each crystal had its own distinctive colour that changed depending on the angle you viewed it. While Chris inspected these crystals, plates of food and decanters full of an amber liquid were brought in and laid out on a table that literally sparkled, since it appeared to be carved from a huge multi-coloured crystal. The food, like much of the food in the stalls, was strange, consisting of a variety of tubers and odd shaped vegetables, hard-crusted breads, as well as shellfish, crabs, meat dishes and fish piled high on crystal platters and garnished with an assortment of herbs and spices. Despite the unfamiliar appearance and smell of the food, Chris felt his mouth watering.

"Pleasse eat," Sharess gestured toward the food.

While they ate, Kaloc disappeared with Sharess into the next room and closed the door. Caught up in the food, Chris didn't notice Kaloc's departure, but it wasn't long before he sensed a heightened feeling of tension. Susie felt it too, and soon raised voices could clearly be heard through the closed door. Chris went over to the door and started listening. Kaloc had obviously told Sharess about Zelnoff's attack on the underworld and the loss of the portal. Sharess was angry Kaloc had transported here, and even angrier that he had brought the Mytar. He viewed Zelnoff as purely a surface problem that had been dragged down to the underworld by Kaloc, and now threatened to engulf the Nethral in a war. He would hear nothing of the argument that Zelnoff was not only a global but also an inter-dimensional problem and wanted Kaloc to shut down the portal immediately, take away the Mytar, and never come back. The argument raged back and forth for some time without any clear conclusion. Then the door flung open and Kaloc stormed in. He had deep furrows in his forehead and his eyes burned with rage. "Come, we must leave immediately," he said stiffly, pointing to the door with his staff.

Sharess appeared behind Kaloc. From his expression, he also looked angry. He walked over and surveyed the empty plates of food. "I hope you found our food to your tasste," he said in a formal, expressionless voice, which contrasted dramatically with the hostility Chris could detect in his thoughts.

For a moment, Chris and Sharess's eyes met across the room. Chris read absolutely no sympathy for the plight of Kaloc, or the surface people. In fact, he disliked Kaloc immensely and blamed him for the invasion of the underworld. He also didn't care or believe the Mytar had any special powers. At a deeper level, he also wanted them captured, or even killed by Zelnoff. Then, he believed, Zelnoff would leave the underworld and return to the surface. This man was power-hungry and selfish. No argument would convince him to raise a finger to help.

Sharess bowed low to the party and they all responded politely. He was now thinking how messy and dirty these Mytar children looked and how badly they dressed.

As they were leaving, Chris turned to Sharess. "You're wrong," he said coldly. "We're the only thing that's standing between your precious city and Zelnoff. If we are killed, Zelnoff will invade the underworld and enslave you all."

Chris read complete confusion and amazement in Sharess's mind at his words. He turned and ran out, followed closely by Joe, who also had his arms filled with food.

He and Joe had to hurry to catch up with the others, who were setting a frantic pace through the streets. Curious Nethral again came from everywhere, but this time Kaloc brushed past them without acknowledging any of their questions. Chris told Joe and Susie what he'd read in Sharess's thoughts.

"That's great," Joe said, now puffing slightly at the effort of eating, talking and walking fast at the same time, "now Zelnoff has an opposition of three kids, five soldiers and one Guardian."

Joe took another enormous bite out of something that looked like an apple, and purple juice sprayed all over his face and shirt. Susie giggled. Joe groaned, then began to wipe the juice off his shirt. This only smeared the stain further. Chris trudged off and left Joe to his shirt, now feeling uneasy about everything.

# Chapter 13: A Battle of Wills

They reached the camp feeling exhausted. Kaloc hadn't allowed time for a rest, and had maintained a gruelling pace for the whole journey back. When they arrived, he immediately rounded up his soldiers and spoke to them in low, serious tones that Chris, Susie and Joe couldn't hear. But Chris read Altac's mind and knew Kaloc was warning them to be wary of any Nethral soldiers. After issuing his instructions, Kaloc went over and began rifling through some of his personal possessions, eventually pulling out a round object neatly wrapped in cloth. Chris watched him carefully unwrap the cloth and examine the object in great detail. Satisfied that it was undamaged, he climbed to his feet and walked over.

