 
#  Amanda Ackers And The Deep Forest Elves

Book 1 of the series

By Glenn and Sasha Gabriel

**ISBN:** 978-1-4661-4982-3

Copyright © 2012 Glenn and Sasha Gabriel

Smashwords Edition

Smashwords Edition, License Notes:

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

Cover art by Glenn C. Gabriel

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

ALSO BY GLENN AND SASHA GABRIEL

Novels Coming Soon:

Amanda Ackers

and

The Realm Of The Witches

Book 2 of this series

Amanda Ackers

and

The Thirteen Shards Of Legend

Book 3 of this series

For all available works, please visit:

<http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/GlennAndSashaGabriel>

Or

http://www.ChiliPepperCreations.com

This book is dedicated to all those who love elves, dwarves, goblins, dragons, witches, wizards and other creatures. To those of you wanting to be transported from your everyday life, into the fantastical realms of the unbelievably _believable_ , to find yourself dropped into the story and become part of the action yourself...

Through the power of Wizitch, you can be.

### Table Of Contents

Amanda Ackers And The Deep Forest Elves

Prologue

Terror In The Forest

Amanda's Tomb

Looking Back

The Morning's Light

The Lake In The Crystal Cave

White Water Terror

Movement In The Mist

Aerial Attack

The Living Cavern

The Garden

The Slithering

The Escape

The Old Wooden House

The Ancient Journal

The Hidden Doorway

The Eleven Doors

Transportia

The Deep Forest

The Meeting

To Amanda's Aid

New Friends

Loki's Discoveries

Wizitch Verses Magic

Amanda Tries Wizitch

Thian's Adventures With Wizitch

Amanda's Decision

Amanda Rides A Broom

The Ride To The Village

Journey Into The Bank

Amanda Explores The Village

The Griffins

The Aviary

The Dragons Den

A Note From Gaynon

Dueling Competition

Tianna's Dueling Competition

Tianna's One-On-One Duels

Day Two, Tianna's Team Events

Team Morpheus Duels Team Tianna

Back To The Village

Blaine Crumbles

Attack At Thian's Cabin

Battle In The Night Sky

Amanda's Necklace

Journey To The Realm Of The Witches

Appendix A

### IMPORTANT!

Do NOT Read This Book

Before You Read:

Appendix A

#  Prologue

What you will now experience, is the retelling of the true adventures of Amanda Ackers and her companions, and _not_ some simple story of fiction. You will join her as she finds a long-lost and Wizitched artifact, and discovers _how_ that artifact, will change the balance of power for all... especially, for herself.

Her adventures are presented here in a word-for-word, thought-by-thought _transcript_ , just as they occurred.

Surprised? Yes, I thought you would be. If this were a paperback, you'd do what you always do... sit with your latest book of fiction, flip it open, and as you read, imagine yourself as one of the characters in the story, wishing _you_ could experience the adventures right along with them.

As you begin to read, you want to immerse yourself in mysterious lands, filled with wondrous creatures and meet new people, many from exotic places. Sighing, however, as always, you know that this is, after all, _just_ a story.

But... what if the story was _not_ fiction, but a _true_ account of the greatest adventures in modern Elvish history, in the battle of ultimate good against evil?

What if you could somehow, _transport_ yourself into the action, and _truly_ , become part of the adventure yourself?

_That_... is what you have here.

The retelling of the actual events as they took place, is being told by Elorack, an ancient Elf, who compiled the events from each of the individual survivors - human, non-human and creature kind, using memory extraction and recording techniques, created by the High Elves.

Delatoran, the Master Scribe of the High Elves, was commissioned by Elorack himself, to set to hand, the _true_ accounts retold by Elorack. You see, Elorack traveled far, and toiled unceasingly, as he searched for, and recorded, the memories of all beings and creatures discovered to be part of, or who had _witnessed_ any part of, the adventures you will now share.

Elorack extracted the memories from each of the survivors, and, through advanced Wizitch techniques, _even_ from those who have passed on. These memories were then compiled into the time line of the events, as they had taken place.

Now you will read the _transcript_ of the adventures, as recorded by the Master Scribe, presented in this printed form. What you will experience in the retelling, is the random and often broken speech commonly used by us all, and not having been, _rewritten_ to conform to what is _perceived_ to be the correct, or proper way of speaking, as forced upon the earth scribes, as though this were some, _simple_ book of fiction. Since this _is_ a transcript, recorded somewhat as a court stenographer may do, word-for-word, just as spoken, what you read, is what was actually said... broken sentences, slang and all.

To _experience_ the retelling, we will begin, just as those who first experienced the adventures had. Oh, and yes, _as_ a guest of the High Elves, and by the use of their advanced Wizitch, you _can_ actually become one of the adventurers within the story. Well, if you should be fortunate enough to _receive_ a personal invitation.

However, since you will be _reading_ the transcript, we ask that you envision yourself as _having_ received an invitation, to join the High Elves on their realm, as their guest, for the retelling of the adventures.

With your invitation in hand, you travel to the indicated destination.

~~~~~~

The time is the present. You have traveled to the remote coordinates stated on your invitation, which you discover is at the base of a large mountain within a national forest. The back of the invitation, shows a small map of the path you are to follow up its steep side. You study it intently. The map indicates that you will come to a small cave opening, some distance up the mountain, which you are to enter and follow. Tilting your head, looking up the rock and tree strewn mountainside, you now wonder why the invitation instructed you not to bring anything with you, thinking that you may at _least_ need a good flashlight in some dark cave. With a sigh, you take one last look at the map, put it in your pocket, and begin your hike up the mountain.

After a good hour of climbing, having done a great deal of slipping and sliding, scaring the begeebers out of you, you are breathing hard as you round a large boulder beneath an overhang of rock, and _there_ it is. A small cave opening some fifteen feet in front of you.

You stand for a few moments, catching your breath, wondering what you will find inside. Cautiously, you approach the opening and look in. The tunnel inside is large enough to stand and walk along, but not much larger, and _filled_ with spider webs. You _hate_ spiders, and the thought of being covered in sticky webs, and possibly having spiders _crawling_ all over you, makes you shiver.

For a few moments, you're not sure if you want to enter or not, but the thrill of adventure takes hold, and with a hard swallow, you enter and walk along the rock hewn tunnel you find within. It is somewhat dark inside, but still enough light to follow the path, if you squint hard enough.

You wave your arms around a good deal as you continue inside, doing your best to move the gauze of spider webs out of your way, but, you are being covered in them none the less, and have a few moments of panic, as an occasional spider _scurries_ over your arms or face, sending you into a _heart_ pounding frenzy, frantically brushing at your body. Soon however, you come to an ancient looking wooden door, now barely visible in the dim light.

Swallowing hard, doing your best to pull a handful of webs from your face and hair, you stare at the door for a long moment, not knowing what you may find on the other side. Slowly, you open the door and peer inside. It is _completely_ dark.

Torn between leaving, and continuing into the depths of the darkness, its secrets and dangers hidden from you, you hesitate for a few moments, before the excitement of being able to visit the realm of the High Elves, overwhelms you.

Leaving the door open, to let in the little light that still exists here, your pulse quickens as you step through the doorway. After taking several cautious steps, squinting into the inky darkness ahead, cursing yourself for not having brought a flashlight, you _jump_ as the door _slams_ behind you. Frightened, your heart jumping to your throat, in total darkness you spin around in a panic, eyes wide with fear.

You jump again and spin back, as the tunnel walls begin to glow a pale blue-green. Moving quickly to the door, you grab the handles latch, press down and swing the door out. The glowing walls are instantly extinguished. Relief floods through you, as you breathe hard, heart _thundering_ in your chest. After calming yourself, you turn, reenter trough the doorway, and slowly head off along the pathway. Once again the door _slams_ and latches behind you, as the soft glow once again lights your way.

Soon, you round a corner and come to the end of the tunnel. The only thing there is a curved, marble-tiled, _empty_ alcove. Confused, you look at your invitation. It states that this is a _transport_ chamber of some kind, and you are to step into the center of the alcove, and speak a strange word.

Heart pounding, you step to the center, turn and face back down the tunnel. With one final calming breath, forcing down a dry swallow... you speak the word.

There is a brilliant _flash_ , making you clamp your eyes shut. For a moment, you feel dizzy. When you open your eyes, you are _shocked_ to see that you have instantly transported to the realm of the High Elves.

Your jaw _drops_ as you step from your transport alcove. On both sides of you, you see a long series of other alcoves stretching far into the distance. Many _strange_ looking people are exiting as well, looking around just as amazed as you are. You recognize some as being elves and dwarves, but have _no_ idea as to the race of the others.

Some exiting their alcoves are wearing wonderfully colored full length robes, and tall pointed hats. You do a double take, as you catch sight of a beautiful woman with long, flowing, midnight black hair, exit the alcove just to your right, holding an odd looking broom.

Another woman, just as beautiful, with long, wavy blonde hair, joins the raven-haired beauty, also holding an odd broom. They look at your obviously stunned expression, turn to each other and smile. The black-haired woman turns to you, taking your breath away with the most _brilliant_ green eyes you have ever seen. As she mounts her broom, she smiles. "Glad you could join us. Looks like _you_ had quite an adventure getting here yourself. Welcome... to the _realm_ of the High Elves." With that, she and the golden haired woman laugh, do a kind of little... _hop_ , shoot into the air, and soar up and over the tall pines of the surrounding forest. Your jaw drops again in disbelief, as you watch them disappear from sight.

Closing your mouth, you try to look as though you do this sort of thing all the time, as you turn to look around. Before you, is the most wonderful, lush green forest you could ever imagine. Taking in a deep breath, you fill your lungs with the cleanest air you can remember, the scent of pine filling you with pure joy.

Smiling, shaking from sheer excitement, you straighten your clothing as best you can, pulling some spider webs from your arms and face. Trying to calm yourself, you walk forward a short distance to join a throng of others, who are walking along a dirt pathway, approaching a large clearing within the forest. You are relieved to see that many others are covered in webs and dirt as well, some are even flicking _moss_ off of them, while others look absolutely _immaculate_ in their stunning robes.

Soon, you are one of many people, adults and children alike, who gather around a _huge_ campfire. Its base must be some twenty to thirty feet in diameter, with blue, green and violet flames, rising _almost_ as high as the giant pines of the surrounding forest.

It is a cool and pleasant evening within the ancient forest, just outside the Grand Palace of the High Elves. Here, along with many others, you enjoy a _magnificent_ feast, anxiously awaiting the retelling, of the exciting adventures spoken about with awe.

But, _remember_ , you are not with people who are limited in their capabilities, as you find on the earth realm. _You_ , are with High Elves now, and so, the retelling, takes on a _Wizitch_ of its own.

After some time, an ancient looking elf, steps forward and beckons you and the others, to leave your place around the campfire, and make your way to a massive clearing, with rising stadium-like stands encircling it. You climb up onto the stands with the others, everyone speaking excitedly in many languages, as if they _know_ what is coming. There are three children next to you, obviously elves, but speaking in English, about the latest advancements in something called MRT.

Excited, and a bit nervous, being new to all this, you have _no_ idea what will happen next. You turn to the side, and ask the young elf next to you, if _he_ knows what MRT is. He laughs. " _You_ don't know what that is? It just means, **M** emorymatic **R** eal **T** ime." You look blankly at him, _completely_ lost, and he laughs again. "You'll see. It's _really_ advanced Wizitch. Elorack... the one that led us over here from the campfire, _he's_ one of the special High Elves... he'll change the open field into the first memory... _you_ know...where the adventure _starts_... and, you can _experience_ it just like you're there! You can even _hear_ what they're thinking, so you know why they make the decisions they do. You'll know, and even hear what they're _dreaming_ too! You'll see...", and he turns around to continue chatting excitedly with his friends.

And you do see.

Elorack walks to the edge of the field, and with a wave of his wand, the field is no longer there. You gasp, causing those nearby to look at you, nod in understanding as they smile, recalling _their_ first time. What you see... is the most realistic, 3D like hologram possible. And yet, not like a simple hologram which you can see through. No. This looks as real and as _solid_ as stone. Your mind is reeling, to accept the fact that what you see... is _not_ real.

Before you, where the field once was, is a _gigantic_ pit so dark it seems impenetrable, but for what appears to be a small, slowly rotating sphere, suspended in space, which looks like a planet. You can see clouds, water and land masses, just like you'd see looking at earth from outer space. Looking closer at the land masses as the sphere grows larger, you see that it _is_ indeed the earth, its beauty and realism takes your breath away. The clouds clearly floating far above the land and water.

Elorack uses his wand to magnify his voice, so that all can hear. "For those who wish to join in the _experience_ of the adventures, and dangers as they happened, speak the word, ' _Begin_ ,' when I instruct you to do so, and your spiritual form, will _rise_ from the stands and take you into the action. _You_... will become part of the memory, as surely as if you were there when it took place. However, no one around you will be aware of your presence. Your _mind_ will experience all the effects, while your _physical_ body, will remain quite safe, sitting right where you are now.

"The overall adventure, was, indeed a long one. Therefore, we have taken the events and _grouped_ them into, what you may call, _mini_ -adventures. This way, one group of adventures, may be _experienced_ per night.

"Everyone present will _hear_ all that is said, in the adventurer's own voice or thoughts, or those of the many creatures they encounter along the way. You see, since I thought you might like to _do_ something, other than just tag along, I have added, a few _touches_ of my own.

"Those who _choose_ to participate, will have _all_ your senses involved. You will see, feel and _experience_ all the sensations of the adventures, since _you_ yourself, _will_ become one of them. You will _feel_ the scorching of the midday sun, and _shiver_ in the cold, as you walk through waist deep snow. You will _smell_ all the smells, and taste all the tastes as well.

"You will _experience_ every footfall, the gentle rustling of a leaf, the babbling of water as it _rushes_ over rocks within a stream, feel the _rough_ bark of a tree against your hands, and _hear_ the songs of birds and such.

"But not _all_ of your adventures will be pleasant. There _will_ be battles... and believe me, _many_ of them. _You_ too, shall have foes to fight of your own. _Wizitched_ one's for you of course, but while _in_ the memories, you will not remember this fact, and perceive them as being as _real_ as the person sitting next to you now.

" _Will_ your companions be captured? Will _you_? Yes. And you _will_ be injured right along with them, feeling the same emotions as they do. But rest assured, you _cannot_ die, and your _physical_ self, shall remain perfectly intact, sitting right where you are now.

"If your companions walk, _so_ do you. If they run... please _try_ to keep up. If they fly on a broom... _you_ shall do the same, even though you may have _no_ natural Wizitch abilities at all. In other words, whatever _they_ are doing or experiencing, _you_ shall do, or, _experience_ as well.

"Therefore, as though in a living dream, you _will_ walk among those within the story, _as_ one of the adventurers.

"For those of you who wish _only_ to observe... say nothing. You will remain as observers only, and _yet_ , witness all the actions, and hear _all_ the speech and thoughts as they occur. The imagery will zoom in and out for you automatically as needed, to bring those of you remaining in the stands, the very best vantage point.

"Through the use of MRT, memories will be experienced at advanced speeds, although, through Wizitch, you will _not_ notice the increased rate, so that you will _truly_ feel, that you are living through many months, even _years_ , in what will actually be just a few hours. Only through the use of the Memorymatic Real Time technique, could such a long tale, be _experienced_ , within a single evening in the forest.

"Tonight... we begin at the beginning with, ' _The Deep Forest Elves_.'"

Elorack raises his arms and the large crowd quiets. You smile as your pulse _quickens_ , your breathing increasing with excited anticipation. He waves his wand at the huge campfire. It _blinks_ out.

With another wave of his wand, it is as though the light of the twin moons, and all the stars... have been extinguished, along with the now _huge_ glowing globe within the pit.

The darkness, is complete.

Suddenly, a voice booms, "If you _choose_ to participate, speak the word, _Begin_... now!"

Heart _pounding_ , you speak the word.

Out of the darkness, you feel those around you vanish, as you feel your spiritual being rise from your body, leaving the stands, and begins racing toward the mountain you now see appearing in the distance, far below you, having appeared out of nowhere.

From many _thousands_ of feet, you feel yourself rushing, _falling_ toward the sloping side of the massive mountain. You find it hard to catch your breath, as faster and faster you travel through space and time, the mountain growing ever larger as your speed increases.

A violent thunderstorm _rages_ around you, torrential rain _hammering_ the landscape. The force of the wind _whips_ against your face, making you blink as you try to focus on the sights rapidly growing before you. Freezing rain slaps _hard_ against you, as though being _pelted_ by small stones.

Lightning _burns_ your eyes as the flashes come faster and faster, the thunder so intense, it feels like a _punch_ to your gut. You begin to feel sick, as the smell of ozone _assaults_ your nostrils.

Suddenly, you catch sight of a lone, distant figure, running up the steep face of the mountain, _struggling_ within the deep mud.

From directly beside you, a bolt of lightning _bursts_ from the angry black sky. The _pressure_ from the thunder sends you tumbling out of control, arms and legs flailing frantically, as you _try_ to regain some stability... but you cannot. You continue to _fall_ through the sky, directly toward the running figure. Your heart _pounds_ from the terror of falling, and the sheer _realism_ of what you are experiencing.

You want to stop, go _back_ , and remain _safe_ within the stands.

But, it is _too_ late.

About to strike the ground, _screaming_ , your eyes bulging, you _know_ you will die upon impact. Without warning, you are _violently_ spun around as your speed instantly decreases. You drop hard, _feet_ first onto the muddy ground with a splattering _thud_.

Startled, confused, _completely_ soaked and freezing, you find yourself running _frantically_ beside the drenched figure of a young girl, as _you_ now struggle to pull your _own_ boots from the thick mud, hearing them make _sucking_ noises with each desperate step you take.

You want to stop and catch your breath. You want to ask her name, but you cannot. It is as though someone else, or, _something_ else, is controlling your every move, and your body _must_ obey.

Your mind questions, "Who is she? What's she doing here? Why is she... are _we_... running through this downpour in a forest? What are we running to..." Then chancing a quick look over your shoulder, think, "or... _from_?"

You know the answers _will_ come eventually, but for now, you struggle _desperately_ through the thick mud, the wind and freezing rain _chilling_ you to the bone, as you do everything you can, _just_ to keep up with her.

At long last, _your_ wish to become part of a story, has come true. You are now, and will remain until its end, a _living_ part of the actual adventures.

There is _one_ thing you know for certain though...

### Your adventure... has Begun!

To TOC

# Terror In The Forest

Thunder _booms_ the same instant lightning momentarily blinds Amanda. Running wildly up the steep face of the mountain, she threads her way through the densely packed pine trees of the _massive_ forest. Torrential rain, mixed with freezing, howling wind, _chills_ her to the bone. She has never _seen_ such a storm.

The air around her is filled with the scent of pine, mingled with the smell of wet earth. As she struggles to run through the thick mud, her boots make _sucking_ noises each time she pulls them from the slick goo. She _wants_ to be going down the mountain, not up. But every time she tries, _lightning_ strikes the ground every few seconds, only a few hundred feet below her, _chasing_ her back up the mountain instead.

Stopping to catch her breath, she _frantically_ looks around, trying to regain her wits. After a short rest, Amanda runs down the mountain to her left. Immediately, several bolts _burst_ from the angry sky, striking but a short distance away in front of her, setting the trees in her path ablaze, just to be put out quickly by the _heaviest_ downpour she has ever experienced.

Frightened, Amanda _screams_ as another bolt strikes the ground some hundred and fifty feet away. An _explosion_ of rock and mud fly in all directions, leaving a large crater in the aftermath. Turning quickly, she runs _wildly_ back up the mountain to her left.

Another thunderous boom and bright _flash_ of lightning momentarily blinds Amanda. She loses her footing as she steps from the thicker mud, onto a short patch of slick, _solid_ smooth rock. Waving her arms for balance, as though surfing a huge wave, she slides sideways some distance across the slippery surface. Unable to stop, she _trips_ over a fallen branch, which sends her _flying_ off the end of the flat rock. Startled, she _screams_ as she flies off her feet, landing face down in the mud several feet below.

The mud here is thick, some _ten_ inches at least. She takes a good mouthful of the gritty earth as she hits the slimy sludge, her face sinking deep, _instantly_ silencing her scream. Amanda _feels_ the mud forced into and clogging her nostrils. She is half _buried_ in the mud, with her arms slightly out to the sides, her hands near her ears.

Snapping her head up out of the goo, she spits out a huge wad of mud, _gasping_ for breath. Trying to push herself up out of the mud and onto her knees, she fights the _suction_ of the mud against her. Amanda is so tired, it feels like the invisible hands from _hell_ are determined to pull her back down, to _suffocate_ her in this thick, dark, _stinking_ mire. Here to _die_ in a place where her body may _never_ be discovered.

Sliding her hands in near her shoulders, she manages to push herself up slightly, spitting another large wad of mud from her mouth, gulping down more air. Blinking her eyes open, she looks down and sees that her hands are buried clear up past her wristwatch, almost to her elbow.

Struggling to her feet, she bends over, placing her hands on her knees. Over and over again she spits _thick_ globs of mud out of her mouth, and blows _chunks_ of the slimy stuff from her nose, so she can breathe. Coughing, she stands up, shaking her hands hard to dislodge the thick slimy muck, clinging so aggressively to her skin. Spitting out another wad of mud, she wipes her hands on the back of her pants as best she can, to wipe away as much gunk as possible.

With the tips of her fingers, she tries to wipe the mud from her eyes so she can see. It just grinds the stuff into her eyes even more painfully. Holding her hands out and cupping them into the unrelenting downpour, she collects some water which she repeatedly splashes against her eyes, trying to clear away the stinging grit.

The sandy slime from the mud in her mouth, is now grinding between her teeth, as she continues trying to clear her mouth with her tongue, spitting out the slime as quickly as she can. The taste is the most _disgusting_ she has ever experienced. Her eyes are burning from tiny pieces of rock, along with thin _splinters_ of wood, that are both grinding against, and _sticking_ her in both eyes. Every blink brings unbearable pain.

Overwhelmed, Amanda begins to cry, realizing she is _completely_ lost and alone in this massive forest. Huge, heaving sobs begin shaking her body from the ordeal. For a moment, she just stands there, looking around her, arms slightly out from her sides.

Soon, she begins to feel the weight of the mud, which is coating her like frosting on a cake, _slowly_ slide down her form from the relentless rain. Her muddy hair is sticking to the side of her face, as though wet clay had been _flung_ against a sculpture. Tilting her head as far back as she can, she lets the downpour begin to rinse the rest of the mud from her eyes, face and hair. She runs her hands over her face and through her hair several times, cleaning herself up as best she can. Looking up, the rain rinsing her eyes, she feels the mud coating her body, slowly sloshing away.

A brilliant _flash_ , accompanied by an ear splitting roar of thunder from the angry skies above, startles Amanda back into action. The bolt strikes the ground but a short distance behind her, sending fragments of earth in all directions.

One large chunk strikes her hard in the back. Terrified, she _screams_ , then starts running, her arms waving for balance, slipping and sliding in the thick mud, going deeper into the trees of this massive forest, paying no attention _whatsoever_ to the direction she is headed.

After a few minutes, she stops to catch her breath and looks around. To her right, she spots a deer path, and begins to run along its narrow width. It leads her deep through some very thick and tangled brush. The sharp points of the brambles slash at her arms and legs, making her wince. Following the winding path, she suddenly runs out from the thicket into a small clearing, now facing a huge tree.

There is a _blinding_ flash, the thunder so loud her _teeth_ rattle. The bolt _strikes_ the huge pine tree only a few yards in front of her, making her skid to a complete stop. Amanda watches in surprise, as the top half of the tree is blown _completely_ away, rising out of sight into the dark sky. Looking down, Amanda sees that the bolt has continued down the trunk, nearly _splitting_ it in half. The strike momentarily sets the tree ablaze, just to be quickly snuffed out by the cascading sheets of water, flowing down what is left of its enormous, _smoldering_ trunk. The smell of freshly charred wood sickens her. Her whole body tingles with the static charge in the air.

Amanda _jumps_ to the side with a cry, as somewhere out of the sky, a _huge_ burning limb from the now smoldering tree, _crashes_ down just inches to her left. Some of the branches from the falling limb slap her _hard_ across the face and side, making her cry out even more, as she waves her arms _frantically_ to push the flaming offenders away. The limb these branches are attached to, are almost as big around as she is, and five _times_ as long. If the falling limb had struck her, she would be dead.

Frantic, and scared out of her mind, she is completely beside herself now. Waves of nausea turn her stomach sour as she feels acidic bile rise, burning her throat. Shivering, she tries to keep running, but manages only a short distance, until she steps into another small clearing. Stopping, bracing her trembling arms against a huge pine tree, feeling the security of the rough bark against her hands, she leans forward and throws up. Her nerves and emotions overwhelmed, her stomach tightens so much as she retches, she thinks she may tear something internally. The _panic_ in not being able to take a breath, as the vile liquid sprays from her mouth, makes her _eyes_ grow wide. Gasping, Amanda coughs, then spits several times. Trying to catch her breath, her stomach tightens once again against her will, as she braces for another round.

Panting, shaking hard, Amanda can barely stand at all. Scared, freezing, _soaked_ to the bone and lost, she frantically looks around. Staggering away from the tree, back into the downpour within the little clearing, Amanda once again collects water in her hands and cleans her face. Collecting more water, she lifts her hands to her mouth and sucks it in, swishing it around to rinse out as much of the mud, grit and foul _vomit_ as she can. Swallowing some of the icy cold water to stop the burning in her throat, she quickly runs her hands through her hair to get it away from her face.

Amanda starts walking to the right. Suddenly, there comes a _crashing_ sound somewhere behind her, but there had been no lightning.

"Maybe... maybe it's just a limb from a tree that's fallen or something," she whispers to herself.

About to head off again, she hears more crashing, and what now seems like _thrashing_ sounds as well. Something is coming quickly through the dark trees behind her, headed in her direction. The noise _suddenly_ stops, much closer now. Frozen in place, _freezing_ rain pouring down the back of her neck, she shakes.

"That... _that_ isn't the sound of falling limbs," she whispers. "It's something moving in the darkness of the trees. Something... _alive_!"

Her eyes shift from side to side, wide with fright, still burning from the grit _grinding_ against them.

Swallowing hard, Amanda cautiously turns her head to the left, looking back over her shoulder and behind her, where she hears the sounds. Squinting into the darkness, at first, she sees nothing. It is _very_ dark in amongst the trees, and the black sky above makes the day seem more like early evening. Along with the darkness and _stinging_ in her eyes, and the relentless veil of the pouring rain, it is almost _impossible_ to see anything at all clearly now, for _any_ distance.

A flash and _crack_ of thunder makes Amanda jump, lightning once again momentarily blinding her, forcing her head down, as she closes her eyes. Instantly, she feels the sharp _searing_ pain shoot through her eyes again, as some left-over particles of grit _scrape_ against them.

Gingerly, she blinks her eyes open, turning fully around to face the direction the noise is coming from, shaking more from _fright_ than from the cold, driving wind and rain.

Thrashing noises return. _Whatever_ is out there, is almost upon her, moving in an arc. Amanda, seeing movement within the darkness of the trees, spins in that direction. Out from between the densely packed pines, some thirty-five feet away, a fully grown black bear _charges_ in her direction, scared _witless_ by the thunder and lightning strikes.

The bear is headed at about a forty-five-degree angle from her left, slightly in front of her. Sprinting in her direction, it will pass _right_ beside her. The bear is looking the other way as it races into the small clearing. After four giant strides, turning its massive head slightly, it catches sight of Amanda. Surprised, the bear _tries_ to stop instantly, but instead slips in the slick mud on another patch of smooth rock. Flipping in the air, it lands _hard_ on its side, roaring fearsomely. Its momentum spins it round and round over the slick smooth rock, carrying it right beside Amanda.

Dumbstruck, Amanda watches as a _huge_ paw, the size of a dinner plate, reaches from the spinning bear. Claws, longer than her fingers and sharp as a razor, _swipes_ at her, narrowly missing her leg. Amanda _jerks_ her leg back, as the turning bear _snaps_ its jaws shut, right where her leg had just been.

Frozen in place, she turns just her head following the bear as it continues sliding by. Gasping, eyes wide, she watches as the bear _slams_ face first into a tree. The bear roars in pain and surprise, springing to all fours. It turns and faces Amanda, who is now _completely_ paralyzed with fright and feeling faint.

The bear rises, standing on its hind legs only a short distance away. It _towers_ over Amanda, like some giant _hideous_ creature from a nightmare. Staggering toward her, its enormous head rolling as it _roars_ menacingly, dagger-like teeth flash as it waves its _massive_ paws.

The bear is only ten feet away, when, just as Amanda opens her mouth and _screams_ , thunder booms. Throwing her arms up in fright, just like you would see someone do in a horror movie, she looks through the arch made from her arms. The bear must have thought Amanda had made the sound of the thunder. Instantly, it _drops_ to all fours, and takes off into the trees away from her to the right, as fast as its _massive_ body can possibly move. Amanda, the shock quickly leaving her, shoots off through the trees to her left, heading further up the mountain, arms flailing as she runs.

Crying hysterically, eyes burning with the unbearable pain of grit grinding against them, she runs _wildly_ in panic. Amanda continues deeper into the dense forest, teeth jarring against the nasty tasting, sand-like grit, still trapped in her mouth. Tripping over an exposed root, her ankle turns painfully. Limping badly, she stumbles, almost falling several times, as the toe of her injured foot catches on some stone, root or branch.

Scrambling blindly up the mountain, away from the bear, doing the best she can with her injured ankle, she soon tires. Breathing hard, heart _pounding_ in her chest, she feels her heart might explode. In spite of the rain _hammering_ against her, her throat is as dry as any desert, making it hard to swallow.

Amanda is well up the side of the mountain now, _much_ further than she had ever intended to climb. The mountain is so steep here, she slips and slides, scratching and clawing at the almost _vertical_ face of rock, to keep from falling. Somehow, she manages to continually find hand and footholds, and keeps on climbing, fearing that the bear may come back to get her at any moment.

After a time, she cannot go any further without rest. Leaning against a huge pine, she constantly looks behind her down the mountain, to be sure the bear is not running up silently behind her. Breathing deeply, wiping her wet hair from her face, she begins to calm down.

After taking a short break, a lightning strike hits below and to the right of her, setting another tree ablaze. Amanda jumps, and moves up the steep slope to her left. Soon she spots a ridge of rock, which appears to be leading to what _may_ be a ravine on the other side.

Climbing for a few more minutes, she reaches the vertical ridge. Struggling, she is having a difficult time making her way around the sharp ridge of rock, which is jutting out from the rock face. Moving her head so she can see around the ridge, Amanda notices a large root sticking out from a crack within the rocks, almost right in front of, but slightly above her.

Reaching up, she grabs onto the thick root with her left hand, and gives it a good tug.

"It seems solid enough," she says to herself.

Grasping tightly with her left hand, she pulls herself up and over to the other side of the ridge. Swinging her left leg around, Amanda feels for a good foothold. Wanting to get to the other side of the ridge, she wants to see if the climbing might be any easier on that side, before finding a good way back down the mountain. Thinking that if she can make her way around the sharp, jutting vertical ridge of rock, there will be no way the huge bear could do the same, and she will be safe.

Beginning to round the ridge, into the small "V" shaped ravine on the other side, she leans far to her left, along the protruding root. Reaching out, she grabs the root firmly with her right hand, still straddling the ridge with her feet.

Straining and grunting, she maneuvers the rest of her body around the ridge, putting her full weight onto the root. While trying to find good footholds, the root makes a sickening _crack_ , and a huge rock falls free from the cliff face, in which the root had been extending. With a jerk, the freed root quickly tilts down a good forty degrees. _Screaming_ , Amanda's body drops down several feet, losing her footing completely, as her hands slide down the slippery bark. Amanda _swings_ away from the rock face, feet dangling wildly in the air.

Frantically, trying to find a foothold, she realizes the root has swung away so far, she can no longer reach the side of the ridge of rock at all.

She had not realized that the root had actually extended some way back, disappearing into a crack between two boulders. The only thing she had seen, and grabbed onto, was about three feet of the root near the ridge edge. After swinging out, she realizes there is another _ten_ feet of root sticking out away from her and the ridge, beyond that. Now, she sees that the root is _actually_ some twenty-five feet long, sticking out against the side of the rocks, which had blocked her full view of it.

The rain must have caused a rock slide, which exposed the buried root and pushed it to one side. When Amanda put her full weight against the root, the extra pressure against the far rock on which the root had been resting, rolled the rock free from the soft mud. _That_ caused the root to swing her away from the ridge, and out over the steep ravine.

The root makes another _horrible_ cracking sound, followed by a further drop. Amanda _screams_ , wet hands once again sliding along the slick root. Her fingers reach a huge knot, just stopping her from slipping off the end.

Clinging _desperately_ to the end of the root, Amanda looks up the length of it, to where it cracked and splintered, the rain _streaming_ down her face. Terrified, not moving, her eyes follow as a larger _splintering_ fissure appears, moving along the length of the root, traveling _faster_ and faster. Cracking sounds grow louder. A second later, she hears the final, sickening, _snap_!

Screaming, as the root points straight down, she _slips_ from the end. Amanda drops some ten feet to the slanting, rocky side of the ravine below. On impact, her teeth _jar_ against one another as she _bites_ her tongue, the stabbing pain making her wince.

The slippery, and very slanted slope, sends her tumbling backward, another _blood_ curdling scream escapes as her arms thrash in the air for balance.

Tumbling down the steep side of the ravine, Amanda feels the rough, sharp ground cut into her. Striking the side of a tree, Amanda _spins_ and soon bounces hard off the side of a boulder, sending her careening at an angle to her right, now sending her tumbling down an embankment, and into the heart of the ravine itself.

Disoriented, Amanda suddenly strikes hard against a small, downward-angled shelf of rock, becoming airborne. Dropping some seven feet, she lands into something that goes... _splat_ , and quickly begins sliding down the mountain. Panicked, she thrashes, looking around, trying frantically to stop sliding, but she just cannot find a way. With growing fear, she realizes she is caught up in a rapidly moving slurry of mud, making its way down the mountain.

Amanda slides quickly down the ravine on her back, against her backpack, a small bag kids use for school, and not one of the large hiking packs. The jagged rocks tear at the sleeves and sides of her parka, t-shirt and pants, cutting deeper into her arms and legs. Struggling to stop, she desperately grabs at everything she passes, and ends up slicing her hands badly, as everything slips and scrapes through them.

Flipping onto her stomach, her face is momentarily pushed into the slick mud. Her legs end up just slightly apart, with her toes pointing out to the sides, sliding down the mountain, feet first in a blur.

Tilting her head quickly up out of the mud, coughing and with hair stuck to her face, Amanda opens her eyes. Rocks, limbs, branches and trees are a blur as they shoot past her on both sides. It is like she is looking out the back window of a fast moving car. Terror fills her senses as she realizes she may be heading, uncontrollably, toward some cliff's edge.

Rolling her ankles, she presses down with her toes to dig in, while slamming her fingertips down to help stop her descent. Her fingernails are instantly torn from the quick as they scrape across hard, jagged stones beneath the mud, ripping most away, making her scream loudly as searing pain shoots through her. The tips of her fingers are scraped raw. Feeling several sharp, stabbing pains, she screams again as splinters from some shattered roots drive deep into her raw fingers and hands.

No matter how hard she struggles, she is not slowing, her hands, fronts of her legs and her arms are being shredded on the sharp rocks she is quickly sliding over. Her left knee slams into a large rock. A paralyzing stab of pain, like banging your knee against the edge of a table shoots through her, making her entire body tense, causing her to push down harder into the rough and slashing ground. She can feel chunks of skin being torn or ripped away.

Frantic, needing to do something to stop sliding, she decides to see if she can somehow, _roll_ her way out, and begins to roll over and over to the side

"I... I think it's working," she thinks hopefully.

And it does work pretty well... for a moment. But then, unnoticed by her, she is actually rolling at an angle. The force of the rapidly moving mud slowly turns her sideways. With a last roll, she is tilted so far to the side, the rushing mud grabs hold and spins her body fully ninety degrees to the flow.

Amanda rolls over and over like a pipe on the floor, every roll forcing her face repeatedly into the thick smothering mud as she is being completely covered in the slimy thick muck, as the mud moves rapidly over a smooth rocky area.

No longer being able to time her breaths, she is taking in mouthfuls of mud and filthy water, and having a hard time coughing it out. Only, occasionally, can she get a fair lung full of air. She continues to roll, with the quick slap, slap, slapping sounds, as her small, almost flat backpack, thumps against the mud and rock. There are a few moments when she slides for some distance, either on her stomach or on her back, then the force of the flow rolls her over violently, to start the entire process anew.

Continuously striking against rocks, branches, and other unseen things, she tumbles helplessly, out of control. Her head hits the ground, first on one side, then the other. Jagged rocks scrape the skin from her legs and arms, as the many points of sharp sticks pierce her arms, legs, chest and side, while slashing at her face. Amanda feels a searing pain on the side of her head. A chunk of her hair has literally been ripped out by the roots, having gotten tangled in a large limb that is hanging down across the path she is sliding on. Amanda feels she will be torn apart, or beaten to death, at any moment. About to give up, thinking that death would indeed be welcomed, over this relentless pounding, she prays that it will all stop.

About to pass out from lack of air and the beating she is taking, her side slams hard into a large boulder, causing Amanda to come to an instant and _painful_ stop, as muddy water sprays up and over both her and the boulder. The pain in her side is _mind_ -numbing... one of those pains that seems to freeze your body in place, no matter how hard you want to move.

Through sheer panic, and the instinct to survive, she rights herself from the relentless flow and spray of the mud. Bracing herself against the mud-strewn boulder, her backpack flat against it, she shakes uncontrollably from being so weak and beaten. Determined, she pushes hard with her legs as she tries to stand but falls. Gritting her teeth, she forces herself to stand, turning to face away from the churning mud flow. Exhausted, she leans face forward against the boulder, arms wide, hugging it. There she stands, on rubbery legs, trying to catch her breath.

Once again, Amanda spits out globs of slimy mud, filled with dirt, pine needles, and who knows what other _disgusting_ things from the forest floor, that all the animals use as their _toilet_.

For a few moments, unable to move, she presses her battered and slashed body against the boulder. Slowly, tilting her head back, she lets the downpour of rain clean the slimy mud away from her face, eyes and hair, and wash off most of the mud from her upper clothing.

Painfully turning around, she puts her back to the boulder. Filling her hands with water, she tries to clear her mouth from all the grit and disgusting taste. As she raises her hands the third time, now with her eyes open to take a drink, she notices that her hands are streaked with red rivulets of blood, from her ripped and torn away fingernails.

She looks at the many other cuts and scrapes covering her battered body. In a daze, her head still spinning, she looks blurrily at her arms and sees that they, too, are bleeding. Crying out, Amanda pulls several long splinters from her arms.

Trembling and holding onto the boulder, she feels the force of the mud flow sucking at her feet, as though standing in sand at the beach, water ebbing and flowing over them, sinking them further with each pass.

Turning her head slowly, she looks around. It takes a few moments before her vision stops spinning, and she can finally begin to see more clearly. On her right, the mud flow continues around the boulder, rapidly making its way down the very steep mountainside. On her left, Amanda is startled to see that, if she can pull her feet free, all she needs to do is fall to her left, and she will be out of the flow of mud and back onto slick muddy ground again.

Amanda struggles, but manages to pull her right boot free, from what now feels like partially set cement. Knowing she does not have the strength to turn away from the support of the boulder, and simply walk away through the upheaval of water spraying against her, she clenches her teeth, anticipating the pain, tilts her body to the left and slides with her back against the boulder. Closing her eyes, Amanda topples away from the huge rock, spray, and mud flow, onto the hard muddy ground beside her. Her shoulder hits the ground hard, making her cry out in pain, as her head strikes, as well. But she does not care. At least, she is out of the mud flow, and safe... for now.

Managing to crawl a short distance, Amanda can move no more. Trying to lift her head, her vision once again begins to swim. The images around her become blurry, and begin to dim. Soon, completely exhausted, she can take no more, and passes out.

When Amanda regains consciousness, she knows a considerable amount of time has passed, because it is much darker out now than it had been.

"Must be approaching early evening," she whispers to no one.

As she tries to get up, every muscle in her body screams in protest. Managing to stand, she winces. She cannot believe that the rain is still pouring down as hard as it had been. Looking up into the sky, she sees what appears to be boiling black clouds, with some lighter areas of gray, rolling violently, more like a dark stormy sea than a sky.

She has never seen anything like it.

"This must be the storm of all storms," she says softly to herself, gingerly working a kink from her neck.

Turning around, Amanda is surprised to see that the mud flow is much wider than it had been. Fortunately for her, the flow has been growing away from her, on the other side of the boulder, and not over her while she was unconscious. That thought sends a shiver up her spine, making her turn away.

Looking down in dismay, she sees that the front and sides of her parka have been torn to shreds, almost completely ripped from her body, hanging by a few threads in the front which attach in the back. The back of Amanda's parka has been protected by the backpack, made from Kevlar, and not canvas or some other material, like many others. Luckily, it is in pretty good shape. Grimacing, she slides her way out of the backpack, setting it on the ground beside her. Taking off what is left of the parka, she tosses it into the muddy river, rapidly flowing past her on the other side of the boulder. With a shiver, Amanda watches it quickly disappear downhill, grateful that she is not unconscious and making the trip with it.

Touching her ripped and bloody t-shirt, she finds it is still in good enough shape to wear, having been mostly protected by the now shredded parka. Looking down at her shaking and wobbly legs, she sees that her left pant leg has been completely torn away, just above the knee, and her leg is bleeding from dozens of cuts and scrapes. A chunk of skin on that knee, about the size of a silver dollar... is gone. Like small rivers, blood flows freely down her leg and into her boot. Amanda's other pant leg is wet with blood as well, and torn in a good many places. The sight of all the injuries and the blood, makes Amanda feel sick to her stomach. There are dozens of splinters, with larger slivers as long as two inches - sticking out of her legs, and several on her face and back of her head. Grimacing, she spends several painful minutes, pulling as many of them out with her raw, bleeding fingers as she can.

Feeling unstable, not thinking she can actually walk yet, she lays back down for about another twenty minutes. Tired and aching all over, still shaking from the bitter cold and freezing rain, she begins to feel somewhat more clear-headed, and a little more stable. Part of her wants to stay here and wait for someone to find her. However, she knows she has to keep moving, or she may be caught in another mud flow. Or, with all this rain, this mud flow may grow wider, and spread to this side of the boulder. And if she falls asleep, it may grab her again.

Yawning, Amanda looks around trying to get her bearings. "I've got to get moving back down the mountain. I need to get away from this mud flow and out of the wind and rain. I've got to get to someplace where someone can see me... and rescue me."

Rising stiffly to her feet, gasping in pain, she grabs her backpack and puts it on. Because of the pain, she does not cinch it up this time, nor does she attach the strap that goes around her chest either, deciding to use the shoulder straps alone.

Heading down the mountain, away from the mud flow and limping badly from the missing chunk from her left knee and turned ankle, Amanda hears a horrendous crashing noise, like rock-on-rock, shaking the very ground she is standing on.

Whipping her head around, looking up the steep side of the mountain, she gasps as her eyes fly wide. A huge cascade of tumbling rocks, dislodged by a lightning strike, crashes down from high above her on the steepest part of the mountain. An avalanche of boulders, some the size of a small house, tumble down the mountain straight at her. The rush of crushing stones, rip giant pine trees from the ground, snapping them apart like toothpicks.

Running as fast as her cut and gashed body can take her, she limps badly from the damage to her knee and ankle. Turning ninety degrees from the tumbling boulders far up the side of the mountain, she runs as best she can, slipping and sliding in the slick mud, fighting her way toward safety, as she makes her way around fallen logs, branches, trees and boulders.

Every few seconds, she turns her head to the right, looking up the mountain to see the avalanche rapidly approaching. It is like someone is speeding up time for the rushing boulders, and slowing down time for her escape. Sprinting around a large boulder, she looks again, and this time, she knows for sure she will not be able to outrun the avalanche. Instead, Amanda knows she will be crushed to death on this forsaken mountain. She covers enough distance to almost reach the outer edge of the avalanche, but, she realizes has not quite gone far enough to clear it.

The mass of house and car-sized boulders are almost upon her, and she screams... screams so hard her voice pops and stops... in mid-scream from the strain.

Several house-sized boulders lead the avalanche down the mountain, some distance in front of the others. One strikes a good-sized pine tree, just a little ways in front of Amanda. The impact almost rips the tree from the rain-soaked ground. The immense force leaves the tree tilted at an impossible angle, as the boulder glances off it, racing down the mountain. A second boulder, about the same size, strikes the tree again and this time, does rip it from the ground. A large curved hole is left in its place, as it pushes the tree a short distance away.

Running forward, filled with terror, she tries to make her way around the hole. A huge boulder just misses her. It strikes a stationary boulder to her right, then veers off slightly and glances against her backpack. The force spins Amanda to the side, tumbling her face first into the huge gaping hole.

Striking the ground hard, searing pain once again rakes her body. Instinctively, she rolls to the back of the hole, which faces up the mountain. Amanda scrambles under the overhang and against the earthen wall, where the roots had been ripped away just moments before. Pulling her battered knees painfully to her chest, she covers her ears with her bloody and muddy hands, to stop the horrific crushing noises. Placing her forehead against her knees, her body shakes violently.

The sound of the boulders crashing into one another, and the sound of trees being ripped up and snapped like twigs around her, are louder and more frightening than the thunder had been. Expecting a boulder to crash over and into the hole at any second, she waits to be crushed as flat as a bug.

After a few more terrifying moments, that thought partially comes true. An enormous boulder slams down over the hole with a sickening thud, splattering her with chunks of mud.

Everything goes dark.

To TOC

# Amanda's Tomb

Trapped!

In the dark, she can soon begin to feel the underside of the boulder press down against her head, as it slowly sinks into the wet and soft pit where she is now curled in a little ball. Amanda knows she is trapped and will indeed either suffocate, or be _crushed_ as the boulder continues to settle into the hole, pushing her _deeper_ and deeper into the muddy earth. As she continues to be forced down into the mud, she pushes her legs out from her and turns flat onto her back.

With both hands _blindly_ reaching up, she pushes in vain against her _impending_ doom, as the boulder continues forcing her down. Here, in the inky darkness of what she knows, will most likely be her tomb.

Amanda _screams_ , no sound comes from her strained throat. Head _thrashing_ from side to side, scared out of her mind, her arms _strain_ from the effort of pushing against the crushing weight of the rough boulder. In seconds, the boulder pushes down to the point where she needs to turn her head to the side, to keep it from being crushed. A _bulge_ in the boulder begins to push down on her chest, making it hard to take a breath. She knows at any moment, she will hear the sickening _crack_ of her rib cage.

And _that_ will be that.

Straining to take a breath, she hears a _horrendous_ cracking sound as the earth shakes violently. In an instant, Amanda is startled to be looking up into the stormy sky, as small fragments of rock rain down on her. Gasping _painfully_ for the fresh air, she once again scrunches up against the earthen wall of her little tomb. Pulling her knees to her chest, she covers her ears against the roar of _crashing_ and shattering rocks all around her. Amanda knows what happened. Another boulder _slammed_ into the one trapping her, and sent it flying away out of the hole, and on down the mountain, in _dozens_ of fragmented pieces.

The greater part of the avalanche is upon her.

Her small, would-be tomb is now _filled_ with flashing light, as though it were light from a flickering fan. Boulder after boulder flying over her, momentarily blocks out the dim light from the sky. Smaller rocks begin to fill the small hole, as more of the avalanche races over her.

Smaller rocks are building up a kind of _slope_ away from her, as they strike the far side of the hole and tumble back in. Growing quickly, the pile reaches her feet. She draws them in, close to her, as her panic rises. If the cascade of small tumbling rocks does not stop soon, Amanda will be _buried_ alive.

One after another, _massive_ boulders lodge themselves over the hole for a brief moment, plunging Amanda back into the _terror_ of the stifling dark, only to be knocked free by another boulder, as the light show begins all over again.

After what seems an eternity, the cascade of boulders lessen to an occasional trickle. Amanda hears the sound of crashing rocks growing fainter and fainter, as they destroy _everything_ in their path, on their way down the steep mountainside. She thinks how lucky it is that the avalanche struck here, on a _very_ steep portion of the mountain. Without as steep of an incline, there would be less momentum of the massive boulders, to carry them over the hole and down the mountain away from her.

Lowering her hands from her ears, Amanda raises her head, thinking everything is going to be okay. Breathing hard, eyes wide as she looks from side to side... she listens. Tilting her head slightly to the side, she thinks she hears something.

"Yes... _There_ it is again. What _is_ that?"

There is a rumbling sound which becomes clearer. Amanda _knows_ the sound. It is growing louder by the second. It is the rumbling of a lone, _very_ large boulder.

Scared, not knowing what to do, she thinks, "Should I _run_ for it... or _what_?"

Terror contorts her face as a truck-sized boulder _thumps_ into place above her. But, this time, _no_ other boulder comes along to knock it free. At least its size and shape kept it from sinking in. In another few moments, the _crashing_ sounds of the avalanche can no longer be heard at all.

The _silence_ is deafening.

The boulder leaves an opening about six inches wide by about three feet in length, facing in the direction it had rolled from. Having shrunk away from the boulder when it struck, she now looks up to see dim light streaming toward her.

Trying to calm her _pounding_ heart and compose herself, voice shaking, she says, "Oh God... please. No!" Then, "It's okay... It's okay. I'm _still_ alive, and at _least_ I have air."

Taking huge shuddering breaths, _shaking_ uncontrollably, Amanda tries to be brave as she realizes that the boulder is _not_ sinking in toward her. But she just _cannot_ stand it. Tilting her head forward, she puts her face in her hands and cries. She leans against one side of the earthen hole, the huge pile of tumbled rocks now resting up against her legs. Exhausted, and feeling _completely_ drained of energy, she soon falls into a restless sleep.

Jerking awake, Amanda quickly uncovers her face. She has no idea how much time has passed, since her watch had been _smashed_ to pieces.

Looking down in horror, she realizes the gap above her, is not only large enough to let in the _air_ she needs, but is letting in streams of _filthy_ , muddy water, now rushing down the mountain. As she slept, the hole has been _filling_ with water, and she had not even felt it.

Ice cold water _slaps_ against her chest. If she does not get out quickly, the hole will fill, and she will _drown_ in this hell hole.

Adrenalin surges through her. Turning toward the narrow opening where the water is streaming in, standing slightly bent, Amanda ignores the pain in her raw fingertips and hands. She claws _frantically_ , for all she is worth, at the soft ground over her head. Panic takes control as she _tears_ away at the small opening, like a _dog_ digging a hole under a fence. She cannot cry anymore. There are no tears left.

After what seems only minutes, the water has risen to where it is now reaching her neck, and she does not think she will make it. Amanda has cleared a considerable amount of dirt and rock away, but her hands have now struck against a very large _rock_ imbedded in the side where she is digging.

Confused, Amanda digs a little more over the large rock, until she can grasp her fingers over what _feels_ like the top of it. She tilts her head as far back as she can, pressing her mouth up against the opening of the gap. She takes a deep breath, _just_ as the water floods _completely_ over her face, sending her into a _frenzied_ panic. She has _never_ been this scared in her life.

In another moment, she has managed to open up enough space at the gap to press part of her face through. Just enough to take a breath, but no more. Only her _nose_ and mouth rising above the dark brown, _filthy_ water.

Taking a couple deep breaths, she has no choice but to plunge back under, and keep digging at the stubborn rock blocking her escape. Forcing her face _tightly_ against the gap, she takes in a few more frantic gulps of air, before dropping back under. Curling her body, Amanda places both feet against the earthen wall, hands over the top of the large rock. Pushing out with her legs, arms _shaking_ , she pulls against the stone with all her might.

_Movement_.

Pushing her face up through the gap once again, she takes three quick gulps of air. Plunging back down into the dark _thick_ water, putting her feet and hands back into position, she _strains_. The rock pulls forward about three inches. Pushing again with her legs, Amanda leans back, pulling _hard_. Body shaking with the effort, a stream of bubbles flow from her nose and mouth, as she exhales with a grunt.

The large rock rolls forward as she quickly moves out of the way. Unbeknownst to Amanda, the rock had been much larger than she thought, her fingers having been curled around but a large chip in the rock. The rock is some two and a half feet in diameter. If it were not for the fact that the ground had been turned to mud, and the soil so loose, she would never have been able to move it in time, and would have, _eventually_ , become too exhausted... and drowned.

The rock gone, a gap has opened, only large enough for Amanda's head to squeeze through. Relieved, Amanda stands on the rock, balancing on her toes, and for a few moments, breathes in deeply, letting her _pounding_ heart settle a little. She knows she is far from being free though, her shoulders too _wide_ to fit through the small opening, and returns to the task of digging her way out of the trap.

After clawing at the edge of the hole for only a few more minutes, she has opened up a large enough hole to squeeze through. Putting both her arms over her head, jumping, she thrusts them through the opening. Quickly, she moves her arms down to the drenched ground, as she tries to brace her body from slipping back into the hole. Her arms _throb_ from the effort as she hoists herself up, and works to squeeze her slim body through the opening.

Her fingers rake the muddy, _slick_ surface of the ground in a frenzy, trying for purchase. _Terrified_ , she chokes back a cry as she feels herself sliding back into the hole. Fighting for her very life, her fingers find a _snapped_ root from the tree. With a last, _shuddering_ effort, she grasps the root and to her complete surprise, _stops_ sliding. Grimacing with the effort, she uses her arms to pull and her _legs_ to push against the muddy ground, until she is finally clear of the opening. Taking deep breaths to steady herself, Amanda drags herself further away from the hole. Panting, she rolls to the side and onto her back. Completely overcome, _entirely_ exhausted, she bursts into tears. Looking up at the huge boulder, rain washing the mud from her face, she _knows_ that it could have been... the _cover_ of her tomb.

Resting for over an hour, the rain relentlessly _pounding_ against her, both washing the mud from her trembling body, as well as _splattering_ her with more mud, she rises up on weak and rubbery legs, and looks around.

The sight before her is _devastating_. Nothing but _crushed_ and splintered trees all around her. Shocked, Amanda sees that she is on the far side of where the avalanche passed, _not_ in the middle. Her jaw _drops_ as the impact hits her. She had only experienced a very _small_ portion of the full force of the tumbling boulders. Shuddering, she thinks of how things _could_ have ended, as she looks to her left to see _mounds_ of strewn rocks, rising at _least_ ten feet over what had moments ago, been a much flatter slope. As she makes her way around the boulder to her right, to look below her, she sees that piles of rocks are strewn everywhere, far down the mountain. Another shiver _shakes_ her shoulders, knowing that she had almost been covered by them, and knowing that her body would _never_ have been found.

Swallowing hard, Amanda returns her focus to what she should do now. She does not need to wait long for an answer to _that_ question though. A bolt of _lightning_ strikes a few hundred yards below her, making her jump and spin around. _Huge_ flames soar from a freshly torn-up tree struck by the lightning.

A second bolt strikes a short distance from the first. The bolt splits a tree in half, causing another fire, sending fragments of earth in every direction. Amanda watches in amazement as the two fires swirl higher and higher. She does not understand how so _little_ wood could cause such a _huge_ blaze. Mesmerized, she is unable to look away.

Watching in disbelief, the fires begin to move, then start to _circle_ around one another. Closer and closer they move toward one another, their flames growing larger, until they suddenly merge into one _gigantic_ fire tornado. The massive, _swirling_ crown towering over the surrounding trees. Shaking her head, Amanda wonders, "How can fire _do_ that... and in this _downpour_?"

Never having seen anything like this before, fear grips her.

Stumbling back, turning her head away as the intense heat sears her, squinting, she holds her arms up in front of her face for protection as she looks around. Fire below her on _this_ side of the mounds of loose rock, with nothing but _loose_ rock below her on the other. Her decision being made, she turns to face _up_ the mountain, away from the fire and the rock strewn path of the avalanche.

And then she _hears_ it.

The fire _screams_ , she spins back to look at it, the heat _so_ intense, it drives her back up the mountain. Glancing back over her shoulder, _horrified_ , she sees the fire moving, as if with _intent_ , directly toward her. Turning, facing up the mountain, she veers to the left, making her way up the steeply slanting side. After just a few minutes of walking, Amanda is surprised to find her muscles loose enough, so that every step is no longer a struggle.

Not paying any attention to the direction she is moving up the mountain, Amanda veers first to the left, then to the right, then back again, _weaving_ her way through the trees. Climbing higher and higher, she wants to get above, and away, from the crushed trees and masses of piled rocks. Without a watch, she has no idea _how_ long she has been climbing, since leaving what _could_ have been her watery tomb. Looking at the sky, she thinks it must be at least an hour now.

Rounding a boulder, she realizes that, all this time, she has been climbing _up_ the mountain, when what she _needs_ to do is make her way _down_ it. Climbing, she wonders _why_ every time she begins to go down, lightning causes fires below her, or _something_ blocks her way, and she has been forced to go up. Walking in the center of a channel flanked by massive boulders, Amanda fights a steady stream of water, as it rapidly makes its way down the mountain past her.

Stopping for a moment to catch her breath, she places her hands on a massive boulder. Looking behind her, she can see the water flowing like a small river. After another minute or so, taking a deep breath, she starts off again. As she continues around a bus-sized boulder, tumbling rocks _cascade_ from somewhere above her. Snapping her head up, Amanda looks up the mountain to be sure _another_ avalanche is not on its way down. Quickening her pace around the boulder, Amanda is _so_ focused on looking for any tumbling boulders above her, she is _not_ watching where she is going.

She is so tired, _battered_ and sore now, her feet _drag_ with every step, leaving marks in the mud as she makes her way to the left, away from the stream. Rounding the boulder, she watches a small cascade of rocks tumble from the slight ridge of rock above her. Stumbling, she _trips_ over a large rock. Startled, she begins to _fall_ as her hand slips from the support of the boulder. Amanda _throws_ her hands out in front of her to break her fall, but does not hit the ground as she expects. Feeling herself go _airborne_ as she continues falling, she does a _complete_ forward flip in the air. Her arms and legs flail _wildly_ as she tries to scream, with only a _strangled_ sound escaping her lips, like someone _stepping_ on a young kitten's tail.

To her _horror_ , Amanda sees that she has fallen off a very high cliff, into what appears to be a rather _narrow_ crack, perhaps only thirty feet or so across, and some fifty feet wide, within the rocks. She is falling _straight_ for what appears to be a pool of water far below. Continuing into another flip, she is startled to see the limbs of a _tree_ rushing quickly up toward her. Her body _slams_ into the branches of the tree, growing out at an angle from the _sheared_ face of the cliff. The branches _slap_ against her face and body, once again, tearing away _chunks_ of flesh as she painfully tumbles from branch to branch and limb to limb.

Her stomach slams _hard_ against a rather thick limb, knocking most of the wind from her. She lays _draped_ over the limb for an agonizing moment, like a wet _cloth_ on a clothesline. Then, as if in slow motion, she _slowly_ slides free of the limb. She feels herself clear the tree and begin to fall through the air once again. Beginning to pick up speed, she thinks she sees the pool of water below. Completing another flip, she focuses _just_ in time, to see that she is once again, about to hit yet _another_ tree, sticking out from the side of the cliff's edge. _Striking_ the tree hard, she is again battered and _slapped_ by the branches. Feeling her backpack catch on a broken branch, Amanda hears and _feels_ the pack being ripped from her back, sending her spinning _violently_ back into free fall, away from the battering of the tree.

Almost unconscious from the beating by the trees, she notices she is about to strike the pool of water. Somehow, she manages to take a breath _just_ before she strikes with a huge splash. Hitting the water face down, _flat_ on her stomach, the impact knocks most of the wind out of her. The thing is, the _shock_ of striking the icy cold water, brings her _instantly_ back to her senses, fully conscious, face and body _stinging_ from the impact.

Thank goodness those trees had at least _slowed_ her descent, and, that the water was at _least_ deep enough to break her fall and not kill her. Her entire body _stings_ as she bobs to the surface, gasping for air as she waves her arms frantically.

Amanda has _never_ learned to swim.

Her parents had never taught her, nor let her have swimming lessons, like her _brother_ had been allowed to take years ago.

Still thrashing, her eyes _desperately_ dart about, looking for a way out. Then she _sees_ it. There, only some twenty-five feet away, is a _break_ in the rocks, where she can see enough shoreline not covered by boulders, to _squeeze_ through and get out of the water.

If she can reach it without _drowning_ first.

She _dog_ paddles as best she can, never having been in water where she could not touch the bottom before. Her strength leaving her, she occasionally slips under, only to resurface, spitting out _streams_ of water and coughing hard, gasping for breath.

Amanda flails through the water, for what to _her_ , seems like forever. Each _thrash_ of her arms is like moving heavy lead weights, until she finally feels the rocky ground beneath her _frantic_ feet. Stumbling from side to side, she _swivels_ her torso, through the now waist-high water, toward the little patch of earth between two huge boulders. _How_ she managed to get to that spot, make her way out of the water, up the short embankment onto the shore, she has _no_ idea. Dropping to the ground, she lays there, face down, _panting_ hard, tangled hair covering her face. After a few moments, she drags her left hand to her face, covers her eyes and _bursts_ into tears. Huge sobs shake her _trembling_ and battered body.

Laying there, she tries to catch her breath and calm her pounding heart. It may have been an hour now for all she knew, trying to regain enough strength to move on. Looking around, she realizes she has lost her backpack, and had not seen it in the water with her when she hit the pool. The pack is _important_ , because it has some meager supplies of food, matches, a _first_ aid kit which she _really_ needs, her map and compass, _flashlight_ and several other items which one carries into the forest.

Painfully, Amanda turns on her side, tilts her head forward and looks to the pool of water, straining to see into what is almost _total_ darkness. It is really late now, and the sky is as _black_ as a sky can be. But it is no use. It is so dark now, she cannot see her pack anywhere in the pool. Looking up, she sees nothing but sheer cliffs all around her. It is as though she has fallen into a crack in the earth, with sides _so_ steep she can never climb out. Continuing to look up the cliff's side, she _strains_ to see through the relentless rain _hammering_ against her face.

Lightning _bursts_ from the inky sky. In its afterglow, Amanda thinks she sees her pack hanging precariously in the limbs of what appears to her, to be a _small_ tree high above. In another flash, she can see the _other_ tree, much higher up the cliff. It dawns on her, that if she had _not_ landed in those trees, she would not have slowed. Shuddering, she realizes that, if the trees had not been _spaced_ apart as they were, she would have fallen so quickly, she would have _died_ on impact with the water. Looking around at the sheer, _vertical_ walls of the cliff, it is obvious there is no way she can recover her backpack.

Another _blinding_ flash of lightning and _crack_ of thunder makes her shrink further from the pool. Struggling to her feet, she staggers from side to side, bouncing off the tightly spaced boulders on either side of her. Continuing along a narrow path, Amanda weaves her way further along the little patch of earth in front of her, which is the only way she can see to go.

Slowly, Amanda finds her way around a house-sized boulder. There, beneath a slight overhang within the cliff she is facing, _appears_ to be a small cave-like opening, in the sheer face of a vertical wall of solid rock, with a boulder directly beneath it. It looks to Amanda, as though the fallen boulder had plugged the hole, and had only _just_ been dislodged because there is very little debris at its base. It has not sunken into the earth like the other boulders around it, which covers the bottom portion of them. Looking closer, she sees a _slight_ ring of dirt... not mud... where _one_ -half of the boulder had been _in_ the hole, while the _other_ side was exposed to the elements.

There is nowhere else to go. Amanda turns to her left and right, seeing she is blocked by _huge_ house and bus-sized boulders. Fear creeps through her. Turning around, Amanda realizes there is no way over them, with only the _icy_ pool of water behind her, should she decide to go back.

The cave-like opening, about neck high to her, looks large enough to get into and, at _least_ , get out of the weather. Amanda is so scared and tired, tears run down her battered and bleeding face. Shaking violently, her stomach growls. Freezing and _hungry_ , grateful to be alive, Amanda thinks that, if she can get _into_ the cave, at least she will be out of the _howling_ wind and the _freezing_ , driving rain. And maybe... just _maybe_... with some more rest, she can figure out what to do later, when the rain stops, if she does not _bleed_ or freeze to death first.

Turning to look behind her one last time, she licks a rather _nasty_ cut on her lip. Facing the small opening, about four feet in diameter, swallowing hard, she puts both bleeding hands on the edge. Clenching her teeth, she closes her eyes, anticipating the pain she _knows_ is coming. Jumping up, Amanda pushes down _hard_ with her arms, hoisting herself _partly_ into the hole to her waist. Arms _shaking_ with the strain, she leans forward, _pulling_ herself all the way inside, her injured legs _scraping_ against the sharp jagged edge of the rocky hole. The pain is _excruciating_. There is not a single square inch of her that has not been _battered_ , cut or scraped.

Amanda cannot see a thing further into the cave, it is too dark. She does not know how _deep_ the cave is or _what_ she may find waiting for her within the darkness. But she is too tired and sore to care _how_ scared she is... or _what_ may be lying in wait for her. Painfully, she drags her way in on her stomach, pulling with her bloodied hands and arms. Slowly, her eyes adjust and she can make out _some_ features in the tunnel. After dragging herself about twenty-five feet or so, Amanda realizes the cave-like tunnel is curving to the right further on. Sighing, she knows she is out of the freezing wind, and decides to rest where she is. _Wincing_ , she rolls over onto her aching back, and closes her eyes.

To TOC

# Looking Back

Lying there, she thinks back to earlier in the day. Amanda knows she had made a wrong turn hours ago, trying to make her way down the mountain to return to camp when the storm struck.

It had been overcast, and it looked like it _could_ rain within a few hours when she had left camp, but, this _violent_ storm hit unexpectedly. She had made a critical error in deciding to take what appeared to be, a _shortcut_ on her map, back down the mountain to where she, her family and next door neighbors, were camping.

The shortcut she had chosen, has turned out to be anything but.

The events of the day, along with her exhaustion, soon lull her into a deep sleep. In spite of her pain, she relives some of what has happened to her, not only today, but over her entire life thus far.

Amanda's thoughts drift back to much earlier in the day, when her parents and little brother, Larry, decided to go to a nearby town for supplies, along with the father of the other family they were camping with. Their neighbor's only child, a boy named Peter that Amanda cannot stand, because he is _mean_ , is about the same age as her brother, eleven, who is _also_ mean. So, at least _he_ has someone to share the camping experience with. Peter's mom, Nancy, is really strict, and beats Peter whenever she feels like it, even hitting _Amanda_ from time to time. Amanda does not like her, and always tries to stay away from her, or at least out of her way.

Amanda's parents, Joan and Andy, had made her promise to either stay in camp or to stay with Nancy while they were gone. Her mom looks at her. "Amanda, listen up! I want you to stay here in camp, and not go off by yourself like the _stupid_ little brat you are. _Got_ it?"

Her dad laughs. "Oh let her go, hon. Maybe a big 'ol bear will get her and we'll be done with her for good. Oh, wait... she's so _stupid_ , if she _saw_ a bear, she'd just think it was some cute cuddly teddy bear or something, and want to bring it _home_." Everyone laughs and stares at her. Her brother and Peter laugh so hard they practically _wet_ their pants, pointing and howling at her.

Turning red, voice trembling, Amanda looks at the ground. "I... I can take care of myself. After all, I turned _thirteen_ just last week, so... so I'm not a little _kid_ anymore." Everyone laughs harder... other than her mom, who _backhands_ her across the mouth. Bringing tears to her eyes, Amanda stumbles back away from her.

"Don't you _dare_ talk back to me, you _worthless_ little brat! I said you'll _stay_ here and that's what you're gonna _do_! Do _you_ understand me?" her mom screams.

Sniffling, wiping her eyes with her fingers, Amanda answers. "Yes."

Joan, raising her hand and taking a step toward Amanda, as though she was going to strike her again asks angrily, "Yes... _what_?"

Cringing, Amanda says quickly in a frightened and trembling voice, "Yes _Mam_. I... I _promise_ I'll stay here in camp and... and just _read_ and stuff."

"Well then, _get_ to your tent and _stay_ there! And you _better_ be there when we get back... _Got_ it?"

"Yes Mam, I will."

Turning, quickly heading for her tent, everyone's laughter follows her.

And now, Amanda recalls the story:

Amanda cannot _stand_ her mom and dad, and besides, they are not her _real_ parents. They adopted her when she was _seven_ , to be a play companion for their _precious_ little boy, who was then five years old and driving them _mad_. Their plan was to have Amanda watch him as he grew up, and could have someone _else_ to hit and kick, instead of _them_. Seems Joan had some serious complications during the birth of Larry, and could not have any more kids. They really wanted to adopt another _boy_ for Larry to grow up with, who could take care of him when they were not around, and off smoking _pot_ or doing some other drugs, like they _always_ do.

They went to the only orphanage within, what _they_ decided, was a reasonable driving distance to trouble with. There, they found that the _only_ child who was the age they were looking for, was a scrawny, _very_ shy little seven year old girl... _Amanda_. Even though they did not want... _her_ , they did not want to waste any more time or trouble to drive all over the country, looking for some _kid_ they only needed as a baby sitter in the _first_ place. So, they settled for, and adopted, Amanda... much to _their_ dislike, and _hers_.

The story goes, when she was born, her real mom and dad did not want her. They had placed her in a large wicker basket, wrapped in a blanket with an _odd_ symbol woven into it. She was placed on the front porch of some old lady's house in California, within the United States. The old woman was awakened very early in the morning, by what she _said_ had been the constant howling of some darn fool _cat_. When she opened the front door to throw a shoe at the _blasted_ cat, she was startled to find, instead, the basket with a howling _baby_ strapped in it. There was a note in the basket that simply read, "Her name is Amanda Ackers. She is eleven months old. Please take good care of her." That was the extent of it. The old woman called the police. Even though they searched and searched for weeks, her parents were never found.

Growing up, _beatings_ were nothing new for Amanda. Amanda was placed as a ward of the state, and sent into foster care. The story continues that she was _abused_ by her first foster family, sent to another, where she was abused _repeatedly_ by them. She was then sent to another and yet another. Then one day, the foster family she was with, fled the country because of something the husband had done, and eventually, Amanda ended up in an orphanage in Africa. But nobody ever told her _how_ she got there or why.

In the cave, moaning, Amanda turns her head as images drift in and out of her consciousness, taking her back to her first day at the orphanage, when she was four. She was holding on tightly to her little teddy bear named Fuzzy. That old tattered bear went with her everywhere. Fuzzy was her _only_ friend and source of comfort... the only _family_ she had known in her short life. Amanda could never remember when she had gotten it, or who had given it to her, but she kept Fuzzy close to her, along with the blanket she had been found in.

As she was being handed over by a social worker to Mrs. _Pearson_ , the manager of the orphanage, Amanda looked around at all the other kids, who stopped playing to size up the new kid.

Amanda, dragging her little suitcase behind her, followed Mrs. Pearson up two flights of stairs, to what would be her room. When the door opened, Amanda saw that there were a dozen small beds lined up against both sides of the room. Mrs. Pearson grabbed Amanda's small arm and roughly led her down the long corridor. Clinging tightly to Fuzzy, Amanda was taken to a bed and told she was responsible for keeping her bed neat. If she did _not_ follow the rule and did _not_ put any toys she played with away when she was done, _she_ would be punished.

Mrs. Pearson ripped Fuzzy from Amanda's arms. "Well... we'll just have to... _burn_ this dreadful filthy little thing. _Won't_ we?"

Amanda grabbed for Fuzzy yelling, "No, _can't_. Fuzzy mine!" An angry look passed over Mrs. Pearson's face. She quickly sat on the bed, grabbed Amanda by the arm, forced her over her lap, and _whipped_ her bottom hard. _Shrieking_ and clutching her behind, Amanda was _thrown_ onto the bed.

Breathing hard, Mrs. Pearson rose, straightening her dress. Pointing her finger in Amanda's face, she yelled, "Don't you _ever_ talk back to me you little _brat_. You'll do as you're _told_ around here, or I'll beat the _daylights_ out of you. Do you _hear_ me?" Pulling herself into a tight little ball next to her pillow, Amanda cried so hard she could not answer, and for that, she got _three_ more whacks on her bottom. Mrs. Pearson _thundered_ down the corridor and stormed out of the room, _slamming_ the door behind her.

Amanda lay face down on her bed, hands covering her face, and cried hard for several minutes.

The _creaking_ of the door at the end of the room caught her attention, and as she looked up, three _bigger_ kids entered. They stood there for a minute, just inside the doorway looking at her. Then the taller girl, Cindy, began walking to Amanda. She smiled as she approached saying, "Well, _looks_ like we've got another _cry_ baby on our hands." The others laughed. They all came over to Amanda, who was now sitting up, doing her best to stop crying, not saying a word.

The fat boy named Tommy, grabbed her by both shoulders and _flung_ her to the wooden floor. Amanda fell hard, instantly crying again. He proceeded to pull the blanket and sheets from her bed, scrunch them up and _toss_ them into little heaps on the floor. Looking at Amanda, he said, "Oh look, her _bed's_ all messed up. Mrs. Pearson won't like _that_ now will she?" The others howled with laughter.

Cindy was just about to say something when the voice of Mrs. Pearson _boomed_ from behind them, "What are _you_ three doing in here? You should be _downstairs_ for dinner."

Tommy said innocently, "We just came in to _welcome_ the new kid, and _that's_ when we saw that her _bed_ was all messed up. We were just telling her that she _shouldn't_ have done that, and that _you_ wouldn't like it much, and that she was in _big_ trouble."

Mrs. Pearson made her way down the long center of the dormitory, catching sight of all Amanda's sheets and blanket in a heap on the floor, Amanda cringing in tears beside them. "Oh! You little _brat_! Didn't I _tell_ you to keep your bed nice and _neat_? _Didn't_ I tell you what would happen if you _didn't_?" Turning to the others before Amanda had a chance to say anything, she shouted, " _You_ three, down to dinner this _instant_. Move!" They turned and jogged down the center of the room, looking over their shoulders, smirking back at Amanda.

With no chance to defend herself, Amanda was yanked off the floor, hurting her arm. Bent back over Mrs. Pearson's lap, Amanda _thrashed_ and screamed in pain as she was _whipped_ repeatedly.

Mrs. Pearson flung Amanda back onto the bed. "Now, you _get_ this bed put back together pronto, and there will be _no_ supper for you tonight! You get _right_ to bed, and if I hear any more _trouble_ from you, I'll _tan_ your hide so you'll _never_ be able to sit again. Now, move!"

With that, Mrs. Pearson turned and stomped out of the room, once again slamming the door. Amanda had never made a bed before, and had no idea how to do it. Looking at the other beds through her tears, she tried her best to copy what she saw.

Pulling her legs up into a fetal position on the cold cavern floor, Amanda coughs, thinking back to what it had been like after the first three weeks at the orphanage. She had no friends there. Tommy and Cindy made sure of that. They told the other kids to stay away from her, or they would "... _beat_ 'um up good."

Amanda hated the orphanage. She hated it more than she hated the foster homes she stayed in. At least there, she was only smacked by the parents. Here, she was spanked by Mrs. Pearson at least _three_ times per week, usually for something Amanda had _not_ done, but that Tommy, Cindy or Eddy had done and _she_ got blamed for. Tommy, Cindy and Eddy hit and _kicked_ her anytime they could get her alone, or while passing her in the hallway. It was a kind of _game_ to them, to see how much trouble they could get Amanda into, or, how many times a day they could _punch_ her in the arm, or trip her as she passed, and not get caught. They even kept _score_ between themselves.

Amanda pulled further and further into her shell, into her own little world. One day, Amanda discovered a utility closet in the basement, which was never used much. This became her sanctuary. Amanda would sneak down there and close herself inside. Most kids are afraid of the dark, and the basement was _really_ dark. But when Amanda shut herself into the closet, it was as dark as _death_. But she did not mind at all, she _loved_ the dark, because no one could see her there. And if they could not see her, they could not pick on her, or worse, _beat_ her up. Sometimes, Amanda would find her way down to the closet after she had been hit or kicked by the other bullies. She would get inside, pull her knees to her chest, and cry as she rocked herself back and forth, sometimes for hours.

In the beginning, every time a family came looking to adopt a child, Amanda _always_ tried to look her best and stand out from the others, but was never chosen. She really thought that there was something wrong with her, because nobody wanted her, but the thing was, not many _other_ kids got adopted either.

Amanda was always alone. She had no friends. Nobody wanted to play with her, so she always tried to find something to do by herself to keep her out of the others way. She had now acquired the habit of _talking_ to herself, which she did a _lot_ , just to keep herself company.

Learning to read, stories became her escape. There, in her little books, she _had_ friends. She pretended that _she_ was in the stories, laughing and playing with _lots_ of friends who really liked her... and treated her nicely, too. But then, someone would find her, and the _bullying_ would begin all over again. But whenever she could, she would escape into the wonderful world she would find, in the many books which had been donated to the orphanage.

Amanda remembers the first day she met Joan and Andy. It was early in the afternoon on a Saturday. She remembers the day, because it was cold _meatloaf_ for lunch, along with asparagus, which she _hates_.

As usual, all the kids lined up like little soldiers in the auditorium, to be _inspected_ by prospective new parents. By now, Amanda just _knew_ she would not be chosen. Standing with her head down, hands clasped in front of her, she swayed slowly from side to side, to the tune playing in her head.

Gruffly, Andy said, "This is the _lot_ of 'em? I told you, we're _lookin'_ for a seven-year-old _boy_. Looks like all you got is either boys too _young_ or too old. Or too _stupid_ lookin'... like those little _brats_ over there." Amanda looked over to see that Andy was pointing at Tommy and Eddy, making her stifle a laugh.

"Mr. Baker," Mrs. Pearson said, her voice sweet as honey, "The only seven-year-old child we have, is this _lovely_ little girl down here." She began walking in Amanda's direction.

Peeved, his voice raised, Andy said loudly, "We don' _want_ no sniveling, _scrawny_ little girl! We want a good _strong_ boy, and _that's_ what we aim to get!"

"Well Mr. Baker," Mrs. Pearson said, her voice dripping like melting butter, "as I was saying, the _only_ seven-year-old we have is Amanda there. The closest _boy_ we have to what you are looking for, is _ten_. Besides them, they either get older, or the next youngest is _three_. Certainly one of the _older_ boys would be better... don't you _think_?" she smiled sweetly.

Angrily turning to face Mrs. Pearson, Andy spits, "Ain't _nobody_ gonna tell _me_ what to do, or what would be _best_ for me and my family! If I _say_ we need a seven-year-old, then _that's_ what we want, and we ain't taken _nothin'_ else!"

Gritting her teeth, but still using that sweet honey tone, she said softly, "I see. Well then, you have _seen_ your choices here, and I will say good day to you. The closest orphanage to us is one hundred eighty _miles_ south of here. I hope you find someone there to your liking. Oh, and be careful, the _rains_ have washed out the roads... many may be closed for up to a _month_. Good day."

Turning her back on them, Mrs. Pearson told the kids to run along, then began to walk away. As the kids scattered, Amanda walked a short distance to sit next to a pillar, pretending to play with a small wooden block she found. Keeping her head down, she was close enough to hear every word they said, even when they whispered.

Turning red because Mrs. Pearson turned her back to him and walked away, as though _dismissing_ him, Andy started to say something, but was interrupted by Joan.

Talking in a rather loud whisper, she said, "Andy! For _god's_ sake, what the hell _difference_ does it make anyway? We can't afford to drive all over the _blasted_ country looking for a _seven_ -year-old boy. Why not take the _ten_ -year-old and be done with?"

With teeth clenched, Andy leaned forward, his nose almost touching hers, and said, "Because _I_ say so, _that's_ why. By then, you can't _teach_ 'em none. They're too _old_ to train proper. They _know_ too much and I want some kid I can still _handle_... and will do what they're _told_. But you're right. We sure ain't about to go _traipsing_ all across the country looking for some _brat_."

Andy turned to look at Amanda. Looking down at her block, she begins to shiver. Approaching Amanda, he says in a softer tone, "Well, seeing that she's a little _girl_ , and a _scrawny_ one at that, I reckon we could _whip_ her into shape. She looks _scared_ enough don' she?"

Joan smiled and walked toward Amanda. "Yeah, she _does_ , and I know _just_ the way to handle a little girl."

Andy called Mrs. Pearson back. He told her they changed their mind and wanted to start the process to adopt Amanda. Mrs. Pearson's eyes lit up. " _Her_? I mean... of course, she is a _wonderful_ little girl. She makes _lots_ of friends and hardly _ever_ gets in trouble at all. What a _wonderful_ choice!"

Andy smiled as fake a smile as Amanda had ever seen, and _she_ had given a good number of them herself. "Well, how long before we can get our _hands_ on 'er? I mean... until we can take this little _princess_ home?"

The three of them walked down the hall and into Mrs. Pearson's office. Weeks passed and Amanda had forgotten all about them, until one day, Mrs. Pearson came up to her and asked her to come with her to her office. Amanda thought she was in _trouble_ again for something she had not done, but when Mrs. Pearson opened the door to her office, there seated at her desk, were Joan and Andy. They stood up and Joan said with a smile, " _There_ she is, our _new_ little princess."

Confused, Amanda did not know what to say. With that sweet sickening tone, Mrs. Pearson said, "These are your new _parents_ Amanda. The final paperwork went through yesterday, and you can go _home_ with them today. Isn't that _exciting_?" Amanda snapped her head up to look at Mrs. Pearson and said in a small voice, "What? _No_. Please Mrs. Pearson, I don't _want_ to go with them."

Everyone laughed as Mrs. Pearson said, "Of _course_ you do Amanda. Why, if you _don't_ go with them, then you and I will need to have a little _chat_ tonight, like we have _never_ had before. Do you understand, dear?"

Oh yeah, Amanda _understood_ all right.

"Now run along and collect your things, then come back here. _Quickly_ now. Don't make your _nice_ new parents wait."

Amanda just stood there for a moment with everyone staring at her. Mrs. Pearson then said rather sternly, " _Well_?" Amanda jumped and ran from the room to gather her things. As she went through the door, she was surprised to see all the other kids standing, clustered outside. They had obviously _heard_ everything. It was really strange, none of the other kids said a thing to her, or tried to punch or even trip her, as they parted to let her pass. They just stood back and watched with stunned faces. Even Tommy, Cindy and Eddy didn't say or do a thing... they just looked at her blankly.

Packing her meager belongings, with her tattered blanket neatly folded on top into her old battered suitcase, Amanda shuts and latches it. She returned to Mrs. Pearson's office. Andy took the suitcase from her, and the three of them walked out of the orphanage, and piled into the old beat-up and half-rusted car parked out in front.

Driving home, Joan and Andy made it _abundantly_ clear, in no uncertain terms, that starting that _very_ day, Amanda was _just_ there to help with their son, Larry. She was told, that if she did not do what they said, she "... would be _plenty_ sorry." If she was _really_ bad, she would be put out in the back yard at _night_ in the dark, "...for the _monsters_ of the jungle to get her," and _that_ would be the end of her.

With a stab of pain lying in the cave, Amanda remembered Joan turning around. "And if you think we're _kidding_ , maybe _this_ will change your mind." Joan reached back and slapped her hard across the face, _twice_ , making Amanda cry. That had _scared_ her so badly, she always tried to do what they wanted, but it was _never_ enough. Whatever she did, it was never _exactly_ the way they wanted something done, and she was _punished_ for it, and often.

From the moment they got home, Amanda was treated like an unwanted _slave_. They fed her what they wanted, usually _leftovers_ from their own meals, when they had finished.

Andy's company, who he had been employed with for years, had relocated to Africa, where they adopted Amanda. His company had offered to pay for full relocation for any employees who wanted to stay with them. After years in Africa, boredom began to set in, so, when they received a letter stating that Andy's mother had passed away, and left him her home in California and everything in it, they jumped at the chance to move back to the United States.

One night, Amanda overheard them talking about someone named Pete, a _drug_ contact of Andy's dad, who had been killed with him during a bank robbery. Once back in California, Andy and Joan could _rekindle_ their relationships, and drug contacts, with his not-too-honest buddies.

Less than two weeks after her adoption, Amanda and her new family flew back to the United States. Moving back to his old neighborhood, much to their surprise, Andy was able to find a job fairly quickly.

In their new home, _nothing_ changed for Amanda. She was _still_ treated as their slave. Amanda could not remember the number of times she had been _whipped_ by both of them, not for anything she had done wrong, but mostly just because they _could_. They liked the _power_ and control they had over her. They bought her the oldest, _cheapest_ , used clothing from the swap meets they frequented, where Andy would sell whatever he had _stolen_ from break-ins in other neighborhoods, to buy _drugs_ for him and Joan. Sometimes he would gamble his entire _paycheck_ away.

They were _horrible_ people. As Amanda grew older, she could not figure out _how_ they were ever allowed to adopt her in the _first_ place. Never being _asked_ if she wanted to go with them... they adopted her, and _that_ was that.

When they adopted her, they _insisted_ that she keep her last name and not take theirs. There had been some trouble with the paperwork process for a while, but a judge or _whoever_ it was in Africa that did not want to be bothered, _finally_ signed off on the adoption papers. So instead of becoming Amanda Baker, she remained Amanda Ackers. Sometime later, Amanda asked why she did not have the same last name as theirs. Joan and Andy _howled_ with laughter. Andy leaned in close to her face. "Because we don' _want_ 'ya to have our last name, you _worthless_ little brat. _You're_ no Baker. We don' wanna be associated with _you_... other than having somebody to take care of Larry. And you don' do _that_ good either. You're a _nobody_ , and there ain't _no_ way you was gonna have _my_ last name."

As she got older, Larry began playing baseball, football, basketball and other sports after school. Joan and Andy did not want Amanda home alone, so, they entered her in gymnastics and archery to keep her away from _their_ things when they weren't home. To their amazement, Amanda took to both gymnastics and archery right away, and soon became the _star_ of both teams. Amanda _loved_ them so much that, when there were no more chores to do, she would practice both sports every day in the backyard.

Amanda was allowed to compete in _home town_ events, which her teams always won because of her, but was _never_ allowed to go to competitions held out of town, which most _all_ of them were, and which they usually lost. So, of course, _everyone_ on her teams hated her.

A few years after they moved back to California, an old friend of Andy's offered him a job in the city of Riverside. They sold the house they were in and moved. Amanda did not have many friends _there_ either, but met a married couple named Glenn and Sasha Gabriel at the library where Amanda went to do her homework... and get _away_ from her family. Amanda overheard Sasha at the table next to her, talk to Glenn about some sculpting she was doing. Sasha needed a particular tool and wondered where she could find it. Amanda knew where she could get it and introduced herself. Glenn and Sasha invited her over to sit with them, and were soon fast friends. They would meet at the library a couple times each week, sitting together and chatting about all sorts of things. They were the _best_ friends she ever had. But, the Gabriel's soon moved away, but they kept in touch via email. Amanda learned later, that Glenn and Sasha had moved to a little city called Maricopa, in Arizona. Sometime later, Andy's company was transferred to a city named Chandler, in Arizona, and they ended up living in nearby Maricopa too, where Amanda, Glenn and Sasha would meet at the little library weekly. Amanda wished that _they_ were her parents.

Feeling a sharp pain in her back, Amanda turns slightly on the cold cavern floor. Drifting in and out of a fitful sleep, she thinks back to today's events. After her parents left with Larry to pick up supplies, Nancy came over to her. Amanda was standing at the picnic table getting an apple, when Nancy said, "Listen. Peter and I are going to take a hike along the trail over there. It's listed as an easy hike, so we'll be gone about an _hour_ or so, and _you're_ going to stay in your tent, or _else_. Got it?"

Shyly, Amanda said, "Yeah, sure. I'd rather stay here and read anyway."

Nancy snapped, raising her hand, " _What_ did you say to me?"

Amanda cringed. "I said I'll be in my tent." Head down, she turned and walked quickly to her tent. Tears welled up as she reached over and grabbed one of her favorite books. Flipping it open, she wanted to _lose_ herself in the world of _Harry Potter_ , his friends, and their _wonderful_ adventures. But it was no good... she just could _not_ concentrate. She was upset at being treated like a little kid. After all, she thought, she _was_ thirteen and all grown up!

After only a few minutes of trying to read, still upset about being treated like a child, she closed the book, held it to her heart and whispered, " _Harry_ knows what it's like. I wish _I_ could be like him. I wish I could do _magic_ and stuff like that." Carefully, she set the book aside and covered it with her favorite purple scarf. With a look of frustration, she got up and went outside the tent for some fresh air, and to study the mountain, knowing that Nancy and Peter were gone.

Wiping the tears from her eyes with her sleeve, she said softly, "They all think I'm just a _stupid_ little kid who can't take _care_ of herself."

Joan's whiney, high-pitched tone came back to her. "I want you to _stay_ here in camp, and not go off by yourself like the _stupid_ little brat you are. _Got_ it?"

How _humiliating_. In front of _everyone_ too, with her brother and Peter laughing and pointing at her. They'd tell everyone at _school_ about this, and she would be _teased_ something awful.

Narrowing her eyes, she whispered, "If _Harry_ could do it, _I_ can do it too." Turning, Amanda reenters the tent and puts on her heavier parka. Grabbing her bottle of water, map and compass, she puts them into her backpack. Once outside, she tilts her head up to look at the soaring peaks of the pine-covered mountains, just in front of her.

"I _can_ do it! I _know_ I can! I can take _care_ of myself and I've got to _prove_ it... if to no one but myself!" Looking to the trail Nancy and Peter had taken, she says, "I can read a map _and_ use a compass pretty good, and I won't take some little well-marked _kiddy_ trail like they're doing either. I can make my _own_ way, like _Harry_ , _anywhere_ I wanna go." Amanda thinks hard. "If I walk for half an hour, then turn back, I'll be back about the same time Nancy and Peter will. If they get here _first_ , I'll just tell them I was collecting some pine cones for art class at school. I might get into _some_ trouble, but not much though, and besides, I've just _got_ to try!"

To get her bearings, Amanda takes out the map and compass. Placing the compass on the map, she notes the heading she will take. Smiling, she says, " _This_ is gonna be fun. I know I can do it if I just follow the map. All I have to do, is follow this heading going up, then reverse it coming down. Looks pretty easy to me, and they'll _never_ know." Excitedly, she puts the map and compass away, slips the backpack on and cinches it up.

Nervously looking around to make sure no one was watching, Amanda realized that, of _course_ no one was. It was _off_ season and they were the only campers in this part of the park. Hesitantly, Amanda set off through the trees, looking at the dark clouds forming just over the peaks of the mountain. Quickening her steps, the _excitement_ of going on her very own short adventure, fills her with the _wonder_ of exploration. Amanda was _doing_ it! Setting off on an _adventure_ , like the ones she had only read about in her many books.

An adventure that soon, would go _horribly_ wrong.

To TOC

# The Morning's Light

Amanda awakes to one very _stiff_ and sore body. It hurts even to just open her eyes, which are puffy and swollen from the battering she has taken. Carefully turning onto her side, Amanda looks behind her and sees light shining against the inside of the tunnel. In front of her, she sees the tunnel continuing to curve to the right.

Since it is daylight, Amanda decides to return to the lake, to see if she can find a way out she may have missed last night. Gingerly, she scoots herself back out the tunnel, painfully sliding out on her stomach, feet first over the edge of the hole, scraping the tops of her legs and stomach against the sharp jagged rocks, making her wince.

Amanda, completely _exhausted_ , must have been asleep a long time. Shielding her eyes from the bright sunlight, she realizes it is well past morning. Feeling the warmth of the sun, breathing in the clean fresh air still mingled with the scent of damp earth, she looks at the blue sky with not a cloud to be seen. Rolling her head and shoulders to get some of the kinks out, Amanda notices the mess her hands, arms and legs are in, with streaks of dried blood _everywhere_. "At least," she thinks, "the _bleeding_ has stopped... for the _most_ part, anyway." Moving again has reopened several of the deeper wounds, but the missing _chunk_ from her knee, is _still_ oozing a bloody liquid.

Grimacing, she slowly makes her way back to the pool where she had so painfully landed the night before. As she rounds the huge boulder and glances to the pool, she is surprised to see how large it had grown during the night from all the rain.

From the corner of her eye, she spots her backpack floating a short distance from the shoreline. Spirits rising, she quickly makes her way to the pool's edge, her tongue unconsciously dabbing at the deep cut on her lip. Wading into the water up to her knees, Amanda turns to her right and grabs the backpack. It must have been blown free from the tree during the night by the violent winds.

Once back on shore, sitting on the bank next to the pool in the warm sun, Amanda quickly opens the backpack, and begins to unpack everything to see what shape they are in.

The first thing she pulls out is a _flattened_ turkey sandwich, still sealed tightly in the zip lock plastic bag she had packed it in yesterday. Holding the sandwich, Amanda remembers thinking that, _maybe_ , she would be allowed to go exploring with her brother and, even with Peter, have a picnic... _if_ she were lucky. Putting the sandwich aside, she pulls out a small bag of potato chips, completely _crushed_ into dust. Even though the bag had burst open, the potato chip powder is still dry, sealed inside the _second_ zip lock bag. Her aluminum water bottle is dented, but still intact, and half full. The laminated map is still there, but will not do her any good. Since she is deep inside some kind of _crack_ within the mountain, and cannot find it anywhere on the map, disappointed, she puts it back into the pack. Pulling out her compass, she sees that it has been banged around so much, the needle is laying lose inside its casing, _completely_ ruined. At least the _matches_ she finds are still in their sealed, _waterproof_ plastic case.

Pulling out her flashlight, she flips it on, relieved to see that it works. Nodding, Amanda is thankful that this is not a _typical_ flashlight that uses a single glass light bulb and batteries. This flashlight, uses multiple LEDs and is charged by _shaking_ it. With all the tumbling and _thrashing_ around, it is _fully_ charged... a typical flashlight would never have survived. Being watertight, it will float and even work underwater to three feet. Sighing with relief, she knows she will at least have _some_ light, should she need it.

Grasping the little first-aid kit, she pulls it out. Hands shaking, she cleans as many of the wounds as best she can in the chilly water of the pool. Dabbing some antiseptic from a tube, she places a bandage securely over each cut, scrape, _gash_ and puncture she can reach. Once finished, she looks down at her arms and legs and laughs. Amanda looks like some kind of _Band_ -Aid display, with dozens of bandages all over her, having used at least half the bandages in the little dented tin box.

Famished, she picks up the flattened turkey sandwich, the little crushed bag of chips, and with her remaining water, has what she thinks is the most _delicious_ meal she can remember. Still hungry, but beginning to feel better, Amanda licks every crumb from the bags.

Having refilled her water bottle from the pool, she re-packs her backpack, which is much lighter now. Looking at the map and compass, she decides there is no reason to keep them, and sets them by the pool. Looking around the sides of the pool for a way she can get back up and out of this trap she is in, she cannot find one. There is just _no_ way out that she can see. Shaking her head, she knows the chances of her being found down here are almost nonexistent. Having wandered far up the mountain, she veered a great distance off to the side and around the ridge she had come to. _Nobody_ would be looking for her this far away from camp, since she had been _told_ to stay put and not wander off. Now Amanda wishes she _had_ stayed in camp, and if she had, with all this rain, she and her family would most likely be on their way _home_.

Looking up at the trees sticking out from the cliff's edge, she shakes her head and sighs, realizing that, even if a helicopter flies right _over_ this pool, they may not _spot_ her. Unless she was right in the middle of the pool, and they were hovering _directly_ overhead, they would _never_ see her down here in this little crack in the mountain.

Knowing that there is just nothing else she can do here for now, Amanda decides to return to the cave tunnel, and see if it might, _somehow_ , lead to a way out. She does not _really_ believe that she will find one, but, she feels she needs to check and see anyway.

_Harry_ would have.

To TOC

# The Lake In The Crystal Cave

Amanda puts her backpack on, then returns to the cave-like tunnel. She makes her way back inside, gripping tightly to her flashlight. Painfully, she crawls on her hands and one good knee, using just the foot of her injured leg, to help push her along the rough rocky interior.

Arriving to the place she had spent the night, Amanda notices all the dried blood where she had lain. Swallowing hard at the thought that she may very well have _died_ there, she continues making her way around the curve ahead. It is getting dark in there, so she flips on her flashlight. The beam shines for a short distance, as her rocky path looks to be curving off to the left, just up ahead.

Amanda continues to follow the tunnel for quite some way, deciding that if she does not find a way out soon, she will return to the pool and take her chances on being found.

Soon Amanda rounds a sharp turn. The light from her flashlight shines into, what appears to be, a large cavern, widening considerably on the other side of this narrow entrance. Pulling herself inside, she stands in a house-sized cavern. It is so dark that her little flashlight seems to shine on only a small portion. Amanda makes her way further in and around a boulder. Standing on a four foot wide ledge, she notices a rather steep dirt embankment leading far below. Moving the beam of her light down the slope, until it reaches the bottom, she gasps as the light strikes what appears to be _hundreds_ of gleaming crystals... entering what appears to be, yet _another_ opening in the rock wall, off to the left.

Curiosity winning over her better judgment, she decides to make her way down the steep embankment to get a closer look at the gleaming crystals, that throw rays of light in every direction, as her beam plays over them.

Very carefully, Amanda makes her way down the dirt and rocky slope, slipping a few times, leaving large puffs of dust behind her. Somehow, she manages to keep her balance as she waves her arms, sliding sideways down the slope, the dirt grinding beneath her boots.

Reaching the bottom, she finds that the crystals vary in size from only an inch or so, to over a foot tall. "These are beautiful!" she says out loud, hearing her voice echo in the cavern. Bending down, struggling some, Amanda pulls one of the crystals from the ground. Smiling, she studies it, then slides off her backpack and puts it into one of the side Velcro pockets. Slipping her backpack on, she shines the beam of her flashlight along a little dirt path winding its way between the crystals, and decides to follow it. Ducking, to get to the other side, she steps through the opening in the wall.

Standing, she sees that she has now entered a cavern as long and wide as her entire _street_ back home, easily some thirty feet high above her, and at least that below. Stalagmites and stalactites fill the cavern. Wherever she turns, gleaming crystals are everywhere. Eyes wide, mouth slightly open, she slowly plays her light around. She has never seen _anything_ like it, not even in the many books she has read. It is as though she stepped into a _fairyland_.

Wandering along the little pathway that makes its way through this part of the cavern, she occasionally stops. Marveling at their size and beauty, she runs her hand over one of the huge stalagmites, feeling the slick surface sliding against her hand. Looking up, Amanda sees _hundreds_ of stalactites, in various diameters and lengths, pointing down at her. Some drip water, the sound echoing through the chamber.

Rounding a sharp curve, Amanda is facing another large hole in the rock face. Ducking, she steps through. Standing on the other side, she moves her light around. Taking a step to the left without _looking_ first, she steps into a shallow hole, _losing_ her balance, as she falls to her side. Letting go of her flashlight, she uses her hands to break her fall. Her bad knee _slams_ against the rock floor of the cavern, making her cry out in pain. Her eyes roll back as she clamps them shut, involuntarily holding her breath. Waiting for the pain to ease, her entire body goes rigid.

Opening her tear-filled eyes, she is startled to see that it is _much_ darker.

Frantically, Amanda looks around and sees that her flashlight has tumbled away from her and down a very steep embankment. Frightened, she peers over the side and down the steep slope, to where she can just make out the faint light from her flashlight. A good _seventy_ -five feet below her, the thin beam shines out from around a small boulder.

There is nothing else she can do but go down there and retrieve it... she cannot go _anywhere_ without light. The thought of being _trapped_ inside this mountain with no light, sends a _shiver_ through her body.

The slope is so steep, Amanda realizes she will need to make her way down on her bottom. Cautiously, she scoots her way down the side. The cool, dry, course grit of the rocky slope _grinds_ against her already sore palms and bottom. Scared half to death, sliding _rapidly_ down the steep slope, Amanda sends _huge_ clouds of dust swirling into the air, as cascades of rocks tumble beneath her. Eventually, she comes to a _painful_ and abrupt stop at the bottom.

Standing, and brushing off the back of her torn pants, she walks over and picks up her light. After checking it over and finding it in good working condition, she is about to turn and make her way back up the slope. Just then, her light strikes a gleaming purple crystal, at least _three_ feet tall, sticking out at an angle from yet _another_ hole in the cavern wall. These caverns remind Amanda of lava rocks she has seen, pitted with _hundreds_ of holes and tunnels that lead to _other_ holes and tunnels, making their way through the stone. But here, within these caverns, the _holes_ lead to other caverns.

Making her way to the gleaming crystal, Amanda smiles as she runs her hand over it. Knowing there is more to the crystal on the other side, she ducks and steps through the hole in the wall, finding herself standing on a small, two foot wide ledge at the narrowest part of a large cavern. A short distance from where she stands, are _hundreds_ of brilliant purple crystals covering the widening ledge.

Wanting to take one of the _smaller_ purple crystals, she presses tightly against the cavern wall and begins making her way across. Gingerly, Amanda sidesteps slowly, not wanting to fall. Having just reached the halfway point, she hears it. _CRACK_! Letting out a cry, she _instantly_ drops several feet as the ledge gives way beneath her.

Trying to stop, but unable to, Amanda grunts as she _tumbles_ down the steep slope, scraping her already damaged hands, arms, _legs_ and knees. Striking a large boulder a good distance down, the impact changes her direction slightly, _slamming_ her into the cavern wall. Ricocheting, she spins off at an angle, down another _steep_ slope... then _right_ through a hole leading into another cavern.

After continuing to tumble and slide for what seems like minutes, she comes to a painful stop against a _towering_ stalagmite some fifty feet tall.

Trying to catch her breath, she lays unmoving for a good ten minutes. Slowly, Amanda moves her arms and legs, to see if anything is broken, and surprised to find that she has managed to hang onto her flashlight. _How_ she did, she has no idea... but is _thankful_ she has. Painfully getting to her feet, she looks down to see that she has not only _reopened_ many cuts and scrapes, but added _new_ ones as well. What a _mess_!

As she plays the beam of her flashlight around, her jaw drops as her eyes widen with wonder. She is standing in a _gigantic_ chamber, at least three hundred feet high, and so long, she cannot see the _end_ of it. She looks around her in awe. _Giant_ stalagmites and stalactites are everywhere...and hundreds of _millions_ of gleaming crystals surround her. The crystals blaze as the light beam strikes them. Some are clear, while others are purple or golden. A few are even multicolored.

But, without a doubt, the most _amazing_ sight of all, is the huge _glowing_ green lake, in the middle of it all. There is so _much_ light radiating from it, it _fills_ the entire chamber. Looking down at her flashlight, Amanda switches it off, slipping it into a Velcro pocket on her backpack. The sight of stalagmites rising high out of the lake, some rising so high their tops are _lost_ to sight, as well as those near the shoreline, is _staggering_!

Amanda is _dumbstruck_ by the wonder of it all. Drawn to the water, she slowly makes her way toward it. The lake is giving off a soft green light, filling the entire chamber with softly shifting shadows. Softly, she says, "I don't _believe_ this! This is just _incredible_! An emerald green lake in the _middle_ of a mountain! And all these _stalagmites_ and stalactites. Look how _big_ they are. And those crystals are _awesome_! There has to be _millions_ and _millions_ of them."

Standing at the water's edge, she is awe-struck. Then talking to herself, as she does a good deal, "The lake must be _filled_ with some kind of _algae_ that gives off green light or something. This is _sooooo_ cool! Look how clear it is. I can even see _rocks_ and ledges leading deeper... and _hundreds_ of reeds waving in the water, and... _fish_! Wow, I've never seen _anything_ like this in any _book_!" Shaking her head in wonder, she says, "Harry and Hermione would _love_ this!"

Unconsciously, Amanda walks around the edge of the lake to her left, to see what else she can find. Seeing a huge stalagmite in the distance, she heads in that direction. Having reached the stalagmite after some twenty minutes, she rounds its seven foot diameter base, _screams_ , and jumps back in surprise. Amanda shudders, as the sound of her _scream_ echoes again and again, all around the cavern. There, on the ground just in front of her, is what appears to be a human _skeleton_. Jumping back behind the stalagmite, Amanda clamps both hands _tightly_ over her mouth, eyes bulging, her whole body trembling.

After composing herself, she slowly leans out and looks around the stalagmite, seeing the bones of a foot come _clearly_ into view. She pulls back, whispering, "It _is_ a skeleton! Oh my god. _How_ did they get down here? I wonder who it is and, and how they _died_?"

Slowly edging out from behind the stalagmite, Amanda sees the entire skeleton. Its head has separated a few inches from the spine. Looking closer, Amanda sees a part of a necklace sticking out from the dirt, between where the head and spine had once been connected. Amanda is surprised, as her eyes travel down the dusty bones, to see the skeleton's bony hand over a very dusty leather bound book. Nearby, she sees an old bronze skeleton key, half buried in the dirt.

Unsure of what to do, and continuing the long-time habit of talking to herself, whispers, "Maybe the _book_ will tell me something about who this was. Maybe it has their _name_ in it or something. I don't see any wallet or purse, or for that matter, any _clothing_ either. Must have all rotted away a long time ago."

A glint of metal catches her eye. Curious, Amanda walks to the object, which is partly covered by fallen debris from the cavern ceiling, far above her. After having moved some rocks away, she _cuts_ her index finger on her left hand. "Ouch! _Whatever_ this is, it's _really_ sharp." Seeing the blood flow freely from the deep cut, she sucks on her dirty finger for a moment, then goes back to carefully moving the last few rocks away.

"It's... it's a broken _sword_!" Excited, Amanda carefully picks up the longer, broken front portion of the blade, looking it over eagerly and sees a dark stain area covering most of its surface. "Wow, it's _still_ really sharp." Holding the blade in her right hand, she runs her left hand over the dark stain, trying to wipe it away. Whatever the stain is, _some_ dissolves as the blood from her cut finger smears across it.

Turning her head to look back at the skeleton, she sets the broken blade down. Walking back, her attention turns to the large, _dusty_ book. Whoever this had been, Amanda decides, had fallen _face_ down, their hand _still_ resting on the old book, their fingers grasped _tightly_ around its end.

Kneeling on her good knee, Amanda feels cuts crack and _split_ open and begin to bleed. Scrunching up her face, as though smelling something _disgusting_ , she carefully reaches out and takes hold of the old book. Carefully, she slides the book out from under the bony, _dirty_ yellow fingers, which do _not_ seem to want to let go of its possession. The bones of the hand and arm _rattle_ as the book slides free and they _fall_ to the ground. The hand _brakes_ away from the arm at the wrist, giving Amanda the _creeps_ as a chill shivers up her spine.

Eyes roving over the old leather cover, she blows gently to remove the accumulated dirt and dust. As the dust spirals in the air, then clears away, she sees that the book is about four inches thick and has a _beautiful_ gold clasp holding it tightly shut. Looking closer, it appears that the clasp has a _real_ emerald set into it. Excited, Amanda blows _harder_ against the clasp, and discovers that the clasp has an intricate engraving on it. Turning the book around, she notices that the _front_ of the book has _very_ strange writing, as does the spine, while the _back_ of the book has a gold impression of a _dragon_ , with a strange _symbol_ above it.

About to stand, the glint from the exposed portion of the necklace catches her attention. It looks like a portion of gold chain, about four inches worth, sticking out of the dirt and dust. Her eyes shift to look at the _skull_ resting just off to the side. Its jaws are slightly apart, some teeth missing, and the _dark_ sockets of the eyes seem to be _staring_ right at her. She wants to turn away and leave, but, she seems to be _pulled_ back to the glint of gold chain. It is like it _wants_ her attention, and is _not_ going to let her leave until she retrieves it.

After a few moments hesitation, and repeatedly glancing back and forth between the skull and the gleam of the gold chain, as she dabs the _cut_ on her lip with her tongue, she cannot stand it any longer. Reaching down with her right hand, her fingers curling around the chain, she begins pulling it from the ground. The chain comes easily, at _first_ , but then stops. "It must be _stuck_ ," and with that, Amanda gives it a gentle _tug_. Still, it does not budge, so Amanda tugs harder, but it still does not move.

Reaching down with her left hand, the flowing blood from her injured index finger leaving a long streak on the chain, she grasps the chain tightly, and tugs _hard_ with both hands. Amanda falls backward as the chain suddenly _pops_ free from the ground.

Taken by surprise, she looks wide-eyed at the sight in her hands. The necklace, golden in color, has a large _heart_ -shaped ruby mounted in an intricate setting, in its middle, bordered by two slightly _smaller_ emeralds, in the shape of _hands_ , cradling it.

Amanda takes a deep breath. "I've never seen a necklace so _beautiful_ in my whole life. If these gems are _real_ , it must be worth a _fortune_!" Shaking her head, she whispers, "But who did this belong to, and _what_ were they doing down _here_? Maybe I shouldn't take it. But... they're dead now, and _I_ found it, so... so it's _mine_ now really. _They_ don't need it anymore. And, if I _don't_ take it, when I tell people about this place, somebody else _will_ take it."

Reaching over, she decides to take the ancient looking _key_ and picks it up, studying it intently. "Wow! This looks really, _really_ old. Like the keys they used in castles _hundreds_ of years ago."

Taking the book, key, and necklace back to the edge of the lake, she dips the necklace into the cool water to wash off the dirt. The necklace seems to _glow_ softly in her hands, like it is now emitting a soft light of its own. Holding the necklace closer to her eyes, Amanda says, "It can't _really_ be giving off any light. Must be some kind of odd reflection or something."

Placing the necklace on the ground, she swishes the old bronze key in the water. Wiping it on her t-shirt, she looks closely at it. "This is _really_ cool. Wonder why the barrel's so long? Looks like the key is ten inches long at least. The barrel must be about seven inches long from the handle to the key teeth. Why would you need a key that long?" Shaking her head, she smiles as she takes off her backpack, pulls at a flap, hearing the Velcro ripping apart, and places the necklace and key into a corner compartment, then reseals the pocket.

Leaving the backpack on the ground, Amanda rubs the old leather book across her ripped t-shirt to try and get more dirt off it. Seeing a stalagmite a short distance away, Amanda walks over and sits against it. Fingering the clasp, she flips it up, and excitedly, opens the book.

Excitement at her find turns to disappointment, as her eyes roam over _strange_ symbols, obviously some type of writing that she cannot read. But the more she looks at the writing, the more _beautiful_ it becomes to her. As Amanda turns the pages, dozens of drawings and sketches of strange creatures, caverns, symbols and colored illustrations of crystals, all drawn in _extraordinary_ detail, fill the pages. Page after page amazes her... _hundreds_ of pages filled with various hand and arm positions, each surrounded by more of the strange writing. Other pages show hands grasping some kind of stick, in various positions. "Looks kind of like someone leading an _orchestra_ or something." She flips through several more pages, then closes and latches the book.

Trying to decide what to do now, Amanda looks toward the skeleton. It seems to have been headed in the direction she had just come from. Amanda does not know if there may be something further _behind_ her to find, past where she had first walked to meet the lake, but, decides that _whoever_ this was, had to be _coming_ from someplace. "And that, may _just_ be a way out," she whispers.

Getting up, she walks back to retrieve her backpack. Securing the big book inside the largest, almost empty middle compartment. With a grunt, she slips the backpack back on. Sighing heavily, she heads off along the edge of the lake, the soft glow from the green water lighting her way.

To TOC

# White Water Terror

After walking along the lakes edge for quite some time, continuing to marvel at the blazing crystals and towering stalagmites, Amanda suddenly stops. Unsure of what she is seeing, she squints into the greenish din of the cavern, leaning her head forward. It almost looks like a huge arch in the cavern wall far ahead of her, out near the middle of the lake. "Could that be where the cavern ends?" she thinks. Walking on for several more minutes, she sees that it _is_ where this cavern ends, but the water is moving through the archway, into another cavern on the other side.

Rounding a slight bend, gasping, Amanda sees an old rowboat perched atop some rocks near the shoreline. "Oh my god!" she whispers. "This _must_ be how whoever it was who died, _got_ here. By boat! There _must_ be a way out of here through that archway. Maybe it leads to another tunnel to the surface." Heart beating with excitement, Amanda quickens her pace, limping toward the little boat.

Reaching the five foot high rock pile the boat rests on, she sees how ancient it looks. Deciding there is only one way to find out if it still floats, she begins pulling it from the uneven surface. Out of breath from the exertion, and with a final _determined_ effort, Amanda yanks hard. The little boat slides off the stack of rocks, landing on its side on the ground. Grabbing the side, Amanda yanks and with an echoing _thud_ , the boat flips onto its bottom. Amanda sees two oars back up on top of the rock pile, grabs them, and places them inside the boat.

The small boat isn't heavy, and she drags it easily to the water's edge. Holding tightly to the stern, Amanda pushes it into the water.

"It _seems_ to float okay... so far," Amanda whispers. Awkwardly pushing the boat out further, she struggles until she is knee high in the glowing green water, then stops, looking inside for a good five minutes, waiting for any sign of leaks. The one thing Amanda did _not_ want to do, was get into the boat if it might _sink_ , having never learned to _swim_. After several minutes, satisfied that it is still sea worthy, she pulls it back to the shoreline and climbs in, still holding tightly to the side.

Amanda picks up one of the oars, using it to push off from the edge. Soon adrift, she knows she has to, _somehow_ , attach the oars to their holders, but never having been in a rowboat before, it takes her a few tries to find the way. Once attached, it takes another few minutes to get the hang of using the oars properly. Tired and nervous, but fueled by the prospect of finding a way out, Amanda begins rowing.

At first, she has quite a time making the boat move where she wants it to go. Facing the back of the boat, like she had seen in movies, she pulls hard on the oars, but puts too much pull on one oar, and finds herself turning in the opposite direction she wants to go. Quickly, she understands that she needs a good _balanced_ pull on both oars... easier said than done. Doing a good deal of laughing, she tries to figure out _how_ to steer for the arch-like opening in the walls.

This is the first time she has laughed in a _very_ long time, and she begins to relax. This is not the first time Amanda has been in a small boat. Her dad has a small motor boat they used to go fishing in. At first, she had been afraid to go with them, sure she would _drown_ if the boat sank. But, after her dad received a heavy fine for _not_ wearing a life vest during an earlier outing, they _all_ began to wear life vests. Since then, Amanda was dragged out to go fishing _dozens_ of times, her fear of being in a small boat waning... as _long_ as she had her life jacket, and was pretty sure the boat would not sink.

Amanda nervously looks over the side of boat, into the deep, crystal clear water around her, knowing that now, she _has_ no life jacket, and should the boat leak once she is way out in the lake...

Gliding smoothly over the emerald green water, Amanda is in awe at being in the midst of such a _magnificent_ silent wonderland. The only sound she hears is the _slapping_ of her oars as they hit the water with every pull she makes.

Amanda continually turns her head to make sure she is heading toward the arch. As she approaches, the glow from the lake gives off sufficient light to show her, that the cavern on the other side, _is_ very similar to this one... _filled_ with stalagmites, stalactites and crystals.

The quiet of the cavern is suddenly _shattered_ by a loud splashing sound, off to her right. Snapping her head around, she sees the tail of a _huge_ fish vanish into the glowing water. "What the heck was _that_?" she says, heart pounding. Pulling the oars back into the boat, Amanda looks over the side into the crystal clear water, seeing gently waving reeds, caves within what look to be small hills, and _dozens_ of small fish swimming in schools. Nothing unusual there. Turning to the left, Amanda _cries_ out as a giant fish, with a head like an _alligator_ , shoots through the water below her, _snapping_ its huge jaws shut on several smaller fish.

"Wait... I know what kind of _fish_ that is. I saw it on the Internet. It's called an _Alligator_ Gar, about ten to fifteen feet in length, and can weigh over _three_ hundred pounds. Its head is shaped _just_ like an alligator, and it has two rows of _really_ sharp teeth along its top jaw."

Another splash on her left breaks through her thoughts, and she snaps her head around to see the heads of _three_ gigantic alligator gars, staring at her a short distance away.

Amanda is really scared, seeing the rows of razor sharp teeth in their half opened mouths. The gars swim slowly around the little boat, eyeing her curiously.

"These look a lot _bigger_ than fifteen feet. The head of that one in the _middle_ is longer than this _boat_! The Internet said they're the largest fresh water fish in North America. But, I don't remember them being this far _west_. It said that they can stay above water for up to _two_ hours too."

With a splash from their tails, the gars dive and vanish from sight. Frantically looking over the side of her little boat, into the water, she spots several schools of fish darting in different directions away from her boat. Watching the fleeing fish, the little boat is suddenly struck _hard_ from beneath, almost sending her _flying_ over the side. _Screaming_ , Amanda grabs the sides of the rocking boat. Again and again the boat is struck in rapid succession, making Amanda scream with each strike. Amanda holds onto the sides of the boat for dear life!

In a few moments, the gars rise to the surface, and begin to circle the boat like _sharks_... then the biggest one, _dives_ out of sight.

As the two gars continue to circle the little boat, Amanda scoots to the edge of the boat and looks over the side, looking for the other gar. As her head clears the railing, her wet clothing causes her to slip from the bench, and fall to the bottom of the boat. As she does so, the _massive_ gar _shoots_ out of the water, jaws wide, _snapping_ them shut right where Amanda's _head_ had just been. Screaming from sheer panic, tears _streaming_ down her face, she braces herself as the boat is once again, struck _hard_ from beneath.

Amanda's hands are ripped from the sides of the boat, _tossing_ her into the air. She lands hard on her stomach, finding 1herself draped over the edge of the boat, _legs_ in the water. Quickly, she snatches her legs up and flings them around and into the boat, _just_ as the open jaws of a gar shot _straight_ up where her legs had just been, snapping shut on nothing but air. The snout of the giant fish _slams_ against the side of the boat, almost flipping it onto its side, Amanda once again almost tossed overboard.

Almost immediately, one of the other large gars jumps _completely_ out of the water, sailing over Amanda's slightly raised head, then _splashes_ hard in the water, on the other side.

_Screaming_ for them to leave her alone and go away, Amanda's shaking hands grab the oars. Tears streaming down her face, she begins rowing as hard and fast as she can.