When he sat down, Chris felt an overpowering emotion of sadness. This was someone who had fought for so long, so hard, and always alone. He had survived on nothing but his own strength of will and courage. Yet, despite all his efforts, he had failed to stem the tide of invasion, and witnessed only death and the disintegration of his world. Chris looked across at Susie, who was also watching Kaloc. He knew she was sensing the same as him. Kaloc was very close to total exhaustion. The latest setback at Demoss had almost broken him.

In both hands, Kaloc held a perfectly round stone, with what looked like something resembling a cloud or mist suspended in it. He laid it on the ground next to them. "This is called a Vizion stone," he explained. "It helps Guardians focus their thoughts when they peer into other worlds. Normally only a Guardian could use this stone. Anyone else would risk death by even touching it." He laid his staff on the ground. "But these aren't normal times. This stone should help focus Chris's and Susie's abilities."

"But you just said that anyone, except a Guardian, would risk death by using this stone," Joe said.

"You are hardly anybody else," Kaloc said, his eyes flashing angrily.

"Arrr...right," Joe replied, looking across at Chris.

"It's fine," Chris said quickly, deciding not to test Kaloc's mood any further. "I'll try." Before Susie or Joe could raise any further objections, he placed a hand on the stone. Immediately the stone's surface became cold and the air temperature around it dropped dramatically.

"It's drawing power from the surrounding atmosphere," Kaloc said, leaning forward eagerly.

The mist in the crystal miraculously cleared and Chris felt a surge of energy shoot up his arm. Visions, strong and intense, played through his mind. Earth, his house, Cathora, the underworld, all flashed past, assaulting his senses and sending his mind into a spin. Then, as quickly as they came, they were gone. Kaloc had pulled his hand from the stone.

"That's enough for now," Kaloc said. For the first time the tension seemed to ease from his face.

"What happened?" Joe asked, shuffling closer on his knees and peering at Chris. "Your eyes were rolling around like a couple of loose marbles."

"You need to control the visions," Kaloc said, "but the stone hasn't done you any harm. We will work on training you to focus your visions in the next few days." He turned his attention to Susie. "Just put one hand on the Vizion stone like Chris did."

Susie looked across at Chris.

"It's all good," Chris said, in his most encouraging tone. "You see all sorts of things."

When she placed her hand on the stone, as with Chris, the mist cleared. Her body suddenly went rigid and she squealed, pulling back her hand sharply.

"It can be frightening at first," Kaloc said sympathetically, but clearly pleased at the outcome. "You will both be able to use the stone, so I will start training tomorrow. You both need to slow the visions down long enough to control them." He wrapped the stone up carefully again in the cloth and put it inside his battle tunic. "We now all need to get some rest. The next few days will be crucial if we're to have any chance of stopping Zelnoff sending his forces to your world." Picking up his staff, he rose and pointed to the makeshift beds in the section of the cavern Altac and his men had prepared as sleeping quarters. "Rest," he said in an exhausted tone. "The next few days will require all our courage and strength."

The lessons started in earnest the next day. Kaloc seemed much improved after his rest, and laid out a vigorous agenda of mental exercises for Chris and Susie. They spent many hours in meditation, trying to clear their minds of all thought. Only by doing this, Kaloc assured them, would they be able to control the stone and not be deluged with an impossible flood of visions. But clearing their minds of all superfluous thoughts proved difficult and extremely boring at times. Still, the seriousness of the situation was not lost on them, and they did their best to apply themselves. Even Joe, normally impatient and vocal, didn't complain in any way.

Periodically, Kaloc pulled out the stone to monitor their progress. At first, the visions flashed past in a blur of colour and sound they could neither grasp nor understand. But by emptying their minds and focusing their thoughts, the visions slowed and became clearer and more meaningful. The stone seemed to act as some type of amplifier. All they needed was to bend the visions to their will. Although they could achieve this, it proved extremely difficult to maintain focus for very long. Only after many days of strenuous mental exercises and headaches did they gain enough control to use the stone effectively.