With no other thought than escape, heart _thundering_ in her chest, she rows for her life. After a while, arms aching, she slows, becoming aware of how fast she is moving, the closer she gets to the archway. Looking over the side, she sees she is being carried along on a strong current, leading her directly to the center of the arch. Soon she is moving much faster than she is rowing. The water is smooth and the little boat seems solid, gliding through the rapidly moving current with surprising ease.

Looking around, she is relieved to see the gars turn away from her and the rapid current.

Realizing the gars are not going to follow her through the arch, Amanda calms down. Looking toward the archway, she wonders what may be waiting for her on the other side, but, _whatever_ it is, she will have to deal with that when the time comes.

For the first time since the attack, she checks the boat, and is thankful to find no leaks. The boat moves smoothly on the quick current. Adrenaline receding, heart slowing back to normal, Amanda smiles weakly at her latest adventure. Adventure! She is actually on a _real_ adventure, not just something she reads about... but is actually _living_. This _is_ scary, but at the same time, kind of fun.

Actually being on a real adventure, is not something Amanda ever imagined she'd do. Oh, sure, she loves _reading_ about all sorts of adventures in books, but never in a million _years_ would she have ever thought that she would really _be_ on one. And not on just _any_ old adventure either... oh no! On hers, she finds underground wonderlands, _skeletons_ and mysterious treasures like the book, _key_ and the necklace. And _this_ adventure, comes with real underwater monsters!

Amanda laughs, "No one will _ever_ believe me until I show them the crystals, key, book and necklace, and then bring them back down here and show them the _giant_ fish. I just can't _believe_ this!"

Enjoying the ride, she imagines herself on a smooth water ride in a theme park. Relaxing her sore muscles, Amanda picks up the oars and begins to steer to keep her aligned.

The current quickly takes her through the arch in the rock face, continuing her journey on the other side. Her guess is right. This side of the arch almost mirrors the other side. But Amanda notices a few differences... _this_ side, has but a few stalagmites and stalactites, and the crystals here are all _purple_. Even the sides of the cavern are different. On this side of the arch, the sides are strikingly curved, as though she is in a _huge_ crystal strewn ball.

Continuing to look around, the full realization staggers her. "Ooooh my _god_! I'm actually on a huge lake, inside a giant _geode_ , with amethyst crystals ranging in size from that of my little finger, to some that must be _twenty_ feet long." The sight _absolutely_ takes her breath away.

The strong current takes Amanda in a winding fashion, through three more archways, each entering gleaming crystal strewn caverns. Soon, she hears a rushing sound from somewhere in the distance, steadily growing louder. Suddenly, the current _whips_ Amanda through yet another arch, and into the largest cavern yet, _far_ more beautiful than the others. The sight is overwhelming. Her eyes sparkle at the _thousands_ of stalagmites and stalactites, crystals of every size and color, and, _now_ she sees the source of the rushing sound... _dozens_ of huge waterfalls surrounding her.

And, everywhere she turns, an _eerie_ green fog, about a foot high, blankets everything.

For the next hour, Amanda enjoys the beauty and serenity of this _magical_ wonderland, within this massive cavern. The gentle current takes her further and further into the heart of the mountain. Suddenly realizing she is moving much faster, she looks over her shoulder to see where she is headed.

1Amanda has been so absorbed in looking around her and in the direction she is seated, looking out the _back_ of the boat, she has neglected to watch where the current is actually _taking_ her. Amanda's eyes grow wide as she sees she is 1headed _straight_ for what appears to be a _massive_ waterfall, flowing down over an archway in the rock face. The mist from the falls _violently_ swirls the fog where it strikes the water. With all the roar of the other falls, she had not heard this one _sneaking_ up on her at all.

Panicking, Amanda spins around to face the front of the little boat, causing the boat to sway dangerously. With a small cry, she grasps both sides, thinking she might fall over. Looking around desperately for another arch, or _some_ other way she can go, she realizes there _is_ no other way. Not knowing what else to do, Amanda grabs the ores and tries to turn the boat away from the rapidly approaching arch.

In a panic, Amanda pulls again and again with all her might against the ores, but the boat gains no distance from the center of what has now become a very rapidly moving current. Soon, Amanda 1realizes that trying to fight this strong current is of no use, and what she _needs_ to do now, is to try to keep the boat moving straight, so it will not turn to the side and possibly start spinning, and flip over as the current forcefully presses against it near the falls.

Almost there, about to strike the falls, she grips both sides of the boat, tilts her head down, closes her eyes tightly, and _holds_ on. The force of the falls _slams_ into the little boat, sending it spinning and tilting wildly from side to side. _Screaming_ , Amanda is almost thrown overboard, but then quickly lays flat as the boat makes its way past the falls. Slowly, the little boat stops rocking. Amanda is _drenched_ , and scared to death, the boat now half-filled with _icy_ water and sits much lower into the lake. Shivering, Amanda sweeps her wet hair away from her face. Frenzied, she looks around.

Amanda notices that she is still moving very quickly along the strong current. She is in a _much_ narrower cavern now, at what appears to be the widest end, with the cavern narrowing to almost a point off in the distance. There is no place she can see to get to shore, because she can see _no_ shore at all. The quickly moving water she is in, goes right up against the vertical curving sides of the cavern.

After picking up more and more speed, using the ores to try to keep the little boat from turning sideways, she notices some _whitish_ green foaming in the water just up ahead. In an instant, as her eyes grow large and her heart begins to pound, she realizes, she is headed _straight_ for some white water rapids.

Panic sets in as she now faces the front of the boat, dipping an ore into the water occasionally to straighten out her path, as she watches the water begin to boil _violently_ in front of her. In another few seconds, she is being whisked into a long tunnel from what had once been a wider chamber. It is like traveling rapidly down a funnel laid on its side and half filled with water. Her boat is shooting along the rapidly moving current, from the wide end of the funnel, into the long narrow end she is now entering.

The boat begins to be _tossed_ around like a toy in a bathtub, with a kid that does _not_ want a bath.

The walls of the tunnel have quickly narrowed to where they are only fifteen feet apart, and the ceiling has rapidly sloped down from _hundreds_ of feet, to only _eight_. Amanda can no longer steer at all, and her ancient boat is repeatedly being slammed against the rocky sides of the tunnel, as she is swept along the constantly curving channel.

Amanda _screams_ as the boat momentarily goes airborne, as it shoots out over an abrupt drop of about seven feet. As the boat drops down from under her, she comes _completely_ off the seat and is suspended in midair, legs sticking out in front of her, her arms _waving_ wildly. The boat hits the water just before Amanda lands hard on the bottom of the boat, her back _slamming_ painfully into the wooden plank of the seat. Dazed, she sees both the ores _shear_ from their mountings and disappear into the violently swirling water.

Her boat is, once again, making its way in a _snake_ -like fashion, through a narrow twisting tunnel. Amanda is moving rapidly, first to the left, then forced to make a sharp curve to the right, again and again, turning so quickly, the boat is forced up the sides of the walls at a _sickening_ angle, sometimes tilting more than forty-five degree.

Amanda _holds_ on for dear life!

By instinct, Amanda leans back as far as she can on one side of the boat, trying to balance it, and when she does, she glimpses _huge_ rocks sticking out of the water as they whisk by. One barely misses her, while she hears the _sickening_ sound of others, as they _scrape_ the bottom of the boat. With a gasp, Amanda sees _more_ rocks above the foaming and swirling water ahead of her.

Amanda is overcome by claustrophobia, as she begins to feel as though she cannot get a full breath. Breathing so hard her chest hurts, it seems like she is not getting any air at all.

From time to time, as the boat whips around a corner or shoots its way through the tunnel, the boat will make an abrupt drop of several feet. The sudden drops _scaring_ Amanda half to death, but at least it moved the ceiling up away from her some again, so she could catch her breath. For a _time_ anyway.

With more rocks sticking out of the water, the battered boat _slams_ into them, sending it spinning uncontrollably. Hearing the sound of more scraping, Amanda looks down and sees a small stream of water _shooting_ into the boat, from where a rock has _finally_ cracked the bottom.

Looking up, Amanda is _stunned_ to see the tunnel's ceiling has slanted downward and is now almost touching her head. Crying hysterically, Amanda lays down into the sloshing water of the boat, gripping the sides, _knowing_ her end is near.

Heart _pounding_ so hard she has a headache, she watches as the ceiling drops even further and is now almost against the top rails of the boat. It will _soon_ take off her fingers if she does not move them. Pulling her hands inside, she clings to a seat board just as the sharp point of a rock from the ceiling, _narrowly_ misses her slightly raised head. Amanda is _so_ scared, she cannot even swallow.

There comes a _horrifying_ scraping. The sides of the tunnel have narrowed so much, they are now scraping against the sides of the boat. Amanda is _far_ past the feeling of terror now. There _are_ no words to express how she feels, with the ceiling only inches over her face, hearing the rocks scraping the sides of the boat, as it now begins to slow and _shutter_ against the two walls, on its way down this rapid, in the green glow of the foaming water.

A moment later, the boat drops several feet over yet another small ledge. There comes a sickening _screech_ as the boats sides catch against the sides of the tunnel, as it tries to drop nose down. The boat tilts down _almost_ ninety degrees.

Amanda _frantically_ clutches to the seat, as her legs dangle straight down into the icy water below her. The nose of the boat has struck rock and is jammed. The sides of the boat, are tightly jammed against the _sides_ of the tunnel. The back of the boat is now jammed against the _ceiling_.

Amanda strains to hang on, legs frantically waving in the air below her, trying _desperately_ to find something to support her weight. Suddenly, a sound like a small _explosion_ rents the air, as the boat _violently_ bursts apart, shattering into dozens of pieces from the force of the water _crushing_ against it from behind. Amanda _screams_ as she is sent flying into the icy, churning, rock strewn torrent below her.

Violently, Amanda is being swept away along this ever winding torrent of foaming, _swirling_ green water. Sucked under several times, she resurfaces, _gasping_ for air, arms flailing wildly. As she repeatedly slaps her arms against the water, trying to stay afloat, she feels a large piece of wood from the shattered boat strike against her shoulder. Quickly, she grabs hold and hangs on for dear life.

Amanda finds that her fingers have curled over the edge of the wide board in roughly the middle of the plank. She flips around and onto her stomach, with the board now stretched out sideways in front of her. Her body and legs now stream out behind the board, as it quickly drags her along behind it, like some large "T" as she now goes on the wildest, most _terrifying_ ride of her life.

The spray from the churning water makes it hard to see. But, from time to time, Amanda catches sight of the tip of a large rock come screaming toward her, but somehow, the sheer force of the swirling water surrounding the rocks, takes her swinging violently around them.

Shaking her head to get her hair out of her eyes, Amanda looks up just in time to see another large rock approaching quickly to her left. Trying to hold on, she feels the rock strike the left side of the board, hard. She _screams_ as the board is torn away from her, spinning it around a hundred and eighty degrees.

Forced under water for a moment, she pops back to the surface on her back, her legs now streaming out behind her. The water is moving _so_ fast, she cannot even _try_ to put her feet down, _nor_ is there any way to turn over.

Amanda coughs as she watches the ceiling shoot past her, only inches from her face. She is now being _tossed_ around on her back and can no longer see _where_ she is going, or _what_ huge sharp rock may be coming to end her life.

Feeling as though she has been in this tunnel and rapids for hours, pain tearing through her, she feels her strength leaving her. She is not sure she can hold on much longer.

All of the sudden, she is _whisked_ around a violent curve, and once again finds herself airborne. _Screaming_ from her raw throat, her arms and legs thrash frantically in the air. Flailing wildly, she _falls_ twenty-five feet and, _somehow_ , drops feet first toward the icy green water below. Managing to take a good breath, she clamps her eyes shut, holding her nose with her right hand, and hits the water with a _huge_ splash.

As Amanda bobs to the surface, coughing and spitting out a mouthful of glowing green water, she sees the plank of wood she had clung to, floating just a few feet away. The current is much gentler here, having subsided once striking the huge pool of water at the base of the falls.

Dog paddling with the last of her energy, she makes her way over to the plank, pulls it to her chest, and hangs on. Looking around her, she sees she is in another very large cavern filled with the now familiar stalagmites, stalactites and _wonderful_ gleaming crystals.

It is not long before the gentle current takes Amanda close to the shoreline. Pushing the board out in front of her, she kicks the best she can with her shaking and almost _useless_ legs.

Soon, Amanda reaches the shore, where she barely manages to pull herself onto the dry land. Rolling onto her side, she lies there, _completely_ exhausted, soaked to the bone, and _frightened_ to her very core.

To TOC

# Movement In The Mist

Amanda slowly opens her tired eyes. She wonders if she had slept for twenty minutes or two hours. It really did not matter, the result is the same... she is sore everywhere and she is still exhausted.

Getting up is torture, but once on her feet, the only thing she thinks about, is finding a way out.

A short distance away, Amanda is surprised to find what looks like a pathway, and decides to take it. Following the path for almost an hour, she marvels at its structure, as it winds its way around the towering stalagmites and scattered boulders, in a meandering but deliberate fashion.

Amanda knows the pathway is man-made, because it cuts right through millions of crystals, like someone has mowed them down to make the path from the much taller crystals.

As tired as she is, excitement fills her as she realizes that the path must have been made by the dead person she found... which means it must lead to a way out. Looking into the distance ahead, she thinks she can see where the cavern ends. Amanda just _knows_ there will be another hole, which will somehow, lead back up to the surface, or to some other way out.

Her excitement stays with her another twenty minutes, as she approaches the end of the cavern. Here, the walls shoot straight up hundreds of feet, and as she looks around, she wrinkles her nose. A smell, like rotten eggs, assaults her nostrils. The stench, almost gagging her, grows stronger as she continues forward. Rounding a large stalagmite, she sees the path lead to a huge wooden doorway with a reddish mist escaping beneath it.

The door, partially obscured by a large boulder, looks twenty to twenty-five feet high. Shaped like an arch, it is affixed to the rock face of the cavern.

It is much darker here, since the lake had ended a good quarter mile back, and the green glow from the lake has grown dim. Yet, this area of the cavern is lit by a strange lighting, the source of which she cannot find. Amanda stares at the ancient wooden door, mesmerized by an intricate design made out of what looks like opal. Looking far above, she is startled to see a huge, menacing face, carved out of a reddish stone, above the door.

Slowly, Amanda begins walking around the boulder, one hand gliding over its rough surface. As she rounds it, the rotten egg stench grows stronger, making her stomach lurch.

Amanda cranes her neck back as she walks, looking up to the top of the approaching doorway. Suddenly, the door comes into full view, the huge red face glaring at her. Eyes fixed on the dark sockets of the stone face, she takes a step closer.

There is a loud _cracking_ and crunching sound. With a cry, her ankle turns as she loses her balance. Amanda falls forward and to her left, head first into a very large and deep pit, _filled_ with skeletons.

Terrified, Amanda _screams_ as one arm is thrust through the rib cage of a small skeleton, while her other arm slides into the open mouth of a skull. Pulling her face back, she stares into the dark empty sockets of a skull, dirty and yellowed over the ages. A _huge_ black beetle _scurries_ out of the nose, up into the eye socket, disappearing into where the _brain_ would have been.

In a panic, Amanda flips over onto her back, scattering bones everywhere. Her thrashing _shatters_ the bones, causing her to sink further down into the pile. To her horror, she sees her hand stuck in the _mouth_ of a skull, as though it were trying to _eat_ her, while her other hand is jammed in the small rib cage. Trying to shake the bones off of her, the only thing she manages to do is force herself even _further_ down into the pile of bones, as the sickening sound of _cracking_ , breaking and _shattering_ bones grows louder.

From out of nowhere, a bony hand flips down from behind her, landing _squarely_ across her screaming mouth, as though it were trying to silence her. At the same time, a _skull_ tumbles from the pile landing in her lap. Three _ugly_ black beetles scurry out of its eye sockets... one _vanishing_ into the nose, as the other two disappear into the slightly open mouth. This sends Amanda into a _flurry_ of thrashing.

With a crunch, the jaw holding her hand suddenly _breaks_ free from the skull and she quickly throws if off. But as she does, a sharp _broken_ tooth digs painfully against the fatty part of her thumb, leaving a long cut and a _bloody_ trail.

With one hand free, Amanda waves her other in a frenzied, _wild_ motion, trying to dislodge her arm from the small yellow rib cage. The sound of rattling and _crushing_ bones is deafening, sending her thrashing even more, dropping her further down into the dark pit.

Turning away from _another_ skull which has landed painfully on her chest, she finds herself near the edge of the pit. With her free hand, she somehow manages to pull herself up, and flinging her leg up and over the rim, rolls out. Jumping up, she _slams_ the clinging rib cage against the boulder, shattering it to pieces.

As quickly as she can manage on her twisted ankle, Amanda runs as fast as she can back down the path, _screaming_ and brushing at her body, as though she were being _attacked_ by bees.

Placing her back against a huge cold stalagmite, shaking _uncontrollably_ , she slowly slides to the ground in tears. Pulling her knees to her chest, Amanda puts both hands over her face, bursting into tears. After some time, the crying lessens. Slowly, she composes herself, wiping her eyes on her sleeves. Her breathing steadying, she says quietly, "What are all those _skeletons_ doing here? Who put 'em all in the pit? _Why'd_ they put them in a pit, and not bury them? Ick. They were all _over_ me!"

Still shaking, she looks at her bleeding thumb, holding it up to her face as though seeing it for the first time. Muttering angrily, watching the blood flow freely from the deep cut, she says, "And one even _bit_ me! This is _so_ creepy. It's _freaking_ me out! I was actually _bitten_ by a tooth in the skull of a _dead_ person." Taking a deep steadying breath, "I've got to pull myself together. They're dead. They can't _hurt_ me. I mean... it's not like they're going to come to _life_ and attack me or anything. _Crimany_ , get a grip!" and sucks on her dirty thumb to try and ease the pain.

After a few minutes of calming herself, Amanda gets to her feet, brushing off her bottom as she slowly makes her way back to the boulder. Even from here, she can see three skulls that have rolled off the pile and across the cavern floor. One is facing her, and she _swears_ its dark eyes are watching her walk nearer.

Forcing a swallow, she peeks around the boulder to see the now crushed pile of skeletons within the pit. The sight sends a _shiver_ down her spine. Her eyes follow her footprints in the dust, and she sees that what she first stepped on was a partially buried _hand_... now completely shattered. Goose bumps ripple over her body as she whispers, "I'm sorry. Whoever you are... were. I didn't _mean_ to... to _step_ on your hand or anything." Looking at the pile of crushed and shattered bones, she adds, "I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to... uh... crush and break all your bones. _Really_."

A glint catches Amanda's eyes behind the pile of skeletons. Walking in that direction, she says breathlessly, "Wow! Look at all the _swords_ , shields, helmets and stuff!"

Keeping her distance from the deep pit, Amanda walks to the pile of armor, reaches down and picks up a long sword. Surprised, she struggles to lift it up with both hands. "There must have been a _battle_ here or something. Maybe these people were just left here because it's just too hard to dig into the crystals in the cavern, or the rocky ground here, and they just couldn't take 'em when they left either."

Exploring the pile, she puts the heavy sword down as she spots the handle of a sword that looks to be made of gold. Stepping over to it, she pulls it free of the stack, then blows some of the dust off. "Wow! This is _awesome_! The handle _is_ made of gold, at least, I _think_ it is. And look at all these little gems set into it. They're _beautiful_. This one looks like a diamond. And that's a ruby for sure. And these look like _emeralds_ , here are some sapphires, and, I don't know what these others are. And the sword's so _light_. The handle is heavy, but the blade's as light as aluminum." Smiling, she studies the blade. "This blade looks almost new too." Wiping the blade on her torn t-shirt to remove the thick layer of dust, she says, "Look how _shiny_ it is in places. But it's got some really dark stains of some kind along the edge." She gently runs her finger over the edge of the blade, "Ouch! Well, _that_ was stupid, this blade is still as _sharp_ as a razor." A thin cut appears and she sucks on her dirty finger for moment, tasting the metallic copper tang of her blood.

Setting the sword to the side, Amanda returns to further investigate the metal objects. Intrigued, she pulls several heavy round shields, gleaming swords and helmets away, studying each one. Suddenly, she spots an odd shaped shield sticking up at an angle. Moving other items aside, she finds that _this_ shield, is in the shape of a teardrop, with the image of a fearsome human-like _skull_ embossed on its front. For a few moments, her eyes are glued to the frightening expression, then tears her eyes away as she turns it over. Like many of the other shields, the handle is in the shape of the number seven, with the horizontal short part coming away from the shield, with the longer vertical part forming the handhold.

Amanda smiles as she lifts it in front of her. It feels good in her hand... _very_ light, just like the sword. Her smile vanishes as she thinks out loud. "This can't be very strong if it's this _light_ though. I can hardly _lift_ any of the others. This one feels like I'm lifting the lid of our aluminum _trash_ can in the back yard."

Kneeling, she sets the shield on the ground, then picks up a large rock. Amanda _whacks_ the shield hard with the rock, and as she does so, a high pitch chime fills the air. "Well, _that's_ interesting," she says lifting the shield to study where she struck it. "It doesn't even look like it _scratched_ it." Moving over to another heavy-looking shield, she strikes it hard with the rock also. "That left a _very_ faint dent. Hummm." She strikes the shield again, as hard as she can, and she sees a small dent. Sliding over to yet a third shield, Amanda strikes it hard as well. "That dented too." Grasping the teardrop-shaped shield, she drags it to her, lifts the rock high over her head, and _slams_ it down as hard as she can. Lifting the shield to study it, "This is _really_ weird! Not even a _scratch_! It must be some kind of high tech _alloy_ or something. I _really_ like this one."

Standing, she smiles and wipes the front of the shield on her one good pant leg to get some of the dust off. " _Awesome_ ," she says grinning. Walking to where she placed the sword, Amanda gently lays the shield beside it. Excited at her found treasures, she returns to the pile and rummages around, looking now at the helmets. Trying on each one, she laughs as they fall to her shoulders. Happily, she finds two that fit her pretty well. One is shiny like steel. The other seems to be a mixture of shiny steel and brass, yet, not _quite_ the color of either. "I really like this one. It's _really_ light, but, it feels really strong, like the shield."

Amanda tucks her hair up inside the helmet, feeling the snug fit and really likes it. Giggling to herself, she carefully takes it off and sets it aside with the sword and shield. As she stares at it, she realizes how silly she must look in it. This helmet is _very_ odd looking... not anything like the others. The front has a wide strip of engraved metal that goes around the chin, mouth and nose area. There are several thin vertical slits where the mouth and nose are... just enough to breathe from easily. The solid top of the helmet comes down low to the eyebrows, then turns into a grid of vertical and horizontal slits to see through. Amanda thinks they look like chicken wire, but with much smaller squares. But the oddest thing of all are the _sharp_ , thick _spikes_ covering the entire helmet, other than the eye and nose areas.

Grinning, Amanda finds a breast and backplate. The mechanism that secures it around the chest, back and shoulders is still intact. As light as the shield, and just as strong, she marvels at the image of a wonderful _dragon_ embossed on its front. Her smile returning, she adds them to her treasure pile.

After digging for another half hour, Amanda discovers, and sets aside, a pair of arm protectors. Trying them on, she sees they go all the way around her arms, from wrist to armpit, with several plates in the elbow area, allowing her arms to bend and twist. There is a small catch which latches them in place. Next, she finds leg protectors, similar in design to the arm protectors, as they fit all around the lower and upper legs, from near the ankle, to near the hip. These also have many overlapping plates, allowing her knee to bend and twist. Both the arm and leg protectors are as light as a feather and as strong as the shield.

Looking through the pile one last time, she begins hunting for some solid metal boots in her size, and for a pair of metal-mesh gloves. She finds a good many, but is disappointed that none fit her well enough.

Amanda places all her favorite treasures in a pile, off to the side of the huge door. "Someday, I'm going to come _back_ for these. The cops can have the other stuff, but _these_ are mine!"

Sighing, she walks to the huge door.

The door is _incredible_. Made of wood, its shape is that of a very tall, somewhat pointed arch. About three quarters of the way up, is an image of a _beautiful_ face with flowing hair that swirls all the way to the very top of the door. The entire thing is made from polished opals, and its beauty takes Amanda's breath away. As Amanda studies the ancient door, she breathes, "It has to be hundreds, maybe _thousands_ of years old! This is _really_ awesome!"

Surrounding the door is a magnificent stone frame made from chiseled blue-green marble. Hanging level with Amanda's head, is a large, ancient brass ring knocker. Just above that, but still within easy reach, is a long sliding latch, and above the latch, directly in the middle, is huge tarnished green-blue writing. This is what the writing looks like:

A foul smell is coming from a red mist, which is flowing into this cavern, from _whatever_ is on the other side of the ancient door.

Staring at the huge door, she wonders what is on the other side that could cause such a strange, _stinking_ red mist. Glancing down at the reeking red mist swirling up from the door, she moves a little closer. Beginning to perspire, she wonders if it is from nerves or from the heat coming from the mist. Knowing there is no other way to go, she nervously walks up and can, indeed, feel _heat_ coming from the door, as the mist _winds_ its way around her ankles.

Reaching her hand out slowly, she touches the door, quickly snatching her hand back, in case the door is burning to the touch. It _is_ warm, but _not_ hot. Amanda grabs hold of the sliding latch, and slides it as far to the right as it will go, then grabs the tarnished blue and green ring, feeling its warmth against her fingers and palm. Taking a deep breath, _gagging_ on the stench, she licks the cut on her lip, then pulls.

Nothing. Not even the _slightest_ movement. After yanking on the ring several times to no avail, Amanda stomps her foot in frustration. Looking around the door, she notices a small, odd shaped hole in the rock wall next to the door. It is just a _small_ hole, and looks out of place where it is, but has a somewhat familiar shape to it.

After staring at the hole for a few seconds, her eyes go wide as her jaw drops.

Quickly slipping off her backpack, Amanda pulls the Velcro flap away from the pocket holding the necklace and old key. Reaching in, she grabs them and pulls them out. Dropping the pack and necklace to the ground, she looks closely at the key. As she glances from the ancient key to the odd hole in the rock, she whispers, "It couldn't _really_ be the key to this door. _Could_ it?"

Amanda moves closer to the small hole, kneels down and blows into it, getting a face full of dust in return. Coughing and wiping dust from her face and eyes, she inserts the long key.

A _perfect_ fit.

Excited, and hesitating for just a moment, she takes a slow deep breath, lets it out, and turns the key. To her _surprise_ , the key turns. Eyes growing wide, Amanda leans her head back as she hears a very distinct _clank, clank, clank_ , working its way up within the huge door, making her stagger back as her heart races.

Silence.

After nothing seems to happen for a few moments, she takes the key, holds it tight and wraps both hands around the brass ring. With _all_ her strength, she pulls.

The ages-old door creaks open, making loud _cracking_ and popping sounds, like small _firecrackers_ , echoing loudly in the large cavern. 1In a moment, the door pops free of the doorjamb and continues to open, with a _high_ pitched creaking sound, like you would hear in an old _horror_ movie, only amplified hundreds of times.

Pulling again on the tarnished ring, she is surprised to see that the door is at _least_ two feet thick. Not letting up, grunting from the strain, Amanda continues to pull until there is a three inch gap she can see through. A stream of red mist swirls in, _wrapping_ around her to her waist, quickly swirling its way _down_ her body. It spreads like _tendrils_ , as though _groping_ for something as it strikes the cooler cavern floor.

Stumbling back, wanting to _vomit_ from the stench, she brushes at the warm mist as it continues to assault her. The mist _pours_ out of the doorway and into the cavern, spreading out in all directions, hugging the floor, creeping along with long, red fingers as though it were alive... as though it were searching for something... or, someone. Swallowing back her rising bile, Amanda cracks the door open just enough to peek inside, half expecting to see some _giant_ monster, like the Balrog she had seen in the movie _Lord Of The Rings_ , breathing _fire_ or waiting to eat her.

But from what she can see, there is no Balrog waiting for her. Squinting her eyes to see through the mist, it appears to her, to be yet another huge chamber, like the ones she previously passed through. Looking to the ground, she sees the little crystal pathway continuing onward as well, disappearing into the mist. There are, as there had been before, many stalagmites and stalactites, huge crystals, and boulders strewn about everywhere. There is a very dim red glow coming from somewhere off in the distance to her right.

Nodding to herself, she knows there must be a lake somewhere further in, it is much to dim here. However, she cannot figure out why it would be red. "Maybe it's red _algae_ and that's why it glows red. Maybe." The smell is _overpowering_... like hundreds of rotten eggs around a dead and rotting thing.

"I don't like this... I don't like this at _all_..." her voice quavering, as she looks through the crack from side to side. "Well, I guess I _could_ go back and see if I can find something else. Or I can go on, since this is the _only_ way I know of to go for sure." An involuntary shiver shakes her. Heaving a great sigh, she shakes her head slightly, then, pulling harder, the door creaks open enough for her to take a few hesitant steps inside.

The red, _stinking_ mist, instantly begins swirling up around her, embracing her.

A final turn of the head from side to side, to see whether there is any movement within the waist high mist, convinces her that all is still. Before turning back, Amanda sees that the mist is more like a fog... growing _denser_ , thicker... a short distance off and from there, stretching out in all directions within this new cavern. Amanda hears herself breathing. It is getting _very_ hard to breathe here, the putrid air stings her eyes and _burns_ her lungs with every breath. She feels _dizzy_ and sick, like she is going to throw up.

Motivated by the prospect of finding a way out, and wanting to move on, Amanda turns and goes back through the doorway. Quickly dropping to one knee, she picks up her pack and puts the key back inside the little pocket. She picks up the necklace, then drops it. She picks it up again, and as she reaches to put it in the pocket of the pack, _drops_ it again. "Oh for _heaven's_ sake!" Quickly snatching it up with both hands, her bloody finger and thumb leaving a long, red streak along the chain, she slips the necklace over her head. Springing to her feet, she feels a strange _tingling_ sensation shoot completely through her. With a shudder, she slips the backpack on and steps back through the doorway.

Amanda looks around nervously. She does not notice that the mist touching her, moves away from her body a couple of inches.

As she starts out on the crystal path, Amanda decides to leave the door open... _just_ in case. But after a few steps, a new thought strikes her, slowing her pace. "Maybe there _isn't_ a monster on this side of the door, after all. Maybe... maybe it _was_ a monster or something that killed all those people in the pit, and the _other_ one I found a ways back. Maybe the monster isn't on _this_ side of the door, but on the _other_ side and it just didn't _see_ me! Maybe the _monster_ piled up all those people, and the swords and stuff near them is like... I don' know, like its _treasure_ trove or something. Like dragons do... like _Smaug_ did..."

Stopping for a moment, dabbing the cut on her lip, with a slight shake of her head and weak smile, "Don't be _silly_. There's no such _things_ as monsters. For heaven's _sake_!" and begins walking briskly, once again, her hair _swishing_ from side to side with each stride. The red mist swirls up higher around her.

Amanda's expression changes from certainty to doubt, as again, she slows her pace. Realizing she is _completely_ unarmed, Amanda tries to force the thought of _monsters_ from her mind. Dabbing the cut on her lip for a moment, she spins around, and _runs_ back to the door.

Panting, she pushes the door wide enough to look through, _half_ expecting to see something coming after her. Taking a quick look around, she begins to pull it shut but stops as she catches sight of the large pile of shields, _swords_ and helmets she had rummaged through. Pushing the door wide enough to squeeze through, she runs in, heading _straight_ for her pile of treasure.

Dropping her backpack, she slips the chest and backplate over her head and latches it in place. Next, she places the helmet snugly onto her head, hair tucked up inside, but as she does so, her palm is _pierced_ by one of the helmet's sharp spikes. Not slowing, Amanda first puts on the leg protectors, then the arm protectors. Standing, feeling better, she puts on her backpack, adjusting the straps. Amanda grabs the shield with her left hand, and the _sword_ with her right.

Stepping back through the door, she places the sword and shield down as she pulls it closed, jumping as she hears it _thunder_ against the doorjamb, the latches automatically clanking into place, as the door _locks_ shut. Springing forward, Amanda pushes on the door, and finds that the door has, _indeed_ , locked itself. "What if I can't _open_ it again though?" In a panic, she kneels and whips off the backpack.

Tearing the Velcro flap up, she reaches into the deep pocket and grabs the key. Quickly stepping to the cavern wall, she finds the small keyhole. Blowing into it, she once again gets a face full of dust for her effort. Blinking the dust out of her eyes, hand shaking, it takes a couple tries to get the key into the hole. Quickly, she gives it a turn, and hears the _clank, clank, clank_ , of whatever mechanism locks and unlocks the door.

Pushing hard against the door, it begins to creak and swing open. Breathing hard from fright, coughing from the dust, she just stands there for a moment, _trying_ to calm down. Steadying her breathing, she shuts the door again. The thunderous _boom_ as the door strikes the doorjamb, and _clank, clank, clank_ sounds as the locks engage shake her. Sighing in relief, she slides the long horizontal latch, hearing it _snap_ into place. Amanda returns to the pack and places the key back inside.

After slipping the backpack back on, she picks up the sword and swings it a couple times, almost _hitting_ herself in the leg. She picks up the shield and, looking at her armored chest, arms and legs, then to the shield and sword, she laughs, "Well, you can't be _too_ careful after all."

Amanda's every sense is alert, as she stands perfectly still for several minutes, _listening_ for any sounds, and straining to _see_ if anything is moving within the red fog. Not hearing a sound, or seeing any movement, she once again, begins following the winding path. Because the mist has turned into a thick, low floating fog, so thick she cannot see anything in front of her, she proceeds slowly.

"This stuff is _really_ weird. It comes to my waist, but doesn't _touch_ me. It _looks_ like fog, but fog isn't this warm. It's more like steam really, but it doesn't rise like steam does, and it's not that hot. This is _really_ weird stuff."

As Amanda follows the path, the red fog grows brighter and brighter... and _taller_. With every step, Amanda's fear grows. She does _not_ want to fall into a crevasse, step on some _skeleton_ , go tumbling down some steep embankment, or, _whatever_ else may be on the cavern floor. But, Amanda thinks, at least _this_ time if she falls against sharp rocks, _most_ of her body is protected.

The fog is not the only thing growing... so is its foul stench. Amanda's stomach is constantly churning, as fumes sting her eyes, making them water. After walking a few more steps, gravel crunching under her boots, she stops, realizing the crystal pathway has abruptly ended, giving way to an earthen floor. Startled, she quickly turns around and begins sweeping her feet across the floor, trying to find the crystal path again. Her toe soon taps into the three inch tall crystals that line the path, and she gives a huge sigh of relief.

Tapping around with her feet for a few minutes, she realizes she will no longer _have_ a path to follow, and looks to the ceiling far above her. Turning to look behind her, she finds some landmarks on the ceiling. "Well, if I _need_ to find my way back, I'll just follow that little line of stalactites." Turning around to face into the cavern, she searches the ceiling again. "Yeah. I can follow that crack in the ceiling for a while. It looks like it's going in pretty much a straight line, right through the _center_ of the cavern. I think anyway. Yeah, okay, _great_. No problem."

Feeling confident with her plan, she walks forward, glancing at the ceiling from time to time. After several minutes, she notices that the fog appears to be moving in an odd arc from out and around her, growing _higher_ and higher as it comes closer. "Why is it _doing_ that? _How_ is it doing that?"

Frozen in place, she watches the fog continue to arc around her, then form a complete semicircle, about two hundred feet away. Amanda is standing in fog up to her waist. The fog approaching and encircling her... has grown to _shoulder_ level. Turning nervously, she walks on again.

A _scurrying_ sound behind her makes Amanda _spin_ around and peer frantically through the little squares in her faceplate. About two hundred feet away, she sees an area of fog that has been disturbed. Watching the mist in that spot _swirl_ in the air, she breathes, "What the _heck_ was that?"

A scurrying sound to her left, causes Amanda to spin around in time to see a blackish-red and orange... _something_... disappear into the fog. In its wake, a column of fog rises, rolls, swirls, then dissipates into the air. " _Hello_?" she calls in a frightened and shaky voice. "Is... is _somebody_ there?"

There is no response.

Heart _hammering_ in her chest, Amanda stands completely still, only her eyes darting from side to side. After a few moments, Amanda turns to the ceiling, aligning herself in the direction she has been headed.

Deciding that standing there may not be the _best_ idea, she moves forward into the fog and away from the noises she heard. Not knowing why, but knowing she needed to, Amanda turns to look behind her and sees the red fog closing in.

A high-pitched, _terrifying_ shriek, that could only come from something non-human, causes Amanda to _spin_ around. Shaking uncontrollably, her eyes flashing from side to side, she holds her sword out in front of her, tightly gripping the handle. Drawing her shield to her left, she scans the surface of the mist.

Another _bone_ chilling shriek comes just to her left. Spinning, she faces that direction.

Then _another_ shriek to her right, causes her to spin back.

Waving the sword from side to side, she slowly backs away from the sounds. A movement catches her eye. Turning to her right, she gasps and goes rigid, as though a statue frozen in place. There, some hundred and fifty feet away, standing on a boulder just rising from the mist, is a bizarre kind of _frilled_ lizard. Amanda's mind immediately flashes onto a _Dilophasaurus_ , like in the film, _Jurassic Park_. The _huge_ black, red and orange frill flapping into the fog, making the fog thin, then rise before it. It opens its _huge_ maw showing rows of _razor_ sharp teeth, as it lets out a bone piercing _shriek_.

Dropping into the fog, it disappears.

A loud shriek comes from her left, then her right, then directly in front of her. In an instant she realizes, "Oh my _god_! They're cutting me off from getting back to the door. I _can't_ get back! I'm _trapped_ in here!"

Turning away from the shrieks, she runs blindly into the fog, leaving it swirling up in huge billows behind her. The sound of her boots _grinding_ against the gravel is now all she can hear.

Rounding a large stalagmite, she sees a huge mound of boulders of varying sizes come into view. Sprinting forward, she quickly, but awkwardly, manages to climb until she is _completely_ above the fog and standing on the uppermost boulder of the pile. Spinning in a circle, she can see far out into the cavern. Bringing her shield close to her as she lifts her sword, she narrows her eyes, scanning the rippling surface of the fog. There seems to be a small dirt mound a short distance off, its curved top sticking out of the fog like the top of a dome. Looking up, Amanda is startled to see that the ceiling is now several _thousand_ feet above her, much of it... _glowing_!

The ear-splitting shrieks begin again, surrounding her... engulfing her.

Spinning, she looks first in one direction, then another. Soon, _dozens_ of creatures are sticking their heads out of the fog, look around quickly, then drop down, out of sight, causing the thick red fog to swirl up wildly.

The bestial _shrieks_ unnerve Amanda so much, that she can hardly hold onto her sword and shield. Sheer _terror_ fills her completely. Hot tears stream down her face, as her body quakes. Her heart pounds _hard_ in her chest, as her breathing brings searing pain, due to the ammonia like fumes, and the rotten sulphur _stench_ which permeates everything.

"I can't _believe_ these things are real! What am I gonna do? _Where_ am I going to go?" her mind screams, as she spins around on the boulder to face the latest inhuman shriek.

A loud _scratching_ and scrabbling noise comes from behind her. Amanda turns her head quickly and sees one of the lizard creatures _scrambling_ up the rocks a short distance below her. Its frill is down and its long neck is _swaying_ from side to side as it grasps for purchase on the boulders. The creature is making its way up toward her with amazing speed. Its thick tail, at least three times longer than its body, tapers away to a thin, sharp end like a whip. "Geez. Its body is about the same size _I_ am, but with its tail, it's _really_ long and..."

The whip-like tail of the lizard _lashes_ forward, arcs past Amanda's legs, then _snaps_ back, wrapping around her ankles. It quickly yanks its tail backward. _Screaming_ , Amanda flips off her feet into the air, landing _hard_ on her backpack. The lizard begins dragging her over the rough boulder toward its _hideous_ and gaping mouth. Suddenly, the lizard unfurls its frills and unleashes a blood-curdling _shriek_ as its frills vibrate, making a _frightening_ rattling, like that of a rattlesnake but _much_ louder. The mouth of the beast opens wider, _filled_ with row after row of razor sharp teeth, gleaming in the dim red light, as it drags her ever closer.

As Amanda is pulled from the top boulder, landing _painfully_ on the next one down, she lets go of her shield and grasps her sword in both hands. Bending from the waist, she swings her sword down at an angle at the thick portion of the tail leading to her ankles. Her blade strikes true and slices through the tail, sending _sparks_ into the air as the blade strikes stone. The lizard gives a _chilling_ , high-pitched cry, making Amanda cringe from the searing pain in her ears.

Thick, _black_ blood flies through the air, leaving a long _spray_ of it across Amanda's helmet, some entering through the slits and _spattering_ her face. The injured lizard whips the remainder of its tail around and out over the boulder, _loses_ its balance, and goes _shrieking_ back into the red fog in a cloud of rising mist, disappearing completely.

Grasping the _thrashing_ portion of the tail is still tightly wrapped around her ankles, Amanda _fights_ to unwind it, watching it _twitch_ without a body to move it. Finally, Amanda unwinds the last part and _flings_ it high and to the side, watching it go _twitching_ and thrashing back into the red fog.

More scrabbling noises come from behind and above her.

Scrambling to her feet, she stands and turns around just in time to see a _huge_ open mouth shooting directly at her, flinging itself from the top of the boulder from which she was dragged. Lunging quickly to the right, Amanda swings her sword up and around in an arc, continuing the motion over her head and down. The gaping maw misses her by inches, as the _gleaming_ blade slices cleanly through the creatures thick neck.

_Terrified_ , she watches the lizard's severed, _fully_ frilled head, pass by her left side. It continues to whirl away over the side of the boulder, its _massive_ frill making it look like some _bestial_ Frisbee. Thick, black blood _sprays_ through the air like the arms of a spiral galaxy. In shock, Amanda cannot tear her eyes from the scene, watching the gaping mouth opening and closing in silent _screams_ as it vanishes, whirling into the dense fog below.

More thrashing sounds behind her.

Turning quickly, Amanda looks up just as the headless lizard's body falls from the upper boulder, landing _squarely_ on top of her, crushing her chest plate against her and knocking the wind from her. Its legs are _scratching_ in the air to the side, as its tail violently _whips_ around, repeatedly slapping the boulders around her. _Rivers_ of the thick black blood pour from the severed neck, _completely_ drenching Amanda, making her gag from the smell. Somehow she manages to push off the thrashing body, as a huge _claw_ strikes her blade, ripping the sword from her hand. The sharp claws continue to _rake_ across her chest plate, making a deadly _scraping_ sound, far worse than fingernails grinding over a chalkboard. An image instantly flashes through her mind of what would be happening to her, if she were _not_ wearing the armored chest plate.

Gasping for breath and shaking violently, she turns her head just in time to see her sword slipping off the curved boulder beside her. "No!" she cries, rolling to her side, her fingers reaching for the handle. The _tips_ of her fingers glance off the very end, as she watches it fall from sight. "No! God, _please_! No!" she cries as she scrambles up onto her knees.

From below, there comes a good many shrieks, followed by a violent swirling column of red mist, rising from the fog where the body has fallen. In a heartbeat, she hears a sound like a ripe watermelon being _shredded_ by dozens of knives. This is followed by what can only be described as loud _gnashing_ , grinding and _smacking_ sounds.

It takes Amanda only a few seconds to realize what is happening, "They're... they're tearing the body to _shreds_. They're _eating_ one of their own... their _cannibals_!"

Amanda hears scrambling and scratching behind her and spins around. A huge head starts to appear over the upper boulder. In an instant, the huge lizard scrambles to the top of the upper boulder, glaring down at her. Unfurling its massive frill, it begins _shaking_ it violently, as it opens its maw and _shrieks_ so loudly, Amanda thinks her head will split.

The wind the frill creates knocks Amanda off her feet. Falling backward, she lands hard on her backpack, snapping her head back, causing her helmet to strike the boulder with a dull thud. Her vision swims as she watches a blurry image rising high onto its hind legs, tilt its head up and shriek a _wail_ of triumph. Scooting away on her back, pushing frantically with her feet, she waves her arms wildly around the boulder, trying to find something, _anything_ , to throw at the hideous creature. As her vision comes into focus, she watches as the creature tilts its head down so its huge black eyes are looking right through her. Hot saliva _streams_ from its mouth, its sharp teeth glistening. It crouches low, just like a _cat_ before it pounces.

Swinging her right arm over the side of the boulder she is laying on, her fingers wrap around something just as the creature launches itself from the upper boulder. Amanda swings her right arm up and rolls hard to her left and against the arch in the boulder, where hers meets the upper one. The creature lands hard, its long sharp claws extended, _slashing_ at bare rock, directly where her _body_ had just been.

Surprised to find her fingers wrapped around the handle of her sword, she swings out hard, as though someone _else_ is swinging it, slicing clean through the massive back leg of the beast, bone and all, knocking it off balance. The creature shrieks, causing Amanda to thrash her head from side to side from the ear-splitting pain. Eyes wide, she watches the lizard begin to tumble off the sharply curved boulder. Spinning around on its three good legs, it snaps its head forward, clamping its jaws tightly around Amanda's outstretched leg.

Slowly, it pulls its body back up onto the boulder.

_Screaming_ , Amanda is pulled from between the boulders, as the beast hobbles backward. It loses its balance and falls to the side, then begins _slipping_ over the boulder once again. Amanda is being _thrashed_ around violently, as the huge lizard frantically turns its massive head from side to side, looking for something to grab onto. It is doing everything it can to remain on the boulder, and _not_ fall to its death. But with its massive tail _whipping_ out over the side of the boulder, and its body spinning around, there is just too much momentum. Scratching and _clawing_ at the boulder, it begins sliding over the edge. Its head, dark eyes _glaring_ , opens its mouth in surprise, letting out a _terrified_ screech. Amanda instantly snatches her leg away, watching as the lizards two front claws frantically scratch at the boulder, as it continues its slide over the edge.

Amanda lays there for a moment panting, watching just the tips of the huge claws scraping to the very edge. They are all she can see of the beast now. Expecting the beast to fall, her eyes fly wide as she sees the creature begin to regain purchase, slowly pulling itself back up. Its claws reaching high, one after the other, trying to get a grip on the boulder, until a large jaw and snout come into view. Soon, the entire long jaw comes up and over the boulder and presses down. It is now holding itself there at the precipice, using its front claws and its lower jaw. A huge black eye filled with rage stares right into Amanda's soul.

Rolling slightly away from where she lay, Amanda springs to her feet screaming, then charges the creature swinging her sword. Huge portions of its nose and mouth are cut free as slice after slice from her sword hacks away, the creature screaming in terror. After what seems forever, the beast lets go and she watches, as though in slow motion, its mutilated body fall backward into the fog, one of its eyes now dangling on a long sinew thread against its cheek. It quickly disappears into the fog below. Hearing a sickening thud, followed by the rising swirl of red fog, once again there comes blood-curdling cries and the sound of ripping and tearing through fresh meat.

"Its brothers and sisters are finishing it off," Amanda says in a whisper as her whole body trembles, gasping for breath.

Looking at her leg, where the huge lizard had clamped its sharp teeth against, she notices that the leg protector is not even scratched. Looking down at her blood-smeared sword, swallowing hard, she knows that if she had not gone back for the armor, she would be dead.

Hearing a movement behind her, she spins around. Amanda sees the large leg of the beast, still twitching in a pool of dark black blood. Grimacing with disgust, she quickly climbs and recovers her shield. Scrabbling to the upper most boulder, she frantically looks around. "There! Just down the other side of these boulders. That's the little mound I saw sticking up out of the fog... looks like the only place I can go."

Turning slightly to look toward what she knows must be a glowing red lake, she sees that like the other lakes, it appears to go through a huge gap in the cavern wall. The ceiling at this part of the cavern, towers six hundred feet above the bright fog covering the glowing lake. About to turn away, something dark in the sky catches her attention. Looking up, high over the lake, she sees several large dark objects making their way into this cavern from the other side.

In a heartbeat, she knows what they are, "Oh my god! These things can _fly_! And they're _huge_!"

Trembling, she begins to nervously, but quickly, make her way down the far side of the pile of boulders. She wants to head to what looks like a massive dirt mound not far away, and, from what she can see, rests up against a portion of the cavern wall. During a disturbance in the fog, Amanda thought she had seen a small cave-like opening in the front of the mound.

Slipping and sliding down the various sized boulders, she soon reaches the cavern floor. The sounds of ripping, tearing and chewing are still coming from the other side of the boulders. "I hope they keep themselves occupied for a few more minutes, and those flying ones don't get me before I reach the opening," she thinks as she begins sprinting for the dirt mound.

The mound is further than she had thought. About half-way there, she hears several high-pitched shrieks behind her as well as the sound of many frills rattling. Almost immediately, Amanda feels a powerful burst of wind against her back. Sprinting as fast as she can, Amanda looks over her shoulder and sees three massive fully flared frills, each with a black head in the center, teeth gnashing and snapping as they draw closer. Instinctively, she knows what they are doing... the lizards are fanning their frills to blow the fog away... so they can _see_ her better.

They are getting closer, and the wind from their frills begin to make her weave from side to side. The wind forces her shield up and out and to the side, like some kind of wild kite, making her stumble, slowing her advance.

Gaining on her, their tails whip wildly behind them, as their sharp claws tear up the gravel as they run.

"There... there _is_ a hole in the mound! I've _got_ to reach it. I've just _got_ to!" she cries. The sound of the beasts claws scratching and tearing up the gravel, sends chills through her, even though she is sweating profusely.

Daring another glance behind her, she gasps. They are only forty feet behind. The sprays from their saliva, are collecting on their frills, making them glisten menacingly as they vibrate. Looking to the sky to her right, she sees five huge flying lizards swooping down on her. Amanda sees their long tails stream out behind them as their legs are tucked tightly beneath their body, with only the dagger-like claws dangling into view. Their wings are big and bat-like, with arches in their trailing edges, like half circles along their length. At the tip, where each half circle meets the next, there is a long, curved, _razor_ sharp, single _retractable_ claw. The claws, as they extend and retract, fill Amanda with terror, as she remembers the Velociraptors she had also seen in the movie, _Jurassic Park_.

Turning to face forward, she is surprised to see the small opening in the mound only ten feet ahead. Diving at the opening, Amanda hits the ground hard, thrusting her shield into the hole, then scrambles quickly inside, pushing her sword ahead. In a panic, she slithers her way in after them the shield and sword on her stomach. It is a tight fit, but she is in, and making her way quickly away from the opening along some kind of long dirt tunnel.

It is completely dark. In a few moments, she knows by feel, that she has entered a small cavern, perhaps the inside of the doom she had seen. Not knowing how large the cavern may be, or what may be in there with her, she grabs hold of her shield and rolls to her left, holding tightly to her sword. Pressing her back against the dirt wall, she sits in the dark, pulling her knees to her chest. Amanda moves the shield quickly against her as she pulls her sword in tight to her side, its point in the air.

Here, breathing hard, cowering behind the shield in total darkness, drenched in the blood and stench of her felled adversaries... she waits.

To TOC

# Aerial Attack

Soon, there is flickering in the long domed cavern. A moment later, the cavern is illuminated with continuously flashing light. Light to dark, again and again. The light pulses faster and faster until Amanda becomes dizzy.

It takes Amanda a few moments to realize what is happening. "They're moving back and forth in front of the opening. There must be a lot of them right outside. Why aren't they trying to get in? Why aren't they trying to get to me?"

High-pitched shrieks grow in intensity, replaced by sounds of deep growling and fighting. Shrills, shrieks, and wet slashing sounds slash the air. The light in the little cavern flashes violently for several more minutes. The flashes lessen as the noise begins to settle, and finally stop. Soon, the only sound to be heard from outside, is the wet tearing and ripping of flesh, the gnawing and crunching of teeth on bone, and the sound of jaws snapping.

Amanda cannot stand it another minute... she has to see what is going on. Turning to her right, she puts her sword hand on the ground, leaning on her one good knee. Scooting over to the long tunnel, she slowly sticks her head out from the wall and looks down the dark tunnel. There, in the light mist left from all the thrashing, she sees a nightmare.

There are at least four bodies of the lizards being ripped apart and eaten by even larger ones. "These must be the ones I had seen in the air, because they've got folded wings against their sides," she breathes, watching one shred flesh from another. Amanda watches the larger creatures place two or three massive claws on their victim, then with another claw, strip away huge chunks of meat. Stepping to the side, they would devour the piles of flesh. Attacker and victim alike are covered in a pool of black blood.

The sight is enough for Amanda. Quickly pulling her head back in, she leans against the dirt wall. "I've got to get away from here. But how?"

Amanda freezes, hearing movement in the cavern. For several more moments, she sits perfectly still, listening. Another sound. "There! I _did_ hear something! I've got to get my flashlight!"

Quietly, she places her sword down, and shimmies out of one side of the backpack. Picking up her sword, she places her shield down and shimmies out of the other side of the pack. Using her left hand, wanting to keep a good grip on the sword with her right, she fumbles for a moment before she can get the pocket flap open. Finally, she grabs the light and flips the flashlight over until her thumb comes into contact with the switch. Flicking her thumb, light flares into the dark cavern.

"Wow. It's a lot wider in here than I thought it was, and much longer too. The fog must have hidden a good portion of it when I first saw it. It's really strange in here." The interior is almost completely filled with fine hazy red mist, though not as thick as it is outside.

Scattered about the cavern are strange looking stalagmites. These are nothing like the stalagmites and stalactites she has seen in the other caverns. About as tall as Amanda, and just a little wider, they have an unusual mottled green and brown color, veined with orange.

Waving the light around the cavern, she wants to find the source of the noises. Seeing nothing, she shines the light up. The dome of the cavern is tall, with more than enough room to stand with an additional eight feet of space to the top.

Quickly and carefully, she puts her sword and shield on the ground, and slips into her backpack. Grabbing the sword, she stands and waves the light around. Reaching for the shield, she realizes, "I can't carry the sword, shield and the flashlight all at once, but I need _all_ of them!" Amanda tries holding the flashlight in her sword hand. "Nope, can't do it." She then tries the light along with the shield. "Shoot! That won't work either."

Thinking hard, dabbing the cut on her lip with her tongue, she remembers the little pocket at the very top of her backpack. Amanda had sometimes used it to put change in for school. The pocket is about the size of a pocket on a pair of jeans. Other kids would use it for their cell phone, which Amanda was not allowed. All the kids needed to do, was reach over their shoulder, flip up the flap and grab the phone. An idea begins to take shape.

Putting everything down again, she takes off the backpack and studies the pocket. Pulling the flap up, she lifts her sword. "Since this _is_ Kevlar, it may take some doing, but maybe I can make a hole in bottom of the pocket." Placing the point of the sword into the pocket, she shoves hard. It cuts cleanly through the bottom of the pocket with no effort whatsoever. "Wow! This thing must _really_ be sharp."

Drawing the sword out, she examines the pocket and cut. Perfect. Grabbing the shield, Amanda slips the handle through the pocket and smiles as the bottom of the handle sticks out of the hole. "This just might work!" It feels awkward, but she manages to get the backpack on, with the shield hanging on her back. Amanda reaches down and picks up her sword and light.

Taking a few cautious steps toward one of the strange stalagmites, her arms bang against the back of the shield. "Well... It may not be the _best_ way to carry a shield, but at least I'll have it if I need it."

1It is like a sauna in here. Sweat _pours_ down Amanda's face. She feels sticky as her pants and T-shirt stick to her body, from all the thick, wet, black blood.

In the beam of her light, she steps up to one of the gleaming wet stalagmites and places her hand on its surface. Its surface feels thick and slimy and sticks to her hand... and it's warm, much warmer than it should be.

Pulling her hand away, long sticky strings come away from the goo. It reminds her of hot cheese being pulled apart. "Oooooh _gross_! It's like a huge _booger_! It's like these things are covered with sticky... _snot_!"

Looking around for something to wipe her hand on, but finding nothing, she wipes it off as best she can on the only area free of armor, a small area near her backside. Not a good idea, because now she has added sticky snot goo to her pants, already covered with the lizards blood.

Amanda freezes as she hears a faint scratching sound coming from further back in the cavern.

Taking the sword in both hands, the flashlight pressed between her left palm and the handle of the sword, she points her sword and light in the direction of the sound. "What _is_ that? It kind of sounds like something... _cracking_? But, it's like it's _wet_ or something."

Advancing quietly, she works her way further into the cavern, winding around _dozens_ of the odd stalagmites. Momentarily forgetting about the noises, Amanda stops, slowly turning around. Besides the goo covering them, something just isn't right. "These stalagmites are _really_ weird. They all look... the _same_. The same _height_ , diameter, and pretty much the same _coloring_."

Amanda points her light to the ceiling, "And how were they formed? There aren't any stalactites on the ceiling. In fact, the ceiling is nothing but a huge curved dirt dome. No water dripping or anything."

A prickling rises the hair on the back of her neck, but not knowing why, she keeps walking. Passing dozens more of these strange structures, she notices some are broken in half. Curious, she moves to one, shining her light inside. Whispering to herself, "That's odd. It's not solid, it's _hollow_. Pure white on the inside, and smooth as glass." Standing on her tiptoes, she shines the light to the bottom. "Looks like a pool of _goo_ of some kind."

Turning cautiously and moving on, Amanda steps on something. It crunches. Pointing her light quickly at the floor, she sees the partial remains of what can only be one of the lizard creatures. "But look how _small_ it is. About _half_ my size." Lifting her foot, she sees that the crunch was its claw.

Eyes growing huge, she sees what's laying around it. "The body looks like it's been partially _ripped_ apart and, and like some of it has been _eaten_ away. Its _guts_ are all over the floor!"

The smell in the cavern is sickening, and now she knows why.

A loud scampering sound comes from somewhere to her right.

"Okay, now I _know_ I heard that! Something's in here with me for sure," she whispers, turning in the sound's direction. Swinging her light across the floor, Amanda sees several more dead creatures.

Another sound of scampering fills the cavern. But this time, it's behind her.

"How did it get over there so _fast_?" she thinks as she begins to swing around. But as she does, she hears another scampering sound... and _this_ one, sounds like it's right _next_ to her! Heart _pounding_... eyes darting around, she _knows_! "There are _two_ of them in here. Maybe more! Oh Jesus!"

Just then, she hears scratching against gravel, and swings her light in time to see a small lizard dart between two of the structures and disappear.

Scratching sounds come from behind her!

Swinging her sword around, she comes face-to-face with a lizard which had jumped into the air, and is about to land on her. Its dagger like claws extend, mouth opening wide, showing row after row of razor sharp teeth.

Instinctively, Amanda thrusts the point of her sword up, the out in front of her, right through the chest of the Doberman-sized lizard. The weight and momentum of the lunging lizard, forces her right over backward, against one of the odd stalagmites. To her surprise, she continues crashing right into the stalagmite, tipping back hard as she hears it crack and give way. If it were not for the width of the shield against the stalagmite, she would have completely lost her balance.

The weight of the lizard skewered on her sword, forces its point downward, yanking her forward. Amanda quickly places a foot on the gasping lizard, pulling her sword out and staggers to the side.

Trembling and in disbelief, she watches the lizard try to get to its feet. Adrenaline coursing through her, she lunges forward and lops off its head, sending up a spray of thick black blood. Moving away from the still twitching body, she watches its mouth open and close, its eyes blinking. Turning slightly, she sees some of the thick slimy goo stringing out from the stalagmite she crashed into, now attached to the back of her shield.

"Ew! Gross!" Shining her light back at the stalagmite, she goes rigid. Terror, then recognition spreads across Amanda's face. Half draped over the front of the destroyed stalagmite, is a partially formed lizard, covered with a thick mass of goo.

Beginning to shake violently, she slowly moves the flashlight beam from one structure to another, her eyes taking in the scene.

"Ooooh, myyyy, god! These aren't stalagmites at all! They're _eggs_! And they're everywhere!"

Turning in a full circle, as though seeing them for the first time, her light hits dozens of the eggs. "It's a nest! I'm standing in the middle of a nest! Holy sh..."

More sounds come from her left.

Amanda moves quickly away and hides behind one of the eggs. Across from her, she makes out the head of a lizard peering out from behind an egg. Somewhat larger than the one she just killed, it ignores her as it lifts its nose, sniffing the air.

With a high-pitched shriek, it runs to the felled lizard and begins slashing away at it with its razor sharp claws. Amanda watches in horror as slash after slash rips the flesh into piles of shredded meat.

Another movement to the right catches her eye. "Another one! Smaller, but look at those _teeth_!"

The larger lizard is so intent on its fresh meal... ripping the flesh from the dead one, tossing the bloody strips into the air and gulping them down noisily, it doesn't notice the smaller lizard making its way stealthily forward.

Amanda looks from one to the other. "It's sneaking up on this one! Oh Jesus. Look how it _moves_. It's getting ready to..."

In the blink of an eye, the smaller lizard leaps on the larger one's back, locking its jaws onto the others neck. The larger lizard screeches in pain and rage, running and thrashing violently to free itself from its attacker. Again and again, the lizards slam into other eggs, toppling many them.

The smaller lizard, teeth clamped tightly to the larger ones neck, begins to slash viciously at the neck and back of the larger one. Amanda can hardly see the razor sharp claws move, they are blindingly fast. The smaller lizard must have hit an artery, because dark spurts of blood shoots to the ceiling and sprays around the room, a stream crossing over Amanda, covering her from head to foot and making her cringe, as some of the blood, sprays through her visor, splattering her face.

Amanda knows this is her chance.

With a cry, she springs into action. Bolting forward and rounding an egg, she swings her sword, cleaving the smaller lizard's back, down through its spine. The lizard is cut in half, the blade continuing a short way into the larger lizard.

Raising her sword high in the air, she brings it down hard into the larger lizard. Again and again she swings the sword in a panic, each time cutting the creature into ever smaller pieces. Blood, flesh and gristle is everywhere and still she swings her blade.

Crying hysterically, Amanda cannot stop. After several more swings, the adrenaline starts to ebb. Breathing in _huge_ shuttering gasps, tears streaming down her face, she stumbles back from the mutilated corpses. Sinking to the cavern floor, her back resting against one of the strange eggs, she continues to shake uncontrollably.

Looking at the pile of mutilated meat she realizes, "That _could_ have been, shredded pieces of... _me_."

A cracking sound comes from her right. Amanda springs to her feet with a cry.

Her mouth so dry she cannot swallow, she looks around nervously. Moving her light around, she sees an egg wagging from side to side. "It's... it's _hatching_!"

Another cracking sound.

" _Another_ one! They're _all_ hatching! I've _got_ to get out of here before there's more of them! They'll _kill_ me if I don't!"

Making her way quickly to the shaking egg, she stands staring at it for a moment, chewing on her bottom lip, trying to think of what to do. Amanda jumps back as a sharp claw appears and slashes through the egg. Watching the claw tear the egg apart, Amanda has a vision of it being _her_ those claws are tearing at. Cringing, she thrusts her sword into the egg. Thick black ooze begins to streak down her blade. She pulls it out, "I, I'm sorry. I didn't _want_ to kill you. But, if I didn't, _you_ might of killed me."

Hearing more cracking within the cavern, she turns and begins searching for them.

Rounding an egg, she comes face-to-face with a lizard just peeking out from inside its own egg. It lets out a small wail, then begins _frantically_ biting at the opening it has made in the egg to free itself... and _get_ to Amanda.

Amanda hesitates. Soon, a foot with sharp claws comes through the opening along with the head. Amanda does not wait any longer. Springing forward, she thrusts the sword into the egg, just below the head. The creature _cries_ shrilly, its eyes _locked_ on Amanda. Even as it dies, its silent mouth opens and closes twice. A gurgling sigh escapes its throat, a _death_ rattle, making her shudder. The small creature drops its head against the opening and goes limp, its one leg resting next to its head, large dark eyes still open and fixed on Amanda.

Giving another deep shudder, Amanda yanks the sword out of the lifeless body, then turns in a full circle, frantically looking for more.

"Kill them all," she says out loud, "I've got to _kill_ them all, or they'll hatch and _kill_ me. I have no choice. I'm _sorry_ , but I have no choice."

Hearing another cracking sound, now in a panic, she begins to thrust her sword into egg after egg, as she makes her way through the cavern. Thick goo spurting from each as she withdraws her sword. Many of the eggs she finds are empty, having already hatched. Some are just in the process of hatching, perhaps with just a snout sticking out.

Amanda reaches a lizard, whose head and three legs are already sticking out of its egg. Just about to heave itself out altogether, she swings her sword, lopping off its head, once again getting _completely_ drenched in its spurting blood. Amanda watches as the head rolls several feet, coming to rest on its side. The eyes of the creature now rolling around in their sockets, as though looking for its severed body.

Amanda finds many more of the lizards in the process of hatching. Some just beginning to poke a claw through, others, with just their snout sticking out. Many however, are almost _completely_ out as she runs up to them, her sword piercing them again and again.

Amanda grimaces as a deep and heavy headache forms behind her eyes. With her head _pounding_ as the adrenaline leaves her system, Amanda slowly makes her way back and forth through the cavern several times.

Making _sure_ they are all dead, is all she can think about. Dazed, Amanda looks around her. Dozens and dozens of creatures. _All_ dead. _Stinking_ black blood is everywhere... the walls, the ceiling... all _dripping_ with death. Amanda looks down, seeing the cavern floor completely covered in ooze and dark blood as well.

Covered from head to toe in the thick, sticky blood, she sinks to the floor against the very rear of the nest, completely exhausted, shaking hard from the overload of adrenaline in her system.

Breathing deeply, the stench and fumes burning her lungs, she rests in a near catatonic state for a good two hours.

A familiar noise startles her back to reality.

Tilting her head slightly to the side, she listens intently. "What _is_ that? What are they doing?" Sniffing and snorting sounds have caught her attention, now coming from back toward the entrance.

The next sound makes her blood run cold. There is no doubt as to what that sound is... she will never forget it. The sound is of claws _slashing_ against the dirt walls of the opening. "Oh no! They're trying to get in. They must smell the blood in here and, are trying to get at something to _eat_."

Looking around frantically for a way out, she shines her light across the back of the nest. Nothing. "I'm _trapped_! There's no other way out of here!" Not sure she has any strength left, tears stream down her face. She had not thought she had any more tears left.

" _Pull_ yourself together," she says loudly. "Harry and Hermione wouldn't just _sit_ here crying. _They'd_ find a way out, or _make_ one." Eyes growing wider, she looks around, "Make one? Why _not_? The mound isn't that thick, only a couple of feet or so I think."

Getting to one knee, she thrusts her sword again and again into the dirt wall, watching chunks of hard dirt fall away.

The thrashing at the entrance is louder. "If _they_ get in here first... I'm _dead_."

Picturing the lizards tearing their still-living prey to shreds, a thought comes to Amanda. "They're hungry. They _smell_ the blood in here. So, they want something to _eat_ do they? Okay, yeah, I'll _give_ 'em something to eat! _That_ should keep 'em busy, while I _dig_ my way out of here!"

Getting up, she runs past the eggs until she is near the entrance. Skidding to a stop, Amanda is _shocked_ to see the lizards have made a large opening, leading into the long tunnel.

Heart _thumping_ , as though trying to pound its way out, Amanda places her sword on the ground. Carefully, she steps over to a nearby destroyed egg. Putting both hands against it, she pushes hard. The egg rocks in its small dirt cradle, tumbles over, and rolls a short distance away.

Disgusted, and revolted at the idea of touching them, she also drags several of the dead lizards she had hacked apart, closer to her.

Amanda picks up her sword and cuts the body of a smaller lizard, into three pieces. When finished, she does the same to several others. Setting her sword down, she grabs a thick piece of dripping flesh and crawls down the tunnel. Seeing thrashing and tearing claws a short way ahead, she flings the meat down the tunnel and into the opening they made.

For a moment, all movement outside stops. A high shriek fills the tunnel, as Amanda sees a _huge_ maw enter, blocking out the light completely. In another moment, the head retreats and the large chunk of meat is gone. "Good! You _like_ that do you? Great, how about a bite of your _sister_ then?" Grabbing another handful of dripping flesh, she flings it down the tunnel.

The head of the huge lizard appears again and snaps up the glistening meat. Amanda makes her way back and forth in the long tunnel, repeatedly flinging chunks into the area where the larger lizards can get at them. Amanda tries pushing an egg with a lizard still inside, to the tunnel opening, but finds the tunnel too small to roll the eggs through.

Soon, it no longer mattered.

Her scheme to feed them so they would eat their fill and leave her alone, is backfiring. The smell of blood and fresh meat travels easily on the air, and now, the lizards are joined by _dozens_ more, _all_ in a feeding frenzy.

Wails, shrieks and cries echo through the cavern, as lizards _filled_ with blood-lust, turn on one another. Shriek after horrifying shriek is all Amanda hears, as they _literally_ tear each other to shreds.

With blood spurting and chunks of flesh flying through the air, one of the more _massive_ lizards ignores the death battle around it, and, with _deliberate_ intent, continues to claw away at the dirt dome near the opening.

Heart _pounding_ even more, Amanda touches her chest momentarily, grabs her sword and _sprints_ to the back of the nest. Dropping to one knee, she _frantically_ continues stabbing at the little area she had been digging.

The high-pitched shrieks and clawing sounds, have worked _Amanda_ into a digging frenzy of her own.

As she digs, it suddenly grows lighter behind her. Turning around, she sees why. "No! They've torn into the tunnel and destroyed the _first_ part of the dome itself! They're _tearing_ the nest apart to get to more food!"

Springing to her feet, she runs back near the entrance, thinking she can divert them by tossing them more meat. But as she approaches the entrance, she skids to a stop and freezes, as a _huge_ claw, inches from her face, rips a large chunk out of the ceiling, near the entrance of the nest itself. Flying clumps of dirt strike her across the face. Crying out, she staggers back, turns and runs as fast as she can, back to the little hole, which is now, her only escape.

Grunting with each thrust of her sword, Amanda keeps looking back over her shoulder as the light grows brighter behind her. Cold sweat _pours_ down her back, as she sees two _huge_ lizards snatching up egg after egg from the nest's floor.

"Oh Jesus, _please_ , please," she screams, thrusting her sword into the little hole with more determination. To her surprise, the blade _breaks_ through to the other side. "Yes!" Amanda stabs again and again, watching light and mist pouring in from the outside.

The opening is soon large enough for _her_ to squeeze through, but _not_ her shield. Amanda thinks about leaving it, but something inside her knows _that_ would _not_ be a good idea, so she continues hacking at the hole until she has a tall vertical slit. Taking off the backpack, she pulls the shield handle out of the pocket. Turning off the flashlight, she slips it into its own pocket and seals it.

Sticking her head out, she quickly looks around, and gasps. "There! Just to my right is the lake." Scanning the cavern wall where it meets the lake, she spots a small natural jagged arch, which, she is hoping, just _may_ go all the way through to the cavern on the other side... and _away_ from these monsters!

"There's a _hole_ in the wall near the water's edge! It's the _only_ thing I can see to get to! It's the _only_ place I can go! The only other way into the other cavern, is way out there near the center of the lake, and I can't _swim_! There isn't any boat I can see either. I don't know if these things _can_ swim, but maybe, if I can get through that little hole in the wall near the water's edge, I can _hack_ off their heads as they come through to get me. After all, only the _little_ ones could fit through there anyway. Not the big ones."

Looking up at the sky, Amanda breathes, "But... what about the ones that _can_ fly?"

There is no time to ponder the thought as she hears a _thunderous_ crash. Amanda pulls her head back in and looks behind her. A large portion of the domed ceiling has _caved_ in. Startled, she sees at least _five_ huge heads bobbing in and out of the cavern, snatching up and devouring the eggs and dead lizards.

That is all the motivation Amanda needs. Thrusting first her shield through the slit, then her backpack through the hole, she pokes her head through, looks around quickly and dives outside, clinging tightly to her sword.

The tearing and _thrashing_ sounds in the nest grow louder, making the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.

They're getting closer.

Amanda knows there has to be a lot of these hungry lizards just a short distance from her position. Shaking, she quickly slips her backpack back on. "How on _earth_ am I going to make it to that little _hole_ , before they get me?"

Her head snaps around as the sounds of slashing, ripping, wet flesh fills the air, punctuated with wail after wail, shriek after shriek as they _tear_ each other apart. This time, it sounds like all-out _war_.

"Okay, _now's_ my chance," she whispers as she grips her shield and sword. "It's now or _never_ I guess. God help me, _please_!"

With that prayer still on her lips, Amanda focuses on the little arch near the water's edge. "It's small enough for me, but not big enough for _most_ of them. The ones that _can_ fly, will have to go _all_ the way out near the center of the lake, where the big arch is, then around and back on the other side. I hope I can find some cover on the other side first."

Looking behind her one last time, hearing more of the dome caving in, she dabs at the cut on her lip with her tongue. Turning to focus on the little archway some distance away, she takes a few quick breaths. Springing to her feet, Amanda leans forward and shoots off like a professional sprinter.

Having covered only a short distance, Amanda lets out a _scream_ as something grabs her backpack from behind, snatching her up into the air. Screaming again, _completely_ terrified, she watches the ground quickly moving away from her. _Huge_ wings beat down on both sides of her, then disappear above. Her body _thrusts_ up and down, as the huge winged creature beats its wings, rising higher and higher into the air.

As the creature turns right, Amanda looks down and sees about two _dozen_ lizards of various sizes. Most are fighting, but some have stopped and look up, eyes _fixed_ on her as she realizes, "This flying one, must have been _sitting_ on the dome when I tossed my stuff out. It, it was _waiting_ for me!"

Breaking into a cold sweat, Amanda watches in horror as several of the huge lizards below, spread their _massive_ wings, leap into the air, and _shriek_ as they fly up after her.

The straps of her backpack are now cutting into her armpits, but at least the straps have not torn away... yet. To keep from slipping out of the backpack and falling to what would be a sure death, she keeps her sword arm crossed tightly over the top of her shield arm. Amanda can see that the lizard has but a single claw _snagged_ and hooked into the backpack. A single claw, between _her_... and certain death.

Arching sharply in the air, the beast turns and flaps harder, picking up speed as it soars out over the red foggy lake. " _Pleeeease_ don't drop me in there!" Amanda screams, watching large and small bubbles pop on the surface of the lake, each releasing a red burst of mist.

In an instant, Amanda tenses! "Oh my _god_... the lake is _boiling_! _That's_ why it's so hot in here. Some kind of, _lava_ making the lake boil!"

Even though she is hundreds of feet in the air, the temperature is _well_ over a hundred degrees. The thought of being _dropped_ into boiling water, and cooked _alive_ , like some _helpless_ lobster, _chills_ her to the bone.

A sudden, _high_ -pitched cry behind her, makes her turn her head. There, on her right, about to crash into them, is a _huge_ flying lizard, _giant_ claws extended with mouth agape, dripping saliva.

Amanda _screams_ as she closes her eyes, pulling her legs up as close to her body as she can. In another instant, she is swung _violently_ to the left as her lizard is struck by the other. Amanda opens her eyes to see another large lizard on her left strike her captor, sending her _screaming_ and swinging in the opposite direction.

Soon, the sky is filled with wings, claws and snapping jaws.

Amanda finds herself in the midst of an aerial attack, a real, _all_ out dog fight... not between planes, but between _flying_ lizards.

Her eyes burn as she is flung from side to side. Trying to veer away from the attacking lizards, _her_ lizard, would rise almost vertically, then dive steeply, _snapping_ at the neck or side of another lizard. Each time they dive, Amanda sees the boiling water below rush up toward them. " _Please_ god! _Do_ something!" she screams, over and over again, as her lizard would shoot off to the right and rise again, _screeching_ as it makes a near vertical climb.

Many times, Amanda would open her eyes to see an attacker approaching from some _impossible_ angle.

There is movement directly below her.

Looking down, she sees a lizard approaching, making its attack from _beneath_ them! As its head gets to within striking distance of Amanda's legs, it snaps its wings to its side, rolls over on its back, and _extends_ its neck. Her captor turns slightly, and as the attacking lizard soars by, its two front claws reach out to _grab_ Amanda.

Seeing a sharp claw reach for her face, Amanda _screams_ as she leans back. The claw _scrapes_ across her helmet where her cheek is, making a horrendous scratching sound, then _rakes_ down and across her chest plate. The force of the blow forces her head to the side. Just as her head moves away, she sees the claws _snap_ shut as she is violently yanked higher by her captor.

Realizing that her face would have been _ripped_ off, and she would have been _gutted_ if she had not been wearing her armor, eyes bulging, she loses her bladder, feeling the warm liquid runs down her legs.

With everything she has been through in her life, Amanda cannot remember having been _this_ scared... _ever_! And in _her_ short life... she has been scared a _lot_.

The sky is _filled_ with lizards! Everywhere she turns, she sees death flying through the air!

Amanda's captor is being attacked on all sides. Amanda is being flipped from side to side, and swung forward and back, all the time, wondering _when_ she will slip free from the _one_ claw, which is _snagged_ on the backpack.

As an attacker rounds for another strike, her captor rises higher and higher. Looking down, Amanda thinks they are at least a _thousand_ feet up, the ceiling having risen ever higher the further they fly out across the lake. The nest below looks like a small dirt clod, with _tiny,_ moving black specks scurrying across it.

Attack after violent attach, the shrieks and wails unnerve her.

Soon her captor and an attacker are locked together with legs and arms thrashing at one another, their jaws clamped onto each other. Thick blood is spurting into the air all around Amanda. They begin _tumbling_ out of control through the sky, heading quickly for the _boiling_ lake below.

A huge chunk of flesh _flies_ past Amanda's face, followed by a tumbling lizard, its giant wings outstretched. Amanda _gags_ as she sees that the upper part of its face, where its _eyes_ should have been... is _missing_.

About to strike the boiling lake, heat searing Amanda's face, her captor straightens out just yards from the surface. Once again, the huge lizard soars vertically, as though shot from a canon.

From the corner of her eye, she sees another attacker rounding off to the right for another strike. "Oh no, not again!" The lizard slams into hers hard. She hears a tearing sound, and feels herself drop into free fall. "Noooooooo!" she screams as she falls.

The claw has finally ripped through her backpack. The boiling lake is quickly rushing up to her as her eyes bulge. With a _whoosh_ , she is grabbed again. This time, the giant claws have wrapped completely around her shield, pinning her flat in the middle of it. If it had not been for the width and strength of the shield, she would surely have been crushed to death, or nearly _cu_ t in half by the sharp claws. As it is, her body is _trapped_ in the open arch against the creatures palm. Amanda looks out from between its scaly fingers, holding onto the shield's handle for dear life.

Something is wrong though. Her lizards massive long tail is now streaming out far into the distance... in _front_ of her. How could the lizard's tail be in _front_ of her... unless... "Oh my god! It caught me... _backward_!"

At the moment, it is the _least_ for her worries. After all, she _is_ still alive. Her focus is now on _not_ being dropped into the boiling lake, or being shredded by another lizard.

Her captor changes position and she feels herself swinging down in an arc, her head tilting almost straight down, her legs flung over her head. With blood rushing to her head, and the wind whistling past her ears, they flip over backward. Her throat hoarse, she _screams_ silently as she sees another huge lizard flash by, only inches from her, its mouth wide, teeth gleaming.

Her captor has just performed an aerial maneuver that saved their lives. Completing the back flip, the lizard levels out and quickly flies over the one that passed by... and drops down on it like a _rock_. They land on top of it, the fist Amanda is tightly held in slams into the thick, leathery, scaly skin. The _impact_ knocks the wind out of her, and she gasps for breath.

Her captor digs its other arm and legs deep into the attacking lizard. Hearing a sickening _crunching_ noise, Amanda realizes that her captor is _repeatedly_ crunching down on the _skull_ of the other lizard, its teeth _scraping_ and skidding against bone. Amanda's head is being slammed against the inside of the helmet, as she is _shaken_ side to side ,while her captor shreds huge chunks of flesh from the other in midair.

Thick black blood, along with huge chunks of flesh spray and fly past her. A piece of dripping meat, about three feet long and ten inches wide, _flips_ between the fingers of her captor, quickly wrapping itself completely around her faceplate, sticking tightly to several of the spikes on her helmet. In a panic, not able to breathe, she begins _thrashing_ her head in an attempt to dislodge it. The _stench_ is overpowering.

About to pass out, her head beginning to fall forward, she is violently _yanked_ into the air and tilted almost straight down. The forceful movement dislodges the wrap of meat from her helmet. In shuttering breaths, she gulps in the hot stinging air.

The huge bloody body of the giant lizard they had landed on, is spinning toward the lake, wings out to its side, head limp with a huge section of its _skull_ exposed. Amanda watches it fall with its tail arching to the side as it spins, down, down, to the lake.

The body strikes the boiling lake, causing a spray of _hot_ water and steam to spew into the air. As she watches, the body sinks below the surface for a moment, then bobs back up... not a body of _flesh_ any longer, but part _skeleton_. "Oh my god... the lake isn't only _boiling_ , it's, it's some kind of _acid_! It's eating the _flesh_ right off the bones!"

Amanda watches as the remaining flesh bubbles away and vanishes. The skeleton soon sinks below the surface, but this time, never returns.

Amanda sees the lake grow smaller as they begin climbing quickly. Still looking at where the lizard had struck the boiling water, a huge dark image appears from the left. "Oh _no_! _Another_ one!" At that moment, another two images appear from the right. "Jesus! And two _more_ over there! Look how _big_ they are!"

The three lizards stream up quickly just below them.

Her captor climbs higher and higher still, for what seems forever. Amanda watches as the three lizards branch quickly in three different directions away from her, and disappear. Eyes wide, she whispers, "Where'd they go? What... what are they _doing_?"

Just then, her question is answered as her captor makes a sound she has never heard before. The lizard leans forward and down at more than a forty-five-degree angle. Amanda finds herself in an almost upright position, her feet nearly pointing straight down, clutched tightly within its huge clawed fingers. "Oh _Jesus_ , we're _diving_!" The lizards thick leathery wings are being pulled in close toward her sides as it picks up speed.

Looking to her left, she sees one of the huge lizards diving right at them. As her captors wings are about to slam against her, she _screams_ as she sees dagger-like claws on the wings heading directly toward her. Leathery wings begin to fold around her as though an umbrella were being snapped shut, with her inside.

Just before the wings enfold her, she hears a _terrifying_ screech as she feels herself violently jolted again.

Her lizard, has been _attacked_ , and struck _hard_. Feeling another powerful jolt, her lizard _spins_ uncontrollably and begins to tumble from the sky.

Amanda, _terrified_ out of her mind, _screams_ as the wings snap _completely_ shut around her, as everything... goes _dark_.

To TOC

# The Living Cavern

In the darkness, Amanda thinks she will throw up as she is flipped in all directions. Sudden intense heat takes her breath away, while bright light temporarily blinds her as the giant wings unfold and begin to flap.

Amanda, looking down into the boiling lake only yards below her, feels the heat sear her face and hands as her captors flapping wing tips glance off the water, sending sprays of burning steam and droplets of acid-water toward her.

Some of the acid-water strikes her helmet, finding her cheek within. Amanda cries out in pain as the acid burns into her skin.

Just then the lizard turns slightly, nearing the huge arch in the cavern wall that leads into the next chamber. The next moment, Amanda sees the wall of the arch passing just to her right only inches from the outstretched wings of her captor. The lizard makes a sharp left turn as it clears the arch and enters the next cavern, staying very close to the boiling lake. The heat is excruciating and Amanda wonders if she is going to be steamed to death, to make a tasty meal for her captor.

Hanging on for dear life, still facing backward, she looks around for the three attacking lizards. "Where _are_ they? Where'd they go?" A movement catches her eyes and she looks up to the left side of the streaming tail. There, she can see two of the huge lizards just coming around the arch above them, the third must have given up the pursuit.

Looking from side to side at the barren cliffs, she feels cooler air. Glancing down, she sees they have flown past the acid lake. They are now flying close to the ground again, the tips of the huge wings tapping against the cavern floor, sending up sprays of gravel.

The light quickly disappears as the fast-moving lizard enters a natural rock tunnel, only large enough for its flapping wings. As they move further into the tunnel, the light grows dimmer. Amanda watches in horror as a massive dark shape shoots into the tunnel some distance behind her. " _They're_ coming in too! Oh god, _help_ me!" Another dark mass enters, and the light from the entrance begins to change into a rapid flashing as the huge wings from the two beasts block out the light, then let it enter again.

As her captor makes a sharp turn to its left, Amanda watches the tunnel disappear, losing sight of the attacking lizards.

Amanda blinks in disbelief, as the landscape changes from rock and dirt, to a lush green jungle, within the largest cavern she has yet seen.

The cavern floor and walls are covered with thousands of plants and flowers... some Amanda recognizes as vines and ferns, but has no idea as to the others. A distant sound makes Amanda turn to the side so she can look slightly behind her, in the direction the lizard is flying. Gasping, she marvels at the sight rapidly approaching them. Another lake is coming into view, surrounded by waterfalls high on the sides of the cavern, the clear water cascading between the hanging vines and thick vegetation. She can also see several streams entering the lake from the thick undergrowth of the jungle floor. Everywhere she looks, she sees the jungle filled with color.

But the most spectacular sight of all, are huge trees with _gigantic_ trunks that tower at least two hundred feet overhead, and have a distinctly odd shape. Instead of branches and normal leaves, they have, what appears to Amanda, to be something like a massive, opened, upside-down umbrella, while on others, they look like an alien kind of gigantic bud, closed but ready to open and bloom.

Amanda is fascinated by the open umbrella-like structures. The umbrella portions are translucent, and ringed with colors. Near the center, closest to the trunk, is a beautiful dark blue. The dark blue grows lighter as it makes its way further from the trunk. The color then turns to a dark green, then to a light green. The light green becomes a dark orange, then fades to a light orange. Near the outside edges, it goes from dark yellow, to a very bright yellow, striped with orange. The trees are _incredibly_ beautiful and like nothing she has ever seen before.

As Amanda tries to take in the beauty of the thick vegetation, her captor shoots between two giant tree trunks, darting quickly around huge boulders and trees, then rises, turning to the right toward the lake.

A familiar movement catches Amanda's attention. Looking around quickly, her breath catches in her throat as she sees the attacking lizards suddenly appear and separate, heading in different directions on either side of them. "Oh no. Not _again_! They're going to attack us from _both_ sides!"

Turning quickly, her lizard realizes what is happening, and shoots away from the lake and back in amongst the trees, boulders, vines and plants. It flaps _furiously_ as it picks up more speed. Swooping low, its wings are almost touching the ground. Amanda, hanging closer to the ground, is constantly being _slapped_ as tall plants and vines whip through the massive fingers of her captor.

Soon, they reach one of the nearer cavern walls and begin to climb, forcing Amanda's head down, looking at the green jungle floor getting smaller by the second. With her body facing the plant covered cavern wall as she is lifted in unbelievable speed, all she sees is a blur of green streaking by, mere yards in front of her.

A horrifying high-pitched _screech_ comes from somewhere behind her captor, and just then, her captor is struck _hard_ in the back, by one of the attacking lizards.

Amanda watches in horror as the cavern wall rushes up and _slams_ into them, crushing the claw she is clutched in against her.

A chunk of flesh from the lizards knuckles rips away from the impact.

Amanda _screams_ as the claw opens from the pain, and she falls, _head_ first, down the side of the cavern. Clutching tightly to the handle of her shield, she hits a slight outcropping which angles down toward the cavern floor.

The jolt from striking the outcropping jars her teeth, and she bounces hard a few times. Somehow, managing to hang onto the handle of her shield, she _rockets_ down the slick, slimy, mossy like hillside. Again, her legs are being _battered_ as they slap or strike the ground hard. But this time, thanks to the leg protectors, they are _not_ being shredded.

Her speed increasing, Amanda is having a _hard_ time hanging onto her sword, as it bobs up and down, constantly snagged by passing plants and vines, and tossed around by the sudden dips and rises. About to let go of it, she thinks of how _important_ it has been, and grips even tighter.

Looking forward, she makes out a rapidly approaching natural ramp in the low growing foliage. It reminds her of ramps that professional ski jumpers use for stunts and high jumps. As she nears the ramp, she is startled to see that the ramp is _not_ straight, but one with a hard _twist_ to the right near its end, she knows she will be sent _shooting_ into the air like a corkscrew.

Eyes growing wide, she _shoots_ up the ramp, and soon feels herself spun _quickly_ clockwise, sending her _twisting_ into the air. Screaming, she feels the shield drop away from her as she continues to turn over in the air. With the wind whistling in her ears, her momentum soon begins to lessen, the arc she is making begins to head downward. Facing downward and still spinning, she is holding the shield out in front of her, as the ground rushes up at her. As the spin brings her completely around for the last time, she quickly _yanks_ the shield back toward her, and as the wind catches it, is forced back under her. She _snaps_ her knees up, _just_ in time to find herself kneeling on the shield, hanging on _tightly_ to the shields handle.

Gasping as she _strikes_ the ground hard, Amanda lands on a _steep_ slope, and bounces three feet into the air, _almost_ losing her sword. With an iron grip, she keeps hold of the sword and shields handle. Looking down for a quick moment, she sees that she is kneeling on the shield with the handle between her legs, as though she were riding a sled in the snow, with her sword sticking out in front, over the handle, as though it were pointing the way.

Tilting slightly to one side, she finds that because of the slight curve of the shield, and despite the low growing plants making the ground feel as _fast_ as ice, she can _actually_ steer.

Everything is a blur as she streaks down the hill, headed for taller and thicker growth. With a cry of surprise, after flattening some taller plants, Amanda sees a boulder _directly_ in front of her, and leans _hard_ to the side. Gritting her teeth, the side of the shield tips upward, _striking_ the edge of the boulder. The momentum continues to tilt her, until she is at a forty-degree angle, cutting a deep gouge in the ground as she continues to speed past the _long_ boulder. Panicked, and _screaming_ , Amanda grips the handle so _tightly_ her knuckles turn white. At such a severe angle, Amanda is _sure_ she will flip over.

With a thump, her shield clears the boulder and she once again begins to rocket down the slick slope.

A motion catches her eyes from above and to the left. "Oh _no_! It's one of those big _lizards_. It sees me and it's coming _after_ me!"

The lizard swoops down and begins flying on an intercept course, _directly_ at her. It will be upon her in seconds.

Snapping her head down to look in front of her, her expression turns to _terror_ as she gasps, "Oh _Jesus_! I'm going to _hit_ that giant tree!" As the huge lizard is about to grab her, she leans _hard_ to her right and begins to steer quickly in that direction. She watches the huge flying lizard veer _sharply_ to the left, just missing her, as it disappears on the other side of the tree.

Her throat dry, screaming as _she_ is about to strike the tree, Amanda closes her eyes as she leans hard to the right. Somehow, she manages to miss the tree, but hits a low root. Snapping her eyes open, she _shoots_ into the air, just as the _huge_ lizard rounds the tree, and comes into view in front of her.

It is hard to tell _who_ is the more surprised, Amanda, or the huge flying lizard. Amanda _screams_ as the lizard flares its _massive_ wings, almost coming to a complete stop in midair, its eyes _wide_ and mouth open.

It _happens_... in a split second.

With the huge lizard flaring to a stop in midair, wings beating for balance, its massive legs sticking straight out in front of it, its body _completely_ vertical, Amanda, having _no_ control, shoots between the outstretched legs, slamming _hard_ into the lizards chest.

Her sword, sticking straight out in front of her, slides in through the armor-like scales, as if slicing through soft butter. The end of the shield strikes the scales, and is torn away from Amanda's grip, slamming her painfully face and chest first, against the armored hide. Her knees strike hard as she flattens against the lizard. The hilt of the sword _rams_ hard into her chest protector, and would have knocked the wind out of her, or may have even _killed_ her, if she did not have the armor on.

Amanda's vision begins to dim from the _severe_ impact, and as she falls toward the ground, she thinks, "I'm going to die."

Dropping hard to the ground, Amanda lands in some very tall and thick growth. Unable to move, pain courses through her back, chest, shoulders, and knees. Her neck throbs. Taking short breaths, she tries to fill her lungs with air, struggling through the intense pain. Looking up, _far_ overhead, she sees three flying lizards locked in a _deadly_ battle. "There were only _two_ before... _Weren't_ there?"

Sitting up, she looks around, moaning from the sharp pain in her neck. A short distance away, she spots the _giant_ lizard she had struck, lying on its back. Its massive wings outstretched, she sees the glint from the pummel of her sword, protruding from its chest.

Heart _pounding_ , she gasps, realizing she is defenseless, and looks around for her shield, finally spotting it a short distance away. Moving as quickly as she can, she constantly _stumbles_ through the _very_ high and thick plants. Amanda _grabs_ the shield, which is resting on a group of yellow plants, _almost_ as tall as she is.

Turning, she makes her way quickly to the fallen lizard. Standing next to it, she _nervously_ watches and listens for a few moments, trying to see if it is still alive. Not seeing any movement, she pokes it _hard_ with the tip of her shield. Nothing.

Still nervous, she sets her shield on the ground next to the body, and begins to climb the massive beast, using its curved and knobby scales to pull herself up. Standing of its huge chest, she sees her sword buried up to the pummel. "It must have gone... _right_ into its heart!" Amanda looks into the huge black eyes, still open, saying quietly, "I'm, I'm _sorry_ I killed you. I didn't _want_ to, you know." Walking across the massive chest, she grips the sword. Scrunching up her face, she _yanks_ it out easily, seeing it _covered_ with thick black blood.

Quickly returning to the ground, she wipes the sword off on some plants at her feet. Picking up her shield, Amanda looks up as she hears the cries from the battling lizards far above, mixed with the rushing sounds from the many waterfalls.

"I've _got_ to get into the taller plants so they can't see me," she breathes. As if hearing her, the lizards turn and dive toward her. "Oh _no_! No!" her mind screams.

Abandoning all caution, she moves as swiftly as her injured leg and back will let her. Frantically making her way through the now waist-high growth, she dares a look over her left shoulder and _screams_ , "They're going to _get_ me! They're going to _get_ me!"

The first lizard swoops in for the kill. Amanda watches as it _flares_ its wings to slow quickly, shooting out its two back legs, razor like claws aiming _right_ for her. Running as fast as she can, Amanda trips over a low growing vine. As she falls, she sees the claws pass on either side of her, _snapping_ together exactly where she would have been, if she had _not_ fallen.

Rolling quickly onto her back, she looks up in time to see the huge claws of another lizard close on her. Whipping her sword back behind her head with both hands, she swings it upward in an arc, then down hard as the claws _snap_ shut. The blade cleaves cleanly through what Amanda thinks _may_ be its thumb.

Heart _pounding_ painfully, she sees the severed claw strike the ground.

Amanda _screams_ in pain, as the tips of the other claws _scrape_ across her side, in the space where the front of the breastplate meets the backplate, lifting and _spinning_ her into the air, and off to one side.

Amanda lands with a heavy _thud_ in a dense green area where the plants are taller than she is. The ground, thickly covered with vines and plants, cushion her fall. Moving slowly, Amanda grimaces from the pain in her side. Examining the wounds, she sees that it had been just the tips of the claws that had grazed her, leaving deep gashes, now flowing with streaks of bright red blood.

Amanda realizes once again, just how _lucky_ she is to still be alive. Without the protection of the plates to deflect the greater portion of the blow, she _would_ have been cut in half.

Crawling as fast as she can on her injured knee, wincing from the pain in her side, she stays low, making her way further into the thicker growth. The plants here vary in size, ranging from a few inches, to six or eight feet. The ground is _completely_ covered in plants and vines.

A high pitched, blood curdling _screech_ comes from behind her, snapping her head around. Through the gaps in the plants shielding her from view, she makes out two lizards nearby. "I think the one I cut the thumb off of, has had _enough_. But these other two..."

Just then, the two lizards land a short distance away, and _immediately_ engage in battle. Their frills extend and shake menacingly, sounding like the warning from a rattlesnake, only a _hundred_ times louder. They are _snapping_ , hopping, jumping and _scampering_ around one another, claws slashing the air violently.

" _Now's_ my chance. I've _got_ to get out of here before they find me." Amanda slowly crawls away from them as quietly as she can. Terrible _cries_ and the sound of the rattling frills are _deafening_ , filling Amanda with _bone_ shaking fear. Cringing, she crawls further through the thick plants and vines. A cry _louder_ than the rest, fills the air, then everything goes quiet, but for the constant rushing sound of the waterfalls.

Freezing where she is, Amanda lays still, face down in the plants and vines with her shield in her left hand, and the sword clutched _tightly_ in her right. Shaking hard, chest heaving painfully with each breath, she _listens_. With only her eyes moving from side to side, looking through the mesh of her helmets visor, she _strains_ to hear any sound from the lizards, but all she hears, is that of the falling water.

"What happened? Why'd they stop? Unless... one of them _killed_ the other," she whispers. "That _must_ be it. Otherwise, _why_ would they have stopped fighting?"

After another few moments, she hears a sound. "There! It sounds like... something _moving_ through the plants. It's... it's _searching_ for me!"

With her chin quivering, hot tears flowing from her eyes, she lay motionless.

Waiting.

Trembling, Amanda hears the sound of plants being _torn_ up and tossed aside, as the huge lizard searches for its tasty prize. The sound is getting louder, and Amanda knows that in another moment, it _will_ find her. Closing her eyes, she pictures being _torn_ to pieces and eaten... while s _till_ alive.

Tearing and ripping sounds come from right behind her, as plants continue to be torn up in search for her. There is a pause, and a sniffing sound. "It can _smell_ me! _That's_ how it's following me." Slowly, she turns over onto her back and looks up through the gaps in the plants. There, she can see the huge lizard tearing at the ground with its razor sharp claws, only a dozen yards away.

Swallowing hard, she is just about to jump to her feet and run for it, when there comes several distant cries. These are _not_ cries from these lizards though. _These_... are different.

Looking through the gaps in the plants, she watches as the huge lizard spins around and looks off to the left, then up into the sky. "What's it looking at?" The lizard _sniffs_ the air and lets out a _thundering_ roar. Turning, it jumps into the air and begins flying away. "Why'd it _leave_? Where's it going? _What's_ going on?"

As Amanda waits she hears the strange cries become louder. "I've _got_ to see what's happening," she whispers. Raising herself a little so she can see better, she spots what appears to be a flock of black birds, but birds the size of small _horses_ , their short legs tucked tight up against their bodies! "What the _heck_ are those things?"

As the flock flies closer, she sees more appear from the very side of the cavern wall, about a mile away. "They must be coming through a tunnel. or some _cave_ or something."

The flock heads her way and she lays back down into the plants to hide. Soon, the cries are upon her, but far overhead.

As they fly lower, Amanda sees the strangest creatures she has ever seen. About the size of a small horse, they have _giant_ bat-like wings, and huge black eyes. But the _strangest_ thing about them, is their _massive_ beak like a parrot. The creatures are covered with what looks like porcupine quills, but _much_ larger. They have short pointed ears, and a _long_ quilled tail with a large _ball_ of quills at the end.

Watching nervously, the flock flies over the tops of the gigantic trees nearby. "I wonder where they're going? The only thing in that direction, is the _tunnel_ leading to the cavern with the lizards. Unless they eat the plants in _here_."

As a second flock flies overhead and veers away, she stands, looking around to be sure there are no lizards about. There are none to be seen.

An unusual droning sound comes from her right and she quickly turns in that direction. Amanda freezes from shock, as she watches several of these quilled bird-like creatures, fly over a _giant_ tree with the beautiful umbrella-like growth, while only a _few_ emerge from the other side.

As they fly over the tree, something _long_ shoots out from the center of the umbrella-like structure, quickly wraps around the flying creature, and with a _whoosh_ , snaps it back into the umbrella. Again and again the long black vine-like thing shoots out, _snatching_ a creature from the air.

The flying quilled birds _shriek_ madly, flying in all directions in a panic, to avoid the trees. Frightened, Amanda _runs_ as fast as she can through the shoulder high plants, as far away from the _bone_ chilling cries as she can.

But she does not get very far, before hearing a cry _directly_ behind and above her.

Spinning around, she cries out from fright and surprise as she looks directly into the huge black eyes of one of the flying quilled beasts, less than _thirty_ feet away. Shield held high and sword ready, she does not understand _how_ it managed to sneak up on her.

The birds eyes fix on Amanda, locking its wings into a gliding position, as it _flicks_ the ball on its tail toward her. Instinctively, Amanda _drops_ to the ground, throwing her shield up in front of her. Startled, she hears what sounds like _dozens_ of rocks pelting her shield, while others strike against her exposed leg protector. Others _chime_ against the top of her exposed helmet.

Once the pelting stops, she feels the downdraft of wind flow over her, as the beast beats its wings as it rises quickly back into the air.

Standing quickly, Amanda watches the quilled bird fly off to the right. Turning back, she looks to the ground and with a start, sees what had made the pelting sounds. There on the ground, are dozens of _quills_ , each with its needle-like point bent. "Holy _cow_! Those are... _quills_ , and it was _shooting_ them at me! Look how _big_ they are! Those could have _killed_ me, easy!"

Swallowing hard, Amanda spins in a circle to see where the creature has gone. It _appears_ to have flown off for some reason, and Amanda begins to run again.

Amanda feels herself weakening from the gashes in her side. Examining them, she sees the blood is still flowing. But, knowing she _must_ keep going, she slowly runs and does her best to jump through the thick growth, until she reaches one of the huge trees. Drained and out of breath, Amanda knows she has to stop and rest for a few moments.

The growth is _very_ tall here. So tall, _she_ cannot see what is going on around her, and hopes nothing can see _her_ either. All she knows is, _she_ has to get as far away from these creatures as she can. Resting her back against thick vines which cover the tree, she tries to calm her breathing. The cries from the creatures still fill the cavern, but, _thankfully_ , seem somewhat more distant.

Turning around, she rests her hand on the huge trunk. It is slick, probably, she thinks, from all the moss-like growth covering it. Upon closer inspection, she notices that the bark is rather odd. It reminds her of the outside of a pineapple, but with long spikes coming from large scales.

Looking closer, Amanda makes out several other trunks running some distance up the side of the main one, all merging into the one large one, everything covered with moss and hanging vines. Tilting her head as far back as she can, she looks up to where the beautiful umbrella growth is, over two hundred feet above her.

A shriek nearby brings her back to the dangers surrounding her. Knowing she has taken enough time to rest, she begins making her way once again, quickly through the thick plants.

Soon, she comes to what must be one of the roots from the giant tree. Its long and arched shape, reminds her of an ancient tree root in a primeval forest. Having a hard time making her way up and over the first root, she soon encounters another.

In another few moments, after following her way around and some distance from the trunk, she comes to a root larger than any she has yet seen. Taller than a house where it meets the ground, it stretches off into the distance, growing thinner as it goes. It is odd, because it seems to have started a good distance up the trunk, smoothly making its way down, at an angle, to meet the ground.

Amanda realizes there is no way she can climb over it. Deciding to follow it until it bends back into the ground, or becomes small enough to climb over, she follows the root for several minutes, hacking taller, thicker plants out of her way. Soon, she comes to a row of large boulders.

The root has curved to the left a little ways from the front of the boulders. Amanda follows within the gap as the root grows further into the ground, soon arriving at the place where the root curves right up against the boulders. "Great! I can't get _over_ these boulders, but the root is _almost_ short enough to get over. Maybe I can _hack_ my way through it. It can't be _too_ thick now. Maybe I can cut a path through it, or, maybe make some _steps_ or something," she says to herself, keeping her voice low.

Setting her shield on the ground, she takes a deep breath, gripping her sword in both hands. The pain in her side, makes her wince, as she swings the sword around, overhead and _down_ against the root. To her surprise, the blade cuts cleanly through the thick root, _slamming_ into the ground.

As the blade strikes the earth, Amanda hears a _thunderous_ roar, the likes of which _no_ human has ever heard. Amanda drops to the ground holding her ears. Looking to the sword, she sees it is covered in a _thick_ black sap, as the root, moves _sluggishly_ away from her.

Just then, the ground _quakes_.

Snapping her head up to see where the roar has come from, her eyes _fly_ open as her jaw _completely_ drops. The _entire_ tree is quivering, as the top begins tilting down. _Horrified_ , she thinks the tree is falling.

Unable to move, she watches as the umbrella-like structure begins to fold down against the trunk, and a _huge_ moss and vine-covered head, with _eyes_ the size of a house, turn to look angrily down on her. Its street-sized mouth opens, exposing _row_ upon row of jagged yellow teeth.

It moves as if... in slow motion, as though unsure _how_ to move.

In a flash, Amanda knows that this is _no_ tree, but one of those _frilled_ lizards, a _gigantic_ one. The beautiful umbrella structure is not a substitute for leaves, it is the _fully_ extended frill of the lizard.

Those had _not_ been extra trunks of a tree she had seen... they were its arms and _legs_ , completely _covered_ in moss and vines, as it sat upright! And that strange bark? It was not _bark_ at all. It was... scaly _skin_! "Oh my _god_! I wasn't climbing over _roots_ at all. I was climbing over its _fingers_ , toes and... and _claws_!"

Grabbing her sword and shield, Amanda jumps to her feet. Beginning to run, she feels her necklace tighten, as something like an electrical charge _surges_ through her. Instantly, something heavy and sticky _grabs_ her around the waist, hoisting her into the air.

Faster than she knew she could move, somehow, she swings her sword the second she is lifted off her feet. The blade slices _completely_ through the thick black tongue of the lizard. The beast _roars_ as Amanda falls onto her back, the severed sticky tongue still wound tightly around her waist.

Screaming, springing to her feet, she runs from the huge tree-like lizard, the thick, severed, _sticky_ tongue, still wound tightly around her, glistening as the end of it whips wildly in the air. Looking up and behind her, she sees the huge lizard _glaring_ at her, as it bellows another _ear-splitting_ roar. It begins shaking its frill, the rattling sound is _mind_ numbing, the force of the wind knocking her to the ground. For a moment, she is blown around like a leaf in a windstorm. Striking a boulder, she comes to an instant stop.

For the second time, Amanda feels the ground shake.

In a panic, Amanda clutches at the sticky tongue and begins unwinding it, trying to pull it off her. Turning quickly, expecting to see the lizard tree coming to attack her, she is surprised to see that it is returning to its upright position, and an _easier_ meal. It extends its frill and begins snatching the flying quilled birds out of the air, with what is left of its shorter tongue.

For a few moments, Amanda stands there, breathing hard, forgetting about the tongue still wrapped around her waist, as she is transfixed by the sight above her. Everywhere she looks, she sees the tree-like lizards snapping the quilled birds out of the air, like frogs picking off flies. She watches in frozen fascination, at their hunting strategy. The lizards shake their frills causing hurricane-like winds. The winds toss the quilled birds around like feathers in a storm. The lizards, facing in every direction, shoot their tongues outward, snatching and devouring as many of the stunned creatures as they can.

But, as Amanda watches, she realizes the lizards catch their prey with their frills, as well. The wind created by the shaking frills, cause the quilled birds to be blown sideways, and at times, upside down. The confused birds land on the _gigantic_ outstretched translucent frills, and as they attempt to scramble to their feet and fly away, the lizards retract their frills _up_ and over their heads, making what Amanda had at first, thought were huge buds about to bloom. The birds, _squawking_ in panic, slide down into the _gaping_ mouths of the lizards.

Everywhere she turns, she sees creatures being snatched out of the sky by darting tongues, and frills snapping shut for a few moments, only to rapidly reopen into the beautiful umbrella-like fold.

The scene is like watching a _grotesque_ kind of giant Venus flytrap... but _much_ worse.

Feeling a twitch around her waist, Amanda continues tugging away at the tongue. After a few more tugs, it comes free, and she _hurls_ it away from her... and watches at it land at the _feet_ of a six foot tall lizard, standing but five feet away from her.

Amanda, feeling the blood drain from her head, sees the lizard stare at the piece of tongue still _thrashing_ at its feet, then slowly raise its head and look at Amanda. It drops its _bloody_ leg stump it had been licking, where its largest thumb-like claw, had been severed.

Amanda realizes who the lizard is! The _third_ lizard! The one she _hacked_ the claw from! The one she _thought_ had given up the fight, was right here, glaring down at her!

The lizard opens its mouth and emits a _high_ -pitched shriek! Amanda raises her sword, taking a step back, and _trips_ over a root, falling backward onto the ground. The weight of the sword keeps her arms over her head where they lay.

As she tries to bring the sword back up, the lizard leaps toward her.

Almost on her, feeling the hot, _stinking_ breath near her face, she feels its dripping saliva hit her helmet as the ground _ripples_ powerfully beneath her. Knowing she'll never have time to protect herself, she tries to turn to the side, but knows it's _too_ late as she feels the lizard strike her hard.

Waiting for the _killing_ blow, she feels the ground heaving upward, as she hears the lizard _shriek_ again. But, there is something different in its tone, as it slides quickly... _away_ from her!

Hearing the lizard _squeal_ loudly again and again, Amanda lifts her head and is _paralyzed_ at the sight. The lizard is caught in the _jaws_ of something that has burst upward from the ground. Some kind of _worm_ the size of a moving hill, is _swinging_ the lizard high in the air, slowly devouring it, one leg at a time, with the lizards now lifeless head the last part to disappear!

As the worm moves sinuously back and forth, Amanda does not wait to see what it will do next. Getting up, she turns and blindly _runs_ through the thick foliage, finally losing sight of the monster worm, until she _drops_ much later from sheer exhaustion.

Reeling from the constant shock and fear, Amanda is afraid to stop in one place for long. Everywhere she looks, _death_ surrounds her - from the ground, the sky, and even... _beneath_ the ground!

Amanda is about to get up and begin running again, when something catches her eye coming from the direction the quilled birds had been headed. Squinting into the distance, she stands bolt upright, eyes wide and mouth agape. "Holy _cow_! I don't _believe_ it. Those quilled birds have the smaller lizards in their _beaks_! Those things don't eat _plants_ , they eat the smaller _lizards_. _That's_ why they have to fly through here, to get to the other cavern, to get to their _food_ supply. Holy cow! They're being shot down by the _hundreds_." As she watches, more flocks seem to appear from the cavern wall only a mile or so away from where she is standing.

"There must be _thousands_ of those quilled birds to survive having to fly through here. Maybe they don't have to eat very _often_ or something though. I've _got_ to get the heck _out_ of here, but how? To _where_?" she says to herself, a little louder than she had intended.

Amanda is weak... from the continued shock and fighting... from _hunger_ and from thirst. Out of water for over a day now, Amanda doesn't _remember_ the last time she has eaten. Deciding to head away from here, she heads further toward the cavern wall, where she had seen the flying creatures coming from. At least in _that_ direction, she can find fresh water from the cascading waterfalls.

In her condition, the going is slow. It takes her a couple of hours to hack her way through the thick vines and plants. But soon, hacking through some _taller_ plants, she is startled to find herself facing a sandy beach, at the base of a roaring waterfall.

Crouching down, she quickly looks around to see if she can see any of the flying creatures. Hearing only their cries, far off in the distance, she feels it safe to look around. Amanda sees that a wide beach goes around both sides of a waterfall, disappearing behind it. "Maybe I can _hide_ in back of the falls. I really need to..."

Ready to follow the sandy beach, her eyes spot something she thinks she recognizes a short distance up a nearby hill. "Those bushes have _berries_ on them! They look like... _blackberries_? But, there isn't any _sun_ down here, just the glow from the huge lake, and from some _rocks_ on the cavern walls, ceiling and floor. Those berries _might_ be poisonous, but..." Looking around again to be sure the way is clear, she stealthily makes her way around the beach and back into the plants.

After hacking her way through the thick plants for several minutes, she comes to an area where the plants thin out and the huge berry bushes begin. They are about _eight_ feet tall and seem to be several hundred feet across.

Amanda's stomach growls as her mouth begins to water. "I'm so hungry, I could eat one of those _lizards_. Well, if I knew how to _cook_ 'em."

Amanda picks one of the berries from the bush and smells it. "It _looks_ like a blackberry, and _smells_ like one too. But, it could _still_ be something else, or, maybe growing inside this mountain, really _is_ poisonous."

Squishing the berry between her fingers, she studies the juice. Rubbing some on the inside of her wrist, she tosses the rest away.

Talking to herself in a low whisper. "I remember watching that survival movie, where they said that if you don't know if some plant, fruit or berry is good to eat, one of the things you can do, is to rub some on the inside of your elbow or wrist. If you get a reaction within about fifteen minutes, _don't_ eat it. You're not supposed to have eaten anything for at least eight hours too. No problem _there_ , I don't _remember_ the last time I ate. Let's see... uh, if there isn't any reaction to the skin test, you touch a small piece to the outside of your lip, to see if you get any _burning_ or itching. If, after three minutes, you don't feel _anything_ , then take a very small piece and put it on the tip of your tongue, holding it there for _fifteen_ minutes.

"Now then, what was next? Oh yeah, if there isn't _any_ kind of a reaction, you're supposed to chew that little piece up _really_ good, and hold it on your tongue for _another_ fifteen minutes, and for _god_ sake, don't _swallow_ it. Um, if you don't get any _stinging_ , itching, burning, numbing or any _other_ irritation, for the _whole_ fifteen minutes, you can swallow that tiny piece, but _no_ more.

"After that... let's see, you... you wait _eight_ hours. If something _bad_ happens, you're supposed to induce _vomiting_ and drink plenty of water." Looking over at the waterfall, "Well, I guess I've got plenty of _water_ at least.

"Okay. But if there _weren't_ any ill effects, you're supposed to take a quarter cup of whatever part you're testing, and eat that, prepared _just_ the way you did before. You need to wait _another_ eight hours, and if nothing happens, the part you were testing, should be okay to eat. _Wow_. It's amazing what you can remember when you really need it. The thing is, you're supposed to do this for every _part_ of a plant you're planning on eating. So, I'd have to do the same _thing_ , for leaves, like lettuce or to make tea, fruit, roots, berries, nuts and stuff. Heck, that comes to, like, twenty-four hours for _each_ part! I could _starve_ to death first. But, then again, I could _die_ a really painful death from poisoning too."

Hearing cries far above in the distance, she picks several more berries, still holding tightly to her shield and sword. Turning, she ducks back into the tall green and yellow plants. "I need to see what's behind the falls. If there's enough room, I'll stay there and rest, drink some water, and see how the food test goes."

Keeping low and moving as silently as she can, she makes her way back to the little beach. After a quick look around, she keeps her back to the plants and side steps her way around the little beach. When she reaches the cavern wall, she looks to the falls. "Yeah, there _is_ room back there. And it looks like there's even a _cave_ there too. _Great_. Wonder what I'll find in there ready to eat me _this_ time?"

Glancing one last time to make sure the sky is clear, she sprints across the gravel and sand, then ducks behind the cascading falls. It instantly becomes cooler back behind the falls, as some of the spray mists over her. It feels good. Approaching the mouth of the cave with caution, she places her back against the cool cavern wall. Taking a few breaths to steady her nerves, she briefly sticks her head around the corner, then snatches it back.

"Didn't _see_ anything," she thinks. "But it's a lot _bigger_ in there than I thought, and it's _really_ dark too." Sticking her head back around the corner, _this_ time, she keeps it there for a few moments longer, scanning the darkness for any movement. Not seeing any, she leans her shield and sword against the cavern wall, then slips out of her backpack. Quickly, she flips up a flap and removes her flashlight, putting the berries she has collected inside the pocket, then reseals it.

Sliding the backpack back on, she grabs the sword, then looks at the shield. "Darn! I can't hold everything, and I don't know if there is really anything in there or not." Flipping the switch on the flashlight, the light flares. "Well, at least it still _works_."

Standing for a moment, looking at the blood and slime covering the flashlight, she wrinkles her nose. Looking into the glistening waterfall, she dabs the cut on her lip with the tip of her tongue. Taking a deep breath, slowly letting it out, she flips up the visor of her helmet, and places the end of the filthy, _stinking_ flashlight, into her mouth. The taste is _horrible_ , making her gag as she grabs her shield.

Crouching low, shield and sword at the ready, she enters the cavern.

To TOC

# The Garden

The flashlight plays quickly around the cavern as she moves her head to adjust where the beam points.

Inside, shoulder-sized boulders are scattered everywhere. Tilting her head as far back as she can, Amanda sees that the boulders fell from the roof of the cavern, leaving _huge_ pits behind. This is not very reassuring, as she envisions herself being crushed by a falling boulder at any moment.

Walking stealthily into the thickening darkness, she rounds a boulder just slightly taller than she is, and stops short, almost dropping the flashlight from her mouth, her jaw dropping open. "Oh, my god! _Somebody's_ been here before!"

Her mind races as her light points to a pile of odd tools lying next to some crude, misshapen pots and plates.

Moving the beam across the floor, Amanda _jumps_ back with a gasp, dropping the flashlight completely from her mouth. It hits the sandy interior with a slight thud, the beam shining directly onto what startled her. Not more than fifteen feet away, lies a _skeleton_ of a person with no apparent clothing, propped up against the wall of the cavern and a boulder. Its hands rest on the ground near the body. Part of the ribs are charred in a large circle, now black as coal.

A strange misshapen plate is on its bony lap. Its skull is tilted forward, as though staring at the odd plate.

Dropping quickly to one knee as she releases her shield, Amanda grabs the flashlight, and stands. Swinging the light from side to side in a panic, she looks for anything that may be waiting to attack her. Shaking hard, she nervously wipes the end of the filthy flashlight on her dirty t-shirt, through the gap between the breastplate and backplate. Wrinkling her nose, she then puts it back in her mouth, more _disgusting_ and gritty than before. Bending quickly, she retrieves her shield.

Heart pounding, she turns in a slow circle, trying to decide whether to run from the cavern or not. After a few anxious moments of indecision, she decides that going _back_ outside, will _not_ be a good idea. At least, not yet.

Deciding that she has not seen anything threatening in here, Amanda whispers, "Maybe _whoever_ that was, had been injured by a lizard, or one of those _flying_ things, and... and _died_. Or, maybe they died of old age, or a _hear_ t attack or something." Amanda's eyes are drawn to the ring of charred bone, "Actually though, I think it may have been more of the... or s _omething_."

Cautiously, she makes her way across to the other side of the cavern, to check it out, shining her light at, and around, the many boulders on the cavern floor. She half expects some _frilled_ lizard to come _charging_ out at her. Rounding a boulder near the far side, about to turn away, Amanda tilts her head up toward the cavern wall. "Holy _Smokes_! Look at that! It's, it's a _painting_ ," she thinks with a start. The image is actually a large mural, depicting part of the outside cavern, along with the many plants and gigantic lizard trees.

Amanda moves the light over the mural and recognizes the areas she escaped from and fled to. The _first_ thing she recognizes, is the cavern in which she encountered the _smaller_ lizards and the eggs. But in the mural, it shows not only the larger lizards attacking and killing one another, but _eating_ the smaller lizards, as they emerge from the domed nest.

Her eyes travel the painting. Depicted in the sky above the domed nest, along with the fighting lizards, are several of the flying _porcupine_ bird creatures, _killing_ the smaller lizards by shooting their quills into them. The painting shows them swooping down, _grasping_ their kill in their huge beaks, then flying off into a large cavern, just outside where she is now. The painting shows _hundreds_ of the flying porcupine bird creatures, all being _shot_ down as the massive lizard trees _snatch_ them in midair.

Amanda recognizes the portion of the mural that shows the wall of the cavern just outside, along with the huge waterfall. Not far from the falls and the little beach she knows, her eyes narrow as she recognizes what is _clearly_ a garden. The garden has a low wall of stacked stones, and shows blackberries, watermelons, cantaloupes, squash, carrots, lettuce and several other plants and vegetables she knows well.

Continuing to follow the large mural to the right, as it leads back toward the entrance, she notices a new section. This section, depicts the cave she is in now. It shows several large boulders grouped together in the back of the cave. Excited, behind the boulders, it shows a _door_. Taking another step, the mural shows that there is a spiral _stairway_ on the other side, leading down.

Smiling, fascinated by the mural and not watching _where_ she is going, facing the wall, she steps to the right and smacks _right_ into a huge boulder. Heart jumping, she turns her head quickly to see that she has walked into a boulder leaning tight against the wall. It is _completely_ blocking where the stairway leads down _to_. "No! I can't _believe_ this. This could be the way out of here, and _now_ I can't see where it goes."

Turning, she makes her way around the wide boulder and again faces the wall. It is empty. "Why did this _stupid_ boulder, have to fall _right_ here?! I need to know _where_ those stairs go, and _what_ I'll find there. _Darn_ it!"

Amanda, hearing the falling water as it hits the large clear pool just outside, realizes, she is once again, near the entrance. The rushing water reminds her of just how thirsty she is. She decides to get a good drink from the pool, and fill her water bottle. Moving forward, she makes her way back to the entrance. Taking a quick look around, she moves out of the cave and to the water's edge. Kneeling, she places her shield on the ground and takes the filthy flashlight from her mouth, flips it off, and sets it in the shield. With the cool mist of the falls settling on her face and hands, she slips out of her backpack, grabs her empty water bottle and sets it aside.

Dipping her hands into the clear water, she washes them off. Looking at them, she can see areas where the thick black blood from the lizards is still clinging, mixed with the thick goo from the eggs.

Scooping up a handful of sand, she scrubs her hands together, rubbing them with the fine sand until wincing from the many stinging cuts, scrapes and gashes ... but she does not care, she just wants to get clean. When she is finally satisfied, Amanda rinses off her hands. Holding them up and examining them, she finds that they have at last _begun_ to look like her hands again. "Well, at least they aren't black, _sticky_ and slimy anymore," she says out loud.

Stepping to an area of water not disturbed by her scrubbing, she takes off her helmet. Her long dirty hair dropping around her. Amanda scoops up a handful of water, and drinks greedily. Closing her eyes as the cool clear liquid runs down her throat, she cannot remember _anything_ tasting so refreshing. Not having realized just how thirsty she is, she continues dipping her hands into the water, drinking deeply until she can drink no more.

Unscrewing the cap from her dented water bottle, she fills it, then recaps it. For a few more minutes she just sits there, feeling the cool mist against her face. Her eyes begin to close against her will, fatigue overtaking her. "I don't _ever_ remember being so _tired_. I've got to get some sleep," she whispers, then yawns wide.

Placing her helmet back on her head, shoving her dirty hair back up inside, she moves to her backpack. Opening the flap, she puts the full bottle of water into its pocket and seals it. Slipping the backpack on, she grabs the flashlight, dips it into the pool and scrubs it as best she can. Once it is fairly clean, she rinses it off, then flips it on. Placing the end of it back into her mouth, she picks up her shield, and with a tight grip on her sword, turns to reenter the cave.

Making her way back inside, she winds her way around the boulders, until she once again finds the skeleton. Her light plays momentarily over the bones of her roommate, sending a _chill_ up her spine. Turning to her right, she makes her way to another corner, where a boulder is leaning against the cavern wall. From there, she can still see some light coming in from the entrance.

Setting her sword and shield on the ground, she slips out of the backpack, setting it against the boulder. Looking at her hands, she sighs, remembers the food test. Retrieving another berry, she breaks it open, then rubs the juice on the inside of her wrist, as her stomach growls. Once finished, she looks nervously toward the falls. Taking the flashlight from her mouth, she removes her helmet. Her long black hair falls over her shoulders. Brushing her hair to one side, she lays down. Sliding the backpack to her, to use as a pillow, she turns on her injured side, facing the falls. With one hand on her sword, she is plunged into an eerie darkness as she flips off the flashlight.

The cave comes alive with an ever _shifting_ array of moving shadows, cast by the green light from outside the cave. The cascading, glowing greenish water from the falls, causes the shadows to dance, like _hundreds_ of phantoms, each darting in and out behind the huge boulders.

Exhaustion finally overcomes Amanda, and as she watches the shadows play within the cavern, her eyelids begin to feel heavier, until they flutter shut. Straining, she tries to open them, but she is simply too exhausted, and quickly falls into a deep sleep.

Awakening from a _frightening_ nightmare, in which she is about to be _eaten_ by a lizard while she slept, Amanda sits _bolt_ upright. For a moment, she cannot remember where she is, then, the memory comes _flooding_ back to her. Looking around quickly, she finds her sword and flashlight. Flipping the light on, she grasps her sword and gets stiffly to her feet. The pain from the gashes in her side make her gasp as she clenches her teeth. Nervously, she begins a boulder by boulder search, for _any_ creature that may be hiding in the cave with her. After about ten _agonizing_ minutes of searching, she is finally convinced that _nothing_ is sharing her new temporary home.

Stepping cautiously to the entrance, she flips off the flashlight as she looks around the corner of the wall. Without a sun to rise or set, the huge cavern looks the same twenty-four hours a day. There is _no_ way to know _how_ long she had slept, or what time it is now.

"I wish I had my watch," she mutters, working a kink from her stiff neck. "At least that way, I could tell what _time_ it was, and what _day_ it is too. I _know_ I was really tired, and still am a little, but, actually, I really feel pretty good, considering all that's happened."

Taking a couple tentative steps out from the entrance toward the falls, she again looks intently around to be sure she is alone. Crouching, she makes her way to the pool, cups her hands and has a good drink. Having quenched her thirst, she returns to the entrance and is about to flip on her light, but decides that there is _just_ enough light from the glow outside, to find her way back, now that she has an idea of the cave's layout.

Waiting a few moments for her eyes to adjust to the dim interior, she carefully makes her way back to the backpack, taking a quick glance at the skeleton still resting against the nearby boulder.

Sitting on the cave floor, she picks up the backpack and flips up the flap of the flashlight compartment. Tipping the backpack over, she dumps what she _thinks_ are blackberries, into her lap. Sliding the flashlight into the pocket, she then sets the backpack aside.

With no reaction to her edibility test overnight, she contemplates whether she should continue with the testing, or _trust_ what she has found on the wall painting, and just go ahead and _eat_ them. Her stomach growls and hunger overtakes her. Picking up a berry, Amanda takes a _tiny_ bite between the edges of her teeth, her lips curled _far_ out of the way, as though she were snarling.

Letting _just_ the tip of her tongue tap against the sliver of the berry, she _instantly_ tastes the sweet, _distinct_ flavor... of blackberry. "Yes! It _is_ blackberry," she thinks as a smile spreads across her face. Popping the whole blackberry into her mouth, squashing it between her teeth, she feels it _burst_ and spray against the inside of her mouth. The flavor, is _indescribable_.

Savoring each and every chew, she pops the rest of the berries into her mouth, devouring them. The _hairs_ on the back of her neck, are _literally_ are standing up... not from _fear_ , but from _pure_ ecstasy. Closing her eyes with pleasure, she savors each and every drop of the liquid, as it delights every part of her mouth.

The few berries she had picked _hours_ ago, are gone before she knows it, making her that much _hungrier_. Grabbing her backpack, she stands and slips it on. Stooping, she grabs her helmet and shoves her hair up inside it, making sure the helmet fits snugly on her head, then flips the visor down. Grabbing her sword and shield, she stands looking at the skeleton resting against the boulder, still _staring_ at the plate in its lap. "I sure hope you died from, well, something other than eating these _berries_ ," Amanda says in a whisper.

Turning, she makes her way back to the entrance. Once there, she hesitates, listening intently for any signs of the flying creatures, or sounds of fighting lizards. After several moments, she takes a step outside and to the side. Placing her back against the cliff wall, she sidesteps several feet until she can see around the falls. Eyes darting first around the vegetation, then to the sky above, she decides it is safe to make her way back to the berry bushes. "I'll fill the backpack with berries, then get back here to the cave. They may not be much, but at least it's _something_ to eat," and nervously, looks around one last time.

Keeping low, she makes her way around the little beach and into the vegetation. Making as little noise as possible, she quickly comes to the edge of the nearest berry bush. Glancing around as she lays her shield and sword on the ground, her stomach _growls_ loudly. Slipping out of her backpack, she flips up one of the large flaps and begins filling it quickly with handfuls of blackberries.

The pocket is half full as she makes her way around in back of the bushes, when her foot kicks against something solid. Thinking it is just a large rock, she lifts her boot to step over it, while still picking berries. Her boot strikes something solid again. Looking down, she sweeps the toe of her boot across the vegetation there, and uncovers what _appears_ to be, several rocks, neatly stacked one atop the other, side-by-side.

For a moment, Amanda stares at the oddly stacked rocks. With another sweep of her toe, she uncovers a wider section. Placing the toe of her boot against the rocks, she slides her toe up moving more of the vegetation out of the way. When her toe almost reaches her waist, she stops, and return her foot to the rocky ground. Grabbing some of the vegetation, she _yanks_ it away to find the top of the stacked rocks. Pulling more vegetation away to her right, she suddenly remembers the mural in the cave. It had shown a low wall, separating the _berry_ bushes, from another area which was a garden. Excited, she slips on the backpack, goes back and retrieves her shield and sword, then quickly returns to the wall.

_Painfully_ hoisting herself up at the height of the wall, she stands, then begins sweeping her feet, while keeping alert to any sounds or movement from within the huge cavern. From time to time, she turns and looks to the _huge_ tree-like lizards off in the distance. With relief, Amanda sees that they are not moving, and the only sounds, are the sounds of the waterfall and her feet sweeping through the undergrowth.

Soon, her foot lifts a rather thick vine. Sliding her toe under it, she follows its length and comes to an orangish-yellow ball. "It's _squash_!" she says loudly. "Oh my god... It's the _same_ as we get in the market. I _love_ squash." Over the next few minutes, Amanda snaps off, then stacks, _six_ squash near the little wall. Continuing to look around, she soon finds several _cantaloupe_ , cucumber, a _carrot_ patch, and a _large_ patch of lettuce. Amanda has a _huge_ grin on her face, as she returns to her growing stash of food near the little wall.

It takes her several nervous trips to the cave before she has everything inside. Once safely back with all her treasures, she puts her shield and sword next to her boulder, takes off her helmet and backpack, and sets them aside.

Placing a cantaloupe, two squash and a handful of lettuce in her shield, she happily washes them in the cool pool of the falls. Once back, she uses her sword to slice the cantaloupe into several slices, then sits and devours them, along with several handfuls of berries, and _many_ lettuce leaves.

She cannot stop smiling. There have been _countless_ times she thought she would _starve_ to death, deep inside this mountain. But now, _here_ she is, enjoying a _good_ meal, in a place _no_ one would ever believe existed.

Amanda remains at cave, resting there for what she _thinks_ may have been _three_ days, judging from her sleeping, and the fact that she has eaten _dozens_ of handfuls of berries, many cantaloupe, cucumbers, carrots and _stacks_ upon stacks of lettuce. Amanda had decided _not_ to attempt the squash, thinking she needed to cook it. She did not want to start a fire, not knowing what may come to investigate. The idea of _smoke_ rising up and out of the cave, along with the flickering of a light _not_ known here, may be _too_ much of a curiosity for any critters hanging about.

Checking on her wounds, Amanda finds that many of her cuts and gashes had not healed. Many, now had red streaks coming from them. They were really tender to the touch too. She knows that a good many of her wounds are very infected, but, there is nothing she can do about that here.

Over the past few days, Amanda had investigated the cavern, and discovered the doorway behind the large boulders, that _supposedly_ has stairs on the other side, which lead down to... _what_? There is _no_ lock on the door, just a handle with a thumb latch.

After resting a few days, Amanda begins to feel stronger.

In the morning, at least, Amanda _thinks_ it is morning, she yawns then stretches, as has become her morning ritual. She examines her arms and legs closely, as she does each morning. Some of her wounds have begun to heal, while _others_ have not. But her _strength_ has returned, and she has decided... it is _time_ to move on.

Filling her water bottle and placing it into the pack, she places several carrots, along with two cucumbers into her backpack pockets, as well as several handfuls of berries. Gathering her things, she secures the flaps on her backpack, slides the shield into the holder she has made for it, then slips the backpack on. Brushing off her helmet, she places it on her head, tucking her hair neatly up inside. Shaking her flashlight for a few moments to charge it, she flips it on, grabs her sword, and makes her way to the back of the cave. There, she stands in front of the old door, thinking about what may lie waiting on the other side.

Taking a deep breath, she lets it out slowly as she grabs the handle. Dabbing the scab on her lip, she presses down on the latch, hearing a distinct _clank_. Forcing a swallow, she pulls on the ancient door, and _swings_ it open.

To TOC

# The Slithering

There is no light on the other side of the ancient wooden door.

Taking a hesitant step, Amanda finds she is standing on a rocky landing at the head of the stairs. Tilting her head slightly, she listens intently. The only sound is that of the falls filtering in through the open doorway.

Reluctantly, Amanda closes the door, afraid something will follow her... waiting until she falls asleep... to pounce on her and rip her apart with its long, sharp claws.

The door thumps closed and she hears the latch click into place. Quickly, she presses the thumb latch, hears the click and pushes the door outward. Heart pounding, she once again closes the door, testing to make sure it latched, then turns to face the stairs.

For a few moments, she moves her light around the landing, across the low ceiling and walls. The cave is small, about the size of a large bedroom. The stairs are crudely made, looking as though they had been _beaten_ out of the rock, instead of cut from it, and are covered with a _thick_ layer of dirt and dust. Small rocks, having fallen from the ceiling, are strewn here and there down the steps into the darkness.

The stairway is very odd and very scary. It has _no_ handrail to hold onto. The spiral steps were cut, or _beaten_ , from the walls of this deep _vertical_ shaft. The thought of slipping and falling from the edge of the steps into the dark abyss below, gives Amanda a good shiver.

"Well, at least I don't have to worry about walking on some old rotted _wooden_ steps, that's something. Just need to watch out for slipping on all those rocks," she says, dabbing again at the scab on her lip.

Adjusting her backpack and shield, she begins to descend the stairs. The downward stairway spirals to the right. Over the next half hour, Amanda slips several times on loose stones, _twice_ almost sending her tumbling down, or off the stairs.

Missing one well-hidden stone, Amanda grimaces in pain as she turns her ankle. Bracing herself against the cavern wall for support, she continues downward, limping slowly. A few minutes later, her light strikes an area ahead with _no_ stairs. Approaching, she sees it is another landing. Stepping gingerly onto the rough rock strewn landing, her breath catches as pain shoots from her ankle.

Amanda turns, shining her light up the stairs she just descended, the beam fading high above into inky darkness.

"I don't like this," she says, her voice echoing in the cavern. "I want to be going _up_ , toward the surface, but all I'm doing is going further and further _down_ into this mountain. I _really_ don't like this at all. But there's no other way to go... I guess."

Her throat tight, Amanda turns around, moving her light around the landing. After a few moments, she spots a path that curves around a huge boulder to the right. Walking along the pathway, she sees it leading to a long and narrow tunnel in the solid rock. "Oh. Now I _really_ don't like this. I don't like this at _all_." Shining her beam into the tunnel, she watches as the light dances over gravel and tiny chips of quartz crystals, sparkling like millions of tiny stars.

For a moment, turning and shining her flashlight back along the path, she thinks of turning back to the comfort of the little cave near the garden. After all, she reasons, she had plenty of water and food.

"But, what if a _lizard_ or one of those flying things finds the cave? And, there's no one to _talk_ to either. If I get hurt, or sick, there's no one to _help_ me. I'm alone, and from the looks of it, I'd be alone for the _rest_ of my life."

The thought of being alone for the rest of her life, _trapped_ with vicious lizards and flying monsters, _completely_ unnerves her. After calming herself for a few moments, she turns back to the tunnel. Forcing down a dry swallow, she sighs, then stoops and steps inside.

The air is stale and thick, with no movement.

Immediately Amanda feels icy cold sweat drip down her neck and back, and changes the flashlight from one sweaty palm to the other. The sound of her heart racing in her chest is loud in her ears. Her vision darkens as her head begins to pound.

Having been in the huge caverns for so long, claustrophobia is beginning to unnerve her. The tunnel feels as though it is closing in on her.

The sides are narrow, only about ten inches away from either shoulder. But worse is the low ceiling. As Amanda moves slowly forward, she is forced to walk bent over and because the area is so small, the air is thick, making it hard to breathe.

Shining her light further into the tunnel, she stops at the sight of hundreds of spiders webs illuminated by her light. It looks like hundreds of fiber-optic threads, stretching out in every direction and angle.

"I _hate_ spiders," she says with a shudder.

Every few steps, Amanda waves her sword around to remove the sticky spider webs. Her light strikes several large, _nasty_ looking spiders. Grimacing with disgust, she either _smashes_ them or quickly runs past.

Amanda keeps walking until finally, feeling as though she cannot take another step, her legs cramping, her bent back in pain, she decides to rest. Moving the thick sticky webs out of her way, she clears a space to lay down, nervously looking for any spiders.

After a short rest, Amanda starts out again. From time to time, a spider _does_ land on her, sending her into a _screaming_ and thrashing fit to get them off, generally running right through many large webs, covering herself in sticky strands. She continues on like this, walking then laying down to rest, for several more hours.

Walking another long stretch, her back complaining loudly, Amanda rests again, sitting with her back against the tunnel wall. Having cut one of the cucumbers into slices, she eats every bit, sucking the juice from them, instead of drinking from her water bottle, just in case she needs the water later.

Getting up, Amanda moves on now as if in a trance, one foot in front of the other, hour after hour, not thinking, just moving. The tunnel will go up at an angle for some time, winding to the left, then right, then descend, sometimes at _dreadful_ angles, skidding down a _steep_ slope, sending up plumes of dust.

Without realizing it, Amanda finds herself straightening, eventually walking upright. As though coming out of a fog, Amanda looks around to discover the tunnel is wider... a _lot_ wider... about the size of an eighteen wheel semi-truck. Looking at her chest, arms and legs, Amanda is revolted to see she is _completely_ covered in sticky spider webs, most thickly stuck to the black blood and slime from the lizards. Shaking her head in disgust, she mutters, "What a _mess_!"

Moving her cramped shoulders around to loosen them, she continues to follow the pathway. Raising the flashlight, she _gasps_ , almost dropping it. There on the walls all around her, are _faces_ carved into the rock. Trembling, she walks forward, the many _agonized_ faces seem to watch her with their empty, _hollow_ eyes, all crying out in silent _screams_ from their open mouths.

As she rounds a corner, her light shines on what appears to have been a cave-in. Moving her light around the rubble, she lets out a small _startled_ scream. To the side of the cave-in are several more rock faces, but near them on the ground, are three _real_ skulls. _Huge_ spiders are scurrying over the walls, and several are crawling in and out through the skulls. Her eyes wide with fright, she shines her light around the huge pile of crushed rocks, dirt and _hundreds_ of spider webs.

Shining her light upward over the cave-in, Amanda discovers a small opening near the top of the pile. Moving closer, she sees the opening is about the size of her fist. Keeping a nervous eye on the spiders, she places her sword on the cavern floor against the wall and carefully climbs the rubble. Causing small rock slides as she climbs, Amanda finally reaches the top and shines her light through the small hole. "Yes! It _is_ open to the other side!" her voice echoing, sounding hollow against the stones. "All I have to do, is move some of these rocks away so I can get through."

Tumbling rock after rock down the mound and onto the tunnel floor, Amanda begins to increase the size of the opening. It takes half an hour to move enough dirt and rock away, that she can finally push her pack, shield, sword and herself through the opening.

Once on the other side, she rests for about an hour, her sprained ankle throbbing, having turned it again coming down the pile of rocks. Rested, and after securing her pack to her back, the shield once again hanging from it, she grasps her sword and flashlight, and heads off down this new side of the tunnel.

After walking for several minutes, Amanda hears a rumble behind her. As she turns, the rumble grows louder, followed by the sound of falling and crushing rock. Amanda's heart _pounds_ wildly, as her eyes fly wide with fright. "Oh my _god_! That sounded like a..."

Shining her light back along the tunnel, she is overcome by a huge rolling cloud of dust. The dust is _thick_ and the force of it strikes her like a strong _gust_ of wind. Stumbling back, grit _tears_ into her eyes, making her blink them shut as she _thrashes_ her head from side to side.

Turning her back to the onslaught of the dust cloud, she begins to cough. Gasping for breath, she coughs even more. The cloud is _choking_ her. Frantic, she drops to her knees, releasing her flashlight and sword. Snapping one hand to her throat, as though grasping at some invisible hand trying to choke her to death, she pulls her helmet off, letting it fall to the floor beside her. Unfastening her chest and back plate, she lets _them_ fall as well.

Quickly, she covers her nose and mouth with her torn and _filthy_ t-shirt. Forcing herself to stand, she quickly stumbles down the tunnel away from the cloud, one hand trailing the tunnel wall for guidance. Soon, she realizes she has moved so far that she is in _complete_ darkness. Lowering her t-shirt, she places both hands against the tunnel wall, gulping down the cleaner air between racking coughs.

After several more minutes of coughing, _gagging_ and spitting, Amanda begins to calm down. Turning around, she puts her t-shirt over her nose and mouth again, and slowly hobbles back to where she had dropped the flashlight, helmet, chest and backplate, along with her sword. After securing her helmet, chest and backplate, she slips into her backpack and grabs her sword. Waiting for another few minutes for the dust to further settle, she cautiously makes her way back down the tunnel to see what happened.

Before long, her light looks like some kind of searchlight, with its thick beam glistening through _zillions_ of flying particles of dust. And then she sees it. Her light shines on a large pile of rocks and dirt which goes right up against the ceiling. _This_ time, there are _no_ visible gaps.

"Oh _no_! It _was_ a cave-in, and a _big_ one too." After studying the rocks, she is convinced. "This is _really_ sealed. I don't think I could _ever_ dig my way back out. Look how _big_ those rocks are. I, I couldn't even _move_ them."

Scared to death, Amanda shakes as hot tears flow down her dirty cheeks. "I _can't_ get back! I'm _trapped_ in here. If there's a cave-in further along this tunnel, or there's a dead end, _I'm_ dead!"

Amanda's head begins to pound, as she feels the headache begin again and her vision darken. The walls seem to press in on her. "Okay. _Calm_ yourself Amanda. You're _fine_... for now. Just breathe, stay _calm_ , and relax. It'll be fine, this tunnel leads _someplace_ , and everything will be fine.

"Well. There's only one way to know for _sure_ what's up ahead, so, let's see." Sounding braver than she feels, shaking from head to toe, she turns and heads back along the winding tunnel.

Thankfully, the tunnel stays large enough to stand in, as it continues to wind its way around curve after curve.

After an hour, Amanda begins to smell something... rotten, which grows stronger as she continues. There is something familiar about the smell.

As she rounds a boulder, she _jumps_ when her light strikes another ancient door only feet away. "Thank god, a _door_ , and there weren't any other cave-ins." Letting out a huge sigh of relief, as she breaks into a nervous smile, she plays the light quickly around the door.

Her heart _skips_ a beat and her smile vanishes, as her light reveals a _red_ mist seeping in through the bottom of the door, accompanied by a _foul_ odor. "Ooooh, myyyyy, _god_! No! Not again! Not _more_ lizards!" Her body gives an involuntary shudder.

Amanda decides to rest here, since looking around, it seems the _spiders_ do not like this area either. Here, she will have something to eat, a drink of water, then once rested, she will open the door and see what is _awaiting_ her on the other side.

As she sits and rests, rubbing her swollen ankle, her mind plays back her _last_ adventures in the red mist, and her encounters with the lizards and flying creatures.

1Tired, and not wanting to open the door just yet, she decides to sleep here. She figures that when she wakes, it _should_ be another day, and by then, she will be rested enough to fight _whatever_ lizards she may find. She _hopes_.

It is _hours_ before she falls asleep, the images of _snapping_ lizards attacking her, along with flying creatures shooting deadly _quills_ at her, make for a _very_ restless sleep. Well, that and envisioning _dozens_ of spiders _crawling_ all over her while she slept.

After waking, Amanda is starving. Slicing another cucumber, she devours it, finishing with a carrot, a few berries, and another sip of water.

After sitting another hour, thinking about what she may find on the other side of the door, she sighs and says softly to herself, "Well, I _guess_ I can't put it off any longer." Leaving her backpack on the ground with her shield hanging off the back, she grabs her flashlight and sword.

Standing, she turns and faces the door. Stepping forward, she grasps the handle sliding her thumb into place. Moistening her lips with her tongue, she takes a deep breath, letting it out as she presses down on the thumb latch, hearing the click. Sword at the ready, she _very_ slowly pushes the door open.

As the thinnest crack opens through the two-foot thick door, a sliver of red light enters, along with a swirling red mist.

There is a _foul_ stench as the mist pours in. Not like the stench she had smelled before. _Worse_.

The mist feels _very_ warm. "Great. It must be another _boiling_ lake, like the other one with that glowing lava, _acid_... stuff. Or _whatever_ it was. Please god, _don't_ let there be any lizards in there ready to _eat_ me."

Continuing to ease the door open, she _cringes_ as the door squeaks loudly and pops as it swings outward, knowing that any _creatures_ on the other side, will surely hear it.

Soon, the crack is wide enough to poke her head through and take a quick glance around. Holding her breath, Amanda pulls her head back and shuts the door. "Well, I didn't _see_ any lizards. But then again, I didn't see any when I entered the _other_ red cavern either. And the mist here, is as tall as _I_ am at least."

Not wanting to enter, she realizes that she simply has no other choice. The way _back_ is blocked from the massive cave-in, the rocks too large for her to move. There is only _one_ way to go now, no matter _what_ may be in there waiting for her.

Since there is plenty of light coming from what she _knows_ must be a luminous, _red_ hot boiling lake, she opens the door just a sliver. With a flick of her thumb, she flips off her flashlight. Grabbing her backpack, she slips the shield from it and sets it on the ground. Amanda slips the flashlight into its pocket, then, reseals it. After slipping the backpack on, she grabs her shield and opens the door with her sword hand. Once the door is wide enough, she steps through and is _startled_ to be in mist that is _well_ over her head. "Ooooh. I _really_ don't like this!" she whispers.

Eyes frantically darting around, she looks for any movement within the mist and strains to hear any sounds.

"What is that noise?" she thinks. "It sounds like... _bubbling_? Yes, it sounds like boiling water on the stove, only louder. But then again, not _quite_ like water. _Thicker_. It kind of sounds like big bubbles in hot mud, like you see in the movies with the tar pits and stuff. The lake must be close by. God, it's hot as _hell_ in here." Her forehead immediately beads with sweat, and she can feel her t-shirt beginning to stick to her skin under her armor.

Talking softly to herself, "The _smell_ is making me sick. It smells like sulphur, and, like, something has _died_ and is rotting. Ew. It's _awful_!

"Okay, so _which_ way do I go? I can't see a darn thing for more than five or six feet in front of me!"

After pausing for a few moments, she realizes the danger of standing still, and moves on hoping to find a way out of this cavern and back into a cooler one. That is, if there _is_ another one. Turning, she quickly closes the old door as quietly as she can.

Crouching, the shield close to her body, sword held up and slightly to the side, she begins making her way forward into the mist, gravel crunching under foot. Having taken only a few steps, her boots strike something that does _not_ crunch.

Looking down in front of her, she sees that she has stepped onto what looks like a blue-green slate pathway of some kind. Looking from side to side, she finds that the pathway is wide, disappearing into the mist on either side of her. "Well, this isn't a _natural_ formation, _that's_ for sure. This was _made_ by somebody, and has to lead someplace. At least it's worth following, since I don't know where else to go. I can't see a _thing_ for more than a few feet at best."

Very nervous, but feeling better that there is at least a path to follow, she moves forward, the dense mist swirling up around her as she goes.

With each step she takes, the muffled sound of her boots thumping against the slate pathway is all she can hear, other than the loud bubbling coming from somewhere off to her right.

Walking for several minutes, following the ever curving pathway around large boulders and what appears to be _huge_ , odd bleached white curving tree trunks, she is becoming more apprehensive. Something makes her stop and turn around. "What was _that_?" she whispers as her eyes move rapidly from side to side. Another faint sound comes from her right. Spinning in that direction, sword waving slightly in front of her, her ears throb from the effort of listening.

A cry comes from somewhere above and to the left of her. "Oh god, please, _no_! That sounds like those flying _porcupine_ things." Another cry comes from above and to the right. That is enough for Amanda. Spinning around, she quickly begins following the pathway. Moving forward, the mist swirls around her, the _stench_ making her gag. In another few moments, the mist has grown lighter and she can now see for at least fifteen feet.

A strange sound from behind and to her left stops her. Swinging around, she faces in the sounds direction.

Nothing.

About to turn away, she hears it again. Tilting her head from side-to-side, she listens intently. "What _is_ that? It sounds like something really _heavy_ being, dragged over the ground."

Heart racing, she waits as the sound draws nearer. A slight movement to her right catches the corner of her eye. Coming into view through the red mist, is a _huge_ snake with a thick body, covered with large scales of many colors, about eleven _feet_ in length. Its head is more like that of a crocodile, its long snout getting thinner near the front, and, to her _horror_ , is _filled_ with hundreds of sharp teeth, all curving slightly backward, toward the hinge of its jaw.

It is like no snake she has ever seen.

Stumbling back a few steps, Amanda goes rigid from fright. In an instant, the snake with its large black eyes slit like a cats, sees Amanda.

Instantly, the snake begins to coil, then rises until it is about the same height as Amanda. The snake is _much_ longer than she had first imagined. As it coils, _more_ of it comes into view from within the mist. Amanda _jumps_ when the snake flares its neck like a cobra, and arches its _hideous_ head. But this snake, has _two_ hoods, one behind the other, not _one_ like the cobra. It hisses loudly as it begins to sway from side-to-side, as though it were waving in a gentle breeze. Its hoods are slapping into one another, making a _frightening_ buzzing sound.

Amanda takes a slow step backward. Shaking, she is gripping her shield and sword so tightly, her knuckles are _white_. As she backs, the snake leans toward her, hissing loudly.

Amanda feels a tingling _shoot_ through her. As she draws her shield in close, she drops close to the ground, _just_ as the snake opens its maw wide, and _spits_ a stream of green liquid. The spray passes over her head, where it would have _struck_ her eyes but a fraction of a second sooner.

Rising to a crouching position and turning sideways, Amanda quickly begins moving backward along the pathway, in a sideways _sliding_ fashion, keeping her shield facing the snake, afraid that her injured and weakened ankle will twist again, sending her to the ground at any moment.

The attack happens in a blur of movement.

The snake slithers forward, arching its raised head back, and with a powerful snap, like the end of some whip, it _slams_ into the shield, toppling Amanda onto her back. Screaming, Amanda _snatches_ her legs out of the way just in time, as the snake _strikes_ a second time, its head chipping out a large _chunk_ of the slate pathway with its hard nose.

_Again_ and again the snake strikes at her, each time barely missing her as she continues to roll to either side, scooting away from it on her bottom. Amanda is _screaming_ at the snake, tears flowing down her cheeks, "Go away! God, please, _go_ away, _leave_ me alone!"

Frantic and crying hysterically, she continues scooting backward, until she backs right into something. _Shrieking_ hysterically, she thinks something has snuck up behind her. Snapping her head around, she sees that she has backed into one of those odd, curved white tree trunk-like structures.

The snake strikes again.

Amanda _rolls_ to the right and behind the white trunk, only six feet in diameter. Shaking hard, she jumps to her feet, feeling a sharp pain in her ankle. Amanda tries to hide behind the trunk, but is _sure_ the snake can still see her. Looking up, she sees that the trunk grows _wider_ , curving in an arc as it rises and disappears into the mist like fog.

Amanda _freezes_ as she hears the odd sound of movement on the gravel again. Eyes flying wide, she understands! "It was the _snake_ making that sound. It's the sound it makes when it... _slithers_!" Facing the white trunk, she listens intently, trying to determine its direction. The sound is shifting. Slowly turning to her left, more sound in that direction, she _knows_ what its planning. "It's going to come around the trunk to my left," she thinks, narrowing her brows. Every nerve on edge, she slowly brings her sword up, placing her hand next to her right ear, ready to strike, keeping her _shield_ in front of, and just to the left of her.

In a few heart pounding seconds, the _flick_ of a forked tongue darts into view from the side of the trunk, followed a heartbeat later, by the end of a snout. Soon, Amanda is looking at razor-sharp, curved teeth, running along the snakes slightly open mouth.

A _jolt_ shoots through her, and taking a couple quick steps, Amanda spins around the opposite side of the trunk, bringing her sword down as _quickly_ and as powerfully as she can.

The blade strikes true, slicing cleanly through the snake, _just_ behind the head. There is a _huge_ spray of thick black blood, as the body of the snake reflexively recoils and _thrashes_ around, spraying _streams_ of blood everywhere. With a yell of surprise, Amanda is sprayed _heavily_ several times, before recovering from the _shock_ of seeing the _headless_ snake, coiling and rising, _thrashing_ about as though it did not _need_ a head at all.

Turning quickly away, she runs back to the path, limping badly on her injured ankle. After a few moments, she passes another of the white, odd curved trunks. It, too, arches up, curving in over the pathway.

As she runs, she passes another trunk, then another. Making her way to the edge on the other side of the pathway, she encounters more of the odd arches. After running for some distance, the pain in her ankle _screams_ in anguish, and she finally stops to catch her breath, leaning against one of the odd trunks.

Trying to slow her breathing and doing the best she can to ignore the pain in her ankle, she studies the odd looking tree trunk. "These are _really_ weird. It looks like the trunk has _millions_ of odd shaped holes in it. Feels really _rough_ too. Weird. Their trunks are _thinner_ at the ground, then get _wider_ as they go up."

Trying to loosen another kink in her neck, she tilts her head up, and notices for the first time, that she can see something above her, where the mist has thinned some. With a gasp, "These aren't _tree_ trunks, they're architectural supports for some kind of _ceiling_!"

Squinting into the mist above her, she sees that the arch where she is standing, curves far above, growing thicker. Squinting harder into the ever-changing mist, she can make out that it connects to a large white plate of some kind. Hobbling across the wide pathway to the other side, she continues staring at the ceiling.

"There! That same plate connects to _this_ arch on the other side. I'm following some kind of covered arched _pathway_! This was made by _people_ , and if it's covered... it must be _really_ important, and I bet it leads to another door, and I bet it's somewhere _close_!"

Excited, she follows the path as quickly as her injured ankle allows, the huge arches above passing over her as she walks. Looking up from time to time, she marvels at how the plates above fit together so perfectly, with their curved joints following the pathway exactly. "I wonder who built this, and why? It's _really_ awesome!" she whispers with a smile.

Still amazed at the workmanship of the archway and pathway as she moves on, the silence is suddenly broken by a cry above her to the right. Crouching instantly, Amanda slowly turns in a full circle, nervously scanning the mist.

Nodding her head, she whispers, "I know _that_ sound. It's one of those _flying_ things with the big beaks and all the _quills_."

A noise from her left shifts her attention. A dragging noise, rapidly growing louder. "Oh great! Another snake! But this one sounds _heavier_. Which means..." Just then, a _massive_ snout appears through the mist, heading quickly in her direction. Judging from the size of its hideous head, Amanda guesses the snake to be at _least_ twenty to twenty-five feet long.

Before her brain can process what is happening, the massive snake shoots forward, coils quickly, then strikes at her. An electrical _shock_ jolts through her, as Amanda _jumps_ to the side, and out of the way of the gaping mouth. Landing hard, she has no idea how she managed to survive.

As the snake snaps its head back, coiling for another strike, Amanda's brain plays back what just happened in slow motion. In her mind's eye, she sees the snake coil quickly, rock its massive head back, while arching its neck. Just as _it_ shot forward, a powerful shock ran through _her_ body, making her jump up and twist to the side. As she left the ground, she remembers seeing two huge fangs flip out from inside the snake's mouth. Of _course_ , she thought, the fangs are _retractable_ , folding up into the mouth when not needed, and flashing forward when they are needed. In a split second, one of the massive fangs had _struck_ the air, _exactly_ where she had been standing, before she had twisted out of the way.

Time speeds up, and she is back in the moment. The snake is about to strike her again, when a cry from above stops it. The snake instantly _snaps_ its head around looking to the sky. Amanda does the same, eyes wide with fright, shaking hard.

A tremendous turbulence swirls the mist _violently_ around Amanda, but she can just see a pair of _wing_ tips appear for an instant, then a _flash_ of something behind them coming forward quickly. Amanda drops to the ground, her shield held tightly against her. A high pitched _shrill_ assaults her ears, along with what sounds like a _rock_ storm pelting her shield.

The air is quiet. It is over in an instant. Moving her shield to the side, Amanda peeks around the edge, and sees the snake lying _dead_ on the gravel, with _dozens_ of familiar spears sticking out of it.

"Oh god! That flying _porcupine_ thing killed the snake! It shot dozens of those _quills_ from its tail into it. But look how _big_ they are! They must be three or four feet _long_. That had to be one _huge_ critter!"

Afraid it will come back for her, Amanda jumps to her feet, looking for the pathway. Catching sight of it, she takes a few strides toward it but stops as a huge gust of wind blows her way. Turning her head to the side and holding her shield up to block the force of it, she _staggers_ back a little. With an ear splitting _shriek_ , the ground shakes as something heavy _hits_ the ground.

Lowering her shield slightly, she looks over the top, her eyes flying wide at the sight. One of the huge flying creatures has landed on the dead snake, _ripping_ huge chunks of flesh from the body. Tossing chunks of the dripping meat into the air, it catches them in its beak, forcing them down its throat, as its head bobs up and down like a baby bird being fed.

Two more cries pierce the air, and soon another blast of wind strikes Amanda, followed closely by yet another. In seconds, there are two _more_ of the flying creatures devouring the snake, its body being tossed around like a rag doll, while quickly being shredded.

Rising slowly to her feet, Amanda begins to very slowly retreat along the pathway into the mist. The cries from the creatures make her shudder as she continues walking backward. In a few moments, the mist has blocked her view of them. Turning, she makes her way quickly along the path, wincing from the pain in her injured ankle.

Soon, Amanda hears more cries from several other directions. Stopping, spinning first in one direction, then another, she tries to follow the direction of the cries.

A blast of wind just to her right swirls the mist violently. Quickly bringing her shield up, the force of the wind strikes hard against it, making her stagger backward. When she lowers her shield a bit, she can see that the mist has thinned a little. Another cry from her left splits the air, as another blast of wind roars in, forcing her to stagger back once again. When she lowers her shield this time, she can see that the mist has been blown so _violently_ , that it has almost _completely_ disappeared in a crude circle, about twenty-five feet away.

To Amanda's horror, there are at _least_ seven snakes, some twenty to thirty feet in length, _all_ approaching her from different angles. Her vision starts to narrow as she feels faint from fright, and is afraid she may pass out.

As the snakes catch sight of her, they begin to raise their huge heads into the air, as though being hoisted up a flagpole. Amanda cringes at the horrible buzzing noise they make as they flap their hoods.

Amanda's body begins to feel as though she is standing in some kind of _static_ field. Even the hairs on her arms are _literally_ standing up. She is no longer feeling faint, and her mental clarity is clearer now than she can ever remember.

Two of the huge snakes quickly slither forward, heads held high, ready to strike. Three others move off to the left, the last two moving off to the right. "They're going to try to _surround_ me! I'll be trapped!" Spinning around, she is about to run when several cries come from above. The snakes instantly coil tighter, quickly bringing their heads in low, to the center of the coil.

Looking up, Amanda sees two of the huge flying creatures approaching quickly, their giant wings stirring up the mist, blowing it out of the way. As one of the creatures fly over the snakes, one of the snakes strikes out. The snake's head shoots up so quickly that Amanda can hardly follow it. In stunned horror, she watches as the snakes huge mouth opens to the point that it must have unhinged its lower jaw. Its jaws are almost _horizontal_ , as two _huge_ fangs shoot forward and spear the flying creature. The beast lets out an _earsplitting_ shriek, as it is _snatched_ to the ground, where the snake quickly coils around it, pulling its fangs free.

Trembling from head to foot, Amanda watches as the snake _thrashes_ and rolls, squeezing the _life_ out of flying creature. She can hear the bones _cracking_ and breaking. Mesmerized, her heart _racing_ , Amanda watches the snake repeatedly open and close its huge jaws, each time forcing the now _twitching_ creature further and further along its backward pointing teeth. Soon, the entire creature has been swallowed.

More cries come from above. Three of the winged creatures come quickly into view through the whirling mist. One of them fires _dozens_ of quills into one of the nearby snakes, sending it _whipping_ across the ground, writhing in agony. The snakes flap their hoods and the cavern is filled with _horrible_ buzzing. Blood-curdling _shrieks_ come from above, as _dozens_ of the quilled creatures descend on the snakes.

"They're flapping their wings as they pass over, to blow the _mist_ away so they can _see_ the snakes!" Snakes strike at the flying creatures, some missing, some striking their target, and _snatching_ them back into a coiled stance, swallowing them whole. Several of the flying creatures unleash a _flurry_ of quills, striking and _killing_ three snakes.

A shriek from behind and to her right, snaps Amanda out of her trance of terror. Spinning around, she sees one of the flying creatures land a short distance to the side of the path. It quickly folds its wings against its body, as it looks _directly_ at Amanda. It lets out an _earsplitting_ cry.

Amanda cringes from the pain in her ears, making her turn slightly away. Looking back, she sees it waving its tail menacingly from side to side, making her think of a _mad_ cat lowering its head, as it raises its backside, preparing to strike.

In a flash, Amanda sees it flick its tail to one side and snap it forward. Dropping instantly behind her shield, she hears, and _feels_ the shield being pelted by _dozens_ of quills. The force of the striking quills knocks her over. Scrambling quickly to return to a defensive posture, she glances around the shield and gasps. There are _two_ snakes approaching quickly out of the mist, headed directly at the flying creature, which is preparing to strike out at her again.

Unable to look away, she watches as both snakes _strike_ at the same time. Both hit the flying creature with mouths wide, jaws unhinged. The creature does not have time to cry out as it is instantly _torn_ in half. Blood, _spraying_ like sheets of cascading red wine, drenches everything for several yards, including Amanda.

A large portion of the creatures _severed_ intestines strike Amanda in the chest, with some flipping up over her shoulder, draping her like a shawl. Shaking her body hard, she whips her shoulder back and forth several times, finally dislodging the intestines. It hits the pathway with a sickening, dull, wet _splat_ , just as Amanda _vomits_ in her helmet. Turning sharply to one side, she throws up again. Feeling weak in the legs, still nauseous, she staggers further along the pathway, nearly _dragging_ her injured leg.

Glancing behind her, she sees the two snakes have their mouths closed, and can see the outlines of the _swallowed_ creatures, making their way along the inside of the snake's bodies.

Another wave of nauseousness sweeps over her, realizing those bumps _could_ have been her. Stopping again and leaning over, shield and sword to the side, she retches again. Panting, crying _hysterically_ , she begins to run in great _staggering_ strides. Coughing and spitting as she runs, she tries to figure out what happened to the other snakes she had seen.

A loud _rumbling_ and grinding sound comes from behind and to her left. Above her, shrieks from hundreds of flying creatures shatter the air.

Every hair on Amanda's arms is standing up as the sounds of torture are all around her. Everywhere Amanda turns, she sees an all-out war between the snakes and the flying quilled creatures, as their bodies are _torn_ apart and eaten... while they are _still_ alive.

Amanda _staggers_ to a halt as two flying creatures land to her right, just a few yards away from the pathway. Whipping the shield in front of her chest, sword held at the ready, she watches as they _snap_ their beaks together, making _terrible_ clicking sounds. One begins to paw the ground, sending up _plumes_ of gravel and dust, whipping the _mist_ into a frenzy. The strange, loud rumbling sound stops, and _just_ as the beast that pawed the ground _leaps_ into the air toward Amanda, a _gigantic_ snout appears out of the mist from above and to the side of the ceiling.

_Stunned_ and unable to move, Amanda's eyes are fixed on the huge snout. What she sees is only the very _tip_ of a snake's snout, but it is as _large_ as her bedroom back home. And the _teeth_ are longer than she is tall, by far.

Time shifts to slow motion for Amanda, as she watches the _curved_ teeth catch the leaping creature in midair, piercing cleanly through its body, spurts of its blood _spraying_ everywhere, again _drenching_ Amanda, making her gag. In another moment, both beast and snout rise quickly through the swirling red mist above, and are gone.

Amanda watches as the other flying creature quickly turns, flaps its wings hard, and is just rising into the air, when the giant snout _plunges_ from above, clamping its _razor_ sharp, teeth lined jaws, shut on the _shrieking_ creature. In a heartbeat, both rise, vanishing into the mist, streams of black blood raining down around Amanda.

In another few heart pounding moments, the loud _rumbling_ sound begins again, and suddenly, Amanda knows what it is! Inhaling sharply, she goes rigid. A _huge_ oval-like structure moves out of the mist and alongside the covered pathway. It looks something like a fire hose... but a fire hose as _high_ as a two-story house, gliding smoothly across the gravel, its front end sticking so high into the air that it disappears into the mist!

"Oh my _god_! It's... it's a gigantic _snake_!" Amanda has no strength left to lift her sword and lets it fall to her side, still clutching tightly. Stomach tightening involuntarily, shoulders and head shaking, she feels as though she were made of rubber, she begins to sway. Trying _not_ to move, she watches as the house-sized snake _slithers_ alongside the covered pathway. Amanda's eyes are wide, as she watches the ripples running along its length, as _powerful_ muscles propel it along the ground. The multicolored scales along its body, look like _huge_ plates of armor. Not moving, she waits until its massive body moves away and into the mist. The rumbling growing softer.

A high-pitched _shriek_ comes from her right. Amanda spins around _just_ in time, to see a flying creature land on a large snake. The snakes _head_ is already pocking into the pathway, and is now only a _foot_ from Amanda's face, when she _screams_.

The flying creature _bites_ down hard into the snake's body, making it instantly pull away from Amanda. Amanda is so stiff, _paralyzed_ with fear, that as she _tries_ to move, she simply falls onto the pathway. Striking the ground, her sword is knocked from her hand, and sent skidding away from her.

Moving into a sitting position, she watches _terrified_ , as the large snake repeatedly lunges and snaps at its small attacker, as _it_ jumps to the side, firing rounds of quills into the snake.

This, is a _big_ snake, locked in battle with a much _smaller_ flying creature. The quills appear to penetrate the snakes armored scales, but for only a few inches at best, just to be _shaken_ out as the snake _strikes_ at the creature again. Amanda sees that more damage is being inflicted by the creature's _beak_ than the quills, as _chunks_ of dripping meat are _ripped_ away from the angry snake's body.

Amanda looks up _fearfully_ as ear-piercing screeches sound right above her head. Two more flying creatures land on the snake. All three are tearing strips of wet _flesh_ from the snake, then scramble quickly out of the way, as the snake _frantically_ tries to strike out at them.

As Amanda slowly gets to her feet, she watches as one of the flying creatures _jumps_ to the side just a little too slowly. The snake catches it in its gaping maw, clamping its razor sharp teeth into it. The creature _shrieks_ the most horrible, _terrified_ cry Amanda has ever heard.

A sudden noise to the side makes her instinctively twist in that direction. Out of the mist, a flying creature is heading _straight_ for her, wings partly to the side, sharp beak _snapping_ furiously.

A powerful _shock_ jolts Amanda's body into action.

Springing to her feet, she turns just as the beast bolts between the arch supports of the pathway, flicking its tail threateningly from side to side. Amanda's heart skips a beat as she sees the creature land next to her sword. This is one of the smaller flying creatures, about the size of a pony, but there is _nothing_ small about its sharp, snapping beak.

Amanda grips her shield with both hands, eyes riveted at the approaching menace. Stepping in front of Amanda, it stands _directly_ over her sword. Amanda looks at the sword for a longing moment, as just then, the beast _attacks_. It _lunges_ forward snapping its beak at her. Throwing the shield up to protect herself, the beak strikes it _true_ in the center, knocking Amanda off her feet. The force of the blow causes Amanda to land hard on the pathway, sending her _sliding_ backward on her back along the pathway, for at _least_ ten feet.

Springing to her feet, she yelps as her injured ankle twists again. A screech sounds beside her. Turning, she sees the _three_ flying beasts still ripping the snake to shreds, are joined by _three_ more flying creatures, _all_ tearing at the now unrecognizable snake.

Another loud shriek _snaps_ Amanda back around to face her attacker, _just_ in time to whip her shield into place. With its deadly beak, the beast strikes her _hard_ again in the center of her shield, knocking her once again to the ground.

Ready for another attack, Amanda positions the shield over her body. Immediately, the beast strikes again, this time _clamping_ its beak onto her helmet. Amanda _screams_ , hearing a terrible _crunching_ sound fill her ears. Thinking her _skull_ is cracking, she waits for the inevitable pain, but there is none. The creature yanks her violently into the air, and _flings_ her to the side, where she lands _hard_ on her back, spinning a few times before coming to rest near the pathway. With a cry, the beast _snaps_ its head back. Amanda can see a good portion of its beak is _chipped_ away, where it had _clamped_ onto the helmet .

"Holy _cow_! It would have cut right through my _head_ if not for the helmet!"

The creature smacks its beak together several times, making what Amanda knows is a _very_ angry cry, then goes into a cat-like stance. It strikes out quickly, hitting her shield with what should have been a _crushing_ force. Hearing a horrible _crunch_ as the beak strikes the shield, she feels a heavy pressure against her chest, but nothing more. As the beast pulls its head back, arches and strikes again, Amanda rolls quickly to the side, waving her shield in the air as she rolls off the pathway and onto the gravel.

Springing to her feet just behind and to the side of one of the ceiling supports, she straightens up as she pulls her shield close to her, looking around the support to see where the creature is.

A massive beak _instantly_ strikes at her. Rolling her shoulders quickly, the sharp beak and eye pass only a _fraction_ of an inch from her face. The beast _snatches_ its head back as Amanda steps to the other side of the support. Instantly, the beast strikes at her on that side. Again, rolling _faster_ than she realized she could, she just misses being caught in the sharp beak, now snapping closed _exactly_ where she had been standing.

Again and again, she moves to one side of the support then the other, as she is attacked by the _snapping_ beak. Snap, snap, snap. The beast continues its attack as quickly as a _cat_ swiping at a moving string.

A cry from somewhere above momentarily distracts the beast, as it takes a couple steps forward looking to the sky. Amanda quickly rounds the support to keep it between them. As the beast takes another step forward, craning its neck, looking directly above it, Amanda turns and sees her sword laying only a short distance away.

The decision is made... it is _now_... or _never_.

Sprinting for her sword, she cries out from the pain in her ankle. Her cry, and the sound of her boots striking the pathway, brings the beast back to focus on her. _Shrieking_ , it spins around taking several quick strides after her.

Amanda _dives_ for her sword, grabs it, and _just_ has time to snatch her feet out of the way, as the beast's beak _slams_ into the pathway, shattering the slate into dozens of flying shards. As the beak strikes out again, Amanda _rolls_ to the side, sending the point of her sword _right_ into one of its huge eyes. The eye makes a sickening _popping_ sound, spurting a _stinking_ , thick, black fluid _spraying_ completely over her face and helmet. As Amanda yanks her sword out, the beast throws its head back, shrieking so _loudly_ , she shuts her eyes from the pain in her ears.

The creature is hopping _madly_ in circles, one foot constantly waving at its _dripping_ eye. Scrambling to her feet, Amanda _stumbles_ along the pathway as fast as her legs can carry her. Rounding a curve, she sees that the _ends_ of the ceiling supports, are beginning to rise _higher_ and higher from the ground, and thinks that both the ceiling supports and the ceiling are tilting upward into the mist, eventually disappearing from view.

Uncomprehending what she is seeing, she thinks they are _moving_ , but looking closer, sees they _are_ stationary, just arranged in some kind of _upward_ arc. Running within the mist, Amanda dares a look behind her, quickly scanning the dense red mist, when she runs _right_ into something hard, knocking her _backward_ to the ground, where she lands painfully on her bottom.

Looking up, she is startled to see that what she slammed into, is a _door_.

Struggling, Amanda painfully gets to her feet, gripping the end of her sword with the tips of the fingers from her shield hand. Grasping the door handle, Amanda slips her thumb into place and presses. Hearing a heavy _clank_ , clank, clank, she _yanks_ , and the door creaks open.

Watching nervously, she sees the door is some three feet thick before a gap appears. Once wide enough, she steps inside, spins around, and pulls it shut.

Darkness envelops her _completely_ , with only the slightest of red light and mist trickling in under the doorway. The _clank_ , clank, clank of the door locking, rings in her ears.

Without warning, there is a huge _crash_ against the thick wooden door. Amanda _screams_ and staggers back from the door, as again and again it is assaulted by some _shriekin_ g beast.

Snatching the sword into her right hand, she raises it in the darkness as she pulls the shield close to her body.

Amanda faces the door, and _waits_ to see if it holds.

The shrieking and pounding continues for a few more minutes, then stops. The shrieks and cries of what sounds like _dozens_ upon dozens of creatures, are filtering faintly in through the door.

Heart pounding _painfully_ in her chest, breathing like she has just run a marathon, Amanda turns around, squinting into the darkness. A sharp _jab_ of pain from her twisted ankle brings tears to her eyes.

Quickly, Amanda drops to one knee, placing her shield on the floor. Slipping her arm out of the strap holding on the backpack, she slides out of the other strap. Flipping up the flap, she grabs the flashlight and flips it on. Holding the light in her left hand, she holds the sword in her right, then shines the light quickly around and over her.

Amanda finds herself in a tiled, domed chamber. From what she can see, it must have been _breathtaking_ at one time. Snatching off her helmet, she wipes the dried vomit from her face and chin, then does the best she can to wipe it from the inside of the helmet. Shaking, she puts the helmet back on, shoving her hair roughly up inside, then flipping up the visor. After putting the flashlight into her mouth, she slips back into the backpack. Grabbing her shield, she stands and walks slowly forward, continually moving her head around to take in the site before her. The pain in her ankle is so bad, it is hard to concentrate, but she knows she has to keep moving and find out what is in here.

The chamber is dirty and dusty and filled with _thousands_ of spider webs, shining like silver threads. "Jesus, I _hate_ spiders. _Enough_ with the spiders already," she whispers, looking around.

Using her sword and shield, she begins clearing her way through the thick gauze of webs, that look more like hanging nets than webs.

Her beam of her flashlight lands on a carved fountain, seemingly in the center of the chamber. Limping to it, she inspects it carefully, amazed at its size. "It must be _fifteen_ to twenty feet across," she breathes. "And the details on the carvings are _awesome_."

Stepping up to the massive fountain, she shines her light up at the center statue. "It's a statue of, of what looks like... a _wizard_? But that can't be right, _can_ it? But, he _is_ wearing a pointed hat, with a little tilt at the end. He has a really long beard, cool robe, and there's an _owl_ on his shoulder! And he's holding a _staff_ with a huge jewel on the end! Wow!"

Amanda _jumps_ as a loud crash sounds against the door. Abandoning her study of the fountain, she quickly makes her way to the other side. Rounding the other side, she sees that the chamber narrows and another door stands slightly ajar.

Stealthily making her way to the door, she stops and listens, breathing hard around the edges of the flashlight. "I don't hear anything at _all_ , yet," she thinks.

Pushing the door with the tip of her boot, the door squeaks open, wide enough to let her step through. Casting the light around quickly, she is _stunned_ to find she is in a _gigantic_ circular chamber, with dozens of doors around the sides, each covered with strange writing.

As she turns slowly around to look at the doors, she makes out their details. All the doors are _huge_ double doors, at least twenty feet wide, and must be at least _thirty_ feet high. The sight is _breathtaking_. The pain in her ankle shoots through her again, and wincing, Amanda decides to sit where she is and rest for a while.

Trying to handle the pain, she sets her sword and shield on the tiles, and shines the light around the chamber, wanting to get a better look at it. The entire floor is made of beautiful blue-green tiles, with gold flecks in them.

The walls, which rise far overhead, are covered with a mural, depicting a forest with a dirt pathway, lined on either side by green grass, and leading to some beautiful trees. The pathway is dotted every few yards with strange white flowers that look about eight feet tall. The tops of the flowers are bent over the pathway, looking like half opened buds. In the distance, situated on the top of a large hill, there is a huge circular grove of trees, towering over all the others.

The most fascinating sight of all, are the depictions of _odd_ looking people and creatures, walking on the path, or sitting on the grass.

Standing carefully, and putting her weight on her good leg, Amanda limps around the room, wanting to study more of the mural. As she moves, the images seem to change from daylight scenes, to _night_ scenes.

With a gasp, she notices that the pathway in the mural is lighted by the arched _flowers_. "They're _lights_ of some kind, and not _flowers_ at all," she says softly shaking her head. Following the lighted path in the distance, she sees where the path curves, making its way up the hill to a point at the top. There, she makes out _hundreds_ of lights coming from the trees. "It's absolutely _beautiful_."

Working her way further around the room, the scene changes to a close-up of the trees on the hill. Again she gasps as the beam illuminates the mural. "Oh _wow_! There are _people_ in those trees. They're... they're _tree_ houses!" Slowly illuminating more of the scene, her mouth falls open as she sees the people are dressed in colorful robes and gowns. Some are walking up _spectacular_ circular stairways, leading to the upper floors within the trees. Many seem to be dancing high on the trees platforms.

But in the center of it all, there is a tree which rises _far_ higher than any of the others. There, she sees that the spaces are closed, with windows everywhere. Some have colorful window coverings, while others are open. The limbs, branches and leaves of the tree, look to be of gold and silver.

Speaking aloud, Amanda says, "I wonder if such a place could _really_ exist? I don't think so though. Just something pretty for this, this, _what_? Where _am_ I and, what _is_ this place?"

Continuing her walk around the room, she looks carefully at each door she comes to. "Why on _Earth_ are these doors so big? And which one should I go through? I can't read what it says above any of them."

Finally returning to where she placed her shield and sword, she pops the flashlight into her mouth, grabbing the shield and sword. Moving the light once more around the room, she decides to take the door directly across from her, thinking, "I guess I have to pick _one_ of them, and this one looks like it's in the middle of all of them. Well, _kind_ of."

Wondering what may be waiting for her on the other side, she walks slowly up to the large door. Trying to calm her anxiety, she examines it carefully and notes that it has a _huge_ horizontal lever for a handle, and looks like it should slide away from where the two halves of the door come together.

Taking a deep breath, Amanda steps to one side, grabs the lever with her right hand and _yanks_. To her surprise, it pulls easily and she hears a repeated, " _clank_ , clank, clank" working its way up the inside of the massive door.

Swallowing hard, eyes wide, she watches as the door pops open just a sliver. Gripping her sword, heart _pounding_ , she reaches out and pulls the door further open. The door is at _least_ three feet thick. Just as in this chamber, it is complete dark on the other side. Amanda shines her light inside, seeing that the floor is tiled in _that_ chamber as well.

Listening for a few more heartbeats, Amanda chews on her lower lip, then steps through the door into the inky blackness. Hesitating a few moments, listening for any movement, she closes the door, sliding the lever into the locking position, and hears the sounds echo in the chamber.

Amanda finds that instead of being in a chamber, she is in a _hallway_ , wide enough to easily fit twelve people side-by-side, with half a person's width between them.

Following the hallway, Amanda comes to a curving stairway, leading up. "Well. Since there is only _one_ way to go, might as well see what's up there," she thinks, rolling a kink from her neck.

As she climbs, she sees dozens of large paintings hanging on either wall, all covered with layers of dust and spider webs. The people depicted look strange. Some are dressed in colorful robes and gowns, many wearing odd pointed hats, like a wizard or witch might. Others _look_ like people, but are short and stocky, with long beards and dark eyes. Most are wearing chain mail and hold round shields. A few hold swords, while the majority grasp double-sided axes.

Climbing for several minutes as the stairway curves to the left, Amanda stops as she sees a red glow further up. "I don't like the looks of _this_. There must be a hole in the wall or something, letting in the glow from the lake. That _could_ mean, one of those _flying_ things might be up here with me."

Standing perfectly still, Amanda tilts her head and listens intently. Something is wrong, but she is unsure what exactly, until she finally realizes that... she hears _no_ sounds at all. "What happened to all the fighting and _shrieking_ sounds?" After thinking hard, Amanda thinks she understands. "The noises all stopped after I went through that huge door with the sliding lock. It must be _soundproof_ in here. But _how_?"

Moving her sword up into the ready position, she continues limping slowly up the stairway. In another few minutes, she comes to a wide landing, lit from what appears to be huge octangular windows. As she follows the light, she sees doors to her right, with windows there, as well.

Some doors are open, some closed. "Looks like doors to little shops in a _mall_ or something," she mumbles.

Entering the first open doorway, she finds _spider_ webs covering everything. Waving her sword around to clear away the webs, the thought comes again that they look more like masses of _gauze_ then webs.

Moving cautiously further into the room, she sees strangely shaped couches, chairs, odd rugs, and overturned bookshelves, with books scattered everywhere. Glancing at the books, she realizes the words and symbols are completely foreign to her, written in a language she does not recognize. The furniture looks to have been knocked aside, much of it broken. Looking around, Amanda is _stunned_ to find she is in a living room.

"What on earth _happened_ here? It looks like no one has been here for _hundreds_ of years, maybe _thousands_... maybe. And it looks like they all left in a hurry too," she thinks moving the light around.

Stepping through a doorway on the other side of the room, she enters what must have been a dining room. A long oval table, now completely covered with a thick layer of dust and webs, is lined with four chairs down each side, with one at each end. Some are overturned.

Looking around, she spots what appears to be something like a curio cabinet, with a _beautiful_ glass front. Curious to see inside, she finds the glass so covered with spider webs and dust, she cannot see inside. Placing her shield on a chair, she opens the cabinet door. Her eyes go wide at the site. There are a dozen goblets which look as though they are made of pure gold, and inlayed with many gems. Picking one up carefully, Amanda is surprised by its weight as she blows off the dust.

"Wow! I bet these _are_ real too. It doesn't look like anybody has been here for a _really_ long time, so, I don't think they'll miss this _one_ goblet. Wait till I show people back home what I _found_. This is _so_ cool. That is, if I ever get _out_ of here."

Looking around, she finds some old hand towels still in one piece, and uses one to wrap her new treasure, then slips it into her backpack, along with her other finds. Once her pack is secured, she picks up her shield, eager to see what else she can find. Turning, she leaves the room, making her way back through the living room, and back out into the hallway leading to all the other doors.

Thinking the window will show her the way out, Amanda quickly steps up to the nearest one. Looking through the window, the shock of what she sees causes her to almost drop the flashlight from her mouth.

There, lit by the red glow, is an entire _city_ carved from the rock face of the gigantic cavern. Starting below the mist and reaching high overhead, Amanda sees tiers and tiers of balcony-like arches, with windows situated one over the other. "Ooooh my god! This is some kind of huge _city_ , inside this _mountain_! There must be _thousands_ of rooms in here."

A movement catches her eye and she steps closer to look through the window. With a gasp, she jumps back and to the side, placing her back against the wall next to the window, her eyes wide with _terror_ , her mind racing.

"They're _everywhere_! Those _flying_ creatures, they're flying everywhere out there! But... I can't _hear_ them!"

Quickly, she puts her shield on the ground and takes the flashlight out of her mouth, switching it off. Placing the flashlight in her waistband between her breast and backplate, Amanda grabs her shield and stands with her back against the wall again.

Heart _pounding_ painfully, she slowly sidesteps to the edge of the window. Rolling her head around to look outside, the sight before her fills her with terror.

Hundreds of _snakes_ of all sizes, are moving in and out of the windows and doorways she can see. Snakes are striking at the flying creatures, which are everywhere, as the flying creatures dive and attack the snakes. Everywhere she looks, snakes are being _torn_ apart, huge strips of their wet flesh _flying_ into the air, just to be gulped down by the quilled beasts. Dozens of other snakes have _huge_ multiple lumps, making their way along the inside of their bodies. "Those snakes can eat _more_ than one at a time!" she says, louder than she intended.

Off in the distance, the flying beasts look like huge clouds of bees, but _much_ larger, with their huge, bat-like wings flapping wildly.

Snakes and flying creatures are falling like _flies_ from the sky, and the sides of the open balconies, into the red mist below. Amanda is so _stunned_ , she takes a couple of steps forward to get a better look.

1Turning her head to the left, she lets out a _hair_ -raising scream, as she stumbles backward quickly raising her sword. With her eyes practically _popping_ out of her head her _heart_ in her throat, she stares at a _gigantic_ snake head, just outside the window. The thing is, it is the _skeleton_ of a snake.

Amanda is shaking so violently, she cannot even swallow as her eyes move quickly over the massive skull, taking a tentative step forward.

The jaws of the monster are open wider than five two story houses! Hundreds of sharp curved teeth, all pointing backward, line its jaws, as its two giant fangs, longer than her entire street back home, are arched forward.

Forcing down a dry swallow, Amanda steps closer to the window, again noticing the complete silence. Besides no sound, there is no _wind_ from the flying creatures, or _heat_ coming through what appears to be an open window. Raising her sword, she pokes it at the window space. To her surprise, it _hits_ something solid, making no noise where it struck. Tapping the clear space again, _harder_ , her sword is stopped in midair, but, again, _no_ sound is heard.

Amanda returns her attention to the _gigantic_ snake skull. Following the snakes huge skeletal neck with her eyes, she sees it arches down and backward into the red swirling mist below. Squinting, she can just make out the curving skeleton winding its way down into the mist, then disappearing from view.

Looking at the huge white curves of its ribs, her eyes _fly_ open as she gasps loudly.

"Ooooh, myyyy _god_! It _wasn't_ just a covered pathway I was following. That pathway is following along the inside of that snake's _skeleton_! Those weren't _ceiling_ supports, they were _ribs_! It wasn't a _ceiling_ at all, just the plates where the ribs meet the _backbone_. Holy _cow_! Look at the _size_ of it!"

Leaning forward against the clear window, her head hits against something soft but solid, in midair, but _nothing_ that Amanda can see. "This is _really_ weird. There's no glass, but _something's_ here. But I can't see anything. There isn't even any _dust_ or dirt on whatever it is either." Tilting her sword back, she raps against the air with the handle, only to be stopped by something soft, yet very firm. " _Really_ weird."

A strange movement in the constantly swirling mist below, catches her eye. Looking down, her heart skips a beat as she sees _thousands_ of heads and necks sticking up out of the mist. "Snakes! _Thousands_ of them! And look how _big_ some of them are!" she says out loud. While some are big enough to just rise above the mist, others are as tall as a _ten_ story building!

About to turn away to desperately find a way out, Amanda turns her head to the right and freezes. Something _huge_ had partly blocked her view on the far side of the snake skeleton, but she had not paid any attention to it. Now, the huge white mass, like some _gigantic_ pillar in the distance... is _moving_. Amanda's eyes slowly rise up the structure, ending high above in a bulgy, somewhat rounded top.

The structure is swaying slightly from side to side.

Furrowing her brows, Amanda tries to figure out what it is. Suddenly, the huge bulge _twists_ around, and Amanda finds herself looking up and into the _eyes_ of a snake, that has to be at _least_ twenty-five stories tall.

Its eyes fix _directly_ on her. Amanda goes rigid, _frozen_ by its stare.

It flares its two massive hoods, shaking them violently. From the windstorm it generates, flying creatures nearby, are _buffeted_ through the air like _feathers_ in a violent storm. It opens its _huge_ teeth lined mouth, and begins _speeding_ in her direction, with huge, undulating, slithering motions _rippling_ along its massive body.

Amanda staggers back, turns and _runs_ for the stairs. Her legs feel like rubber, the searing _pain_ in her ankle causes her to fall _twice_ before reaching the stairway.

Dropping to her knees, she puts her shield on the floor, whips the flashlight out of her waistband, flips it on and slips it into her mouth. Snatching up her shield, she rises to her feet and makes her way down the stairway, _gasping_ and wincing from the pain, as hot tears _flow_ down her face. But she knows she cannot stop or slow down.

Finally reaching the bottom of the stairway, she slides the lever on the door and hears the latches _clank_ into place. Grabbing the slider, she leans forward, _pushing_ the huge door open. Stepping through, she spins and quickly closes the door, sliding the latch back into place. The _clank_ , clank, clank sounds echo loudly in the chamber.

Quickly shining the light around, she decides to take a little doorway off to the far right, hoping it to be the _furthest_ away from the heart of the city, and away from the _thousands_ upon thousands of fighting snakes and flying creatures, which she had seen through the window.

Reaching the door, she sees it is made of some kind of metal, with many hand-pounded, riveted straps, crisscrossing its entire front. Standing her sword against the wall, Amanda grabs the tarnished brass slider on the door, and slides it _hard_ to the right. The _clank_ , clank, clank of the latches moving, once again fills the chamber. Yanking hard, the door, made from a _foot_ thick _solid_ piece of metal, slowly creaks open. Once open wide enough, Amanda grabs her sword and quickly makes her way inside.

After a brief moment of shining her light around, not seeing anything moving, she stands her sword against the wall, then pulls the door shut. Sliding the long brass slider into position, the familiar _clank_ , clank, clank of the latches, echo _loudly_ in the little room she has entered.

Eyes wide, breathing loudly through her mouth, she again scans the room for any movement.

Nothing.

Amanda sees another metal door on the far side of the long room, and slowly hobbles her way to it, waving her sword and shield, to cut a path through the dense maze of spider webs.

Reaching this new door, once again she places her sword against the wall, and slides the bar to the right. She hears the latching moving away, and then, the door swings forward just a little. Pulling on the lever, the door continues to open, and she finds herself facing a roughly carved, _long_ dark tunnel.

1The tunnel seems to end a good distance away, into what can only be the other side of the city, and right back into the red _stinking_ mist and heat.

"Great! _Just_ what I need! Right back into the _snakes_ and flying things."

Listening for a few moments, she whispers, "But, I don't _hear_ anything at all. No cries, no shrieks, only the sound like bubbling _mud_ or something."

_Completely_ exhausted and famished, she decides to step back, close the door and rest in the little room, between the two metal doors. Putting her things down, she slumps to the floor. After half an hour of tossing and turning, she rolls onto her side, flips off her flashlight, and is soon fast asleep.

Amanda awakes to total darkness. Minutes, hours or a day could have passed while she slept, for all she knows.

Something _scurries_ across her face. _Shrieking_ , she swipes at her cheek, shuddering as she sits bolt upright. Frantically, she feels around the floor until her hand nudges her flashlight. Grabbing it, she flips it on, quickly waving it from side-to-side. Panicked, she sees dozens of spiders of various sizes crawling on her. Crying out, she _jumps_ to her feet as pain from her ankle courses through her.

Swiping them off her, she _stomps_ on them, one after another, until they are all dead. Shaking her head like a dog who has just taken a bath, she runs her hands quickly through her hair, and sees several _more_ spiders fall to the floor. _Crushing_ them with her boot, she swallows hard and looks around for more. Not seeing any, with a final _involuntary_ shake, Amanda steps up to the door.

Once again, she opens the door and sees the light red mist at the far end of the open tunnel. Seeing light, she flips off the flashlight, places it into her backpack and seals it. After slipping back into the pack, she grabs her shield and sword.

Stepping through the doorway, she turns, closes the door, and slides the bar into place.

To TOC

# The Escape

The silence is eerie.

Amanda slowly makes her way toward the open end of the tunnel, crinkling her nose at the familiar foul stench assaulting her.

Walking toward the tunnels end, the air grows increasingly hotter. Once again, sweat forms on her face and slides down her back, plastering her already sweat and blood-soaked clothing to her damp skin.

The air is filled with the red mist-like fog at the tunnels end.

Listening for a few moments and hearing nothing but the sound of thick bubbling, she cautiously steps through.

Her eyes rake the area. Nothing. Sweeping her boots across the gravel, Amanda looks for a pathway. After several moments of searching, she says in a hushed voice, "I can't find a path. Great. I can't see a thing for more than a foot or two, and there's _nothing_ to follow! So... where to now?"

Chewing on her lip, she tries to think of a plan, when she hears a distant scraping of the gravel to her left.

"Oh _no_! Here we go again! I am _not_ waiting around _this_ time!"

Moving off to the right, she tries to make as little noise as possible.

Making her way, she realizes the bubbling sound is growing louder. "Maybe if I move closer to the bubbling sound, all _that_ noise, will make it harder to hear _me_ moving on this gravel."

Moving quickly, large boulders suddenly appear before her, looming out of the mist. Her heart _skips_ a beat, as she sees one dark shape after another, suddenly appear out of the red fog, afraid some _deadly_ creature has found her... only to calm herself as she passes another large boulder.

Pausing to rest, she hears the sound of something... _heavy_ , being _dragged_ over the gravel a short distance behind.

"I know what _that_ sound means, and it's getting really _close_! I have to find some cover, and hope _I_ get it, before _it_ gets me!" she says in a whisper.

Two large boulders, separated by a small space, appear before her. Pausing, she studies their position. "Well. This looks like as _good_ a place to take a stand as any." Then moving forward some, "If I stand _right_ here, in the center, that way, the snake has to either come at me from the _front_ , or from _behind_ , but not to the sides, because of these big boulders. I hope. If it's not one of those really _giant_ ones."

Lifting her shield and sword to the ready position, she waits to hear from which directions the snake will approach.

Adrenaline surges through her as she listens hard. The dragging sound grows loud enough, that she is _sure_ it is coming straight at her. Blood _rushing_ in her ears, Amanda spins around and slips between the boulders. Stepping to the right behind one, she places her back against the rough rock, flipping down the visor of her helmet.

Heart _pounding_ , her throat as dry as the gravel she is standing on... she _waits_.

The sound grows so loud, Amanda is sure it is just on the other side of the boulders, about to enter in between them.

And then... the sound _stops_. Silence.

"What's it _doing_?" her mind screams as she is frozen in place. "What's it _waiting_ for?"

A new sound reaches Amanda, making her blood turn cold.

Sniffing. "Oh oh! I think it can _smell_ me. _That's_ how it's tracking me. It can't see me, but it can _smell_ me. I'm covered with blood and slime from all those _lizards_ , flying creatures and, and..." her eyes go wide, "oh _Jesus_... other _snakes_!"

The sniffing suddenly stops.

After what seems like a lifetime of waiting, the dragging sound begins again.

Amanda raises her sword.

Several agonizing seconds pass, when a long forked tongue _whips_ past her left shoulder, before being snatched back. Amanda _gasps_ , but stops herself from crying out.

The dragging sound again.

The snake is moving _very_ slowly, like it _knows_ she is there, but does not know exactly where, or _what_ she is.

More flicks of the tongue, then _very_ slowly, the tip of a _large_ snout begins to come into view. Inch by inch, in _excruciating_ slow motion, the snout moves forward, right past Amanda's face, and her shaking sword.

The long black tongue flicks forward, faster and faster.

Watching tooth, after _razor_ sharp tooth move past the arc of the boulder, Amanda stands rooted in place, raising her sword behind her head very slowly, judging her strike.

As the last of the monster's huge jaws moves forward, she _knows_ that its huge black eye will soon follow. Breathing in slow steady breaths, she finds herself moving her sword slowly down in front of her, point coming down near her left shoulder, then drawing back across the front of her chest. It is as though someone _else_ is moving her arm into position, yet... it feels _natural_.

Slowly, almost _painfully_ , she watches the armored scales pass by.

The snout grows larger, and Amanda knows the time is almost upon her.

Just as she takes a deep breath, a _huge_ eye moves into view in front of her. As quick as _lightening_ , she thrusts the point of her sword forward, _deep_ into the eye as her breath _explodes_ from her lungs. The eye _bursts_ , spraying her with its vile, _viscous_ liquid, and _still_ Amanda pushes her sword deeper, until only the _hilt_ sticks out from the socket.

The snake _immediately_ drops to the ground, its weight _ripping_ the sword from her hands.

Amanda jumps back, holding her shaking shield out in front of her, waiting for the snake to rise again to attack her.

But the snake... will _never_ rise again.

Whispering she says, "The sword must have gone right into its _brain_. Killed it instantly. Thank you _Jesus_!"

Inching forward, Amanda kneels and cautiously withdraws the sword, wincing at the wet _crunching_ sound the sword makes, as she pulls it from the _shattered_ skull.

Wanting to get as far away from the dead snake as possible, Amanda backs away, moving quickly.

After walking several yards, a thought stops her. Slowly, she turns back to the monster. The snake could _smell_ her. "If there are any _more_ of them, and I'm sure there _must_ be, _they'll_ smell me too!"

Walking back to the dead carcass, Amanda turns around, as though looking for something, but not knowing what. A picture pops into her mind. "Wait. I remember watching a documentary, where some tribes used the carcass of a dead animal, to hide their scent, and they could walk right into a herd for hunting. Let's see... They would cut it open, _gut_ it, then wrap it around them. Yeah, that way, not only did they _look_ like the animal, which confused other animals, but they then _smelled_ like that animal too."

Looking at the felled snake, she breathes, "Ew! I don't think I can do it. Makes me _sick_ just thinking about it." But as disgusting as the prospect is, the more she thinks about it, the more sense it makes. Her experience has taught her well. "Where you find _one_ snake..."

While the snake lived and moved passed her, it looked _enormous_... like a giant. But as Amanda walks around the other side of the boulder, she sees that it _is_ huge... but far from the giant she originally thought it to be.

"This just might work," she says aloud nodding to herself.

Taking off her backpack and setting it aside, she lays her shield and sword next to it.

Grabbing the snake by its tail, Amanda grunts loudly as she _heaves_ it backward, slowly dragging it away from between the boulders. After several _minutes_ of straining, she manages to move the snake out far enough to _roll_ it onto its side. This proves to be a _much_ harder task than she had first thought. The snake is _very_ flexible, and every time she tries to roll it, the body simply _twists_ instead. Persistence pays in the end, as she _finally_ rolls the last section.

Grasping her sword and _shuddering_ at what she is about to do, Amanda clenches her jaw, wrinkling her nose, making a disgusted face. Kneeling, she slides her sword into the snake, just behind the jaws. The body cuts like butter as her sword runs the length to the tail. The guts make wet _slushing_ noises as they gush or _ooze_ out, spilling onto and across the gravel.

Amanda _gags,_ as long, _thick_ , _stinking_ intestines gush out and over her boots and up to her knees, making her shiver, even though it must be over a _hundred_ degrees in there. She has an overwhelming urge to throw up, but has nothing left inside to lose. Amanda turns her head at the sight, and the _revolting_ stench as it assaults her.

Feeling _very_ light headed, Amanda gets up, and places her sword on the ground a short distance away, as she herself sits to rest for a few minutes. Soon, looking to the partially gutted snake, she gets up and returns to it.

Kneeling in the slush, Amanda begins _pulling_ the innards from the dripping carcass with both hands. As she pulls _hard_ on a thick, stubborn sections of intestines, feeling them _squishing_ between her fingers, a section bursts, _spraying_ her face with its _disgusting_ waste. The urge to throw up overwhelms her. Even though she has nothing _left_ to throw up, she wretches... again and again.

From time to time, Amanda finds she needs her sword to _cut_ away sections which are attached to the inner body, then continues pulling the _slushy_ , squishing, and _sticky_ flesh and dripping _guts_ away.

Stopping to rest, her head snaps up as she hears something being _dragged_ over the gravel.

"Oooooh _no_! Not yet. Not _now_!"

Quickly, she retrieves her shield. Grabbing her backpack, she slides the shield into its holder and slips into the backpack.

Time has run out.

Forcing a dry swallow and hoping this will work, Amanda steps to the gutted snake, wrinkles her nose, and squats down. Grabbing the head, she lifts it. It _is_ heavy, but much _lighter_ than she had thought it would be.

"This just _might_ work! It's not really _heavy_ at all, not with all the _guts_ taken out. Holy _cow_! Most of the weight's gone now."

The slithering sound draws closer. Amanda quickly steps under the head, placing it against the sharp spikes on her helmet. Turning awkwardly, she reaches out and _snatches_ her sword. Frantically, she repositions the snake head _tightly_ against the spikes of her helmet, then draws her arms in to her sides.

The slithering sound... is _upon_ her.

"Oh my god! What if it sees the guts and wonders why I'm, I mean, the _snake_ , is still alive? What if... what if they _eat_ their own dead! Oh _Jesus_! What should I...."

There is _no_ time to finish the thought, as a _massive_ rippling trunk, of _pure_ muscle, slithers up next to where she is bent over within the dead snake. Amanda is shaking so hard, she _knows_ the entire snakes body is quaking as well.

" _Please_ don't eat me! Please, _please_ don't kill me!" her mind cries as she clamps her eyes shut.

The rippling, and _horrible_ dragging sound stops.

Trembling, and trying to remember _every_ prayer she has ever heard, she _waits_.

Her heart sinks when she hears the distinct sound of sniffing.

"It's trying to _smell_ me. _Go_ away! Please, _go_ away!" she prays fervently.

The sound of _sniffing_ grows louder, then _stops_ as suddenly as it started! Terrified, Amanda opens her eyes and watches as the body of the snake _slowly_ begins moving away in front of her. After a moment, she can see it slithering off into the mist, its head held some _seven_ feet off the ground, as its body _undulates_ rhythmically, for some _twenty_ -eight feet behind.

"It _worked_! It really _worked_! It couldn't smell _me_ over the stench of this body, and, and they _don't_ eat their own dead. Oh _thank_ you Jesus. Thank _God_!"

The adrenaline that flooded her body, is now leaving her system. Amanda's rubbery legs can hold her no longer. Dropping into the slush, she lays down, covered by the _stinking_ body. Trembling, she can take now more, and breaks down, hot tears streaming from her eyes. She is _scared_ out of her mind, lost, confused, _beaten_ and bruised, more _thirsty_ and hungry than she can ever remember. But putting all that aside, Amanda is also, _thrilled_ to have survived this latest challenge.

Exhausted, she rests for several minutes, lying _flat_ on her face inside the dead snake, trying to regain some of her strength and composure. Finally, her mind clearing, heart slowing, she decides to move on, and after thinking for another minute, decides to continue heading in the direction of the bubbling. If there _is_ a lake, she reasons, then there _must_ be a way into another cavern. _If_ she is lucky, she will find an opening this time as well.

Her leg muscles straining, she pushes to her feet, adjusting the snake's head once again firmly against the spikes on her helmet. As she grabs her sword, she coughs deeply as she breathes in the _stench_ from the foul body, and the putrid _fumes_ of the red mist.

The body is somewhat hard to move in at first, as she staggers forward, but she finds that it is not too bad. It is light enough that Amanda _knows_ she can drag it for a while. If she _needs_ to rest, she will, then start off again. At least, that is the plan.

After several minutes, Amanda smiles, thinking how _silly_ she must look, tucked up under and inside the now hollowed out body of a _huge_ snake, dragging its still _dripping_ carcass across the gravel, headed who knows where.

"I must be _quite_ a sight! I hope I look enough like a _real_ snake, to fool any I might find, or that find _me_. Maybe I should really be moving more in, well, a random _slithering_ fashion, like snakes really do, rather than just walking in a straight line." Giving movement to her idea, Amanda walks forward a few yards, moves to the side, and continues forward some, then moves off the other direction. If she could _see_ herself, she would laugh. Amanda looks like a _drunken_ snake, staggering first in one direction, pausing, then staggering off in another.

After stopping and starting many times, the bubbling sound has grown much closer. The _heat_ within the cavern, along with no air circulation within the snakes body, is unbearable.

"It's so _hot_ , and the _stench_ , it's making me woozy," she whispers, salty sweat running into her left eye, making her blink.

As Amanda staggers forward, the mist begins to clear, and she soon sees what looks like bubbling mud. "Oh. _This_ can't be good." Looking intently at the _bubbling_ hot mud, she decides to stay about this same distance from it, so as not to get _stuck_ in it, should it turn out to be something like quicksand.

As Amanda follows the bubbling mud, keeping it to her right, she walks with her eyes focused on the gravel near her feet, not wanting to fall into some deep hole, or walk into the boiling hot mud, should it suddenly turn in front of her. After moving on for some time, she begins to notice that the red mist at her feet is beginning to thin out. Soon, she is startled to see that the mist has cleared _completely_. Raising her head, which also raises the head of the snake, she looks out in front of her, still slightly bent over.

"Ohhhhhh, myyyyyyy, _god_! They're _everywhere_!"

As _far_ as Amanda can see, there are _thousands_ of snakes of every size. Near the bubbling mud, there are only a few dozen of them, but she sees snakes densely packed together the further away from the hot mud they are. The sight, _almost_ causes her to pass out.

Several of the snakes closest to her, turn in her direction. Some glance her way, then go back to laying on the gravel or slithering on their way. But a couple continue to _stare_ at her, rising high into the air. They begin moving their heads from side-to-side, as though they are trying to figure out what is _wrong_ with this picture.

The sight of the snakes, _paralyzes_ Amanda's senses. "I _can't_ turn around and go back. There's nothing to go back _to_. I can't go to my _right_ , or I'll walk right into the boiling _mud_. If I go _left_ , there's nothing there but _thousands_ of snakes."

Still looking at the snakes _staring_ at her, as they weave from side to side, she makes her decision.

"Well... I guess that only leaves one way to go. _Right_ between those two snakes. Well. This is it. Either I _make_ it... or I _don't_. At least with two of them, when they attack me, it'll be _over_ really fast."

With that, heart _thundering_ , ready to pass out, shaking so hard she can _hardly_ stand at all, Amanda _slowly_ , slithers her way forward.

Using her left hand to help support the weight over her head, she holds her sword in her right hand, in a reverse grip, with the handle pushing upward to help support the weight over her head on her right side, the blade pointing down along her side.

In the barest whisper, she realizes, "If I need my _sword_ , I'll have to flip my grip to use it. But, if I need to do _that_ , I'll _never_ be able to do it in time, they're just too fast."

Her breathing is coming in labored, shuttering breaths, as she continues making her way toward the two towering snakes. As she nears them, she watches as they bend low, trying to see what the _odd_ things are under the approaching snake's head.

"I _know_ they're trying to figure out what my _legs_ are, moving under this head, but there's _nothing_ I can do."

With her head and body bent as low as she can, and still support the weight of the snake, she walks _straight_ toward the snakes, heading _directly_ in between them.

Suddenly, she is there, walking _between_ them! One _huge_ trunk of a snake on her left begins to pass by. Then a _larger_ trunk appears to her right. Shaking uncontrollably, hot tears once again streaming down her face, eyes wide with fright, she continues walking between the two long snake bodies, looking more like giant, fallen trees.

Trying to keep walking, the bodies of the huge snakes clearing her on either side by a few inches, her legs _threaten_ to betray her. Amanda suddenly hears terrifying _sniffing_ sounds around her. Not realizing she has been holding her breath, she lets it out in a rush, giving an involuntary, rather _loud_ sniff from her runny nose.

A _crushing_ weight instantly forces her to the ground. Falling _face_ first, hitting the ground _hard_ , she lets out a stifled cry.

Clamping her eyes shut and scrunching up her face, the thinks, "Oh God! This is it! Please, _please_ make it quick! Don't let me _suffer_ , please!"

The body of the snake she is in shifts violently to the right. Then to the left. "They're _nudging_ me with their snouts! Oh Jesus!"

Amanda is shoved violently again and again from both sides. Waiting for the next shove, she finally looks up when nothing else happens.

"What are they doing? Why aren't they trying to _bite_ me? Do, do they think I'm _dead_? What the _heck_ should I do now?"

Lying motionless for just a few more moments, she decides she _has_ to move, so that she doesn't _suffocate_ from the weight of the body on her.

Chewing her bottom lip for a few _heart_ pounding moments, gritting her teeth, she pushes herself into a kneeling position. The twin trunks of the snakes bodies, are still on either side of her.

Trembling, she _somehow_ manages to get to her feet, after a couple of failed tries, bending very low, so they do not see her face. "Well, here goes."

Cringing, she takes a small step forward, expecting to feel sharp fangs _pierce_ her body at any moment. Nothing happens. With a swallow, Amanda takes another step... then another... and another.

"They're _not_ attacking me! Not _yet_ anyway. If I can _just_ get away from them and keep near the bubbling mud, before they figure things out, I _just_ might make it. But, make it to... _where_?"

Walking forward, she sees the snake on her left curve away from her. After a few yards, the snake on her right curves away, and she miraculously finds herself looking at nothing but gravel all around her.

Lifting her head slightly and standing a little more erect, Amanda quickly looks around. To her right, she _clearly_ sees a huge area, easily covering more than _five_ acres, of bubbling, _boiling_ , steaming hot mud, with _huge_ red bubbles bursting as they fling hot mud high into the air.

Looking left, her heart drops to her stomach, as she sees a _huge_ snake which has to be some _six_ stories tall, with two somewhat _smaller_ snakes on either side of it, headed _her_ way, about _half_ a mile from her. These snakes are not just _headed_ in her direction, they are looking _right_ at her, coming _directly_ toward her.

"Oh no. _Please_ , no!"

Frantically, Amanda looks in front of her and to the right, her eyes quickly following the edge of the hot bubbling mud. With a gasp, her eyes _fly_ wide, as she sees what is _clearly_ a rock and brick bridge some distance away, arching over a _huge_ glowing red and orange chasm.

The bubbling mud ends about a hundred feet from where she is standing now, and what appears to be _steaming_ ground extends from there to where the chasm begins. The bridge is _rippling_ like some dull, orange mirage in the desert, from the immense heat coming from the glowing chasm.

Amanda judges the distance from where she is to the bridge, to be about half the distance the three snakes are from her.

Quickly, she looks around for any other place she can go. Nothing.

Turning back to the three snakes, panic _grips_ her as she sees that at least a dozen _more_ snakes, have joined the three, and are _all_ headed right for her!

"Oh no! I think they _know_ something's wrong, and I'm not a _real_ snake."

There is no more time to think. Amanda _quickly_ begins moving forward, continuing to make her staggering, _slithering_ -like motions as she goes. To anyone else, or any _thing_ else who may see her, she is making _very_ erratic movements. Something which _snakes_ simply do _not_ do.

Her eyes are now fixed on the bridge. Desperately trying to see what is on the other side, she can only see a part of the way across, because of the _intensity_ of steam and heat rising from the chasm.

Looking off to her left, she is surprised to see how _quickly_ the snakes have advanced! All pretense of slithering now abandoned, Amanda _runs_ as fast as she can, while still clutching, and carrying the weight of the dead snake.

Daring a look back to her left again, sweat _pouring_ down her face and into her eyes, stinging them, she sees the _huge_ snake is only a _thousand_ feet away, turning to make its way around a large _gapping_ crevasse. Several of the other snakes must have lost interest, and have stopped following. Others are falling behind the rapid advance of the large one.

Looking back to the bridge, Amanda realizes she is only _twenty_ feet away! "I'm going to _make_ it! I just _have_ to make it!"

Rounding a large boulder in front of the arched rock bridge, she sees that the bridge _itself_ is glowing, from the intense _heat_ rising from the chasm. The chasm is _so_ deep, she cannot see the bottom from where she is. Studying the red hot bridge, she guesses that the distance it spans, is about a _hundred_ feet

" _How_ am I going to get over the bridge? It looks like it's _red_ hot. I'll _burst_ into flame and burn up. I'll never _make_ it!"

From out of nowhere, Amanda is _flipped_ sideways and _slammed_ to the ground. A snake, _twenty_ -five feet long, had been coiled up behind a large boulder, resting, when she came running by. It clamped onto the snake's hollowed body, its long fangs _piercing_ all the way through, then _yanking_ back hard.

Amanda _screams_ as her head is yanked back, dropping and rolling her onto the ground as the dead snake's head is _pulled_ from her helmet.

Turning around, she looks up right into the _puzzled_ eyes of the snake, still clutching the dead, hollow snake in its fangs.

Flipping her sword around while springing to her feet, she reaches back over her shoulder, grabbing the top of her shield. _Jumping_ into the air, she yanks _hard_ on the top of the shield as she comes down, the shield lifting from the backpack. With the momentum of the jump, and her pulling, the shield _clears_ the backpack, crashing to the ground.

The large snake is shaking its head violently, _trying_ to rid itself of the dead snake, but unable to do so, because its _fangs_ pierced through the hollow snake so deeply, that the skin is tightly stuck to its fangs.

This gives Amanda _just_ enough time to _grab_ her shield, and move into a ready stance, before the snake gives a final _shake_ of its head, _flinging_ the hollow body to the side, and prepares to _strike_.

In another second, the snake's _huge_ snout strikes hard against her shield, sending her crashing to the ground. Rolling her shoulders to the right as the huge snout strikes at her again, she _snaps_ her shoulders back with the tip of her blade right over them.

Amanda thrusts her sword through the thick armored skin, hearing the _crunch_ as it continues into the skull. The snake _drops_ with a thud, sending up a _spray_ of gravel.

Getting to her knees, she _yanks_ the sword out just as a smaller snake strikes out at her. Jumping _just_ far enough to the side, Amanda whips her sword over her head and down, lopping off the head of the angry snake.

All around her, the snakes are focused on her. One after another flare their hoods and make that _horrible_ rattling sound. In a moment, _thousands_ of snakes are making the rattling noise, the sound almost rendering Amanda unconscious.

Turning, shaking her head to clear it, Amanda sprints for the rock bridge, hearing what sounds like an _earthquake_ behind her. Looking over her shoulder, she sees dozens of large snakes closing in on her, with the very large one, almost upon her.

Amanda reaches the bridge, just as a snake some _thirty_ feet in length, _lunges_ forward, its fangs _bared_ as she _sprints_ onto the glowing bridge. The huge snake _strikes_ , fangs flipping fully forward. The fangs _shatter_ as they strike against hard stone, sending up _red_ hot fragments against Amanda, some striking her hands, making her _scream_ in pain as bits of _hot_ rock burn into her skin.

The angry snake _hisses_ after her, rattling its _massive_ hoods.

Running for her life, the intense heat blistering her skin, a _jolt_ like an electrical shock shoots through Amanda, making her stumble. Regaining her balance, she sees two _large_ snakes, and one small one, only some fifteen feet in length, slither onto the bridge after her.

Trying to run through the haze of heat, she hears a high-pitched cry of pain from one of the snakes. Glancing back, Amanda sees the small snake thrashing around violently, its body smoking, then _bursting_ into flame.

Amanda feels as though she is running through thick _mud_. Not understanding, she looks down. "Oh my _god_! My _boots_ are melting!"

Amanda is having a hard time seeing through the burning heat. The air and bricks are _so_ hot, she is convinced _her_ skin will burst into flame at any moment. Running over next to the side of the bridge, she looks over the side. Her eyes grow _wide_ as she looks some four hundred feet below her, into what is _clearly_ , a bubbling, _boiling_ , red hot _river_ of lava.

Turning to look over her shoulder again, she sees the two larger snakes writhing as their bodies smoke. There is nothing left of the smaller snake, but a _smoking_ charred mass. Suddenly the two _larger_ snakes burst into flame, wildly _thrashing_ against each other.

There are at _least_ fifty snakes of all sizes at the head of the bridge, bobbing and weaving, making _hideous_ noises, but _none_ willing to attempt crossing the bridge.

The snakes begin to move apart as the _gigantic_ snake approaches, followed by one other very large one. _Neither_ of them hesitate in the least, quickly making their way onto the glowing bridge. They slither right up and _over_ their dead and charred companions.

The gigantic snake's fangs pierce one of the larger snakes which is still on fire, then tosses the still _thrashing_ snake over the side of the bridge, and into the flaming chasm below.

Eyes locked on Amanda, the giant snake continues its way across the bridge, eyes fixed on its prey.

Still feeling as though she is running in thick mud. Through her thick soles, Amanda can feel the heat beginning to _sear_ the bottoms of her feet, and _knows_ that before long, she too, will burst into flame, and burn alive. A fleeting thought crosses her mind. "Why _haven't_ I burst into flames already?"

Unable not to, Amanda turns to look once again over her shoulder, and sees the _huge_ snake crush smaller snakes against the side of the bridge, in its _pursuit_ of her, all the while _glaring_ at her.

With a crash, the side of the bridge falls away, as the smaller of the large snakes is rammed against the brick side, then over the edge by the huge one. Amanda hears the _cries_ from the falling snake for a moment, then silence.

Amanda finally passes the bridge's half way point, when she spins to face the giant snake. Holding her shield up, almost over her head, her sword held back over her shoulder, she waits for the fatal blow she knows is coming.

The giant snake arches its _thick_ neck back, rising some _twenty_ feet into the air. Opening its massive jaws, about to strike, there comes a loud _rumbling_ sound, quickly followed by the sound of _cracking_ , startling the giant snake. Unable to hold the tremendous _weight_ of the giant snake, the weakened, _red_ hot bridge, _crumbles_ , taking the startled snake down with it.

As if in slow motion, the snake's body begins to drop and disappear, its long neck quickly descending into the glowing, _jagged_ opening. As the snake's head reaches the broken portion of the bridge, its two incredibly _long_ fangs shoot out, each landing on either side of where Amanda is now running. The fangs begin _scraping_ back along the edge of the broken bridge, as _hot_ burning steam rises from below.

To Amanda's horror, the snake is now hanging onto the edge of the broken bridge, _glaring_ at her, as its fangs continue to slowly slide back toward the broken end of the hole, leaving long _gouges_ in the glowing bricks. The _sound_ of the fangs _grinding_ against the bricks, sends _shivers_ up Amanda's spine.

In a moment, the fangs slip from the edge, taking the _screaming_ snake into the molten abyss below.

Hearing a louder _cracking_ sound, she looks back to see that more of the bridge is beginning to fall into the _fiery_ chasm. Amanda tries to keep running, but her feet are _burning_ , and with each move of her boots, they leave long _strings_ of melted rubber behind.

As she staggers forward, the crumbling bridge continues collapsing, rapidly toward her, as though _chasing_ her. It seems that the faster _she_ runs, the _faster_ the bridge collapses.

A foot away from the end of the bridge, she feels the bricks beneath her feet _drop_ away from under her. _Screaming_ , she dives forward, tossing both her shield and sword high in the air in front of her, as she begins to fall.

Hitting the edge of the cliff at her waist, most of the wind is knocked out of her as her chest plate _slams_ into the rocks. For a terrifying moment, she dangles over the edge, then begins to slip over the edge.

Falling...

_Quick_ as a cat, Amanda's arm shoots out and she feels her hand _clamp_ with an iron grip, around a _thick,_ dead tree root, draped down over the cliffs edge. For a moment, Amanda is startled to see her hand clamped tightly around the old root, not even realizing she had done it. Looking up, she finds that she is now swinging from side-to-side, some fifteen feet below the cliffs rim.

Struggling, she _slowly_ pulls her way back up, finding strength she did not know she had. Reaching the rim, pushing _hard_ with her arms, she pulls herself up and over the edge, rolling _quickly_ to her feet. Running a few steps to clear the cliff, she falls to the ground, quickly scooping handful after handful of dirt onto her now _flaming_ boots. After the fire is out, she hurriedly unties them, tossing them _smoking_ to the side.

Rubbing the bottoms of her blistered and _throbbing_ feet, she looks back to the bridge. The bridge... is _gone_.

There is a small hill a short distance from her. Getting up, she gingerly makes her way to the mound, climbing to the top. From there, she can see far down into the chasm, and watches as the glowing lava slowly makes its way along a huge river of molten rock.

Forcing down a swallow, she looks back across the chasm, and sees _hundreds_ of snakes of every size, bobbing and weaving at the chasm's edge, as though trying to figure out a way to get across to her, with thousands of other snakes, for as far as she could see.

Returning to where she had fallen, she retrieves her shield and sword. Wincing as she walks tenderly on her blistered feet, she examines her mostly melted and scorched boots, finding a small hole melted all the way through the sole of one of them, having reached the metal plate. These boots were heavy duty hiking boots, her adoptive dad had bought her at a flea market. The boots even had steel toes.

Glancing back to the chasm, she breaths faster now, as she realizes that she could have either _fallen_ into the chasm, or _onto_ the red hot bridge, and burned to death, or, she could have _burst_ into flames while crossing the glowing bridge.

In a dry and shaky voice, she says, "I _made_ it though. I'm still alive. I'm _still_ alive." Looking around, "But... _where_ do I go from here? There's _no_ way back now for sure."

Not wanting to rest here, watching more and more huge snakes gathering on the other side of the chasm, still trying to find a way across to her, Amanda slips back into her warm boots, and gets to her feet.

Picking up her shield and sword, she stands. Turning slowly in a circle, she sees it.

"There! _There's_ the lake! It continues on this _side_ of the chasm. I guess that's as good a way to go as any."

Hot, blistered and battered, she limps away from the chasm toward the lake to her right, which begins several hundred feet away, ringed by _massive_ boulders, all the while wondering what may be waiting for her.

Arriving at the lake, Amanda follows it for around an hour and a half. The lake has changed from a bubbling red hot lake, to a pinkish one, to a somewhat yellow one. The further she walks along the lake's edge, the cooler it gets, until she is feeling quite comfortable, a feeling she hasn't felt for what seems forever.

No longer able to continue, Amanda rests for about an hour, taking a long drink from her water bottle, and eating the last few slices of her now crushed cucumber. Searching through her backpack, she realizes there is _nothing_ else to eat, and she is still so _desperately_ hungry.

Putting everything away, she gets up slowly and moves on.

The lake soon turns to the familiar, clear glowing green she had been used to. The sounds from the rattling snakes, has long since ceased. Looking ahead, she sees that she is approaching the end of this _gigantic_ cavern, and can't help but wonder what she will find there.

Making her way around a bend of large rocks, she sees off in the distance, a wooden _door_ in the rock face. Stopping, she stares at it, as though it may be a mirage. After a moment, she breaks into a huge smile, then begins to laugh, tears filling her eyes.

It takes her another ten minutes to reach the ancient wooden door. Standing in front of it, she looks to the bottom of the door and smiles. "No _mist_! Thank God! No _stinking_ red mist!"

Unsure whether she wants to open the door, afraid of what may be awaiting her on the other side, she stares at it for a long moment.

The overload of Adrenaline, which had been surging through her, not needed any longer, makes her shake so much, she can no longer stand. Overcome with emotions, she places her back against the door, slides to the ground and weeps with her very soul.

Soon, exhausted and _completely_ spent, she falls deeply asleep, reliving the events of the past day.

Amanda awakens with a start, _drenched_ in sweat, having dreamt about a _huge_ snake about to spear her through the chest, with its _razor_ sharp fangs.

Grabbing her sword, she springs to her feet, looking around frantically. Taking huge heaving gasps, eyes wide, she realizes she is safe, remembering where she is.

Looking behind her, she sees the ancient door, and for a long time, stares at it. Turning, she retrieves her shield, and walks up to the door. The door looks just as old as all the others she has come to. It is splintered in many areas, and the brass straps are covered in a beautiful blue-green patina.

There is a horizontal bar on the door, just like the ones she had seen in the ancient city. Placing her sword hand on the bar, taking a deep shuddering breath, she slides the bar to the right. The _clank_ , clank, clank she expects to hear, sounds loud and she pulls hard.

At first, the door is reluctant to move, but with a couple of strained _yanks_ , she hears a _popping_ sound, and the old door slowly squeaks open.

The door is only about a foot thick, and when it cracks open enough to stick her head through, she peeks in, quickly looking around.

To her surprise, there is a _path_ on the other side. A smile creeps across her face, as she steps through to the other side.

Amanda is standing in a _massive_ cavern, looking much like the many others she has been in, with a softly glowing green light off in the distance. As with the others, the cavern is filled with stalagmites and stalactites, along with boulders scattered as far as she can see. But _this_ cavern, is also filled with grasses, _flowers_ , plants and _vines_ and there is a _wonderful_ waterfall off to her left.

The smile on her face widens as she turns and shuts the door behind her, sliding the bar back into place, checking to see that it is securely locked.

Turning around, breathing in the _fresh_ clean air, she coughs, then heads off along the dirt pathway, _long_ overgrown by vines and grass.

Amanda knows this pathway was _made_ by someone, because it is _lined_ on either side, with _gleaming_ crystals.

To TOC

# The Old Wooden House

Amanda marvels at the lush vegetation surrounding the winding path. Better still, nothing with _teeth_ is trying to kill her!

After an hour, Amanda finally arrives at the softly glowing green lake. Smiling, she continues on the pathway, rounding a sharp bend in the rock face, as it leads from _this_ cavern, into the next.

As Amanda follows the path and rounds a corner, she stops _dead_ , eyes flying _wide_ as her jaw drops completely. There before her, a short distance away, is an old broken down wooden _house._ It is _completely_ covered in vines and moss. She cannot believe it. "Why would _anyone_ have a house way down here, in the _middle_ of a mountain?" she whispers.

Amanda turns her head, looking to see if anyone is nearby, watching her. But of course, _no_ one is there.

Walking cautiously toward the house, she thinks, "This must be where whoever had the key and necklace had lived. Or, maybe even the person I found in the cave who made the garden. It looks like it could be _hundreds_ of years old at least. Looks like it could _fall_ over at any second too."

Continuing to follow the path around the side of the house, she arrives at its front, and stares in wonder. "Wow! Look at those odd shaped _windows_. They look like, well, like long _leaves_ on a vine, with all the ridges and points of the leaves and everything. They're really _beautiful_."

Stepping to the nearest window, she pushes some hanging vines away, wipes the dust from the glass with the edge of her palm, and peers in. Inside, there is a small table and a single broken chair, lying on its side. Shelves which _had_ run along a wall, are cracked and split, and lie _scattered_ on the old rotted wooden floor. Amanda sees vines, which have come up through cracks in the floorboards, run across the floor. Through the vines, she sees rocks of many colors, and crystals of various lengths and colors as well, scattered everywhere.

Amanda moves to the vine and moss covered door, and _instinctually_ gives a good hard knock. The door, simply falls away from the rotted doorjamb, and goes _crashing_ to the floor, sending up clouds of dust. Jumping, she draws her shield in close and raises her _sword_ to the ready, heart beating _hard_ in her chest, breathing in deep, _shuttering_ breaths.

Taking a few hesitant steps inside, she calls, "Uh, _hello_? Is anyone here?" She _knows_ she will not get an answer, but feels that _asking_ is the proper thing to do.

Receiving no answer, she carefully enters the house and begins looking around.

Amanda rummages through _piles_ of scattered things for a while, stirring up clouds of dust whenever she moves something. There are spider webs, and _spiders_ everywhere, and she is _constantly_ waving her sword around, to move them out of her way or _stomping_ on them.

Entering another room, she sees a table and walks toward it. On the table is a tool belt with several kinds of tools resembling those for geology, as well as others. She also finds some _weird_ tools that make her think of screwdrivers, along with several lengths of ancient looking rope and gloves, all rotted. And everywhere she looks, are green vines with little yellow flowers, covering _everything_. Just as in the main room, everything _here_ is broken, _scattered_ and thrown about.

The next room she enters is a kitchen, vines hanging down low from holes in the ceiling. Moving the vines out of her way, she sees that this room also looks like it has been torn apart.

Amanda _desperately_ looks for anything to eat, but of course, finds nothing. Walking to her left, she sees that vines from the ceiling are hanging down into the _filthy_ , dirt filled sink. She is _very_ hungry, and has not had _anything_ to eat at all, since she finished off her cucumber ages ago. Her stomach gives a growl, as she turns and continues her exploring.

Exiting the kitchen, she sees a dark and splintered door against the far wall, and walks to it. Amanda _struggles_ to open it, pushing against _thick_ vines on the other side. Forcing it wide enough to enter, she realizes she is in a bedroom. Again, she sees that _everything_ in the room has been trashed.

A thought strikes her. "This mess isn't just from somebody not taking care of the place. Somebody was _looking_ for something, that's for sure. They tore the whole _place_ apart too. I bet whoever it was, _killed_ that person I found who had the key. But, if they _did_ , why didn't they _take_ the key, book, and the necklace?

"I guess maybe the necklace... is just a _fake_ after all." Reaching up, she works to pull the necklace, stuck tightly to her chest, out from under her breastplate. Looking at it, she runs her hand over it, now _completely_ covered in thick, dark, _dried_ black blood, and caked with dirt. It is hardly recognizable.

"Oh well, _I_ think it's pretty anyway. Or, at least it _was_. I knew it couldn't _really_ be real. And I guess they just didn't _need_ the key, and didn't want the book either."

Sighing, Amanda slides the necklace back behind her breastplate.

To TOC

# The Ancient Journal

Deciding to look in the bedroom closet, as she walks toward it, Amanda's foot _crashes_ through the rotted floorboards, sending her _sprawling_ onto the vine covered floor. Sitting up, she pulls a painful, half inch long splinter, from her palm. As she tries to stand, something under the floorboards catches her attention.

"There's something _down_ there," she breathes, squinting into the darkened area below the floor.

Pulling some loose and broken boards away, she tosses them aside and peers into the hole. There, covered in thick dust, Amanda sees some type of _animal_ hide, lying in a heap on the rocky ground. Reaching in, up to her arm pit, she picks it up, then sets it aside, coughing at the cloud of dust she disturbed. Looking back in the hole, she sees several more things, all _obviously_ having been concealed and protected by the hide.