During this period, Kaloc spent an increasing amount of time monitoring the portal. He had managed to link it to the other seven portals without being detected and spent much of his days absorbed in the task of monitoring their activity. Apparently there were an increasing number of transportations between portals. Kaloc guessed that Batarr was running tests, ensuring their links were stable. This activity increased dramatically in the second week, and several times he detected that all the portals had been activated at once. But the surge of energy required for transportation was never reached.

Sometime during the second week, Kaloc called them to a meeting. "The portals appear to have been successfully linked," he said solemnly, laying down his staff and sitting down beside Chris and Susie. "So transportation to your world must be imminent." He pulled out a small, ornately carved box from one of his coat pockets and turned to Chris. "Batarr had something of mine to help you focus on me. What he didn't know is that I also have something of his." He held out a small box for inspection. "It's a flint box for lighting fires," he explained. "Batarr also left it behind at one of our meetings, years ago. I had almost forgotten I had it."

The box was beautifully carved and inlayed with gold and silver.

"But what about Zelnoff?" Chris asked, leaning across and handing it back to Kaloc.

"They will have to link their minds to perform the transportation. If you find Batarr you will also find Zelnoff." He carefully placed the box back in his coat, not taking his eyes off Chris. "The attempt to disrupt the transportation can only be done once. There will be no second chance. You must take the flint box in your right hand and place your left hand on the stone. Susie will also have to place her hand on the stone. The box should guide you to Batarr and the stone should help focus your thoughts. All I want you to do is to distract Batarr and Zelnoff long enough to weaken their concentration. This should allow me to change the destination of the portals, but timing will be critical. We are relying on the element of surprise. If we intervene too early, they will abort the transportation; too late, and I won't be able to alter anything."

Chris and Susie nodded solemnly, barely able to believe what they were about to do.

"What I don't understand," Joe said, "is what happens if Zelnoff gets hold of Chris or Susie? You know. Drives them crazy. I mean... what happens if Zelnoff tells them to attack us or kill themselves?"

At this question Kaloc merely shrugged. "There's a serious risk. And I don't know what will happen. It will be up to Chris to fight any visions or suggestions Zelnoff throws at him."

"Well if I see anything strange, I will be taking away the Vizion stone," Joe said defiantly.

Chris immediately saw Kaloc's eyes flash. _"I will control when Chris and Susie will break contact!"_ he replied, in a voice, which sent shivers up Chris's spine and set off butterflies in his stomach. _"You will not interfere!"_

Joe swallowed involuntarily and went red. "That's cool. That's cool," he said quickly. "Just checking you had everything under control. You're right...of course, ah...you know best."

After the meeting, Kaloc retreated back to the portal and continued his vigil. This time he left the Vizion stone uncovered near him and the flint box close by, a sure sign he thought the final transportation was imminent. Chris and Susie were terrified; for the first time fully realising this was no game - it was deadly serious.

After his confrontation with Kaloc, Joe also became very serious and spent a lot of time offering advice, which mostly never made any sense, but they were grateful for the distraction and the good intentions.

In the next few days, Kaloc rarely left the portal and never slept. Chris could feel the exhaustion creeping over him and prayed that the transportation would happen soon. Otherwise Kaloc would barely be in any condition to divert it, let alone come to their aid if anything went wrong. Twice he rushed Chris and Susie over to the portal, only to stop them picking up the flint box at the last moment.

More time passed. Chris and Susie could barely sleep. Only Kaloc's immense will kept him awake. The tension mounted to intolerable levels. Then Kaloc signalled them again. Chris and Susie rushed to take their places, half expecting another false alarm. But this time he didn't stop them, he remained absorbed, with one hand on his staff and the other held against the whirling frame of the portal. Then his eyes focused on Chris, and for a second Chris could read all of Kaloc's thoughts, his fears, and the final signal to proceed.