Carefully, she reaches in and pulls out a wide leather belt, with a long knife in a sheath attached to it. Grasping the _jeweled_ handle, she pulls it smoothly from its sheath. The gleaming dagger, the blade a _foot_ long with the handle adding another six inches, is _intricately_ engraved.

Amanda is in awe of the daggers beauty and perfection. To her surprise, the blade gleams brightly, looking like new. She knows the edge of the blade is razor sharp too. The leather belt, carved with strange writing, looks new as well. Looking closer, Amanda sees the writing is the _same_ as she had seen in the big book she had found. The one the _skeleton_ was clutching to.

Returning the dagger to its sheath and setting it aside, she reaches back into the hole and pulls out a _thick_ leather bound book. Wiping the cover off with her hands, she sees it is embossed with gold letters, stating, "Alistar's Journal." Very carefully, she cracks it open. The old Journal is written in a type of Old English, and is _filled_ with wondrous sketches of odd looking creatures. There are even sketches of witches _flying_ on brooms!

As Amanda continues to flip through the Journal, something resembling a folded map falls out onto her lap. Setting the Journal aside, she picks up the map and unfolds it. It is an old, _faded_ and yellowed map.

Running her thumb and forefinger against the edge, she does not recognize the thin material it is written on. Unfolding it completely, Amanda is amazed the map is so large. Looking closer, she sees that in a small area, it shows the _house_ she is in. Amanda can also make out a _path_ , leading through _this_ cavern, to an area marked with an "X," like on a treasure map.

Amanda is very excited, thinking this may be a map to the way back to the surface. Looking closer, she finds small writing next to the "X" which reads, "Page 75." Grabbing the Journal, she flips to page seventy-five. There she finds a drawing of a stalagmite, with what appears to show an _archway_ leading into it, and within the stalagmite, is a _spiral_ staircase.

The Journal says, that this is a _hidden_ stairway, which leads to the transport station, and that to _open_ the door, you need to speak the work, "Orathian," and to _close_ the door, to speak "Neldor."

It continues that, once you _enter_ the stalagmite, you are to follow the stairway to the bottom. There you will find a chamber with eleven doors, leading you to the secret realms of the Elves, Dwarves, Wizards, and Witches, among others.

Shaking her head, Amanda is _very_ disappointed. All she wants is the way out. What she seems to hold in her hands, is a _fairy_ tale. Feeling let down, she re-folds the map, replacing it in the ancient Journal.

Flipping through several more pages, she stops at a sketch titled, "A Deep Forest Elf." It shows a creature about four feet tall, with large feet, wide in the front, with _long_ toes. The legs are long and thin, yet muscular. The body seems fairly average in shape, but you can see the abs and chest muscles are well developed.

But the head stops her. It has a longer than average neck, but the head is a taller oval than hers. The eyes are large with _cat_ -like slits, except _these_ slits, are not vertical like a cat's, but horizontal. The ears, about eleven and a half inches long, are floppy, wider where they meet the head, then quickly tapering to a tip only half an inch across. The Journal explains that _this_ race of Elves, can turn their ears in _any_ direction, having the ability to hear things far away. This means, you need to be _extra_ careful when sneaking up on them.

" _Why_ would you want to go sneaking up on an Elf _anyway_? And a really _weird_ looking one at that. I've never seen _any_ pictures of Elves that look like this," Amanda thinks as she flips several dozen pages.

Amanda stops on another image of a smallish man, his face almost completely covered by a _thick_ braided beard. The braids are woven with brilliant silver threads, interlaced with sparkling gems over a wide and powerful chest, with a tapered body. He reminds Amanda of a short weight lifter. The image shows the figure has short legs, with sturdy hairy feet, and long arms with wide hands and normal length fingers, if not somewhat thicker than a human. The figure is holding a strange kind of pick in one hand, and a shining jewel in the other. The caption reads, "Typical Mountain Dwarf of the Dourad tree."

"Well, this is _really_ weird," Amanda says out loud, then continues in a whisper, "I guess this isn't really a Journal after all, just a _fantasy_ book someone was writing. I mean, _really_. Elves and _Dwarves_? And _Witches_ flying on brooms? Come _on_!"

Smiling, she flips about a dozen more pages, until she comes to an _amazingly_ detailed sketch. It shows what _looks_ like a wizard, with robe, hat and staff, standing in an odd laboratory. Amanda's smile widens as she sees there is an _owl_ sitting on what _looks_ to be, a _tree_ branch growing _right_ up through the wooden floor.

There are a couple of tables shown in the drawing. On one table, there is a _skull_ resting beside several colorful crystals. On the other table, to the left of the wizard, is a _large,_ round glass bottle. It is shaped like a round globe at the bottom, with a long, _tapered_ neck rising above it. Looking closer at the bottle, Amanda sees that there is some kind of _boiling_ red liquid. A _reddish_ looking smoke, is rising from the bottle, which rests on a metal stand, over a _bright_ blue flame.

Within the smoke, Amanda can see _strange_ , slightly distorted faces, rising up and out of the bottle, growing _larger_ as they continue to rise, _twisting_ and waving into the air. It appears, that once the faces reach a couple feet above the neck of the bottle, they quickly distort, looking as though they are _screaming_ in agony, then, the smoke _breaks_ apart, and the faces _vanish_ into long, thin, _swirling_ tendrils.

The caption beneath the wonderfully colored drawing reads, "Taldan of Olnar."

Looking to the first sentence below the drawing, it reads, "One **dangerous** fellow. Use the greatest of caution when dealing with him. He is **not** to be trusted, and has been known to kill, or cause to vanish, those that he does not get along with."

"Yeah, _right_. Weird," Amanda says flipping further into the Journal.

After several pages, the next image is nothing short of _remarkable_. A _drawing_ with details so lifelike, Amanda first thinks it to be a photograph. It is a _full_ page drawing of a village, angled from a height of about two hundred feet above.

The drawing depicts, what can _only_ be witches. Some are walking along the boardwalks in front of shops, and looking in windows, as though shopping. There are even five witches, actually _flying_ on brooms. All those pictured, are wearing _beautifully_ colored robes, with color coordinated pointed hats.

Amanda laughs out loud. "This is _too_ much. Whoever wrote this, has a _really_ good imagination. An entire village of _witches_ , doing their _shopping_ , and flying around on _brooms_. Yeah, I'd like to see _that_."

The caption beneath the drawing reads, "Arcoma Village, just Northeast of Ulmorkeen." A side note states, "After entering Kelmar, take the rock path to the right. Follow it to the lake. Turn and follow it back to the tree line, turn left and enter the fifth tree. Password is, 'Keltor.' You will arrive in the third tree behind the old pond. Use this tree and same password to return."

Shaking her head, with a smile, Amanda flips through the Journal randomly, seeing other incredible drawings, many of _fearsome_ creatures, as _tall_ as a house and as big around as a truck, while others are as _small_ as a little finger. The most _vicious_ ones, are microscopic.

Amanda sets the Journal aside and looks back into the hole. Seeing a small satin green bag, she pulls it out. It has a drawstring made of a woven golden cord. The bag is about five inches long, and about four inches wide. Untying the cord, she opens the top fully and pulls out an _extraordinarily_ detailed sculpture of a _face_ , made from carved leaves. The leaves are _very_ detailed, with all the veining you would find in real leaves. The leaves are deeply green near their points, turning more golden until they reach the face itself. The face has the golden colors leaves turn at the change of seasons.

Enchanted, she turns it around and notes there are no ears, but the _mouth_ is very full and perfectly formed. The nose is long and regal. The human-shaped eyes are closed, as though asleep. It is altogether... _beautiful_.

Turning the sculpture over, she runs her thumb over the leafy back. Smiling, she slips it back into its small bag. Taking off her backpack, she puts the Journal into the _same_ compartment as the thick book she had previously found, and slips the sculpture into a side pocket.

Slipping the backpack back on, Amanda grabs the belt with the dagger and stands. Unclasping the belt buckle, she sees it is made of gold, with a detailed head of a dragon made of gleaming silver.

Grinning, she wraps the wide belt around her waist, tucking part of it up under her chest and backplates, cinching it tight, then fastens it in place. Amanda cannot find a mirror, but thinks of how silly she must look, in all this armor. But, she just does not care.

Ever since she passed through the first huge ancient wooden door, seemingly a _lifetime_ ago, she has needed her sword _countless_ times. But there were so many times when she wished she had a _shorter_ weapon than her sword, or better yet, _another_ weapon in case she dropped or lost the sword.

Looking at the ransacked bedroom, she knew someone had torn this house apart... and someone, or _something_ , had killed the people she had found.

Running her hand over the dagger, Amanda says softly, "Well, at _least_ with this dagger, I'll have some _extra_ protection against... well, _whatever_ may be waiting for me, and I'll be _ready_."

To TOC

# The Hidden Doorway

After searching through the house for another hour, it becomes disappointingly obvious that there is nothing else to find. Her stomach growling its discontent, Amanda gathers her sword, secures her shield to her backpack, and heads out of the house. The sooner she gets out, the sooner she may find something to eat.

Once outside, Amanda decides the safest thing to do, is to keep following the winding path, which winds its way past and behind the old house. The pathway here, near the house, is lined on both sides by wonderful, tall, ancient looking trees. Soon, the pathway turns to the right, and lead further into the huge cavern, still lined with the wonderful trees.

After a half hour, she comes to a 'Y' in the path. The path to the right, appears to be leading back toward the lake. The path to the left leads off into a densely packed area of stalagmites. Unsure which way to go, Amanda decides to follow the path headed to the lake, thinking it may lead to another tunnel, or maybe, to another boat. The thought of seeing more _alligator_ gars fills her with anxiety. "Yeah, great, _just_ what I need, _more_ creatures with teeth trying to kill me."

Making her way to the lake, she smiles as she passes richly colored and perfumed flowers. Reaching the lake some twenty minutes later, Amanda stands at the water's edge, confused. The path simply _ends_ at the lake. Looking around for a boat, she finds nothing except an ancient, _definitely_ man-made rock pier, rising five feet above the water, and extending over _fifty_ feet into it. Stomping her foot in frustration, she turns around to go back to the 'Y,' hoping it will lead to the way out.

Finding her way back to the pathway's divide, she follows the left leg.

The path leads her into an area of stalagmites of varying sizes, becoming denser the further she walks. Weaving her way around them, Amanda soon finds herself standing in _front_ of a massive stalagmite, easily nineteen feet in diameter, and rising at _least_ seventy-five feet high.

The pathway simply ends at its center.

Amanda takes a step back, craning her neck, to look toward its crown, all the while marveling at how it shimmers is the dim light thrown off by the lake.

Sighing deeply, Amanda looks at the ground, first to the left, then to the right, for signs of where the path continues, or another path begins, but sees nothing. Tired and hungry, fear begins creeping up her spine, not having found a way out of this massive cavern. One thing she knows for _sure_ though... there is _no_ way she can go back the way she had come.

Panic takes over her thinking as she says, "Maybe there really _isn't_ any way out of here! Maybe this is as far as, whoever _made_ these paths, got. Maybe _they_ died down here, trying to find a way out too."

Amanda puts her back to the stalagmite and slowly slides down its length, to sit on the ground. Pulling her knees to her chest, she sadly looks around. Her thoughts turn even darker, wondering if _anyone_ is looking for her on the surface, or, if anyone even _cared_ enough to search for her in the first place. Her adoptive parents did _not_ like her, and for all she knew, they had just packed up camp and left her here, and did not tell _anyone_ she was missing. If anything, they would tell people back home, that she had moved away to live with one of their relatives. She knows in her heart, that _no_ one is looking for her... because _no_ one cares about her.

Tears fill her eyes, making dirty streaks down her cheeks as they fall, eventually dripping onto the vine covered and crystal strewn ground. Taking her helmet off, Amanda wipes her eyes with her filthy fingers.

"Maybe I _missed_ something at the house," she says softly. "Maybe there's _something_ I missed that tells me how to get _out_ of here. I mean, whoever _built_ the place, and _died_ , had to have survived long enough to _build_ the house in the first place. And _where_ did they get all the wood? There _are_ trees here, so, I guess they could have cut them down and all, but, then _where_ are the saws and stuff? And anyway, it had to have taken _months_ at least, to clear away all those crystals, just to make these paths. How did they find anything to _eat_? There _has_ to be a way out of here! I just _know_ there is!"

Grabbing her helmet, she shoves her hair up inside and settles it snuggly over her head. With a sigh, she reaches out and grasps her sword. Rising, she decides to go back to the old house and, if she _has_ to, she will _tear_ up every single floorboard! There just _has_ to be something more!

About to walk away, she remembers the old map in the ancient Journal. Amanda had not really looked that closely at it, but she _had_ noticed the house was marked on it, in one tiny area. "Maybe there's something on the map I _didn't_ see. Maybe there's something on it, that will show the way out!"

Placing her sword on the ground, Amanda takes off her backpack and sits on the cool cavern floor. Grasping the Velcro flap of the large pocket, she flips it up and retrieves the Journal. Turning it upside down, she shakes it until the ancient map drops to the ground beside her. As she carefully unfolds it, she remembers seeing the house in one tiny area, and looks for it, deciding to begin her search from there.

Amanda turns the map over, thinking there may be more on that side, but sees nothing. Flipping it over, she studies it intently, finally finding the small sketch of the house near the far right side of the map. Studying it, she sees that there is indeed a _faint_ path leading from the old house, going back in the direction she had come from originally.

Her eyes follow the path away from the house, coming to a drawing of a door, titled, "Keepers Door." Frowning, she considers that for a moment, then decides that it must be referring to the _huge_ door she had found. Unsure whether the door keeps the snakes out from this side of the doorway, or keeps something on _this_ side from entering the other side, she decides that if she follows the path on the map further back, it should lead her to the other chambers she has passed through, including the one with all the waterfalls.

Bending over the old map, her eyes blur as she squints at the faded drawing. Amanda continues to trace the path with her finger. "Oh my _God_! There's the cavern with all the _snakes_ , and, and here's that red hot _bridge_!"

Sliding her finger further back, she sees several dozen arches along a cavern wall, realizing with a shock, what they are! "Those are _doors_! Dozens of them, leading into this cavern with the _snakes_ and the bridge!

"Here... this has to be the door _I_ came through! The one nearest where it says, 'boiling mud marsh.' And here's the edge of the _mud_ that I followed to the bridge!"

Looking at the doors along the cavern wall, it finally dawns on her. "Oh _Jesus_. If I would have chosen one of those _other_ doors, I would have walked right into the middle of _thousands_ of those snakes! I... I'd _never_ have made it to the bridge!"

Forcing a dry swallow, at the image in her mind of what _could_ have happened, if she had chosen the wrong door, she continues to slide her finger along the path. On the other side of the huge door... the door she _had_ come through... she makes another discovery.

"Oh _wow_! It _was_ a city! And look how _big_ it is! Here are some images of the snakes and flying creatures too. And here near the walls, you can see them flying _right_ out of some kind of caves!"

Looking closer, Amanda notices some faded writing in an arch near one side of the city. Squinting, she reads softly, "Lost City of Elboreth." Furrowing her eyebrows, she thinks, "Well, it can't be _lost_ if you know where it is, and I've even been _in_ it!"

Moving further to the left, she recognizes another image. "There's the cavern with the huge _tree_ lizards and the flying creatures! Look, _here's_ the cavern that had the nest! Holy _cow_. Look how _big_ that cavern is! I was lucky I made my way near the lake, or I _never_ would of made it through there."

Sitting back, stunned, Amanda looks blankly at the formations around her, not seeing them. Instead, she replays what she went through, visualizing what could have happened to her in the many caverns she has made her way through. Amazed she is still alive, shaking her head in wonder, she looks back down to the map.

"Let's see... where's the cavern with those _beautiful_ waterfalls?" Tracing the path further left, Amanda catches her breath as she sees a large area on the map, showing _dozens_ of waterfalls. "Yeah, that looks like it all right. And all these _other_ caverns... these are the ones I went through too. Wow."

Amanda comes to a drawing showing a tall area of rocks next to a lake. Near it, a caption reads, "put boat on rocks due to tidal shifts." Pausing, she looks at the stalagmites scattered around her. Returning to the map, she remembers. "And here's the area where the little boat _exploded_ and I was almost _killed_! The writing is _really_ faded here, but it looks like it says, 'Funnel Cavern. Very dangerous! Do not use in rainy season, far too dangerous.' Great, _now_ you tell me. Here I am, _right_ in the middle of the off season, when there's _more_ rain than at any other time. Just _great_... thanks a _lot_!"

Going even further back, she finds a portion of the map has been burned away. Shaking her head, Amanda shrugs. "Well, it doesn't matter. I know what's back _there_ anyway, and it's the only way out I _know_ of so far... but now, there is _no_ way I can go back, with the bridge gone, and that huge cave-in. And from what I can see on this map, there is no _other_ way back either."

Her eyes travel the route she has taken to finally reach this spot, and is astonished at the distance she has traveled deep into the heart of this mountain. "I must be _miles_ and miles inside, and who knows _how_ deep. But, it's all right here on this map. Every cavern I've traveled through, is here, and all the things I've encountered are on here too.

" _Someone_ had to have gone through all these things too, to know where each cavern is, and the things that are _in_ them. _One_ of those people who died, _made_ this map I bet, and this _Journal_ too, or maybe, even the other big _book_ I found."

Amanda returns to the drawing of the house, and continues talking out loud to herself. "Well, _here's_ the house, and here's where the path continues on this side of it. Yeah, this is the path all right. Let's see, I followed it until it split into a 'Y.' Here it is. Yep, see, it goes off this way to the lake." Amanda looks hard at the area around the lake, but only finds the drawing of a pile of rocks, leading into the lake with the wording, "Great fishing here, use a red crystal. Page 175."

Confused, Amanda looks up narrowing her brows. "Use a _red_ crystal? For _fishing_? I wonder what kind of fish you catch with a _crystal_? And why would a _fish_ want to eat a crystal anyway?"

Curious, she turns to page one hundred and seventy five in the Journal, and finds a detailed drawing of the pier at the lake. There are several other drawings as well. Some show how to tie various colored crystals to a fishing line. On the next several pages, there are drawings of the line being dangled out over the water, with a strange, _large_ fish jumping up out of the water, and _clamping_ onto the crystal. It then shows drawings of a man swinging the fish to the side, and beating it to death with a rock. On the following pages, are instruction on how to clean and cook various kinds of fish.

Turning more pages show other fishing spots, where you can use _different_ colored crystals to catch smaller, odd-looking fish. One page states to use a _green_ crystal for the little retagans, which it states are _very_ scaly and taste like _moss_! Another advises to use a _blue_ crystal, for the huge alligator gars, while the _red_ crystals, are best for catching giant _tiger_ fish, with even _larger_ teeth, and more powerful heads, than the alligator gars.

"Well, I think I've had my fill of alligator gars, and anything _else_ with teeth, thank you _very_ much. I'm really hungry, but I don't think I could cook these, even if I _could_ catch 'em. But, maybe if I can't find a way out after a while, I'll try. Oh well."

Amanda turns her attention once again to the map. "Well, that didn't get me very far at the _lake_. What about the _other_ leg of the path though?"

Finding the 'Y,' Amanda follows the other path... the left one she is on. It winds its way through a dense area of stalagmites, just like the ones she passed. Continuing to slide her finger along the path on the map, she comes to a _dead_ end at a rather large finger-shape, which simply says, "Door."

"Door?" Amanda says, standing and looking around for a door. " _I_ don't see any _door_ here. The only thing here is this huge stalagmite. The cavern doesn't even _end_ here, so there isn't any place to _put_ a door." Looking down at the map again, she spots the faint writing below the drawing of the finger, representing the huge stalagmite. It reads, "See page 75."

Tucking the map under one arm, she picks up the old Journal and flips to page seventy-five. The only thing _on_ the page, is an intricately detailed drawing of a stalagmite, surrounded by several others.

Stepping back a few paces, Amanda looks at the huge stalagmite in front of her, then at the drawing. "Well, this is _really_ weird. But, ya know... this _does_ kinda look like the one in the Journal. And those over there on the left? They look _just_ like these here in the book too."

Turning to the right, she looks at the three stalagmites nearby, comparing them to the ones in the drawing. "And look at _those_ three. One tall one, with one half its height beside it, and one half _that_ high beside it. And here they are in the _book_ too. This just can't be. It says there's a _door_ here. Where? _I_ can't see it."

Facing the huge stalagmite, she looks it over carefully, running her hand slowly over its surface. Not finding _anything_ resembling a hidden door, she circles it, looking for _any_ kind of door, in _any_ shape, until, disappointed, she returns to stand on the path in front of it.

"Well," she says, looking up and down its entire height, "this is _really_ stupid! There isn't any _door_ here for god's sake!"

Looking back at the drawing, her eyes are drawn to the small passage beneath it. The caption states that to open the door, the password to use is "Orathian." To close the door, the password is "Neldor."

Laughing, Amanda says loudly, "Yeah, _right_ , I _knew_ this was just some kind of weird story! Like, if I say, ' _Orathian_ ' a door will _really_ open!"

No sooner does she speak the word, than the stalagmite begins to sparkle, and a _glowing_ blue archway appears, as though it were melting through the stalagmite.

Startled, Amanda staggers backward, dropping the book and map. Within seconds, she is starring at a hollow stalagmite, her eyes coming to rest on a _spiral_ staircase leading downward, inside.

Her voice is hardly a whisper. "I, I can't _believe_ it. This _can't_ be real... can it? This is some kind of _trick_ or something. Maybe it's some kind of illusion."

Taking several hesitant steps forward, she raises her shaking hand toward the opening, and extends her arm. Her hand passes right through the opening and into the hollow shell. Snapping her hand back, the begins to tremble.

"But this _can't_ have happened! It _can't_ be real! It just _can't_ be!"

Swallowing hard, her heart _pounding_ madly, Amanda slowly steps through the opening. The inside _glistens_ like sunlight reflecting off rippling water. Looking up, she sees it taper to a point far overhead.

Cautiously approaching the staircase, Amanda puts her hand on the smooth carved stone. It looks like the staircase has been carved from the interior of the stalagmite itself. Leaning over, she inhales sharply. It is absolutely _breathtaking_. The _stone_ is giving off a soft blue glow, sparkling as it reflects off the _hundreds_ of small facets in the staircases walls, steps, and railing.

Amanda steps back outside, picking up the Journal and the map. Carefully folding the map, she puts it into the backpack, and slips it on. Confused, and quite _frightened_ at this new development, she grabs her sword. Returning to the door, she enters, standing beside the staircase, and peers down over the side.

"Uh, what did it say about _closing_ the door?" she says softly. Flipping back to page seventy-five, she rereads the passage silently. "Oh, yeah, it says to say ' _Neldor_ ' to close it. Well, here goes."

In a quivering voice, almost a _whisper_ , she says, " _Neldor_." Instantly, a red glow appears from the ground, filling the void of the archway where the opening is. The air sparkles. The clear opening changes to translucent, then back to _solid_ stone, Amanda is now _trapped_ inside, as she is _plunged_ into the faint blue glow within the stalagmite.

Stepping quickly to where the opening had been, she _frantically_ runs her left hand over the solid cold stone.

Terrified, she screams, " _Orathian_! Orathian!" A blue archway appears and begins to sparkle. The sealed doorway becomes translucent, then clear.

Amanda _bolts_ outside. Her chest _rising_ and falling with shuttering breaths, she _forces_ down a swallow. "Jesus! That scared the _hell_ out of me! I can't _believe_ this! It can't _really_ be happening. But it is, _isn't_ it? Or, maybe I'm asleep. Yeah, that's it. This is _just_ a dream," and pinches herself _hard_ on the back of her hand. "Ouch! That _really_ hurt. Uh... I think. I mean, if it's a dream, and I'm _dreaming_ I just pinched myself, wouldn't I _think_ it hurt, even in a dream?"

Looking around, Amanda stammers, "This can't be a dream though, but I can't believe it's _real_ either. I... I don't know _what_ this is!

Looking back inside the hollow stalagmite, she says softly, "Well, _whatever_ this is, there's only one way to go now anyway, according to the map, and that's _down_ this spiral stairway. Sooooo."

Taking a deep breath, Amanda steps back inside. Shifting her backpack into a comfortable position, she moves her shield slightly to the side and adjusts her new dagger belt.

Turning to face the opening of the doorway, she clears her throat. Holding both arms out in front of her at head height, sword held high, Amanda imagines herself a _mighty_ wizard. Speaking in a low, _commanding_ voice, Amanda says, "Neldor!" The red glow from the ground once again appears, the sparkling continuing until the stalagmite is once again sealed, with only solid, smooth, glistening stone remaining.

Smiling nervously to herself, Amanda leans over the side, looking down the spiraling steps.

The smile quickly leaves her face. There is no bottom that she can see. The spirals spin down to a fine needle point, disappearing into total darkness.

A sudden shiver runs through her. Clutching the Journal tightly to her chest with her left hand, Amanda begins her slow descent, sword held slightly in front of her as her right hand trails along the smooth staircase railing.

To TOC

# The Eleven Doors

As Amanda _slowly_ makes her way down the glistening steps, the only things she can hear, are the _echoes_ from each step her boots make, her own breathing, and the beating of her _pounding_ heart in her ears. Even though Amanda is in a confined space, the air is fresh and clean, with the barest smell of damp earth filling her nostrils. The smooth slick feel of the handrail sliding effortlessly beneath her hand, gives her some comfort.

With the eerie blue glow of the walls softly lighting her way, she spirals further down into the depths of the mountain beneath the stalagmite. Down, lower and lower she goes, sitting and resting every so often.

Soon, Amanda approaches a wide, solid rock platform, but continues past it, heading down into what appears from where she is walking, will be a large cavern below the platform. In another moment, the staircase continues into a _huge_ cavern-like chamber beneath the rough platform.

Slowing her steps, Amanda gasps as she catches sight of a couple of _ancient_ wooden doors, set within _very_ large arches some distance below her. Continuing to spiral down, _more_ doors come into view. By the time she has descended half way into the chamber, she has counted _eleven_ doors, and a sealed arch. Amanda wonders whether, at one time, another door had been there.

Amanda finally steps onto the earthen floor. The entire chamber is glowing softly, emitting its own blue light. Taking a couple steps forward, she turns in a full circle. Slowly, Amanda walks toward the first ancient wooden door she glimpsed, located to the right of the sealed one.

Standing in front of the archway, she judges it to be about the width of her bedroom back home, and at least _twelve_ feet in height. The arch is like a slightly curved alcove, with an _ancient_ looking wooden door set into the stone. The door has _many_ wonderful carvings in it.

Stepping forward, she runs her hand over the ancient carvings. Stepping back into the room, she looks at the other doors, and sees carvings, along with carved lettering, covering all of them. But the doors are strange. They have _no_ handles, rings, _sliders_ or keyholes she can find. There is no way she can see to _open_ them, and no way she can _read_ the strange writing on them.

The writing on the door in front of her, looks like this:

Amanda walks to the door to her right. Its writing reads:

The next door reads:

Turning in a full circle, looking from one door to the other, she says, "Well, maybe I can't _read_ whatever kind of writing this is, but, I can see that the first _word_ is being repeated on all the other doors too. Interesting.

Stepping up to the first door, she once again runs her hand over the strange carvings. "Maybe there isn't any handle, because you just need to _push_ against it, like a swinging door." Pressing her shoulder against the door, she shoves hard.

" _Wow_. Not even a _budge_! Well, _that_ didn't work!"

To TOC

# Transportia

Stepping away from the door, she once again looks to the strange writing above it. One thing is for certain, she _cannot_ read the writing, and therefore, has _no_ idea what she may find waiting for her, on the other side of any of them.

Amanda walks back to the stone steps and sits down. Carefully opening the Journal, she turns the pages until she finds the one with instructions showing how to get into the stalagmite. Reading on, she sees a drawing that looks _just_ like the chamber she is in now. The page is titled, "Transport Chambers." Furrowing her brows, she reads aloud, "Transport Chambers will transport you to the indicated destination."

She looks up to the doors for a moment, then continues reading. "The huge chamber at the base of the stairway, is the main gateway to the eleven other chambers, each holding five doors to various destinations. The doors in this large chamber, all have Dwarvish writing, and simply tell you what number chamber you will enter. The writing, beginning with the first door to the right of the blocked one, reads, 'Chamber One,' the next door, 'Chamber Two,' and so on around the room, until reaching the last one, which reads, 'Chamber Eleven.'"

Amanda flips the page and sees a picture of another room, with a pentagram on the floor. Near each of its five points, there are what looks like, little fingers sticking out.

Amanda continues reading. "To pass through any of the doors in this large chamber, and enter the smaller ones, stand directly in front of the door, then speak, 'Orathian' and the door will swing in. The door will close automatically once you have stepped through and have taken several more steps. The lighting in the new chamber, much smaller and about the size of a standard bedroom, will begin to glow a light blue."

Amanda looks back toward the first door. "It seems that 'Orathian' is like some _magic_ word to open doors, and 'Neldor' to close 'em. Hmmm."

Turning the page, she reads on. "Once inside the smaller chamber, you will find the transport chambers. The Pentagram tells the traveler where each portal will take them. I have translated the Dwarvish found on the Pentagrams into English, for each of the eleven chambers on the following pages."

Finally! Excited, Amanda turns the page and not only finds a close-up of the first chambers image, but what each of the doors at the points of the Pentagram say!

Her eyes glued to the page, she reads aloud, "The doors in Chamber One, will take you to the following destinations: Deep Forest Elves; Wizards; Witches; Dwarves and Centaurs."

Amanda looks at the diagram, then up at the doors. "Well, now I _know_ I'm dreaming, because _none_ of these things are real. I mean, really, _Witches_ , Wizards, _Elves_ and things? No _way_!"

But after a few moments of staring at the doors, Amanda realizes the truth. "But, that's what I thought about there being no door in a stalagmite too. And it turned out that there _was_ one, and a _magic_ one at that! And, those _lizard_ things, and the gigantic lizard trees, and giant _snakes_ and those flying porcupine, parrot, _horse_ -like things! _They_ were real too! But, transportation to... _witches_ , wizards and, and _elves_! Now _that_ , would _really_ be something! To think I could actually visit Elves, like in the books, ' _The Lord Of The Rings_.' Wow! But it can't _really_ be possible... can it?"

Getting up slowly, Amanda looks down at the drawing in the Journal, and a sentence catches her eye. It seems that all the writing is in Dwarvish, because it is a _universal_ writing throughout the many other realms. Even if someone could not _speak_ Dwarvish, which the Journal says varies by region anyway, everyone learns to _read_ it, and many learn to write it. The Journal continues, saying that most wizards, witches and Elves speak English, because they had discovered the realm millennia ago. Because it was the most traveled of all the realms, this particular _version_ of Dwarvish, was created with twenty-six letters, each letter translating into a letter of the English alphabet. Therefore, if you knew English, you only needed to learn the equivalent _letter_ in Dwarvish, to read and write it.

The Journal continued to say that other creatures, have a much harder time, having to translate their language to Dwarvish and back again. Because of that, most simply do not bother, or just cannot do it. It ends saying to check Appendix "A" for the Dwarvish to English letters.

Bending, Amanda picks up her sword, and looks at the drawing again, which looks like this:

Closing the Journal, she walks to the first door, the Journal indicating it would lead to a kind of _transportation_ , that would take her to see the Elves.

At the door, she looks up at the Dwarvish writing. Amanda runs her hand over the old wood, feeling its rough surface. After chewing on her lower lip for a moment, she swallows, clears her throat, and holding both her hands up and out in front of her, like she had at the stalagmite, speaks the word.

"Orathian!" The ancient door pops inward a few inches, Amanda then swinging it inward easily. Smiling nervously, she puts her sword hand on the doorjamb and looks inside. There is a little pathway on that side of the door, which seems to lead but a short distance, into another chamber. She can see _another_ wooden door at the far end of the new chamber.

As she steps in, the chamber fills with a dim greenish glow. Startled, Amanda steps back through the doorway. The green glow of the chamber instantly goes out. "Must use a _motion_ detector to turn a light on or something, that's all."

Feeling more confident, she reenters the room and as she does so, the glow reappears. As she walks forward, Amanda panics as the door suddenly creaks shut with a boom, as it makes a distinctive 'clank,' as it locks. Walking quickly back to the door, she cries loudly, "Orathian!" and is rewarded with a click, as the door swings open toward her. Taking a deep breath of relief, she turns back and walks to the inner chamber, once again hearing the door close and secure itself behind her.

Reaching the new chamber, she stands in the opening and looks around. The chamber is round, with a _high_ domed ceiling, and a floor of polished white marble, with a _beautiful_ Pentagram outlined in gold, in its center.

Amanda is _stunned_ at its beauty. "Wow, this is _awesome_! That Pentagram has been inlaid into the marble floor, and _look_ at the gold outline it has! That... looks like _real_ gold too."

Dwarvish is written on the longer sides of the Pentagram, its five points pointing to ancient wooden doors, set into the rock walls.

Amanda looks down at her Journal. "Now, which one is supposed to take you to see the Elves?" Finding that the door to the Elves is the one straight across from her, she makes her way to it.

Stepping up to the door, she turns around to look to where she came in. Looking to the Journal, she checks once again to be _sure_ she is standing at the correct door.

This is what the Journal shows:

Thinking of her favorite story, she laughs. "Well," she says softly. "This is the right door. But, I don't think there's a _purple_ triple decker magic bus, or _red_ train waiting on the other side. I wonder what kind of transportation they use? Maybe it's a _Portkey_! That would _really_ be cool. Or, maybe it's a _fireplace_ you have to get into and, and the _flames_ turn green and off you go!"

Still not completely convinced that these things are real, Amanda, nevertheless, is becoming more and more _excited_ at the prospect that it really could be true.

For the third time, she holds up both hands, sword held high. "Orathian!" The door clicks and instantly swings in.

Grinning, she steps forward and stands at the open doorway. Her smile fades quickly, as a look of confusion and disappointment spreads over her face. Peering in, there is _nothing_ waiting for her at all. There is nothing there but a short, _winding_ tunnel, leading to, what appears to be, an _empty_ alcove.

Walking to the end of the tunnel, she steps into the small arched alcove. Looking around her, Amanda estimates its size to be about twelve feet in height, by around ten feet wide, and some fifteen feet deep.

The alcove and floor are of the same polished marble she had found in the outside chamber. There are _no_ other doors inside, and no other visible way to go.

Stepping back, she raises her arms once again, looking into the empty alcove. "Orathian!" Nothing happens.

Looking around for a glowing archway or _anything_ that may have appeared, she is disappointed to find that _nothing_ has appeared, or _changed_ in the least.

Sighing, she steps inside the alcove, and moving to its center, sits on the floor. Opening the Journal, she finds where she had left off. Flipping through several more pages, she sees a drawing of a door that says:

Below that in English it says, "Deep Forest Elves."

"Well, this _must_ be it." Amanda looks around. "So, why isn't there anything here, like a _Portkey_ , or a fireplace with green flames? Or, like an _energy_ beam or something like in _Star Trek_?"

Continuing to read, she comes to a passage that says, in part, "... once inside the transport portal, simply say, 'Transportia' and you will be taken to your destination."

Looking up from the Journal with a puzzled expression, Amanda whispers, "Transportia?"

_Instantly_ the alcove glows with a _pulsating_ blue light. Amanda grabs her sword and begins to get to her feet, but while still straightening, there is a bright _flash_ and she feels herself distorting and thinning out, as though she is turning into smoke, _rising_ into the air.

Suddenly, Amanda, nothing more now than _long_ strands of opalescent thread, is shooting straight up and back, then slips into a _tiny_ crack within the alcove she had not seen. Traveling _faster_ and faster, she finds herself weaving in and out of _cracks_ and holes within the rock, watching all _kinds_ of strange and wondrous creatures whizzing past.

Amanda has the sensation of getting smaller and smaller, as the smallest of things grow larger and larger around her. The smallest grain of dirt now growing to the size of a mountain. Terrified, she wants to stop, but cannot, and rapidly continues shrinking.

"I'm _inside_ the rock. I _know_ I am. But, everything's _changing_. Hey... what are all those _flashing_ things?"

In no more than a second, she begins to speed by tiny spheres of varying colors and sizes. Millions upon _millions_ of them. They are zooming past her so fast, she feels like she is in some kind of _star_ ship in outer space, watching stars and planets passing by at dizzying speeds. The tiny spheres she has been passing, begin to grow larger and further apart.

Feeling light headed, she looks down to where her body should be, and sees only an opalescent smoke like substance. Amanda _screams_ , but there is no sound.

Her mind races, "Oh my god. I can't _believe_ this is happening! I can't speak... I've got no _arms_ or legs... and I don't even have a _body_! Am I _dead_?" Frightened beyond belief, she looks at all the things flying past her. "Well. I don't _feel_ dead. I think... so, somehow, I'm _still_ alive. If that's what you _call_ this! I just want everything to stop and take me back!"

In another few moments, Amanda finds herself heading _straight_ for one of the tiny spheres, bluish green in color, that has just appeared far in the distance. As she _races_ toward it, it quickly begins growing larger and larger, until it is becomes the size of a planet! Soon, she enters the softly glowing outer atmosphere of the sphere, then finds herself _falling_ through what appears to be, blue sky. The next thing she knows, she is shooting _right_ for the rocky ground within a dense forest, like some kind of _missile_.

_Screaming_ a silent scream, Amanda is about to _slam_ into the ground, when, to her surprise, she slips into a _crack_ in the ground, between two small rocks, which _quickly_ grow to the size of mountains.

Weaving her way through cracks in the rocks underground, she suddenly _pops_ into another alcove, and immediately begins to spread out. As she does so, she feels her smoke like body compress. It feels to her, like someone _pushing_ against her entire body, which at the moment, she does _not_ have.

But as she continues to expand, she feels herself beginning to take on solid form. There is another bright _flash_ , and she finds herself standing, in the same _bent_ over position she had been in, when the _first_ flash occurred. Still _grasping_ her sword tightly, she stands upright, clutching the small Journal to her chest, and begins _waving_ her sword frantically from side to side, her eyes _wide_ as she gasps for breath.

Checking to see that her entire body is all there, she says loudly, "Holy _cow_! What the _heck_ was _that_?! What on _Earth_ just happened?"

Blinking several times, she looks around. "Wait! _This_ isn't the same place I was a few _seconds_ ago! This alcove is pulsing _yellow_ , and it's a different _shape_ too! Oh oh... Look at the tunnel pathway... it leads off to the _right_ about thirty feet from here, and not winding straight ahead like it did before.

"Oh god... where the _heck_ am I?"

To TOC

# The Deep Forest

Stepping from the alcove, the pulsating light within it stops. Amanda slowly follows the pathway to the sharp curve ahead, sword held ready for whatever may be hiding there waiting for her. The only thing lighting her way is the dim glow of the tunnel walls. Cautiously, she round the corner. Nothing there waiting for her. Trying to make as little sound as she can, she continues through the winding tunnel, until she comes to a small wooden door.

"Oh _no_. This isn't the same _door_ I came through either! _What's_ going on?" Chewing on her lower lip for a few moments, she then says, "Well... I guess there's only one way to find out what's _on_ the other side, and it better _not_ be snakes, lizards or those _flying_ things either!"

Trying the door, she finds it will not open. After staring at it for a moment, clearing her throat, Amanda holds her arms up, "Orathian!" A _clank_ is heard, and as before, the door swings toward her on its own, as she steps back to let it open. Her jaw _drops_ as she faces a solid wall of green vines, so _thick_ she can see no light coming through them.

Amanda puts the Journal and her sword on the ground, takes off her backpack, and places the Journal securely inside. Slipping the backpack back on, she grabs her sword. With her heart _pounding_ , she steps forward and begins to part the _thick_ vines with its tip of her sword and other hand.

Cautiously, she _forces_ her way through the vines, constantly checking her footing before putting her full weight down. Thinking back, she has had _quite_ enough falling and tumbling to last a lifetime. Soon, she is _surrounded_ by the thick vines, and is no longer sure she is walking in as straight a line as she had thought. "Oh god... _please_ don't let me get lost in here, and not be able to find my way back," she whispers.

Just as panic begins to set in, she thinks she can make out faint light coming through the vines and large leaves in front of her. Continuing forward, it grows brighter and brighter, until she _plunges_ her sword and hand through the last foot of large leaves on the hanging vines.

Amanda steps through the vines and onto a _wide_ ledge, high up on the side of a huge mountain. Shielding her eyes, blinking from the somewhat brighter surroundings, her jaw _drops_ as her eyes grow large. With a _thick_ swallow, she takes a few steps forward to the edge.

There below her, is the most _wonderful_ , lush and green _forest_ she could ever imagine. There are _dozens_ of waterfalls in every direction. Bordering them are rolling green hills blanketed with flowers and plants as far as she can see. The trees are huge, and the _smell_ of the pine fills her senses with pure joy. She smiles as she sees birds, flying off in the distance. And the air... the air is _sweet_ and clean!

Looking up into the sky she gasps, "Ohhhh, my _god_! There are _two_ moons! And look how _huge_ they are!" Looking around, she sees that the sun is on the other side of the mountain she is standing on, and cannot see it. "It _looks_ like early morning. I guess. But I've lost all track of time, and the days."

Looking out into the forest, she is mesmerized by the sight of the most _beautiful_ crystal clear blue lake she has ever seen. The lake _glistens_ far off down the mountain, just over a small ridge.

Amanda can't help but smile. "Where the heck _am_ I?" She says, watching some birds chase one another. "The Journal said that the Transport Portal would take you to your destination. I went into the one that said it would take me to, the _Deep Forest Elves_. Could that _really_ be true? _Did_ I... somehow _really_ travel to a forest that has _Elves_ in it? It _can't_ be! But look at those _moons_! Wherever I am, it's not _earth_ , that's for _sure_! This is _nuts_!"

After taking another few steps forward, Amanda sees that the ledge she is on, is quite a ways above the base of the mountain. As she peers down, she realizes there is a _very_ steep, sloping grass and flower-strewn mountainside below her, leading to the forest floor far below.

Kneeling, she begins stacking a pile of _rocks_ in front of the vines she had come through. Amanda wants to be _sure_ she can find her way back to the transport chamber, if she _needs_ to.

Talking to herself. "Well, I could _sure_ use some water, so I guess I'd better make my way down to the lake. I hope there aren't any _bears_... or worse."

Her injured ankle and _blistered_ feet, make the journey an especially hard one. She does a good deal of _slipping_ and sliding, sending up clouds of dust, and sending cascades of _tumbling_ rocks dancing quickly down the slope in front of her. Making her way down in as _straight_ a line as possible, she _constantly_ checks behind her, trying to memorize the view of where she came from. Forgetting _where_ the hidden doorway is, would _not_ be good.

On her way down, entering more of the actual forest, the grass is getting higher and the trees packed closer together. Soon, she comes to a large patch of bushes with red berries on them. "Raspberries! I can't _believe_ it! I _love_ raspberries! Wait... don't raspberries usually grow in the _summer_? But it's winter... _isn't_ it? Or, is it summer here, wherever here is? Or, maybe these just _look_ like raspberries, but... are _poisonous_ or something here."

Picking several of the berries, she smells them. "They sure _smell_ like raspberries, and I'm _sooo_ hungry." Taking her helmet off, flipping her long dirty hair away from her face, she puts the helmet on the ground next to the bush. With great care, Amanda takes a _tiniest_ bite. "Oh my _god_! These _are_ raspberries! And they're the best I've ever _tasted_!" Suddenly starving, Amanda cannot shove them into her mouth fast enough, savoring each and every mouthwatering chew.

After a few moments of heaven, her eyes closed, enjoying the refreshing taste, she opens her eyes and looks around. Startled, she sees some odd colored _blue_ bees flying around the plants. As she is forcing another handful of the berries into her mouth, she watches the bees flit from one flowering plant nearby, to another, then land and slowly walk around a berry or petal. As a bee lands on a berry just to her right, she stops in mid chew. " _What_ the...? Those bees, they have a single little spiral _horn_ coming out of their heads!" Watching them for another moment, she smiles, "Must be a _Unibee_." Laughing, she goes back to cramming more berries into her eager mouth, all the while keeping an eye on the strange bees.

Feeling better with something in her stomach, she decides it is time to move on. Sliding out of her backpack, she puts a couple handfuls of the red berries into the pocket with the key. After slipping the backpack on, she places the helmet back on her head.

Bending down to retrieve her sword, she cries out in pain, feeling a _sharp_ pain on the back of her neck. "Ouch!" Removing her helmet, she rubs the back of her neck, and can feel a tiny bump. "I think one of those bees _stung_ me!" After rubbing it gently, the pain begins to subside. After putting her helmet back on, giving the bees a _wide_ berth, Amanda moves on toward the lake.

After walking for an hour, she begins to feel dizzy. Pausing, she hears _movement_ to her left and freezes. The _last_ time she heard something moving in a forest, it was a _bear_. This movement is different. It sounds like it belongs to something smaller... something _rustling_ through the tall grass.

Dropping wearily to one knee, she sets her sword on the ground, slips out of her backpack, and retrieves her shield. Quickly, she slips the backpack on, hefts her shield and sword, and gets to her feet.

Without a moment to spare, she hears a _rushing_ sound through the grass, and sees something making a path in the tall grass, as though _mowing_ it down. The _pathway_ it makes, weaves first in _one_ direction, stops, then begins again _quickly_ in another.

It is now headed almost _directly_ at her. Reaching up, she flips down her visor.

Holding her shield and sword at the ready, Amanda expects one of the smaller _lizard_ creatures to come rushing out and attack her. Her eyes are watering a little, and she is having a hard time staying focused.

Suddenly, something jumps _up_ out of the tall grass and onto a tree, about fifteen feet away. Giving a small cry of surprise, she stares at the odd creature with her mouth half open. The little creature has _long_ back feet, body and ears of a good sized rabbit. But, it has the _face_ , front feet and tail of a _squirrel_. It has _claws_ like an eagle, with sharp _talons_ on the ends.

The creature looks at Amanda, as though trying to figure out what kind of animal _she_ is. Lifting its long ears, it moves them around, like the ears on an old-fashioned television set, then _scampers_ up the tree, and out of sight behind a huge limb.

"That was one _weird_ squirrel! I mean, _rabbit_. I mean, oh, _whatever_ it is. One things for sure, I'm not _alone_ here in the forest."

Having walked another ten minutes, she stops. For just a moment, she could have _sworn_ that she saw, a very _large_ blue and green lizard, as it came into view between two trees, only to vanish quickly into the tall grass. Maybe a large iguana... but, with a tiny _person_ with a red pointed hat, sitting on a small _saddle_ , right on top of the lizards back! "Oh, for heaven's _sake_ Amanda! Get a _hold_ of yourself!" she says in a whisper. "Maybe those berries _weren't_ really raspberries, after all. They sure _tasted_ like them, but I think they're giving me, some kind of _hallucinations_. I, I don't really feel so good."

Occasionally, Amanda hears the sounds of birds and will look up to see colorful ones she does not recognize, flying high above the trees. After walking another fifteen minutes, she is startled as she hears a loud _squawk_. Looking up, she is completely _stunned_ when an eagle with a twenty-five foot wing span, flies over the tops of the trees, silhouetted by one of the _huge_ silvery moons. "What the heck was _that_! That _couldn't_ have been an eagle! But it sure looked like one. That's the _biggest_ bird I've ever seen!"

Amanda is walking slower, sometimes stumbling and weaving. Soon, unable to stop herself, she falls, tumbling down a rather steep hill, until she finally comes to rest on her side.

Getting up, she _knows_ something is wrong. Amanda is _burning_ hot and perspiring heavily. Blinking the sweat from her eyes, she continues staggering forward, finally reaching another hill, which looks down onto a stunning blue lake. The gentle breeze ripples over the water, causing the light of the twin moons to reflect off it, in a long, wide, silvery path.

Smiling, inhaling the clean fresh air, she begins to make her way down the hill. She is only five-hundred yards from the water's edge. Approaching the lake, her heavy, droopy eyes, can just make out _fish_ jumping twenty or thirty feet out. Smiling again, her head bobbing, she says in labored breaths, "Wish I had, a red crystal... and fishing pole."

_Staggering_ toward the water's edge, Amanda drops to the ground as she reaches it, setting her shield and sword down, then slips off her backpack. Retrieving her water bottle with shaking hands, she unscrews the top. Fumbling to get her helmet off, she lets it drop, then cups her hands into the _cool_ water and takes drink after drink, feeling the cold water run down her throat, _instantly_ refreshing her. Once her thirst is quenched, she fills her water bottle, puts it back into the pocket, and seals it with the Velcro flap.

Looking to the crystal clear, blue water, she smiles at how beautiful it is. A fleeting _wonderful_ thought of bathing in clear cool water fills her mind, but not knowing what _might_ be in the water, as well as feeling increasingly weak and dizzy, she grudgingly decides against it.

Licking her lips, Amanda _knows_ she is burning up. Struggling with leaden arms, she grunts as she builds another large pile of stacked rocks, so she will be able to find where she first met the lake, coming straight down from the vine covered entrance within the mountain. The torturous work finished, she slips back into the backpack and adjusts it. Grabbing her helmet, she has a _hard_ time shoving her hair up inside, but eventually manages. Picking up her sword and shield, Amanda looks around wearily.

Amanda knows now, that she had been wrong about it being an early morning light she had seen. Instead of getting lighter, it has been getting _darker_. It seems to her oddly, that the sun is on the _wrong_ side, moving _West_ to East, instead of East to West. Or... _is_ it?

Amanda is so confused as to what direction she is facing, she can no longer tell _which_ way the sun is moving. The only thing she knows for _sure_ , is that the sun has vanished behind the mountain she descended. And, it _is_ getting dark out. And _that_ means, she needs to find some shelter for the night.

Struggling to her feet, she slurs her words. "Who knows _wha'_ kind of creatures, come out at night here, to... to _hunt_... and, and to _eat_."

Shaking her head, trying to clear her blurry vision, she looks around and decides to keep following the lake to her left. "Maybe... maybe I'll find a path, and it will lead to a road or something." With a laugh, "Maybe, I'll even find some _Elves_!"

Amanda does not think she will _really_ find an Elf, but after seeing the things she has, she does not really know much of _anything_ for sure now, and is having a _very_ hard time thinking at all.

Adjusting her backpack one last time, she sets off around the lake. Having walked for only three minutes, stumbling, almost falling several times, she turns her head to the left and looks at the majestic towering pines.

Blinking, trying to clear her vision, Amanda stops abruptly, then leans forward squinting through the eye slits in her helmet. "Is... is that... _smoke_?" she whispers. Leaning forward even more, almost toppling over, she lurches forward a few steps, _wincing_ as she turns her injured ankle yet again.

"That _is_ smoke... and not from a forest fire either! Too _narrow_ and the wrong color. It... it must be smoke from a _chimney_! Oh Jesus... there are _people_ here!"

Smiling, she begins to cry from the joy of being rescued, as she staggers forward in the direction of the smoke, limping _badly_ on her freshly turned ankle.

The smoke looks to be no more than half a mile away.

To TOC

# The Meeting

Amanda's head is _bobbing_ and dropping from side to side, as she continues to stumble, limping, half conscious into the dense trees.

"I can _smell_ it... the smoke. I... I'm getting _really_ close."

Rounding a tree, her toe catches on a small root as she attempts to step over it, and she falls _flat_ on her face, dropping her shield and sword. After a moment, lifting her head and watching the forest spin around her, she whispers. "What's going on? What's, what's _wrong_ with me?"

Forcing herself to one knee, her backpack feeling like a _hundred_ -pound weight, she slips it off. There is a _huge_ tree beside her, with tall _thick_ bushes growing around it. Amanda shoves her pack into the bushes to hide it.

Reaching out, she picks up her shield, then lifts her sword, which now feels like it weighs at _least_ thirty pounds. Using the sword to help her stand, she gets to her feet on rubbery legs. Standing, she _instantly_ feels dizzy, and stumbling some from side to side, she blinks repeatedly, trying to clear the haze in her eyes and regain her balance. Somewhat steady, she once again begins staggering forward through the trees. Amanda is limping _badly_ now. The pain _constantly_ making her stumble. Breathing hard, she is having a hard time staying on her feet at all, as she drags her injured leg behind her.

Less than three minutes later, Amanda stumbles into a rather large clearing. Bracing herself against a tree, squinting through the fog like haze in her eyes, she _gasps_ at the sight before her.

"It's a _house_! And, and there's a garden too. And over there... looks like a _pathway_ lined by weeping willows of some kind." Delirious, she begins to laugh, then _instantly_ begins to cry. Laughing again, she begins coughing. Along with a _splitting_ headache, she is sweating something awful.

Fighting a bout of sudden nausea, she closes her eyes until the pain and spinning in her head eases ever so slightly. Cautiously rounding the trees to her right, she sees the front of the wonderful wooden house come into view. Hiding behind a huge pine, she studies the sight before her.

"This is a _really_ old house from the looks of it," she whispers as though talking to someone beside her. "Looks like it could use a _lot_ of work for sure. Wow! Look at those _windows_. They're kind of like the ones on that _other_ old broken down house, where I found the dagger, but these, are _really_ awesome. They look just like big _leaves_ on a vine. Vanes and all."

Hobbling to, and stepping behind another tree, just in front of the tree lined pathway, Amanda looks down. "This pathway looks like it's made from some kind of, multicolored _slate_ or something. It's _beautiful_. And look at all those _flowers_. I've never seen so many _colors_ before. It's like there's every color of the rainbow. There's even some that look like they're _silver_ , and, and there are some _gold_ ones over there."

Amanda hesitantly steps out from behind the tree, onto the beautiful pathway. "There's _light_ coming from inside. Looks like its flickering. Must be a candle or, maybe a gas or _oil_ lamp of some kind. Too far out in the _forest_ to have electricity, and I don't hear a generator."

Staggering forward, weaving from one side of the pathway to the other, trying to keep her balance, she _slowly_ makes her way along the winding, tree lined path. Looking up, she notices that the entire _house_ has wonderful carvings all over it. The roof, looks like rippling _waves_ made from carved wooden shingles. Some are _different_ than the others, clearly having been replaced. With mouth open, Amanda stares at the house. She has never seen _anything_ like this place. She smiles.

Approaching the old door, she decides to sneak over and look through the window, to see who lives there. As quietly as she can, she slowly steps from the pathway, walking through the flowers until she stands with her right shoulder against the edge of the window frame. Shaking her head to try to clear it, she leans forward and peaks in.

" _Wow_ , look at all those old _books_. There are shelves and _shelves_ of them. They all look like they're bound with leather, with gold and silver writing on 'em. And there's an oval table and six chairs. Looks like _they've_ had work done too." Looking to the floor, "The table and chairs are sitting on that _huge_ thread-worn rug. That old thing must be _really_ old. It even has some _holes_ in it. And _look_ , it has some strange symbols woven into it too. _Cool_."

Turning more, Amanda sees an arched passageway at the far left of the room, leading into another room that is _dark_. Squinting into the darkness, she does not see anything, nor _anyone_ moving within.

Slowly, _cautiously_ , she leans a little further forward, shifting her feet some, so she can see what is on the right side of the room.

Sweat runs into her eyes, stinging them. "Why am I so _hot_? The _breeze_ is cool... so, shouldn't _I_ be cool too? I must have a _fever_. Yeah, that's why I'm _dizzy_ too. I need to get help."

Looking to the right into the little room, she sees another archway leading to a room with bright yellow orange light coming from it. To the right of the archway, is a small tree, growing _right_ up through the floor. Its leafy branches arching into and over the archway. It has deep, dark, _green_ leaves with some white and pink flowering buds on it. Amanda smiles at how beautiful it is. Turning her head further, she sees more shelves on that side of the room, _filled_ with leather bound books.

Listening intently, she thinks she hears voices coming from the other room, but cannot make out any words.

"Well, there are _definitely_ people living here. I hope they're _nice_ and will help me."

About to turn away, something high up on the trunk of the tree catches her attention. "That... looks _just_ like the little face made out of leaves I found, only _really_ big. But this one looks like it's partly made to look like the _bark_ of the tree, and other parts look like they're made to look like leaves. Look how _real_ it looks. They must have been _carved_ by the same sculptor."

Once again she begins to turn away, then _jumps_ when the sculpture on the tree _opens_ its eyes and begins to look around. Snatching her head away from the window, Amanda leans against the cool wall. Breathlessly, she says, "It, it's _alive_! But it _can't_ be. My _fever_ must be making me see things. I've got to get _hold_ of myself."

Standing _dizzily_ against the wall for a few moments, chewing on her bottom lip, watching the garden wave as though looking at waves, a smile creeps across her face as she says in a low whisper, "Don't be _silly_. It isn't _alive_ , it's just some kind of _animated_ sculpture, like those singing _fish_ you see in novelty shops."

Turning away from the window, she slowly makes her way to the wonderfully carved wooden door, hanging a little crooked from its hinges. On the front, there is a tarnished brass knocker, hanging just below a _strange_ sculpted face.

Amanda's spirits rise as she _clearly_ hears laughter coming from inside the house. "Well, at least they _sound_ happy. So, maybe they'll be _nice_ too."

Her _breathing_ has become much more labored. She is getting dizzier, and more disoriented by the second, making it harder to stand.

Taking a deep breath, trying to steady herself, she slowly lets it out as she grabs the brass knocker with a couple fingers from her sword hand. Giving three _hard_ knocks, she then takes a couple of staggering steps back away from the door, not knowing _who_ , or _what_ may answer it.

The laugher stops and she hears what sounds like someone _yelling_ something. Then silence.

After several _heart_ pounding moments, she knocks again and stumbles back. Standing there, she looks _nervously_ from the door to the windows and back, then waits.

Her attention is riveted as she hears a latch being pulled back. Suddenly the door is _yanked_ open. Startled, Amanda hobbles backward, limping badly, and cries out.

The young boy in the doorway, eyes _flying_ wide, gives a cry, _jumps_ back and slams the door. Amanda hears the latch being _snapped_ into place, as he yells something she cannot understand.

Frightened, and feeling faint, Amanda stumbles as she weaves her way back along the walkway. Suddenly, she _stops_ and turns around, hearing the distinct sound of the _door_ latch being pulled back. Trying to hold her shield up and out in front of her, she does her best to raise her sword up into a defensive position, but its weight is so heavy, it keeps falling. With one last grunting effort, she _hoists_ her sword into a defensive position, staggering back as she does so.

Amanda is _so_ dizzy, _everything_ is spinning and weaving, as though she were on the _high_ seas in a small boat, being _rolled_ in all directions in a _violent_ storm.

A movement to her left catches her attention, and she looks to the window she herself had looked through. There, she sees _two_ faces peering back at her, with _eyes_ wide, mouths _half_ open and frightened expressions of their own.

In Amanda's dizzy and blurry state, they _look_ like two young girls, but appear to have rather _pointed_ ears, long slender noses, and _beautiful_ complexions in the soft light of the two moons.

The girls _quickly_ turn and speak to one another, then look back to Amanda.

The sound of the door slowly creaking and groaning open, brings Amanda's attention back to the front. There is a hesitation, then the boy says something from the other side of the door, which Amanda cannot understand.

Amanda watches intently, as the door _very_ slowly continues to creak open, until the face of a rather frightened boy, who looks to be about her age, sticks _just_ his head out of the door. He just _blinks_ at her a few times, holding onto the doorjamb, _trembling_ and looking just as _frightened_ as she is.

After a few tense seconds, the boy in the doorway says something in a rather hesitant voice, but it is in a language she does _not_ know. Glancing to the windows, Amanda watches as the two girls move away from the glass and disappear.

The boy in the doorway, begins _inching_ his way out, until half of his body is inside, the other half out. Turning his head, he quickly says _something_ as he looks back inside the house, then steps _fully_ into view. The frightened faces of the two girls, appear in the doorway, one slightly above the other. Both girls have _wonderful_ , long, _curly_ golden hair to their waists.

The boy is a little taller than Amanda, but _does_ looks to be about the same age. He is wearing what _looks_ to be old worn out clothing, with some holes in them, and he is _not_ wearing any shoes.

Burning sweat _pours_ into Amanda's eyes, stinging them, as her head drops forward, then _snaps_ back up, as she tries to remain conscious.

The boy takes a hesitant step to the side, to stand in the flowerbed. One of the girls takes a small step out, keeping one hand on the doorjamb, while the other girl comes half into view. All three looking _extremely_ frightened.

The girl who has come outside, is _very_ pretty. She has long _dirty_ golden blond hair, blue eyes, and is wearing what appears to be, _very_ old and warn clothing. Her clothing, is even more worn and dirty than the _boys_.

The girl who is half in, and half out of the doorway, is very pretty too. She has the _same_ beautiful golden hair, and blue eyes. Her _clothing,_ is in pretty much the same condition as the boys.

The boy turns to the girls. There is a quick exchange of words, then the boy looks back at Amanda, speaking again in a language she does not understand. He stands there for a moment, as though waiting, then, in a _higher_ pitched voice, which sounds like singing, _speaks_ again. The sounds he makes are truly beautiful, but make Amanda feel even _more_ light headed. Again, she just cannot understand him.

He stops and stares at her with a blank expression, clearly not knowing what else to do. Turning, he speaks to the girls again, then looks back to Amanda as he takes a small step forward. The girl at the door steps forward as well, as the girl in the doorway steps outside, keeping one hand on the doorknob.

Once again, the boy turns to the girls. The one _nearest_ him hurriedly says something, then points to Amanda. He nods, then looks back to Amanda for a moment, but then, quickly _whispers_ something back to them. Both girls _wave_ their arms at him as though saying, "Go on, just _do_ it!" The boy just blinks at them for a moment, as though thinking something over, then nods and faces Amanda. Clearing his throat, in a very _deep_ , gruff and _gravelly_ voice, he holds his arms slightly away from his sides, and begins to _stomp,_ first one foot, then the other, again and again, with a rather stern and _frightening_ expression, as he _grumbles_ something to her.

This frightens Amanda, who _immediately_ goes into a crouch, slightly ducking behind her shield, which is _completely_ covered in all the dried blood, dirt, grime and ooze from the lizards, flying creatures, and the snakes. It is so covered in dried dark blood, it has not shine left, and you cannot see _any_ image on it at all.

Amanda _slightly_ raises her heavy sword, waving it around a little as she weaves, trying to keep her balance.

The boy _instantly_ stops stomping and growling at her, holding _both_ his hands out in front of him, eyes wide, looking _very_ frightened. One of the girls ducks back inside the house, the other reaches behind her and _quickly_ brings her hand up, holding some kind of _long_ slender stick, about fourteen inches in length.

Arm shaking, the girl points the stick at Amanda. The boy, seeing what she has done, now _whips_ a long stick from _his_ belt as well, also pointing its tip directly at Amanda.

With both the girl _and_ the boy now approaching her with their threatening sticks, Amanda sees the girl raise her stick up, then out in front of her. Amanda is _sure_ she is about to be attacked and beaten. Desperately, Amanda moves her shield in front of her, and struggling, rises her sword up and to the side of her shoulder, ready to _strike_.

The boy says something as he makes a circular _snap_ of his wrist, flicking the point of the stick. There is a _flash_ , and a thin yellow bolt of what looks like _lightning_ shoots from the stick, _right_ at Amanda.

The bolt curves _sharply_ away from her, just _inches_ from her shield, striking the pathway instead, blowing a small _hole_ in the slate, leaving it _smoking_. The boy's eyes fly _wide_ with surprise, as he turns to look at the girl next to him, who scowls, _snatches_ his stick away, and then _yells_ something at him in some strange language.

Swallowing hard, looking _very_ embarrassed, he steps behind her. The other girl, who had been standing in the doorway, walks forward, fear _clearly_ etched across her face. As she approaches the others, she draws a _long_ slender stick from something hanging off a belt around her waist, then holds it _menacingly_ out in front of her.

The nearest girl turns back to Amanda, with the same menacing expression, and speaks to her in a _definitely_ angry and _threatening_ tone.

Feeling she will _drop_ at any second, Amanda says in a meek, _raspy_ and dry voice, "I... I'm _sorry_.... I... I don't understand what you're _saying_. Please.... I need _help_."

The eyes of the boy fly _wide_ , as the girl who had spoken to Amanda, still holding the stick out in front of her, looks to be in _shock_. The girl slowly lowers her stick, taking a couple steps back to stand next to the boy. The other girl lowers _her_ stick as well, as she steps forward to stand by the other two.

"You, you speak _English_?" the boy asks in a shaky voice. "Who you _are_? What _are_ you, and where you from?"

Amanda's vision _spins_ so quickly, her body begins to weave, as she feels she can no longer stand. "My name... My name, is Amanda. I'm a girl. From Maricopa... Arizona."

Taking a shallow, _rattling_ breath, she continues. "I'm lost. Something blue... bee, _stung_ me. My _neck,_ hurts. I, I need _help_. I..." and then, she could stand no longer.

Dropping her shield and sword, hearing them ring as they strike the slate pathway, Amanda collapses to the side, striking the flowerbed _hard_. Rolling onto her back, she moans. Looking up through blurry eyes, Amanda sees three distorted faces looking down at her.

A hand _reaches_ for her face, as everything goes black.

"Thian! Don't _touch_ it... I mean, _her_! If that thing really _is_ a her. It sounded like a girl. But it could be _dangerous_!"

Thian, the young boy, reaching for Amanda, _snatches_ his hand away from her helmet and stands back. He looks at the girls for a quick moment, then nudges Amanda with his foot. When she makes no movement, he nudges her again a little harder. "It's okay Tia, it's either dead, asleep or unconscious."

Thian and the others _jump_ back with a cry, as Amanda groans. "Well, it's not _dead_ ," Thian says, his heart pounding. "It said it was stung by something blue, and something about its neck, and that it needs help. Two _moons_! It _stinks_ something _awful_! It's all covered with some dark stinking _goo_ too. I've never seen _anything_ so grimy, dirty and... and _oozy_. It must have come a long way, I've never seen _any_ creature like this one. Have you Tia?"

Looking down at the stinking, _crusted_ thing in front of her, she lifts her hand to cover her nose. "No. I haven't. Not in any of the books I've ever read either. Tianna, do you ever remember seeing any pictures of something like this?"

The girl who first approached Amanda wrinkles her nose, looking over the _filthy_ body in front of her. "No. I don't know _what_ this is really. It said it was a _girl_ , and it did kind of _sound_ like a girl. But, well, _look_ at it!"

Thian turns to the girls. "Well, what should we do with it? Should we send word to the village for help? Or, maybe we should _tie_ it up or something?"

"No," Tia says. "It... _she_... said she was _stung_ by something blue, like on her neck. It must have been stung by a _Unituss_!"

Tianna looks startled. "If she was, she must _never_ have been vaccinated against their venom, which _means_..."

"The poison will kill her!" Tia says quickly. "We've got to get her... _it_... into the house and treat it right away! There's _no_ time to get help from the village."

"Tia, you and Tianna grab its legs, and I'll take its arms. Let's take it into the guest room and get its helmet off. It said _something_ about its neck. I think it was saying, it was _stung_ someplace on its neck."

"Yeah, okay, come on Tianna, you grab that leg, I'll take this one."

Struggling, the three young Elves manage to carry Amanda's limp and reeking body into the house. They lay her on a soft bed, as chunks of dirt and dark dried flakes of some loathsome substance, fall off and stick to the bedding. Hefting her some further onto the bed, several types of leaves, vine stems, strands of sticky ooze, and who knows what else fall from her breast and backplates.

"Thian, can you get its helmet off? I'm going to get this boot off. Tianna, can you do the other one?"

Wrinkling his nose, Thian looks down at the crusted and sticky helmet, covered with menacing spikes. Swallowing hard, he _gently_ lifts Amanda's head slightly off the bed, and carefully slides the helmet off. He _gasps_ as the helmet comes free, and her long, dirty, _pitch_ black hair falls across the pillow.

"By the Oak and _Ash_! It _is_ a girl!" he says holding the helmet, looking down at her dirt, stained and sweat drenched face.

"But she's _not_ an Elf!" Tianna says slipping off one of the boots. "Maybe she's a _witch_ or wizard from another realm. But... from _where_? I've never seen anyone _like_ her before."

"Maybe," Tia says pointing to Amanda's clothing, "there's something in her _pockets_ that will tell us where she's from, or _who_ she is."

"Yeah, okay," Thian says, placing Amanda's helmet on the night stand. "Uh, Tianna... maybe it would be better if _you_... uh... went through her pants pockets... okay? Her being a _girl_ and all?"

Tia pulls off Amanda's other boot, and looks it over. "Her boots are, well, they _look_ like they've been _melted_. This one is so thin here, it has a hole in it, and there's some kind of metal inside. Strange. By the moons, _look_ at her. Her clothing is _ripped_ and torn ,and even _burned_ in places. What do you think happened to her?"

"I don't know," Thian says looking her over. "But it looks like she's seen a good deal of battle, _that's_ for sure. She's got _lots_ of deep cuts, scrapes and _gashes_ everywhere. Lots of these are really _infected_ too. Look at the _size_ of that ankle, she must have hurt it pretty bad."

"Can't find anything in her pockets but mud and some kind of... _goo_ ," Tianna says with a revolted expression. "I'm going out front to get her shield and sword. Tomorrow we'll clean them up. Maybe they have a _crest_ , or _something_ that will tell us _who_ she is or where she's from."

"Good idea. Thian, help me get this dagger unbuckled, okay?"

While Thian helps Tia wrestle Amanda's dagger out from under her, Tianna goes out and picks up Amanda's shield and sword, then takes them inside and sets them to one side on the floor. "They're so covered with, _whatever_ , I can't really see all that much. We'll have to wash them off in the morning. Right now, we need to see what we can do for her."

Thian reaches for Amanda's sword, when Tia says, "She's _burning_ up! Thian, _boil_ some Caller berries and some crushed Cimsa. About two spoonfuls of Caller and three of Cimsa. Watch it _closely_ , and when it turns from purple to _blue_ , put in three Burnic leaves. When it turns a really _light_ blue, add _five_ Alanour wings. When it begins to give off silver _and_ gold steam, it's ready. GO!"

Thian spins around and heads quickly to the herb cabinet in the kitchen.

"Tianna, help me get this breast and backplate off, and the arm and leg protectors too. Then let's get these _filthy_ clothes off her, and see if we can clean her up a little. Then, we can get a better idea of her injuries."

Once the armor is off, they begin undressing Amanda. They both _gasp_ at how black and blue her body is. There are _hundreds_ of cuts, scrapes and _gashes_. Some are scabbed over, while others are still open and _oozing_. And there are _dozens_ of strange looking, _stretchy_ strips, over many of the wounds. Some have pulled back and are barely hanging on at all.

"What the _heck_ are these?" Tianna asks holding up one of the _filthy_ Band-Aids.

"Don't know," Tia says, looking intently at the strange thing in Tianna's hand. "But, since they _are_ over a lot of the cuts, they must be some kind of, I don't know, _protective_ covering?"

"Well, they don't look like they do a very good _job_. These are _really_ weird."

Taking off Amanda's torn and partially shredded t-shirt, Tianna _gasps_ saying, "Tia, _look_!" pointing to the necklace, covered with dirt and dried blood. Some gold and part of one jewel are still clean enough to be recognized. The rest of the necklace is _completely_ covered in _thick_ dried gunk.

"It's some kind of _gold_ necklace. It has some _jewels_ in it too. _Whoever_ she is... she must be _really_ important! Maybe she's _royalty_ from some other realm or something."

Tia leans over and runs her fingers over the crusted necklace. "I bet it's _beautiful_ when it's all cleaned up. You may be right though... she really _could_ be royalty from someplace."

Looking up at Tianna with a slightly worried expression, Tia says, "We better not let her die, or..." but before she can finish, Amanda suddenly groans. Tia says quickly, "Lift her head so I can take the necklace off of her, then I'll check her neck, okay?"

Tianna leans in and gently lifts Amanda's head, as Tia tries to slip the necklace off. "I can't get it _off_! And, I don't even see a _clasp_ of any kind either. How did she get this thing on?"

"Well it _has_ to come off!" Tianna pushes Tia out of the way. "Here, let _me_ do it!"

"I'm _telling_ you, it won't _come_ off!" Tia crosses her arms in front of her with a resentful expression, as her sister fumbles with the necklace before finally giving up.

"See? I _told_ you it wouldn't come off! But _no_ , _you_ have to try it yourself!"

Tianna looks at her sister, shifting her lips to one side with an irritated expression. "Well, it _has_ to come off somehow! It wasn't _made_ around her neck! We'll have to clean it up later, and I bet we'll find some kind of hidden clasp someplace.

"I'll get some water and towels, then let's see if we can clean some of the stench away. Oh, and I'll toss these clothes out in back, along with her other things. We can look everything over in the morning."

With that, Tianna picks up the boots and gathers Amanda's clothing, putting them all into the curved inside of Amanda's shield. Reaching over, she grabs Amanda's jeweled dagger. "This looks brand new. It's beautiful. Made of gold and has lots of jewels set into the handle."

Placing the dagger and the belt into the shield, she grabs Amanda's helmet, breast and backplate, followed by the arm and leg protectors. Taking Amanda's sword, she lifts the shield with everything in it. "All this protection should be heavy, but they're as light as Kelegal, and feel even stronger. I don't know what they're made of. I've never seen anything like them."

Just as Tianna leaves the room, Tia hears Amanda moan deeply. Bending over Amanda, Tia strokes her cheek, looking deeply into Amanda's unfocused eyes. Softly, she says, "I don't know who you really are or where you come from, but we'll do everything we can to help you."

With that, Amanda closes her eyes, as the fever and dreams of monsters with huge pointed teeth finally take her into complete darkness.

Tianna soon returns with a large basin of water, a large pile of towels and several soft scrub brushes and soap. They hear Thian moving about, banging pots while mumbling to himself in the kitchen.

"I sure hope he gets the formula right," Tia looked at Tianna.

"Yeah, me too. You know Thian. Maybe you should go check, and I'll get started cleaning her up, okay?"

"Yeah, okay. I'll be back in a few minutes. Call me if you need me."

Gently, Tianna begins to clean Amanda's battered, beaten and blistered body. Working on a particularly ugly burn, Tianna's eyes drift to Amanda's face, and she can't help but wonder who she is and what in two moons happened to her.

To TOC

# To Amanda's Aid

1It is not long before Tia and Thian have the formula for the anti-venom medicine ready, along with other medical compounds as well. Tianna has Amanda pretty well cleaned up, and has covered her with the bed sheets, seeing that she _is_ a girl and all. Not wanting to embarrass Thian, nor Amanda when, or if, she ever awakes.

Tia and Tianna carefully apply the formula directly to the raised welt on the back of Amanda's neck, and begin treating her many other wounds. They notice that some are _very_ infected, and well beyond their current healing capability.

"Tia, these are _really_ bad. I think we need to get mom, she'll know what to do."

"Yeah, okay, you're right. I'm good but this is way beyond my training. Thian, would you please send a message to our mom, telling her what's happened, and that we need her help right away? Oh, and have her bring her healer's bag with her. She'll _need_ it."

1Thian, who has been standing just outside the room, runs into the den where the tree is growing, right up out of the floor. As he approaches the tree, the eyes on the face made of leaves and bark open, looking quite startled as Thian comes bounding up to it.

"What is it Thian? What's wrong?"

"Birchmar, I need to get a message to Thea right away! We found an injured girl who needs help beyond our means... even _Tia_ can't do enough! Be sure she brings her healing bag with her, and hurry!"

"Yes of course! I'll do it at once!"

Birchmar closes its eyes for a few moments, then reopens them. "She understands and will come immediately."

"Thanks! I'll tell you all about it later!" Thian sprints back around the corner and to the front door. No sooner does he open the door when a _flash_ of blue light appears, and a very beautiful woman with long flowing blond hair, and a look of deep concern, appears from thin air.

"Thian, _what's_ going on? What do you mean, you _found_ an injured girl? When? Where? Where's she from?"

"I'll explain later! She's hurt pretty bad. Hurry, follow me! She's in the guest room. She was stung by a Unituss, and it doesn't look like she's been immunized! Wait 'til you see her...she's covered with deep cuts and burns! A lot of the areas are badly _infected_ too! We've done what we can for her, but she needs help beyond our training."

Thea enters the guest room and pulls back the sheet covering Amanda, gasping in shock. "By the Oak and _Ash_ , the poor child! What in _two_ moons has this poor child been through?"

Using odd items from her healing bag, Thea immediately begins treating Amanda's wounds, instructing the others as to what she needs them to do to assist her.

Hours pass and the moons rise high in the sky.

As the night moves into the early hours of the morning, they decide to take turns staying with her, changing her bandages as necessary, and reapplying Thea's special healing herbs and salves. To speed the healing along, Thea sets some healing charms over Amanda.

Not knowing what else to do, Thian goes outside to look through Amanda's things, hoping he can find anything that will tell them who she _really_ is, and _where_ she is from. None of them... not even Thea... has heard of a place called Maricopa, Arizona.

Thian walks to the shield that holds everything Amanda owns. For a few seconds, he stands staring at them, then kneels down, turns the shield over, and dumps everything onto the rich green grass.

He picks up the helmet first, looking it over carefully. "Oh! This stuff _reeks_ to the highest hills!" Wrinkling his nose, trying not to breath in to deeply, he turns the helmet over to get a good look at it, and sees what appears to be colored scales of some kind, imbedded within the thick, darkened, _goop_ , that covers almost everything she has.

Plucking off a scale, he looks intently at it for a moment, turning it over in his hand. "Wonder what _this_ is? Can't be a fish scale. Too darn _big_. Hmmm..." With a slight shake of his head, he puts it into an upper vest pocket. Continuing to inspect the helmet, he discovers some kind of bone chip, and slips that into his pocket, as well.

Finished looking through the other items, he places them all back into the shield, then takes the lot to the old watering trough his mom and dad had built with the house. His dad had died when he was very young, and he has no memory of him at all. His mom died only a few months ago. Even though Thian knew he had been adopted, he _loved_ them with all his heart. As far as he was concerned, his mom _was_ his real mom, and he knew she loved him the same.

Pumping the old well handle, Thian fills the empty trough with the clear cool water from the natural underground aquifer.

Slipping the shield into the cold water, he picks up a scrub brush with some cleaning solution and begins the task of cleaning the surface. The only thing visible on the shield's face, is a small two-inch shiny curved part of what he knows must be some kind of embossed image, but he has no idea what the image may actually be.

As he scrubs, the caked-on mud, lizard blood and goo, the blood of the snakes and flying creatures, all begin to dissolve and flake off. To smother the stench as much as possible, Thian scrubs the shield under water, making it impossible to see if it is coming clean or not. While still under water, he flips the shield over and begins scrubbing the back side, before finally lifting it out of the water to see what progress he has made.

Gripping the shield by its handle, he hoists the shield from the water and is surprised to see that the backside is sparkling clean. "Well, well! That looks _quite_ nice! So what do we have on the..." setting the edge of the shield on the side of the trough, he begins to flip it over and lays it down to take a look at the shield's face.

"Ahhhhh!" He yells as he lets go of it. Jumping up, he takes a few quick steps back, as the shield flips back into the trough, disappearing beneath the bubbles.

"By the _Oak_ and Ash!" he says clutching his chest and breathing hard. "Didn't expect that! That's the _scariest_ shield I've ever seen! Why would a _girl_ carry such a thing? Maybe she really _is_ from some warring faction! Maybe she was sent here as a _spy_! That's _it_! She was _sent_ here to infiltrate our realm, and send information back to... to... well, to whoever!"

Calming himself, Thian steps back to the trough, and pulls the shield from the water. Staring at it, eyes wide and mouth open, a smile slowly broadens across his face. "Well, actually, this is _really_ neat! What _incredible_ detail! And it's so light."

He quickly pumps some clean water over its surface and dries it off with a towel. "Wow! Look how _bright_ it is. It's like it's brand new!" Looking closer at it, "There's not even a _scratch_ on it. How's that possible?"

Excited by the unveiling of the hidden image, he reaches for the helmet, thinking it may have a seal of the realm of its origin. Or, perhaps, a name or crest he can look up in one of his many books. Before washing it, he studies it intensely. "Can hardly see a thing. It's completely _covered_ with mud, and there has _got_ to be a good inch of this dark, dried, _gook_ everywhere."

He turns the helmet to look at the top. "Wait. What's this caught on the spike? That's odd." Thian snaps off what looks like a one inch wide ribbon, four inches in length.

"It... _looks_ like a piece of some kind of dried snake skin, but, _that_ can't be. The scales are _waaay_ too big. Wonder what it is? Loki will know. I'll send word for him, and he'll know, he's really into all the kinds of animal life on the realms. He'll know for _sure_ , or his dad will."

With that, he puts the chunk into his vest pocket, then shoves the helmet under the darkened water and begins to scrub with great enthusiasm. He lifts it several times before satisfied, each time with a broader smile on his face.

After a final scrub, Thian lifts it out of the blackened water. "Wow! This is _aaaawesome_! Light as can be, but it _feels_ really strong." Thian admires the intricate carvings over its surface, but is disappointed there is no name, seal or crest. He rinses it off, and sets it aside, picking up the filthy sword.

There is so much gunk on the blade, 1he cannot see if it actually has an _edge_ on it or not. Only a couple of jewels are barely showing on the handle. Excited, Thian plunges the sword under the water, but this time, scrubs the blade very carefully, not wanting to cut himself should the blade actually be sharp. After a few moments, it seems that his scrub brush is moving rather quickly over the blade's surface. He lifts out the brush and his eyes fly wide. "What happened to my nice long _bristles_? They were a good two inches long! Now, they're less than an inch!"

Lifting the sword out of the water, he simply cannot believe his eyes. "By the Oak and _Ash_! It's _beautiful_." With mouth half open and eyes wide, he looks up and down the now gleaming blade, and notices elvish writing on both its sides. The writing is not in any elf script that he knows, and he _knows_ a good many. "Well, this isn't from around here, _that's_ for sure."

Touching the edge of the bristle brush against the edge of the sword, the bristles just drop away. "Wow, I've never seen _anything_ so sharp, and there isn't a nick on it anywhere. It's so light. Like the shield and helmet. Have no idea what it's made of. Loki will know though, he's gonna go _nuts_!"

Plunging the sword back into the murky water, he _very_ carefully scrubs the handle. When he lifts it, "It _is_ a solid gold handle. It really is! And all these jewels, if they're real, _has_ to be worth as much as our entire village I bet. And maybe, everything _in_ it! Maybe more!"

Rinsing it off in clear water, he pats it dry. "Why would someone just let a young girl have such a treasure as this? Who _is_ she? This is getting _weirder_ and weirder."

Thian looks at the dagger and admires the solid gold handle covered with jewels. There is writing on the blade as well, but Thian cannot read that either.

He takes special care to clean it to a high sheen, polishing the scabbard with the finest oil his mom always used on hides, then slips the dagger back into the scabbard. He looks to the buckle and cleans that, too. Looking closely, he sees it has a wonderful dragon carved into it, and more writing he does not understand.

Picking up Amanda's boots, he washes them off, hoping to find some kind of crest stamped on them, but finds nothing. The boots look in terrible shape, half torn to bits. Both the bottoms are melted, which had to have been very hot to do this kind of damage. As he handles them, he realizes they are strangely made, like none he has ever seen.

Thian finishes with the boots, then begins cleaning the breast and backplate, as well as the arm and leg protectors. None have any identifying marks he can recognize.

Finally done, Thian picks up the shield and sword. Standing, holding the shield out in front of him, he pretends he is being attacked, swinging the sword at his imaginary foes. He has always imagined himself as some kind of elf lord, fighting for the good of elf kind, slaying the Dark from the land, freeing captive slaves and _maybe_ , even saving a _princess_.

Laughing he says, "Well, it's fun to _pretend_ anyway. No harm in that." Setting them down, he steps over and pulls the plug on the trough as Thea, Tia, and Tianna come out the back door and head his way.

"What did you find Thian?" Tia calls to him.

"You _won't_ believe it! Take a seat at the picnic table and I'll bring the things over okay?"

They wave and head to the picnic table, while Thian puts the helmet, sword, dagger, breast and backplate, arm and leg protectors, along with her boots into the shield, then carries them over to the table. The girls are seated on one side, so he heads for the other and sets everything on the ground in the grass, then stands and faces them.

"Okay," Thian says with a huge grin. "Now, I'll show you what's on the front of the shield. It's _really_ neat!" They all look at one another, then back to him, giving him what he recognizes as the "Okay, what kind of trouble are we about to get into _now_ Thian?" look.

He picks up the shield, facing away from them. Jumping into the air, he spins around with the shield held out in front of him, giving a _wild_ yell.

There are cries of surprise, as both Tia and Tianna put a hand over their mouths, while Thea places a hand over her heart, as her mouth and eyes widen.

"By the Oak and _Ash_ , Thian," Thea says rather irritated. "You _scared_ us half to death! What is a young _girl_ doing with such a _hideous_ thing as... as that?!"

"I think it's _awful_ ," Tia says scrunching up her face.

" _Cool_ huh?" Thian asks. "But take a look at _this_!" Turning his back on them, holding the shield in one hand, he picks up the sword, jumps up and spins around again.

"Isn't it _great_?!" Thian swings the sword a few times, almost hitting himself in the leg, thankful he did _not_ , knowing he probably would have lost that leg.

Tianna laughs. " _I_ think they're really neat too. They look brand new. Thian, is that really a gold handle? And, could those be _real_ jewels too?"

"Yeah! It really is gold. Well, I _think_ anyway... could be plated I guess. And the jewels, _they_ could be real too... well, maybe."

Thea furrows her eyebrows, putting a hand on her hip. "If it _is_ gold, and it truly looks like it may be, and if those _are_ real jewels, it's worth a great fortune. So, _what_ is a young girl doing wandering around with such a treasure?"

Thian tells them _his_ theory, as he continues to swing the sword and move the shield as though he were protecting himself, fighting off some unseen villains. The girls, however, are _not_ convinced with Thian's conspiracy theories. He _always_ suspects every stranger who shows up in their little village, to be some kind of _spy_ , arriving with only one intent... to take over the village or some such thing.

"What else did you find Thian?" Tianna asks, trying to see around the table.

"Oh! Look at the _helmet_!" Setting the shield and sword down, Thian grabs the helmet and puts it on the table, sliding it to Tianna. "Feel how _light_ it is. It's really _strong_ too."

1They all take a moment to look the helmet over, and talk about how wonderful the carvings are. Then Thian says, "Now, take a look at the dagger. It has a _solid_ gold handle, and lots of jewels too. Oh, and the blade of the sword, dagger and the belt buckle of the dagger, have some kind of elf writing on them, but I can't read it."

Thian puts the dagger on the table, and as Thea picks it up, she says, "By the Oak and Ash. It, it _can't_ be! But, it _looks_ just like it."

"What momma?" Tianna asks as the others look at her rather startled expression. "What's wrong?"

"I remember seeing replicas of something _just_ like this, when I was just a child, when my mom and dad had taken me to the _Ancient City Remains Museum_."

Picking up the sword and looking at the blade, Thea's eyes widen even more as she studies the writing. Setting the sword back on the table, she once again picks up the dagger, and its belt with the wonderful belt buckle.

Slowly turning the dagger over in her hands, her eyes trace the writing along the blade, as she runs her fingers over the many sparkling jewels. "There were a lot of treasures in the museum that I really liked, and remember very clearly to this day. One of my _favorites_ , was a gleaming solid gold handled dagger, which had the most _wonderful_ sparkling jewels embedded in it. Just like this one. And, it had strange elf writing along its blade. _Just_ like this one does. It too had a scabbard like this one. With a very large belt buckle, with a wondrous flying dragon and jewel. _Just_ , like, this!"

"So, where was it from momma?" Tianna asks.

"Sweetheart, you don't understand. _Everything_ in the museum was from the _Lost City Of Elboreth_. The city is said to have been lost now for centuries untold. The museum only has but very few _real_ pieces, but _hundreds_ of replicas. It is said that the people abandoned the city during _The Great Battle_ , and left everything behind. _No_ one who lived in that city was poor. They were all very, _very_ rich, and their people predated even the elves and dwarves. They were around before there were _wizards_ , witches and all the others!"

With eyes wide Tianna asks, "And you think these are... _real_? And, and they came from the Lost City?"

"Yes! I think maybe they did," Thea says, her eyes unfocused as she looks toward the forest as though searching some long lost memory.

"Mom, you _can't_ be serious?" Tia asks. "I mean, you can't be _sure_ these things are from the Lost City can you?"

"No. Of course not. But I'm _telling_ you, this dagger looks _exactly_ like the one I saw many years ago. I have that image _burned_ into my mind, along with the most _marvelous_ solid gold goblets, which were set with jewels too, and a sparkling serving try, because at that point in my life, they were the most _beautiful_ things I had ever seen. And I'm telling you, this is _just_ like the one I saw, right up to the strange writing along the blade and on the buckle!"

"Maybe it's a forgery," Tianna says as she takes the dagger from her mom. "Maybe she's here trying to pass it off as being the real _thing_ or something."

"Or, or maybe she _robbed_ the museum and _stole_ it!" Thian says rather excited. "Maybe she has these things, because... because she's a _thief_ , and got separated from her band or something!"

They all look to one another for a quick moment, then Tia says slowly, "Well, I hate to _admit_ this, but for once, Thian may be right. Mom, what if she _is_ part of some rouge outfit who steals from people? Maybe, somehow, she just got separated from them. That could mean, that there are _other_ armed witches... I mean wizards... I mean, _whatever_ she is, out in the forest? _They_ could be out there someplace right now, _watching_ us. Or, even sneaking _up_ on us."

1Thian's eyes grow as big as his fist. Sliding from the bench, he snatches his wand out of it holder at his waist, and begins pointing it first in one direction, then another.

"By the _Makers_ Thian! Stop _waving_ that thing around, it could go off and hurt one of us! Please. _Sit_ down!" Thea says half ducking below the table along with Tia and Tianna.

"Oh. Sorry."

"Look," Thea says shaking her head. "Somehow, I just don't buy it. It just doesn't _feel_ right. I don't think this _sweet_ child is some thief traveling with some kind of killer band of thugs. How she _got_ these things, I have no idea. As to whether they're real or not? Of course I can't be sure of that either. But I do know that you said she sounded scared to death, and she spoke _English_. Of course, that's not unheard of, we _do_ hear it from time to time, but not for many years now. But you said she didn't understand common elvish or dwarvish. That's _certainly_ unusual.

"There are many who travel to other realms, who speak in other tongues, the highest in their orders, speaking English fluently. Perhaps she is one of the few who are _privileged_ enough, to travel to other realms with her parents or guardians, and she simply _chooses_ to speak English for some reason. She _could_ be from Olmar or Ustania, even from Bentonia. People travel here from those realms all the time, and I've heard a few of them speak English."

"But mom," Tia says now looking at the dagger and sword. "The _only_ ones permitted to travel to other realms are the Lord and _Lady_ of the realm, and the wizards, witches and very few others, who manage to reach the _highest_ degree within their Order. If she really _is_ one of them, do you think she, I don't know, might have ran _away_ or something?"

"Maybe." Thea says thoughtfully.

"Oh _sure_ ," Tianna says crossing her arms and rolling her eyes. "Like, if you had _all_ the money you could ever spend, and had _everything_ you ever wanted, you'd run away. Pleeeease!"

"Well, who knows _what_ it's like where she comes from," Tia says. "Just because you have all the money and possessions you want, doesn't mean you're happy. Maybe she has parents who are mean to her or something. One thing for sure, the sword and dagger handles sure _look_ like they're made of real gold. And if so, I think the _jewels_ are real too. Somehow though mom, I'm with you. I just don't think she's a _thief_."

"Okaaaay," Tianna says in a sarcastic tone. "So, let's say she _ran_ away. So what do we do with her now?"

"We take as good care of her as we can," Thea answers. "And, we should be getting back to her. I really think one of us should stay with her around the clock for a few days. It's going to take _weeks_ for her wounds to even _begin_ to heal, and a few _months_ before they _are_ healed. She is going to have a great deal of _scarring_ regardless I'm afraid. I also think we should treat her as a friend, unless she proves to be otherwise."

"Thian," Tianna asks a as she leans forward. "Did you find anything else that would tell us who she is, or where she's from?"

"No. The arm and leg protectors don't have anything on them at all, and the breastplate and backplate have symbols on them that I don't recognize. Here. Look." He holds up the breastplate and then flips to the backplate, showing them the symbols. None of them recognize them.

Thian says, "I'm going to send word for Loki, and he may know where the skull crest and the other symbols come from. He may recognize the writing too."

"Good idea," Thea says as she slides from the bench. "But we need to get back to the poor girl and keep a close eye on her."

As they reenter the house, Thian jogs to Birchmar and sends word to Loki, telling him briefly what has happened, of the things they have found, and to come quick. After Birchmar sends the message, Thian fills the tree in on everything they know to date.

In less than half an hour, Loki, a boy the same age as Thian, Tia and Tianna, knocks on the door. Thian lets him in, filling him in on what they know and have found, as he leads him out back to the picnic table. Thian hands Loki the items he had put into his vest pocket, which Loki eagerly looks over.

1Turning the crusty scales over in his hands, which look like some kind of thin strips of snake skin, he then looks at what appears to be a bone chip saying, "Thian, these are really interesting. I have _no_ idea what they are. I'll give them to my dad and have him run them through the lab."

"Yeah, well, okay. But don't tell him about Amanda though. We don't really know who she is or where she's from, and I don't want tons of people coming here to gawk at her. Just tell your dad I found them in one of the caves up in the hills or something."

Loki agrees and puts the specimens into a little bag he has brought with him. Thian then shows him the shield, sword and other items. Loki's eyes grow wider with each item he is shown, as he eagerly pores over each piece.

He takes out a small vial, and using what looks like an eyedropper, puts a _very_ small drop of the liquid on the handle of the sword and the dagger. The liquid turns a brilliant crystal clear green.

"Thian, these handles really _are_ pure gold! I've never _seen_ a brighter green! The purer the gold, the brighter and clearer the color! This has to be the _purest_ gold there has ever been! But the handle has some sort of protection spell on it too. I mean, there isn't a scratch or dent anywhere. So the spell is one I'm not familiar with. Which means, just the _handle_ would be worth a fortune!"

Loki reaches into his bag and takes out what looks like a jeweler's loop, and looks over the jewels on the sword and dagger, while making all kinds of oohs and ahhs.

This is driving Thian crazy, and he finally blurts out, "What? What is it Loki? Are they real? _What_?"

"Thian, these are incredible! These jewels really look like they are real too! Not a flaw in any of them. I would need my dad to see these to know for sure, because I have never seen any this pure in his lab before! They _could_ be forgeries I guess." Then looking at them again under the loop, he smiles looking back to Thian, "But, I don't _think_ so. And if they are real, any _one_ of these jewels could buy our entire village... and everything _in_ it!"

"I _knew_ it! I knew they could be real! Listen Loki, you can't _tell_ anyone. _Promise_. We need to know who she is and where she got these things first okay? We don't want the entire village coming here to rob us... or _worse_. Listen, take some images of the shield, sword and other stuff, and see what you can find out about them okay?"

"Yeah, you got it. This is _so_ exciting! I will get on it right away, and I will not say a thing to anyone! Promise. It may take me a few days to find out what all this stuff is though, and to research the images on the shield and stuff. Is that okay?"

"Yeah, no problem. Thea says it could be _weeks_ anyway before the girls wounds are healed enough, before she can even get out of _bed_. And a _month_ or more before she can really get around much. So, take your time okay?"

Loki agrees while taking out an odd device from his pocket. 1Pointing it at each items in turn, a wide, bluish, razor thin beam shoots out, waving several times over each item. Satisfied, Loki turns with a huge smile on his face, shakes hands with Thian, then walking a few steps away, takes his wand, waves it in the air while mumbling, and _vanishes_ on the spot. Thian punches the air with his fist, turns and goes back into the house.

For the next three days, they take turns watching Amanda, tending to her bandages, replacing herbal packs as needed, and tending to her fever. They are all amazed at how quickly her wounds, cuts, and scrapes begin to heal. It is not until midafternoon, on the third day, that her fever finally breaks.

Exhausted but happy, Thea tells the others the worst is over, but still has no idea how Amanda survived all her wounds, infections and poison from the venom of the Unituss.

Amanda has only had small sips of herbal mixtures the few times she regained consciousness, and only for very brief periods. Besides the wounds, Amanda had been severally dehydrated and Thea needed to hook up a type of IV line for two days.

The evening of the third night, is the first time Amanda slept without moaning and crying out about being attacked by various monsters.

Early one morning, Amanda opens her eyes and still groggy asks, "Where, where am I?"

Thian, insisting on staying near Amanda no matter whether it was his turn to watch her or not, was half asleep in a nearby chair. Hearing Amanda's voice, he jumps to his feet and rushes to the bed. "You're in my house miss. Name is Thian. You're really hurt when we find. My friends with me, taking care of you now for, uh, this is four day now. Five counting day we find you. Wait, be right back. It okay. You all right now, we no hurt you."

Thian runs from the room calling out for everyone to come quick.

"Why does he talk like that? Like he's just learning English... unless, maybe it's his second language or something," Amanda says beginning to look around. As the boy ran from the room, she glanced down to find that she is wearing some old thread-worn shirt.

There is a rush of footsteps, startling Amanda, who tries to sit up with her shoulders against the headboard, as she pulls the sheets up to her neck. As several people enter the room, Amanda sees that she has a kind of gauze wrapped over most of her body, and is about to go into a panic.

"It is all right child!" Thea cries as she steps forward, the others stepping aside to let her into the room. "Materials holding healing herbs, salves, others in place. Please, no try to remove. You all right. Calm. We friends."

"Friends?" Amanda asks looking intently at Thea, since 'friends' is a word Amanda is not used to having directed to her. Then looking to the others, she sees they are all smiling as well. "Who, who _are_ you? Where am I?"

"You are safe. As I say, you in _my_ house. Name is Thian. This is Tia and Tianna... are sisters. This is Thea, she is mom for them, and she is a healer. She is one who really been taking care of you and wounds. We working on you for four days. Well, this is five day actually. Looks like we get you in time. Yes Thea? How is she healing?"

Thea bends down and unwraps some gauze from Amanda's right hand. As she pulls away a thick wad of herbal mixtures, various wings and parts of beetles come with it. She gasps. "By two moons over mountains, is, almost healed! This not possible. Deep gash, almost closed! Should take _weeks_ , at very least!"

The others crowd around looking down with shocked expressions. Everyone looks at Amanda, and take a couple steps back. Thea stands with eyes slightly wide asking, "Who are you, and where from dear? Are you wizard? Witch? What? How you _heal_ so quickly?"

Frightened at their expressions, Amanda sits up, pressing her back hard against the headboard. As she looks at all their faces, she becomes even more frightened herself.

"I, I'm just a girl. My name is Amanda. I, I didn't know I was healing fast. I don't know why. I always have I guess. At least that's what other doctors have said. I'm _not_ a wizard, or a witch. I mean, there really _aren't_ any wizards or witches. _Are_ there?" Amanda looks into all their faces, as each turns to look to the other for a few moments.

Thea asks, "If you not an elf, witch or wizard, and no dwarf... where you from, and how you get here?"

Amanda is not sure she wants to tell them the entire story just yet, so stammers, "I, I'm from Maricopa, Arizona, and I, don't _remember_ how I got here, actually. I was hiking through the forest. I got lost in a storm. Later, I was walking in the forest here, when I got stung by something. After that, I walked further and started not to feel so good. Then, I really don't remember all that much. I'm really sorry to bother you, I didn't mean to intrude."

Tianna speaks in their native elf, "She's _lying_! I think she knows _exactly_ how she got here, and just doesn't want to tell us!"

"Hush." Thea says in elvish, "She _may_ actually have some memory loss. Let's just wait and see."

"Bother?" Thian says using his broken English again. "Why, you no bother at all. Actually, you are only excitement we have around here for long time. You welcome stay here miss Amanda, for long as takes you get better. Really, is okay, we not hurt you."

1Everyone is once again smiling at her, with rather _odd_ smiles. Amanda finds herself smiling back, and for some reason, she really _does_ feel that they like her, well, kind of, even if they do not know her very well.

"Thank you. _All_ of you. For, for helping me, and letting me stay here. I don't know where else I would go."

"You go nowhere," Thian says with a huge smile. "You my guest, and so, you shall now have, most _marvelous_ breakfast, _I_ will make for five of us."

"Well, _that_ case," Tianna says with a laugh, "look like Tia and I, _we_ be doing cooking."

"Hey!" Thian says with a feigned look of hurt. "Just what the matter _my_ cooking?"

Tia laughs turning to Amanda, "Well Amanda, you like burned, maybe _raw_ food? _Thian_ your cook. Otherwiiiiise..."

Everyone laughs, and for the first time in a very long time, Amanda finds herself laughing right along with them, as though somehow, she actually fits in.

Looking at all their smiling faces, _real_ smiles this time, she thinks, "Maybe they really _could_ be my friends. I mean, _real_ friends."

To TOC

# New Friends

"Come Thian," Tia laughs, "you help Tianna and me. Mom can check out Amanda's wounds." And with that, Thian, Tia and Tianna leave for the kitchen.

"Again, I really want to thank you for taking care of me Thea. I'm already feeling much better, really."

"Is no trouble dear. I just glad you show up when did, or may not been able save you. Your wounds mostly infected, venom from Unituss would killed you, another _hour_ I think, if not get here. Venom usually _fatal_ , in first fifteen minutes. I cannot for life of me, figure why you no did die. You suffer terrible fever, three days."

Amanda's eyes grow large as she swallows hard. "I, I was following the edge of the lake not far from here, when I smelled smoke. I looked up and saw some coming over the tops of some trees, and just followed the smell, and found this house."

"Very smart!" Thea smiles while changing an herbal pack, marveling at how quickly the wounds are healing. Her warm eyes smiling, she looks at Amanda. "Just rest for few moments dear, I going check see those three not _burning_ down house. We bring you something eat, if you up to it?"

"Thanks. I really appreciate it. I'm so hungry, I could eat a _horse_!"

"Eat a what dear?" Thea asks looking surprised and puzzled, "Eat... _horse_?"

Amanda flushes. "Oh, I wouldn't _really_ eat a horse of course. I, I'm just _really_ hungry is all," worried that she insulted her, especially if they raised horses.

Thea looks oddly at Amanda, pats her hand, then gets up and leaves the room.

As Thea enters the kitchen, Tia turns to her. "How's she doing momma?" she asks in Elvish.

"Actually, I've never seen anything like it. _All_ her wounds are healing much faster than they should. I'm not sure why. It's quite unusual."

"Well," Tianna says as she puts some Kiki strips on a plate. "I think she really _is_ a wizard, or maybe, even a _sorceress_. She isn't an elf as far as _I_ can see. Did she say anything?"

"Only how very much she appreciates our helping her, and she _means_ it. She seems very nice."

"Well, _I_ like her anyway." 1Thian says buttering some toast, while Tia puts some Kiki strips on her plate, beside the Cucuteo eggs.

Tia laughs. "Well, you _always_ think everyone you meet at first, is an evil _spy_ of some kind, then later, you end up really liking them. Just took you a lot less time to like _Amanda_ is all."

With a huge grin, she nudges Tianna. With a come hither look on her face, she puts her hands on her hips, swivels them as she asks in a sweet voice, "Ummm, anything you'd like to _share_ with us, about your _feeeeelings_ for Amanda, Thian?"

Everyone laughs as Thian turns a bright red. "No! No, I mean, I don't like her like, _that_. I, I just really like her for some reason is all. I can't really explain it. It's like..."

"Yeah, _sure_ Thian. Well, breakfast is ready," Tia says placing a plate for Amanda on a beautiful wooden oak tray. "Why don't we all join her around the bed, and get to know her a little better. Maybe she'll open up after she gets to know us some. I mean, if I had gotten lost, or run away, or gotten sick, passed out and woke up in some strange house, with people _I_ didn't know... I'm not too sure I'd like to share much with them either at first."

"You're right dear," Thea says nodding. "She is probably just as suspicious of us, as _we_ are of her. So far, she has given us no reason to fear her. Let's just continue as though she _is_ a new friend, and treat her as an honored guest."

After taking a bite of Kiki, Thian says, "Well, let me check with her to see if it's okay for _all_ of us to come eat with her. Maybe she isn't up to having all of us in there with her at once, you know? I mean, she may feel a little overwhelmed."

"Yeah, good idea," Tianna says looking at Thian. "Tell her we won't stay long if she wants to rest, okay?"

Thian nods and leaves the kitchen. Returning with a broad smile on his face, he speaks in Elvish, "She perked right up! Said she'd _love_ to have all of us join her. Looked really surprised we _wanted_ to at first, then smiled and said yeah."

Thea beams. "Wonderful! Let's all grab some chairs and get them set up, then come back for the trays."

They each bring a chair into Amanda's bedroom, and are surprised to see a genuine smile on Amanda's face, her eyes bright.

As they go back for the food, Tianna says quietly, "You know, she actually _does_ look like she want us to join her. Maybe she's really okay after all."

"I _told_ you she was," Thian says picking up Amanda's tray. "Now maybe we'll find out something more about her, and what _really_ happened to her."

Returning to the room, Thian sets the tray on Amanda's lap and stands back. "I hope like Kiki strips... Cucuteo eggs. I bring toast too, and I get raspberry tea right now."

Amanda looks at the large plate in front of her as Thian jogs back to the kitchen. "Kiki strips and Cucuteo eggs?" she says softly to herself.

"Oh," Tia says looking startled. "No like Kiki strips and Cucuteo eggs Amanda? We fix you something else. Sorry, should have ask first. We think would be okay, till back on your feet. I make you soup if you like."

"Perhaps like some, ah, _horse_ ," Thea says looking to the others with an odd expression. "But I afraid we not have any. I not sure what horse are."

"Oh, no. I'm sorry," Amanda says apologetically, as Thian comes back into the room with the tea. "I'm _really_ hungry. It's just that, I don't know what... well... Kiki strips _are_. Or what Cucuteo eggs are either. Actually though, these look just like bacon and chicken eggs to me. _Smells_ kind of like um too. Smells _wonderful_."

As Thian takes his seat, they all watch as Amanda hesitantly picks up a Kiki strip and takes a little bite from one corner. "Wow! This is _really_ good!" She stuffs the entire strip in her mouth and happily chomps away. Taking a bite of the Cucuteo eggs, her face lights up. "It tastes even _better_ than chicken eggs. I _love_ bacon and eggs. Thank you _soooo_ much!"

Smiling, Thian is just about to take a bite of eggs himself, when his fork hesitates just in front of his mouth. He watches in wonder, as Amanda stuffs bite after bite into her mouth, hardly chewing at all, before swallowing. Using both hands, Amanda is eating as fast as she can.

Thian turns his head slowly to see Tia, stopped in mid bite, with a stunned expression on her face. Glancing at Thea, he sees that she lifted the glass to take a drink of tea, but stopped, staring at Amanda, the glass just in front of her lips. Tianna is just sitting with her mouth open, fork sticking into some Cucuteo eggs on her plate, eyes also focused on Amanda. All watching and listening as Amanda moans in what can only be pure _ecstasy_.

Completely focused on her food, Amanda is oblivious to the others. After a few moments, she glances up from her plate into their startled faces, and forces down a huge mouthful of Cucuteo eggs. Swallowing hard, the fork frozen in front of her mouth, she says, somewhat embarrassed, "Sorry! I haven't eaten in, well, I don't remember _how_ long. I've been hungry for a really long time."

Thea lowers her glass saying, "It is okay dear. Just take time. We know you not had anything eat for, um, four days now for sure. I surprised you can eat solids this soon anyway. We have plenty food, and can make more if you like. Thian, Tianna, you make Amanda another helping?"

Amanda glances down at her plate and is surprised to see that she is taking the last bite on her plate, while the others have just started. Feeling terrible, she continues, "I'm _really_ sorry. I don't mean to eat all your food. I, I..."

"It okay Amanda," Thian says with a laugh, followed by a big smile, "I raise Kiki out back of barn. I have large flock of Cucuteo too. I show you when better, if you like?"

Amanda smiles shyly, "Yeah. I'd really like that. Thanks Thian."

"Come Thian," Tianna says getting up and grabbing his arm along with Amanda's now empty plate. "Let us get her more to eat, before she eats _tray_."

In a few minutes, Thian and Tianna return carrying a _very_ large plate, heaped with strips and eggs, and a tall stack of buttered toast, placing it all on Amanda's tray.

Amanda laughs. "Well! _That_ should keep me busy for a while." They all laugh with her.

Finishing a bite of toast, Thea glances to the others for a quick moment, then looks at Amanda. Wiping her mouth, she asks casually, "So, you say from place call, what was? Maricopa Arizona?"

"Yeah. That's where I live with my mom, dad and little brother Larry."

"Oh. They follow you here dear? Are they, um, camping in woods close to here, _they_ lost too, yes?"

Everyone stops eating and looks intently at Amanda.

Amanda, still concentrating on eating, continues to look at her plate. "No. They didn't come with me. They're still back in California, I _think_ anyway. We... uh, got _separated_ in the storm a couple weeks ago now I guess, and I got lost."

"She's _lying_!" Tianna says in Elvish, keeping as pleasant a smile on her face as possible. "We haven't had a storm around here in over three _months_."

"California?" Tia asks setting down her glass of tea. "I thought you from Maricopa Arizona just now."

"What? Oh. Ah, _yeah_ , well, Maricopa is the little city I live in now. It's about fifty miles or so from _Phoenix_ you know? We just took our vacation in California. I lived _there_ for a while too, then moved all the way to Africa, then back to California, then to Maricopa. But, we _usually_ take our vacations back in California. In the mountains. Mostly."

In Elvish, and keeping a smile on her face, Tia says, "She _must_ be lying. She can't even keep her _story_ straight. First she was from Maricopa Arizona, now there's someplace called _Phoenix_ , and someplace else called California and Africa. What's up with _that_?"

Amanda looks up when she hears them speaking in their strange language. "Excuse me. But what language are you speaking? It's not Spanish. I know just a little of that. And it doesn't sound like French. I've never heard anything like it before. It's really beautiful."

They look at her suspiciously for a few quick moments. Taking a quick glance at Tia and Tianna, Thian says in his best English, "It is Eltathaoan. Native language spoken in these parts. You know _other_ Elvish, do you not?"

Amanda stops in mid chew, 1fork at her lips, as her eyes grow wide and her hand begins to tremble. Slowly, she sets the fork down.

"What is dear?" Thea asks looking concerned.

Looking down at her tray, she closes her eyes as flashbacks of the things she had seen in the forest near here overwhelm her. Slowly, Amanda looks at everything in the room.

Turning to look at everyone staring at her, she carefully studies their faces. "Oh my god. It's _true_ isn't it? I mean, I really _wasn't_ dreaming, or hallucinating. I'm, I'm really _here_ aren't I? I thought that, I must have gotten lost in the storm, fallen and hit my _head_ , and that I'd just _dreamed_ everything. But, but, I'm _really_ here... aren't I?"

"Here? _Where_ dear? Where is you think you are?"

Looking at all of them, she breathes, "I... I'm really. I mean, you're _Elves_! Aren't you?"

Thian laughs. "Well _course_ we are! What did you think we were?"

"I, I thought you might be, just _people_ like me, who don't speak English very well. Although you all really _do_ have slightly pointed ears like elves. I thought that I've just had some kind of _accident_ back home, where _I_ come from. And had dreamed all this. Or had hit my head and, and like have a _concussion_ or something. But, I really _am_ here. Among real Elves."

Tia, glancing at the others for a moment, says, "Uh, yeah, you are. But, you never _seen_ Elves before? There no... Elves where you come from?"

"No. I've never seen an Elf before. I didn't even know they, I mean, _you_ , even existed. You, your only _fairytales_ where I come from."

"Fairy... tails?" Tianna asks looking at Tia. "What odd thing to say. I know lot of fairies and I never see no tail on any. You Tia?"

"No. No I haven't."

Amanda then says, "Oh, no. Where I come from, elves, dwarves, witches, wizards, dragons and the like, are just made up stories. So are fairies. You know, not _real_ or anything. Just tales you know? Made up stories. _Soooo_ , if you ever talk about any of them, they're just called, well, fairytales."

"Amanda?" Thea asks looking startled. "I know not what really happened to you. But you been through quite a bit from looks of you, when first arrived. But, none of us ever heard of, Maricopa Arizona, California, or Phoenix. I traveled quite a bit through our realm, and I never heard the words before.

"Are you, from some other realm? You speak English. Is spoken on many realms, but you speak no Elvish, and, well, you do not _look_ like Elf either. You speak of languages, Spanish and French. I read about them, many years ago, when I do graduate work at university. Uh, are you from, someplace, like..." she then looks at the others for a moment, all nodding eagerly for her to continue, "like _Earth_ realm?"

Amanda, looking into their expectant eyes, swallows and says, "Well, _yeah_ , of course. Well, I'm from the _planet_ Earth anyway." There are gasps from the others along with very stunned expressions.

Amanda asks, her eyes wide, "You mean, I'm _not_ on... this isn't even, _Earth_ then?"

"No, it is not." Tia says looking into Amanda's questioning eyes. "This realm known as Elathian, originally home to the _Deep Forest Elves_. Many still here, but live deep within forests here. Over millennia, many others come too. Make _this_ realm their home too. You find many kinds of Elves here. You find many witches, wizards, others who visit often. Many dwarves like Loki, his family. Many other beings... creatures too.

"We not meet _anyone_ from Earth realm, who not witch, or wizard. Not in our village that I ever seen. We all heard of the Earth realm of course, and we have to learn some English, many other languages of travelers too. But not many other realms visit Earth. Most creatures where you say come from, not of Wizitch kind. Only ones who reach highest degree of their Orders, allowed to visit other realms. One need _special_ permit to visit Earth realm."

Amanda is not sure what "Wizitch kind" means, and is about to ask, but is interrupted by Tianna. "Amanda. If, you really from Earth realm, how you _get_ here if you not witch or wizard of highest Order, or sorceress? You say you are just _girl_ , you look young, maybe our age. _How_ you do it?"

Amanda looks at all of them, having no idea where to start.

Tia notices Amanda's confused expression. "And where you get things you wearing, like helmet, breast, backplate protector, arm and leg armor?"

"Yeah," Thian adds as he puts down his plate. "And shield, sword, the dagger? Loki say handles of sword an' dagger, _solid_ gold, an' jewels... _real_ too?"

"And _beautiful_ necklace you wearing?" Tianna adds. "When first tending wounds, we try to take off, to clean it and your neck. Um... could not see how it come off. It not fit over your head, and, uh... no find catch or latch either."

Fear clouds Amanda's face. In a small voice, she says, "I, I just _found_ all of them. And I'm not sure how I got here. Not _really_ anyway."

"You _foooound_ them?" Tianna asks tilting her head slightly forward, speaking in a _clearly_ disbelieving tone.

"Yeah, I did. When I was in the mountain."

"What mountain child? What you mean, you were _in_ mountain?" Thea asks after taking another sip of tea.

Fear growing, Amanda sits uncomfortably, not knowing what to say. Softly, Thea asks, "Listen, Amanda. I know you not know us, and you probably scared being away from your family. I would be too, but we not go to hurt you, we only want help you. But think how this look to us. We find young girl, wear armor, cover in who knows what, _stinking_ to the highest hills, and you delirious. You carry _very_ scary shield, with image of fearsome skull, wielding sword with _solid_ gold handle, real jewels too, maybe, Loki says. You carry dagger strapped to waist, also has solid gold handle, with what Loki says, may be flawless jewels.

"Sword, dagger, belt buckle... have Elvish writing on them, but we cannot read what it says, and we can read _many_ kinds. Clothing under armor you wore, shredded, torn to bits, burned, scorched. Material and make we have never seen. Most your body covered in deep gashes, cuts, scrapes, bruises. Most deep cuts much infected. We find you been stung by a Unituss, but never vaccinated for their poison, which everyone here, or visiting our realm, _must_ be vaccinated.

"You then say to us, you have never seen elves, wizards, witches, dwarves and others. That you thought all of them... us, fairytales you talk about. You tell us you from the Earth realm, but one needs _special_ permits to come or go there. One must be one of the elite to travel to in the first place. Would _you_ not be suspicious? Have questions for us? If it were _we_ , who looked as you had, collapsed on _your_ doorstep. Giving _you_ this story?"

Amanda looks at all of them for a long moment. Thian looks at Amanda and speaking quietly, says, "Amanda, maybe you _die_ if we not helped you. We are your _friends_. Really. If you not want tell us what happened yet, is okay. Maybe in few days, when you better. Maybe then, feel you can trust us. We leave you alone now, so you get rest."

Thian stands and reaches for Amanda's tray, as the others stand to leave as well.

"No! _Wait_! Please don't go!" Amanda says reaching out and touching Thian's arm. "I'm sorry! And you're right Thea. I must have looked pretty scary when I knocked on the door. I'm sorry for scaring you three. And if it _were_ any of you looking like that, who came knocking on _my_ door, I'd of been scared too. And you're right, I _would_ be suspicious, and _I'd_ want some answers too. And... and I _do_ trust you. It's just, I don't think you'll _believe_ me. This whole thing is just so overwhelming. I mean, _I_ still don't believe all this is true either, and not just something I _dreamed_."

Thea reaches out patting Amanda's leg, "Maybe, you start from beginning dear, tell us story as best you remember. Okay to leave out parts you not comfortable telling yet. It is okay. We understand."

Amanda hesitates for a moment, while Thian sets her tray to the side on a little table in the corner, along with all the others trays and plates.

Taking a deep breath, she begins from her leaving the tent in California, and looking to the mountain. Telling them she will tell them about her mom and dad, her brother, and where she had come from later if they want.

It takes several hours for her to finish her story, with everyone constantly interrupting, asking detailed questions or gasping in many parts of the telling. Amanda tells them about her adventure in the rapids and her boat bursting apart and finding the skeletons. She continued with her encounter with the lizards, snakes and flying creatures, and having to repeat that part again and again.

Tianna, trying to catch Amanda in a lie, asks her to repeat various parts, hoping she will tell it a different way. Dianna does this constantly. 1Finally, Thea gives Tianna such a stern look, Tianna stops trying to trap Amanda, and just lets her get on with her story.

When asked why she just did not use her wand, they are shocked to find she did not _have_ one, or, even stranger, had even believed wands were _real_.

Riveted by her tale, Amanda becomes more comfortable and animated as she continues, waving her arms around and acting out the parts as best she can while sitting in bed.

Her voice becoming strained from all the talking and needing to use the restroom, Amanda asks if it would be okay to take a break to go to the bathroom.

"Yeah, sure, course you can," Thian says his eyes still wide. "I get you some more tea, too."

Tia looks at Tianna "Tianna, you, me, clean up dishes okay. Then if you want Amanda, we continue, unless you want rest some?"

"No. I'd like to tell you the whole thing. You all deserve to know everything. And I'm not leaving anything out, _honest_." And she had not. Even the part about losing her bladder when she had been so frightened.

As the others gather the plates to head for the kitchen, Tianna asks Thea in Elvish, to hand her the tray next to where Thea is standing, while Thea helps Amanda out of bed.

As Thea touches Amanda's hand to help steady her as she tries to stand, an electrical shock shoots through Amanda, and in mid word, the Elvish conversation between Tianna and Thea, _instantly_ changes to perfect English.

Amanda hears a slight, _fuzzy_ background noise with the speech, but the English no longer sounds forced or like someone trying to remember how to translate from one language to another, as though they were making an effort to remember how to speak it.

Amanda freezes, confused at what has just happened. Worried that Amanda might fall, Thea quickly asks, "Are okay dear?"

Looking from Thea to Tianna who is leaving the room with the tray, Amanda stammers, "Ah, yeah, it's okay Thea. I can make it on my own I think. I'm still a little weak, but I can walk okay. Um, where _is_ the bathroom though?"

Thea smiles and tells her it is around the corner to the right, now using her forced slow English. Thea hands Amanda an old robe she brought from her home, and had placed at the foot of Amanda's bed. Smiling, Amanda slips into the robe, and shuffles out of the room as Thea watches to make sure she is stable enough on her feet.

Thea is amazed to see that Amanda's ankle is fully healed. Shaking her head at how quickly Amanda is recovering, Thea watches for another moment to make sure Amanda is okay. When Amanda turns the corner, Thea sighs, then turns to join the others in the kitchen.

As Thea enters the kitchen, Tia asks in Elvish, "Can you _believe_ what she's been through? I mean, by the _moons_. I would have _died_ from fright, or have been killed for sure without my wand!"

"If any of it's _true_ at all!" Tianna says with a sneer and mocking tone. "I mean, really! Come on! You can't _actually_ believe a kid, wanders up a mountain alone, in what she calls, the _storm_ of the century? Then she says she has an encounter with a fully grown _bear_. Which she says is some kind of _huge_ creature, with _giant_ claws and sharp teeth, which almost tried to _eat_ her. Then, she darn near got struck by a huge limb from a blown apart tree struck by lightning, which almost _killed_ her. I mean, _really_?

"She then rounds a ridge high up on this, _supposedly_ steep mountain, clings to a huge root she finds sticking out from the cliff's side, which _snaps_ and swings over some ravine. It then breaks, sending her tumbling into a rapidly moving _mud_ flow, where she's whisked down the mountain headed for some cliff, and gets a lot of her gashes, cuts, scrapes and bruising, but _manages_ to slam into a boulder and gets away!

"Uh huh. Sure. Then she's almost _killed_ by an avalanche of gigantic boulders freed by this _violent_ storm. She falls into a huge hole, made from a house sized boulder ripping up a giant pine tree. Next, she's covered by a huge rolling boulder that _traps_ her inside, where she thought she would die, but she just _manages_ to find the strength to _dig_ her way out before she drowns.

"Once out of _that_ watery would-be tomb, she then goes wandering away from the avalanche, where she would have died from drowning. Now, she's injured, but somehow, manages to stumble _further_ up the mountainside, then while looking up to be sure _another_ avalanche wasn't heading down at her, she _falls_ over a high cliff, because she wasn't watching where she was going, and trips.

"Oh! She then crashes through some tree which just _happens_ to be sticking out from the cliffs edge, is beaten half unconscious, but it manages to slow her fall. When she leaves _that_ tree, she falls some more, into yet, yes... _another_ tree. She's beaten, cut, _bruised_ and scraped some more, then falls from that tree, which _again_ has slowed her rate of fall, into a pool of _water_. Like we're supposed to believe any of _that_?

"And remember, she says she can't _swim_ , but again, _somehow_ manages to get to the shore of the pool. She crawls into some tunnel like cave, and spends the night. Then, somehow, by the _Lord_ and Lady, manages to find her lost _travelers_ pack that was, um, _snatched_ from her back as she had fallen, which she calls... a _backpack_. This backpack, just happens to have some food, badly needed medical supplies, and something she calls a _flashlight_ , which somehow gives off trapped light. Come _on_! Are you _kidding_ me?!

"Then, it gets even _better_. All by herself, she goes from one cavern to another, deep _inside_ this mountain she's talking about, finds, and takes some crystals. She finds a _glowing_ lake, _inside_ the mountain. Finds a boat, _can't_ swim, but gets into the boat anyway. She then heads off through an arch in the middle of a lake. Let's see... she's attacked by some huge fish with _lots_ of teeth, but gets away. Later, the boat is swept into _violent_ rapids where the ceiling and walls all close in on her, and the boat _bursts_ apart, sending her flying into the water. She just _happens_ to see a large plank from the boat pass _right_ beside her, and rides it to safety.

"Then it gets _really_ good. She says she then finds a really scary _skeleton_ , the necklace and a key which just _happens_ to be the very key needed to open the door she comes to next. Honestly. Like we're _really_ supposed to believe _any_ of this? Later, she says she finds a _pile_ of skeletons, which she somehow falls into, then finds a pile of armor where she says she found the sword, shield, breast and backplate, the helmet and the arm and leg protectors too. Oh yeah, she finds some _mysterious_ book, which the skeleton is... _holding_ onto, near the key and necklace.

"She goes through the door into some kind of strange red mist and fog, and ends up fighting large and small _lizards_ , who have some kind of crazy _frills_ on their necks. Gosh, she even finds an entire _nest_ of them, which she crawled into _just_ in time not to be _eaten_ by the big lizards that were after her. Let's see... oh yeah, there are some hatched lizards in there that try to get her too. And, of _course_ , she _kills_ them all. Even _lops_ off the heads of some others that attack her, and just as she's about to get away? Then... she's _grabbed_ and carried off by a huge _flying_ lizard!"

Tianna snorts shaking her head. "Next, she's dropped into some huge jungle inside the mountain, as several _gigantic_ flying lizards fight in the air, over _her_. Oh yeah, and _don't_ forget about her amazing discovery of a cave behind some _waterfall_ , where she finds, yes... _another_ skeleton, but this one, is looking at some stupid _plate_ , and she just _happens_ to find enough food nearby to stay alive for the next few days.

"And then? She's attacked by flying creatures shooting some kind of _spears_ at her, ends up finding some ancient city, filled with huge snakes and _more_ flying creatures. Somehow she manages to escape, but finds herself right back in among... not one... not ten... not even a hundred this time... but _thousands_ of huge snakes! To save herself, _she_ kills a big snake... _guts_ it with her sword... crawls inside, and then... just _walks_ right in amongst all the other snakes, so she can get to some _bridge_ arching over a _lava_ flow. If _that_ isn't hard enough to believe, she gets to the bridge, _fights_ some snakes, while a _gigantic_ snake then tries to get her, by chasing her _onto_ , the _red_ hot glowing bridge!

"About to be killed, for like the _hundredth_ time, the bridge collapses from the weight of the gigantic snake, taking the snake down with it, _just_ as it's about to eat her, as her _boots_ are melting on, yes, the _glowing_ red hot bridge. But, our _super_ hero, once again manages to get to the other side, and is _safe_ from all the other snakes.

"Not even some of _our_ fantasy heroes could do all of that, and supposedly, without a _wand_? Come on! Then, she finds a _door_ which leads to some old, abandoned broken down wooden house. There, she then _claims_ she finds the dagger and some old Journal. This supposed Journal, tells her there is some _hidden_ doorway inside a _stalagmite_. That's a hoot. Oh, I almost forgot. She said she finds what sounds like a baby Nerdor of some kind in a green bag. She puts _all_ this stuff in this backpack she talks about, which by the way, she _didn't_ have when we found her, and _I_ don't think she ever really had. Then she finds the huge stalagmite, uses something she calls _magic_ to open it, and finds a _hidden_ staircase. She follows it for over an hour, to a chamber with eleven huge, _mysterious_ doors.

"Now, going through one of the doors, she enters a room with five _more_ doors, where there is a huge _pentagram_ on the floor, and she looks to all the doors. One of them, according to this Journal she keeps talking about, says that if you go through one of the doors inside, you will find some kind of _transport_ device. That it will take you to visit places like, witches, elves, dwarves and others.

"Amanda _says_ she wants to visit the one marked _Deep Forest Elves_. Elves? Really? Which _she_ told us she _doesn't_ believe in? Really? Anyway, she goes through that door, speaks what she says is some mysterious word which then took her _here_ , in the form of some kind of shimmering, opalescent, _smoke_ , to someplace up on our _own_ mountain. She then wanders down the mountain, spots what she says are strange creatures, gets stung by the Unituss, then _somehow_ manages to stagger along until she gets to the lake. _Please_ tell me there aren't _any_ of you who are actually believing _any_ of this?"

"Well, actually, it _is_ really hard to believe," Tia says with a laugh, leaning back against the sink. "I mean, she _is_ only about our age you know. And there's no _way_ she could have done most of what she says she did. _Especially_ without a wand. At least, I don't _think_ she could of. But maybe, she really did."

Shaking her head, Tianna is about to say something when Thea says, "I hear her moving around in there. Let's get back and let her at least _finish_ her story, then see where we go from there, all right? And for now, at least _try_ to look like you believe her. Remember, she has been through a lot, whoever she is, and whatever she has actually been through. She may very well be an Elf from some other part of our realm, or perhaps a witch or wizard from another realm, or... well, let's just wait and see.

"It's not unusual with this sort of trauma though, to confuse _reality_ with dreams one may have had, or experience areas of _memory_ loss. Sometimes, patients with head injuries have brain damage that makes their dreams _seem_ like real memories to _them_. They can't tell the difference. We'll have to wait and see. She may remember what _really_ happened, as she begins to recover more."

They all agree to hear the rest of Amanda's story, and head back in to sit with her.

Amanda is now back in bed, and smiles as they all come in to join her. The others return the smile as Thian hands Amanda another glass of raspberry tea. He asks hopefully, "Are you up to finishing your story?"

"Sure. There's not much more to tell really." The next thing she tells them is of smelling the smoke, and following the smell into the forest beside the lake. Continuing, she tells them how she had been very dizzy, had fallen, taken off her backpack and pushed it into some bushes beside a tree. Then about finding the house, peeking through the windows, and finally knocking on the door.

"That's pretty much it." Looking at all the _clearly_ forced smiles, her own smile fades as she says, "I knew you wouldn't believe me."

Tilting her head slightly, Amanda looks down at her hands. "The thing is, if any of _you_ would have told me this story, if I had found _you_ , I wouldn't believe it either."

Amanda meets each of their eyes. "But it's true. Every _word_ of it. Honestly."

The others look at one another, as if waiting for someone else to speak first.

"Welll," Tianna says sarcastically, "like you say. _Is_ pretty hard to swallow you know. I mean," then she makes a snorting sound, "I not know _anyone_ who could survived all _that_ , and no wand too. And, just _happen_ to find sword and dagger, having solid _gold_ handles? And, handles with _flawless_ jewels, maybe worth more than our village, and all in it? Well, it pretty hard believe, but make good _story_ though. Does it not?"

Upset, Amanda shoots back, "It's the truth! That's _exactly_ what happened, every word of it! If you don't believe me, that's _your_ problem. If, if you give me my clothes back, I'll leave, and won't _bother_ you anymore. I'll go... someplace else."

"Amanda, please, calm," Thea says looking crossly at Tianna. "You not going anyplace. You have no reason lie to us, as far as we know, but as you say, is _hard_ to believe how _child_ could be in so many perilous situations, and _survive_. And, come from a realm we know of, but which none of us has ever visited. It is hard to get minds around, you know? I sure if you in our place, feel the same. Please, just little time to take it all in. Or... for you memory to come back."

"Yeah," Thian says shooting Tianna a dirty look, "you in _my_ house, are _my_ guest. I say you stay as long you like. Not mean to calling you liar. You have _some_ things you talked about. But, well, where you say you hid travelers pack?"

Amanda and Tianna are still glaring at one another, but Amanda turns to look to Thian saying, "What? Oh, uh, well, I'm not _sure_ exactly."

There is a sarcastic "uh-huh..." sound from Tianna as she crosses her arms.

The others frown at Tianna, as Amanda continues. "I was really dizzy and pretty much out of it, you know? But it can't be very far from the house. And, since I had to come around the _side_ of the house to get to the pathway, I must have come from the left side... _facing_ the house that is. I just pushed it into the bushes next to a tree. It was only a short distance before I saw the house from there."

"Okay," Thian says standing up. "Listen, we leave you so you can get rest. Meantime, we look for you travelers pack. Do not worry miss Amanda, we _find_ it. You welcome stay as long as you like... _my_ guest."

Tianna gets up adding under her breath in Elvish, "Yeah, like we're _really_ going to find some _stupid_ travelers pack!"

Amanda is _stunned_ to hear the perfect English mixed with the fuzzy background. Somehow, she _knows_ that she is now able to fully understand the _Elvish_ they are speaking. But how? Maybe Thea was right. Maybe she _had_ taken a good blow on the head, or had been affected by the venom, and she has _known_ how to speak Elvish all along.

Tianna turns to glare at Amanda for a moment, before leaving the room, Amanda glaring right back at her.

More upset than tired, Amanda lays back and rests, thinking that later she will decide whether to leave or stay, while she gets a little stronger. But not knowing where she is means she has no idea where she would go if she left.

Amanda spends the next half hour trying to figure out _how_ she knows Elvish, and _why_ it sounds fuzzy. At first, she thinks it must be because of her injuries and the poisonous venom. But then, she thinks that maybe she really _had_ dreamed all those things she had done, and even dreamed she had come from the Earth realm. Maybe she _had_ fallen, hit her head and had been from this realm all along, and had _always_ spoken Elvish, and that her memory is just now beginning to come back. But if so, then how _did_ she really get the necklace and all the armor.

And what about all her wounds?

"And my clothing," Amanda thinks furrowing her brows. "They said they had _never_ seen anything like them. No. I _know_ I'm from Earth. And I _know_ I didn't just dream all this. I just _couldn't_ have!"

But a greater thought enters her mind. Amanda puzzles over whether to tell everyone, she _can_ understand them when they speak Elvish, until she gets to know them better.

To TOC

# Loki's Discoveries

Amanda lays back to get some rest, as she hears the others go out the front door to look for her backpack. She really likes everyone, other than Tianna, who just does not seem to believe Amanda's story at all, and makes her feelings _quite_ obvious. At least the others really _listen_ to her, and seem to actually want to believe her. Maybe they will if they find the backpack, and see the things in there she has talked about.

Once outside, they all stop as Thea says, "Tianna, _why_ are you being such a _brat_? The least you can do is give Amanda a _chance_ to prove she has been where she says she has, and has done the things she claims to have done. I know it's hard to believe, but she _does_ have all the armor, plus the shield and sword. And I find it easier to believe that she _found_ those things, than I do that she somehow... _stole_ them from someplace."

"Yeah, well _maybe_ ," Tianna says rather sarcastically. "But I really don't think we're going to find this _travelers_ pack she claims she had. And really, you think that even if we do, we're going to find this mysterious _Journal_ , and some big book with lots of strange _drawings_ in it, written in some... _mysterious_ language? Come on!"

Thea rounds on Tianna, and while wagging her finger in Tianna's face says, "Now _you_ listen to me young lady. I expect you to treat Amanda with _kindness_ and respect, until _she_ proves she deserves _otherwise_ , do you _hear_ me? And if you _can't_ be nice to her, then I think that perhaps you should just go home and _stay_ in your room until you can."

Everyone's eyes have grown pretty wide, with Thian now looking at the ground, nudging a leaf with his toe, pretending he is not listening.

Tianna turns quite red, from the embarrassment of being reprimanded in front of everyone. In a rather sheepish voice, not looking Thea directly in the eyes, Tianna says, "All right. I'm sorry. I didn't really _mean_ to be mean to her. I just don't believe she's telling us the _truth_ is all."

"Well, you _mind_ yourself around her, or just stay away." And with that, Thea calmly turns to Thian asking, "So, Thian, where do we start our search?"

"Oh, uh, well," he says looking to the trees to the right of the pathway, then points in that direction. "I think we should start at those trees there. She said she came around to the front of the house from the side, so let's start there. Since there are _four_ of us, I think we should spread out about ten to fifteen feet apart, and make our way around that side of the house, then back toward the lake. That's the way I go when I head to the lake to go fishing, even when I take my broom. There are several areas where the foliage has been trampled enough to make some good pathways to the lake. I think she may have followed one of them, and they are all within about sixty feet or so from the first path."

"Great," Tia says beginning to walk down the pathway to the trees. "Let's get to it and see what we can find."

"I'll take the area nearest the house," Tianna says as she follows Tia.

When they reach the end of the pathway and go around the edge of the house, Thian points to where Tianna should begin her search. He then moves about fifteen feet further to the side and asks Thea to take that path. In another fifteen feet or so, he finds the next path and asks Tia to take that one. Moving on another fifteen feet or so, he takes the last path. He then calls to everyone to begin the search, and to be sure to look into and _through_ all the bushes that are right up against a tree, since that's where Amanda said she had pushed the pack. They all wave to him and everyone begins walking into the forest, looking for trees that have bushes right up against them.

As it turns out, most _every_ tree has tall bushes right up against them, which makes for very slow going. They are all now peering into bushes, moving and poking around in them with their boots.

It is some fifteen minutes later when Tianna calls out, "Hey! I think I _found_ it! Come see."

Everyone quickly runs to where Tianna is now nudging a _very_ filthy pack of some kind, with the toe of her boot. The pack is _completely_ covered in some thick black substance, with some kind of sticky slime on it. Tianna has her nose wrinkled and a sickened look on her face as the others arrive.

"How'd you _find_ it?" Thian asks as he comes skidding to a halt next to Tianna.

"Are you _kidding_ me?" she asks, again nudging the pack. "I smelled something _disgusting_ , like _she_ smelled when we first found her. I just followed the _stink_ over to this tree, and saw the pack strap sticking out from these bushes. Ewwww! It _stinks_ to the highest hills!"

Thian bends to retrieve the pack while wrinkling _his_ nose also. "Well, _two_ things for sure. She _did_ have a travelers pack with her, and she _did_ hide it in the bushes like she said she did."

They all turn, frowning at Tianna, who slightly embarrassed says quietly, "Yeah, well..." then just looks at the pack.

"Let's get it back to the house and see what's inside," Tia says excitedly.

"I think we should open it _with_ Amanda, or get her permission to open it," Thea says taking a step back from the smelly pack.

"Well _I_ think we should open it _now_ , see what's inside, than see if Amanda tries to _hide_ something, or, whatever," Tianna adds, instantly getting dagger looks from everyone.

Thian, as he holds the pack out in front of him, wanting to touch as little of it as possible says, "No. This is _Amanda's_ pack, not ours. We said we would try to find it for her, and that's what we did. We're going to take it back, and let her know we _found_ it. Then see what she says." And with that, he turns and begins walking back to the house, with the pack held out as far to his side as he can.

They have all just reached the pathway to Thian's house, when there is a _flash_ near the door, as Loki pops into view, who begins walking quickly toward the door. Thian yells to him. Loki turns around, holding a small bag, waves with a big grin, and calls back, "You won't _believe_ what my dad and I found! Honestly, you _won't_ believe it!"

Loki waits for everyone to reach him, then wrinkling his nose, "Ohhhh! What in _two_ moons is _that_? It really stinks!"

"It's Amanda's travelers pack," Thian says with a grin. "We just found it hidden in some bushes against a tree." Then looking to Tianna, " _Just_ like she said we would."

Tianna purses her lips, glaring back at him with her hands on her hips.

Thian turns back to face Loki, "I'm gonna to take this out back to the picnic table, then let Amanda know we found it, and see what she says."

"Can _I_ meet her?" Loki asks excitedly.

"Yeah, _course_ you can," Thian says as he begins walking to the other side of the house.

Tia quickly steps up to Thian. "Thian, give me the pack. _I'll_ take it to the picnic table while you go in and introduce Loki to Amanda. I'll be there in a minute." With that, Thian hands her the pack. Tia holds it away from her body, head turned slightly away with a nauseated look on her face, and heads for the back of the house, while the others go inside.

Once inside, Tianna and Thea head for the kitchen to wash up, while Thian and Loki head for Amanda's room. Amanda hears them coming and sits up with her back against the headboard, wearing the old shirt which Thian said had belonged to his dad.

Thian sticks his head into the room saying, "Oh, you _awake_ , this is good. We found travelers pack. Tia taking it to picnic table, um, smells bad, you know? Are you okay to meeting our friend?"

Smiling, Amanda says, "Sure. And _thanks_ for finding my backpack."

Thian nods, then disappears for a moment. Soon he reenters with a young boy. At least Amanda _thinks_ that he looks something like a boy. Except the boy has a short beard, rather long, shoulder length hair, and _very_ hairy arms and legs. The boy has a rather wonder-struck look on his face as he enters, looking intently at Amanda.

"This our friend Loki, Amanda," Thian says stepping forward to the side of her bed, with Loki coming up at his side. Noticing the look on Amanda's face, Thian says, "Loki is a dwarf. He knows many things of other realms, some about Earth realm. His dad works in lab where analyze many things. His dad one of _best_ metal smiths, is expert on jewels, metals, animals, plants, crystals, fossils, many more stuff. Loki not speak English, only Elvish, Dwarvish, uh, few others. Mostly Elvish, which spoken most around here. So, I translate for you okay?"

Amanda, to the _total_ astonishment of both Thian and Loki, speaks in perfect Elvish saying, "Oh, uh, well, _actually_ , while all of you were gone, I... got a _headache_ ," she lies. "And, uh, there was a, a kind of _popping_ in my head you know? And, somehow, I _remembered_ I could understand and speak Elvish. I still don't remember _how_ I know it, I just _do_. So, _hi_ Loki," Amanda says with a big smile, trying not to look startled at meeting a _real_ dwarf. "It's nice to meet you." Holding out her hand, Loki looks to her rather startled, then steps forward and while shaking it says, "Oh, thank you. It is very nice to meet you Amanda. Uh, how are you feeling?"

"Much better thanks to all of them," Amanda says as Tianna, Tia and Thea come in.

The girls all stand frozen in the doorway, just having heard Amanda speaking _perfect_ Elvish.

"Soooo, all of a _sudden_ you can speak _perfect_ Elvish, and a few minutes ago you couldn't?!" Tianna sneers, crossing her arms while leaning against the doorframe.

"She said she had a _headache_ while we were gone, and there was a _popping_ in her head, and she remembered she could speak and understand Elvish," Thian says very excited. "Isn't that _great_?!"

"Yeah... just _great_. How _utterly_ amazing," Tianna says glaring at Amanda suspiciously.

Tia smiles saying in Elvish, "That's _wonderful_ Amanda. It'll be a lot easier to talk to you now, and not have to try to remember how to speak English. Most of the people around here _don't_ speak English all that well either. But _how_ did you remember? You got... a _headache_ , and it just all came back to you?"

Thea pushes forward ,stepping between Thian and Loki, then pressing her hand against Amanda's forehead, also speaking Elvish, says, "Like I told you three before, she may have experienced some memory loss from a concussion. It's _very_ common with trauma and head injuries. Are you feeling all right otherwise dear?"

"Oh, yes, I'm really feeling pretty _good_ actually."

Tia smiles saying, "I put the travelers pack on the picnic table out back Amanda, so, whenever you're up to it, you can go through it to be sure everything's there."

"Would it be okay, if I showed it to all of you now? Maybe you'll know what type of writing's in the big book."

Tianna could not have had a more _stunned_ look on her face. Not only because Amanda is now speaking perfect Elvish, her pronunciations even better than Tianna's, but, because she actually _wants_ to show them what is in the travelers pack.

Thian turns to Thea saying, "Well, if Thea says it's okay for you to move around some."

"Oh, actually, I think some _fresh_ air may do her good. After all, it's only out to the table and back. I think that will be fine. Why don't all of you go out and get settled at the table, while I help Amanda up and outside."

Everyone leaves for the backyard, while Thea stays to help Amanda.

To Thea's surprise, Amanda flings the covers back, swings her legs over the side and quickly stands up. She grabs the robe at the foot of the bed, wraps it tightly around her, then cinches it up.

"By the _moons_ Amanda," Thea says looking wide-eyed but smiling. "I don't know _how_ you're healing so quickly. Do you feel weak? Dizzy?"

"No. I feel _great_ really. Well, a _little_ sore in some places still, like my side, but, for the most part, I feel fine, really. I just can't _wait_ to show you the things in my backpack. I just have to go potty and wash my face first, and then you'll see what I've got!"

In the meantime, Thian, Tia, Tianna and Loki have been making their way out of the house and to the picnic table, while Loki is being filled in quickly on the story of Amanda's adventures, and how she said she had come across the armor, sword and dagger, as well as, the Journal, book and other stuff that are supposed to be in the backpack.

Loki is sitting at the table with his mouth and eyes wide, about to say something, when the back door creaks open as Thea and Amanda step out.

Thian, Tianna, Tia and Loki are seated on the bench nearest the back door, with their backs to the house. As the door opens, they all turn and are surprised to see Amanda come striding across the grass, with a huge smile, walking without _any_ help or limp at all. Thea just stands in the doorway for a moment, smiling and shaking her head. Then holds up her arms like saying, "Well, _I_ don't know how she did it, but she's _fine_." Thea then walks to the table also.

As Amanda approaches the table, Thian says, "Amanda, why don't you sit on this other side with Loki and me, and Thea can sit with Tianna and Tia okay?"

Loki gets up offering his seat to Thea. Thian has Amanda sit in the middle between he and Loki on the other side of the table.

Once everyone is settled, Thian says with his nose wrinkled, "Uh, this _is_ your pack isn't it Amanda?"

Wrinkling her nose too, Amanda says, "Yeah, it's mine. Wow. It _really_ stinks. Um, did _I_ smell like that when you found me?"

Thian looking rather embarrassed, then looks to Tia. But it is Tianna who says, "Yeah, you _did_. But _worse_."

Thea kicks Tianna under the table, Tianna saying, "Ouch! Well, she _did_ didn't she?"

Amanda laughs saying, "Well. I'm really sorry about that. After a while, I guess I just couldn't really smell it anymore, and there was _never_ any time to take a bath or anything. Would you like to see the things I found?"

They all nod saying, "Yeah!" Everyone but _Tianna_ that is, who just smirks, crossing her arms, like she is about to catch Amanda in her many lies.

Amanda slides the pack over to her, and as she does so, spins it around so the bottom is facing the other side of the table.

"Hey!" Tianna says pointing to the bottom of the filthy pack. "What's that?"

Amanda turns the pack around to face her while saying, "What?"

"There's something sticking into the pack, like a _stick_ or something," Tianna continued.

As Amanda holds the bottom of the pack up a little, Loki leans in saying, "Yeah, right here. Can I pull it out Amanda?"

"Yeah, sure, what is it?"

Loki reaches over. and gripping it, pulls hard. Chunks of crusted dark mater flake off the pack, as Loki continues to pull the thing out.

"It, looks like some kind of... _quill_?" Loki asks trying to brush off some of the flaky stuff.

"Oh yeah," Amanda says casually, as she turns the pack around. "That must be one of the quills those flying things shot at the lizards, snakes, and _me_." Looking up, Amanda sees everyone exchanging startled looks.

"Don't you remember? I _told_ you about how they would flick their tails, and shoot _dozens_ of those quills. _That_ one looks like it almost got me though. Good thing I had the pack and armor on. Because _that_ one may have gone in between the breast and backplate, without the pack on."

Loki passes the quill across the table to Tia, as both Tianna and Thea lean in to take a look at it too.

Amanda grabs a flap on her backpack and yanks. The sound of the Velcro ripping apart startles everyone. Amanda laughs saying, "Oh, it's okay. It's only Velcro." Then watching them exchange puzzled looks says, "It's a kind of fastener. So you don't need buttons, snaps or zippers. One side just sticks to the other when you close them like this," as she seals the flap again. "Then, you just pull them apart like _this_ ," as she rips the little side pocket open again.

" _Cool_ ," Thian says with a grin. "Can _I_ try it?"

"Sure, and then, why don't you take out the stuff in that pocket okay?"

Thian has a huge grin on his face, as he repeatedly opens and closes the Velcro flap. Everyone now laughing as Thian animatedly closes then _rips_ it open several more times.

" _Enough_ already!" Tianna snaps. "What's _in_ the pocket Thian?"

"Oh, yeah." Thian reaches in and pulls out a long, clear, quartz crystal, then a long, thick, purple Amethyst crystal. "Wow! These are really _nice_ specimens Amanda." He then passes them to Loki, who looks them over carefully, then passes them across the table to Tia.

"Thanks," Amanda says watching them examine the crystals. "Those are the ones I told you about, that I found when I fell down the embankment in those first caverns, when I first went inside the mountain.

"Thian, open that flap on the other side and get what's inside okay?" Amanda says as Tia sets the crystals to the side.

Flipping up the little flap on the other side of the pack, Thian smiles as the flap makes the tearing sound. Reaching inside, he says, "Oh _Yuuuck_! What's _in_ here? Feels... icky!" He then wraps his hand around something at the bottom, pulling it from the pack.

Thian's closed hand is covered in some thick, red, dripping gel-like substance. Holding his hand out to the side, away from the table, he opens his hand. There, everyone can see he is holding a _very_ long, ancient looking key, _completely_ covered in the red gel.

Amanda says, "Sorry, that's the pocket I put some of the raspberries I found when I got down your mountain. I, uh, guess I _squished_ them when I fell and rolled over on them a couple times. But, _that's_ the ancient key I found, along with the really big book, and the _necklace_ that the skeleton had."

Lifting his hand to his nose, Thian takes a slight sniff. "It _is_ raspberry! Wait, let me wash this off. Don't _do_ anything 'til I get back!"

With that, Thian leaps from the bench and runs to the water trough, where he washes his hands and the key. Arriving back at the table a moment later, "Wow, Amanda, this key is _really_ unusual. And look how _old_ it looks, and how long it is too!" He then hands the key to Loki.

Turning it over and over in his hands, studying it intently, Loki asks, "This is the key you used to open the giant door you found in the solid rock? The one you say led to the, um, weird frilled lizards in the red mist?"

"Yeah. I couldn't believe it was really the key you know. If I _hadn't_ found it, and decided to take it, I'd never have been able to get any further. And I don't think I could _ever_ have gotten back to the pool of water I fell into, since I wouldn't know which caverns I had gone through in the first place. So, I _know_ I would have died right there, eventually, with nothing to eat and all."

Tia and Tianna exchange looks, then Loki passes the key across to Tia. The girls take turns looking over the key, then hand it to Thea.

"What's in this pocket at the top of the pack Amanda?" Thian asks.

"Oh, that's just my flashlight. Go ahead, it's okay, you can take it out. It works great. I'm _really_ glad I had one of these, and not one that uses batteries. The batteries would have died a long time ago."

"What kind of little creature is... a _battery_?" Thea asks.

"What? Oh, no. A battery isn't an _animal_ ," Amanda says with a smile. "It's, uh, well, something that stores electricity until you flip a switch and, it, well, uses the electricity stored inside. You don't have batteries here?"

"No," Tia says. "I've never heard of them. Any of you?" Everyone shakes their head.

By now, Thian is holding Amanda's flashlight, looking it over carefully. As he turns it upside-down, it makes a clunking sound. "Oh! It sounds like it's _broken_ Amanda... listen." He then turns it over and back again several times.

"Oh, no, it's not _broken_ , that's how you _charge_ it. By shaking it. I'm not really sure how it works, but when you shake it for about a minute, it will give you _several_ minutes of light."

Everyone is watching Thian inspect the flashlight, when his thumb pushes the little switch forward causing the light to go on, striking Thea right in the eyes. She lets out a howl of surprise and falls right over backward, off the bench and onto the soft green grass. Thian drops the light, as everyone but Amanda, _jump_ up moving away from the benches, while Tia and Tianna are yelling for Thian to _do_ something to make it stop.

Quite startled, Amanda frantically grabs the rolling flashlight, flipping the switch to the off position. "It's okay! It _won't_ hurt you. See? I turned it off. It's okay, really!"

Tia and Tianna bend to help poor Thea back to her feet, where she stands clutching at her chest and panting, "By the Lord and _Lady_. That scared me half to _death_." Then seeing everyone's worried faces staring at her, Thea laughs saying, "I'm _fine_ , really, just startled me is all." Then laughing again, "Well Amanda, you _sure_ know how to put on a show." Everyone gives nervous laughs as they all take their seats again.

Amanda shows them how the flashlight works, then passes it around for everyone to try.

Tianna tries it last, then putting the flashlight back on the table says, "I think I'll stick to glow crystals myself, or my _wand_ if you don't mind." The others laugh, while Amanda just smiles looking puzzled, but says nothing.

With everyone now recovered ,Thian asks, "What's in the _big_ part? Is that where the goblet, book, Journal and map are?"

"Yeah, here, I'll get 'em out for you." Sliding the pack to her, she rips up the big flap, much to the delight of Thian, who thinks this method of sealing a pocket is simply _ingenious_.

After reaching in, Amanda withdraws a _filthy_ rag, which is _clearly_ wrapped around something. Setting the cloth on the table, she begins unwrapping it. Nearing the end, she picks it up, flipping the last section of cloth away, revealing the golden goblet, then sets it on the table in front of everyone. There are instant gasps.

"By the _moons_ ," Thea says holding a hand to her heart, eyes wide. "I don't believe it. But, it _is_."

"What momma?" Tia asks. "What's wrong? _What_ don't you believe?"

Everyone is now looking at Thea, with her eyes wide and stunned expression, as she reaches out a trembling hand, picking up the goblet. Lifting it to her eyes, swallowing hard, she says, "It _is_ the same. It's _exactly_ the same."

"What's the same momma?" Tianna asks looking again to the goblet. "What do you mean, it's _exactly_ the same? The same as... _what_?"

"You remember my telling you, how my parents had taken me to see the _Ancient City Remains Museum_ , when I was just a little girl?" Not waiting for a response, nor taking her eyes from the goblet, she continues. "And I told you, that I had seen _many_ replicas of items found there, and some _real_ ones too? And that I thought the sword and dagger Amanda had found, looked _just_ like the ones I had seen? And about the golden goblets with the jewels, and the writing around the rim that had stuck in my memory all these years? Well... _this_ goblet is just like the real one they had in a glass case. This goblet does not just look _kind_ of like the one I saw, but _exactly_ like it. Strange writing around the rim and all."

"May I see it please?" Loki asks.

Thea, with hand still trembling, passes the goblet to Loki, who takes it like it may break into a million pieces at any moment. He reaches down beside him and picks up the bag he has brought with him. Setting it on the table, he opens it and withdraws what appears to Amanda, to be some kind of a jeweler's loop. Loki lifts the loop to his right eye, then lifting the goblet, studies it carefully for several moments. He begins giving many _oohs_ and _ahhs_ making everyone lean in with their eyes growing large, all trying to see what he is so excited about.

"Loki, _stop_ drooling and tell us what's so _interesting_!" Tianna cries putting both hands on the table, leaning in a bit to get a better look at the goblet.

"Oh, sorry. This is _really_ awesome! These jewels, like those in the sword and dagger, look like they _are_ real. But again, without taking them to the lab, I cannot be sure. Like the others, these appear to be flawless, and, if they _are_ real..."

"They'd be worth more than our entire village, and everything in it," Thea says still looking dazed. "Loki, do you recognize the writing around the rim, or the writing you saw on the sword and dagger?"

"Oh! _That_ is one of the things I came here to tell you. The writing on the sword and dagger, and on the belt buckle too, is, you will _not_ believe it... _Emtic_!"

With a gasp, Thea clutches her heart again saying, "Loki. Are you _sure_? Are you just _joking_ with us? It's not very funny you know?"

Loki sets the goblet down, where upon Tianna _immediately_ picks it up and begins looking it over. Loki says, "No, I am _serious_ , really. I looked the writing up in some of the oldest books I have, but could not find anything like it. I then took the images of the armor to my dad, and he just laughed, saying they were _fakes_. Really _good_ reproductions, but fakes. I asked him if he recognized the writing, and he said no. But then he said that if these replicas were from some ancient long lost people, to check the books in his private collection. I did, and after a couple hours, I found some writing that looked the same. It looks just like... _Emtic_ writing!"

"What's Emtic?" Amanda asks, watching Tianna study the goblet so closely, she almost has her nose right against it.

Loki says, "Well, it is one of the oldest languages we know of, here in _our_ realm anyway. It was spoken and written eons ago, _before_ there were elves, dwarves, witches, wizards and most other creatures. The _last_ known use of the language, and of the crafts made by the peoples of the time, like these items you have found, was in some lost, ancient city. Most folks today do not even think the city really existed, that it is simply myth. The city was called..."

"The lost city of... _Elboreth_?" Amanda asks wide eyed.

Everyone snaps their head up looking at Amanda. "How did _you_ know that?" Loki asks with a startled expression, everyone else continuing to stare at her with shocked expressions as well.

"I _told_ you four earlier, remember? Where the _snakes_ were? Here, I'll show you." Amanda reaches into the large pocket of the backpack, withdrawing the Journal. Turning it upside-down, she fans the pages. A folded map falls onto the table. Setting the Journal down, she picks up the map, unfolds it, then spreads it in the middle of the table.

"Here. _See_? This is the map I told you I found in the Journal. It shows _all_ the places I went. And, uh... yeah, _here_ it is, this is the drawing of the ancient city. And if you look right here," she says pointing to the faint writing near the drawing, "It says, ' _The Lost City of Elboreth_.' See?"

Everyone leans in and there are gasps and wide eyes all around, as they read the faded writing near the image of a huge city, which looks to be carved right from the rock. There are also drawings of large snakes, lizards and odd flying creatures on the map as well.

They spend the next two hours taking turns looking over the map, and each going through the Journal. With Amanda pointing to each spot on the map she has personally visited, retelling her _entire_ story from beginning to end, as she made her way from one side of the map to the other. She also shows them the pages in the Journal, which show the drawings of the stalagmite with the staircase inside, the drawing and description of the eleven doors, and the drawing of the Pentagram and the five doors she found. Later, she shows them the page detailing the transport chamber, and the description of how to use it. They are _all_ speechless. _Especially_ Tianna.

When Amanda finishes telling her story, for like the _fifth_ time, she says, "Oh, and _here_ is the big book I told you about, the one with all the _cool_ drawings, and the weird diagrams of hand positions holding a stick, like an orchestra leader. The writing is _really_ neat too, hand written. _Kind_ of like the writing on the sword and stuff, but a little different I guess."

Pulling out the big book, she shows them the jewel set into the gold clasp. Then passes it to Loki to take a look at.

Flipping the latch, Loki opens the book a few pages. Stiffening, his eyes fly wide as his jaw drops until his mouth is fully open. He begins trembling, looking scared half to death.

"What _is_ it Loki?" Thea asks nervously.

Loki, not saying a word, swallows hard. With eyes wide, he slides the book slowly across the table to Thea, his eyes _never_ leaving the book.

Thea turns the book around, pulling it toward her, as Tia and Tianna both lean in. Thea studies the book for but a fraction of a second, then lets out a cry. _Slamming_ the book shut, pushing Tianna hard to the side, jumps up and staggers away from the table. This of course, making everyone _else_ get up and back away too, including Amanda, who looks _more_ frightened than any of them.

"Momma! Momma what's _wrong_? What is it?" Tia cries, now looking from her mother's horrified expression to the closed book on the table, then back.

For a few moments, Thea can do nothing but stand there, breathing hard, eyes wide with shock, clutching her chest. Forcing down a swallow, she looks from the book to Loki's frightened face, asking in a very trembling whisper? "Loki... _is_ it? I mean, do you think it could _really_ be the... the..." Thea looks as if she may faint. Tia and Tianna help her sit back down on the end of the bench, Thea's eyes now locked onto the cover of the book.

"Would _one_ of you, _please_ tell us what the _halls_ of skulls is going on?!" Tianna cries. "What _is_ it? What kind of _book_ is it momma?"

But Thea just sits, shaking, wide eyes staring at the book, like it may jump up and _bite_ her at any moment.

Loki clears his throat, saying in almost a whisper, like he does not want the book to know what he is saying, "It, _looks_ like an ancient book of spells."

"So?" Tia asks confused. "We've seen _loads_ of spell books before. We _study_ them all the time in school. So, what's so _special_ about this one? Except it's _really_ old, and really thick?"

Loki reaches across the table and slides the book to Tia, who then sits, encouraging everyone else to sit also.

For a couple moments, Tia stares at the book, then looks to her mom's frightened eyes, then to Tianna, who nods for her to open it. Tia looks across the table to Thian, who looks ready to jump up and go running off into the forest. Glancing briefly to Amanda, who looks as frightened as Thea had, Tia grabs the book, opening it to a page about a third of the way through. The writing is truly beautiful and _is_ hand written. The drawings on the page are _very_ well drawn and quite detailed.

Thian gets up, then helps Amanda up as well, and they go around the table to get a better look at the book as well. Loki stays where he is, but takes out a notebook and begins writing feverishly.

As Thian and Amanda stand behind Tia, Tia and Tianna lean in to study the writing under the drawings.

Tia lets out a small cry about the same time Tianna gasps. It takes a moment for Thian to read what is there. He cries out, taking several steps back, lifting his right arm while pointing to the book, "By _two_ moons over the mountains. It's, it's..."

" _The Lost Book of the Dillian's_ ," Tianna says in a whisper, shaking from head to toe, eyes so wide it really frightens Amanda.

"Who? What are the Dillian's?" Amanda asks in a very shaky voice. "Why are you all afraid of a _book_?"

"Amanda," Loki says looking up from his writing, "The Dillian's are legend to be the most _evil_ family of witches and wizards who ever lived. The thing is, there are _stories_ of them dating back to almost the beginning of time. Most people believe that they are simply a myth, like _The Lost City of Elboreth_. But as we all know, most myth is _born_ from legend, and legend from reality. The truth perhaps, buried _somewhere_ between the telling.

"It is said, that _they_ created the majority of the most evil spells, potions and curses _ever_ known. The book is said to have vanished many millennia ago, during _The Great War_. But some said that the book had again been found. That it was translated from the old language, into that which was the common Elf tongue of the time. Which is very close to what ours is today, and that is why we can still read it. That book was said to have been used for the most _foul_ deeds, and was rumored to have been taken to another realm, many _thousands_ of years ago, but no one knew where. I think, that _this_ is that very same book. The lost and ancient book of the Dillian's."

"But Loki," Tia says, having now composed herself enough to continue flipping through the book. "Could this book be, _real_? I mean, couldn't Amanda have found some kind of, _fake_ or something?"

"I do not think so. I think _all_ the things she has are real, and this book is the real thing too. What's inside this book, may be some of the most _powerful_ spells and curses ever conceived. Oh, and the _other_ stuff Thian gave me? Well, _that's_ why I came here. To tell you what my dad and I found out, about the _specimens_ Thian gave me."

" _What_ specimens?" Amanda asks looking puzzled.

"I gave Loki some of the crusted stuff on your shield, helmet and other things," Thian says. "So he could see what they were. You were really in bad shape, and, and..."

"It's okay Thian," Amanda says turning to Loki. "What did you find out?"

"I took the samples to my dad's lab, and asked if I could analyze some specimens of stuff Thian found in a cave, because Thian did not want me to tell my dad about you yet, or the things you had with you. He said sure, because I do this kind of thing all the time, with my dad teaching me what I need to know as I find new things I cannot figure out. Anyway, I put some of the crusty stuff into the old data analyzer he lets me use. After about an hour, much longer than I have ever had to wait, it beeped and the readout said, 'Could not analyze sample.' I tried again and got the same thing about an hour later.

"I asked my dad to have a look at it, and he just put in a different specimen, saying that the one I put in could be really contaminated or something. He set the machine to analyze it again, and walked away. When it beeped, he walked over and got the same result I had. That it could not be analyzed. He was really puzzled, then... took _all_ the specimens I had, into the advanced part of his lab, where he will not even let _me_ go."

Thian looks to Loki with a _very_ nervous expression. Loki looks around to see the same expression on everyone's faces, other than Amanda's, who simply looks confused.

"Uh, I _know_ Thian. I am sorry, but my dad just _grabbed_ the bag of stuff and headed through the air lock, before I could _stop_ him. There was not anything I could do. Really! Sorry."

"Oh boy," Tianna says shaking her head with a very concerned expression. " _This_ isn't good. What did he do?"

Loki swallows, his eyes moving nervously over all their faces saying, "Uh, well, I watched him through the really thick windows. He took the little bag of the stuff Thian gave me, and put a piece of the dried flaky stuff into the big analyzer they use for the really _important_ stuff. You know... the stuff _none_ of the other machines can figure out. He paced back and forth in front of the machine, while looking over the other stuff in the bag, giving me odd expressions at times."

Loki licks his lips nervously. "Then, an _alarm_ sounded and all these red crystals began _flashing_ ,and other assistants began running into the room with my dad. They, well, all stood in front of the machine as my dad pointed his wand, making the alarm stop and the crystals go back to normal. He said something to the others, then they all turned away, looking really _annoyed_ , and they left. My dad then turned to look at me, and he did _not_ look happy either. But really, he looked more... _surprised_ than anything else.

"He looked at the printout for a minute, then came out and told me to follow him back through the airlock, into the _secret_ part of the lab."

Tia, Tianna, Thea and Thian look to one another with what Amanda takes as, "Uh oh. This is _really_ bad!"

Loki, looking at all their faces says, "Yeah. I know. I _thought_ I was in big trouble too. When we got inside, he grabbed me by both shoulders and said, ' _Where_ did you get these things, and do _not_ tell me that _Thian_ found them in some cave!'

I asked him what was wrong, and he said that the analyzer set off the alarm, because it had made a _new_ discovery. That something that has been thought to be _extinct_ for millions of years, is _still_ around. He did not believe it at first, and yet, the specimen was _fresh_ , and _this_ analyzer is the best there is."

"Oh dear," Thea says looking very concerned, lifting a hand to her mouth. "What did you tell him?"

"Well, at first, I did not tell him anything. He got _really_ mad when I would not answer him, but only for a moment, because the analyzer went off _again_. But he had turned off the alarm system, so only he and I knew something else had been found. _That_ got his attention, and he went back to the machine. I have _never_ seen him so excited before. He kept mumbling things like, 'It cannot be! Impossible! _Fool_ thing must be broke!' and stuff like that. It was getting late, so, he told me to go home and _stay_ there. So, I _did_. That is when I set about seeing what I could find out about the images I took of the shield, breast and backplate, the sword, dagger, helmet and the belt buckle."

"Did you find anything about those?" Tia asks excitedly.

"Oh yeah! I sure did, and you _won't_ believe it. Or, actually, maybe _now_ you will."

"Well, what did you _find_?" Thian asks getting up and begins to pace.

"The image on the shield comes from the line of... _Morden_."

"What?! You _can't_ be serious!" Thea says again clutching her chest.

"Oh yes, I _am_ serious all right! I checked several reference books to be _sure_ , and, it is a match. It is from the bloodline of one of the most _evil_ families still living."

"By the _moons_ ," Tia says in awe. "What about the other stuff?"

"The breast and backplate are from the Selten family of the dwarves. A very _noble_ family from what I could find out. Not many of them left from what I could find either. The helmet is from, the race of the Chacutas."

"But, that can't _be_ ," Tianna says with a frown. "The Chacutas were a warring tribe who vanished over _three_ thousand years ago... _weren't_ they? We learned about them in ancient history a couple years ago remember?"

Loki, turning his palms up says, "Hey, I am _only_ telling you what I found. I cannot explain it."

Thian asks, "Loki, what about the sword and dagger? Did you find anything about them?"

"Yeah, I did. And this you _really_ will not believe, but I have verified it, and _triple_ checked it with _three_ different texts."

Everyone looks to Loki expectantly, watching a huge grin spread over his face.

"The dagger is from... the _High Elves_ of Elennor in the East, and is some _seven_ thousand years old... at _least_."

"It _can't_ be," Amanda says speaking for the first time since Loki began his story. "It looks _brand_ new, and it's as _sharp_ as a razor."

"Amanda," Thian says wide eyed, "if this is true, and if _Loki_ says it is, then I believe him, the blade is _Elf_ made, and, from the _Ancients_. It would be as sharp today as it was the day it was made. The process they used to make such things, has long been lost for ages. But Loki, what about the _sword_?"

"Ahhhh," Loki says with a grin looking to the others. "The sword, comes from the temple of _Ashakar_ , which was the highest tower within _The Lost City of Elboreth_. The great _Lord_ and Lady themselves, are said to have lived there. Which means... it was _theirs_!"

There are gasps from everyone but Amanda, who is still trying to figure out why everyone is so surprised, excited, and _frightened_ at the same time.

Thea asks in a low whisper, "Then Loki. Are you _saying_... that _all_ these things Amanda has found, are... are _real_?"

They all look expectantly to Loki, whose expression turns quite serious as he says, "Yes, I am. And my _dad_ found out some other stuff too. He took that _bone_ chip thing Thian found stuck in some goo on the helmet, and put it through the analyzer too. It came back as, some _long_ extinct creature from some other realm." Then looking to Amanda. "He said it was supposed to have been some kind of four legged _flying_ creature, with _big_ black eyes, a huge curved beak, and..."

"Shoots _quills_ at you from the ball on its tail." Tianna says in a whisper, a look of awe in her eyes as she looks up into Amanda's sparkling green eyes.

Amanda looks to Tianna, then to all the others, who are silent and staring at her.

"Well, I _told_ you how I found them, and _thought_ they were real. _Didn't_ I?"

"Yeah, you did," Thian says looking back to Loki. "Did he find anything else?"

"Well, yeah. That long strip of stuff that looked like it had scales on it? He said it was from _another_ extinct creature, from yet _another_ realm. It turns out, it was from some kind of, _snake_."

"That must have gotten caught on my helmet, when I crawled under that snake I cut the insides out of, you know, the one I _hid_ in," Amanda says looking to Tia, who has her eyes wide and her mouth open.

"That is not all," Loki says leaning in. "That one _large_ scale you gave me Thian? My dad said it had to have come from a snake that, well, would have been at _least_ seventy-five feet long, and would have weighed _tons_."

"That must have been from that really _huge_ snake. The one that slithered by when I was fighting the flying thing, when I was inside the gigantic snake skeleton. It must have lost a scale as it went by, and stuck to my backpack when I fell against it onto the gravel."

Tianna is still staring at Amanda, but now with a look of wonder in her eyes.

"Oh," Loki says looking to his notes, "and the flaky _black_ stuff?"

"That's dried lizard, _snake_ and flying creature blood," Amanda says looking down at her hands which are folded on the table. "I _told_ you, I had gotten covered from head to toe in their blood, as I had to _fight_ and kill them. Though I didn't want to."

"It is true. My dad said there were _several_ types of dried blood. Some kind of extinct flying lizard he said. He said they had really colorful frills they shook that made rattling noises, and the _big_ ones could generate a _lot_ of wind to confuse their prey. He said they had really long tails, and large heads with lots of teeth."

"You have _no_ idea just _how_ big," Amanda says shaking her head, still looking at her hands, as though replaying some memory.

Loki clears his throat, then says, "Other blood was from the extinct snakes, which he said could get as large as many stories. Some other blood, was from the extinct flying creatures, just like you said Amanda. The thing is, my dad said that the blood had not been dry for more than two or three weeks at most. Meaning that _none_ of these things are actually extinct after all, but _still_ around. Then... he _insisted_ on knowing where these things _really_ came from."

"Oooooh no!" Thian says, his eyes as large as his fists now. "Loki... you, you _didn't_ tell him did you? You didn't tell him about... _Amanda_ did you?"

"Thian, I _had_ to, you know? There was just too much stuff to, to _lie_ to him about. He is my dad! We tell each other _everything_ , now that mom's dead and all. And _how_ was I supposed to try to explain, that there are still huge, vicious, _extinct_ creatures from several other realms, up in some _cave_ in our mountains? Come on, he would _never_ believe that. Would _you_?!"

Thea leans across the table and pats Loki's hand. "It's all right dear. Of _course_ you needed to tell him. It was the right thing to do. But my _word_ , what did he say when you told him the _truth_?"

"Well, I could not really tell him all that _much_ then. Thian had told me that you all had found some girl, wearing really _filthy_ armor, who passed out and was really sick. Thian showed me all the armor, sword, helmet and dagger, and I took images of those. Then he gave me those specimens he had, which I could not identify. I went back to see if I could find out anything. That is it really. I did not know Amanda's story until just a little while ago. Now that I know the _whole_ story, I think I should tell him those creatures are not here in our realm, but..."

"But on the _Earth_ realm? Yeah, like he'll _really_ believe that!" Tianna says with a snort. "And how do you explain to him, how _Amanda_ used some long lost transport device, which is a _crime_ to use, unless you have reached the _highest_ level of your Order, and have been assigned a _special_ permit? _And_... that she is only about the same age as we are? Oh, and that she isn't an elf, dwarf, witch or wizard, but simply a girl, with _no_ Wizitch powers at all? She says she can't even use a _wand_!"

"Loki," Thea interrupts. "How did you leave things with your dad?"

"Well, I told him Thian asked me not to tell anyone, and I said I would not. He just looked at me for a few seconds, and was really mad. But then, just nodded slowly, put his hands on my shoulders and said, 'Then you must tell _no_ one else. I want you to find out as much about this girl they found as you can, and see if she would be willing to speak with me. I would love to know more about how the creature's blood ended up on her, and I would like to ask her if it would be all right, if I could examine more closely, the items she was found with.' He then said that _he_ would tell no one, but really wants to meet you Amanda, and that the specimens Thian had given me, are _invaluable_. And, he said that if the jewels in the images are really as I had described to him, the items should be locked up right away. That Amanda, and _all_ of you, could be in great danger, and, that their combined worth would be, well, worth more than our entire _realm_."

Thea gasps, putting a hand to her mouth. "I _knew_ they would be very valuable. Even the dagger worth more than our village and everything in it. But worth more than our entire _realm_! Oh dear." Then looking to Amanda, "What do _you_ want to do dear? These things _are_ yours after all. What do you want to do with them?"

Amanda looks a little frightened. She too had thought that if the jewels were real, they may be worth a great deal, but more than a _planet_ , or realm, or _wherever_ she was? Not knowing what to do, she suddenly hears herself saying, "I'll _keep_ them with me, for now. I'd like Thian to show me a place where I can hide them for a while, until I figure out what to do later."

Picking up the goblet, Amanda turns to Loki saying, "Here. Take this to your dad and have him, well, do whatever it is that he does. See if the jewels _are_ real or not. And you can tell him about all the places I've been. And, here, take the map with you too. But, I really don't want _anybody_ to know about the big book just yet, okay? I want to hide that one too, maybe, but tell your dad I would _really_ like to meet him, whenever he wants. But please ask him not to tell anybody else about me, or, uh, where I _come_ from, okay?"

Loki takes the goblet and map with wide eyes as he looks to the others, who also have startled expressions. "You, you are _giving_ me this goblet to take to my dad? But, you do not even _know_ me. I, I could _steal_ it or something."

Amanda looks very serious as she looks from one face to another. "Listen. If it weren't for you four, I'd be _dead_ now, and that's for certain. I owe you _all_ my life. You didn't have to take care of me, and could have left me to die, or turned me into the authorities."

Then turning to look to Loki, "And if _Thian_ trusts you enough to show you the things I was wearing when they found me, and trusted you enough to give you the specimens, then _I_ trust you too. These are my _friends_... and so are _you_." Then smiling, "Just take good _care_ of them okay. I _would_ like them back, if possible."

Loki smiles nervously as he looks to Thian, who has his chest all puffed out with a huge grin on his face.

"Are you _sure_ Amanda?" Thea asks.

"Yeah, I am. And now, if you don't mind, I'm a little tired, and if it's okay, I think I'll lie down for a little while."

Loki thanks Amanda for the items, which he says he will guard with his life. Standing, Loki shakes her hand, walks a short distance, and with a wave of his wand, vanishes.

His sudden disappearance startles Amanda, but since no one else seems to have paid any attention at all, and have simply kept walking, she turns and begins walking back to the house with the others.

To TOC

# Wizitch Verses Magic

Over the next few days, Tia brings some lovely, but old and dingy, bolts of fabric from her home, and hand makes new clothing for Amanda, who is amazed Tia can sew so well. It seems that both Tia and Tianna can sew _really_ well, and make clothes to sell in the village for extra money.

Their dad had been killed by a wizard's apprentice when they were very young. Thea has studied the healing arts from an early age, and has become a well-respected Healer, who works with a Master Healer in their little village, but is not paid much. Rumors were that Thea knew more than the Master Healer, but Thea never had enough money to take all the exams to become a Master Healer herself.

The first items Tia had made for Amanda, were a pair of pants along with a very lovely top. When Amanda put the new clothes on, they did not fit very well, but with both Tianna and Tia standing there looking her over, she does not want to say anything to embarrass them. She need not have worried, because as Tia asks her to turn around, Tia takes out her wand, points it at Amanda saying, "Adapto Forma."

Amanda lets out a cry as she feels her clothing begin shifting, modifying and adjusting on her body, all by themselves, and is quite surprised and a little frightened. Turning quickly to look into the full length mirror, she watches in astonishment as her clothes quickly adjust some more, and then fit her _perfectly_.

Quite startled, Amanda wants to ask Tia how she had done it, but all she finds herself saying is, "Uh, _thanks_ , they fit perfectly and... they're really _beautiful_."

Tia smiles. "You're welcome. They really look _great_ on you, don't you think Tianna?" Tianna nods while smiling too. Tia then continues. "You need some new boots or shoes though. Tianna and I don't have but one pair of boots each. But I do have three pairs of shoes. Tianna only has two. She wears them out pretty fast, and they're all really used when we buy them at the swap meets in town. But, I brought a pair of mine for you to try. If they fit, you can _have_ them if you want." Tia's smile fades as she picks up the shoes on the nightstand saying, "They're not in very good shape. We don't have a lot of money, so, actually, we've never _had_ new clothes before. Or shoes either. But, these aren't _too_ bad, I guess."

Amanda looks at the old worn out shoes that Tia is now holding out for her, realizing for the first time, how old and worn _both_ Tia's and Tianna's clothing and shoes are, as well as those of their moms. Amanda takes the shoes saying, "Thank you. They're, they're really... _nice_ ," not wanting to offend either Tia nor Tianna, who are watching Amanda very closely.

"Oh come on Amanda," Tianna says with a nervous laugh, "we know they're _horrible_. It's okay though, we know we're poor, and that we really look it. All the kids at school make fun of us all the time, for what we wear, and always have. Most of the people in the village turn their noses up at us too. But we're used to it now... mostly."

Several days pass until the day comes for Amanda to meet Loki's dad, early that evening. Thian, Amanda, Tia and Tianna are all seated at the kitchen table, when there is a knock on the door. Thian gets up and goes to answer it. When Thian comes back into the kitchen, Loki and his dad come in too.

To Amanda, Loki's dad looks something like a short, round, _hairy_ bear. Amanda had been told that he mainly spoke Dwarvish, but spoke Elvish pretty well, so she should be able to communicate with him okay.

As Loki's dad walks forward, Amanda stands to face him. Smiling warmly, he holds out his hand, speaking in rather a gruff, broken Elvish, "Hi Amanda, pleased to meet you."

Amanda raises her hand, saying "Pleased to meet you too sir," giving a short bow like Loki did every time he said hello or goodbye.

As Loki's dad grasps Amanda's hand, he turns to Loki and in Dwarvish says, "She is _very_ pretty, with excellent Dwarf manners. Seems really nice too."

Amanda feels a _shock_ running through her body, just as she had experienced when she had been touching Thea, when she first understood Elvish. Amanda now finds, that she actually _knows_ that he is speaking Dwarvish, but, she can understand it in _perfect_ English, along with that strange fuzzy background noise.

Amanda is _quite_ startled, but before realizing what she is doing, says in perfect Dwarvish, using a very gravelly growling voice, while moving her head and shoulders in very strange ways, "Well _thank_ you sir. _You_ seem very nice too."

Loki's dad drops her hand as if it had been bitten, jumping back. With his eyes wide and a surprised expression, stutters in a very low and growling voice, while shifting his weight from side-to-side, "You... you can _speak_ Dwarvish? But, they said you could only speak _English_ , and _Elvish_."

Amanda looks nervously to everyone, who are all looking at her with startled expressions. Tianna places both hands on her hips furrowing her brows, along with her usual pursing of lips, glaring at Amanda.

"Oh, uh, _well_..." Amanda stutters, "yeah, I guess I _can_ speak Dwarf. I didn't know I could until just _now_ though. Must have just come back to me, like the Elvish did."

"That is great!" Loki says all smiles. "Is it _not_ Thian?"

Grinning, Thian nods excitedly, "Yeah, this is _really_ something Amanda. You're getting your _memory_ back."

Tia comes up to Amanda and hugs her. "Amanda. That's wonderful! Do you remember anything else, like where you _really_ come from? Or, how you got here and all?"

"No. I only remember what I told you all before. I've got _no_ idea how I know Elvish and Dwarvish. It's a little _scary_ really. I mean, what if Thea's _right_ , and I just _dreamed_ everything? Maybe... maybe I'm _not_ from Earth at all. Maybe I really _am_ an Elf or something, and, well, I've been here on this realm all along."

"Not likely Miss Amanda." Loki's dad says in Dwarvish, which all the others speak and understood well. "The items in your travelers pack, and the other objects Loki showed to me, are _not_ from around here, nor from this realm as far as I am aware. I do not know which parts of your story are true, in your _mind_ anyway, but the actual _facts_ are, those items I studied _are_ real."

Then reaching into his inside jacket pocket, says, "Oh, by the way, here is your map and goblet. Thank you for letting me examine them."

As Amanda gets to know Loki's dad, she likes him more every time they meet. He is funny, with a _wonderful_ sense of humor. He is very kind, and _hangs_ on her every word.

Actually, they are _all_ fascinated by the stories she tells, of all the things in the realm she says she comes from. Things like _cars_ , airplanes, trains, computers, _telephones_ , cell phones, and all sorts of strange and interesting things, which simply fascinates them. Not because they did not _have_ them here... which of course, they do not. But because they just cannot understand why people could not simply Appareto to get from one place to another quickly. Or, put a movement spell on whatever it is you wanted to move, and simply _tell_ it where you wanted it to go. And no _brooms_ nor wands? How _primitive_.

Computers sounded interesting, but, why not simply use _seeing_ crystals? And telephones and cell phones? Why not simply send a _flash_ note, or, use a leaf spirit? Loki is the only one who had really studied the Earth realm, and knew that there were only a few thousand _real_ witches or wizards in that realm at any one time. It seems that most humans have no _Wizitch_ powers whatsoever, so they _needed_ all these odd things to get things done. Even the witches and wizards that _did_ visit Earth, could do very little, since the electromagnetic energy from all the cars, boats, plains, trains, factories, houses, power plants, cell phones, all _kinds_ of radio and television transmissions, etc., _drained_ or interfered with the majority of the Wizitch energies, or altered the ability of Wizitch power so much, it was _almost_ useless.

There are however, many protected areas that had been established, but he did not know where they were. Loki did say though, that there are some really good Wizitch schools on Earth that he had heard of.

Loki's dad had analyzed the goblet and found the gold to be very pure, and the jewels are not only real, they are absolutely _flawless_ , and of the highest quality he could possibly imagine. He had verified that the goblet was indeed from the era of the lost city, and of the same quality as the goblet in the _Ancient City Remains Museum_. He loved to hear her entire story over and over, and got just as excited each time she told it, with her now acting out as many of the parts as she could.

Amanda had found that schools here start in another two months, so she still has loads of time to spend with her new friends before then.

Thea had returned to her home and job at the clinic, but Tia and Tianna would come almost every day. Loki would come whenever he could also.

Amanda has grown very fond of all of them. Even _Tianna_ has lightened up, after finding out that everything Amanda has told them _seems_ to be true, but still has her suspicions.

However, Amanda feels a special attachment to Thian. She has gotten to know him much better, and she really admires him for taking care of himself. He has _no_ memory of his father at all, but says that he had really loved his adoptive mom, and that she was the _best_.

By now, Thian has shown Amanda some of the things he can do with a wand, which really amaze her... although, a good deal of the time, things happened that he had not planned on. Tia, Tianna and Loki would always laugh, and tell Amanda that if Thian pulls his wand... _run_!

One early morning when Thian, Loki and Amanda are out in back of the house, Tia and Tianna _pop_ into sight and walk over. They notice that Thian has his wand out, and is pointing it at a little green plant in a small planter.

Tianna smiles asking, "Turned that plant _pink_ yet? You've been trying to do that for _months_."

"Well, not yet, but it did _quiver_ this morning I think. It turned a little _grayer_ too, didn't it Amanda?"

Amanda laughs saying, "Uh, well, after you pointed at it, waving your wand around like a _mad_ man, and somehow set _fire_ to the shingles on the roof," pointing to the still smoldering shingles. "I think the plant and I _both_ quivered some, and I know _I_ turned a little grayer for sure. I'm not sure about Loki though, he was the _smart_ one who dove behind the water trough."

They all laugh, Thian turning a nice shade of _pink_ himself, begins laughing as well.

"Maybe we should teach _Amanda_ how to use a wand, then she can _protect_ herself from Thian." Tianna says with a snort.

"Hey! Why _not_?" Tia says with a grin. "The worst that could happen is, that _nothing_ happens at all!"

"But she's _not_ an Elf, wizard _or_ witch. She isn't _Wizitch_ at all. _Are_ you Amanda?" Thian asks looking questionably at Amanda.

"Well, I'm not really sure what, uh, wiz-itch is. But if you mean, can I do _magic_ and stuff, then, no. I can't. I've _never_ been able to do anything at all like that, _ever_."

"What's magic?" Tia asks pointing her wand at a bucket of water near the trough. Saying "Adscendo," the bucket instantly rises into the air as she directs its movement toward the smoldering roof's edge. Flicking her wand, she says, "Adicio," which throws the water out of the bucket and onto the roof, instantly extinguishing the little flame that had just shown itself. Casually she says, "Descendo," while pointing her wand toward the trough once again.

Amanda watches with eyes wide and her mouth fully open, as the bucket simply glides back to the trough and lands with a _thump_ on the grass.

"Um, well, _that_ actually," Amanda says swallowing hard, looking a little startled. "What you just did. With the _bucket_."

"You mean _Wizitch_?" Thian asks.

"Wiz... _what_?" Amanda asks looking confused.

"Oh, well," Thian says looking to the others. "It's when you use your wand or staff to, to _do_ something, you know? To make something _happen_ , or stop something _from_ happening. To cast a charm, spell or... or even a _curse_."

"Oh. That's what we call _magic_ where I come from. Why do you call it wiz... wiz..."

" _Wizitch_." Loki says with a smile. "I did a study a couple years ago, to see what this power is called in different realms, and I can tell you what I found out about the _term_ magic, if you really want to know."

They are all interested, so Loki says, "Well, okay, let us sit at the picnic table and I will explain, it may take some time though." Everyone seats themselves at the table, then Loki begins his explanation.

"Well, _Wizitch_ is the true term for what some in the Earth realm refer to as magic. Wizitch is the accumulation and merging of the _Great Powers_ of the Wizards skills and abilities, of ages unknown, with the _Great Powers_ of the Witches skills and abilities, from ages unknown. There is _no_ force greater in all the universes, that we know of so far, than _Wizitch_. And most think, it is the most _powerful_ force which can ever be.

"There are also many _levels_ of the use of Wizitch though. It also depends on ones schooling in its use. Then there is the understanding of the proper pronunciation for usage of Wizitch words. And very important, your _wand_ movements and mental _concentration_ on what you want to do. And of course, ones skills and abilities to handle and _wield_ various power levels."

"But Loki," Amanda asks furrowing her brows, "Why don't you just use the word _Magic_ instead?"

"Well, that is rather interesting really," Loki says leaning forward a little. "You see, the term _magic_ , only applies to the _humans_ and the Earth realm, and is not of any _real_ power whatsoever. The term magic, comes from the doings of the Magi, which originally meant a group of learned people, who were called a Magus when by themselves.

"These people were known in the beginning as 'the wise ones,' and simply had more knowledge about things than did the common folk. And because of that, were well respected, and _feared_. Kind of like many cultures refer to the most knowledgeable as ' _The Elders_.'

"The Magi were very well traveled, and well versed in astronomy, and found that they could foretell a solar eclipse to within a couple of minutes. To show their great knowledge, and ever seeking more power and _control_ over the less educated, they would call _all_ the villagers or townsfolk together, then at the proper time, raise their arms and hold their staff pointing to the sun. They would mumble in some unknown language, which of course, they simply _made_ up on the spot. They said only the _great_ spirits could understand what they were saying, and using some unseen power, which only _they_ and their kind, the _Magi_ could use, would then block out the sun. The eclipse would occur, which scared the _begeebers_ out of everyone watching.

"The Magi had also learned to chart the seasons, and what type of weather events were most likely to happen, by looking at the various cloud formations. Later, they were able to more accurately predict the weather, with what is known today as the ' _Weather Glass_ ,' which in their time they called ' _The Spirit Bottle_.' With this knowledge, they could foretell a change in the weather. They could foretell the coming of rain, or predict the prolonged absence of it. With their accumulated knowledge, they could even foretell very accurately, when the _leaves_ would begin to turn color, or that the temperature would change.

"They would gather the villagers or townspeople into the fields, after noticing the type of cloud formations, or level of water in their ' _Spirit Bottle_.' There may not even be a _cloud_ in the sky at the time, but the Magi, or a single Magus, would raise their staff in the middle of the field, surrounded by the townspeople of course, and again, mumble some _mysterious_ words. They would tell everyone, that they had _summoned_ the spirits of the unseen, and within _three_ days, or some such time, the rain would come. And it _did_ , ninety percent of the time."

"Yeah, but what if it _didn't_ rain though?" Amanda asks.

"Ahhhh, this is where things begin to get _really_ interesting. _If_ , for some reason their prediction did _not_ come true, it was generally blamed on someone in the village or town. Or, _sometimes_ , even on someone in a _neighboring_ village or town, who the Magi would point out, and would put to _death_ , proclaiming them to be evil."

"How _horrible_." Tia says shaking her head.

Nodding, Loki continues. "Generally, it was some poor _woman_ who was found to be the one to have caused the prediction to go afoul.

"It is interesting actually, in the early times of your realm Amanda, _women_ were the most knowledgeable, powerful and most _respected_ of all, like they are on _most_ realms. _They_ were the ones who mysteriously created new life from their own bodies, and knew how to nurture that new life. Of course, all this was at a time before science figured out how all this worked. Women at that time, learned and knew the powers and uses of various plants and herbs, and knew how to _heal_ the sick.

"The jealous and _power_ hungry Magi, within their _secret_ circle, were determined that _men_ , not women, should be the most powerful and respected. So, having formed their inner circle, they combined their individual knowledge from their travels around the various parts of your realm, in which they sought _more_ power and control, and came up with the plan to show that _they_ , men, were the more _powerful_ , and would _crush_ the spirit of women everywhere, and instill _fear_ in all."

"That's _awful_!" Tianna says shaking her head.

"Yeah, well," Loki continues. "They had the knowledge of astronomy, the women healers did not. The Magi could predict the eclipses, the women healers could not. The Magi could predict and even seem to _control_ the weather. The women healers, could not.

"The Magi had studied the powers of _poisons_ and their uses too. The women healers knew them as well, but _avoided_ them. And having no use for them, did not know how to use them for evil, nor would they _ever_ have done so. But of course, the _Magi_ knew just as much about healing herbs and plants, as the women healers did, since, after all, they had _learned_ those skills from the greatest women healers they could find on their travels.

"The Magi, set to using varying doses of _poison_ on unsuspecting villagers. They experimented, and learned just how much would _kill_ , or just _about_ kill, and what plant medicines would make them better again. They then challenged the women of a very large and well visited village, as to who could _heal_ these dying, and who could not.

"The Magi of course, took the person with a certain poison, which made them _seem_ to get worse and worse, to the point of having _no_ discernible pulse nor heartbeat. In fact, I read that one of the most powerful poisons to use for this, comes from something called a 'puffer fish' found in your oceans Amanda.

"The women were given the person who looked to be not quite as bad off, but who the Magi knew _would_ surely die in the end, due to the amount and _kind_ of poison used. _All_ of the Magi's patients lived, including the ones with _no_ heartbeat. All of the _women's_ patients... died. The _great_ power of the Magi spread quickly from village to village, and from town to town, city to city. Doubt in _women's_ abilities had been seeded, and everyone began to look at women differently. Just a little at first, but it grew over time from the clever deceptions of the Magi.

"The Magi, after a time, then went even further. They went into one of the largest cities of the time, and proclaimed that the _gods_ above had commanded that _men_ were the most powerful gender, and that there had been an evil _spell_ cast eons ago, by a foul and evil _woman_ , that took man's power from them, and gave it to women. But now, the _spell_ had been uncovered by the great and mighty Magi, and, the _secret_ was out. _God_ had unveiled the treachery of the evil inherent in _all_ women. That now, _they_ , the Magi, could _prove_ they were the most powerful. They would _prove_ that the gods gave _them_ , the Magi, the powers to do as they wish, and _anyone_ who stood in their way, would _die_ , or suffer _terrible_ consequences."

"But Loki," Amanda says looking a little confused, "the _Bible_ says that the Magi were _wise_ men, who did _good_ things, and they, like, brought presents to the baby _Jesus_ and stuff like that."

"Well, so _that_ book says, but do _not_ get me started on the _Jesus_ character... and, of _course_ , the Magi did some good things. They would help _many_ people, show them how to plant and gather crops more efficiently, when the best time to plant various growing things would be, bless children and others, and things like that. I mean, they wanted to be _liked_ , but needed to be _feared_ , to keep control and _wield_ their power for whatever end they wished. After all, they _needed_ to get the people behind them."

"Just what do you _mean_... the Jesus _character_?" Amanda says rather hotly. "He's _not_ a character! He's _real_ you know, and he's the _savior_ of all mankind! And _I'm_ a Christian!"

"Who's Jesus?" Tianna asks looking to Tia, who simply shakes her head and shrugs.

Loki continues. "A _Christian_ huh... well, we will not hold that against you I guess, but we sure _could_. Listen, if you are _really_ interested, in the story of how _all_ the powers and wonders of your Jesus _character_ came to be, having been _stolen_ from many other cultures and gods, I will tell you about that after I finish on the difference between Wizitch and Magic okay? And Amanda, remember the word you just used a second ago. **Man** kind. Not _human_ kind, or _person_ kind. But _Mankind_."

Amanda is sitting with teeth clinched, red in the face, _glaring_ at Loki.

"Anyway, where was I? Oh yeah, the Magi challenged every woman in the city, to bring back from the dead, the _four_ people the Magi had brought with them in their wooden cart. _Dozens_ and dozens of the best women healers, tried _everything_ they knew, with the entire _village_ watching. But, these two men and two women they had found lying in the Magi's cart, were _dead_ after all. There was nothing _anyone_ could do. Other than a _god_ , or someone who had the _powers_ of a god, which was, or course, _impossible_. Or so most _thought_ at the time.

"The Magi grabbed onto that belief, which had been stated by the most _respected_ and top healer there. The Magi said the gods had given _them_ the power, and would now prove it.

"The Magi made each and every one of the women healers proclaim that _they_ , the _greatest_ women healers known in these parts, could themselves... do _nothing_ with the four bodies. The women laughed and _did_ proclaim that nothing could _possibly_ be done, since all four people in the cart were _dead_... no doubt about it. The entire city heard of their proclamation. The Magi then had them all proclaim that only the _gods_ , or their _chosen_ , could resurrect the dead if they so chose. Which again laughing, all the women eagerly agreed.

"The Magi took the four dead people and sealed them in a _huge_ wooden box, which they had the people of the city build themselves. They then had the city's _own_ people, dig a huge hole, and had the box buried in the center of the city square, with a good portion of the city folk watching. Once the box was buried, the Magi stood in a circle around it, and with staffs held high, mumbled in some _strange_ tongue, which again, they simply _made_ up. They then told everyone that by tomorrow, all _four_ of the dead, would return from the spirit world, to the realm of the living. The Magi said they had called upon the spirit world, with the powers which only _they_ could wield, given to them by the _gods_ themselves, to return the souls of these dead, and that only a _man_ could even have such great power.

"The men in the city, surrounding towns and villages, had already begun to believe that some spell really _may_ have been cast eons ago, to _take_ their powers. They began to believe, that women _had_ tricked them all this time, into thinking that _women_ were the ones with power, and should be looked up to and respected.

" _Hundreds_ of the city's women, actually camped out sitting all around the buried box. In fact, the most _powerful_ women healers, were sitting right on _top_ of the box, suspecting that the Magi would try to sneak back in the middle of the night, and switch the bodies out for their living _twins_. And by the way, the box was buried to only three inches or so below the surface.

"The women and men, who had camped out around the box, were _really_ startled the next morning. They heard what seemed to be banging, _scratching_ , and cries coming from under where the greatest women healers had perched themselves. The _cries_... were coming from directly beneath them!"

Tia, Tianna and Thian sit with eyes wide, leaning in a little toward Loki, who is seated next to Amanda. Amanda is really interested, but still upset over Loki's _crack_ about her being a Christian, and about Jesus being some kind of made up _character_ , stolen from other cultures.

Loki continues. "The men and women who had gathered there were all yelling at the top of their lungs, as hundreds more crowd in to see what is happening. The group of women healers, of course, were the most _frightened_ of all. They jumped up and ran away from the box, to stand looking back at the spot with stunned expressions. They were _scared_ half to death, as was everyone else there, who were now standing around the buried box, listening to the pounding and _scratching_ noises coming from under the ground, along with muffled screams.

"The women healers and others, quickly recovering from shock, run back and begin digging. When they uncover the top of the box, they rip it open. To their surprise and _horror_ , they find _four_ faces blinking and staring up at them. _All_ in the box are feeling frightened and a little weak, but all were _alive_... and well.

"When the Magi arrived a few hours later, giving plenty of time for the word to spread far and wide of their powers, everyone parted as they entered, bowing as they made their way to the center of the square. There were people there now from many other villages and distant cities, wanting to see these powerful men, and see for _themselves_ what had happened. The Magi stated that the entire city had seen with their _own_ eyes, the power of... _men_. That _men_ had been deceived for centuries by the _evils_ of women. And that of _all_ men, they, the _Magi_ , had been chosen by the gods, to do the _gods_ work. That it was no longer the deceitful and _evil_ women who would rule, but was time once again for _men_ to take their rightful place. The Magi proclaimed that, it was the _gods_ command, that it was now the era of... _Mankind_. For men and _men_ alone, were meant to be the most _powerful_ , and naturally meant to rule over the weaker, _lessor_ of the species... women."

"How _awful_!" Tianna says angrily. "And it was the _Magi_ who were the deceivers, not the _women_!"

"That is right Tianna," Loki says nodding quickly. "The men were all told, that the gods had commanded that they were to _now_ take control of the villages, towns and cities. That if any woman objected, they were to be _beaten_ into submission or... _killed_. Even those _men_ that did not obey the gods new command, and _control_ women, would be charged by the Magi as possessed by the spells women had cast upon them, without their _knowing_ of course, because women are _very_ sneaky and _devious_ creatures. Or from _demons_ of which women had set upon those men while they slept, and those _men_ must be killed also, because they were now too weak to obey the gods, and must be _killed_ for the sake and safety of all.

"After seeing with their own eyes what had just happened, with the Magi raising the dead, and the women had not been able to do a thing, _no_ one questioned the Magi. Their power was _truly_ greater than that of any woman, and they, the Magi, _were_ all men. They, the Magi, then foretold of rains which would come within three days. They held their staffs high, mumbled, and said, 'the rains will now come.' And they _did_... _four_ days later.

"To make a very prolonged story a little shorter Amanda, because men _are_ , for the most part anyway, simply _physically_ taller, and more physically _powerful_ , the women healers in that city, that had been the ones with the respect and power, were _immediately_ ordered stoned to death.

"When the people first heard this, they hesitated. So, the group of Magi stepped forward, and used their _staffs_ to beat the first, and most _powerful_ women healer to death. _Murdered_ her right there in front of _hundreds_ of frightened witnesses. The Magi then yelled that _any_ man that did not help them catch, then _stone_ the remaining healers, would have a _curse_ cast upon them by the Magi. And the Magi, had just _proven_ their great powers. Those who disobeyed, would die a most slow, _painful_ , and horrible death."

Amanda cannot help herself, and listening intently to the story asks, "Oh my _god_! What happened?"

"Well," Loki says holding his hands up slightly and shrugging, "The Magi were very smart. They used the power of mass hysteria, fueled by a crowd that by now, was already worked up, to whip them into a frenzy to do what they wanted. Those women healers were chased down, stripped, buried to their chests, and _stoned_ to death. Right there in the center of the city square. The Magi ordered that they were to _remain_ there, as a reminder as to what would happen to anyone who challenged the great power of the Magi, until after the rains had come and gone. They said that _this_ is what will happen to _any_ women from this day forward, should they _not_ obey every command a man gave them.

"But then, the Magi did something that I do not even think _they_ realized would be taken as far as it was. They ordered _all_ men to take control, and that any man could do whatever _they_ wanted, and _any_ women who did not want to do what they were told, needed to be _beaten_ into submission. And, that if any man did _not_ demand respect, and command control over women, the Magi were to be informed, and _those_ men who would not control their woman, or any woman who did not do what their man said, _would_ be killed."

The others all gasp.

"The Magi made it clear that _men_ were generally the taller and stronger of the sexes, and that the creators had intended men to _dominate_ women, who are weak, _sneaky_ , crafty and just plain _evil_ in nature. The Magi said, that any man who could _think_ for himself, could _see_ that men were the more powerful, and if all men had not had a _spell_ cast upon them eons ago, to hide their true power, _they_ would have been the most powerful all along. The Magi said that the Earth was meant to be dominated by _Mankind_. Not Womankind. That's where your word, _Mankind_ actually came from Amanda."

"How _dare_ they! Those... those... _Tarodites_!" Tianna yells slamming her fist onto the table, making Thian and Amanda jump. Tia looks to Tianna, then to Amanda, who has a really odd expression on her face.

Amanda has _no_ idea what a Tarodite is, but knows it has to be something _really_ bad the way Tianna has used it.

"To make the story shorter," Loki says, "The domination and beating of women, and treating them like _slaves_ and as a lesser of the species, spread from city to city, all across your realm Amanda, and went on for centuries.

"After centuries and centuries, it has become an inherent trait in women in your realm, to _be_ more submissive. Men have kept _beating_ women down in your realm physically, _emotionally_ , and mentally for ages. From what I remember, women in the Earth realm, are _still_ treated like dirt in many parts of the realm. And in some _barbaric_ places, it is still the _law_ of the land, to _beat_ women for just about anything at all. Like just _talking_ to another man without permission, or leaving the house without permission. In some _horribly_ barbaric areas, they even make the women wear clothing that _completely_ covers them up, from head to toe, even forcing them to wear a veil of some kind over their _faces_ , whenever they go outside."

Tianna is on her feet now, face red with anger. "Those _horrible_ men! _They're_ the ones who should be _stoned_ to death! _No_ one has the right to do that to someone else! Women are _just_ as smart as men...even _smarter_!"

"Sit _down_ Tianna," Tia says grabbing Tianna's hand, pulling her back to the bench.

Loki continues. "Of _course_ women are smart. Both men and women in our realm, and most of other realms, who for the most part treat each other with the same respect, have access to the same education, etc., _are_ of equal intelligence. It's a simple, proven, _fact_. But in these _barbaric_ places on Earth, women are not only disrespected, but are not _allowed_ an education at all. These men are nothing but sniveling _cowards_ , afraid that if their women _are_ allowed to go wherever they wish, _speak_ to whomever they like, speaking their _own_ minds, and are allowed an _education_ and to grow as individuals... the stupid _men_ in those places, who have to use _brute_ physical force to keep control, would _lose_ their control and power over women, and become _nothing_ more than women's equals... that is, if they are _lucky_!

"Sorry. Anyway, the Magi may have disbanded over time, but other organizations quickly took over their power. _Priests_ took over as the most learned and, _priests_ can only be... _men_. Or at least, at that time anyway.

"Think about it Amanda. You say you are a _Christian_. The most _violent_ and bloody wars ever known, were started by your _church_ , to _kill_ anyone who did not believe what your precious _church_ wanted them to. Your priests have _beaten_ down women since they took over power, and to _this_ day, women cannot take the higher position of a priest. In _some_ religions they can... but only within the past dozen years or so. Think about how your precious, _murdering_ , two-faced church treats its men and women differently."

Amanda opens her mouth to protest, but cannot think of anything to say.

Everyone continues staring at Amanda for a few moments, then Loki continues. "When women continued to be nurturing and caring creatures, working with plants, herbs, minerals and animal parts, to do what they could to _help_ anyone, man or women, young or old, they were given the name... _Witch_. In the early days on _your_ realm Amanda, the term Witch was used to denote a practitioner of, _witchcraft_. Which it still is in most realms even today. The word Witch, truly means 'wise one.' Witchcraft of course, truly means, 'craft of the wise.' Witches were, and for the most part, still are, in _your_ realm anyway, _good_ women, practicing the healing arts."

"No they're _not_!" Amanda insists hotly. "Witches evil, _foul_ people who kill cats, and have satanic rituals, and even kill _people_ for sacrifices and stuff!"

"No Amanda. _You_ are the one who is wrong!" Loki says shaking his head. "They use the power of their knowledge for _good_ , to help people and animals alike. At least, that is what _true_ witches do, those on the _Light_ side. There are always some who turn to the _Dark_ side of course.

"But the now powerful and _control_ hungry priests decided that once again, many women were becoming seen as powerful, _intelligent_ , giving people, and were taking away the _power_ and control the priests were trying to achieve over the masses of the _less_ educated.

"So, the priests decided that _women_ could simply not be _allowed_ to continue growing in power, and the priests began spreading _lies_ about any woman who practiced midwifery, and used plants and herbs, and animal parts for _healing_. They said that _any_ woman who did such things, was _possessed_ of an evil spirit and must be killed.

"Please note that I say _killed_... not _healed_. And they _were_ killed. By the thousands. Any woman, old, young or even a child or infant, that was accused of being a witch, a term by now turned from something good, to one that was _evil_ and to be feared, would be quickly tried for the use of witchcraft. Witchcraft, was now a term used as something _evil_ a witch practiced to harm others. All because the cowardly _priests_ said that their god had told them so. What a _crock_!

"In your realm Amanda, in your 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, women, and a lot of _men_ , were killed by the _millions_. As I remember it, it actually all started in your year, uh, what was it? Oh yeah, 1484, when a _not_ so aptly named Pope of the time, _Pope Innocent the VIII_ , made an official declaration against witches, and what was perceived as the use of witchcraft. According to his and his _foul_ Order of priests that is."

"What's a Pope?" Thian asks looking to Tianna and Tia to see if they understood. They both shrug and look to Loki.

"Oh, sorry. The Pope is some guy who is the leader of a religion called the _Christians_. Which _Amanda_ belongs to. By the way, there has of course, _never_ been a woman Pope... _right_ Amanda? Gee... I wonder _why_. Sniveling _cowards_ , _all_ of them, right up to the top of their Order... the most _power_ hungry of all, your precious _Pope_! Anyway, the Pope is like, the big _boss_ who all the other priests are under. He's the leader of what is called the _Catholic_ Church.

"Heck, they are so powerful now, from all the abuse, control, intimidation, domination and outright _murders_ over the centuries, that they even have their own _state_! And one of the most _wealthy_ states of all! It is kind of funny really, this _Pope_ guy travels all over Amanda's realm, in _armored_ transport. Interesting is it not? For a guy _supposedly_ as close to their god as you can get, having to travel with _body_ guards and in armored transport? You would think that your almighty _god_ Amanda, would at _least_ protect his number _one_ leader on your realm. And you know, for what your church _priests_ and all call a vow of poverty, that _Pope_ guy lives better than most _kings_. So do his henchmen, those higher up in the church hierarchy."

Everyone but Amanda is looking at Loki with puzzled expressions.

"That's _not_ true!" Amanda screams slamming her hand down on the table, making everyone jump. "That's a _lie_! How _dare_ you say that about the church and Christianity. It's all a _lie_!"

"No Amanda, it is _not_. And if you had ever taken the time to research your _own_ religion, and not just go along with everything you have been told, you would have learned that there are _hundreds_ upon hundreds of documents, _proving_ everything I am saying. Even your precious _church_ has admitted to many atrocities, which they simply could no longer _cover_ up, as people become more and more educated, and are able to look into, and understand thing themselves. But again, I would be happy to discuss this with you later. But first, please let me finish _this_ discussion.

"Well, anyway," Loki continues just shaking his head with Amanda so red in the face now with anger, it looks like she may _burst_ into flames at any moment. "With the Pope's _blessing_ Amanda, a _book_ became required reading by _all_ Roman Catholic Judges and Magistrates."

Seeing the puzzled look on Thian's face. "Magistrates are like the Legals, the ones who judge others and such. The book functioned as the _authority_ as to what to do with witches for the next _three_ hundred years... years of mass terror, _murder_ and the persecution of _millions_ throughout what _you_ call on your realm Amanda, a place called Europe. If you ever get back to Earth, and you are not too _scared_ to learn the _truth_ , look the book up yourself. The book was titled, 'Malleus Maleficarium' and was written by two Dominican monks named Heinrich Kramer and Jakob Sprenger. At least, I _think_ that was their names anyway, but you can look it up later... if you _really_ want to know."

Again seeing the expressions of Thian, Tia and Tianna, Loki says, "Oh, _monks_ are followers of some religions, and the Order these followed was called Dominican. Do not ask, I do not know all that much about them. Just what _part_ they played in the mass _murders_ of innocent people.

"That book, later became the _official_ doctrine of what is now known as the _Witch Hunts_. We here, on our realm, find it interesting Amanda, that not only were _women_ burned alive, but any _man_ who dared to stand up for the women who were being persecuted, were as _well_ , and were labeled 'witch lovers', and usually burned right beside the woman they had stood up for, or they were _stoned_ or killed some other way. To this _very_ day Amanda, in the most _barbaric_ of places of your realm, people are _still_ stoned to death... most are still women. Again Amanda, if you get back to your realm, look up the _stupid_ reasons these women are _murdered_ , by the cowardly men of their faith, doing what _they_ claim... _their_ god tells them to do, again from some _stupid_ book. _No_ god, if there were such a thing, would _ever_ treat his _own_ children is such a fashion. If so, they would be no _god_ at all, only some _murderous_ thing who loves cruelty, _violence_ and chaos above all else. _No_ one should worship such a monster.

"Part of what was written in the Malleus Maleficarium says, 'What else is a woman, but a foe to friendship, an inescapable punishment, a necessary evil, a natural temptation, a desirable calamity, a domestic danger, a delectable detriment, an evil of nature painted with fair colors!'"

Now _both_ Tianna and Tia are on their feet, yelling their protest so vehemently, looking at Amanda, both Thian and Amanda feel as though _they_ are being yelled at.

Loki holds his hands up, motioning for them to sit, which reluctantly they do. But _not_ before Tianna gives a good _long_ string of swear words, making everyone's eyebrows rise.

"Like I was _saying_ ," Loki begins again. "The book also proclaimed, 'Let her be often and frequently exposed to torture.'"

Up stands Tianna again speaking rapidly, _flushed_ with anger. Tia grabs her hand pulling her back down to the bench, where she mumbles something else, where upon Thian, Tia and Loki give her dirty looks. Amanda is flushed also, but did not manage to hear what Tianna had said, but could imagine.

Loki continues. "This torture _was_ done, and a notary was assigned to write everything down, in immense detail. They made lists of what questions were asked of the accused, and what response was given.

"Homosexual men were _burned_ to death as well. These poor men, were bound and placed at the foot of the witch pyres, their bodies used as 'faggots' to kindle the flames.

"Loki," Amanda says a little red faced, "that's a _really_ bad word you know? You shouldn't use it!"

"Well Amanda, again, if you took the time to study your _own_ religion and history, you would know that the term 'faggot' originally simply meant, a bundle of _sticks_ or branches. These men were laid horizontally, at the foot of where an accused witch or witch lover had been tied to a stake, atop a large pile of branches. The men's _bodies_ were then set on fire, their burning bodies used as the _kindling_ for the larger branches and logs.

"But you're right, from what I found when I was studying the _horrors_ of your realm, the term faggot is _still_ used to this very day, but as a _derogatory_ name for a homosexual, and _not_ for kindling. The sad thing is, most of the people on your realm who use this term, have _no_ idea of where it came from, _nor_ how it was first used."

Amanda looks very embarrassed, as everyone turns to look at her for a moment, before Loki continues.

"There is another term in your realm Amanda, which is still used today. The term is 'prick.' In the days of the witch hunts, men were chosen from towns and villages, and charged with seeking out, and bringing to justice, anyone accused of being a witch. They were given the authority by... _your_ church Amanda... to enter any village, town or city, and locate the accused.

"They took the poor woman, or even a child or man, into the middle of the street. There the accused were stripped naked for all to behold, something which in those days, was _truly_ a shocking sight. Then, the witch hunter would take out a needle, which was in a wooden handle, and 'prick' someplace on the woman's, mans or child's body. Usually some poor _woman_ though.

"If she bled, she was _not_ a witch and set free, though in complete and total _humiliation_ , and forever _suspected_ of being a witch, by all, just not having been _proven_ to be one. It is kind of like in your realm today, should someone be accused of being a _pedophile_ , or rapist, it really does not matter if they are found to be innocent by a trial or not. They are, forevermore, _branded_ as having possibly _been_ one, or really _are_ one, just not enough evidence to prove otherwise, and they are _shunned_ by most for the rest of their lives."

"Oh, that's _horrible_!" Tia says shaking her head looking to Amanda, who again feels like it is _her_ fault.

"Yes, it really is," Loki says working a kink from his neck. "But like I was saying, if the woman was pricked by the needle and they did _not_ bleed, they were instantly proclaimed a witch. They were hauled off to be burned alive at the stake, or in some instances, drowned, or _stoned_ to death. However, what the common people of the time did _not_ know, was that the Prickers, as they were often referred as, had a _retractable_ needle in the handle, which they could either retract or not, as they wished.

"They could turn the end of the handle just a little, and when they appeared to shove the needle _deep_ into someplace on the female's body, the needle simply slid into the wooden handle. But it _looked_ like it was really going deep into their body. A simple illusion. But you have to remember, that at that time, most _all_ people were uneducated. Anyway, if there was no blood, and since the crowd was in a heightened sense of fear, and all _worked_ up anyway, they would drag the poor woman, or even a young girl, stripped and _screaming_ their innocence, all the way to the stake to be burned. Or, at times, to a pit and buried to their chest, then stoned. Or, in some instances, were weighted down with stones, then thrown into a river, lake, stream, pond, or even in some cases, into wells!

"These, uh, 'Prickers' were _paid_ for each witch they exposed, so, of course, they exposed as _many_ as they could get away with. Those 'Prickers', eventually simply became known as, 'Pricks,' because they were known for searching out and harming _mostly_ women, but some men and children, by pricking them.

"The term 'Prick', is _still_ used in your realm today Amanda. Even after all these _hundreds_ of years, to denote a man who has _no_ respect for a woman whatsoever, and little respect for some men as well. And if I am not mistaken, it is considered a bad word also. Is it not?"

Amanda swallows hard, turning a bright shade of red with everyone looking at her, then simply nods.

"By the way," Loki says running his hand through his long unkempt hair, "many of the women were _tortured_ beyond imagination. Many torture devices were created and used, to get them to 'confess.' Some of the popular devices used were _eye_ -gougers, delivering _unbearable_ pain, and many times, actually _popping_ the eyes, having the liquid inside _squirt_ out, spilling down their faces."

Everyone now, even Amanda, has expressions which are a cross between _shock_ , anger, _revulsion_ and horror.

Loki clears his throat, then says, "They would even use red hot _branding_ irons all over the women's, men's and children's bodies, making them _scream_ in pain until they confessed. The use of what were called, 'forehead tourniquets,' were quite popular back then too. And many towns, seemed to love the use of the _spine_ -rollers, which had sharp metal protrusions. The accused was strapped down to these wheel like torture devices, then _stretched_ , having their hands bound and tied to a post, their legs bound and tied to the wheel. The wheel would be cranked a little at a time, _stretching_ the body and bending the spine, which was laying sometimes, on sharp _metal_ spikes, that pushed into their naked flesh. Many had their arms and legs _ripped_ right out of the sockets, making them _scream_ and confess, even though they had been _innocent_. They would say anything to stop the pain. I mean... would _you_ not do the same?

"They used _leg_ vises, which were tightened until the bones of the accused actually _shattered_. The pain of your bones braking into _dozens_ of pieces, then sometimes, sticking _right_ out of your skin... must have been _horrible_! Thumb screws were used too, turn-by-turn, which would eventually _crush_ the accused fingers, shattering those bones. Finger after finger, toe after toe, their torture would continue, until their victim either confessed, or some other torture device was used, until they confessed using those, or, the accused could stand no more and... they died.

"Needles, were actually _hammered_ in under each of the accused fingernails, and even their toenails, until they confessed too. But one of the most _horrible_ devices imaginable, was used as well. One, which we _shudder_ to think that _any_ creature could use on another... even one a _human_ would dare to use on one of their own kind."

Loki looks very serious and _really_ upset. Amanda looks to Thian who is sitting beside her, then to Tianna and Tia, who are looking right at her, with their eyebrows furrowed and are frowning at her.

Forcing down a dry swallow, Amanda says, "What? Why are you all looking at _me_ like that? _I_ didn't do anything."

"Sorry Amanda," Tia says still looking upset. "It's not _you_ , personally. It's your _kind_ , well, some of your kind. I think Thian, Tianna and I know what Loki's talking about. We learned some of this in our _History of Horrors_ class. About what creatures from other realms did, or still _do_ , to either their own kind, or others. But I want Loki to continue, because I have a feeling that for some reason, _you_ don't know about it, and it was used extensively in _your_ realm. And I remember now, that all those devices were _blessed_ by your precious _Pope_ and priests of the time."

"Well then, okay," Loki says working another kink from his thick neck. "The device was known as, ' _The Pear_ ,' and some other derivatives. Actually, it is shaped like a kind of fruit found on your realm Amanda. Something called... a _pear_. The device is said to have been about the same size, although they did make it in other sizes as well. The one I am talking about though, was made in two metallic halves, cut lengthwise. Each of which was attached to a handle and hinged to open and close, like what your medical people today call, um, forceps I think.

"The pear was heated over an open flame, or in a small furnace, until red hot, then forcefully inserted in the accused's mouth, anus, or, uh, _vagina_ , and spread as far as it could possibly go. Many times, when used within the mouth, it _shattered_ the jaw and upper mouth, sending bone fragments everywhere. When used, well, _elsewhere_ , besides causing unbearable pain and tearing of the skin, would _shatter_ the pelvis and such."

Amanda feels like she is going to throw up, having a very sickly expression on her face. She looks to Tianna and Tia, then to Thian and Loki. They all have the same sick expression. Loki beginning to get a little red in the face now from being so upset.

"Amanda," Loki says rather hotly. "Is it any _wonder_ people from many realms will not even _consider_ going to your realm? Oh, and by the way, each and _every_ one of these torture instruments... were _always_ blessed by the priests of the area, _prior_ to each use. Those precious, power hungry, _controlling_ , mind warping leaders... of _your_ church, performing the blessings."

Amanda opens her mouth to protest, but again, just cannot find the words to give a good argument in favor of her church.

Loki continues. "When a woman or child, under these kinds of tortures confessed to being a witch, that confession was _instantly_ considered as _proof_ positive she _was_ a witch. They were then burned to death, _stoned_ , drowned, or otherwise murdered. Now, if for _some_ reason, a woman _was_ strong enough to withstand some of these tortures, and many _were_ in areas that did not have all the _worst_ types of devices I have mentioned, _that_ was proof positive they were a witch too, because _no_ mortal could have _possibly_ withstood that kind of torture. So, they were burned to death at the stake, or _murdered_ in some other horrible way anyway.

"The witch hunts continued, and the murdering of innocent women, children, men and even _infants_ , spread throughout the lands of your realm. In your year 1585 in fact, there were two villages in what was called, the _Bishopric of Trier_ , which were left with exactly _one_ female inhabitant each. If I remember correctly, there is documentation to _this_ day, which backs that up.

"It is said, that over a _million_ midwives were murdered. Not for doing anything _evil_ , but for doing something _good_. You see, they _healed_ and gave comfort to those in need. Many helped women give birth, and helped teach them how to care for their young. In the early times, these women were known as, the ' _Blessing Witches_.' At that time, they were looked up to by many, as the, 'Wise Ones,' who used, the ' _craft_ of the wise.' Sound familiar?

"The _church_ , ruled over by the power hungry, control freak _Pope_ , and his gang of murderous _priests_ , could not have _women_ with that much power, and the midwives were sought out and _massacred_ at will. I mean, how _dare_ these mere women profess to _heal_? Only _god_ can do that, or the ones god _chose_ to heal in his name, and only _men_ were the chosen, who later became known as... _doctors_.

"It took _centuries_ for women on your realm to become doctors Amanda. Till fairly recently in your history, _women_ were forced to be nurses. And I have to laugh, because _most_ of the nurses on your realm, know as much as, if not _more_ than your doctors, who make the _nurses_ do most of the work. Anyway, any _woman_ doing the same, was going against the _will_ of the gods and needed to be killed.

"According to the 'Malleus' it says, 'If a woman dare to cure, she is a witch and must die.' The 'Malleus' also called for the destruction of 'the ancient and secret knowledge' of herbs, 'both healing and harmful.' You can look it up _yourself_ Amanda, it is _all_ true, there is _overwhelming_ documentation to back it all up.

"Amanda, can you now even _begin_ to imagine the damage your witch hunts did, to the psyche of women over a period of more than three _hundred_ years of this treatment? How could _any_ man now trust a woman, when at any moment, she could be _accused_ of being a witch, and _he_ along with her? That is of course, unless he kept _complete_ and total control over everything she did, every _place_ she went, and even everyone she _spoke_ to?

"And, how could any _woman_ trust any man? When at any moment, if a husband simply decided he did not _want_ her anymore, all he had to do, was go _screaming_ into the street, that to his _horror_ , he had discovered that his wife was indeed a _witch_ , and he had been, _bewitched_ into marrying her in the first place! _Any_ man could date a woman, and if he found she was seeing someone else, or she _dumped_ him, just _claim_ she is a witch, and he would get his revenge.

"Worse yet, and this makes me sick, and is _still_ happening on your realm Amanda... any parent that does not want a _child_ or even a baby... just call it a _witch_ child. Blame some event like famine, floods, fires, disease and such on the baby, or child, and you could get rid of them. The baby or child would be taken away and yes, murdered. And this went on for _hundreds_ of your years Amanda. And like I said, _still_ happens to this very day, in some parts of your realm. Is it no _wonder_ that women in parts of your realm, are afraid to speak out even _today_ , or show how _smart_ they really are, or _could_ be, if they were allowed _any_ education, freedom, or free will at all?

"Women in _your_ realm Amanda, were kept for _centuries_ from learning to read and write, and in many places in your realm, are _still_ deprived of these rights to this very day. The _men_ , afraid that should women _have_ rights, and _learn_ to read and write, may show they really _are_ smarter and more capable then men. Which, in _most_ respects, other than sheer _physical_ strength... they _are_!

"After _hundreds_ of years of being beaten down and controlled, is it _really_ any wonder at all, where women in your realm find themselves today? It has become an _innate_ trait to fear most men, and to _believe_ themselves inferior, and not _worthy_ of more responsibility, better paying jobs, or in seeking higher office and stuff.

"It has taken women _centuries_ on your realm, to begin to recover just to the state they have now. Still in your realm, positions of higher education in the areas of physics, mathematics and the like, are _still_ held mostly by men. Women are _smarter_ and _far_ more observant than men in general. They _needed_ to be, just to _survive_ in your realm. Women have an inborn intuition, which _no_ man could _possibly_ begin to understand.

"Even today, women are _still_ treated like second class citizens in your realm Amanda. In your realm, it has only been about a hundred years or so, since women have even been allowed to _vote_ for who _they_ think should hold some kind of office, or vote _for_ or against something _they_ believe in. Ridiculous! In _your_ realm, women are _still_ considered to be the less _intelligent_ , and are paid less than men, even those doing the _exact_ same job. I think your term is a _glass_ ceiling for some reason. Interesting use of words though I think. Like you can _see_ what you desire, but will _never_ be able to achieve it."

Loki is _really_ red with anger now, and _very_ worked up. Everyone is looking at him with eyes wide and raised eyebrows.

Breathing hard, looking at all their faces, Loki says, "Oh, sorry, got off on a tangent. Guess I just get carried away with the _injustice_ of it all. So, uh, back to the Magi. Anyway, their reputations and power began to spread and be exaggerated. They would do things like, toss bones onto the ground to foretell if a storm may come within hours, or a day or two, and usually _did_. This had _nothing_ to do with the casting of the bones of course. They began to use thinly sliced bark, and put strange drawings on them. They would then place them one at a time on a table, in strange patterns to foretell what events were to take place in the future, and even what may happen in an individual's life.

"To make their knowledge seem even _more_ powerful, they created what is today known as astrology. They would assign strange and mysterious symbols to the planets, and it was viewed that they had some other or strange power the common people did not have, and became well respected and quite _feared_. People would come from far and wide to have the Magi tell of their future, or fortune. And the common folk paid _well_ for the information, making the Magi very rich, and left them seeking yet _more_ power and control, over the lesser educated and gullible people.

"The Magi also dealt in the use of early medicine, through the use of healing plants, herbs, minerals and various animal parts. As I've mentioned before, they were looked upon with wonderment when the sick were healed. After a time, anyone who was able to heal someone who was said to have been beyond help, was said to have the traits of the Magi.

"The Magi formed their one secret circle as their power and domination of the common folk grew, and would come up with ways to make their power seem even _more_ mysterious, god given, and _beyond_ belief. This would instill even more fear into the unlearned and gullible, so they could control them, and have them do their bidding.

"The Magi came up with many sleight of hand tricks and great illusions, of which the common people would come from far and wide to witness. In your realm Amanda, the letter 'c' was added to Magi, to denote that someone _seemed_ to have some of the capabilities of the Magi. Someone who could make things appear and _disappear_. Appear to conjure up something from nothing, like a coin and such. They could appear to change one thing, into yet another, and so on. These people were soon considered as someone with _great_ powers, well beyond the average person, and, well, were said to be... Magi like. The letter 'c' was the distinction between a _real_ Magi and someone who was 'compared' to a Magi. Magic is a term used for those who were not really Magi, and did not possess the _supposed_ real power of the Magi at the time. These non-Magi-like folk, were later called _magicians_ , who perform great tricks and illusions, to make a living, but who do so _simply_ for entertainment.

"The term magician comes from the combination of Magi, the letter 'c' designation for being Magi like, or compared to a Magi, and 'ian' which is Old Elvish for 'perform,' when used in that context. Therefore, the word, Magician, simply means 'Magi-like performer.' This was used to tell everyone that they may _appear_ to have great power, but it was only for entertainment, and that they did _not_ claim to possess the _true_ power that the Magi had.

"You see, if someone _did_ proclaim themselves a Magi, and were found that they were not, judged by the circle of the existing _real_ gang called Magi, the Magi would have them _burned_ to death as a warning to all, that only a select _few_ actually held the power of the unseen spirits, or whom could talk to the creator of everything, the one _you_ call... god.

"In many lands, centuries ago, the meaning of the term Magician changed, and was used to describe an _evil_ Magi, who used their knowledge _against_ others. Over time, they were even called a sorcerer, which of course they were not. In more recent times, as the common people became more knowledgeable about astronomy and other sciences, the Magi were found to have been tricksters, and had prayed upon the uneducated and gullible for centuries. The Magi were found to be _nothing_ more than just people like everyone else, although far more educated, but possessed _no_ powers anyone else did not have, or could acquire through education alone. The Magi were hence _disgraced_ for having abused their apparent powers, to obtain great wealth, power and to control of others, through _fear_ , intimidation, and threats. The great secret circle had been revealed as a fraud, and disbanded. But as I said, at _this_ point, your precious _church_ quickly took over, but we can discuss _their_ atrocities later.

"The term Magic, was later simply tied to what Magicians did as a living, performing slights and illusions to amaze and entertain the masses. And _that_ definition has stayed to this very day in your realm. It is also used as a term to explain things that the unknowing simply cannot explain, by anything they currently do not understand.

"The term used by many humans today, _Magick_ , spelled with a 'k' _after_ the 'c', has several definitions, dependent upon which geographical area of your realm you are in. But the one used most often today, in the human realm, relates to supernatural, mystical, or paranormal aspects, and _not_ to tricks and illusions used for entertainment by a magician.

"Magic, with a 'c', equals tricks and illusions. Magick with the 'ck', equals supernatural, mystical, paranormal. You know, _non_ -tricks, non-illusion occurrences of the unexplainable."

"Okay, but what about _Sorcery_ then? You know, like Sorcerer's and, uh, Sorceress'?" Amanda asks looking intently at Loki.

"Well, Sorcery is the use of power gained from calling _evil_ spirits to do ones bidding. Sorcerer, is the term used for an evil _wizard_ or witch, using spirits to do whatever _he_ wants, and Sorceress is the term used for an evil _female_ wizard or witch, calling upon evil spirits.

"The term Sorcery, comes from the Old Elvish word 'Sor' which means, 'evil spirit', and 'cery', meaning 'to call.' Therefore, the term 'Sorcery' simply means to, 'call forth evil spirits.' The term Sorcerer is used today, to define _any_ evil wizard or witch, who uses the art of calling forth evil spirits and the _Dark_ forces to do his bidding. Sorceress, is now used as the term for an evil wizard or witch, who calls forth evil spirits and the Dark forces to do her bidding. A true Sorcerer or Sorceress, uses the _Dark_ forces of Wizitch ,to the betterment of themselves. You see, most normal Wizards and Witches, use their powers for the betterment of _all_ who deserve it. Or, at least do not call upon evil spirits, because there are a lot of just plain evil wizards and witches too.

"So, in review, the differences between Magic, Magick and _Wizitch_ are these... Magic, with the letter 'c', equals tricks and illusions. Magick, with the letters 'ck', equals supernatural, mystical, and paranormal powers, or non-tricks, non-illusionary occurrences of the unexplainable. And _Wizitch_ , the most powerful energy known to date, is the use of _focused_ energy forces, within the natural order of the universe, for good _or_ evil purposes, dependent upon the user.

"The energy, which may be brought forth using Wizitch, is _only_ limited to ones understanding of how the power may be used, and their _skill_ at calling it forth, channeling it, and _focusing_ that energy at some object, for some specific purpose. Special words are used, along with _very_ intricate wand movements, which combine to summon forth the power, and to _focus_ its energy at, or toward something. When you get _really_ good, you can simply _think_ the words along with your wand movements, so no one will know _what_ you are doing, by hearing what you say. That is about it I guess. _Sorry_ it took so long. Any questions?"

"Wow! That was _really_ interesting Loki!" Thian says shaking his head while looking to the others. "I do remember studying _some_ of the things you said, but, by the _moons_ , what those people did to those poor men, _women_ and kids on the Earth realm! I mean... by the _moons_!"

"Yeah," Loki says looking down at his hands. "And the thing is, most _all_ these poor people who were accused of being witches, and practicing witchcraft, were really _innocent_. They were said to be evil, and practiced Satanism, and worshiped the devil, and went around putting evil curses on people, like killing cats and even other people. When the truth was, and still _is_ today on your realm Amanda, that _real_ witches do not believe in the devil or the fictitious character _Satan_ , who was simply made up by your _church_ , to _scare_ and further control people.

"The truth is, the witches credo states in part, '...do no harm.' _Real_ witches on the _Light_ side, are nature loving people, both men and women, who only wish to do good, for themselves and others. They _do_ cast spells, but not for _evil_ , but for health and happiness. They use herbs and plants, even minerals and animal parts to create healing products, or medicines. A _real_ witch, practicing their craft as it was intended, would only do harm to another, if _their_ own life, or life of another were in peril. After all, _anyone_ has the right to defend themselves, even by _killing_ another, to save their own life, or the life of one they love in self-defense. That is the _natural_ law of things, for _all_ creatures."

Amanda again wants to know what Loki meant by the ' _Jesus_ character,' and is still really upset that Loki says Jesus is not real, and, that _all_ of Jesus's characteristics were _stolen_ from other religions. But, after what she had just heard, decides to ask him at some later time.

For now, they all decide to leave things there, and continue that discussion later if anyone has any questions.

To TOC

# Amanda Tries Wizitch

After a short pause, Amanda looks across the table to Tia asking, "Do, do you _really_ think I can learn to use a wand Tia? And do magic? I mean, _Wizitch_?"

"I don't know for sure, but, actually, I don't think so. But... _maybe_. Although I don't think anyone who isn't from a Wizitch bloodline has the ability to do it. And even then, a good number of those from Wizitch lines can't do _any_ at all, or just a little. It's like an innate, or inborn ability, melded right into your DNA. But, well, I've never met an actual _human_ before, so, let's _try_ and see what happens. But just don't _expect_ anything, okay? Like I said, even a lot of our own kind, meaning those who come from families of wizards, blood witches, elves, dwarves and others, just _can't_ do any, or, sometimes, _very_ little Wizitch at all."