Chris focused on all that Kaloc had taught him. He drew a deep breath and let his energy flow to a single point. His mind cleared and slowed. Then, with one final steadying breath, he placed his left hand on the stone. The visions hit him immediately, but he had control, they slowed and stabilised. He took the flint box in his right hand and the visions suddenly changed. He could see not one, but all the portals swirling into blurs, spinning into vortexes. Their winds rapidly increasing, gaining speed and intensity, and marching toward them were the armies of Zelnoff; the Zentor, the Taal and many strange creatures he had never seen before. He increased his focus. Batarr appeared, his hair flying behind him in the fierce wind and his hands on the portal, an expression of extreme concentration on his face. Chris moved closer, trying to absorb his thoughts. There was nothing. He threw all his concentration, all his strength into Batarr's mind. Suddenly he was linked; the visions poured toward him. He felt a powerful presence, bent only on one purpose. Zelnoff knew he was there, but refused to be distracted. Chris increased his effort, throwing visions at him, trying to penetrate his mind. But his mental powers were vast, too disciplined, too strong. Chris met a wall of mental thought he could not breach; nothing he tried had any effect. Then he felt a second presence. It was Susie. She merged into him and gave him added strength. His mental abilities soared. He renewed his onslaught. The mental barrier started to weaken. Small holes and cracks, leaking thoughts, appeared. He drove in harder and more thoughts leaked out - war, battles, conquest, power. He pushed even harder, sending visions into the breaches he had already created: children dancing around a Christmas tree, children opening presents, sunsets, anything that was opposite to what Zelnoff was thinking. More thoughts were seeping through the barrier. These thoughts were less focused, confused, indecisive. Yes, he screamed, and drove in again. Zelnoff's mental grip on the portal was weakening. He sent another wave of children playing on a beach, eating ice cream, building sandcastles, singing nursery rhymes. The breach became a flood of angry, wild, insane thoughts. His grip on the portal was almost broken. He poured in more thoughts: school assembly, his favourite cartoon programme, a heavy metal rock group. The link to the portal snapped.

Chris felt an enormous mental giant turn his attention toward him. He felt the rage building, searching for an outlet. A wall of thought struck him. Horrendous scenes of slaughter and carnage, battles bathed in blood and death, but he expected this and he mentally removed himself, became an impassive observer to the spectacle. Then, as quickly as they appeared, they were gone, there was nothing.

In the distance he saw a figure silhouetted against a light. The figure started walking toward him, taking powerful strides. He was dressed in a soldier's uniform and was tall and strong. As he came closer he stepped into the light. Chris felt goose bumps sweep over his whole body, his heart beat doubled. It was Altac. He smiled insanely at Chris, his eyes fixed upon him with a menace that filled him with terror. On his right side was a sheathed sword. Slowly, drawing out the sword, he held it aloft, momentarily smiling at it, like it was an old friend. Then he continued forward, never taking his eyes off Chris.

Chris no longer knew if this was real or not. Altac had been Batarr's trusted commander; maybe he had been under Zelnoff's control all along, or worse still, _was_ Zelnoff. The implications flooded his brain. He stood up but felt light-headed, his legs felt like jelly under him. Altac continued advancing, wearing the same maniacal smile. He stopped directly in front of Chris, raising the sword over his head.

Chris's body was shaking violently, sweat was pouring off him and he was screaming hysterically. He turned to run, but strong hands restrained him. Altac's sword was still there; ready to cut him in two. Then something hit him hard on the right side of his face. The pain stunned him and sent him staggering backward. A second slap twisted his head around sharply, forcing him to raise an arm to fend off the next blow.

"Yes!" he heard. "It's working, hit him again."

Another blow nearly knocked him off his feet.

He raised both arms against the blows.

"Don't stop," the voice urged, "keep going!"

Another blow crashed into his arm, bringing him to his knees. He recognised the voice. It was Kaloc.

Another blow struck him in the face. Altac and the sword were gone. Pepas, one of Kaloc's soldiers, was slapping him around the head with an open hand, while everyone else looked on anxiously.

"Stop it, stop it!" Chris yelled, still on his knees, trying to shield his face from more blows. The next blow never landed. Instead, Kaloc appeared, an anxious expression on his face.

"He's back," he announced with clear relief in his voice.

A multitude of arms lifted him up. He was sobbing and crying uncontrollably. Blood was pouring down his face. The faces in front of him gradually came into focus. It was real, he was back, he could hardly believe it. A fresh wave of emotion set off more sobbing.