"Wait. What are... _blood_ witches?" Amanda asks looking puzzled.

"Those are people who come from a bloodline of _practitioners_ , who practice witchcraft." Tia says proudly. "You know, the _craft_ of the witch. Which can be either the craft used by the _Dark_ side, or evil witches, or that of the _Light_ , or good witches. It's those who come from a line of practitioners with the _natural_ abilities and powers within their DNA. Like Tianna, mom and me."

"What?! _You're_ not a witch! You're... you're an _elf_!" Amanda says with her eyes wide.

"Well, yeah. I _am_ an elf. That's my _race_. But my _chosen_ practice is that of witchcraft. The good kind that is, the practice of the _Light_ ," Tia says with a huge grin. "Mom is a _really_ good witch, who just _happens_ to be of the elf race. I'm studying to become a healer too, like mom. Tianna, even though she can do all _kinds_ of Wizitch, hasn't decided what she wants to be or study yet. But, she is a natural witch. Thian hasn't decided what he wants to practice either. They could _choose_ to become witches, wizards, or lots of others, which use the power of _Wizitch_ in different ways. Tianna has studied a lot of the ways of the witches, since after all, _mom_ is a witch. But she has studied a lot about _wizardry_ too, and some other practices. Thian, has studied both witchcraft and wizardry, along with several others as well.

"Loki, being from a _very_ long bloodline of dwarves, has all _kinds_ of natural Wizitch abilities, and yet, dwarves do not practice witchcraft _or_ wizardry. They practice their own type of Wizitch. He can do _lots_ of things we can't, and _can't_ do a lot of things we can. But even people of non-Wizitch bloodlines can learn too. Well, to _some_ level or degree anyway. It's just a lot harder for them is all. Many of the _Human_ race have learned of course, but many just can't. Some turn to the _Light_ , some to the _Dark_."

"Yeah," Tianna says looking intently at Amanda. "It seems that you think _all_ witches are evil. That they all sacrifice cats and people, worship some _stupid_ devil and such. And yet, it was _Tia_ who directed Thian and I when we first found you, on how to prepare healing herbs and stuff, that kept you _alive_ until mom got there. And, if it weren't for mom, you'd be _dead_ now. Everything _we_ did for you, and _mom_ did for you, was by the use of _witchcraft_. Like Loki said, the craft practiced by those known as witches. It was _witchcraft_ that not only saved your life, but helped _heal_ you too. If you hate _all_ witches so much, does that mean you hate _me_ , Tia and my _mom_? Or _any_ of us?"

Amanda looks absolutely _horrified_ and truly embarrassed, at the thought that any of them think she _hates_ them at all. "No! No, of _course_ not! I don't hate _any_ of you at all! You're all my _friends_.

"And I _love_ Thea! She's the _nicest_ grownup I've ever met. And I _do_ owe Thea, Tia, and... and well, _all_ of you my life. I, I was just always _told_ that witches were bad, and stuff like that."

They are all now looking at Amanda with questioning expressions, like they do not quite believe her.

" _Really_ ," Amanda says earnestly. "You are all the _best_ friends I've ever had, and I _love_ all of you. I just never _knew_ any better is all. Honestly!"

Tia then smiles saying, "I think we _do_ all believe you Amanda. You have just been told something from birth till now, from people you _trusted_ , and therefore, in _your_ mind anyway, it _has_ to be true. That's how _hate_ and discrimination spreads from one generation to the next. You grow up believing in what your parents and others say, without looking into things for yourself. It's okay. We really _are_ your friends. You still want to try your hand at Wizitch?"

"Yeah, okay. But like I said, I _know_ I can't do anything, but, I'd like to try. Even if I can't do it myself, I'd like to learn the words and wand movements. Maybe someday, I could at least _show_ someone how to use the words and the movements. You know, maybe to show younger kids or something," Amanda says with a smile. "Anyway, can you show me something _really_ simple, that most _anyone_ can do, if they have any, uh, Wiz-itch ability at all?"

"Okay," Tia says with a smile. "Normally, you would need to go into the village, to the wand shop, and try several wands to find the one that seems to work the best for you. But, since we're just playing around, and just want to try simple stuff, I'll show you something with mine, then you can try it okay?

"Yeah," Thian says pulling his wand from his belt. " _I_ can show you stuff too."

Tianna snorts, then crossing her arms says, "Yeah, sure, if you want to show her how to do it _wrong_. Like trying to turn a green plant _pink_ , and setting your _roof_ on fire instead."

Everyone laughs, with poor Thian turning a nice shade of pink again as he says, "Well, _that_ was an accident. I don't know how that happened, but I _can_ do lots of other stuff."

All but Amanda and Thian laugh again, then Tia says, "Okay. Maybe the easiest thing is simply to get something to _move_ , or float. It may take you _hundreds_ of tries at first. Like it did all of us. But don't get discouraged too early. If you can't do it after several _hundred_ attempts though, we can always try something else. And if you can't do _that_ after a few hundred tries either, our teacher says you most likely won't be able to do anything Wizitchal at all. The thing is, if you _can_ eventually move something, even a little, it can really be useful. Here, let me show you."

Tia reaches down and picks a small, thin blade of grass from the lawn, then sets it near the middle of the table. "Okay, this is _pretty_ light, so, we'll try using it. Wizitch is _really_ difficult to learn Amanda. It takes _years_ and _years_ of constant practice, and memorization to do it really well. We all begin to learn at around the age of four. Some even sooner. Tianna started at three and a half, and could move things really easily almost right away. Mom is always telling us, how Tianna would throw things at me all the time from across the room, using her training wand, and _I'd_ get really mad and cry because I couldn't do it back."

Tianna laughs, "Yeah, I don't remember _any_ of that of course, but growing up, we _were_ always doing something to one another. Still are."

"My mom told me I started when I was five," Thian says softly. "She told me that she was trying to teach me how to move a feather, out near the barn, and I somehow set a nearby Cucuteo on fire. She put it out using a freezing spell, which _killed_ the Cucuteo in the process of course. But, it _tasted_ really good though. Had it for _supper_."

They all laugh.

"How about you Loki?" Amanda asks still smiling.

"Oh. Dwarves generally begin to try at around the age of seven or so. I was eight when I tried. Most Dwarves do not really mess with Wizitch all that much though, preferring to do things with just their hands. Tunneling, digging, finding precious metals and gems, making jewelry, weapons, fine metal art and such.

"My _mom_ was pretty good at Wizitch though, but my dad only does a little. I do okay I guess, but I am not really that good. Tia and Tianna taught me most of what I know, since our teachers said it would not be worth my time, since they teach a different kind of Wizitch in school. Well, different than most _Dwarves_ use. Tia taught me how to Appareto pretty well though, you know, how to disappear from one place, and appear in another, even _thousands_ of miles away, once you're older and get really good. Although, I can only do it for about forty miles or so. Can't keep my concentration, and of course, it is really _dangerous_ if you do it wrong."

Tianna sighs saying, "Okay, let's get _on_ with it Tia, and show Amanda how to do it."

"Okay. Well, there are a whole _bunch_ of things you need to know and do. You need to know the right word, word combination, or _phrase_ to use. Then, the proper wand motions, like pointing directions, flicking, _swishing_ , drawing specific figures in the air with the tip of your wand and such. And, how to really _concentrate_ with all your will, on what you want to accomplish. It's really, _really_ hard to do all of these in a split second or two. But once you've done something, it gets easier and quicker, like anything else you learn. Then, soon, you can do it without hardly even knowing you're doing them. Like when I moved the water bucket and put out the fire, then put the bucket back. Easy, _now_ that is. But when I was _first_ learning, just moving a _feather_ or blade of grass like you'll try, took _forever_.

"Now, notice how I'm holding my wand? Generally, you simply begin by pointing your wand at the person, object or thing you want to do something to, or with. Like this." Tia points the tip of her wand at the blade of grass.

"Next, you need to select the right _word_ for what you want to do. And remembering which word, word combinations or _phrases_ will drive you _nuts_."

"Yeah," Tianna cuts in. "And if you get the word or words _wrong_ , or don't think of its _proper_ meaning, or use the wrong movement or movements of your wand, or don't _concentrate_ enough... well, you end up like Thian, trying to turn a plant _pink_ and setting the _roof_ on fire."

They all laugh again, poor Thian just licks his lips looking embarrassed and saying nothing.

Amanda asks, "Tianna, you said something about things going wrong if you don't use the, _proper_ meaning of a word or something like that. What do you mean?"

They all turn to Tianna who says, "Well, for instance, Loki was talking about vanishing and appearing someplace else. The Wizitch word for appear is 'Appareo.' The Wizitch word to depart is 'Abaeto.' To depart, or vanish from one place, and appear in another, you need to combine those two _power_ words into one, which is 'Appareto.'"

"Oh!" Amanda says very excited, "Harry and Hermione use the word _Apparate_."

"Who's Harry and Hermione?" Loki asks. "I thought you did not know any witches or wizards and the like."

"I don't!" Amanda says with a laugh. "Harry and Hermione are two characters in a series of _books_ I really like. They're books about witches and wizards. Just made up stuff though you know. They even made _movies_ from the books."

"Reeeeally." Tianna says looking to Loki, then back to her. "Interesting, since the term _Apparate_ is used by many witches and wizards, who moved to _your_ realm, from other realms _centuries_ ago Amanda. Whoever wrote your books, may know _more_ than you think, and may have _extraordinary_ knowledge themselves."

Amanda simply blinks back at her with a blank expression.

Tianna continues. "Or, let's take the Wizitch word, _Accommodo_ , or Adapto. They have _several_ meanings, dependent upon how you use them. For instance, remember when Tia made the clothes for you, and you tried them on? They didn't fit right. Tia used her wand and said, 'Adapto Forma.' The word Adapto has _three_ primary meanings. Fit, _adjust_ and modify. Forma, just means form or _shape_. Tia needed to really focus on what she _wanted_ to do, which in her case, was all _three_ meanings of Adapto. She wanted the clothes to _modify_ their shape, _adjust_ as needed and _fit_ your _form_ comfortably. Actually, it could take _months_ to get something that complicated correct. But Tia learned it in a week! It took _me_ over three months to get it right.

"But, say, you notice you have a blouse that's hanging crooked, like on a hanger from across the room. You could again use Accommodo, but concentrate on the meaning of 'fit' the hanger properly. Or, even use Adapto, which means, fit, adjust or _modify_ , and use the proper wand movement, while concentrating on just the use of ' _adjust_ ' while focusing on the blouse, as it relates to the hanger."

"Wow! There really _is_ a lot to this Wizitch stuff!" Amanda says looking rather awed, that anyone could do _anything_ at all and not get things all mixed up.

"Yeah, there _is_ ," Tia says with a laugh. "Well, in _our_ case, we just want to get this blade of grass to rise up off the table a little. Oh, and by the way, like most things, there's generally more than one way to do something. For instance, we could use either the word, _Adscendo_ and a wand movement like this..."

Tia points her wand at the little blade of grass saying, "Adscendo," while swishing her wand in a very small curving motion. The little blade rises off the table, following the height directed by her wand, as she waves it around some, making the little blade of grass wave and dance in midair. Tia then directs it back down to the table again.

"Wow! That's _really_ neat," Amanda says with a big grin. "But, you didn't use that _other_ word you used with the bucket. You know, to bring it back down I mean."

"Oh, you mean _Descendo_? I _could_ have used that. But for something this small, I just concentrated on making it rise, then to the _height_ I wanted. Next, I just concentrated on _changing_ its height as I moved my wand down to the table. In other words, in _this_ case, I simply adjusted my _concentration_ to a different height of, well, the _meaning_ of the word rise.

"When I broke my concentration, once it was actually back on the table, that broke the _spell_ right then. With the bucket, I could have done the same thing. But with everyone standing around at the time, and all the distraction, it was easier, for _me_ anyway, to use one word for raising the bucket and making it move, and another to lower it. Giving me more _control_. Someday, I can just use Adscendo like Tianna does, to _both_ raise and lower something like that, but for now, this is how _I_ do it.

"But like I was saying, I could have used another Wizitch word and wand movement, like Ascendo. Watch."

Tia again points her wand at the blade of grass saying, "Ascendo," while this time, giving more of a _flick_ of her wand instead of a swishing. The little blade rises off the table just like before, following Tia's wand movements, then Tia says, "Descendo" and moves her wand down, until the little blade once again rests in the center of the table.

"This time, I used _another_ word and wand movement to accomplish the same thing, and I decided just for the heck of it, to use the word Descendo, which means to lower or descend. See?"

Amanda smiles and nods.

"The thing is," Tianna says pointing to the little blade of grass. "You _really_ have to concentrate on what you want done, and, in what _order_ , and to _what_ or to who. Get it wrong and..."

"Instead of turning a plant pink, you set your _house_ on fire." Thian says looking from the little blade of grass to the charred shingle on the roof.

Everyone roars with laughter at the expression on his face. After a moment, Thian breaks into a smile, then bursts into laughter along with the rest of them.

"And," Loki says still smiling, "like Tianna just said, one of the most _important_ things is, you need to focus, focus, _focus_! We cannot stress that enough. Believe me, that has been _my_ biggest problem! And I think it's Thian's too. And you better get your _wand_ movements right."

"And when I threw the water from the bucket onto the roof, to put out the fire?" Tia says looking to Thian for a quick moment, then back to Amanda. "I used the Wizitch word _Adicio_. Adicio means, to _throw_ or cast an object to, at, or toward something, or to direct your _mind_ , eye or attention to something. In that case, I focused on the _meaning_ of casting the water at the little fire on the shingle, using the universal wand movement for _throwing_ something, which is like this."

Tia then makes an odd movement with her wand.

"But... nothing _happened_ ," Amanda says looking puzzled.

Thian answers, "Because she didn't combine any Wizitch word with the movement, _and_ wasn't concentrating on anything. So, it just ends up like she's just waving a stick or something. It's just like if I say, Ascendo... even _yell_ it," which he does, "...nothing happened, because I didn't focus the power of that Wizitch word, with a channeling device. You know, like a _wand_ or staff. And, I wasn't _concentrating_ on making anything rise into the air. Just like if you simply look at that little blade of grass on the table, and _concentrate_ as hard as you can on it rising. Without thinking the right word and giving the proper wand movement, it'll sit there _forever_."

"Okay Amanda," Tia says with a grin. "Come over here for a minute and let me show you how to hold a wand, and how to do the _movement_ you need to raise the blade of grass into the air. Once you get the right _movement_ down really well, we'll add the proper word, without your concentrating. Once you get _that_ down, we'll try the real thing. At that point, you _really_ need to concentrate on the _proper_ meaning of the word, _while_ making the right movement with your wand. Then, direct that meaning through your wand, _at_ the blade of grass, as you complete your wand movement. Let's use the word, Ascendo."

Amanda and Tianna get up and change places, with Amanda now sitting beside Tia.

Tia hands Amanda the wand and shows her the proper way of holding it, with her fingers wrapping around the handle just so, for this kind of movement. Tia then shows her the wrist and finger movements she needs.

First, Amanda needs to point the tip of the wand just over the object. Then, use a _very_ slight roll of her wrist in a very small clockwise direction, while _simultaneously_ lowering the tip of the wand a little. Then, she needs to make a _scooping_ motion, continuing clockwise, like making the letter "U," but as a quick _flip_. Like she is _scooping_ the blade of grass into the air.

Amanda practices that for a few moments, with Tia correcting her several times. Tia then says, "Okay, now, just practice saying the word, 'Ascendo' _without_ using your wand. Remember, the word has _several_ meanings, dependent upon how you wish to use it. _We_ want to concentrate on the meaning of ' _rising_.' When you actually _do_ get something to rise, if you _ever_ do I mean, you then simply concentrate on directing it with your wand, in the _direction_ you want it to go.

"Also, once you can get something to rise, and follow the direction of your wand, like up and down, left and right... you then direct its _distance_ toward or away from you, just by _thinking_ where you want it to go. It's _really_ hard at first, and takes a _ton_ of practice before you get to the point that you don't even have to think about it anymore. Okay, say the word a dozen times or so, then think of its _meaning_. Go ahead."

Amanda clears her throat, then says 'Ascendo' a couple dozen times, concentrating on the meaning of _rising_ , while looking to Tia to make sure she is pronouncing it correctly.

"Great!" Tia says with a smile. "Okay, now we put the _movement_ of the wand, with the spoken Wizitch word 'Ascendo,' _while_ you concentrate on the little blade of grass, _seeing_ it rise in your mind. If something _does_ happen, try to keep concentrating on just keeping it from dropping back to the table. If nothing happens, oh _well_. Just keep trying a few _hundred_ times. One of our friends at school took over _five_ months of practicing, as many hours per day as she _could_ , before she got her feather to even _quiver_. By then, our teacher had already told her that she may _never_ be able to do it. But, she _never_ gave up, and finally did it. Now she moves things with ease. She told us she had practiced _thousands_ of times before _anything_ happened."

"Yeah, and _she's_ from a family of witches and wizards, dating back _hundreds_ of generations," Tianna says crossing her arms.

Then looking to Thian, then to Loki, sitting on either side of her, she says, "You know, we better go and stand _behind_ them, in case, uh, something _does_ happen, but more like what _Thian_ does and not what's supposed to happen."

Thian _immediately_ jumps from the bench, springing aside, eyes wide and fixed on the wand in Amanda's hand, making everyone laugh. Loki, Tianna and Thian, make their way around the table and stand behind Amanda.

Amanda sits up straight, and for a moment, just sits there staring at the little blade of grass resting at the center of the table. Clearing her throat, she points her wand, and with a swish of her wrist says, "Ascendo!"

Nothing happens. Amanda looks around and sees that no one looks surprised in the least.

"I _knew_ I couldn't do it," Amanda says putting the wand down on the table next to Tia.

"Well, I don't know of _anyone_ who has ever gotten it to work on the _first_ try. Even the best of the _best_ took days to get something to happen," Thian says walking back to the other side of the table and taking a seat. "It would have been a _huge_ surprise if something _did_ happen. So, don't give up _yet_. I'll see if I can find my dad's old wand, or my mom's, and you can try practicing whenever you want."

"The weird thing is though," Tia says looking intently at Amanda, "you _were_ able to open those doors you told us about. You know? Using some word in the Journal. I wonder how come you could do _that_ , and you can't move a little blade of grass?"

"Maybe it's a special password someone with Wizitch cast on those doors," Thian says looking thoughtfully. "So _anyone_ could open them if they just knew the right word. We've read about that in class you know. And it's used here _all_ the time in families who have _some_ members that can't use Wizitch, but have Wizitch protected things. They make up some password only the family knows, cast a spell which recognizes that word, and, well, _opens_ or closes something, or turns something on or off and such."

"Yeah, ya know... you may be right Thian," Tia says nodding slowly.

"And Amanda, there is a _huge_ Wizitch convention our village puts on each year," Loki says excitedly. "And it is coming up in a couple of months too. We will take you there if you want, and you can see all _kinds_ of people showing what they can do. There are _loads_ of vendors selling wands, staffs, robes and other clothing... crystals, jewelry, even _spell_ books. Actually, just about anything else you would want dealing with Wizitch too. They even have _lots_ of competitions, even _dueling_ competitions!"

"Duels?" Amanda asks wide eyed. "You mean, like in, well, shooting _spells_ and curses at each other?" Thian nods with a grin. " _Really_?" she asks looking to the others, "But isn't that... _dangerous_?"

Tia laughs and says, "Actually, it's _very_ dangerous! And a lot of people end up being carried away, and whisked off to one of the larger Wizitch hospitals a couple hundred miles from here."

"Holy _Cow_! Does anyone ever... _die_ in these duels?" Amanda asks swallowing hard.

"Yeah. Well, _sometimes_ from a heart attack, or falling and hitting their head on something, and stuff like that. But in the old days, _lots_ of people were killed," Tianna says. "In fact, a couple hundred years ago, in a large team dueling competition, a couple competitors got so _mad_ at each other, they began using _lethal_ spells instead of just stunning spells, before anyone could stop them. By the time it was over, _four_ from one team had died, and _seven_ from the other. Fifteen people in the _stands_ were seriously injured, and needed to be taken to a hospital from missed strikes. _Nine_ of them died too, several days later."

"That doesn't happen now though," Tia says with a smile. "After _that_ disaster, the greatest Wizitch minds got together and created _restrictive_ dueling spells, which were infused into special wands. These wands _will_ let you use any spell or curse you want, even the _killing_ curses, for practice, but, the _energy_ emitted is reduced to the point that, well, you can only _break_ bones, or be knocked out, not _killed_."

"Yeah," Loki says as he reaches into his belt pulling out a brightly colored wand. "This is the one I use to duel with Tianna. You have seen us practicing a few times. She is _really_ good, but I think I am doing better, and do pretty good now."

" _Pretty_ good?" Tianna laughs. "You knocked me on my _butt_ last week! First time in three _years_ too. Really _surprised_ me. Actually Loki, you're doing _really_ well. I think you're beginning to really get the hang of it. Not as good as _meeee_ of course, but okay."

Loki smiles as he hands the bright yellow wand to Amanda, who studies it, then asks, "Why is it so bright?"

"So you can tell it from a _regular_ wand," Loki says now pulling out his real wand, holding it up. "It is the _law_ of the land now, that any dueling practice is _only_ done with those special wands, and all of them, are in really _bright_ , solid colors. That way, with just one look, you know for _sure_ that you are using a wand that cannot _kill_ someone. No matter _how_ mad you get, or what spell or _curse_ you use. You know for sure that it is not a _real_ defensive wand."

Amanda hands the dueling wand back to Loki, who puts both wands back into his waistband.

Thian then says with a grin, " _Tianna's_ going to be competing in the dueling competition this year. It's her _first_ time too."

"Really?" Amanda asks, snapping her head around to look to Tianna. "Oh, how _exciting_ is that?!" Then looking to Thian, "Can we go watch her? _Please_! Can we?"

Everyone laughs, then Thian says, "Couldn't keep us away if you _tried_! I wasn't going to tell you about the convention just yet though. Wanted it to be a surprise, but, since we're all talking about it, well... I think you'll _love_ it. There's a _ton_ of things to do over the week of the convention, and school will be _closed_ too. And there are dozens of duels to watch each day. Some are one-on-one, but _many_ are teams. Tianna is going to be competing in both one-on-one duels, _and_ , in... was it _three_ different group competitions Tianna?"

"Yeah. I'm pretty confident about the one-on-ones, since I'll be dueling with kids around my own age. But since they draw _names_ for the groups, I don't know who I'll be stuck with. They draw names ranging in six year increments Amanda. The youngest allowed in the duels is five years of age. So, one team could be made up of kids from five to ten. The next age range goes from eleven to sixteen. That's the age range _I'll_ be in, so, it makes things harder, because I'll be in the _middle_ age part of that range. But it makes things a lot more _exciting_ too.

"The age ranges continue in six year increments, until there isn't anyone older. If there is only one who is in a range by themselves, they can join the next lower aged team. If there are only _two_ the same age, out of the age groups, they duel one-on-one. Mom would _never_ let me enter before, but, I guess I've nagged her enough over the past year, that she just decided to give in to _shut_ me up."

"Well, that, and I think she feels guilty for making you miss your first WAPTN," Thian says with a grin.

"Your first... _what_?" Amanda asks looking confused, "What's a... WAPTN?"

The others laugh, then Tianna explains. "It stands for the _Wizitch Age Power Transposition Numbers_."

They all laugh again seeing the confused and blank expression Amanda has, as she just sits blinking back at them.

Thian then says, "If you take a number, write it down, and can turn the _paper_ upside down and get _another_ number from it, or, the same one, it's one of the W.A.P.T.N's. The number _eleven_ is the first one of the double digits that does that, and all _power_ numbers begin in the double digits."

"Yeah, and eleven is the first of the only _four_ in the double digits, that when turned upside down, gives you the _same_ number," Loki says with a grin as he scratches his chin through his thick beard.

"There's only _four_?" Amanda asks looking to the others with surprise.

Tianna says, "Yep, only four. Eleven is the first, _sixty_ nine is the next, the _super_ number is eighty-eight, which is known as double infinity, and, the last is _ninety_ -six. Of course, there are twelve others which you can turn around to get another number, but they aren't considered as _powerful_ as the ones you spin and get the same number."

"And... and these are supposed to be _magic_ , I mean... special _Wizitch_ numbers?" Amanda asks looking to Thian. "What _really_ happens when you reach one of those ages?"

Everyone laughs again, then Thian says, "Well, _nothing_ really. They just come from some old ancient superstitions, which many realms believed in thousands of years ago. They were fascinated with the fact you could turn some numbers upside down, and get other numbers. They were even _more_ surprised and fascinated, when you could turn some and get the _same_ number. So, in their minds, there had to be some _supernatural_ meaning to those numbers, and they assigned all _kinds_ of meaning to 'em, dependent upon which realm they came from.

"On our realm, hundreds of thousands of years ago, _eleven_ was said to be set as the Wizitch power number, where a person's powers _really_ begin to take off. So, when you reach the age of eleven, you can begin studying all _kinds_ of really neat Wizitch stuff, and, enter many of the more advanced competitions. All of these numbers are _still_ celebrated here, so when you get to one of those numbers, you have a _really_ big birthday party. When you hit any of the _super_ numbers, there is usually a _huge_ party in the village, where everyone comes and dances, and you have a really great time.

"Now days though, there are so _many_ people in our village, that they hold a huge party on the last day of the month, for _anyone_ having a birthday, of _any_ age. So, there's always a party every month. It's really fun. Of course, everyone brings their _own_ food and stuff, and presents for whomever they wish. But it's a lot of fun and something everyone looks forward to."

After a short pause, Tia smiles at Thian, tilts her head slightly while clearing her throat and asks, "Uh, Thian? Are you going to tell Amanda what competitions _you're_ going to be in at the convention?"

Amanda snaps her head around so quickly, her hair wraps _completely_ around her face, where she pulls it away from her mouth with a gasp. " _You're_ going to... _duel_ Thian? With...with a _wand_?"

Everyone laughs so hard they all have tears streaming from their eyes, other than Thian and Amanda that is.

"Oh _thanks_ Tia! I wasn't going to say anything about _that_ either. It was _supposed_ to be a secret. Thank you _very_ much!"

"Oh, sorry," Tia says with a sly look.

"Thian!" Amanda cries, "What _are_ you going to do, and why didn't you tell me you _brat_?"

"Well, like I said, I _wanted_ to surprise you. And as you know, for some reason, I have some rather interesting _things_ happen when I use my wand. So, they won't _let_ me enter any of the dueling competitions. But, I'm entered into a couple of the _flying_ competitions though."

"Are you _really_?! Thian, that is _soooo_ cool!" Amanda says as she laughs and looks around at the others. "What _kind_ of flying competitions do they have? What do you do?"

"Well, actually," Thian says now looking to Tia, " _Tia_ is entered in some competitions too."

"What?! Tia? _You're_ going to compete too?" Both Tia and Tianna laugh.

"That's not all... _Loki_ is entered into a couple of events too," Tia says wiping her eyes. "You're entered into, _what_ , two or three of the axe throwing competitions aren't you Loki?"

"Yep. _Four_ events. The Individuals, the Short Distance Throwing event, the Long Distance Throwing event, and the Running, Jumping and Diving event."

Amanda is looking at Loki with her mouth wide open and eyebrows almost disappearing into her bangs.

Tia then says, "I'm entered into a Downhill Slalom and speed events. I have a _slim_ chance on the Slalom, but _no_ chance at all in the speed event. I'll be racing against _Tianna_ , and she's one of the fastest, other than _Thian_."

"So, you're entered in the _speed_ racing event Thian?" Amanda asks shaking her head, wondering if he could fly any better than he could use his wand.

"Well, yeah. That, the Downhill Slaloms, the Pylons, and, uh..." Thian then looks around nervously, then says in almost a whisper, "The Targets of _Terror_ events."

" _What_?!" yells everyone at once.

"Thian," Tia says turning rather pale, "Are you _kidding_?! I mean, you _are_ kidding aren't you? You can't really be... _serious_?!"

"Why?" Amanda asks rather startled, looking at all the others stunned and disbelieving faces. "What are the Targets of _Terror_ events?"

"Only the most _dangerous_ events of _all_ the competitions!" Tianna says crossing her arms, shaking her head and pursing her lips. "There are a _lot_ of various sized and shaped targets a flyer needs to maneuver to, and get through the _middle_ of. Some of the targets are various sized rings, placed at random heights and angles from the ground. Some are close together, some farther apart. You may need to shoot through one, dive _straight_ down, or rise vertically, to get to the next one. And _sometimes_ , even flip over in the air to get through them. All going as _fast_ as you can. Some of the targets are really long tunnels, all suspended in midair by Wizitch of course. You need to shoot down the tunnel, exit, spot your _next_ target and get to it as quickly as you can. Everything is being _timed_ too. There are rectangular targets, circular targets, triangular targets, spirals you need to fly through and keep centered in, funnels and all _kinds_ of others."

"But, why is it so _dangerous_?" Amanda asks looking to Thian.

"Uh, well," Thian begins, "because if you misjudge your angle of entry, or exit at high speed trying to enter another right away and, uh, _hit_ the side of one of the targets, you could, well..."

"Be _killed_!" Tia says _smacking_ Thian on the arm making him yelp.

"Killed?!" Amanda gasps. "You mean, people really _die_ doing these things? Aren't there any, well, _safety_ things to prevent people from _dying_?"

Loki says, "Well, _all_ the flyers have to wear specially designed and fitted armor. But, at some speeds, the crashes are _so_ horrific, many do not live through them. Even _with_ all the armor. And, your handlebars need to be in the fully _down_ and locked position, no backrests can be used either, just the flyer, their broom, and their _skills_. Kind of like your auto racing back on your realm. They have _lots_ of safety stuff, but sometimes, people _die_."

Amanda sits there with her mouth open and eyes wide looking to Thian for a moment, then asks, "And they let _kids_ enter into these things? That's _crazy_! There should be a _law_ or something about age. Or, or, something!"

"Yeah, we all agree," Tia says. "But, there _isn't_. It's been a part of Wizitch competition for tens of thousands of years. And, kind of like the _Constitution_ from where you come from, and your _Bill Of Rights_ , these events have been written such that they _can't_ be changed easily. People have tried, but the Wizitch rights have never been overturned. I mean, it took _thousands_ and thousands of years for the non-lethal dueling wands to be okayed, and _not_ without a lot of opposition from the _Order of Witches and Wizards Civil Rights_ movement either, let me _tell_ you!"

"But Thian, _why_ would you enter such a thing, knowing that you could... _die_ , and you're only _thirteen_ after all? Please don't do this. _Please_. I don't want you to get hurt," Amanda pleads.

Everyone is now looking to Thian, who looks down at his hands resting on the table. With a sigh, he says quietly, "Everyone _laughs_ at me. They always _have_ , as far back as I can remember. Every time I use my wand, people run or _duck_ for cover. Even... all of _you_. Not that I blame you any really. Nobody but _you_ four thinks I can do _anything_ right. Not the kids at school, all my teachers... the _people_ in the village. Everyone except for you all. So, I thought if I entered the most _dangerous_ event there is, and even just got _part_ way through it, in one _piece_ anyway, that people would think better of me. _Maybe_. I mean, even a lot of the _best_ flyers enter the competition, and _quit_ part way through, so, it's not like I might be the only one."

They have never seen anyone look so beaten down, disheartened and _defeated_ than Thian does at that moment.

Tia reaches over taking Thian's hand, with tears shining in her eyes, she says, "Thian, we _all_ love you, and we're all your friends. Who _cares_ what other people say or think? We all know you can do all _kinds_ of cool stuff."

"Thanks. But, that's just the _point_. _You_ guys know I can do some other stuff. But, no one _else_ does. I just want people to look at me, like they do the three of _you_ , and _this_ is my chance. I _knew_ you'd try to talk me out of it, and that's why I didn't say anything about it before now. But, I've already _entered_ anyway, and _that's_ my final decision. It's mine to make, and I've made it."

Then looking to everyone with pleading in his eyes, Thian says in a small voice, "Please, don't be _mad_ at me. I just want _you_ to support me, like _I_ do in all the things you do. I think I deserve that much. _Don't_ I?"

Everyone looks to Thian's down turned and sheepish face. Then Tianna, to everyone's surprise says, "Of _course_ you do! I think you're as nutty as a _Yokoreto_ , but, I really _respect_ you for having the courage to do something like that. _I_ wouldn't even think of entering those events until I was, well, at _least_ seventeen or eighteen. If even _then_."

"Yeah, well," Loki says biting his lower lip. "You have _always_ been there for me. Even when I could not do something, you would always encourage me to keep trying. In fact, if it were not for you, I would have given up on axe throwing years ago. Even my dad had stopped believing I could ever do it. But not you. You cheered me on even when I _missed_ the target by a lot. Always telling me when we were kids, that you saw the target _jump_ out of the way at the last second. That always made me laugh, so I would pick up my axe and throw it again and again."

Tia looks down at her hands, sighs, then looking to Thian says, "He's right. You _are_ the one who has encouraged _all_ of us to push on, even when _we_ wanted to give up." Then, studying his face for a moment, she gives a weak smile saying, "So, just do all of us a favor okay?"

Thian looks up hopefully, "What favor?"

"Don't _kill_ yourself okay."

"Yeah," Tianna says pursing her lips. "It's okay if you end up in the _hospital_ or something, but, I'm not much for _funerals_ you know? And, if somebody gets too close to you in the finals, if you _make_ it that far, you can always draw your wand and set 'em on _fire_."

Everyone laughs, then Amanda asks, "What do you mean, if they get too close to you in the finals?"

"Oh," Thian says, some color returning to his face. "Those who win their individual time events, then compete at the same time, in the next event _with_ other flyers. The first main heat is flown with as many as _twenty_ -five other flyers at once. Each trying to get to the targets first. You're allowed to punch, kick, and _ram_ the other flyers to knock them out of the competition. You can also use any spell or _curse_ you like, other than any which is actually intended to _kill_ the other person. Of course, you use the _special_ wands here too. In the end, the _two_ winning flyers from all the heats, then compete in the final. It can _really_ be spectacular. These events draw more spectators than _any_ other event there is, even the _dueling_ , because usually, there is at _least_ one or more people _killed_ in this event, every year."

They all chat about how exciting all the events are going to be, and all the things they will see at the convention booths. After a time, they all go about doing other things for the rest of the day. They show Amanda around the rest of Thian's property, since Thea had said Amanda was well enough to get around some, as long as she did not over do things.

Amanda got to feed the Cucuteos and Kiki, which she really enjoyed. The Cucuteos are something like chickens, but _much_ bigger, and _meaner_ , considering their long teeth. The Kiki, are similar to pigs, but only weigh at most, a hundred pounds.

They all wander down to the lake, and while the others go swimming, Amanda sits on the bank with a small twig in her hand, and practices the wand movements Tia had taught her, over and over, pointing her little stick at a pebble and saying "Ascendo," again and again. Of course, she knew full well that _nothing_ would happen, but decides it will not hurt any to practice, even if she could _never_ do it. Getting the movements and words right will help her feel a little more like she fits in.

The others had told Amanda that they would teach her to swim if she liked, but for today, she just wants to watch them. Smiling, she looks up to see them all splashing water at each other as they laugh.

Her smile widens as she thinks, "Those _are_ my friends. Not just make believe friends. _Real_ friends. For the first time in my entire life, I have _real_ friends."

To TOC

# Thian's Adventures With Wizitch

That evening after a late dinner, when Amanda and Thian had just finished the dishes, Thian says, "Amanda, I found my mom and dad's wands. Would you like to see them?"

"Yeah, I would," she says following him through the hallway into a large room she has not been in before.

"This is my mom and dad's old room. I only come in here from time to time, just to dust and stuff. It pretty much looks like it did the day my mom..." his voice trails off.

"Oh." Amanda says softly, knowing he is talking about the day his mom had died. Not knowing quite what to say, says, "It's, uh, really nice. Um, _lots_ of room and everything."

"Yeah, well..." Thian walks to a dresser and pulls open a drawer. He reaches in and takes out two wands, then walks to the bed and sits down. Amanda sits beside him, and he continues. "These were their wands. They're really old, but they work great. Of course, you usually have to try _lots_ of wands, before finding the one who chooses _you_ to wield them. But, if you want, you can borrow one of these, if you still want to try to see if you can ever do anything or not."

Amanda sits there for a moment, looking at Thian's tear filled eyes, as he sits, just staring at the two wands in his hands. She then says, "I would be _honored_ , to be allowed to use either of them. I know I really won't be able to do any, well, _Wizitch_. But I _would_ like to practice the moves and things though. It's interesting that you said, it's the _wand_ who chooses _you_ to wield them. In those books I told you about, it said pretty much the same thing... that it's the wand that chooses you, and not the other way around. How does that work anyway?"

"Oh, well, actually, I don't _know_ really," Thian says wiping his eyes on his sleeve, along with a good sniff from his slightly runny nose. "I'm not sure _anyone_ does in fact. All I know is, when I went to get _my_ wand, we went into the wand shop, and one of the sales people took my mom and me into a compatibility chamber."

"A what?" Amanda asks looking confused.

"A compatibility chamber. It's a _safe_ place to try out wands until you get the right one. The chamber is _really_ thick, and has a good many spells set on it too, to keep you from _blasting_ things to bits and stuff outside the chamber."

"Are you _kidding_?" Amanda asks with a big smile and eyes sparkling. "Does that _really_ ever happen? I mean, do people really _destroy_ stuff in there? Just picking out a wand?"

"Oh, well, yeah. It happens a _lot_ really. At least that's what they told _me_ , when I pointed the first wand they handed me at a feather. I was _supposed_ to make it rise up in the air, like you're trying to do. But, well, it seemed that the wand and I weren't compatible."

Amanda, still with a smile, inhaling with excitement asks, "What _happened_?"

"Well," Thian says turning a little pink, looking across the room as though trying to see something hiding in the corner. "The lady sales person told me where to stand, and what she wanted me to do. I pointed the wand at the feather, which was sitting on a tall wooden pedestal in the center of the room. I gave what I _thought_ was the proper wand movements, and said, 'Adscendo,' while concentrating on the meaning for having something rise. But, well, a kind of pail yellowish _flash_ emitted from the tip of the wand, and the next thing I knew, the _pedestal_ was on fire. _Scared_ me half to death too! The place started filling up with lots of thick, _black_ smoke, and I could hardly _see_ at all."

Amanda cannot help herself. Putting a hand to her mouth, she laughs saying, "Oh no! What did you do?"

"Well, actually, I kind of _froze_. Mom said she had never _seen_ eyes get as wide as mine, nor had she ever seen anybody turn that _red_ before."

Amanda laughs even harder, and sees that Thian is smiling now too. "What did your mom and the sales lady do?"

"Oh, _mom_ grabbed the wand away from me, and the lady used a freezing spell to put the fire out. She was actually really nice about it. She said, 'Oh, don't think a _thing_ of it,' as she looked at my mom and me. 'This kind of thing happens _all_ the time. After all, that's why we _have_ these rooms. I'll just be a moment and take this out, and clear up this smoke.' She then waved her wand and the smoke disappeared, then picked up the frozen pedestal and took it through another door, with a sign over it reading, 'Items Needing Repair.' In a minute, she came back in and I tried the next wand in the stack."

"So, what happened with the next one you tried?" Amanda asks with a big smile, looking anxiously to Thian, who is grinning back at her.

"Well, let's see. I _think_ the second wand I tried, was the one that _broke_ the really big glass floor vase. Yeah, there was this really _huge_ glass vase, must have been six feet tall and was really beautiful. Had pink and purple swirls in it too. I was still trying to make that little feather rise into the air you know? When I gave the _swish_ of the wand and said, 'Adscendo,' _this_ time, a yellow-green flash came out of the wand, bent to the left, flew across the room, and _shattered_ that glass vase into like a _zillion_ pieces."

Amanda has her mouth open and eyes wide, then breaks into a laugh saying, "Oh no! What did the lady say _now_?"

Thian laughs. "Well, as she was shaking _glass_ out of her hair and off her robes, since she was standing _right_ beside the vase when it exploded, she said, 'Uh. _Well_. Wasn't _that_ interesting! Haven't seen _that_ one before. Yes, well, I'll just clean this up, and let's try another wand shall we?' She then used a repairing spell to restore the vase, then got two helpers to take it into the lobby, just to be safe. While the lady was out of the room, my mom said, 'Honey, it's okay, _really_ , these things, uh, _do_ happen after all. But, try to _focus_ won't you?'

"When the lady came back in, she handed me another wand, a really _neat_ one that I liked a lot. I was a little _scared_ by now you know. But, my mom nodded at me to go ahead. Soooo, I pointed my wand, and _really_ concentrating as hard as I could, I said, 'Adscendo' while giving what I _know_ was the right wand movement, but..."

"What? What _happened_?" Amanda asks excitedly with a huge grin.

"I ended up... setting her _robes_ on fire, and _singeing_ her hair!"

Amanda lets out a roar of laughter, as she rocks forward and back, slapping at her leg. Thian is laughing just as hard, both of them with tears streaming down their face, from laughing so hard.

Holding a stitch in her side, "Oh my _god_ Thian. What did your _mom_ and the lady do?"

"Well," Thian says wiping his eyes on his sleeve. "My _mom_ snatched the wand out of my hand, pointed hers at the lady, and put out the flames on her robes with a _water_ spell. The lady's face is now _completely_ black from the soot, and her _hair_ still has some glowing embers in it, which she puts out by frantically patting her hands on her head, while saying a string of things I _won't_ repeat here."

Amanda is again roaring and holding her side, tears still streaming from her eyes. "Thian, you're _killing_ me! Oh my gosh, what happened then?"

"My mom keeps apologizing, while brushing at the lady's robes, which are of course, _completely_ soaked, and had partially _burned_ away, leaving a rather _large_ open area... in a rather _embarrassing_ place."

Thian's face turns a nice shade of red as he says, "When she notices that _half_ her dress is now missing, under her burned and scorched robes, she lets out a yell, and _sprints_ through the door that has all the things to be repaired, and _slams_ the door shut behind her!"

They are both laughing so hard now, it takes several minutes before either can speak again.

"Oh man. My _side_ is killing me," Amanda says as she also wipes her eyes on her sleeve. "Wait, I've got to go to the bathroom... I'll be right back." Amanda gets up, while laughing and holding her side, leaves the room, hearing Thian's laughter fade as she goes.

When Amanda reenters the bedroom, she finds Thian standing near the dresser, holding a moving image of his mom and he. Amanda steps over to him as he turns saying, "This is my mom and me, when I was about six I think. She was trying to teach me to ride a broom, but..."

"What? Did you ride it? Or..."

"More of the _or_ actually," Thian says setting the photo back onto the dresser. "Actually, as _I_ remember it, the second I sat on it and leaned forward, I shot off like a _rocket_ , smashing into everything in the room. That's why the room looks like it does in the photo."

Amanda glances at the photo of Thian's mom, holding onto the back of his shirt at the neck, with one hand, the quivering broom with her other, with a very strained smile on her face and frazzled hair. The entire room looks like a tornado had struck it.

Grinning, Amanda asks, "But you _did_ learn to ride a broom didn't you Thian? I mean, I never thought it was real. You know, _riding_ brooms like witches do and stuff."

"Oh yeah! I'm entered in the competitions remember? But, it took a while for sure, until I finally got the hang of it. It's the only way you're allowed to get around in some areas of our realm, and the _only_ way on many other realms too. But when you're older, _and_ allowed, you can use other methods too. Like Appareto. You know, like when Loki, Tia and Tianna visit or leave. It's much more efficient, and you can get to just about any place in a few seconds. But it's really, _really_ dangerous to learn, and to use. If you appear inside a tree, rock, or some other thing, even another _person_ , you could be stuck there forever, or killed instantly of course. You really need to know _exactly_ where you want to appear, and really focus on that _exact_ spot, or just don't try it at all.

"When you get more advanced though, you learn a _protective_ arrival shield spell. That one will automatically detect if there is something where you want to appear. If there _is_ something else already there, the spell makes you appear _close_ to where you wanted to, but you'll _never_ end up in a tree, rock or something else. You'll _always_ be okay. It just takes _years_ and years to learn though, and, well, a _lot_ of people don't _live_ that long, messing around with trying to get it right. So, most people use brooms to go to places they're not sure of. _Especially_ when you're younger."

"Wow. That would really be _cool_ , to ride on a broom. I wish _I_ could do it. I wish I could do _any_ Wizitch at all, but, that's okay. Did you have any _other_ trouble with the wands you tried in the shop? Did that lady _ever_ come back? What happened?"

"Yeah, she _did_ come back a few minutes later. She had new robes on, and was wearing a really _odd_ hat, to cover all her singed and missing hair. Looked like some kind of _buzzard_ was sitting on it actually. _Oh_ , and she had cleaned up her _face_ as best she could too. _Still_ looked a mess though."

Amanda laughs along with Thian, then Thian continues. "She wasn't quite as _nice_ to us after that. And _mom_ didn't help much either, constantly apologizing about the way the lady now _looked_. Especially once we noticed her _eyebrows_ had been burned _completely_ off."

"Oh no! They _weren't_!" Amanda laughs, tears again running down her cheeks. "Couldn't she have, I dunno... _fixed_ her hair and her eyebrows with Wizitch?"

"Nah. You can repair just about anything back to normal with Wizitch, but fixing a _living_ thing, is really _tricky_ Wizitch. Wounds like cuts, scrapes, burns and such, are generally healed with herbs and the like, or other advanced Wizitch spells and potions, like some that Thea used on you. Broken bones, and other things, can usually be healed in a Wizitch hospital, but, even then, you could _still_ die from some types of internal injuries.

"Burned clothing can't be repaired either, because the _molecular_ matter has been changed chemically, and already destroyed. Same with hair and, uh, _eyebrows_. She just needed to wait for her hair and eyebrows to grow back."

Laughing and shaking her head, Amanda asks, "How long did it take you to find a wand that wouldn't set things on fire, or _shatter_ everything in sight?"

"A _lot_ longer than any of us wanted, I can tell you _that_!" Thian says with a laugh. "I went through about _three_ dozen more as I remember. Let's see... I set the _rug_ on fire, blew out several ceiling panels using _different_ wands, and a few other things like that.

"Oh, _one_ time, an orangish- purple bolt shot out of my wand, and the whole _room_ turned purple. The lady had _no_ idea how I had done it, and couldn't get the color to change back either. I heard later, that they now call it the _purple_ room, because you can't even _paint_ it a different color for some reason. But then...." Thian reaches into his waist band, pulling out his wand, holding it up saying, "I tried _this_ one."

"What happened when you first tried it?"

Thian laughs. "Well, by now, _both_ my mom and the lady cringed each time I waved a wand, waiting for some _other_ disaster to happen. When I waved _this_ wand and said, 'Adscendo,' the feather _rose_ up off the pedestal, then up to about three feet and..."

"And what? What _happened_?"

"My mom started yelling, 'He _did_ it? I can't believe it, he actually _did_ it!'" Then with a slight tilt of his head and puzzled expression says, "Mom sounded really surprised actually, come to think of it."

Amanda laughs, her green eyes sparkling.

Thian continues. "The lady had a really strange, rather _crooked_ smile on her face, and was just staring at the feather, which had just begun to _smoke_ a little. And then... the feather _burst_ into flames, sending little red glowing sparks off of it, as it _disintegrated_ in midair. _Scared_ that lady half to death. She even _dove_ behind a room divider, _face_ down, clamping her palms to her ears." He looks at the huge grin on Amanda's face, then they both burst into laughter.

"And that's the wand you ended up with? You didn't try any others?"

"Nah. After nothing else happened, the lady got up, brushed at her robes, straightened her hat, trying to calm the poor _buzzard_ down which was trying to fly away, stepped over and _grabbed_ my wand. She then said in a high pitched sweet voice, 'Well, _that_ wasn't so bad now was it? Seems like _this_ is the one to me. Uh, you'll need to practice... a _lot_ with it though I should say. And _alone_. In a _safe_ place for, uh, well, _however_ long it takes. But, this seems to be a _good_ fit I think. Don't you agree?' I remember her looking at my mom, with what I can now only call a look of _pleading_ in her eyes."

Amanda giggles as she wipes her eyes.

Thian smiles saying, "My mom stuttered for a few seconds, still waving away a cloud of smoke, then said, 'Well... _yes_ , this one will do nicely I think. We'll _take_ it. I'm _sooo_ sorry about your robes, dress, hair and... _face_.' The lady made kind of an odd curl of her lips. Kind of like Tianna does. Actually, I think the lady _meant_ it to be a smile, but it came out more like she was being _strangled_."

The two of them laugh again for a moment, then Thian continues. "Well, anyway, the lady then took us into the main lobby and to the sales counter, to ring up the sale. While she rang it up, there were a whole lot of people _pointing_ and snickering in low whispers at us, from all around the room. Most of course, were pointing at _me_. Knowing that _I_ was the one who did something to, uh...well... make the sales lady _look_ like she did. I remember that I just wanted to get _out_ of there and back home. So did _mom_ , and I think that lady was _really_ happy to see us leave too."

Amanda is grinning, and while shaking her head says, "And you've been using the same wand ever since? I've seen you do _some_ things without setting something on fire, or, well, doing something else you didn't _mean_ to with it, so it _does_ work sometimes then."

"Yeah. It works sometimes, but, most of the time, really _weird_ stuff happens. I _know_ I'm doing everything right, and I _am_ really concentrating, but, stuff still happens. I don't _know_ why.

"But now, every time I _pass_ by the wand shop, if any of the shop people see me, they _still_ get this really frightened look on their faces, like I might _walk_ in and want to try some _other_ wands or something. Actually, _most_ people in the village are _afraid_ of me, if they see me pulling my wand. I've set _lots_ of stuff in the village on fire too. I've broken a _bunch_ of windows, and blasted apart a street vendor's _booth_ , when I was trying to use Wizitch to tie my shoe."

Amanda laughs saying, "Why _don't_ you try some other wands now that you're older? Maybe now you can find one that will _really_ work for you?"

"Don' have the money for a new one. The _good_ ones are _really_ expensive. Anyway, like I said, I'm not really welcome in the village.

"Even at school, I'm almost _never_ called on to show something we're learning with our wands. Of course, that's because, well, I've set the _school_ on fire a few times, and was sent home. That _really_ embarrassed my mom. Oh, and I _blasted_ the Dark Arts teacher's desk to _smithereens_ once too, with _her_ sitting behind it. _That_ went over really well. We were supposed to be trying to break a hollow glass cube on our desks, using an anti-trap spell, to break through the kind of clear trap _some_ wizards might use to trap someone in. I don't know _what_ happened really. I remember concentrating as hard as I could. I _said_ the spell while waving my wand, then... there was an _explosion_ at the front of the room, and the teacher's _desk_ had blown into _zillion_ pieces!

"The other problem was, the _cauldron_ she was using on her desk, had flipped onto her robes setting _them_ on fire too. Last any of us saw of her, she was screaming, running out of the room in some kind of _blue_ flames. Never did find out what happened to her though. None of the teachers at school, or anyone in the village, would ever _talk_ about it.

"Oh, and I _blew_ out all the classroom windows in our _potions_ class... _twice_. Oh! And _somehow_ I turned the face of one of the girls I really liked, a couple years ago, into a face of _pimples_ and boils. She was in the _hospital_ for two weeks. She hasn't spoken to me since, and most _everyone_ at school stays away from me now. Just call me names from a safe distance.

"But Loki, Tia, Tianna and a _few_ others are still my friends, and don't seem to care much." Then looking to Amanda as a big smile spreads across his face, "That is, as long as it's not _them_ I'm doing something to, they all think it's _really_ funny most of the time."

"Well, _I_ think you're wonderful!" Amanda says with a smile. "And you're one of my _very_ best friends ever!"

"Thanks," Thian says smiling back at her. Then holding out the two wands from his parents, asks, "Which one of these would you like to practice with?"

Amanda looks to the two wands, then says, "Well, I guess it doesn't matter really, since I can't do anything anyway. But, I really _like_ this one," she says, pointing to a white wand which has some raised swirls carved into the wood.

"That one was moms. It has a core made from the hair of a Yakakara. It's a kind of flying cat from the realm known as Parandour. It's a really good wand, and my mom had it since she was five. It's got a lot of _nicks_ and dings in it. And it's even got some places where the wood has been scraped down some, but..."

"I think it's _wonderful_!" Amanda says taking the wand from Thian. "I'll take _really_ good care of it, I _promise_! And I want to thank you, for trusting me with something so precious to you." Leaning in, she kisses Thian on the cheek, making him blush.

"Oh, uh, sure," Thian says taking his dad's wand back to the dresser, then puts it away. "Well, I hope you _can_ eventually do something with it, but like you say, probably not. But it's fun to _try_ anyway isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is! Well... thanks. I think I'll go to my room and read for a while, then, maybe I'll practice a bit before bed. Thanks again Thian. Good night."

Thian says good night, and they go their separate ways for the evening.

Once in her little room, Amanda shuts the door and gets ready for bed. After crawling under the covers, she reaches under the bed for a little travelers pack Thian had given her, to replace the one she had when they had found her, after telling Thian, that she put a couple of books from the library in the house into the pack, which she would read at night before going to bed.

It _is_ true, she _does_ have a couple of books in the bag, however, only _one_ is from the little library. The other, is an _ancient_ leather bound book, about four inches thick, with a gold clasp which has a jewel set into it. Amanda had snuck to the hiding place where she had stashed the things she had brought with her, in her old backpack, along with the sword and other armor.

Amanda had taken the large, ancient book everyone is so afraid of, and planned to read it every night, finding that she can now read Elvish just as well as she can speak it. The book had been written in a slight variation of the common Elvish, but she can read it better than any of the others could, _including_ Thea.

The book is wonderful, _exciting_ , terrible and _horrifying_ at the same time. It seems that this book is one of the forbidden books. And _this_ one in legend, is said to be the _worst_ of them all, lost for some thirty-seven _thousand_ years or so, until found by Amanda. It was written by one of the most _evil_ witches who had ever lived, and is filled with the deadliest, and most _feared_ Wizitch curses, hexes, and spells ever devised. There are pages and _pages_ of very detailed illustrations, depicting how to hold and move a wand, along with the Wizitch word, words or phrases to use, to accomplish the most _horrible_ and disgusting things.

Some of the tortures are _so_ horrible, Amanda becomes frightened as she reads the detailed descriptions of its being tested on some poor, unsuspecting passer-by. More and more often, she finds herself actually _trembling_ and sweating, and has to turn the page until she can control herself, and come back to it sometime later.

There are _curses_ that will make someone's tongue swell up to the point, it will _suffocate_ them to death, then return to normal size after they died. One will make the eyes pop in and out of their sockets so fast, they will swell up and _explode_. Another will remove all the bones in the body, leaving only a _blob_ with a head on it. There is one, that will turn a person to _stone_ , slowly, bringing _unbearable_ pain and suffering. Many will set a person on _fire_... from the _inside_. Several are designed to make someone lose their minds. One particularly horrible one, makes someone _bite_ off their fingers, and eat the _flesh_ from their own arms, right down to the _bone_.

Thian, Tia and Tianna have given her several of their very first books, when they were just kids, on how to perform the simplest Wizitch charms and spells. Amanda has practiced those over and over, until she can do them without thinking about the movements or words at all. Nothing ever _happens_ of course, but she had learned them all, and can at least do the movements with perfection, and knows the proper usage and meaning of the word, words, or phrases which accompany them.

Amanda has become much more fascinated by the very detailed, intricate, and well-illustrated wand movements needed to do the _horrible_ things in the ancient book. Some of the curses, hexes and spells take _many_ pages to explain, and _dozens_ of very detailed images of the positions of the wand, and hand movements from many angles, as well as, the _timing_ you needed in performing them. A good number of the images move, even in _slow_ motion, so she could match _her_ movements precisely with those in the ancient book.

Amanda does not understand most of the _words_ needed to use the evil Wizitch, and all of their possible meanings, but she figures it _really_ does not matter. As long as she knows what the word is, how to _pronounce_ it, which is emphasized in the book through an audio spell, and what _meaning_ you were to focus on, combined with the _wand_ movement or movements, it _should_ be enough. It did not matter if that word, words, or word combinations _could_ mean something else if used differently. Hour after hour, she spent practicing what it says in the book, using the _meaning_ indicated, and matching the pronunciation of the audio accompanying the movements.

The weeks pass, Amanda watching Thian try to make things happen with his wand, and has learned to be ready to _duck_ or dive for cover, every time he uses it.

Amanda enjoys watching Tianna, Tia and Loki, practice dueling out in Thian's huge back yard, which had been cleared of trees. Tianna is _really_ good. Tia is good too, but not _nearly_ as good as Tianna.

Loki has the hardest time of the three of them, but you could always tell, he gives it his _very_ best each and every time. Loki is however, _wonderful_ at axe throwing. He can hit _anything_ as Thian, being his biggest fan and supporter, constantly cheers him on.

Amanda marvels at the incredible skills her friends all have, wishing _she_ could do any of it at all.

Over the next month, she spends _hours_ and hours practicing as many things in the ancient book as she can, as well as the things she reads in the books her friends give to her, along with some from the little library.

Pretending she can actually _do_ the things she is learning and practicing, she will play outside as though being attacked by some _hidden_ menace, or at times, fighting an _entire_ army.

Speaking all the spells and curses in a very commanding and forceful voice, Amanda will twirl her wand in the intricate movements she has learned, until most all of them have become part of her subconscious.

Running and _diving_ behind rocks, bushes and piles of wood, she will pretend to be caught in an ambush, and _fight_ her way out, using what _she_ thinks are the most effective spells or curses for the situation. Her movements have become quick and fluid, as she strikes out at invisible assailants, now as _quick_ as a cat, and seeing them all _struck_ down in her mind.

Laughing from time to time, she will think about how _silly_ she would look to her friends, if they could see her, knowing that she cannot do _any_ Wizitch at all. But, she is having a good time, and it makes her feel closer to her friends, when they will sit and talk about some of the movements they had just learned in school, and the word, words or phrases that needed to be used along with the wand movements. Now, she can actually be _part_ of the conversations, and practice right along with them, many times, performing the moves better than _any_ of them can.

But, she never let them know, she is not _only_ studying from the books they give her, and what they show her, but from the ancient, _forbidden_ book as well.

Loki, Thian, Tia and Tianna had returned to school some time ago, and are gone all day, so, Amanda would practice for _hours_ , clean up the place, wander around the area a little, feed the Cucuteos and the Kikis, and just busy herself until Thian came home after school.

Then, usually, Tia and Tianna would come by later after supper, to do homework together, and just to hang out. Loki would come when he could, but he was also learning things from his dad, which they did not teach in school, dealing with the ways of Dwarves.

Thea had told Amanda, that it was too late in the school year for _her_ to begin, and that it would be best if she enrolled next year. Amanda had _no_ complaints with that. At least, by the _next_ school year, she would have learned enough about Wizitching ways, not to appear too _stupid_ to the other kids.

Since she is studying right along with her friends every night, she is catching up quickly, and staying with them _pretty_ well, on _whatever_ it is they are studying. Everyone is _very_ patient with her, and all want to help her learn quickly too. They _all_ know what it feels like to be _laughed_ at by the _bullies_ at school.

By now, they are _all_ fast friends. Amanda cannot even _imagine_ not having them as friends, and how _wonderful_ it is to be with them, always looking forward to when the school day ends, and Thian would come home.

"Home," she thinks to herself. "Thian said that this is _my_ home too now. For as _long_ as I want to stay. I actually have a _home_. And people who _want_ me to stay."

Smiling, she goes back to her practicing.

To TOC

# Amanda's Decision

A few days later, Amanda is sitting with Thian, Tia, Tianna and Loki, listening to Tia and Tianna as they argue about how they are going to help their mom. They need to get enough money to get a new wood burning stove for the house. Wizitched stoves are _really_ expensive, and they have never had enough money for _anything_ like that. They have repaired this old one so many times, _no_ amount of Wizitch will help. Thian and Loki are giving any suggestions they can come up with also, but they just cannot come up with anything _reasonable_. None of them have much of anything of worth, and nothing they can afford to sell in the village in the first place.

As Amanda lay in bed that night, her arms behind her head as she stares at the ceiling, she thinks, "These are my _friends_! They saved my life and I've _got_ to do something to help them, but, what can _I_ do?" After thinking for a while, she suddenly sits _straight_ up as she is thinking of the sword, dagger and belt buckle. Immediately, she decides that she is going to _sell_ one of the big jewels from the goblet. She had mentioned doing this _ages_ ago, but none of them would hear of it at the time.

Having waited for what on Earth would be called Saturday, when school is out, Amanda waits until Tianna, Tia and Loki have all arrived. With a grin, she asks all of them to take a seat at the picnic table out back, because she has something very _important_ she wants to say.

Once they are all seated, everyone with rather puzzled and expectant looks on their faces, Thian asks, "So... _what's_ up?"

Tia, Tianna and Loki are seated on the bench across from where Amanda and Thian are, all looking to Amanda intently.

"Well," Amanda begins, looking to them all and clearing her throat. "I've made a decision, and you _can't_ talk me out of it. I know you're all going to _yell_ and everything, but, I've made up my mind, and _that's_ all there is to it."

The others look to one another to see if anyone knows what is going on.

"What _are_ you talking about?" Tianna asks frowning at Amanda. "Made a decision about, _what_? You're not... _leaving_ are you?"

Thian, Loki and Tia all begin speaking at once, all _insisting_ they do not want Amanda to leave.

"No, no. I'm not planning on going anywhere, at least, not _yet_ anyway," Amanda says smiling, along with the warm feeling of knowing they all really _want_ her to stay with them.

"Well, what _is_ it then?" Tia asks.

"I've decided to _sell_ one of the jewels from the goblet."

Everyone erupts at once, talking over each other, yelling that she _cannot_ do that.

Holding up both hands to quiet them all down, she says, "Look. Those things are _mine_ now, and no one knows I have them but _you_ four, Thea and Loki's dad."

"But you _can't_ sell them," Tia says shaking her head. "We _told_ you before. Those pieces are a part of history, and _selling_ them is a crime! They belong to the _realm_ you know?"

"Amanda," Loki says leaning forward placing his arms on the table. "It would be like in your realm, when some of your treasure hunters find a sunken ship filled with chests of gold coins. Even though _they_ found the wreck, they cannot take the stuff without the permission of the country they found them in. And, they cannot _sell_ any of the treasure either, without permission. Or, like if someone found some ancient artifact in, uh, _Egypt_ say... near those pyramids, and took something like... like a _sarcophagus_ , or a solid gold mask or something. Even though _they_ found it, it is not _really_ theirs to do with as they please. Those people who rob graves and sell the stuff are _thieves_ , and if caught, would be put in prison. Here, it is the same thing. You would get in _loads_ of trouble if you got caught. And I am _telling_ you, those jewels are so pure, you _will_ get caught."

"Yeah, it's not _worth_ it you know?" Tia says shaking her head, then looking into Amanda's green eyes. " _Lots_ of people over the years have found ancient and valuable stuff here, and tried to sell it. But they get _caught_ , and put away."

Amanda sits there for a moment, looking thoughtfully at them, then shaking her head says firmly, "I _don't_ care, and this is _different_. I didn't find these things in _your_ realm... I found them, in _mine_! And as far as _I_ know, _no_ one in my realm even _knows_ about people from this realm, or any _others_ for that matter. So, I'm not _stealing_ any of the stuff I found, from anyone who would even _know_ what they were, well, other than being made of pure gold, and the most pure jewels they ever saw. But! Again, _no_ one in _my_ realm could lay claim to them, because they couldn't even _exist_ , having been made by Elves and such.

"Remember, on my realm, elves, dwarves, fairies and such, are only _fairytales_ , you know? Not even _real_. And since I _am_ now the owner, I can sell any of the things I've found, to _whoever_ I want. _Whenever_ I want. And, I want to sell only _one_ jewel. I don't have _any_ money at all, and if I'm _ever_ going to be able to do anything, or go anywhere, I'll _need_ money. And..." she looks into all their faces one at a time, "I plan on _splitting_ whatever I can get for it, with all of _you_."

All mouths fall open, with eyes growing wide.

"Are you _serious_?" Tianna asks leaning forward.

"Yeah, I am," Amanda says folding her arms. "I've been thinking about this for a long time, and I've decided that I'm going to do this, _with_ or without your help."

"But... but..." Thian stammers, "why would you want to split it with," then looking to the others, " _us_?"

"Because you all saved my life, and because you are my _best_ friends in, well, _ever_. And, I know that if any of you would have found something valuable, _you'd_ do the same thing."

"Maybe," Tianna says slowly, then crosses her arms. "But don't _count_ on it. I don't believe you would _really_ do that. But let's say, just for _giggles_ , that you're serious, and actually, now that I'm looking at you, I think you really _are_. Just _who_ do you think you're going to sell the jewel to? I mean, it's not like you can just walk into the village bank and say, 'I'd like to trade this _jewel_ for gold please.' Or take it to the local _jeweler_ and tell them you would like to sell it to 'em."

"Why _not_?" Amanda demands.

"Because," Loki begins, turning his palms over, "my dad said that even a _single_ jewel, would be worth more than our entire village and everything in it! Those jewels are _really_ big you know. There is not anyone around here that would _have_ that kind of money. And just having it appraised would cause a huge stir. There would be people from miles around, heck, even from other _realms_ coming to see the person who _claims_ to have found some flawless, priceless jewel, hoping to find out where you _found_ it. They may even try to _kidnap_ you, then _torture_ you to find out where you got it, thinking there may be _other_ treasures where you found it, that you did _not_ find."

"Amanda," Tia says with concern. "Loki's right you know. I mean, there's nobody around here that could afford it. And word of its purity and worth, would spread throughout the realm, and possibly to other realms as well. It _could_ mean real trouble. You just can't do it."

After sitting for a moment looking very upset, Amanda leans forward putting her arms on the table saying, "Well, there _has_ to be a way somehow. Just because nobody around _here_ has the money to buy it, I bet somebody _somewhere_ would be willing to buy it. Or maybe from some other realm or something."

Tianna looks to the others for a moment then says slowly, "Uh, well, there _may_ be a way to sell it. But they're _not_ nice people at all, and it would be _really_ risky."

"No way!" Tia and Thian yell at the same time.

Tia then continues, "You're _not_ talking about... the _Mordens_ are you?"

"Who are the Mordens?" Amanda asks looking around. "The name sounds familiar somehow."

"They are the _richest_ family in our realm," Loki says looking rather startled. "They live on the far side of the realm actually. A really _evil_ and foul place. Everyone is afraid of _them_."

"Afraid? What do you mean?" Amanda asks. "Why should anyone be afraid of them?"

"Because," Thian says with a frightened expression as he licks his lips. "They're one of the _oldest_ bloodlines of the ancients, and one of the most _evil_ families in our realm. They're a family of both witches and wizards, who specialize in the _Dark_ Arts of Wizitch. They usually just _take_ what they want. I don't think they'd bother _buying_ the jewel from you Amanda, they'd just _kill_ you and take it. They sound familiar, because it's their ancestors your _shield_ came from."

Amanda looks into all their frightened faces, then swallowing hard says, "Oh. Well, isn't there _some_ other way? I mean, wouldn't your _government_ buy it or something? Like for the history museum or something like that?"

"Uh uh," Tianna says shaking her head. "The governing body of witches and wizards would _take_ it away from you, since it is so flawless, even if they _believed_ that you simply found it. But, they would also want to know _who_ you are, _where_ you come from, _who_ your parents are, _where_ they are now, and, want to _talk_ to them. If you tell them they had died, they will _still_ want to find any relatives, or talk to people in the city, town or _village_ you tell them you're from.

"You _can't_ tell them you're from the Earth realm, because then they would want to know _how_ you got here, without a _license_ and permit. Which is what Loki says you call a _felony_! Amanda, they'd put you in _prison_ , and a _Wizitch_ prison is not someplace you want to go... _believe_ me!"

Everyone falls silent for several minutes.

"Maybe my _dad_ could find a buyer," Loki says in a small voice.

"What?" Tia asks looking surprised. "Your dad? How would _he_ know somebody who'd buy a jewel like these?"

"Well, remember, my dad's lab analyzes stuff from many realms, and not only has lists of people who _send_ him stuff, like from various mines and such, but lists of _buyers_ as well. People who send him finds from their travels or digs, are _always_ asking him if he knows anyone who might be in the market for the stuff. I _really_ think he may know of someone, or a company or something, that _might_ have enough money to buy it. And by the way Amanda, how much do you want for it anyway?"

Everyone looks to Amanda, who now has a rather startled expression as she says, "Oh, well, actually, I have no idea. Your dad Loki, said a single one was worth more than the entire village. But I don't know what that _really_ means. Could you ask your dad how much he thinks one of the large jewels in the goblet is worth, in _real_ money I mean? Then, of course, I can sell it for a lot _less_ if I want to. I just need a price to start with you know?"

"Yeah, okay, I can go ask him right now if you want?"

"You can? Oh that would be great!" Amanda says with a smile.

Loki gets up and takes a few steps away, pulls his wand and gives it a wave. There is a blue _flash_ , and he is gone.

"I never get tired of _seeing_ that," Amanda says shaking her head slowly. "Sure wish _I_ could do that."

"That reminds me," Tia says, "are you still practicing your wand movements, and trying to get a feather or blade of grass to rise?"

"Yeah," Amanda laughs, "but nothing ever happens. I know now that I'll never be able to make anything happen at all. I'm just a _girl_ after all, no one _special_ or anything. But, I still like learning what all of you can do, even if I _can't_ actually do anything myself."

"Well, it will be interesting to see what Loki finds out from his dad," Tianna says getting up and stretching. "If his dad really _can_ find a buyer, I hope the buyer can keep their _mouth_ shut, and not say where they bought it. Or you could be in a _lot_ of trouble Amanda."

It is several hours later, and Thian, Amanda, Tia and Tianna are at the lake, giving Amanda another swimming lesson. They have been taking her to the lake every Saturday and Sunday for quite some time, and Amanda had actually taken to the water fairly quickly. Amanda is now swimming very well, and is no longer afraid of going under. In fact, she spends as much time swimming _under_ the water as she can. She loves looking at all the fish, rocks, ledges and reeds that wave in the gentle currents.

They are all splashing water at one another and laughing, when there is a flash of blue near the edge of the lake, as Loki pops into view. He waves and walks toward them, as they make their way back onto shore, still splashing at each other.

"Hi Loki!" Amanda calls as she runs over, picks up a towel and begins drying off.

"Hi Amanda," Loki says with a smile as the others join them. "I told my dad what you wanted to do, and at _first_ he just shook his head and said that you could not do it. But then, I told him what you said Amanda, about not finding those items here on _our_ realm and all, and that no one on _your_ realm even knew they existed, or thought elves, wizards, witches and others were even _real_. He was really puzzled at that, and left for the library. He was in there a really long time. He even used a _seeing_ crystal to check laws _everywhere_ on our realm. And guess what? He could not find _any_ laws anywhere, that say anything about finding something on some _other_ realm, whose people do not even know the stuff existed, or the _makers_ of such items even existed, and selling something you found _there_ , someplace else. He only found things about finding _known_ objects on a realm that _knew_ they existed, and had relations with the other realm, and either tried to sell them on _that_ realm or some other one without permission."

"Oh wow!" Amanda says really excited. "Did he say how much he thought we could get for it, or if he knew of anyone who might buy it?"

"Well, he said that the _ruby_ in the goblet, would be worth in your realm, along the lines of eight _billion_."

" _Dollars_?!" Amanda yells dropping her towel, which lands in the mud.

"Uh, yeah, that's what he _said_ anyway."

The others are doing quick conversions, from what they could remember of their studies of the Earth realm, and _its_ most powerful currencies, to their own.

"By the Oak and _Ash_!" Tianna gasps, "That's, that's over..."

" _Nine_ billion of what you would call _our_ dollars Amanda," Loki says with a smile. "My dad told me that as he just about fainted. He said you would _never_ get that _much_ for it though. That _no_ one on any realm he knew of would have the money for it, and to not even _think_ of trying. It would bring out all _kinds_ of creatures who would want to _steal_ it, and would not hesitate _killing_ you to get it."

The smile on Amanda's face quickly fades, as it does on all the others as well.

"Well, _there_ goes your money Amanda," Tianna says with a laugh. "Good thing you weren't _really_ serious about splitting it with us. Or I'd _really_ be upset."

Amanda is just about to say something when Loki says, " _Hang_ on though. My dad _did_ say, that you might be able to sell the _little_ jewel from either the belt buckle, or the one on the, uh, ancient book, although he has never _seen_ that one. But Amanda, what about selling the little jewel in the belt buckle, instead of the _big_ one? That way, you could at least have _some_ money you know, and it would not be so dangerous to try to sell either."

Everyone looks to Amanda, hoping she will settle for that smaller one, and not insist on the big one, knowing she could get into some _really_ serious trouble if she tries.

"Well, yeah, _sure_ , why not? We can pry it out of the setting, and then, Loki, will you take it to your dad, and have him tell us what it's worth? And if he knows of anyone who might buy it?"

"Yeah. Let us do it right now. I can get it to him and he can do his thing in the lab. Nobody will be in the lab today, so no one will know anything about it."

They all agree, and Amanda along with Thian, set off to retrieve the buckle. When they return, Amanda hands it to Loki, who is an _expert_ at setting jewels. He studies the setting for a few moments, then pulling his wand, gives it a wave while saying, "Abiugo." The setting seems to shift slightly, and the jewel _pops_ right out into his hand.

"How did you _do_ that Loki?" Amanda asks with a huge grin. "I don't remember hearing the word 'Abiugo' before."

"Oh. It means to remove, or to separate from. I focused first on the meaning of 'separate from,' which separated the setting from the jewel, then on the meaning of 'remove,' and it popped into my hand. So, in this case, I was able to use a _single_ word, and _two_ of its meanings at once."

"Cool. How much do you think it's worth?" Amanda asks looking at the little sparkling gem.

"Well, not _nearly_ as much as the really _big_ ones for sure, but, I think it will be plenty. Should give you enough for years at least, I think. It is really _small_ , but, like the others, it is _flawless_ and of the very highest quality. The color is as clear as you can get too. I am going to take this back to my dad right now, and see what he says. I will be back as soon as I can."

"Okay, and Loki, tell your dad that if he finds somebody who will by it, to just go ahead and _sell_ it for whatever he can get for it okay? I don't really care how much he can sell it for. _Any_ money's better than none at all."

With that, Loki hands Amanda the buckle and walks a few paces away. He again takes his wand from his belt, gives it a wave and vanishes.

Everyone is _very_ excited now, at the prospect that Amanda may actually be able to get away with selling a truly _valuable_ gem. They _all_ know what it is like to be very poor, and want to help Amanda if they can.

It is a few hours later, when Amanda, Tia, Thian and Tianna are all seated at Thian's kitchen table, when there is a knock on the door. Thian yells, "Come on in Loki," and they hear the door open.

"How do you know it's Loki?" Amanda asks.

"'Cause everyone that _likes_ me is already here, other than Loki really," Thian says taking a bite of his snack.

Loki comes striding into the room, his thick arms swinging a ways from his side. "Are you _ready_ for this?" he says with a huge grin.

"Yeah!" Amanda says returning his grin, as do the others. "What did your dad say?"

Loki hesitates for a moment, then says, "He _sold_ it!"

"What?!" Tianna yells. "You're _kidding_ right? To _who_?"

"How much did he _get_ for it?" Amanda asks smiling at everyone.

"You will _not_ believe it! I did not at first either, but when I saw the _look_ on my dad's face, I knew he was _not_ kidding."

"Loki!" Tianna snaps, spinning around in her chair to get a better look at him. "By the _moons_! Hooow _much_?!"

Loki licks his lips, then swallowing hard, holds out a promissory note saying, "For what in _your_ realm Amanda, in what you call your _American_ dollars, six-hundred and fifty million, or in our Turrens, what we use here, seven-hundred thirty-one million, two-hundred and fifty thousand."

There is stunned _silence_ for a few moments as everyone looks first to Loki, then to one another. Slowly, everyone brakes into huge grins, then they all jump up and start cheering and hugging each other. Even _Tianna_.

After a few moments of celebrating, Amanda says, "Loki, how much is that divided between the five of us?"

"Wait." Tia says, her smile fading as she takes her seat again, as do the others. "Amanda, you weren't _really_ serious about splitting the money with us. _Were_ you?"

"Oh _yeah_ I was! And _still_ am. I've never _had_ much money at all, _ever_ , and you all said you've been poor all your lives too. This is more money than I could _ever_ use, and, well, I know _you_ can all use it. So, well, how much does it come to for _each_ of us Loki?"

For a few moments, everyone just sits there staring at Amanda with stunned expressions. Loki looks to the others, to see if they think Amanda is kidding.

"Oh for _heaven's_ sake," Amanda says with a laugh. "Yes! I'm serious. Do you all want to know how much we all get or _what_?"

Everyone is now grinning from ear to ear, as Loki takes out what works something like a calculator.

"Well, let me see," he says as he begins to punch in the numbers.

"Wait!" Tia cries.

" _Now_ what Tia?" Tianna asks with an irritated tone as she crosses her arms.

"Don't divide it by the _five_ of us. I mean, I'm really grateful that you're willing to share the money with us Amanda. I think you're _crazy_ , but, it's not fair."

"What do you _mean_ it's not fair?" Tianna asks frowning and leaning forward. "If Amanda _wants_ to split it with us, than I say _great_. So what's the problem?"

"The _problem_ ," Tia says in the same irritated tone as Tianna just used, "is that _Amanda_ is splitting it between each of us. Which means that _Tianna_ and I both get the same amount."

"So?" Thian says looking confused.

" _Soooo_ ," Tia continues. "That means that _our_ family gets _twice_ the amount of any of the rest of you... _including_ Amanda. That's not fair, that _we_ end up getting more even than Amanda. I think, if Amanda _really_ wants to split it, it should be split between our _families_. That way, mom, Tianna and I get the same amount, as a _family_ , as Loki and his dad, and the same amount as Thian would for his family, if... he had any. And the same for Amanda. I think _that_ would be more fair."

Tianna is _not_ happy knowing her share was just cut substantially from what it would have been. But then, her face softens, as she realizes it would still be more money than she could ever spend. Well, maybe _not_ for Tianna.

Amanda smiles saying, "Well, if that's okay with everyone." Everyone is nodding but Tianna, who finally, after everyone looks at her with dagger-like expressions, finally nods, unfolds her arms and leans against the table.

"It's _settled_ then!" Amanda says with a smile returning to her face. "Loki, how much will each of us get, dividing by our four _families_?"

"Well, let me see. It comes tooo... by _two_ moons over the mountains!" he looks up, eyes growing wide. "It... it comes to one-hundred-eighty-two million, eight-hundred and twelve-thousand, five-hundred Turrens. _Each_!"

All eyes are wide, and everyone has their mouth wide open. After a hesitation, they all jump up from the table and start cheering. Tianna and Tia are in tears, so is Amanda, but not just because she will now have more money than she will ever need, but from watching her _friends_ crying for joy, knowing that she is doing something to _really_ help them.

"Amanda," Tia says wiping her eyes on her sleeve. "I... I don't know what to say. I, I..."

Amanda laughs as Tia runs to and begins hugging her. Which is soon followed by Loki and Thian doing the same, with Tianna looking like she does not know whether she should hug her or not, but decides to _anyway_ , giving Amanda a quick squeeze, then backing away.

"You're all welcome! And Loki, you said that paper is a _promissory_ note? What does that mean? What am I supposed to do with it?"

"Oh! It means that the sale is final, but, the money cannot be transferred until the buyer knows where to transfer it _to_. You need a _bank_ account number they can send the money to. Dad did not know what it was, so he could not complete the transaction for you. Do you _have_ an account yet?"

Amanda laughs saying, "Well, _no_. I didn't have a _cent_ to my name till now, and really never have."

" _Well_ ," Thian says clapping his hands together. "Looks like we need to get into the village and open an account for you. _I've_ got an account. My mom had me on her account, so, I have a little left in the bank. There's a few hundred left I think. I usually get whatever money _I_ need, selling my Cucuteo's and Kiki's to the butcher. Guess I won't have to worry about _that_ anymore. Thanks Amanda!"

Amanda smiles then turns to Loki. "What did your dad say when you told him we were splitting the money?"

"I did not _tell_ him. I did not believe you were _serious_ you know? But I think when I tell him now, he will _flip_!"

Amanda and the others laugh, Amanda having a hard time visualizing Loki's dad _flipping_ out about anything.

"What do you think Thea will say when you tell her?" Amanda asks Tia and Tianna.

The girls both look to one another and smile, Tia saying, "She'll probably _faint_! Mom works so hard you know, and that _Master_ Healer she works for, pays her squat! Mom could earn a _ton_ more if we lived in the city, but, there hasn't ever been enough money to _move_ to a city, _or_ for her to advance her studies."

"Yeah," Tianna says smiling too. "It will be nice to see mom _happy_ for once. I hope she goes right into that _idiot_ she works for and _quits_ on the spot!"

They spend the rest of the late afternoon talking about what each is going to do with their share of the money. They plan on going into the village soon to open up an account for Amanda, using some of the money Thian has in _his_ account to start it. They had not taken Amanda to the village before, Thea wanting to be _sure_ Amanda was healed enough first, which Amanda has been now for quite some time. Also, because, they were not sure what the village people would make of Amanda, and Amanda had said she wasn't _ready_ to go yet. Actually, she had just been afraid she wouldn't _fit_ in, and people would laugh at her, for not being able to do any Wizitch at all.

When it was nearing supper time, Loki, Tia and Tianna said their goodbyes, all hugging Amanda, other than Tianna, who smiles and nods, Amanda smiling and nodding back.

Amanda and Thian chat for another few minutes, and have no sooner started taking dishes out to begin supper, when there is a loud knock on the door.

"Wonder who forgot what _this_ time?" Thian says as he jogs for the door, while Amanda continues to busy herself in the kitchen.

From the front door in the other room, Amanda hears a strained voice say hurriedly, "Is it _true_? Thian? _Is_ it true?"

Putting down a dish, Amanda turns around just as Thian, Tia, Tianna and _Thea_ come into the kitchen. Thea's face has the _strangest_ expression Amanda has ever seen... a kind of cross between _annoyed_ and hopeful, an air about Thea as though she was doing her best to stay calm, but excitement trying to _burst_ free.

"If you're talking about my splitting the money from the sale of the little gem that was in the belt buckle... then, _yeah_. I'm splitting the money with Thian, _your_ family and Loki's."

"Ohhhhh," Thea says beginning to faint. Thian grabs a chair and scoots it toward Thea, as both Tia and Tianna help their mom into the chair. Thea's face is now pretty much drained of color, and looking rather pale, begins to stutter something that none of them can understand.

Thian is about to say something when there is _another_ loud knock on the front door, which sounds like someone is trying to _pound_ their way in. Everyone jumps but poor Thea, who now has her head between her knees.

Thian runs for the door, and in a moment, everyone hears the distinct voice of Loki's dad as he comes _bursting_ into the house. He is shouting, "What's all this _nonsense_ about Amanda splitting up the money from that sale, and giving an equal share to _us_? _Where_ is she?"

Loki's dad comes _thundering_ into the kitchen, with Loki and Thian trotting to catch up.

"Amanda, _what_ is all this... your _splitting_ up the proceeds from the sale of the gemstone? With _us_? Surely you are _not_ serious?"

"Hi, Mr. Hadden," Amanda says with a smile. "Yeah, it's true. I'm splitting the money between Thian, you and Loki as a family, Thea, Tianna and Tia as a family, and myself." Then breaking into a huge grin, as she sees his face begin to drain of color also, beginning to weave on his feet, she says, "Thian, I _think_ we can use another chair here."

Mr. Hadden staggers toward the chair and sits with a heavy thump, his eyes looking rather unfocused as he stares at the wall in front of him, and begins breathing hard, as he mumbles something she cannot hear.

All the kids are grinning at each other, enjoying the reactions from Thea and Mr. Hadden.

"Perhaps you could all stay for supper," Thian says with a laugh. "I've got plenty. Um, I _think_. Are you all right now Thea? You're beginning to look a _little_ better."

Thea is just now beginning to sit up, as Mr. Hadden turns around and notices her sitting there for the first time. "Oh, _Thea_ , I am sorry, I did not see you there, I was in, uh, I was in..."

" _Shock_?!" Thea asks now looking to Mr. Hadden.

"Well, that is a bit of an _understatement_ actually, but, yes, that will do!" Mr. Hadden says now collecting himself.

"Mr. Hadden," Tia says, "would you like some water?"

"What? Oh, yes, please, and for gosh sakes, I have asked you all to call me _Gaynon_. Mr. Hadden makes me sound _very_ old. And after all, we _are_ all good friends. No need to be formal among friends."

After everyone settles down, and Amanda has convinced both Thea and Gaynon that she _is_ serious about the split, Thea and Gaynon finally stop sputtering and thanking her over and over.

They also all decide to have a _cookout_ in back of Thian's house to celebrate. Loki and his dad leave to bring some food from their place, while Thea, Tianna and Tia, leave to bring some from their house. Thian heads out back to fire up the huge grill, while Amanda gathers more plates and goes about setting the picnic table.

In no time, everyone is back and the festivities begin. They all talk well into the night, laughing and having a great time, then Loki and his dad say good night, and take their empty containers they had brought and vanish.

Soon after Loki and his dad leave, Thea says, "Amanda, Mr. Hadden, I mean, Gaynon, said that you can hand the bank the promissory note at any time. They will then transfer the funds to your account, the moment the jewel arrives at the buyers bank. That's how things work here. Everything's done at the _same_ instant. By using a _bank_ , and not a private face-to-face sale, there are no _problems_ on either end, as to receiving what is due each party.

"I would recommend though, that you _only_ open your account in the village, along with Thian, using _only_ a few Turrens. You can open an account here with only what you would call a few dollars in your realm, according to what Tia has told me of the difference in our currencies, which I had long forgotten. This way, you can open an account and no one will pay any attention to you, using such a _small_ amount to open with. Just a couple of _poor_ kids opening a little account, you know? Then, once the account is established, let Gaynon know, and he can send the gem to the buyer, and supply the account number the funds are to be transferred into. That way, _no_ one needs to know. It's all done using the _Wizitch Monetary Transfer System_. Then, when you want, uh, you can, well..."

"Transfer the shares to the rest of you," Amanda says nodding. "Yeah, that sounds great. I was _wondering_ how we were going to do this, without causing a _riot_ that is. Cool. The Wizitch convention starts on Friday, so, why don't we go to the bank Friday morning and set everything up, then, get the information to Gaynon. Then maybe we can have some fun at the convention. I can't _wait_ to see the village! How long does the entire transfer of funds take?"

"Like I said," Thea says taking a last sip of tea and rising to her feet, "it's _instant_. The very _second_ the gem is sent to the buyer, through the _Wizitch Monetary Transfer System_ , the money from the _buyers_ account, is _instantly_ transferred to yours. The transaction is then complete. You will _never_ know who the buyer was, and _they_ will never know who _you_ are, as the seller. It's very, _very_ secret, and extremely secure."

"Wow! Where _I_ come from, it can take two _weeks_ just for a check to clear the bank before you get your money. This is _awesome_! So, do you use _checks_ , credit cards or just cash here?"

"I'm not sure what... _checks_ , or, well, _credit_ cards are," Thea says looking quite confused. "But here, you are generally given two special keys, and the bank takes an image of your aura, and stores that with your account information. When you go to your bank, they scan your aura and you are allowed access to your funds, as long as you have one of your keys, if you wish to visit your vault. When you can't get to the bank you set the account up in, you can go to _any_ bank and be verified with an aura scan. Or, you can use any of the small _Monetary Transfer System Kiosks_ to check your account, or add to or remove as much as you like. You can always _visit_ your vault, and take what you want also, although most people don't like to carry around heavy pockets of coins when you don't really need to. But, as I have said, you need to use one of your two keys, and your aura scan if you actually want to visit your vault."

"What's the other key for? Why the two of them?" Amanda asks.

Tianna then says, "That's a spare. They're really _special_ keys, and only two are made per account. You _can't_ get duplicates made. Well, not _easily_ anyway. So generally, people hide the keys in different places, and get them when they actually _want_ to visit their vault. The second key is really just in case something happens to the other. If you lose _both_ of them, it could take _months_ to get everything straightened out."

Thea, Tianna and Tia then offer to help clean up, but neither Amanda nor Thian will hear of it. Thea and her girls say their goodbye's, and once again thank Amanda for splitting the money with them, then leave. Amanda and Thian go back inside to clean up.

After the kitchen is sparkling and everything is put away, Thian and Amanda say good night and head off for bed.

To TOC

# Amanda Rides A Broom

The days passed quickly, and early Friday morning, after Amanda and Thian have finished their breakfast, are sitting around the kitchen table chatting. The bank will be opening in about half an hour, but, it will take them almost _three_ hours to walk to the village. And, of course, _another_ three hours to walk back at the end of a _very_ long day at the opening of the convention.

All the events Thian, Tia, Tianna and Loki are entered into, will begin on Sunday. Saturday they want to watch the dueling competitions of the older groups, and the flying events that are going to be held that day. Today though, they want to open Amanda's account, take a break, look around the village some, then head back.

As they chat, there is a knock on the door. Thian gets up and leaves the room. In a moment, Amanda recognizes laughter, along with the voices of Tia and Tianna. Thian and the girls enter the kitchen. Tia smiles at Amanda saying, "We hope we're not intruding, but we were wondering if we could go into the village with you today. We know this is your _first_ trip to the village, and we thought we could help show you around after you open your account, and maybe check out some of the convention booths together too. Is that okay?"

"Are you _kidding_? That would be _great_! Sounds like fun. I can't _wait_ to see what the village looks like, and all the shops you've all told me about, and the _vender's_ booths at the convention! It's a long _walk_ to the village though, and actually, shouldn't we get going? I'm sorry I can't, uh, vanish and reappear like the rest of you. And since I can't ride a broom, and I don't have one anyway, we have to walk. So, the thing is, we may not have much time to actually look around really. Are you _sure_ you want to come with us? It's a _really_ long walk there and back. You could see more of the convention if you go by yourselves. I mean, by the time we get there, we'll only have an hour or so, then have to head back. And I'm _not_ looking forward to the walk back, we'll be so tired by then."

Tia turns to Tianna with a huge grin, which she returns. Tia then looks to Amanda saying, "No problem. We've got _transportation_ for you right outside."

"You do?" Amanda asks wide eyed.

"You _do_?" Thian asks looking back and forth between Tia and Tianna. "What do you mean? You don't _own_ a wagon any more, and don't have any animal that could pull it if you _did_. Just like me."

"Come on," Tianna says with a laugh, "we'll show you."

They all head out of the kitchen and through the living room, then out the front door. As Amanda steps out, she is half expecting to see a _purple_ triple decker bus. Or maybe something resembling a car, or even _bicycles_ would be nice, but there is not _anything_ she can see at all.

"Um, I don't see a car or anything," Amanda says looking from side to side along the tree line near the end of the pathway.

"We don't _have_ cars here in our realm," Tia says with a smile. "But, we do have... _this_!" she then turns around facing back toward the front door, and points.

Amanda turns also, and there, leaning up against the house, to the side of the door, are _three_ odd looking broomsticks. They are kind of like the broomsticks she had seen in books with witches and wizards, but _these_ have two short wooden handles attached to them, near the front of the _broomsticks_ handle. One handle on either side, folded flat against the main broom handle. One of the brooms is almost _twice_ the length of the other two.

Amanda just stands there looking at them for a moment, with a blank look on her face, then her eyes grow wide as her jaw drops. Spinning around to look to Tia, who has _huge_ grin on her face, Amanda sputters. "Am I, I mean, are we... are we going to _fly_? On _brooms_?"

The girls both nod as they laugh. Thian steps up to the really long broom and takes it in his hands. " _Excellent_ , your mom and dad's old _tandem_! I'd _forgotten_ all about it. Gosh, I haven't seen this in _years_. It still looks in pretty good shape too. I only have my old racing broom you know. _Smashed_ both my mom and dad's good ones learning how to fly over the years. That's why Amanda and I were going to have to walk. We're too young to learn how to Appareto holding onto someone _else_ , so, there just wasn't any other way."

"I'm _really_ going to ride on a broom?!" Amanda says grabbing hold of Tia by the shoulders. " _Really_?"

Everyone laughs again, as Tia nods. Amanda grabs Tia into a bear hug and begins jumping up and down, Tia jumping and laughing along with her. Amanda lets go and steps to hug Tianna, who holds out her hands, like saying stop, "Let's not get _carried_ away or anything," but she has a huge grin on her face anyway.

"Oh god, I can't _believe_ this! How... how do you _ride_ it? It looks _really_ uncomfortable actually. Doesn't it, um, hurt your _butt_ and all?"

They all laugh again, then Thian says, "No. Actually it's really comfortable. I know it doesn't _look_ like it would be, but, it is. You see, part of the flying spell, which is a permanent part of a flying broom, has an _automatic_ ride adjust setting for its passenger."

Seeing the confused expressing on Amanda's face, Tianna then says, "Once you mount the broom, it senses your body and adjusts an _invisible_ , flexible bubble, which fits your bottom's contour, and, against your legs too. It molds to each person. You can even have an invisible _backrest_ installed, which will automatically vanish when needed, you know? Like when you need to duck to miss branches and such. All of _these_ have automatic backrests already attached."

"Yeah," Tia says grabbing her broom. "You and Thian will ride the tandem, and Tianna and I will ride our own brooms. Actually Amanda, it's _really_ easy once you get the hang of it."

"Well, if you _say_ so." Amanda says looking at the thin wooden stick. "What are those other handle-like _stick_ things on the sides of the main broomstick? I've never seen anything like _those_ in any of the books I've read, or in any of the _movies_ I've seen either!"

"Handlebars," Thian says shrugging. "You don't _have_ to use them, that's why they're in the retracted position to begin with. But, _who_ wants to fly all bent over trying to hold onto the broom handle. Your back would _kill_ you on really long flights. But if you're _racing_ , or storing the broom, you put the handlebars into the retracted position like you see them now."

Laughing, Amanda says, " _Handlebars_? What a _great_ idea! How do they work?"

"Watch." Tia mounts her broom with the bristle end on the ground, and the stick part of the broom up and at an angle. Tia straddles the broom until it touches between her legs, then Amanda thinks she sees the broom bend ever so slightly away from her.

"I don't know if you saw it Amanda," Tia says looking to her, "but my broom just began its adjustment for my body. I can feel, like a kind of _cushion_ against my legs. Usually, you just kick off, and it adjusts instantly _then_. But I touched my legs to the handle so it would do it some now, so you could see it."

"Yeah, I think I saw the broom move a little away, and you weren't _doing_ anything. Cool."

"It really is," Tia says with a grin. "And now, for the handlebars. You just pull them to the outsides of the handle, like this, to release them, then lift up... like this."

Amanda watches as Tia pulls first one handle to the side and up away from the broomstick, on some kind of unseen _hinge_ , then the other.

"Now," Tia continues, "you just grab the ends like this, and as you can see, they are hinged about six inches down the handle. So, as you pull them up and to you, they automatically, through _Wizitch_ get _longer_ , and the ends bend down to make it easier to pull on them. Then, when you get them to the length and height you want... like about here for me... you twist the ends out to the sides like this. That gives you short grips to hang on to... see?

"You can adjust the grips to whatever angle you like, but most people keep them horizontal," Tia says with a smile. "This way, when you ride, you can easily adjust them to your liking, and, _away_ you go. And with the _backrest_ , you can fly all day without your back hurting, and since it feels like you're sitting on a very soft bubble, there's no pain in your _butt_ , or chaffing against your legs either. And now, when I kick off the ground like _this_."

Tia does something like a little hop, and as she rises into the air, Amanda can see that there is some space between Tia's legs, and a good inch between her bottom and the broomstick. Tia is now hovering in midair, her feet dangling just inches above the ground, and holding onto what now looks like a pair of handlebars on some kind of cool motorcycle.

"See," Tia says with a smile. "Nothing to it once you get the hang of it. The steering and _speed_ control, as well as balance, _can_ be a little tricky to learn at first though. Some people have a _really_ hard time at first, and end up _smashing_ into lots of things."

Amanda turns with a big smile looking to Thian, who turns a little pink, returning a weak smile.

"That is _soooo_ cool!" Amanda says now walking all the way around the hovering Tia. "Uh, do they go very _fast_ at all?"

Tianna says, "I'll _show_ you." Grabbing her broom, Tianna mounts without pulling up the handlebars, just bending forward and flipping the ends to the handlebars to the sides, hanging onto their short ends. Adjusting the grips a little, she does a little hop and is instantly hovering. "This hovering is the first thing you need to master. You know, just getting _into_ the air with a gentle hop, then pushing slightly down on your handlebars to level out without shooting off like an arrow."

Amanda smiles looking at Tianna, all bent over like she is on some supper _racing_ motorcycle, ready for a drag race.

"When you're set, just hang on and go, like this." Tianna leans down until her shoulders are almost even with the main broom handle, then _shoots_ off so quickly, Amanda actually loses her for a second.

"Holy _cow_! I didn't even see you _leave_ at first," Amanda says as both Tia and Thian laugh, watching as Tianna comes zooming back to a stop right where she had left from. "I understand why _you_ didn't flip off backward, being all bent over and all, but, if you _were_ using the handlebars, like Tia is, wouldn't you _flip_ right off?"

"No, because of the backrest." Tianna says smiling. "All three of these brooms have them, Thian's own broom has one too, but a lot of people don't have them installed. Without the backrest, with the handlebars fully extended in the touring position, _and_ accelerating that quickly, I wouldn't have flipped off, unless I let go, but I _might_ have tilted so far back, I'd be halfway to the _moons_ by now, shooting straight up into the sky."

"Come on Amanda," Thian says grinning. "Let's give this thing a try. Don't worry, _I_ do all the steering and balancing. You just need to hang onto your handlebars and go along for the ride. All these brooms have automatic balancing spells, so, you _can't_ accidentally flip over upside-down.

"To steer, you just need to apply force to the handlebars. To steer left and right, put pressure on that side as you lean, and pull back on the handlebars to rise as you tilt back some, or push forward on them to go down as you lean forward. On these and most models over the last hundred years or so, you also have a kind of _throttle_ on either the left or right hand grip, to control your speed. This way, you don't have to _lean_ forward or back to adjust speed while having to _compensate_ for raising or lowering in height, just _twist_ the grip clockwise to increase speed, counter clockwise to _decrease_. Crank it back to its beginning position, and you coast, then stop. You can even stop in midair. Only when you _dismount_ is the riding spell broken, and the broom then acts like a regular broom. Heck, you can even _sweep_ with them if you want."

"Wow!" Amanda says walking up to where Thian is now mounting the long broom. "Too bad we can't fly on a _couch_ or chair or something," she says with a laugh.

"You _can_ ," Tia says looking over at her. "Actually, you can cast a flying spell on just about anything you want when you know how."

"Then _why_ don't people ride those?" Amanda asks stopping to look back to Tia.

"Mostly because of the drag," Tianna says. "Just like _any_ kind of flight, your movement through the air causes _drag_ and slows you down."

"And that's not all," Tia says now flying around in a large circle. "What are you going to do with a _couch_ , big chair or _boat_ when you get to where you're going, like to the store or something? It's a _lot_ easier to simply stand your broom up in some corner, broom closet, or travelers rack, than try to stack up _couches_ , chairs, boats and stuff."

"Oh... yeah," Amanda says now watching Tia fly in figure eights. "I never really _thought_ of that, but it makes sense. Okay Thian, how do I get _on_ this thing, and what do you want me to do?"

Tia spins back to the ground and hovers next to Tianna, a little distance from Amanda and Thian. Both Tia and Tianna look to one another for a brief moment with big grins on their faces.

"Okay," Thian says now holding onto his short handlebars. "Just step over the handle. Good. Now, grab onto the short handlebars and fold um up a bit to release them."

"They won't move!" Amanda says pulling hard on one of the handles.

"Oh, I forgot! You need to pull them slightly _away_ from the main broom handle at an angle, like making a 'V' before you bend them up. That way, when you stop pulling on them, they'll automatically lock into that position, until you want to adjust it again."

Amanda pulls slightly to the sides on the short handlebars, then lifts upward. The bars rise easily.

"Okay, now, do I bend the handgrips down?"

"Yeah, then just hold on to them and they'll automatically get longer when we rise into the air to hover, and you keep your torso vertical. That's when most people adjust the grips to the way they want them," Thian says looking slightly behind him to watch Amanda. "Got em?"

"Yeah. Now what? I don't _feel_ anything, uh, under my butt or against my legs though."

"You won't on this until we kick off," Thian says. "Okay, I'm going to kick off, and as soon as we begin to rise at all, you'll feel the invisible adjustment around your legs, and, uh, bottom. Your handlebars will get longer too, so don't be surprised. Just keep your torso vertical. Hold on. Here we go!"

Thian does his little hop, which they call a _kick_ off, and the broom instantly begins to rise until their feet are just dangling above the ground, when he levels off, Amanda _howling_ with laughter and hanging on as hard as she can.

"Okay Amanda, you can adjust the handlebars to whatever length or position you want, by pulling them to wherever you like. When you get them where you want them, pull them in slightly _toward_ each other, and you'll hear them lock into place. That's when I usually bend the grips to where they're the most comfortable. When you get them where you want them, just kind of push them toward one another, and _they_ will instantly lock into place. You can adjust either the grips or the handlebars any time you like too, even while flying."

Everyone is now laughing, watching Amanda's excited and jubilant face. Thian turns the throttle and they slowly began moving forward, Amanda hooting as they go. He makes a wide, slow circle, then a couple figure eights, then comes back to where they had started.

"Oh my gosh! This is _soooo_ cool! And it really _is_ comfortable. I can feel a soft, something against my legs, and my bottom feels like I'm sitting on the _softest_ thing I've ever sat on. And as soon as we lifted off the ground, I felt something soft press against my back when we started to move. When we began moving faster, it was like the backrest, _adjusted_ to the pressure. Wow! This is _awesome_!"

"Thought you'd like it!" Thian says with a chuckle. "Hang on, let's get a little speed going this time okay?"

Laughing, Amanda sweeps some hair away from her face saying, "Okay, but not _too_ fast at first though? I don't want to _hit_ anything."

"Who? _Me_?" Thian laughs deviously. "Why Amanda... you _know_ how well I can ride a broom! Remember the _photos_ with my mom?"

Amanda's expression instantly goes from one of laughter and joy, to one of fright with the color beginning to drain from her face, as she remembers the moving photographs of Thian's _destroyed_ house, after he tried to ride a broom.

"No! _Wait_!" Amanda cries, eyes wide with fright.

Thian cranks the throttle and they shoot forward right toward the trees just to the left of the house, and in front of them near the end of the pathway.

Amanda _screams_ as she is forced back against the soft invisible bubble of the backrest. They are headed _right_ at a huge pine. Amanda screams, "We're gonna _crash_! We're gonna crash!"

They are traveling some forty miles per hour now, and are only about three feet from striking the tree, when Amanda _clamps_ her eyes shut, tilts her head down clenching her teeth, and _hangs_ on for dear life. The thing is, she feels a sharp swerve of the broom and there _is_ no crash. Slowly, she opens her eyes, to see that they are now weaving around and in between trees in a blur.

Eyes growing wide with fright, she watches as Thian seems to hardly do _anything_ to steer at all. As they are about to crash into a tree, he makes the _slightest_ movement and they go _screaming_ around tree after tree. In a few moments, Amanda becomes so excited she is once again _howling_ and cheering, hearing Thian laughing just in front of her.

After another few moments of _whipping_ around trees at ever increasing break neck speed, they fly into the open and toward the lake. They are about ten feet off the ground when they shoot off over the shimmering lake, a _huge_ grin on Amanda's face. The cool air is whipping her hair out behind her, the air feels good against her face. Hearing laughter behind her, Amanda turns her head and shoulders slightly, to see Tia and Tianna come shooting up close behind. Both with huge grins. Amanda grins back, just as Thian makes a _sudden_ drop, making her eyes fly wide as she gives a short cry.

Amanda snaps her head forward to see that they are gliding just above the water. Looking down upon the smooth, still surface, she can see the reflection of them mounted on the broom, her own huge grin staring back at her, along with the images of Tia and Tianna, flanking them on either side, just slightly behind. Thian drops lower and they both dangle their feet in the water, sending huge sprays into the air behind them, Tia and Tianna scrambling out of the way, laughing all the while. Amanda is laughing so hard, she has tears flowing down both cheeks.

"Hang on Amanda!" Thian calls back to her. She then sees him lean back slightly while pulling back on the handlebars just a little, as they begin to rise higher and higher into the air. She is really scared, but is even _more_ excited. Again she screams as Thian now shoots almost vertically, feeling her back press softly but _firmly_ against the backrest. After a moment, they level out, slow, and come to a stop in midair. Tia and Tianna come up beside them, both in tears from laughing.

"Oh my god! You _scared_ me half to death Thian," Amanda yells, laughing at the same time she _smacks_ him on the shoulder. "Holy _cow_! My _heart's_ beating right out of my chest! I thought we were going to _crash_ into those trees when we first started you know." Then, looking down at the lake and the trees some two hundred feet below, she holds on a little tighter, "Oh god! _Please_ don't let me fall."

Tianna laughs saying, "You _won't_ fall off Amanda. Unless you _let_ go of the handlebars and tilt hard to the side that is. Automatic _safety_ spell. You can even fly upside down and still not fall off, _unless_ you let go. In fact, as long as you have hold of the handlebars, and you haven't _deactivated_ the safety spell, your bottom won't even _leave_ the seat. Watch."

Tianna leans slightly to the left while pushing down on the left handlebar. She flips _completely_ upside down. Tianna then just sits there laughing at Amanda's expression, with both Amanda's eyes and mouth wide open. Tianna then flies in a circle while upside down, then makes a slight twisting movement and spins back upright.

"So, what do you _think_ of riding a broom?" Tia asks watching Amanda looking all around her.

"Are you _kidding_? This is _awesome_! I _love_ it! But, Thian, I thought you had a hard time riding a broom? I mean, the _photos_ and all."

"Yeah, I _did_ have a really hard time at first," he says laughing. "But I finally learned how, and practiced a _lot_. I do pretty good now I guess."

" _Pretty_ good?!" Tia laughs. "Thian is one of the _best_ flyers around. He's even flown in some local competitions. Won _all_ but one. He may not be able to use a _wand_ very well, but when it comes to flying... he's the _best_!"

Thian grins back to Tia saying, "Thanks. Well Amanda, let's get back to the house, grab the promissory note, put some _shoes_ on and head for the village. The bank's open now, and we can open the account, send a secure message to Gaynon with the account number, and he'll send that and the gem to the buyer. By the time we show you around the village some, all the money will be in your vault."

Thian opens the throttle slightly, and they move forward a little at slow speed. They begin making their way back to the house, giving Amanda some time to look around as they begin to fly just inches above the tips of the huge pines.

"Thian? _How_ does the throttle work? I mean, there's no gas tank, and no _engine_. So, what does the throttle actually control?"

"I don't fully understand the Wizitch behind it, but, the broom is powered of course, _by_ Wizitch. The spell placed on the broom when it's manufactured, gives the bristles of the broom the ability to expel so much _thrust_ of Wizitch energy. There is some _Wizitch_ connection between the throttle on the handlebars, and the amount of Wizitch thrust _channeled_ through the handle, and out the ends of the bristles. So, it just adjusts the amount of channeled energy to the bristles, and either gives _more_ or less, or none at all."

"Are those... _breaking_ handles on your handlebar? They're not on mine," Amanda asks now noticing the little curved metal pieces on his hand grips. They look just like the ones on her old rusted bicycle back on Earth.

"Oh yeah. I forgot to tell you about 'em. The show up once you bend the ends of the handlebars. You just _squeeze_ these and you can slow down as quickly or as slowly as you like. But you have to be _careful_ though. If you squeeze _too_ hard, and you're going really fast, especially if you're headed _down_ at all, you can flip over and over until you either _stop_ or _crash_."

"Oh," Amanda says as they now shoot down into Thian's little yard, headed for the front door. "Uh, well, let's not do _that_ okay?"

Thian laughs as they come to a smooth and gentle stop, right in front of the door, with Tia and Tianna landing, one on either side of them.

Thian lowers the back end of the broom to the ground saying, "Okay Amanda, let's get off and get the promissory note, and if anyone needs to go potty, _this_ is the time. Just flip your grips up Amanda, then push forward into the handlebars. They'll automatically shorten until you let go. Then fold them in until they're flat against the broom handle."

They all get off their brooms, fold the handgrips and handlebars down and against the broom handles, then stand the brooms up just to the side of the front door.

Amanda immediately hugs Thian saying, " _Thanks_ for the ride! It _scared_ me half to death, but it was _so_ exciting! I loved it!"

Everyone laughs as they enter the house. Amanda grabs the promissory note and puts on the shoes Tia had given her, and they each take turns going potty before leaving for the village.

To TOC

# The Ride To The Village

When everyone is ready, and Amanda had put the promissory note into her pants pocket, they all go back outside and grab the brooms.

Tia and Tianna mount theirs first, kicking into a hover. Thian mounts the tandem and grabs the handlebars, then tells Amanda to get on. With a huge grin on her face, Amanda steps across the broom handle, pulls out and up on her handlebars and adjusts them, ready to watch them get longer as they hop into the air.

"All set back there?" Thian asks turning his head to look back to Amanda.

"Yeah, let's get this thing in the air! I can't _wait_ for the ride into the village!"

With that, Thian says, "Okay, hang on, here we _goooooo_!" And with Amanda _squealing_ her pleasure, the two of them shoot off into the air, handlebars instantly adjusting, and head up and off at a steep angle to clear the tall trees near the house. Tia and Tianna laughing as they watch for a moment, still hovering, listening to Amanda's cries of pure joy, as they begin to disappear over the tops of the tall trees.

Tia turns to Tianna laughing, "Remember _our_ first rides on a broom? I'd forgotten how _exciting_ it was! It's a _kick_ to watch Amanda, especially when she's never even _seen_ anyone ride a broom before!"

Tianna smiles, "Yeah, I _do_ remember...well, a little anyway. And it _is_ fun to see her so excited and everything. Like a little _kid_ you know?"

"Yeah. Well, we better get _going_ or we'll miss all her reactions on the trip in."

They both turn, accelerate, then soar up and over the treetops.

In no time, Tia and Tianna catch up with Thian and Amanda. Tia pulls up on the left of them, with Tianna cruising up on the right. Amanda looks first to Tia, then to Tianna with a big smile saying, "This is _so_ cool! We're _flying_ , and there's no sound at all. I could _really_ get used to _this_!"

Tia laughs as she pulls level to Amanda, saying in a normal speaking voice, "Well, once you've flown enough, you really _do_ get used to it, the _flying_ part that is. But the scenery? I _never_ get enough of it. It's so _beautiful_ isn't it? And you can fly _anywhere_ , hover if you like, or land.

"Thian's even gone _fishing_ at this lake, and some of the other lakes and streams around here, and _never_ landed at all. He just hovers over the water, casts his line, and pulls them in. He then puts them in a bucket he has clamped over the broom handle, and then flies back home. Remember the _last_ time Tianna? We had one _heck_ of a cookout in his back yard."

Tianna laughs saying, "Oh yeah, I _remember_ all right! _That_ was the day he tried to light the grill using his wand, and set the _barn_ on fire! Took the _three_ of us to put it out. The grilled fish was great, but the _smell_ of burned and charred wood, kind of took some of the _pleasure_ out of it."

Everyone laughs, even Thian as he says, "Well, actually, I'm glad the two of you _were_ there to help me put it out. I think if I tried to use a cascading water spell from the water trough, I would have ended up _flooding_ the place. But the _fish_ was really good!

"That's the nice thing Amanda. You really _can_ fly into even the _smallest_ and tightest of places. If your _broom_ and you will fit... you can get in there. And you can explore really interesting places too. Like... take that waterfall on the right up ahead. You can fly right up to it, run your hands through the water, or, even fly around in _back_ of it."

"Can we _do_ that?" Amanda asks all excited, "Can we really fly around _behind_ it?"

"Sure. Hang on, I'll show you. Tia, why don't you follow us, then Tianna okay?"

Tia laughs along with Tianna. Tia then saying, "Okay, sure, gosh, we haven't flown behind there in _years_. Let's go!"

With that, Thian shoots off to the right toward the falls, the roar of the falling water growing louder by the second. Soon, Amanda can feel the cool spray against her face.

Thian calls, "Here we go!" Amanda watches with a _huge_ grin on her face, as Thian maneuvers their tandem back behind the falls. They then slowly make their way between the falls and the rocky cliff wall.

As they pass behind, the morning sunlight shining through the veil of cascading water is _stunning_ , like millions of sparking diamonds streaking by. Amanda holds out her left arm and trails her fingers through the falling water, as she laughs and splashes Thian, who laughs too.

They soon shoot out the other side and Tia and Tianna rejoin them on either side, both laughing and wet from the spray, the morning sunlight warm on their skin.

"Oh my _gosh_!" Amanda cries laughing and wiping the spray from her face, "That was _so_ cool! This is just like some _dream_ you know? We have _got_ to do a lot more flying when we get back. Can we?"

Thian laughs saying, "Sure. I'll show you some of my favorite places to go and explore. Tia and Tianna have some really great places they can show you too.

"But now, I think we should speed up some, and get to the village and open your account. We want to have lots of time to show you around the village, for a while, after you open your account at the bank. So, hang on, now I'll show you what this baby can _really_ do!"

Amanda holds on a little tighter to her handlebars. Thian cranks the throttle open and she feels herself press back into the invisible backrest. They shoot off like a rock from a _slingshot_ , Amanda _screaming_ with excitement, as the laughter from both Tia and Tianna begin to fade behind her.

The ride into the village ends up being a great time for everyone. Amanda is like a little kid, _squealing_ with joy at each new twist and turn Thian makes. Thian will sometimes fly her up to a couple thousand feet, level off, then slow to a stop and just hover there for a few moments. He will let her wonder at the sights all around them, pointing down to items of interest.

Amanda of course, is _still_ scared silly, looking far below her to see the _sharp_ tips of the trees, pointing _up_ at her now like tiny _fuzzy_ toothpicks. There are _dozens_ of waterfalls off in the distance against the towering cliffs, laced with green and the coloring of many flowering plants. The falls are _beautiful_ , sparking in the sunlight. Streams and small rivers flow from the base of the falls, winding their way through the lush, green, pine filled forest, to empty into many small, and a few _large_ lakes scattered out all across the distance. After a short time, without _warning_ , Thian shoots _straight_ down, scaring Amanda _half_ to death, while she _screams_ at the top of her lungs, laughing in between the screams. Tia and Tianna matching _every_ move Thian makes, as they find _themselves_ screaming and laughing right along with Amanda.

Thian will maintain his dive until it looks like they are going to _slam_ into the ground. Then, at the last second, with Amanda's eyes _popping_ right out of her head with fright, he will _somehow_ , straighten out. They will then go shooting along just _inches_ above either the old dirt road leading into the village, or, he will shoot along and follow some little _animal_ path for a ways. Sometimes, they go _zooming_ around the tightly packed trees at _break_ neck speed, at times missing the surrounding trees by a _single_ inch, to suddenly shoot _straight_ up like a rocket in a gap between the trees, sometimes doing _spirals_ as they rise. They will then level out just at the tree tops, Amanda _screaming_ the whole time. She just _loves_ it!

It seems as though _little_ time has passed, before Thian lowers some from their latest _dive_ and rise, and they once again begin to follow the old dirt road. Soon, Amanda finds that they are passing several _other_ roads, that intersect the main one, and asks, "Where do _those_ roads go?"