Joe was inspecting his face, which was quickly taking on the shape of a large balloon.

"Why did you have to hit him that hard?" Joe puffed out his chest and thrust it towards Pepas.

"Believe me, it was necessary," Kaloc replied, also inspecting the damage. "The swelling will go down in a few days," he concluded, wiping away some of the blood with a cloth.

Joe grumbled a reply, which luckily no one heard.

Chris was gradually regaining his control, amid pats on his back.

Susie was still next to him, breathing erratically, her eyes wide with shock. Chris tried to crawl over to her but stopped in his tracks. Altac was leaning over, watching him with a worried look on his face. As Chris continued to stare at him, Altac began to look a little perplexed. Kaloc had noticed it too, and was watching Chris curiously.

"I saw Altac," Chris said. "He had a sword and he was going to cut me in two."

His words cut dead all conversation and immediately Kaloc's soldiers isolated Altac from the rest of the group.

"Tell me exactly what happened," Kaloc said, "and don't leave out any details."

Chris, in a still faltering voice punctuated with sobs and deep steadying breaths, recited everything he could remember, watching Altac while he spoke and monitoring his thoughts. He detected no sign of guilt, only confusion and disbelief.

"Alright, I think I know what has happened," Kaloc said, when Chris had finished. He signalled for his men to relax. "Zelnoff tried to flood your mind with scenes of violence and slaughter, hoping it would drive you to do something terrible, maybe even attack the people you were with. When this failed, he tried to convince you that he was Altac, or he somehow had Altac under his control." He looked across at Altac, who had taken up a defensive position, as though expecting to be set upon at any time. "I can assure you neither is true. Chris, you have never detected any suspect thoughts and I have known Altac as a trusted friend for over twenty years."

Chris looked over at Susie, who appeared to have recovered slightly.

"I didn't see Altac," she said in a faltering voice. "I broke off contact when I saw those horrible scenes."

Chris continued his probing of Altac's thoughts. If he was working for Zelnoff, he was putting on an amazing act of appearing completely innocent.

"So if Zelnoff was focusing all his attention on me..." Chris said, looking back at Kaloc.

"You and Susie were successful." Kaloc completed his thought. "You broke Zelnoff's concentration long enough for me to change the co-ordinates of the portals' destination. By the time Batarr managed to close down the portals, most of Zelnoff's elite troops had already marched through into oblivion."

" _We won, we won!"_ Joe raised his fist in triumph and did an impromptu victory dance. All the soldiers also cheered, and for some moments the whole party was caught up in celebration as all the tension, disappointment and agony of the last weeks was released. Even Kaloc couldn't stop smiling and personally embraced Chris, Susie and Joe. In the midst of all the excitement, Pepas tried to apologise to Chris for hitting him, but Chris just dismissed his apology and instead thanked him profusely for helping to bring him back from Zelnoff's induced nightmare.

Finally, when all the noise died down, Joe asked Kaloc in his usual cavalier fashion. "So have we stopped Zelnoff?"

Still smiling, but now with a more subdued expression, Kaloc shook his head.

"Sadly, we are a long way from stopping him, but his advance forces, which he would have used to infiltrate your planet, have been destroyed. It will take a while for Zelnoff to rebuild these forces since many of these soldiers were the elite of his command."

This news tempered much of their excitement.

"How long do you think it will take him to re-build his army?" Susie asked.

"I honestly don't know," Kaloc said, "but it has given us some important breathing space. You need to locate the rest of the Mytar as quickly as possible and somehow transport them back here, where they'll be out of Zelnoff's reach and we can train them to use their powers."

"But how'll we find them?" Joe asked.

"You have the keys," Kaloc replied simply.

"But can't you come back and help?" Chris pleaded.

For a brief moment, Chris thought Kaloc was going to say yes. But instead he shook his head. "It's not possible. I need to stay here and try to convince the Nethral to help. I also need to guard the portal. Zelnoff knows of its existence now and will be searching for it."

"But with your help we could find the others much more easily," Chris continued.

"I wouldn't be much help, I'm afraid. I don't have the same powers for detecting the Mytar as Batarr does. Besides, if Zelnoff's agents caught me on Earth, I would be killed immediately, then all would be lost."

"So Zelnoff's soldiers _will_ be there?" Susie asked.

"It's likely they will be watching," Kaloc said. "The other Mytars' signals must be too weak for Batarr and Zelnoff to detect, otherwise they would have found them long ago. They'll be waiting for you to show them where they are, so you must be very careful at all times. Never travel alone and guard the keys well."

This news quickly dampened the faces of the Mytar. Chris had visions of being kidnapped and forced to use the key.

"But I believe they won't do anything until you find the other Mytar," Kaloc added, on a more re-assuring note. "Zelnoff won't risk exposure in case he alerts the Guardians of your world. Considering the setback he has just had, this would be a disaster. It's more likely you'll be in the most danger once you have found the remaining Mytar."

"Will we still have our powers to detect Zelnoff's soldiers if they come?" Chris asked.

"Your powers will be severely reduced, maybe even gone. You're only meant to have these powers in this world, not your own."

This news was not welcomed. Their powers had become like a comforting friend, a gift that they would now have to give back.

"And we have to find another three Mytar with the keys?" Susie asked, breaking the brooding silence.

"Only two Mytar can be found with the keys," Kaloc replied. "The final Mytar can only be detected when the first five Mytar have reached an advanced stage of their development and have learnt to work in harmony together. Only then will they have the ability to detect the vibrations of the sixth Mytar. In your present state, I'm afraid you're a very long way from this."

Joe looked thoughtful for a moment. "But what happens if we can't get along. I mean... what if we find the other Mytar and they don't like us and we don't like them."

"Then all is lost," Kaloc said bluntly. "If the Mytar cannot unite enough to find the sixth Mytar, then you won't have the necessary strength to defeat Zelnoff. The sixth Mytar is the cement that binds you together and turns individuals into a single functional unit that can control all the elements and all life. Nothing will be able to stand in your path, providing you all function in harmony and not against each other."

"Sounds awesome," Joe said.

"But what happens, if we find these other Mytar and they don't want to come with us?" Chris asked, feeling sure he would be quickly assigned to a loony bin if he ever told everyone about Zelnoff.

"Then I'm afraid you will have to force them," Kaloc replied. "We're all aware of what's at stake. Once they're here and start acquiring their powers, I believe they'll be easier to convince to help."

The Mytar nodded in unison, each remembering the first time they realised they were capable of feats they could have only dreamed of on Earth.

# Chapter 14: The Journey Home

Over the next couple of days Chris, Susie and Joe prepared for their trip back to Earth. In all, even though it seemed much longer, they had only been gone for a month. Kaloc assured them they would be returned within a few hours of departure, so their appearances had to closely match those of when they disappeared.

Unfortunately, this proved surprisingly difficult. Susie's hair was now a hopelessly tangled mop. She had to spend many hours trying to comb out the tangles, and, in the end, had to submit to a rather crude haircut to remove the worst knots. Chris and Joe also had to have haircuts so that their appearance would roughly match the day they were transported. Pepas, who turned out to be the son of a hairdresser, cut their hair. Afterwards, when they saw their haircuts, it became clear why he had decided to be a soldier.

The most difficult problem was the change in Joe. Chris and Susie were thin to start with, so the loss of a little more weight hardly affected their appearance, but Joe had lost so much weight he was barely recognisable. Chris would have loved to be a fly on the wall when he tried to explain his sudden weight loss to his mother from a simple morning walk.

Finally, on the third day after their battle with Zelnoff, they assembled at the portal. Chris's face had healed remarkably well, thanks largely to a herbal portion that Altac had concocted, and after several solid night's sleep, all three Mytar felt much improved. Kaloc gave Chris a knife that he owned and a small box. Inside the box was a smaller version of the Vizion stone. Whenever Chris and Susie placed their hands on the stone and the knife, Kaloc would be able to communicate with them. He had decided to deposit them close to the place where the original portal had sucked them through to Cathora, since Chris had assured him that no one ever ventured down this stream because the terrain was so rugged.

Only one key would be taken back to Earth. With Kaloc's key, they actually had three keys, but taking all three was considered too risky, especially if Zelnoff's spies were around. Kaloc could easily transport a second key if something happened.

After Chris had checked he had everything, they said their good-byes, promising to return when they had found the remaining Mytar. Kaloc flicked some switches on the portal and immediately the vortex began to rotate. This time, with the link being established across two dimensions, a breeze began, quickly building until it became difficult to stand against the blast of the on-rushing wind. The Mytar waved one last time, then bent low against the wind and ran through the vortex.

Chris, Susie and Joe emerged and clung to the nearest rock or tree. Within seconds the wind stopped and the vortex disappeared. They were left staring at each other in the quiet of a forest. Chris immediately felt the difference - his powers were gone. Still dressed in the clothes Batarr had given them, they looked like three runaways from a freak show.

But the sun was high in the sky and the correct shade of yellow. Judging from its position it was probably around noon, Chris estimated. If Kaloc had got the date right, they had lived for a month in another dimension in the space of only a few Earth hours.

"Mum's never going to recognise me," Joe complained, looking down at his now remarkably muscular and sleek body.

The others agreed, adding to Joe's worries. They walked on in silence until they reached the wooden bridge. From here they had to split up to go to their homes.

"Well I'm going straight out for pizza when I get home," Joe said, with a grin.

"I'm having a long shower then going to bed for the rest of the day." Susie said, closing her eyes wishfully.

Chris smiled at his friends. So much had changed. Joe, minus his fat cheeks, even looked different, and Susie now had a quiet determined presence about her. For himself, he was looking forward to fighting with his sister over breakfast, playing computer games, watching TV - anything that was normal. But he had the box with the Vizion stone in his hand and the key was in his pocket. What had happened was real, and it was far from over.

Thank you for reading my book. If you enjoyed it, can you please take a moment to leave me a review at your favourite retailer.

Thanks,

Rob Cole

#  Other Books by Rob Cole

### Children and young teenagers

### The Flight of the Mytar (second book in the Mytar series)

Chris, Susie and Joe are transported back to Earth to find the remaining Mytar. To their horror, they find that two of the three Mytar were the bullies that had tormented them at school. With the agents of Zelnoff closing in, they are forced to transport them back to Cathora against their will. Once there, these new Mytar refuse to help and reignite old hatreds and conflicts. As the Mytar are chased through the underworld, it becomes a race to unite the Mytar and develop their powers before they are captured and killed by Zelnoff's forces.

### Adults Books

### Nuclear Midnight

On a holiday in England, Alex Carhill is caught in the nightmare of a nuclear holocaust. In a matter of hours, a mid-summer's day is turned into a nuclear winter. This is the story of his survival in a world that no longer has rules; where climatic extremes, murder, starvation and disease are commonplace.

As the land slowly heals, the survivors scratch together an existence in a contaminated wasteland ravaged by plagues of insects and disease. In this world, through hardship and pain, a new society is forged based on new rules and values moulded from the demands and necessities of life.

After years of struggle, the survivors find themselves facing their greatest adversary. One they despised and thought had long disappeared in the first months of the holocaust. Now they must marshal all their resources and strength for one last battle against an enemy bent on their destruction.

### The Ego Cluster

In a future world strafed with economic inequality, religious wars and climate extremes scientists discover a gene cluster that appears to govern the human ego. By suppressing these genes much of the ego-driven nature of the human decision process could be converted to a more empathetic, logical and considered approach, devoid of racial, religious or economic bigotry.  
Visionary scientists Ethan Hendersen and Amelia Holt form both a romantic partnership and a working one in which their characters will be tested to the limit when they are employed by a mysterious cartel headed by antagonist Stefano Croce to develop a treatment to eliminate the human ego. Professional colleagues' Dr Doug Ashton and Professor Caleb Fuller are also swept up in the action as the real potential of the ego cluster gene therapy is revealed. This is a story of an epic battle between scientific progress and its potential to change the human mind and the entrenched mind-set of the wealthy elite.