Looking down, Thian says, "Those lead to a lot of other homes, and some of the other roads lead to other villages and towns, even some large _cities_ a long way off. Some lead to other _really_ large roads, that go all over the realm, like what Loki says you call _freeways_. There are a lot of people who can't use _Wizitch_ at all you know. Like _you_. Others can't fly or are afraid of heights, and even those who _can_ use Wizitch, and only about half, if that, can Appareto from one place to another. So _tons_ of folk use animal drawn carts, ride their animals, or other things."

Amanda laughs, "Well, I'm sure that when you use Appareto, you can get from one place to another really quickly. But, I think I would really just like to _fly_ on a broom, if it wasn't a real emergency or anything. I wouldn't want to miss _anything_ along the way. This is just so _beautiful_! I've never experienced _anything_ like it. I just _love_ it!" Tia and Tianna laugh.

"Thian? What happens if it _rains_ and you're flying?" Amanda asks with a look of concern.

"Oh, well, if you have a _bubble_ spell on your broom, it's no problem at all. You just tap the broom with your wand and say, ' _rain_ away.' Something like a protective bubble _pops_ out all around you and your broom. And the really _cool_ thing is, the water never even _hits_ the bubble, it's just directed _around_ it. And it doesn't get all _steamy_ inside either, like you'd think it would. Somehow, you still have nice _fresh_ air inside too. Oh... that's another thing I forgot to tell you. You can tap your broom to bring up the same kind of bubble, and either ask for heating... when it gets really cold out, or you can ask for _cooling_ when it gets really hot out. Just about all brooms come with _all_ those spells built in now days. All of _ours_ have them."

In a few more moments, they begin to pass some people who are riding in a kind of open cart, pulled by a _really_ strange looking animal. It is _larger_ than a horse, and has _really_ powerful shoulders and legs, a _very_ long neck, which is about eight feet in length. It looks kind of like what Amanda calls a _giraffe_ neck, only thicker, but has the head of a huge _bird_. The feathers cover from its head, to _just_ about the shoulders. The body looks something like that of what Amanda calls a _rhino_ , kind of short but really _powerful_ looking. The skin looks to be made of huge plates of _armor_.

"What the _heck_ is that?!" Amanda asks pointing _down_ at the strange beast a short distance in front of them.

"That's a _Rahnadon_ ," Tianna says from Amanda's right. "They're really powerful animals. They can pull many _tons_ in a loaded wagon, and can run like the _wind_ when free. They're really _hard_ to tame too. They can _whip_ their head around on those long necks like _lightning_ , and that _beak_ is _really_ sharp. They've been known to _snap_ a man _clean_ in half with just one _chomp_ too. They're also really _expensive_. Those people in the cart are the Carmen's. Mr. and Mrs. Carmen travel to the village every month or so to get supplies. They live _way_ out in the _Deep Forest_. I don't know exactly where. They stay _pretty_ much to themselves, well, mostly. They don't have any kids, at least I've never seen any, and I _know_ all the kids at school. They're really nice though, used to buy Tia, Thian and I some suckers or other sweets when we were little. Heck, they even bought us all suckers a couple times _last_ year when we were in the village when they were."

"I want to take a minute and say hello. If that's okay with you Amanda?" Thian asks as he turns slightly to look back at her.

Smiling Amanda says, "Sure, why not. It would be _nice_ to meet new people."

As Thian, Amanda, Tia and Tianna drop lower and pass overhead and just to the left of the wagon, the Rahnadon looks up and gives a very deep, resonant, _thunder_ like cry. The Carmen's look up, smile and wave. As the kids pass the wagon, Thian drops lower and makes a wide sweeping arc, turning around to come up from behind, then slows coming alongside the wagon.

The Carmens pull to a stop as Thian and Amanda glide to a stop beside them, hovering in the air just to the left side of the wagon, where Mr. Carmen is holding the reins.

"Hello Thian!" Mr. Carmen says with a very warm smile. "Haven't seen _you_ for ages! Hi Tia, Tianna, nice to see you! Well, who have you got with you? I don't believe I've had the pleasure of meeting _you_ before young lady, _have_ I?"

"No sir," Amanda says smiling back. "My name's Amanda. I'm, uh, _new_ around here."

"She's... my _cousin_ ," Thian says without really thinking much. "She, um, is staying with me for a few months. She lives over in Telmar, actually, _quite_ a ways into the forest though, but around thereabouts."

"Well, it's a _pleasure_ to meet you Amanda!" Mrs. Carmen says. "This is my husband Josh, and I'm Samantha. Are you four headed into the village for the convention?"

"Yeah," Tianna says pulling forward a little, to get a good look at the Rahnadon, being _sure_ to stay far enough away so it cannot get her. The Rahnadon eyes her suspiciously, but makes no aggressive moves. Tianna then continues. "Amanda needs to open a bank account. And after that, we're going to show her around the village a little, then check out some of the booths at the convention. Amanda hasn't _seen_ the village yet."

"Ooooh, you'll just _love_ it," Samantha says with a laugh. "If we didn't live so far out, I'd spend _most_ of my time shopping or just looking around I think. It's a rather _small_ village, but, there are a lot of great shops to explore, and always _something_ new going on, or to see. And the convention is just _so_ exciting! So much to see and do! Maybe we'll see you kids there."

"That would be great!" Thian says. "Well, we better get going before things get _too_ crowded at the bank. It was nice seeing you two again, and maybe we _will_ see you there."

"Nice to meet you Amanda!" Samantha says warmly.

"It was nice to meet the two of you too." As Thian pulls away and accelerates with Tia and Tianna coming up on either side, Amanda turns calling back, " _Bye_!" as she waves, the Carmens smile, waving back to her.

"What really _nice_ people!" Amanda says. "Too bad they live so far away, they seem like they would be nice people to get to know."

"Yeah, they really are nice," Thian says. "Don't really know why we haven't gotten to know them better. Guess it's just because they're so much older, and they don't _have_ any kids and all. That, and they live so far off in the forest, I just don't think about them. But, maybe we can visit them sometime if you'd like."

"Yeah, I would like that. Maybe _they'd_ like to have some company from time to time too. People should get to know their neighbors I think. At least, the _nice_ ones."

Over the next several minutes, they pass more and more people heading to the village and the convention. Many are riding in wagons pulled by strange animals Amanda has never seen before. Many are walking alone, some in groups, and soon, she finds they've joined a _throng_ of others flying on brooms, going to and from the village. The kids wave at everyone they pass, receiving waves in return. Amanda is having a _great_ time flying and waving at everyone, like she is in some kind of _parade_ or something.

After another few moments, turning her head to the right to look around some, she lets out a _cry_ of surprise, points up to her right saying, "Oh golly, _look_! Is that somebody _riding_ on that huge bird? It looks kind of like the one I saw when I was walking in the forest, only, this one is even _bigger_!"

Everyone turns to look to where Amanda is pointing with her mouth open and head tilted back.

"Oh, yeah!" Tia says with a laugh. "That's _Artemis_ and Hera Ives. They're riding _Clio_. Clio is about five years old now I think. She looks _wonderful_ doesn't she? Almost a pure white, with those _flaming_ orange tipped wings, and I _love_ the bright blue tail feathers. Her brilliant green eyes look like huge _emeralds_ too, and her shiny red beak, makes her eyes really _pop_. Just _gorgeous_ isn't she? "

" _Yeah_ she is. I mean... Holy _cow_! People fly on birds the size of a _bus_?" Amanda asks watching the huge bird now fly directly over them, bank to the right, and begin to follow another roadway.

Tianna laughs. "Birds and a lot of _other_ animals too. The closer we get to the village, the more things you'll see. We don't _get_ many exotic animals around here, except when the convention comes. You'll see _huge_ pitch black winged creatures you may think are dragons of some kind, but they're _not_. They're actually a breed of giant _bat_ from another realm. Generally some _eighteen_ feet long, with a _thirty_ -five-foot wing span. They have _brilliant_ red eyes, very long _fangs_ which hang out of their mouths, and _sharp_ pointed ears which are _really_ long, and turn in all directions. Oh, and they eat _meat_. And I mean _any_ kind of meat they can sink their _fangs_ into."

Amanda now has a rather frightened expression as she looks to Tianna, who is _grinning_ at her. Amanda then turns to Tia asking, "Is she _kidding_ me?"

"No, she's _not_!" Tia says now searching the skies above and around them. "They have to meet government regulations and go through _intensive_ testing though, before they're allowed around other people and animals, but, they give me the _creeps_. I don't _like_ them at all. When they look at you, you _know_ they're sizing up just how _tasty_ you might be. I've even seen them begin to _salivate_ when they're tied up in their pens, and their eyes _follow_ someone they're interested in."

"Hey, look!" Tianna cries. "Just behind, up and to the left. I think that's _Lares_ riding his blue-ridged _dragon_!"

"What?! _Where_?" Amanda cries frantically looking all around, "A _dragon_? Where?!"

"Right there!" Thian points up and off slightly behind him to the left. "He's coming _straight_ at us, so they're hard to see. Wait for Xanador to flap his wings, _then_ you'll see them."

In another few seconds, Amanda yells, "Oh my _god_! I _see_ them, I see them! Wow, they're really coming in _fast_ aren't they?"

"Yeah," Tianna says with a laugh. "Lares is one of the _best_ aerobatic dragon flyers in our realm. Maybe in _most_ actually. He's won the aerobatic dragon competition, what... _four_ straight years now?"

"Five." Tia says, now watching the huge blue-ridged dragon coming full into view in all its splendor. "Last year, it was _really_ close though remember? Lares and Xanador were up against Cadmus, and his red dragon Dyonisius. Their flying skills are pretty well matched. The event even went into _overtime_ because it was first declared a tie. So, they went into instant _death_."

"Instant... _death_?" Amanda asks, still watching the huge blue dragon now pass over them, plunging them into its dark shadow for a moment. Its long tail with the flair, like the tip of an arrowhead at the end, streaming out long behind it.

"Oh," Thian says quickly, "no... not instant death like in someone _dies_ or anything. Although they _could_ actually. But they each have to fly a _really_ difficult and _dangerous_ obstacle course. The one who does it the best, and in the _fastest_ time wins. No more chances. Instant death of the match for the ones that lost."

"I can't _believe_ that dragons are real!" Amanda says shaking her head, watching the beautiful blue-ridged dragon fly off over the hill in front of them, now banking sharply to the right.

"Really?" Tia asks looking over at Amanda. "You had _lots_ of dragons in your realm for ages. From what I've heard, you still _have_ some, but they're only mountain dwelling ones now. Your atmosphere would _kill_ them if they left the mountains, or your _people_ would."

"They live in our _mountains_?" Amanda asks questionably.

"Well yeah," Tia continues. " _Most_ mountains are mainly hollow that house dragons you know. Most _all_ Wizitch creatures have left your realm though. Too much _electrical_ interference. Messes up Wizitch energies, so, most witches, wizards and others left your realm and live on others now. Lots still _visit_ your realm, but, not many at any given time. Except for those attending the few Wizitch _schools_ there. Actually, three of the very _best_ Wizitch schools are on Earth, and only the _best_ students are admitted."

"The village is just over that hill there." Thian says pointing just up ahead. "The convention and all the events are set up _away_ from the village, about a mile or so to our left. The pens for the dragons and other large animals are off about a mile to our right. I'll take us up some, so you can see the village from the air. As you can see, there are a _lot_ of other flyers on brooms above us in the distance. Generally, you enter the village from about two to three hundred feet using brooms, moving _really_ slow. That way, you can see where the other flyers are, and spot where you want to land too. It helps prevent people from flying _into_ each other. It still happens, but not _very_ often, since there aren't all that many people who fly on brooms here, even to the convention. Most just Appareto to someplace just outside the village, then walk in, or, like the Carmens, _drive_ in. Those who fly in on animals, are _supposed_ to fly from five-hundred feet to eight-hundred feet, until they clear the village and can _drop_ in for a landing at their designated pens."

Thian rises higher as Amanda's eyes go wide at the site of the little village, as they clear the top of the hill. The village street is lined on both sides with shop after shop for some two miles into the distance. There are alleyways leading from these shops to two more rows of shops behind them, each separated by a roadway.

The shops are oddly shaped. Some are _very_ tall, others quite short. Many are tilted at odd angles, and several are even _twisted_ , rising high into the air like some kind of tall, rectangular, tilting spiral. The shops are in many colors and look old and shabby. There is a _huge_ circle in the center of the main road, where the shops curve around it. As they begin to fly over the village and near the circle, Amanda can see a very large water fountain in the center of the circle.

"As if you can't figure it out," Tia calls over to Amanda, "that big circle with the fountain is the very center of the village. The bank is that short, crooked, _purple_ one across from the fountain on the left. One of our _favorite_ shops is right next to it, on the right side. It's the _sweets_ shop, and they have just about _every_ kind of sweet you can think of. We'll stop in there after you open your account, then we'll show you around the rest of the village. Later, we can fly over to the convention and look around a little. We told our mom that we'd have a bite to eat at the convention, then, get home later. She said it would be okay."

"And look at all the _flying_ creatures with their owners, trainers or flyers on them," Tianna says pointing off into the distance. "It's still only the _morning_ of the opening day. Most won't be getting here until late afternoon, many tonight and tomorrow. The _animal_ competitions don't start for two days."

Amanda smiles and marvels at all the beautiful and diverse flying creatures, then looks down on all the people strolling along the streets, while Thian skillfully maneuvers their tandem lower and lower, headed for the alleyway between the bank and the sweets shop.

As they get closer, Amanda is fascinated by all the different clothing the people are wearing. Some are dressed in regular street clothing. Many wear long, beautifully colored robes, some even have capes which stream out behind them as they walk. Some wear really _strange_ hats, some are narrow where they go around the head, but flare _quite_ widely higher up, resembling a kind of _mushroom_. Some are just like the witches hats Amanda has seen in books and in movies, with _wide_ thin bases, rising taller and narrower, ending in a point. Many hats are tall, then thin like the others, but then _curve_ over slightly ending in a point.

"Some of those robes and hats are _really_ stunning," Amanda says pointing down at the people near the bank.

"Yeah, they can get really elaborate and all, with all _kinds_ of designs and symbols on them," Tia says with a smile. "You'll see a good _variety_ of colors and styles too. You can buy most of them here in the village. But some are custom made just for _you_ , once you reach your next level."

"Your next level?" Amanda asks with a puzzled expression, "Your next level of, _what_?"

"Wizitch _training_." Tianna says as she pulls back behind Tia, who is now behind Thian as they approach the ground in the little alley. "There are _many_ different areas of Wizitch you can study, and each area of study has their own, _unique_ style of robe. Kind of like a uniform. There are different colors in each style too, dependent upon the _level_ you have reached in your education, within _that_ area of study."

"Wow! So, you can just _look_ at someone and know what they're studying, and know to what level they've reached? That's really interesting," Amanda says as Thian lowers to the ground as she folds her handlebars, then steps off and to the side.

"Yeah, it really is." Thian says folding his handlebars and stepping off also, holding the tandem in his right hand. "It really makes it _easy_ if you want to know something, or how to _do_ something you're having trouble with. You just look for someone who you _know_ has reached the level of knowledge you're looking for, then, you can _ask_ them. Most of the time, people are really _excited_ that you chose them to talk to, or to ask questions of, and are really eager to help. Well, unless it's _me_ anyway. Then, they always seem to have _someplace_ else to go, or just don't have the _time_ to talk to me."

Amanda does not know whether to smile or not at that, but fortunately, just then Tia says, "But not _everyone_ wears their level robes all the time. Most of the time, people just wear whatever they want, including common _dress_ robes, like most of the ones you'll see. But, _lots_ of people are really proud of the levels they've achieved, and, many come here right after school is out for the day, or on their _way_ to school, or some conference or event, and have their level robes on. Since the convention is here though, you'll see a _lot_ of really pretty clothing, and most _all_ competitors wearing their level robes, or their _competition_ robes."

"Do all of _you_ have competition robes?" Amanda asks excitedly, "I'd _love_ to see them."

There is a moment's silence, then Thian says quietly, "No. We don't have any robes at _all_. Of _any_ kind, as a matter of fact. They're pretty expensive, and, we just don't have the money for 'em."

"Oh... _well_ then," Amanda says as a smile spreads across her face. "I guess we'll just have to _do_ something about that then, _won't_ we?"

After a short pause, everyone laughs, Thian saying, "Yeah, I _forgot_ for a second. I got so caught up in everything we were talking about, I forgot why we're _really_ here. Gosh, I hadn't even _thought_ about being able to have enough money to buy _competition_ robes. How cool is _that_!"

To TOC

# Journey Into The Bank

They all laugh as they approach a double door to something which reminds Amanda of an old wooden shed. As Thian opens the door, Amanda can see several brooms hanging on hooks, suspended from what _looks_ like some kind of roller system. The conveyor-like system looks something like the ones she has seen at several dry cleaners back on Earth. On Earth, the attendant will take your cleaning ticket, punch in some numbers, and the rack will turn until your clothing shows up near the counter. Thian pulls a ticket from a little automated slot, then hangs up the tandem. He then pulls a ticket for Tia's broom, then Tianna's, handing them the ticket stubs. They then step out and shut the door.

Thian says, "There are a _lot_ of these scattered around the village, so you can store your ride while you're here. It doesn't _cost_ anything either. You just need your ticket stubs to get 'em back. There are lots of these out at the competition areas too, so you can just fly over to the events you want to see, store your broom, and not miss much, even when one event is on _one_ side of the village, and the next is _way_ over on the other side, several miles away."

Making their way back to the main street, they round the corner and step up onto the old wooden walkway to the shops and bank. There is a very large double door just to their left. As they approach the door of the purple bank, a _huge_ hairy creature opens the door from the inside, startling Amanda, who gives a cry of surprise.

After seeing the _terrified_ expression on Amanda's face, Thian looks quickly up at the creature saying, "Uh, _sorry_ , I stepped on her foot." Then as they all pass through the door, Tianna half _dragging_ Amanda inside, Amanda looks over her shoulder, rather pale and wide eyed.

As Amanda turns around, ready to ask Thian what the _heck_ that thing was that opened the door, she looks into the lobby of the bank, and again, _gasps_ , her eyes practically _popping_ out of her head.

Thian, seeing her frightened expression, quickly says, "Oh _no_! I forgot that you've never seen beings from other realms before. Amanda, _calm_ down, everything's okay, uh, just look _natural_ , try to, well, just _blend_ in. Gosh, I should have _warned_ you, but I just didn't think of it!"

"Ya _think_!" Amanda says looking around at all the strange creatures, walking or standing in lines. "Thian, I'm _shaking_ so hard, I'm having a hard time walking. And most of the people here are dressed _really_ nicely, and well, we..."

" _Aren't_?" Tianna says looking all around too. "Yeah, we know. People have been looking down their noses at us and the way we dress, for as long as I can remember."

"Thian!" Tia says in a low cross whisper. "You mean you didn't _tell_ Amanda about the beings she might see, or _meet_? You _did_ tell her about the _goblins_ who run the bank didn't you?"

" _Goblins_?!" Amanda says a little too loudly, several people and strange looking creatures nearby turning to look at them. "Sorry," Amanda says in a whisper. "What do you mean, goblins?"

Tianna, holding up one hand, shrugs saying as she tilts her head toward one of the bank tellers, " _Goblins_. There, see? They run the bank here. In fact, they run _most_ of the Wizitch banks on other realms too. Even some on Earth I think. Really _strange_ little creatures. _Clever_ as they come goblins are. Suspicious of _everyone_ and everything, but perhaps the _best_ protectors you could ever want, when it comes to protecting your gold, silver, platinum, copper, jewels and other valuables."

Amanda stares at the creature behind the counter they are in line to see. "I _can't_ believe it!" she whispers. "They look _just_ like the ones in my favorite movies. You know, the ones I told you about, with the boy who flew on brooms and everything."

Tianna says shaking her head, "I'm _telling_ you Amanda, whoever _wrote_ those books, knows a _lot_ more about Wizitch than they let on. Maybe _they've_ been to other realms too."

Amanda cannot help but stare as they step up to the counter, where the little, long-eared, long crooked nosed, rather _evil_ looking thing looks down at them.

"Well? _Why_ are you here?" The little goblin asks crossly, not even looking at them as he turns an stamps a pile of parchments.

"Uh, well," Thian sputters. "We're here to open an account for my, uh, _cousin_. I would like to open it with a little money from my own vault... please."

The goblin pauses, looking down his crooked nose over his oval glasses. Squinting, he first looks at Thian, then to Amanda. After studying them for a few tense moments, he then turns to Tia and Tianna. "Takes _all_ of you to open _one_ account does it?" he snarls, eyes narrowing.

"Well, no, no it doesn't," Thian says licking his lips, looking to the others nervously. "But, we... we're all going to look around the convention after we open the account. So... so, we all just came _in_ together is all."

"I seeeee," the goblin says looking each of them over like they have tracked mud onto a sparkling white floor or something. "Very well. You will need to fill out these forms, then you'll need to have an aura scan, be assigned an account number, given _two_ keys, and, you will need the funds to open the account. You may then put the funds into your vault as you wish. After that, you may transfer funds into or out of your account as you see fit. How much do you wish to open your account with miss?"

Amanda stutters for a moment, "I, I..." looking frantically to Thian for help, Thian says, "Uh, well, I'd like to transfer _ten_ Turrens from my account to hers. That's _okay_ isn't it?"

The goblin purses his very wide, thin lips, frowns, then says, "Yes, of _course_ , very good sir. Can't expect more from the likes of _you_ all I expect. Do you have your key sir?"

Thian fumbles in his pants pocket for a moment, then pulls out a very long silver key, and hands it to the goblin. The goblin studies the key for a moment, then says, "Very _well_ sir. Once you have the paperwork filled out, and she has been scanned and assigned an account number, you may enter your vault and make the transfer, or, we can do it _for_ you of course."

"Oh, um, thanks." Thian says taking the stack of papers and handing them to Amanda. "If you don't mind, I'd like to show Amanda my vault, and take her to hers. She's never _had_ an account before, so all this is _new_ to her... sir."

The goblin simply shrugs saying, " _What_ a surprise. As you wish. More work for _us_ of course, but why should _you_ care." He then turns away saying, " _Next_ please." The kids step away, and walk over to a long island in the center of the lobby to fill out the papers.

"He _wasn't_ very nice. In fact, he was really _rude_!" Amanda says looking back to the little creature, watching his very long fingers grasp a key some old lady is handing him.

"Actually," Thian says softly glancing back also, "I don't _ever_ remember a time I've been in here, that _any_ of them were nice at all. But, I don't really care. As long as they _protect_ the money I have, it's okay with me. It's not like I come here to _chat_ you know?"

It takes several minutes to fill out all the paperwork, then they take all the pages to the section which read, "New Account Aura Scans," and again stand in a short line.

When they reach the head of the line, Amanda sees a really _horrible_ looking female goblin. At least, she _thinks_ it is a female. The creature _glares_ down at them grumbling, stretching out the words, "P a p e r s p l e a s e." She looks them over then says, "Very well, which of you is this, Amanda?"

"Uh, I am... _mam_?" The goblin looks up from the papers and glares at Amanda, making her blush, Amanda immediately thinking, "Oh my god... maybe it's a _male_ and I just insulted him!"

"Please come around the side of the desk and stand at the center of the mark," the little goblin says in a rather _irritated_ monotone growl.

Amanda swallows looking nervously to Thian, who smiles back saying, "It's okay, it doesn't hurt at all, just stand really still until you're told you can step out."

Amanda walks around and behind the desk. There she finds what looks like a bull's eye on the floor. Since it is the _only_ mark she can see, she walks to it and stands directly over it, her arms down in front of her, her hands clasped.

"Please _lift_ your arms up to shoulder height and to the sides, and hold _very_ still please," the little creature growls.

Amanda, looking somewhat frightened, lifts her arms looking as though she is facing a firing squad, then freezes in place. There is a humming as something descends from the ceiling. It begins spinning quickly around her as her heart pounds. It looks like some kind of curved disk. It is not attached to anything at all, just floating in space, spinning rapidly around her, moving from head to floor. It takes only seconds, then the curved disk shoots up and out of sight.

"Step _back_ to the other side of the desk please," The goblin says without having looked at her this entire time.

Amanda walks quickly back to her friends and faces the goblin, who hands Amanda a parchment, saying, "Please keep these for your records. This is the documentation detailing your scan, and contains your account number."

The goblin reaches below their sight and brings up two shiny silver keys. "These are your vault keys, do _not_ lose them. You may visit your vault whenever you like. Please bring one of these keys with you when you wish to visit your vault. You may make deposits, transfers or withdrawals at the teller stations, or you may perform _any_ of those personally, by visiting the vault or vaults in question, should they be within this bank.

"Should you wish to visit your vault, please take the elevator down to the _fifth_ level, and show the guard your key. You will be scanned at that time for security, then be taken to your vault. Your escort _must_ remain with you at all times, both to and from your vault. However, you may enter your vault alone, or with _whomever_ you like. The guides are _not_ allowed in the vaults, at _any_ time. You are _not_ allowed anywhere below _this_ level, other than the waiting area and your vaults. When you have completed your transaction at your vault, your guide will escort you back to level five. Do you _understand_ and agree to follow these procedures?"

"Yes, I do, thank you," Amanda says in as normal a voice as she can, being half scared to death.

"Very well. Please sign here. Here is an envelope for your documents and keys. Please store these in a _very_ secure place, and let _no_ one know where they are." Then, with a wave of her hand in dismissal, the goblin calls, " _Next_ please."

As the kids walk toward the elevator leading down to level five and the vaults, Amanda says, "Well, _that_ was a hoot." The others laugh, drawing stares from those around them.

"You'll _like_ the ride to the vaults," Tia says stepping up close to Amanda. "The vaults are _really_ deep underground. It's guessed that each level you go down, is about _two_ hundred feet. So, we go down about a _thousand_ feet just to get to the guard station. Be prepared, it's _really_ scary in there."

"They have all _kinds_ of creatures there for security reasons," Tianna says nodding. "And I've _never_ met a nice goblin or other creature in there... _ever_. The guides are _all_ goblins as well. They're very well adapted to the really dim, blue-green glow in the caverns. Once the guard clears us, we'll follow the guide to a rail system that has carts you get into, then strap yourself in. Kind of like what Loki says you call a _roller_ coaster where you come from."

"The carts will take us to Thian's vault first," Tia says looking around. "So he can get the money to take to your vault. The money in the vault is automatically calculated by Wizitch. So, when the vault is sealed, the new amount is calculated instantly. You can check the actual amount outside your vault, by using your key and putting your face against a kind of mask. The mask checks your aura, then a screen goes on and shows you your balance. You can also use one _inside_ your vault, which is really handy when you're scooping up bags of coins to take with you, or to other realms, which don't use the aura scans to transfer money. Or, at least that's what I've heard. The screen will stay on until you either turn it off, or the vault door is closed. This way, you know _exactly_ how much money you're taking out, or adding to what you have."

They reach the elevator and step in. No one else is with them. The doors close and they soundlessly begin to drop quickly. Amanda gives a little cry as she puts her arms out to steady herself.

Everyone giggles and smiles at her. Amanda laughs then grins back.

In a few moments, the elevator slows, comes to a stop, the door opens and they step out into a large circular lobby. This room is fairly dim, but you can see well enough. Amanda gives a gasp as her eyes dart around the room. The room is lined with oddly shaped wooden doors. Each door has some kind of _huge_ menacing creature standing beside it. Many of the creatures hold _vicious_ and powerful looking animals on leashes.

Tianna leans over to Amanda as they walk up to one of the guard desks in the center of the room, "Just _try_ to stay calm, and look like you do this all the time. Show no _fear_."

Amanda whispers back, "Yeah, well, uh, it's a little _late_ for that I think." Tianna stifles a laugh.

They step up to the guard's desk as the odd little goblin looks over his glasses and down his nose at them asking, "Yes? _How_ may I be of service?"

"We just opened a new account for my cousin Amanda here," Thian says nodding to Amanda. "I'd like to complete the transfer of some money from my vault to her new one, as it states on her new paperwork. These are our friends, and we would like them to come too."

Looking _quite_ annoyed, the ancient looking goblin says, " _Very_ well. May I have your keys please."

Amanda presents the goblin with one of her keys. He looks it over like he has never _seen_ one before. Nodding, he hands it back to her. Thian then hands him his key. The goblin again studies it very carefully, before handing it back.

"Please step over to the scanners. You _first_ please," The goblin says pointing to Amanda.

They walk to an area that has the same kind of bulls-eye marking on the floor. This time though, there are _three_ very large creatures standing near the mark, each holding the leash of a _fierce_ looking animal, all straining at the ends of their leash, _snapping_ and snarling at Amanda.

Tia reaches over taking Amanda's hand in hers, giving it a little squeeze while whispering, "It's okay, just do like you did in the main lobby." Tia lets go of Amanda's hand, and Amanda steps forward and stands on the bull's-eye mark. Facing straight ahead, she holds her arms up and out to her sides. Immediately, the strange little curved disk descends from the ceiling and begins to spin around her. A green glow emits from the bulls-eye as the disk shoots up and out of sight. Amanda lowers her arms and steps over to the others, breathing a sigh of relief, trying desperately not to _look_ as scared as she feels, her heart _pounding_ hard in her chest.

One by one, they all go through the security scanner. Once Tia steps away, they return to the guard's desk. There is another, _younger_ goblin standing there, eyeing them with what appears to be a look of disgust on its face, but also, a look of... _curiosity_. He looks to be somewhere around their age.

The little goblin steps up saying, "My name is _Kim_ , I will be your guide. Follow _me_ please." He then turns and begins walking away toward one of the massive wooden doors, at a _very_ brisk pace.

Amanda turns to Tia who is right beside her, whispering, "His name is... _Kim_? Is that a normal name for... for a goblin?" To her surprise, the little goblin who is at least fifteen feet in front of her, replies without looking back, "My name is Kim _here_ miss, because no one but a goblin could pronounce my given name. Follow _me_ please. _Quickly_ now."

Looking to Tia with a surprised and embarrassed expression, with eyes wide and licking her lips, the two of them hurry forward to join the others.

As they approach a the wooden door, the door guard has the little goblin sign a form, then turns, inserts a _really_ long, oddly shaped key which had been hanging on his belt, into a slot beside the door. When he pulls the door open, Amanda nods as she sees that it is some three feet thick, but, _not_ made of wood after all. The outside of the door is just a facade. It is only a thin one or two-inch layering of wood. The actual door is some three feet of a very shiny light brass color. Nodding again, Amanda knows it must be of some special metal alloy, and _very_ strong. Once they step in and begin to walk, the door closes and a clink, clink, _clinking_ could be heard, as the locking mechanisms seal the door.

The corridor they are led into, grows dimmer the further they go. By the time they reach the next door, at the end of the long corridor, their eyes have adjusted somewhat to the very dim blue-green glow of the walls.

The little goblin lifts his hand and sticks it into a hole in the wall. There is a flash of green light and a latch can be heard disengaging from the door. The little goblin pulls hard against the huge door, there is a _pop_ , and it begins to open, again revealing a three-foot thick metal door.

Stepping through, Amanda gives a gasp at the sight before her. They have just entered a _gigantic_ cavern bathed in a shimmering blue-green light. The light is being emitted from _millions_ upon millions of glowing spots on the walls, like millions of blue-green fireflies. There appears to be a _huge_ hole in the center of the cavern, some thirty feet in front of them, which must be a couple _thousand_ feet across, _easy_. There are two sets of what look like really old rusty railroad tracks, a few feet in front of them, which separate _them_ from the huge gaping hole in the distance.

"Oh _golly_! It's _beautiful_!" Amanda says scanning the walls and ceiling with her mouth open.

"Yeah, it is!" Thian says as he too looks all around. "I _never_ get tired of coming here, the ride is pretty nice too. Wish they'd go _faster_ though."

The little goblin named Kim, turns around and rather excited asks, "Excuse me miss, but is this your very _first_ time in the vaults?"

The question rather surprises everyone, especially since the little goblin asked it in a very _nice_ way, with what is clearly a _smile_ on his face.

"Uh, yes, actually, I've never been to _any_ vaults before, anywhere. It's my first time."

"Oh!" Then looking around nervously, which makes everyone else look around nervously as well, the goblin continues, "Well then, you have just _got_ to see _this_ , please, all of you, come see." And the little fellow hurries off toward the huge hole that takes up most of the gigantic caverns center.

The kids all look from one to the other for a moment. With a shrug, Thian heads off quickly after Kim, the others jogging behind to catch up.

The huge hole, has a crooked wooden railing which runs all the way around it. As they catch up with Kim, who is now climbing the latticework to get to the top railing, Kim calls out, "Be careful. The railing is _very_ old and in need of repair. But, it is safe enough, just don't _lean_ too hard against it."

They all step up to the railing and _everyone_ gasps at the sight. The huge hole is actually a _gigantic_ spiraling pit, which seems to drop into infinity, due to the dim lighting far below. The spiral gets tighter and tighter as it drops further and further, until it makes just a very fine point.

All along the cavern walls, down as far as they can see, are door after door of vaults. There is a space for two sets of tracks, then, opposite the vaults is a wall about twelve feet high, so as to prevent the riders in the carts from seeing the gaping _abyss_ only twelve inches away on the other side of the wall. The sight makes Amanda and the other's eyes bulge, and they all feel a bit dizzy.

"Isn't it _grand_?!" Kim asks as he sits atop the railing, his feet dangling and swinging over the side, holding out his arms indicating the vastness of the cavern.

Amanda, now holding very tightly to the railing, breathing in very shallow shuttering breaths says, "It's _breathtaking_! Literally, I can _hardly_ breathe! Oh my gosh, it looks like it goes to the center of the Ear... well, down a _really_ long way." Looking closer, Amanda can see tiny carts making their way along some of the tracks, like tiny ants scattered about, scurrying from one place to another.

Thian says with his eyes wide also, "I've been in here _plenty_ of times, but I never knew it looked like _this_. Taking the carts, I knew we were traveling in a really wide curve most of the time, before going off in some other direction. But I never knew it was some kind of huge _spiral_! And I had no idea the vaults went that _deep_. How come there're so many? There's got to be more vaults here than all the people in the village, times a _hundred_ at least, with all the other _passageways_ leading away from the spiral!"

"Actually sir, there are _thousands_ of vaults here, and more in the adjacent caverns. A great many are empty of course, but many hold _very_ valuable artifacts which families wish to keep safe, and _secret_. Many _great_ wizards and witches, and other creatures from other realms, store their valuables in _many_ different banks, scattered all over, not only here in _this_ realm, but many others. Many of the vaults you see, are filled to _bursting_ with _very_ odd things indeed, from realms I've never even heard of. Some of the vaults are _huge_ , in fact, you could put several _houses_ in some of them."

"I never knew that," Thian says shaking his head, awestruck at the vastness of the abyss, watching the tiny carts dart about.

"Neither did _we_!" Tianna says looking to Tia. "In all the years we've been coming here with mom, we _never_ saw this."

"Oh, er, yes, well, about that. I'm not really _supposed_ to let anyone see this actually. I'd appreciate it, if you wouldn't mention this to anyone. It's my _first_ week here, and I'd never seen anything like it either. Just thought you nice folks might appreciate it is all."

Tianna looks at Kim suspiciously for a moment, then asks, "You're not _full_ -blooded goblin are you?"

Kim's long ears droop some as his smile fades, his eyes growing large as he looks up under his bushy eyebrows. He looks from Tianna's face to the others, who are all looking at him with expectant expressions.

"Oh, uh, well no. Not really miss. But _how_ did you know, if you don't mind my asking?"

"Well, to be _blunt_ ," Tianna says crossing her arms as she watches Kim climb down from the railing. "You are the _first_ goblin I've ever met... in fact, the only one I've even _heard_ of... who's _nice_."

"Oh, yes. I know I still have to work on that. I've been reprimanded _four_ times this week already about being nice." Kim's ears are down as he begins to walk off with his shoulders hunched forward.

"Wait!" Amanda says as they begin to follow Kim back toward the tracks, where an empty cart is just coming to a stop. "You were _reprimanded_ for being _nice_?! Why? Aren't you _supposed_ to be nice to your customers?"

"Oh _no_ miss, or, well, _yes_ miss, well, _kind_ of. Those who work in _any_ Wizitch bank, are normally chosen because they are really _mean_ , so as to provide the very best protection. In fact, bank employees generally need to go through _months_ of intensive training, _not_ to attack and _rip_ apart the customers, when they get a little _snippy_ with us."

Turning quickly, Amanda looks first to Tia, then to Thian, who look _just_ as surprised as she does.

As they get to the cart, Kim says, "Please enter the cart and strap yourselves in, then pull down and _latch_ the hand bars."

They all step in as Tianna says, "So, _Kim_ , how did _you_ get a job here if you have to be really mean and all. Don't you need to pass some kind of _testing_ or something?"

"Yes miss. Normally you need to go through a _lot_ of really intensive stuff. But, my uncle is not only the bank manager, he's the _owner_ of the bank too, although very few know that. He didn't know what to do with me once my mom died, and I was sent here to live with him, two _weeks_ ago.

"My dad died years ago, and mom and I got along as best we could. I really didn't _want_ to live with my uncle, but... no one _else_ wanted anything to do with me. He doesn't either, but, our laws say, if you have _any_ relatives at all, they _have_ to take you in, even if they don't want you, or don't know what to do with you. Well, till you're of _age_ of course. Seems _no_ one knows what to do with me, or what I'm _good_ for. So, he just gave me this job so he could keep an eye on me."

Kim sniffs and wipes his eyes on his sleeve.

"I needed to go through _some_ training of course, but, not like everyone else does. My uncle told me I'd never pass. I had to go through _special_ training to sound _meaner_ , not nicer. Not many other goblins like me at all, cause I'm, _different_. That's why my uncle took me out of school, and said I could work here, if I didn't _mess_ things up much, or _embarrass_ him. But, I'm not real popular around _here_ either, let me _tell_ you. I'm not _mean_ and _nasty_ enough for all the others. They're _always_ making fun of me and such." He looks to them with the most defeated expression any of them have ever seen, then wiping his eyes gives a little nervous laugh.

"Yeah, well, _I_ know the feeling!" Thian says just finishing strapping himself in and pulling down the bars which click into place. "Don't worry, we won't tell _anyone_ you were nice to us."

"Thanks sir. Okay, we are going to the young master's vault first, then to yours miss."

"Okay. But hang on a second," Thian says, holding onto the bars just in front of him, Amanda watching and doing the same. "Listen, my name is Thian. This is Amanda, Tianna and Tia. You don't have to call me _master_ , or any of them _miss_. It's just Thian, Amanda, Tia and Tianna okay?"

"Oh... _thank_ you sir, I mean Thian! But I would get in _big_ trouble if I used your first names. We are _not_ allowed to get to know our customers, and we _really_ aren't supposed to get to like them at all." Then with a smile says, "Although, it's a little _late_ for that now. But, I can call you by your first names while we're down here... just not once we get back out okay?"

"Sure," Tia says. "No problem."

With that, Kim looks to Thian with a grin saying, "So, you like to go _fast_ do you? Okay, hold on, here we _go_!" Kim waves his wand saying, "Vault 1373, _quick_ as a Zitter." The little cart, which can hold eight rather large sized creatures, shoots off down the tracks, forcing all of them back _hard_ against their seats. Amanda gives a cry of surprise, while the others all laugh and hold on.

The cart goes _whipping_ down the tracks, faster and faster as it speeds along the spiral, with vault doors _streaming_ by on their left, and the wall separating them from the abyss, mere feet to their right.

As they descend further, they pass several "Y's" in the tracks which shoot off to the left. In a few more _blurring_ moments, they soon find they are nearing another "Y."

"Hang on folks, we're going to be veering off to the left now."

When they reach the "Y," they whip off to the left-hand passage so quickly, that the cart tilts as all the wheels on the right lift several feet off the tracks. The kids are all _forced_ across their seats, and _squished_ against the left side of the cart.

Amanda and the others are all _screaming_ with excitement, while Kim _whoops_ right along with them, waving his arms in the air like they are on some _amusement_ ride at a theme park, which makes them all laugh even harder.

They soon find themselves rising over small hills within large sparkling caverns, then dropping almost _vertically_ down for what could have been, at times, a couple _hundred_ feet, scaring the _bejeebees_ out of them all. They will then shoot back up, hard to the left or right with the cart _tilting_ off one set of wheels, then the other.

At times, they are moving _so_ quickly, that they climb well up the side of the cavern walls at _ridiculous_ angles, _screaming_ all the while, hoping the cart stays on the tracks and will not _flip_ over. At two points in their journey, their momentum is _so_ great, as they approach an area narrowing up ahead, they can plainly see that the tracks actually _change_ their position, to rise up the walls. They continue _across_ the ceiling, down the other side, and continue on to do the same thing _three_ or four more times, then rise up into the darkness and out of sight.

Amanda cries, "Oh no! Oh god, oh god!"

Kim yells, "Hang on, you'll _love_ this!" Just as they are whipped up the side of the cavern wall, everyone takes a deep breath as they begin to be forced against their seats. Everyone begins _screaming_ as they whip upside down for a moment, just to go streaking down the other side, then back up and _around_ and _around_ , again and again.

Thian is laughing and yelling that he is going to throw up.

They then rise abruptly for a moment, straighten out on the tracks, before dropping _seventy_ -five feet, _straight_ down, leaving their stomachs _lurching_ and all eyes popping. The cart then straightens out and begins to slow as it _whips_ around a curve to their right, then quickly to the left, and slows further before coming to a _rapid_ stop, across from a very _ancient_ looking, carved wooden vault door.

Kim _immediately_ leans over the side of the cart and throws up, with Thian doing the same thing, who is seated just behind Kim. Amanda _feels_ like she is going to throw up too, but manages to swallow a few times, and keeps it down. Her stomach is so _tight_ from the excitement, it _aches_ as she begins laughing again. Tia and Tianna look a little pale, but neither threw up.

Everyone is now laughing _so_ hard, they all have _tears_ streaming down their faces... even _Tianna_.

Kim reaches under his seat, and pulls out a box of tissues, then hands several to Thian so he can wipe the vomit off his face. Kim does the same, both of them _laughing_ the whole time. Kim holds out a bag he retrieves from under his seat also, for Thian to toss his tissues in, saying, "I _always_ keep this handy. I throw up _every_ time I do that. I've never done it with anyone _else_ in the cart though." He then hands Thian a small bottle of water to wash out his mouth.

Amanda, Tia and Tianna are again _laughing_ so hard as they get out of the cart, they have to lean back against it in order to stand up. Amanda bends over, holding onto her legs for a moment, then straightening saying, "Kim! You _scared_ us half to death you know? But that was the most _exciting_ ride I've ever had. _Thank_ you! Is it _always_ like this?"

Tia is wiping her eyes with a tissue Kim has passed to her. "Tianna and I've been in the bank _hundreds_ of times, but it's _never_ been like this. If it was, the bank would have a _lot_ more business, _that's_ for sure, at least, from the _younger_ people! I don't think the older folks could _take_ it."

"We're not _supposed_ to go very fast, really," Kim says, wiping the tears from his own eyes from laughing so much. "But, I just thought you were all really nice, and, that you all might like it. Especially, this being your first _time_ and all Miss Amanda. Just wanted to give you something to remember."

"Well, you did _that_ for sure!" Amanda says with a huge grin. "I can guarantee you, I'll _never_ forget this!"

Everyone laughs, then Kim says, "Well, Thian, may I have your key please?"

"Oh, yeah, sure." He fumbles around in his pocket for a moment, then draws out the key. "Here you go."

Kim steps across the other set of tracks and places the key into a keyhole in the door. He then sticks his hand into a hole in the cavern wall. There is a flash of green light, followed by the usual clank, clank, clanking within the door.

"The aura of my hand, once verified, unlatches _half_ of the locking mechanisms within the door Amanda. Please turn your key now Thian, which will unlatch the other half, and allow the vault to be opened."

Thian steps to the key and gives it a turn. More clanking is heard, then the door pops open about an inch.

"I'll remain out here beside the wall. You may all enter and take as much time as you like. When you're finished, just close the door and it will automatically lock. Please _take_ your key at that time Thian. By the way Amanda, should you forget to remove your key when the door is shut, a _chime_ will sound to remind you to remove it. Please enter now, and again, take as much time as you like okay?"

"Thanks Kim!" Thian says with a big grin. "I'm glad I'm not the _only_ one who threw up."

"Don't think a thing of it sir, uh, Thian. I throw up _every_ time I come down here by myself, and _I_ can go as fast as I want."

They all laugh as the kids step inside the now dimly lit vault.

As Amanda looks around, she can see _dozens_ of various sized rectangular holes within the metal walls, and there are _several_ tables with various stacks of colored coins on them, against one wall.

Thian points to the holes in the walls saying, "Those are for, well, whatever you want to put in them. That one over there has the deed to my house. That one over there has all the _insurance_ papers in it, although I don't understand any of them. That one there has the birth records of my mom and dad, and my adoption papers. The others are mostly empty. We didn't have a lot to put in here you know? These tables hold all the coins. This one's for platinum, which as you can see is empty. Never _had_ any platinum coins, as far as I know. Really _rare_ now days anyway. This table is for gold... empty too. That one is for silver and that other one is for copper coins. Those other tables, with the glass domes that are empty... they're for various gemstones and rare crystals, well, if you _have_ any."

"Wow!" Amanda says looking around. "This is _really_ interesting. But do you mean, you have to carry around pockets full of heavy _coins_ all the time? Don't you have any _paper_ money?"

" _Paper_ money?" Tianna sneers. "Why would you want to carry _paper_ , which could burn up, or, get wet and fall apart, or _torn_ apart or something?"

"Well, that's what we have back on..." Then looking to the open vault door, remembering the very sharp hearing of the goblin, "on the _farm_."

"The _farm_?" Tia mouths without actually speaking.

"In our, uh, little town," Amanda says looking very nervously, "we, uh," then holding up her hands shaking her head like she does not know what to say, "all _voted_ to carry paper with the printed value on them. Just makes it easier to _carry_ lighter paper money you know?" She then holds up both hands again making an odd expression.

"Well," Tianna begins. "Away from... the _farm_ Amanda, the well-educated and _sophisticated_ folks, like _ourselves_ , don't _use_ paper money."

Everyone glares at Tianna, Amanda feeling about an inch tall.

Tianna continues. " _Here_ , and in most other _civilized_ portions of the realms, one simply uses one's aura scan. You can go into _any_ store, or up to any street vendor, and simply place your hand on a scanner. Some use a _face_ scanner though, and the transaction is made instantly. The actual coins, bars or gems from _your_ vault, are instantly transferred to the _sellers_ vault. There's no need to carry _anything_ with you at all, unless you want to, or you visit another realm or something, which don't use aura scanning. Which none of _us_ have ever gone to, or ever _will_ , more than likely. And of course, you can _always_ use any of the many kiosks to check your balance, or make transfers whenever you need to."

Tia shakes her head, still _glaring_ at Tianna, who simply crosses her arms, leans against a wall and begins to look around.

"But, what if somebody _kidnaps_ you and just has you, use your aura, and _steals_ your money?" Amanda asks a little cross.

"It wouldn't work," Thian says looking to the rather small pile of copper coins. "Your aura is unique of course, and only matches you. But, it also detects your _mental_ state. So, if you show _fear_ at all, the system won't work. Then, you actually _have_ to go to a bank, with trained people or creatures, and you'd have to be examined and such, _before_ allowed to get your money. It's really _very_ secure."

Thian clears his throat and walks over to a stack of coins, then takes up a handful of the copper ones, which make up the largest pile of coins on any of the tables. Amanda notices that there are only a handful of silver coins on the next table, and none on any of the others.

"This is what we need to transfer into your vault Amanda, to satisfy the documentation. That will complete the transaction. When we get back up top, we can send Gaynon the account number, and he can do his thing. Your, uh, _funds_ will instantly arrive in _your_ vault, all sorted, neatly stacked and _everything_. It's really _very_ efficient."

With that, they all exit the vault, and when Thian closes the door, they can clearly hear the locking mechanisms clanking into place. Thian stands there for a moment pointing to his key, which everyone looks to. In another moment, there is a chiming sound. Thian smiles at Kim, who nods and smiles back, as Thian removes his key.

"Just wanted Amanda to see what happens if you forget your key," Thian says as he steps back.

As they all turn to get back into the cart, there is a roar and as Amanda looks to her right. Another cart, with two people, plus the goblin driver, comes _screaming_ down the track _right_ at their cart. Amanda's eyes fly open as she jumps back with a cry, placing her back against the vault wall, arms flat against the walls to her side.

The cart is about to _strike_ theirs, when the single set of tracks, _suddenly_ turns into _two_ sets, with one set, just in front of the rapidly approaching cart, arching up and _over_ their cart. It then comes back down and melts into a single track again. Shaking hard, mouth open, Amanda watches as the other cart _rises_ into the air on the new tracks, makes its way over their cart, tilts back down, and speeds on its way.

The others now turn to see _poor_ Amanda looking like she is going to _pass_ out, the color clearly _drained_ from her face. Standing there for another moment, Amanda points, stammering, "The cart... _crash_...what?"

The others all laugh while Tia rushes up to Amanda saying, "Amanda. I'm so sorry! Of _course_ you don't know how things work here. There are two sets of tracks, which go from the guards area, where we first came out, and _back_ again. There are so many people using the bank, _especially_ during the conventions, you'd have to have _dozens_ and dozens of tracks to accommodate everyone, with carts stopping and starting all the time. It's just not _practical_. So, using Wizitch, the carts detect another cart in their way, and a new track is made to get over the obstacle. We've even seen as many as _five_ tracks high, going over one parked cart. As soon as a cart passes the obstacle, it melds itself into the next lower track, until it's just back on the _one_ track again. I'm so _sorry_." Tia laughs as Amanda begins to smile, the color slowly returning to her face.

Everyone gets back in their little cart and straps themselves in. Amanda grabs the bars in front of her, ready to hang on for _dear_ life saying, "Well, this has been one _exciting_ day in the village, and this is only the _first_ place we've been!"

Kim turns to them saying, " _Hang_ on, here we go again!" He waves his wand saying, "Vault 3133, _quick_ as a Zitter." In an instant, they shoot off like a rock from a slingshot, everyone _screaming_ and laughing as they go.

The ride to Amanda's vault is just as much fun as the ride to Thian's, with many ups, downs, wild _curves_ and several spirals which send them upside down, screaming with excitement with every flip. Amanda has now gotten used to seeing the tracks adjust their position, to match the speed of their cart, while approaching curves at high speeds and such. Otherwise, they would have gone shooting right _off_ the tracks and crashed.

Amanda's vault is the same size as Thian's. Tia tells her that most vaults are of that size to begin with. Should you outgrow it, you are moved to another larger one, but the vault _number_ stays the same. That is why when the cart begins to slow, as you look at the vault numbers, _none_ are in order. The vaults can _only_ be found using the _Wizitch Vault Tracking System_.

Once inside Amanda's vault, she places the few coins Thian has given her, onto the little table that says, "Copper," they then exit and lock the vault door.

As they all reinter the cart, Kim says, "I'll be taking us back at the normal speed, so we won't all look like a _wreck_ when we get back. The return track usually has more carts on it, since all the side tunnels merge onto it. If we all looked like we do now, they'd _know_ we had too much fun, and I'd get in _big_ trouble. I mean, just look at Thian's _hair_!"

Everyone laughs as they adjust their safety harnesses, Thian licking his hands and trying to flatten his frazzled hair, which looks as though he has been through a wind storm. The others looking _just_ as bad of course, do their best to fix themselves up as well. The ride back is actually very boring. It is still fun to look around, and they are moving _fairly_ quickly, but not at break neck speeds. This time, they pass two other carts going in the other direction, the occupants not even _glancing_ at them as the kids wave.

They soon arrive back at the upper level. Everyone steps out, and after checking to see that they look _somewhat_ decent, combing their hair with their fingers, so it is not standing on end anymore, they enter the corridor leading back to the guard's stations.

When Kim gets to the second heavy door, he turns saying, "It was really _nice_ meeting all of you. Maybe I'll see you again sometime," and with that, he opens the door.

As the kids step through into the large room, Amanda _immediately_ yells, sounding extremely upset and _very_ angry, in a forceful tone, "You are the _rudest_ little creature I have _ever_ met! I've _never_ been talked down to like that... _ever_! How _dare_ you! I'll be transferring my funds whenever I can, through the _kiosk_ , and _not_ coming down here to deal with the likes of _you_!" Spinning on her heals, Amanda _storms_ off toward the exit, not looking back.

For a moment, _everyone_ just stands there looking after her with _totally_ stunned expressions, all mouths hanging open. Tia then _snaps_ around to face poor Kim, who looks the most _surprised_ of all and says, "And that goes for _me_ too! You are one of the _meanest_ goblins I've ever _met_! Just _wait_ till I tell my _mother_ about you!" Tia then turns, storming off after Amanda. You could have heard a _pin_ drop. Everyone in the room is now intently focused on the angry customers, including all the _attack_ animals, which have also gone quiet, confused by the confrontations.

Tianna has caught on, as has Thian. Tianna turns around and bending low, puts her face very close to the much shorter Kim, and while waving her finger in his startled face, screams, "You _filthy_ little tunnel dwelling _slime_! _Why_ the bank would hire someone as _mean_ as you, I can't _possibly_ imagine! You watched _every_ move we made, and you _never_ left us alone at all, unless we were _in_ the vault, and you _wouldn't_ let us look around at all either! I'll have my _mother_ writing not only the _manager_ of this bank, but to whoever the _owner_ is too." Tianna actually makes a _growling_ sound, spins on her heals to look to some of the guards yelling, "Well? What do you think _you're_ looking at? Get _back_ to work!" then stomps off after Amanda and Tia, who are now standing at the open elevator doors, waiting for she and Thian.

By now, Kim has caught on as well, and trying to keep from laughing, does his _best_ to look really mean. Kim's lips begin quivering, while trying to stifle a laugh, knowing that _all_ the guards, including his _supervisor_ , are all intently watching and listening to the yelling, _very_ impressed that Kim is so _disliked_ by these customers.

You can see the thanks and pride on Kim's face as he turns, puts his hands on his hips and _snarls_ up at Thian, "Yeaaaah, and just what do _you_ have to say, you filthy stinking _elf_? Huh? Comeata got your _tongue_ or something? Nothing? Well, _run_ along then. Good _day_ to you." Then turning his back on the stammering Thian, says in a casual, matter of fact tone, "Thanks for banking at Kushmen's." Kim waves his hand in the air in a most _dismissive_ manor, still walking away, and comes to stand in front of his supervisor's desk, where he begins to sign the visitors out.

Thian, is just too afraid he will _crack_ up, so biting his tongue, says nothing, spins and walks quickly to join the others, who are now holding the elevator door open for him. Stepping in, he turns, as the four of them _glare_ back at the guards, who are all watching them with sneering smirks on their faces. Kim turns _just_ as the doors are closing, giving a wink.

As the elevator rises a little, they begin to hear _roars_ and cheers from below. They all _burst_ into laughter.

"Did you _see_ his face when Amanda started _yelling_ at him?" Tia says placing her hand on Thian's shoulder. "He looked like he was going into _shock_ or something. I thought for a moment, that he might actually _pass_ out. His eyes got as big as my _fist_! I think he began to catch on when _I_ started in on him."

"Yeah, and by the time _I_ got through with him," Tianna says with a grin, "he knew for _sure_ what was going on, his posture changed _immediately_."

"I had no idea _what_ to say to him after the three of you," Thian says with a laugh. "Then, he just _waves_ me off, turns his back to me, and _strolls_ away. Just leaves me standing there with my _face_ hanging out." Everyone howls, tears streaming from their eyes.

The elevator comes to a stop and the doors open. The kids step out and as they begin to walk away, Tia says in a low whisper, "Hey! There's the _manager_ of the bank, you know, Kim's _uncle_. I didn't know he actually _owned_ the bank too, but, whadaya say we go over and give _him_ a piece of our minds too?"

Amanda grins nodding, as do the others. Before they have taken a _single_ step, Tianna puts her hands on her hips, and with a stern expression on her face yells, " _Who's_ the manager of this _stupid_ bank? I want to talk to them _right_ now!"

_Everyone_ in the bank turns to look at them, clearly seeing that the kids all have _tears_ running down their faces, as though from crying. Little do they know however, _these_ tears are from having _laughed_ so hard. The manager, a rather tall, heavy set goblin, glares over at them, then walks over and says rather sternly, " _I_ am the manager of this bank. Is there... a _problem_ miss?"

"Of _course_ there's a problem, you little _dirt_ licking _cave_ crawler!" Tianna yells as loud as she can, wagging her finger in the snarling goblin's wrinkled face, watching his lips twitch with anger. "That _scum_ sucking, _retched_ little creature named _Kim_ , on level five, is the _rudest_ , _meanest_ goblin I've ever met! He treated my friends and me like we were going to _rob_ the place or something!"

Amanda steps forward yelling, "He never let us out of his _sight_! Stuck to us like glue! Wouldn't let us get more than a _foot_ away from him at any time either! Treated us like, like..."

" _Velmors_!" Thian shouts.

"Huh?" Amanda says looking to him questioningly, then recovering quickly says, "Uh, _yeah_ , like, _Velmors_. How _dare_ he! We want him _punished_ for treating us like that, do you _hear_ me!"

The goblin snarls, yet has a strange kind of look about him, that Amanda takes as either _pleasure_ or amusement. The goblin rolls his neck around, which makes a loud _cracking_ sound, then says, "Indeed I _do_ hear you miss. I believe, the entire _village_ heard you. I'll look into the matter as soon as possible miss. Please pardon the slight... _inconvenience_." Turning his back to them, he slowly walks away. Amanda notices that several of the other goblins around the room, are holding up the very long little finger of both their hands, as the manager looks around and nods. Once outside, Tia explains that is kind of like _their_ way of giving a two thumbs up.

They all laugh, then Thian says, "Well, _that_ was a lot of fun. I bet Kim gets a little more respect now, at least for a while anyway. But now Amanda, you can send Gaynon your account number if you want, and he can transfer the gem to the buyer, then the buyer's funds will instantly be transferred into your vault. You can then, uh..."

"Transfer all _your_ monies into _your_ accounts!" Amanda says with a grin. "Great, but, how do I send him the account number?"

"No problem," Tianna says pulling a small notepad from her pants pocket, along with a pen. "Just write the account number on this parchment, and whatever else you want to say, then I'll send it by Wizitch. Simple."

Smiling, Amanda shakes her head, takes the paper and pen, and writes the account number down along with a thank you note for helping her do all this. She then hands the pad and pen back to Tianna.

Tianna tears off the page, puts the pad and pen back into her pants pocket, then, waving her wand over the palm holding the paper with the account number says, "To _Gaynon_ , one foot from his _nose_." The paper instantly vanishes with a flash. "There. Wherever he is, it just arrived floating in front of his _face_. Can't _miss_ it either."

Amanda laughs saying, "That is _soooo_ cool. Beats instant _messaging_ anyway." Everyone looks at her questioningly. Laughing she says, "So, _where_ do we go now? And, uh, is there anything I can do with this package the bank gave me? With the keys and all? I really don't want to carry it around all day."

"Here, give it to me," Thian says holding out his hand. Amanda hands it to him. He opens the package, takes out one of the silver keys, then hands it to her saying. "Keep this one with you for now. If you want to check the vaults later in person, you can. Otherwise, you can just use your aura scan at one of the kiosks, to verify the funds have been transferred. I'm going to send the rest of this to the secret place we hid all your armor and stuff. We can get it and put it someplace else when we get home if you want." Thian waves his wand over the package saying, "Hiding place _seven_ ," with a flash, the package vanishes.

"Hiding place... _seven_?" Tianna asks sarcastically. "You mean, you have enough stuff to need _seven_ secret places to hide them?"

"Just _never_ you mind Tianna. Well, now that's done, let's take Amanda to the _sweets_ shop first, okay?"

"Oh _great_ ," Tianna chuckles. "Nothing like a huge _sugar_ rush to calm us all down." They all laugh and head next door to the sweets shop, which is called _Cassandra's Sweet Treats_.

To TOC

# Amanda Explores The Village

C _assandra's Sweet Treats_ is a tall, crooked, pink and green building comprised of seven stories, each story tilted at a different angle, as well as being a different size and shape than one another. The ground floor level is quite large and filled with the most _wonderful_ hard and soft candies, chocolates, marshmallow treats, cotton candy, toffee, jawbreakers, bubble gums and _many_ Amanda is not familiar with.

To Amanda's stunned surprise, most _all_ of the candies are moving, hopping, jumping, scampering or skipping about. Some tables have cages with candy and chocolate animals in them, who are scampering about in miniature trees and forests, swamps, _odd_ looking deserts and other strange landscapes. There is even an _aquarium_ with moving candy fish that look real!

Other displays have brightly colored candy birds, which are fluttering about and chirping away in cages hanging from the ceiling. There are glass enclosures with all _kinds_ of strange looking creatures, which peer back at you from within the trees, behind rocks, or pop their heads up from below ground. Some are purring, some growling, and some, when you get close to their enclosure, try to _attack_ you, with very _sharp_ looking teeth or fangs, their claws _swiping_ out at you against the glass, quick as lightening.

Kids and adults are scattered about the large room, laughing and pointing to their favorite treat. One girl passing Amanda, heading out of the store, is sucking on the moving tentacle of a _huge_ multicolored, multi-flavored, gummy _octopus_ , which is now _beating_ the child about the face with the other tentacles, _desperately_ trying to get away.

All the cages and displays have signs on or near them, identifying which level in the shop, contains the larger displays of what items a visitor likes here on the main floor.

Amanda does not know which way to go. Actually, _everywhere_ she turns, she wants to go, so she is just standing there, a couple steps inside the front door, with her eyes and mouth wide open. After a few moments, Amanda begins to stutter, pointing first in one direction, then another. The others are laughing, enjoying her astonished and amazed expressions.

Finally, some other kids come in, and since Amanda is still standing _directly_ in front of the door, Tianna reaches over and _yanks_ her to the side, breaking Amanda's trance-like state.

"Let's go up to the _next_ level," Thian says excitedly, "I want to show Amanda the _aquariums_."

"Okay, but then let's show her the _Aviary_ on level three. I _love_ the colors of the feathers, and they just _melt_ in your mouth. But the birds there are _really_ hard to catch," Tia says watching Amanda's stunned expression return.

"And _I_ want to be sure she sees the _Dragon's_ _Den_ on the upper level! Don't forget _that_!" Tianna says watching Amanda's jaw drop completely.

"Dragons... Dragon's _Den_?" Amanda finally manages to stutter. "They have, little candy _dragons_ that move too?"

"Oh yeah," Tianna says with a grin. "And they _fly_ too. Little buggers are _really_ quick. Oh, and later, we can take you to the _Experience Center_ down the street."

Amanda is watching an odd creature in a cage, who just attacked, _killed_ and is now eating _another_ animal that is in the cage with it. Looking like she is about to throw up, Amanda turns a pale shade of green, and while scrunching up her face, forces down a swallow.

"What?" Thian asks looking around for what is making Amanda look sick. He sees the little animal now _crunching_ away on what is left of one leg from whatever it was that it is eating. "Oh, no, Amanda, it's okay. _Nothing_ in here is real! It's okay. Really. It's _all_ candy. They just move by Wizitch. It's just for _fun_ you know.

"Those are something new though, they've only had them for about a month now. Whenever one of them eats another, they become a _new_ flavor. Actually, you _never_ know what flavor you're gonna get, even when you buy the _same_ kind of animal each time. Sometimes, the flavors are _really_ incredible! They're really _cool_ aren't they?"

Amanda just swallows hard again, watching the little critter licking its fingers with a bright red tongue, while it looks up at her as though she may be its next treat.

In a very slow whisper she says, "Oh. Uh huh." Turning back to Tianna she asks, "What did you say about an... _Experience Center_? What's that?"

Everyone laughs and Tianna says with a sly look, "Ooooh, you'll _love_ the _Experience Center_ Amanda! They have _dozens_ of rooms where you can experience almost anything you want. Like fighting _life_ -sized dragons, or even flying around the country on them! You can fight all kinds of creatures from other realms too!

"You can swim in the ocean with the _creatures_ of the sea, and ride on some of them too if you want. You can fly on _giant_ winged creatures, explore caves and the creatures you might find in real caves. All _kinds_ of things!

"You can even fight _battles_ against evil witches, wizards, and other creatures, to practice your wand skills. And you can do it by yourself, or with _others_ as a team. Everything's created using _Wizitch_ of course, and isn't real, but you'd never _know_ it... well, other than you can never _die_ that is, unless you're _scared_ to death of course!"

Before Amanda can say anything, Thian grabs her arm and pulls her behind him as he says excitedly, "Yeah, she'll love that, but _first_ , let's show her around the rest of the sweet shop. Come on Amanda, I want to show you the _aquariums_."

They go up some very old and crooked stairs to the second level, where the aquariums are. When they enter, Tianna has to move Amanda to the side, as once again, Amanda has frozen in place with her mouth open and a look of surprise and _wonder_ on her face.

There are many aquariums of varying sizes in the dimly lit room. However, all the aquariums are lit.

There is a large aquarium beside Amanda to her left, with _almost_ transparent, moving candy jellyfish. The jellyfish are made out of something similar to what jellybeans are made of. There are multicolored gummy fish in the same tank, leisurely swimming about as well. Some fish are in small schools, while some are swimming alone.

"It's a special liquid of some kind, so they don't _melt_ ," Thian explains with a smile.

There are multicolored candy octopuses, squid, _gummy_ fish of every color imaginable, eels poking their heads out from the crevices, nooks and crannies within the many _wonderful_ candy rocks. There are _sharks_ , rays, absolutely _everything_ that swims in the sea, but in a size suitable for candy. Some are sea creatures Amanda has _never_ seen before, and are _really_ scary.

You can use your wand to pick the ones you want, or, you can actually go _fishing_ in one of several large, _dark_ tanks, and just take what you catch, or, you can even throw it _back_ and try again, as all are the same price in the tank anyway.

There are several children sitting on the little benches mounted over a large black tank. They all have fishing poles with their lines in the water, laughing and talking about what _creature_ they want to catch and eat.

As Amanda is about to turn away, a young boy's pole bends as he yells, "I've _got_ one! I've _got_ one!" Amanda turns back, watching transfixed as the boy reels in his line, to expose a brightly colored, _deep_ blue fish that is _thrashing_ on the line. The boy has a hard time grabbing onto the fish as he giggles trying to grab it, but once he has, he quickly unhooks it from his line. Holding the fish by the head, the tail _whipping_ wildly, _shoves_ the tail into his mouth and bites it _completely_ off. Amanda's jaw _drops_ as some kind of red liquid, which looks like _blood_ , drips down the boy's face and onto his clothing. The boy cries with joy, "Ooooh, it's _blueberry_ with _raspberry_ juice filling." The boy then throws the rest of the thrashing fish into a small bucket beside him.

Tia grabs Amanda and drags her to one of the huge tanks on the right, where Amanda marvels at how _real_ everything looks. The jellyfish are absolutely _mesmerizing_. Many are like see-through bubbles, gently propelling their way around in the large tank. Others are _really_ large, with long streaming tentacles dangling down below them.

To her surprise, a small yellow gummy fish swims _right_ into some tentacles, and _immediately_ freezes, apparently stung, making her gasp. The tentacles wrap around the little fish, then slowly retract toward the bubble part. The bright yellow fish disappears for a moment, just to reappear in what can only be the _stomach_ of the jellyfish. Amanda has both hands on the glass with her forehead resting against it, having gone somewhat weak in the knees.

Tianna, enjoying the expression on Amanda's face says, "If you watch _long_ enough, you can actually see the little fish _dissolve_ into nothing. But, it takes about _two_ hours. I stayed and watched once."

A movement from the corner of Amanda's eye catches her attention. Turning her head, she sees the _cutest_ little life-size _seahorses_ , gently bobbing up and down in some reeds, their little tails wrapped around the stalks, while the tiny fins on their backs flutter like a butterfly.

Tia says, "Aren't they _adorable_?! They instantly become a really tasty _sucker_ when removed from the tank, _or_ , they became a colorful _chocolate_ filled treat, with a really _gooey_ , creamy filling when you bite into them. You never know _which_ kind they'll be."

"Yeah, those are neat. But _those_..." Thian says, now pointing to several really _ugly_ , warty looking, deep green _sea_ -slugs, slowly making their way across a smooth stone. " _Those_ even squirt what looks like a thick yellow _pus_ when you bite them. They're really _sour_ too."

Putting a hand to _her_ mouth, Amanda turns a little green as her stomach begins to churn, making gurgling noises.

"It's really _neat_ when you bite 'em, 'cause they _burst_ in your mouth! The yellow _puss_ stuff squirts everywhere!"

Amanda is turning a deeper shade of yellow-green, feeling for _sure_ that she will throw up, when Tia says brightly, "Okay! We can come back here on our way down and look some more if you want Amanda. But now, I want you to see the _Aviary_." Grabbing Amanda's hand, practically _dragging_ her behind, Tia heads quickly for the stairs.

They pass several more beautiful tanks on the way, with waving candy reeds, candy coral of all colors, where even the _rocks_ and caves are all made out of candy of various textures.

Everywhere Amanda looks... everything she sees... makes her smile. Thirteen years of denied laughter and happiness flood out of her. Amanda is _giddy_ with the sheer enjoyment of it all.

Amanda's brain is about to _explode_ with all her eyes take in, especially the dazzling colors. It is as though she sees the hues for the very first time, and they hold her spellbound. The reds excite her as she begins to feel hungry, while the oranges, always near the reds, make her feel even more cheerful, if that were possible, as she walks closer with her friends. Blues touch her heart and the yellows... the _yellows_ are as warm as love.

Wherever she looks, she sees parents with their children, sharing a snack, pulling at one another to see another exhibit and laughing... always laughing... and for just a moment, the happiness becomes obscured behind a wall of memories. Shaking her head, she tries to force the unpleasant memories back into the hidden, _dark_ recesses of her heart. _Everyone_ here, laughing... happy...

Amanda feels Tia reach for her hand, again. "This way to the _Aviary_ Amanda... let's go! Wait 'til you hear the _stairs_!"

Amanda comes back to the present and, without knowing why, finds this last statement _hilarious_ and laughs until she cries as they _race_ toward the stairs, _quickly_ outdistancing Tianna and Thian.

"Oh, what _now_!" Tianna yells, sounding distinctly put out.

Hearing the tone in Tianna's voice, Amanda and Tia stop and turn around. At first they see _nothing_ that would cause Tianna to get so upset, though it _never_ took that much for Tianna to reach her boiling point.

The scene suddenly opens before them, and they see the cause of Tianna's irritation. There, about ten feet away from them and _sprawled_ on the ground covered with ice cream, is _Thian_. Next to Thian is a little girl, ice cream dripping down her dark hair and onto her face, _crying_ loudly. Kneeling next to her is the girl's mother, her dress front _covered_ in rainbow sherbet, trying in vain to comfort her. " _Please_ stop crying, Shirley. Look, mommy's covered in ice cream, too," which only makes the girl _howl_ louder.

"I cream... I wan' my I CREAM," she screams, as passers-by turn to see what the commotion is all about.

Amanda and Tia look at each other for a moment, then quickly make their way back to Thian and Tianna. By the time they reach them, a _crowd_ has already stopped to watch the melodrama.

Tianna looks down at Thian, grimaces, then looks at the mother. "I'm so _sorry_... he didn't mean it... it happens _all_ the time..."

The mother, the red in her face beginning to _nicely_ match the red in the rainbow sherbet, which is _spreading_ down her dress with deliberate intent, suddenly stands and steps toward her, causing Tianna to take a step back. "Then he should have _watched_ where he was going more carefully! And if you _know_ '...it happens _all_ the time...'" she mimics back to Tianna, "then _you're_ as much to blame as him!" gesturing wildly toward Thian. "Just _look_ at us!"

The crowd laughs.

" _Me_?" Tianna is indignant. "... but I... _I_ wasn't even _near_ him when Thian bumped into your daughter!" anger surging within her for being blamed so unjustly.

"He didn't _bump_ into her... he _stepped_ on her then bumped into me..." now competing with her daughter as to who is yelling the loudest.

The crowd laughs louder.

"... or are _you_ as deaf as your friend is _clumsy_?"

Tianna's face reddens as she looks to Thian, _expecting_ him to come to her defense, but Thian is _shaking_ his head like a dog trying to rid itself of a pesky _flea_ , then digs his fingers in his ear in a _futile_ effort to get rid of some of the ice cream that had dried there. He does not even seem _aware_ of the confrontation that is taking place a few feet away from him.

Tianna realizes she will get _no_ help from Thian, and decides she needs to defuse the situation quickly. She has an idea. Kneeling down to the _angelic_ looking little girl, Tianna speaks softly. "I don't _blame_ you for wanting your ice cream, _I_ would, too!" This makes the little girl stop screaming and look at Tianna with big, _wet_ eyes as she begins to hiccup.

"How 'bout, if we get a brand _new_ ice cream for you? Would you _like_ that?"

The girl nods, then looks at Thian, _hiccups_ loudly and thrusts out a quivering lower lip.

"You must be _kidding_!" the mother says, trying to control herself as she keeps pulling at her rainbow sherbet covered dress, while shaking first one leg, then the other, as the sherbet drips down her legs and inside her _shoes_ , while the sticky dress is _determined_ to cling to her rather _large_ round body. "I don't want _him_ anywhere _near_ my daughter... or _me_ , for that matter!"

"Look," Tianna says struggling to stay calm. "I'm _sorry_ it happened but it was just an _accident_... let us make it _right_. Thian will go and get your daughter whatever ice cream she wants. _Please_ , let him do that... then, I _promise_ , he won't come _anywhere_ near you!"

"I CREAM," the little girl's screams now rising to such a level, that Tianna is sure every dog-like creature within ten blocks, will come _racing_ in their direction. The _volume_ of the little girl's screams, are causing everyone in the crowd to put their hands over their ears and step back. "I WAN MY I CREAM NOW!"

"All _right_ sweetie, all _right_... we'll get your _ice_ cream! Just _stop_ screaming before mommy has to get _another_ pair of hearing aids!"

Looking at Tianna, the mother says, eyes narrowed, " _Fine_. Let's go and get the _damn_ ice cream... then _stay_ away from us... him _and_ you... _got_ it?"

"Yes, I've _got_ it," Tianna says, insulted that her gesture of peace is accepted with a _less_ than gracious response.

Tianna moves to Thian. "Thian, _get_ up and go get..." gritting her teeth, "...this _sweet_ little girl and her mother some ice cream." Giving him a good _kick_ with her toe. "NOW!"

Thian looks up at Tianna, surprised to see her _glaring_ at him. "Uh, _sure_ , okay," and slowly gets up, unaware that the melting ice cream is beginning to _dry_ in his hair, making him look like he could have been an attraction from the _Strange Birds of the World_ exhibit.

Thian smiles weakly at the little girl, but only succeeds in _scaring_ her as some of her black licorice and red heart ice cream, _drips_ down his teeth and chin. "I'm _sorry_ ," he says. "I was looking over there," indicating the ticket booths, "and I didn't see you come up behind me. Sorry."

Thian turns to look at the mother and his smile vanishes, as he sees her _wet_ and damaged dress. "Uh... you've got some _ice_ cream on your dress... did you _know_?"

"Thian! What is the _matter_ with you?" Tianna shouts, her _last_ nerve now utterly destroyed.

Luckily, the mother, firmly holding her daughter's hand, and with as much _dignity_ as she could muster, which was not _much_ , apparently not having heard Thian, already turned and is walking through the crowd, leaving a thin trail of sherbet behind her.

The comedy-drama having played itself out, the crowd starts to disperse. Tianna looks at Thian with a mixture of _anger_ and hurt. " _Why_ didn't you stand up for me, Thian? Why didn't you _say_ anything when she was _yelling_ at me? _I_ was standing up for _you_! But _you_ just let me take the _heat_... for _you_! I thought we were _friends_."

"I didn't know! Honest! With all the ice cream in my ears, it's hard to _hear_ anything!"

Tianna shakes her head looking at Thian, disappointment flooding her. "Just _go_ Thian. Then meet us at the stairs."

"I'm _really_ sorry, Tianna! Don't be mad at me." Then turning toward the direction the mother and daughter had gone, says, "I'll be back as _soon_ as I can," and leaves Tianna standing there.

Tianna shakes her head at the departing Thian, who, with the dried black licorice and red heart ice cream now firmly _planted_ in his hair and clothes, _crunches_ as he moves.

As Amanda and Tia join Tianna, righteous _anger_ sweeps over her, replacing the disappointment.

" _Honestly_ ," Tianna spat, "he's _such_ a disaster! He's a walking _time_ bomb, I swear! This time it's _ice_ cream... next time... who knows! Let's go!" and whirls around. "He'll meet us at the stairs, unless he _trips_ over his own feet!"

"He didn't _mean_ it!" Amanda says, feeling the need to defend Thian. "It was only an _accident_. The mother just over-reacted."

Unable to control the outpouring of anger and _embarrassment_ she just endured, Tianna yells, " _Did_ she? But not to _him_! To _me_! And _I_ didn't do anything but try and stick _up_ for him! And what did _Thian_ do? Nothing!" she spat. "He did... _nothing_! I stuck up for _him_ but he didn't come to _my_ defense! He never..." then, breathing hard, stops to catch her breath. "Oh-h-h-h!! It's _always_ only an accident! Thian _is_ a walking accident! He drives me _crazy_!"

Tia gives Amanda a look that is loud and clear, " _Let_ her be. She just needs to calm down." And without a word passing between them, Amanda nods.

Amanda cannot help but relive the embarrassing scene with the mother and daughter in her mind. Deep down, Amanda feels that Tianna _is_ justified in her anger. Amanda really likes Thian and knows it _was_ an accident... but... she admires Tianna for her _courage_ in standing up to the mother, and _defending_ Thian when she could have just left Thian to defend himself.

But, regardless of what Tianna just said about Thian, Amanda is certain that Tianna knows Thian well enough, to know that _he_ would have crumbled under the mother's tirade, and Tianna was _not_ about to let that happen.

Tianna might have a quick temper, but she is a _good_ friend. Amanda suddenly realizes there is more to Tianna than meets the eye.

Jostling their way around the crowd, Tia finally comes to an abrupt halt. Amanda, still lost in thought, almost walks into her. In front of them is the wide staircase leading to the Aviary. Amanda's mouth _drops_ open, as she watches a _spectacular_ display of images and hears the sounds coming from the steps themselves. Each time someone lands on a step, the step will light up with _flashing_ images of birds, who will begin to squawk, peep, _shriek_ , hoot and sing. With all the people going up and down the stairs, the effect is _dazzling_. Even though the sounds are not loud, they are a continuous _chorus_ that bombards the senses, and Amanda feels her eyes start to water from the image extravaganza.

"Come on... I'm getting hungry!" Tia says with a mischievous twinkle in her eye. "Let's see some of our feathered friends, _rip_ their feathers off, and _chow_ down."

Amanda shoots her a horrified look, then remembers they are in a _Candy Emporium_ and giggles.

On their way up to the second level, they pass three other kids and their mom as they are coming down. They say hi as they pass, while Amanda watches wide eyed, as the little girl with a tall, beautiful, _brightly_ colored exotic parrot, is perched on her arm. It has its feet partly wrapped around the girls wrist and is looking around, _smacking_ its beak. The girl reaches down and _yanks_ one of its beautiful, _long_ blue tail feathers off, and begins _stuffing_ it in her mouth, as the bird lets out an _ear_ splitting cry. Her mom turns to her, "Connie, honey, you want to _rip_ off and eat the wings first dear, you don't want it _flying_ off once we leave the shop do you?" Poor Amanda _trips_ on the next step, with Tia helping her up.

After reaching the top of the stairs, they wait for Thian. It does not take long before they see him maneuvering his way between people to catch up to them. Breathing hard and holding his side, he manages a weak smile. "Got... _ice_ cream... girl... _happy_... mother?... well...," he gasps, leaning forward breathing deeply.

Tianna snaps, " _Fine_. _That's_ like an hour wasted! Now _listen_ up, 'cause I _don't_ want to spend the whole day trying to fix everything _you_ do wrong. _Try_ and keep up, Thian... and _watch_ where you're going... and don't _step_ on anyone again... and try to _clean_ yourself up... and stop _crunching_ when you walk, it's _really_ irritating... and stay close to us... and don't _wander_ away... and don't _daydream_... and..."

"Is there anything I _can_ do?" Thian interrupts, feeling stung at the barrage hurled at him.

"I don't know. _Is_ there anything you _can_ do?" Then, without missing a beat, says, "As a matter of fact, there _is_... you can _stop_ making a nuisance of yourself!"

Thian shoves his hands deep in his pockets, and looks remorsefully at Tianna. "Anything else?"

"No. _Yes_ ," she says, quickly changing her mind. "Stop _embarrassing_ me. Go walk with Amanda... _she_ thinks there's _nothing_ wrong with you," and begins walking toward the ticket booths wearing a put upon expression.

Thian's downcast eyes mirror his inward feelings. Amanda puts her arm through his. "Tianna's _right_ ," she says softly, then seeing Thian's hurt expression, she continues, "I _don't_ think there's anything wrong with you, because there _is_ nothing wrong with you. Tianna's just hurt and thinks you don't _care_ about her, because you didn't stick up for her."

"But I didn't _hear_ what was going on... except for that loud _wailing_ sound, but that could have just been a _Jibberwok_ breaking the sound barrier or something. But the ice cream got _stuck_ in my ears and I didn't _hear_ anything!"

"Okay. But even if you _didn't_ know then what was happening, you know now. Tianna's a really good friend, and so are you. You just need to make her know that."

"I don't know how I can do _that_. She probably _hates_ me now, and doesn't want to have anything to do with me."

"You'll think of something. I have _faith_ in you. Come on now," she coaxed his arm with hers playfully, "don't let all of _this_ get to you. It's a _beautiful_ day, and we're going to have _fun_... okay?" she asks with a smile.

"Yeah... okay," Thian says grudgingly at first, then smiles more broadly. "It _is_ going to be a fun day! Let's go see some birds!" and they run to catch up with Tia and Tianna.

They are almost to the ticket booths when they slow and walk the rest of the way.

"Oh, what is _that_?" Amanda feels her eyes close irresistibly, as she breathes deeply. She is overcome by a multitude of _delicious_ smells, each caressing her senses. Rich _chocolates_ and caramels swirl around her. Then a sudden whiff of a _strawberry_ cream, followed by the most _irresistible_ vanilla aroma, making her mouth water.

The smells are so rich and full she feels as though she were _tasting_ them, instead of just smelling them. "Mmm, those _smells_ are so good! Where are they coming from?" she asks, opening her eyes.

"From the _NOSE_ ," Tianna says with a laugh. Tianna looks _just_ as bewitched by the smells as Amanda. After seeing Amanda's confused expression, she smiles. "The NOSE, N-O-S-E, are the _Nasal Olfactory Sensory Emitters_ ," and points upward. Amanda notices the tall poles stationed around the Aviary for the first time. At the top of each pole, is a large round tube jutting downward with a dozen canisters surrounding it. As she watches, she notices a thin spray being emitted from the tube.

She looks back to Tianna. "Well, really," Tianna continues, "nothing _tastes_ as good as those smells _smell_... but it's really well done. Each canister has a different smell, and they spray all day long. Cassandra _created_ the smells to make you want to buy more candy! Look..." Tianna points around them. Sure enough, all the children seem enchanted by the smells and are _begging_ their folks to buy them the fluttering candy birds in the cages.

"What a _smart_ idea!" as Amanda's head now clouds with the whiffs of marshmallows, toffees and warm maple syrup.

They _finally_ reach a line of booths. A person at each of the six booths, is scanning each person's aura, to automatically withdraw the cost of admission, then hands them a ticket.

The person in the booth they reach, is a thin woman, with _flaming_ pink hair and a rather _beak_ -like nose. She is munching on some candied pink shrimp, which are swimming in a clear bowl to her side. First, Tia places her hand on the Wizitchtized plate, and once the money transferred from her account, she receives her entrance ticket. Thian steps up and places his hand on the scanner, then hands the ticket to Amanda. He places his hand a second time for himself.

Next is Tianna's turn, but before she can place her hand on the plate, _Thian_ quickly puts _his_ hand on it. Tianna looks at him in surprise, but says nothing. Thian hands Tianna her ticket and she turns and walks away. Thian blushes as he sees Amanda smile at him, giving him an encouraging thumbs-up.

"Over _there_ ," the ticket lady squawks and motions with her head. "Make sure you don't get too close to the _Griffins_ \- they've been acting a bit _tetchy_ today," and waves them away.

Tia is trying hard not to laugh, but the _flaming_ pink hair is over the top for her. "Oh my gosh... did you see her _hair_?" she snorts.

"I thought it looked good for a _flamingo_ ," counters Tianna, strangely quiet. "After all, every one of them is _supposed_ to look like a different bird, you know, adds to the _flair_. Except for the man in the booth next to her... I _think_ he was supposed to be an owl..."

"Too much _nose_ hair," Thian says. Tianna, doing her _best_ to stay mad at him, tries to stifle a laugh, but just cannot hold back, and _bursts_ into laughter.

To TOC

# The Griffins

They walk toward the entrance to the Aviary and suddenly stop as they all turn their heads upward. Amanda has to lean back and shade her eyes, to see the top of a _huge_ cage which is the roof of the Aviary enclosure.

"This could be part of _Adventure_ Land," Amanda breathes.

"What's Adventure Land?" Tia and Thian ask together.

Amanda looks at them. " _Adventure_ Land. You know... _Disneyland_."

Tia and Thian look at each other, then at Amanda. "What's a Disneyland?"

"You don't know _Disneyland_?" she cannot believe that there is anyone _anywhere_ who does not know Disneyland. When they both shake their heads, she says, "Well, it's _so_ much fun! It has these different lands that you can go to, and there are _rides_ in every land, and there are food courts and _candy_ stands everywhere... and there's _Mickey_ and Minnie Mouse!"

"Now why would they name their pests like _that_? Sounds bizarre to me..." Tianna says dismissively looking around.

"No, no," Amanda laughs... "they're not _pests_... they're sort of like the _mascots_ for Disneyland. And they're not real, just big costumes of a mouse named Mickey, wearing shorts, and Minnie has the _cutest_ dress on with a bow on her head... people just _dress_ up like them to make the kids smile..."

"Right...," Tianna says, sounding unconvinced. "So in this Disneyland... kids like snuggling up to giant _pests_ , dressed in clothes... and they _name_ them... hmm... I think I'll stick with Cassandra's."

"So, uh, what did you _do_ at Disneyland when you were there?" Thian asks, interested in learning about this other land of fun.

"Me?... oh... I never went there," Amanda shrugs.

"But, then, how do you know so much about it?"

"I read about it, and saw the brochures about it when my... my..." Amanda begins to stammer turning slightly pink, "well, when the _people_ I used to live with, went with their son and brought them back."

"And they didn't take _you_?" Thian asks surprised.

"No, but it didn't matter," shaking her head. "I didn't want to go anyway. Well, not with _them_."

As Thian looks in her eyes, he can guess why she had not wanted to go.

Tia and Thian look at each other, then to Amanda. Tia, taking Amanda's hand says, "Well, you're with us now, and _we'll_ be your Minnie and Mickey!"

Tianna snorts. "Yeah, _that's_ just about right. Come on," and leads the way toward the entrance.

On either side of the entrance are _massive_ Griffins, each sitting on a huge concrete pedestal. Their thick muscles ripple as they stretch their powerful legs. One yawns and begins to lick its claws, bored with nothing, or no _one_ to attack.

Amanda stands transfixed before the Griffins. "They're beautiful but _weird_ , too, and _scary_. They look like they can't make up their mind as to what kind of animal they want to be."

"That's the way Griffins are... the head of an eagle on a lion's body," Thian says. "But their claws and wings... _those_ are from the eagle too, so maybe they're more _eagle_ than anything else."

Tianna looks at Thian with surprise. " _You_ seem to know a lot about them."

Thian shrugs. "I like to read about all kinds of animals, specially the _strange_ ones."

"Birds of a _feather_...?" Tianna mocks. When Tia gives her a dirty look, Tianna feigns innocence, "What? We're in the _Aviary_... I was just _saying_..."

"So..." Amanda says, turning to Thian to change the subject, "they're here because of their wings... is that it... because they can fly?" Turning back to the Griffins, she expects them to take flight any minute.

"Yeah, but I think it's more. Griffins have always been used as symbols of protecting valuable things, and the combination of an eagle's head, that symbolizes intelligence, and the lion's body that symbolizes strength, shows that _strength_ needs to have _intelligence_ to control it. And, I think, because a lion is earthbound and the eagle is dominant in the sky, it's a good symbol as a protector of everyone who enters the Aviary."

Impressed, Tia asks, "How do you know all that?"

"You might be _surprised_ at what I know," Thian says smiling.

Amanda turns to look at Thian. "What do you mean, '...a _protector_ of everyone who enters the Aviary'? Why would _we_ need protecting?" Some of her excitement of entering starts to slide away. "They look _really_ strong. Are you _sure_ they're not real... they _look_ real," Amanda asks as she walks slowly past the Griffins, who now eye her with undisguised interest while clicking their beaks.

"Nah, they _can't_ be real. Not here, and not out of a _cage_. But, still, you don't want to go and make them _mad_ or anything," Thian says.

"What would happen if they _did_ get mad?"

"They'd just try to attack you, but," now lowering her voice, Tianna steps closer, "I found out that if they begin to _growl_ deeply... a sure sign they'll attack, a built-in _melting_ mechanism is triggered, and makes 'em _melt_ away into a blob. See," Tianna points out, "if you look close, you'll see they're made of marzipan," then walks off toward the nearest Griffin.

"And exactly how did you find out _that_ neat tidbit?" Tia asks her suspiciously.

The Griffin is turned away from Tianna, cleaning its tail. Tianna sees what looks to be a slab of meat on the ground, directly in front of the Griffin's pedestal. It looks _chewed_ and wet with what appears to be saliva. Even though Tianna knows it has to be candy, the veining and _fat_ working its way through the red, marbled meat candy, is _truly_ impressive. It even _smells_ like raw meat. Without thinking, Tianna bends down and picks it up.

Amazed at its weight, she turns around to show it to the others. "Hey, look at _this_!" she says holding the slab of chewed and _saliva_ dripping candy meat in her hands.

Suddenly, from behind, Tianna hears a _deep_ growl. Turning around slowly, she sees the furthest Griffin eyeing the _dripping_ meat candy in her hands. In a split second, the Griffin _roars_ as it leaps off its pedestal right at her.

Forgetting the Griffins are _not_ real, Tianna's eyes _bulge_ as she screams, holding the meat candy up and out in front of her like a shield. About to be struck, she _clamps_ her eyes closed just as she suddenly feels herself being _knocked_ to the ground and, heart _pounding_ , waits for the Griffin's _claws_ and beak to _rip_ her to shreds. Flat on her back, a huge weight _drops_ on top of her, she hears _screams_ and shouts from all around her.

Instead of claws and a _razor_ -sharp beak digging into her flesh, Tianna feels a thick, _sticky_ goo begin to drip all around her. Slowly blinking her eyes open, expecting to see a _huge_ paw holding her down, she instead sees _Thian_ pulling himself off of her, _completely_ covered with the melting marzipan that had been the _two_ Griffins.

Tianna springs to her feet, slips in the slick goo, and _flies_ right over backward, knocking hard into something, again landing _flat_ on her back and begins to slide.

Suddenly there are _high_ pitched screams coming from behind her in the crowd.

Amanda and Tia quickly move to help a bewildered Tianna up. "Wha'... what _happened_?" Tianna stammers looking at the mass of melted marzipan.

"That was _so_ amazing! I've never seen Thian _move_ that fast!" Tia says with a laugh.

" _Thian_...?" Tianna says loudly over the screaming behind her, her heart still pounding.

"Yeah! As soon as he heard the Griffin _growl_ , he turned and saw you holding the meat. Then, I _swear_ , he was a _blur_! He jumped in front of you and pushed you to the ground, and then _both_ Griffins pounced on him, knocking _him_ down on top of you, with him getting the _full_ brunt of the melting marzipan, from both Griffins and the _meat_! It was _incredible_!" Tia blurts out, relishing the effect it has on Tianna.

"I, I _forgot_ for a sec that the Griffins were candy. When I heard the Griffin growl, and I turned, all I could _see_ was his huge beak and claws, and I thought I was _dead_ , for sure! I guess I just panicked and froze. I closed my eyes and the next thing I know, I'm _flat_ on the ground with _Thian_ on top of me. I tried to get up but slipped in this _stupid_ stuff, and fell again. I think I bumped into something... Thian... where's Thian? Is he _hurt_?"

For the second time that day, a crowd has formed around the group.

"It just _happened_ Tianna... it was an _accident_!" Amanda says smiling. "When the Griffins started to growl and then _jumped_ toward you, people started _screaming_ and trying to get out of the way... it all happened so _fast_ , and Thian sort of, well, _tripped_... again."

A groan escapes Tianna, _knowing_ she is yet to hear the _worst_ and she is not mistaken. Looking to Amanda, she waits to hear what _Thian_ has done now.

"Well... uh... Thian was covered with all that _sticky_ marzipan, so when he got up, he tripped and fell backwards, and... he _lost_ his ticket."

"That's _it_? He lost his _ticket_?" Tianna says over the screaming behind her. "The way you said it was _just_ an accident, I thought Thian did something _really_ bad again."

Amanda opens her mouth to continue, but Tia interrupts, "Oh, Tianna... just _turn_ around, will you!"

Tianna turns around and to her _horror_ , there is the _same_ mother and little girl, who _Thian_ had stepped on a short time ago, each still _splayed_ on the ground, _completely_ covered with the new ice creams that Thian had just bought for them, along with _globs_ of melted marzipan as the little girl _screams_ at the top of her lungs, and her mom _frantically_ tries to quiet her.

Ear-piercing _wails_ from the little girl fill the air. Tianna turns to Thian, _flaring_ anger replacing _any_ thought of gratitude, then stops in surprise. Thian is just standing there, looking innocently at her with his arms crossed, and a small _smile_ playing on his face.

Tianna can suddenly make out the little girl's words through her shrieks. " _She_ did it _now_ , Mommy! I WAN MY I CREAM!" Tianna's eyes and mouth open wide as she now knows what... or _who_... she had bumped into. For a moment, Tianna closes her eyes and shakes her head slowly. This _deja_ vu is quickly becoming a nightmare.

The crowd _laughs_ as some recognize Thian and Tianna, as part of a _previous_ melodrama. There are some scattered remarks that this _must_ be some sort of extra performance dreamed up by _Cassandra's Sweet Treats_ for their entertainment.

Some in the crowd applaud their appreciation.

The mother, giving up on quieting her daughter, turns toward the group while adjusting her hearing aid. Her eyes grow large as she realizes that these are the _same_ brats who had already caused her so much embarrassment. Unable to contain herself, she _shrieks_ at Tianna, "What is the _matter_ with you? Why can't you _watch_ where you're going? You're a _menace_! You shouldn't be allowed out with _normal_ people!"

The crowd laughs louder.

Tianna takes a deep breath, ready to apologize for what seems to be the _hundredth_ time that day, to these _same_ people. But before she can open her mouth, she hears a _familiar_ voice say in an _unfamiliar_ tone, " _Nothing_ is the matter with her... and she is _not_ a menace... and _stop_ screaming at her. She didn't do anything wrong and if it would have been _you_ , my guess is _you_ would have trampled over _ten_ people to get away from attacking Griffins! This was an _accident_ that the _Griffins_ caused, not _her_!" Tianna, open mouthed, turns to see Thian stand his ground.

At that moment, two elderly Wizitch caretakers push through the crowd. Eyeing the sticky, _gooey_ mess that was the Griffins, the eldest of the caretakers says, "They _did_ it again, George. Go get the _Eliminator_ and we'll get this mess _all_ taken care of."

"Sure thing Seefer," the other caretaker says as he turns slowly, then shuffles away to get the marzipan removal machine.

"Oh, and _George_ ," Seefer calls after him, "tell the _Creature_ Masters that we need another two Griffins...," then grumbling, turns back to survey the mess and clear the crowd.

Hearing high-pitched screams, he adjusts his cap and moves into the crowd. Seefer _squints_ through his thick glasses at the people still milling around, searching for the source of the screams. Seefer only notices the mother and little girl, _covered_ in ice cream laying on the ground, after he _slips_ , slides a ways in the sticky goo, _banging_ into people, then _steps_ on the little girl's hand. At that, the little girl _howls_ like a banshee. " _What_ in the name of the Heliomarths are you both _doin'_ on the ground? I almost _tripped_ over you there! Darn near gave me _apoplexy_ you did!"

Then seeing the ice cream and marzipan covering them both, and coming to the _wrong_ conclusion, says, "Oh, _sorry_ about the ice cream Lady, didn't mean 'ta do _that_. If you'll follow me and bring your little girl... that is..." now raising his voice over the girl's _shrieks_ so as to be heard, "FOLLOW ME AND WE'LL GET YOU CLEANED UP."

Muttering to himself, in a voice just _loud_ enough so everyone nearby could hear, he continues in an aggrieved tone, "These _Griffins_ are gettin' outta control. I keep _saying_ it, but will anyone _listen_ to me...? _No_... they just keep giving them those _blasted_ blood-flavored candy steaks. Well, what d'ya _think's_ gonna happen I ask, but does anyone _listen_ to me...? _No_... they just keep creatin' more blasted _critters_ and they..." but what they were going to do was not heard, as he continues his muttering while helping the mother up and, with the mother firmly holding the little girl's _uninjured_ hand, the mother gives a final dirty look to Tianna, and totters off to a back shed, adjacent to the Aviary with the caretaker, to get cleaned up.

With some of the crowd still standing, obviously waiting for the _next_ act, Thian takes control. "Okay everyone, there's nothing else to see. Hope you all _enjoyed_ the show. Thanks for visiting _Cassandra's Sweet Treats_. Please come again soon, and _tell_ all your friends."

The crowd applauds, breaks up and moves on.

Tianna looks at Thian, and for the first time in her life, is _speechless_.

As Thian turns back to her. "Thian... I... I..."

"It's okay. It's over now."

"I know... but the _Griffins_... you..."

"It was just an _accident_ is all. Happens to the _best_ of us," and smiles.

Tianna, embarrassed, nods. "Thanks. You were _great_ you know. And did you see the _face_ on the mom when you _yelled_ back at her? And, you _stood_ up for me."

"I know. Thought she had it _coming_!" Thian shrugs then laughs. "Forget it. It's what _friends_ do for each other."

Tianna smiles. "One more thing..."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. You're a _mess_. _Go_ and get cleaned up," sounding like Tianna once more.

Thian looks down at himself and sees she is right. Between the dried ice cream on his front and the melted marzipan on his back and in his hair, he is a human _all_ -day candy. "Ugh. Well, I've got to go get another ticket first. I think mine's _somewhere_ under all this goop. I _think_ I saw some sweat shirts and pants at the furthest stand. I'll get a set and change. Gosh, I've never spent _this_ much money for stuff I didn't need, but hey, I'll have _lots_ more later," and smiles at Amanda.

"I'll come with you... _my_ treat," Tianna says and walks toward the ticket booths.

Thian can't move. He is _rooted_ in place watching Tianna walk away. She has _never_ offered to go _anywhere_ with him before.

Tianna turns around, _obviously_ looking for Thian. Seeing him just _standing_ there, she puts her hands on her hips. "Well... _come_ on... what are you _waiting_ for?"

Thian rushes to Tianna's side, who _firmly_ takes his hand in hers, and seems to drag him along behind. Thian turns to Amanda and Tia, his face lighting up with a smile.

"How _glorious_ is this?" Tia says closing her eyes, determined to remember _every_ moment that, for _once_ , Tianna had her comeuppance.

To TOC

# The Aviary

Amanda laughs and after a few minutes, they see Thian wearing his new sweat pants, along with a shirt with the question, 'Bird Poop, Anyone?' emblazoned across the front, directly under a moving picture of a flying bird living up to the question asked. Walking next him is a smiling Tianna.

Amanda looks at Thian's sweatshirt, clearly perplexed. "Honestly, if it were _me_ , I'd much rather have the _marzipan_." Thian laughs.

"It's not real... oh, _never_ mind... you'll see when we get inside."

They all hand their tickets to the attendant and walk into the huge Aviary.

If Amanda thought that everything she had _already_ seen on the _main_ floor was amazing, it was _nothing_ compared to the Aviary.

She stands _transfixed_ as the sights and sounds overwhelm her. Birds of all _sizes_ and colors fly over their heads, most of which she has never seen before. Caretakers are walking birds on short leashes, some trying to fly away as others stop to investigate interesting people, while still others _beg_ for a morsel of the candy people were eating... even though _they_ are made of candy themselves.

In front of them is a directional sign, with four long stands stationed at different heights. On each stand is a _fake_ bird, meant to represent its group in the direction indicated by an arrow.

To the right are the _Exotics_ : Amazon Multi-Colored 4-eared Parrots, Asian _Biting_ Chickens, the rare Golden Inex and Phoenixes. To the left are the _Hunters_ : the 3-Footed Great JinJins, the Deadly _Invisible_ Quons, the miniature _Parasitic_ Flesh Bats and the Flying Crab-Hawks. Straight ahead are the _Chromatics_ : Flamingos, Peacocks, the Rainbow 3-Eyed Fairy and the Mouse-Eared Gibbering Sonwil's Bird of Paradise. Then, behind the Hunter Exhibit are the _special_ Wizitch Exhibits: Eggs transforming into Ostriches and back again, and _Piñata_ Birds. And of course, everyone's favorite... _Bird_ Poop!

"Am I _reading_ that right...? _Bird_ Poop? It can't be _real_. I mean, they've _got_ to be kidding!" Amanda says with disbelief, turning to Thian.

Thian points to his sweatshirt. "It's just _candy_ poop Amanda, you'll _love_ it!

"It comes in a bowl made of shredded _graham_ crackers. It looks like a bird's nest and it's filled with some bird parts... nothing really bad, just the heart, an _eye_ and the head of course, all laying on _top_ of the poop... but once you've eaten all the bird parts and poop, you can eat the nest! It's _really_ awesome! And you can even watch them get the _poop_ from the birds. You get to _catch_ the one you want, which can take _forever_. They're really _fast_ you know? But then, once you've caught 'em, you give them to the handler. They hold 'em up over a bowl of shredded graham crackers, then _squeeze_ the bird _really_ hard, making them _poop_ into the bowl."

Amanda's face is scrunched up in a disgusted look, starting to look a little pale. Thian continues, "They sque-e-e-eze the bird again and again, poop flying all _over_ the place, until they get enough to fill the bowl. It's really _cool_!"

"Um... maybe I'll _pass_ on that," envisioning someone _squeezing_ the poop from some squawking bird into a bowl, with severed _bird's_ heads and _eyes_ staring up at her.

"I want to see the _Phoenixes_ first... you _up_ for it Amanda?" Tianna asks with a crafty smile as she turns and walks away, taking for _granted_ that the others will follow.

"I guess..." Amanda says, her voice trailing off. She turns to look at Thian and Tia. "What's going to happen at the _Phoenix_ exhibit? Tianna's _smile_ has me a little worried."

Tia pulls her along to the right, following Tianna. "It's so _cool_! Well, there's _some_ fire and ash... and you might get a _little_ singed... but as long as your hair doesn't _burst_ into flame, you should _survive_ alright."

Amanda stops in her tracks. She wants to see all the birds, but between eating bird parts and poop, candy or not, and possibly sustaining bodily _injury_ , this adventure might not be as much fun as she thought it would be.

Seeing Amanda's mouth hanging open, Tia laughs. "Oh, come _on_ , you _scaredy_ cat," and drags her along.

The first exhibit they pass are the Asian Biting Chickens, whose thick feathers stick out in all directions, reminding Amanda of a huge _feather_ duster made out of ostrich feathers she once saw in a magazine.

Amanda stops walking, to watch the chickens eating bowls of what looks like chow mein noodles. "I wonder what _they_ taste like..." she says half out loud.

"Oh, well, they're a little like soy sauce and ginger, you know, that great _Asian_ taste," Tia says.

"No, I don't mean the _chickens_... I mean what they're _eating_ ," Amanda says looking back at the Chickens, now biting each other viciously for the last bowl of chow mein.

"Oh, that. Those are Wizitched candy _worms_ , that's all."

Looking more closely at the bowls, Amanda can just make out two small dots at the ends of the long bodies, and trying hard not to blink, she can see them _squirming_ , again making her swallow hard as her stomach churns.

Amanda turns with the others at the sound of Tianna's voice. "What are you all _doing_? Get _over_ here will you? This might be the day the Phoenix _ignites_!"

Amanda just catches Thian as he trips over his own feet, and the three of them run to see the Phoenix exhibit.

As they reach Tianna, Tia says, "We'll be right back. Thian and I are thirsty. We'll get you two something to drink too. Save us a _spot_ okay!" as she and Thian hurry off.

Amanda turns to Tianna, who looks _enthralled_ as she gazes at the enormous bird majestically standing on its perch, its brilliant _scarlet_ and golden feathers dazzling in the overhead lights, as it's separated by a velvet rope from the crowd.

"Isn't she _beautiful_?" Tianna breathes. "They have a lot of Phoenix's here. Some live for _hundreds_ of years. Every couple years or so, there's one that is ready to go through the rebirth ceremony. These are all _girls_ you know. We're really lucky, because today, it looks like one of the Phoenix's might be ready. The Phoenix picks someone in the crowd for the ceremony, and _won't_ ignite till they find someone... _special_. I keep _waiting_ for one to pick me..." she says quietly.

Amanda is surprised by the almost _childlike_ expression on Tianna's face. "What do you mean, '... she picks someone in the crowd...'? How does she pick them?"

Not looking away from the Phoenix, Tianna explains. "Phoenixes are Wizitchcal. They're sort of like the _royalty_ among birds. Even _other_ animals know it. The Phoenix can _sense_ things about people. I'm not sure how she does it, but when she picks someone, it's because they're somehow _different_ than anyone else, somehow, _special_ ," Tianna turns to Amanda and smiles. "Maybe _today_ will be my lucky day..."

"But you said _sometimes_... what happens if she _doesn't_ pick anyone?"

"Then there's no _ceremony_ that day. They then try every day until someone _special_ shows up, and she'll sense how _truly_ special they are. It's about the _greatest_ honor you can get you know... being picked by a _Phoenix_ to be a key part of their rebirth ceremony."

Suddenly, Tianna takes Amanda's hand and begins moving through the crowd, wanting to place herself in a better line of sight with the Phoenix. With just a few steps, Tianna has maneuvered them _directly_ in front of the beautiful bird. Amanda sees Tianna take a deep breath, smiling widely.

Remembering Tia's _warning_ about the fire and maybe getting _burned_ , Amanda tries to move back, but is hemmed in by the ever growing crowd. Glad to give Tianna the closer spot to the Phoenix, Amanda shifts to stand a little behind her.

With nowhere else to look, Amanda turns toward the Phoenix and _gasps_. The magnificent bird is _staring_ back at her, unblinking.

Thinking she mistakes the look is for her, when it _must_ be for Tianna, Amanda steps directly behind Tianna and, peeking over Tianna's shoulder, looks toward the Phoenix again.

"She's _looking_ at me!" Tianna says excitedly. "I _knew_ it! I knew it! She wants _me_!" and looks around for Amanda. "Did you _see_ Amanda... did you _see_ her move toward me? She's looking _right_ at me!"

Not waiting for an answer, Tianna turns back toward the bird, stepping a little closer to the velvet rope, her hand now resting on it, breathing deeply, head held high, ready to move forward when called.

But Amanda is feeling more _trepidation_ than excitement. She cannot help but feel that the bird _knows_ what she is thinking. As Amanda re-positions herself, _away_ from the Phoenix, the bird re-positions _herself_ as well, to get a better look at Amanda. The Phoenix moves from the center of her perch, to the end _closest_ to Tianna and Amanda, and tilts her head to look _around_ Tianna to Amanda. There is _no_ mistake. The Phoenix _is_ staring directly at her.

The rear curtain moves aside as a man appears, wearing a strange glossy body suit, with _thick_ leather gloves up to his elbows. Nodding to the crowd, he walks toward the Phoenix. It is apparent that he is the Phoenix's handler.

After quieting the crowd, the handler says with authority, "All _right_ , all _right_... let's all stay still. _Jarita_ here, needs _quiet_ to concentrate." Then, turning toward the Phoenix, he sees it gazing intently at someone in the crowd, and turns that way. Amanda steps directly behind Tianna, blocking his view of her. Following the Phoenix's gaze, the handler looks toward Tianna.

Moving quickly toward Tianna, he says, "I see Jarita _found_ the one she wants. 'Bot time, been _weeks_ she's been lookin'." Lifting up the velvet rope in front of Tianna, he says, " _Okay_ little lady, come right this way. How 'bout a round of applause for the _reader_ of the Phoenix Request."

Tianna's breath _explodes_ from her as she rushes forward under the rope. As the crowd breaks into applause and excited cheers, Tianna, smiling brightly, turns to the crowd and gives a little _bow_ then waves, filled with pride at being the one chosen. Knowing that _all_ eyes are on her, being the _special_ one the Phoenix has chosen above _all_ others, she grins broadly and again waves to the crowd as she continues walking backward, nearing the perch.

She suddenly _stops_ as the Phoenix lets out a _shrill_ cry. The crowd instantly falls silent.

The handler puts his hand on Tianna's shoulder, as she looks up at him, startled. " _Wait_ up little lady, I see Jarita's got somethin' _else_ on her mind."

Walking to the Phoenix, he strokes her golden head. "What is it JJ? You see somethin' _else_ , do ya?" The Phoenix tilts her head and blinks in Amanda's direction. "You just tell _Solly_ who ya want, and I'll _get_ 'em for ya."

The Phoenix turns from Solly and _locks_ its gaze on Amanda once again, then begins to sing so _hauntingly_ , that all who hear it stop as though _frozen_ in a dreamlike trance.

Solly follows the Phoenix's gaze. "Oh, _now_ Solly sees what you're after," and walks toward Amanda, pushing the stunned Tianna in front of him.

" _Right_ this way little lady, _step_ up, _step_ up," he says as he lifts the velvet rope for the second time.

Amanda, fearful that he _is_ talking to her stammers, " _No_... no... uh, _that's_ all right. I'd rather stay right here thanks."

"Well, it don't right _matter_ what _you_ want, little lady. When Jarita _picks_ someone, then she won't _have_ it no other way. So, _come_ on... before my _arm_ falls off."

Amanda turns to look at Tianna, and is surprised to see Tianna look at her with a _stunned_ expression.

Looking at Tianna, the handler says, " _Sorry_ little lady, guess you're _not_ the one Jarita wants after all. Move back on in there with the others now."

Not saying a word, Tianna, her face _flushed_ with embarrassment from the _snickering_ in the crowd, ducks under the rope as Amanda hesitantly moves forward.

"Tianna... I'm _sorry_... I don't know what's _happening_... please..."

Tianna stops and turns to look at Amanda, but does not say a word. Amanda feels a _tidal_ wave of emotions coming from Tianna... embarrassment... _envy_... even anger... surging toward her.

Tianna moves back and stands next to Tia and Thian, each holding a drink, their faces showing surprise. Amanda had not noticed they had already returned.

Tia, seeing Amanda's confusion, steps quickly up to the rope, and leans close to her. "Amanda, you _have_ to do this! The Phoenix will _only_ set herself on fire as she stares at someone who is _worthy_ to participate in her rebirth. She won't _do_ it without looking at the person she's picked! Now _go_ on, everybody's _waiting_ for you!" and with that, Tia _shoves_ Amanda forward.

Nodding slightly, but feeling dismayed that _she_ was picked, Amanda lets herself be guided by the handler, to stand at a painted line on the floor, about three feet from the huge bird. There is a _slight_ smattering of applause from the crowd, who are still _stunned_ and confused at what has just happened.

Amanda's eyes search for, then find Tianna, who is looking at her with an _inscrutable_ expression.

The handler walks to a back table, picks up a fire extinguisher, then returns to stand near Amanda. Glancing to Amanda's bulging eyes, he shrugs, "Just in case one of us catches _fire_ is all."

"Uh, couldn't it just pick... someone _else_?" Amanda asks, _desperation_ in every word. Amanda wants _nothing_ more than to return to her friends.

"Now _why_ would Jarita do _that_? She picked _you_ and you're the one that's _got_ to do it. You're _special_ , somehow. Picked _you_ she did, from _everyone_ else she's seen over the past few _weeks_. She _sees_ things in people no others can."

He turns to the crowd yelling, " _Quiet_ everyone! We're gettin' _started_!" Then looking back to Amanda says with a smile, "Okay, on the count of three. One... two..."

"Wait!" Amanda says frantically. "I don't know what I'm supposed to _do_!"

The crowd starts to shuffle nervously, not understanding the delay. _Obviously_ , this is not a normal occurrence.

The handler looks at Amanda, his furrowed eyes looking her over. "Whadaya _mean_ you don't know what to do? Ah... you're not from _around_ here are ya." Shaking his head he puts the fire extinguisher down, walks to the curtain and steps behind it, leaving Amanda standing all alone, _very_ embarrassed at being the focal point for the expectant and confused crowd.

The room is _filled_ with the quiet murmuring of the crowd, as everyone tries to figure out _what_ is happening.

Tia and Thian give Amanda an encouraging nod and smile, which does _nothing_ to encourage her at all. She decides to wait another minute for the handler, and if he does not return by then, she is going to move back behind the rope and _away_ from the Phoenix exhibit as fast as she can. Just as she is beginning to make her escape, having taken but a small step toward the rope, the handler reappears. He _nods_ to the bewildered crowd as he walks to Amanda.

Handing her a paper, he says, "Just _say_ the words on the page..." then turning around, shaking his head says, "Never knew _anyone_ who didn't know what to do..." then mutters loudly, "got to show these darn _foreigners_ everythin'," then bends down to pick up the fire extinguisher, placing his finger on the trigger... _just_ in case.

Amanda looks down at the page.

She begins reading it quietly to herself, then hears the crowd mumbling in the background.

"No, no, _no_..." the handler says shaking his head in frustration. "You got to read it out _loud_ so's everyone can hear."

Then slowly, she says out loud:

The Phoenix Request

Before time was young and the mountains were born

The work of the gods were completely unknown

They busied themselves with realms to create

Though as each realm was done there arose a debate.

The newborn realm were each cradled in darkness

And to some of the gods, this seemed less then wondrous

To view their creations was their main desire

They needed light for their realms to admire.

So the gods then agreed

The next realm they created would answer their need

They worked long and hard and fashioned the sun

And the gods were pleased that their work was now done.

But some of the gods did not approve of the light

They missed the comfort of dark, they debated the bright.

And so it was decided that a part both would play

Light for some gods while the dark went away.

The Gods smiled to each other as they greeted the morn

Then greeted the dark as it was reborn.

But, as gods often do, they needed a symbol of what they had made

And so fashioned a bird, its wondrous beauty portrayed

In its feathers of gold and crimson, the symbol of light.

And named it the Phoenix, a gift to each realm, such a beautiful sight.

But to make it complete, as the day bows to the night

The Phoenix must blaze bright as the sun, then forego her light.

But she will rise again, as the night welcomes day

To shower the gods with her magnificent display.

And so to our Phoenix we give our request:

As Amanda begins reading the next lines, she turns her head as she hears the audience say the lines along with her. It somehow seems right to her and she continues.

Show us your wonder, show us your light

But come back to us as we witness your plight

In the miracle of rebirth, in the beauty of life

You bring us hope through our pain and our strife.

The moment Amanda finishes, and looks into the stunning eyes of the Phoenix, she _jumps_ back in fright as a _huge_ flash of light and tongues of flame _leap_ toward the ceiling from the perch. The crowd _gasps_ as one, and following Amanda's example, jostles backward from the _crackling_ and hungry flames.

Amanda frantically pats at the little flames now _blazing_ on her blouse, then pats her hair, which is smoking. Turning quickly to look to the handler, she watches him patting at his pants, then his shirt to put out some small embers, not caring that his _hair_ is smoldering and smoking. He holds the fire extinguisher with one hand, but does nothing as his gaze _never_ leaves the dying bird.

Amanda hears Tia yelling over the din of the crowd, "Amanda, your _hair's_ on fire!" Before she can respond, the handler, without his eyes leaving the now _crumbling_ bird, spins his hands in Amanda's direction, and pulls the trigger. The white powder _completely_ covers Amanda, making her cough. Holding her arms out slightly from her sides, still coughing hard, Amanda shakes her head to remove as much of the dry chemical as she can.

Looking like a moving _statue_ , Amanda looks up and sees the flames on the glowing bird grow steadily smaller, then die completely. A large copper bowl, placed beneath the perch, gradually fills with an ash that seems to _sparkle_ as it falls from the crumbling bird. In another moment, there is nothing _left_ on the perch. The beautiful bird is _gone_ , with only her sparkling ashes in the bowl.

The handler moves toward the empty perch, and looks into the bowl without even a glance at Amanda.

Nodding slowly, he turns to Amanda, embers in his hair still glowing. "All right little lady, it's time. Come on over and greet her into her new life. Only _you_ can do it."

Amanda walks toward the bowl, shaking her blouse and brushing at her pants, then looks down, ready to feel the heat from the dying embers in the bowl. But to her surprise, the sparkling ash is _quite_ cool. As she stares, the ash begins to _tremble_ , and very slowly, a tiny _blackened_ head lifts itself upward. The drab colored head opens its eyes and meets Amanda's stare, unblinking. As soon as she sees the golden eyes staring back at her, Amanda smiles, and any trepidation she had felt, melts away.

"Go ahead," whispers the handler. "Only you, the _chosen_ , can do it."

Knowing what to do without being told, Amanda reaches into the bowl with both hands, and gently scoops up the tiny bird. The baby Phoenix is a drab _brown_ as it shakes itself, and looks rather crumpled. Lifting it up, Amanda moves it close to her face, and smiles. It stretches its neck forward and nuzzles against Amanda's cheek, as Amanda closes her eyes, gently nuzzling back, completely _overwhelmed_ by the experience.

The crowd, which had been silent as they watched Amanda lift the tiny bird, erupts into loud _cheers_. But Amanda does not hear them, as she opens her eyes and carefully, _tenderly_ , places the baby Phoenix on its perch. It quickly lifts its wings, stretching them toward the sky, as though ready to take flight.

Looking at the handler, Amanda asks quietly, "When will she turn red and gold?"

"Oh, I'd say in just about an hour or so."

"An _hour_? But, how's that _possible_... it's just a baby?" Then looking back at the tiny bird, she can see the beginnings of some pink and red feathers on its back, just _starting_ to show through the drab coloring.

"Oh, she _has_ her ways," Solly says with unabashed pride. "It's all part of _their_ kind of Wizitch you know." He leans down toward the baby and croons lovingly. "Hello beauty. It's me, it's your Solly. You recognize me yet?"

The tiny Phoenix, who has already grown about two inches, lifts her head toward Solly and sings a few small notes.

" _That's_ my girl!" and answers the notes with a matching whistle. " _That's_ my JJ!"

Looking at Amanda he says, "That's it miss. You did _good_ , after all. You can go back to your friends now."

Even though it was just a few minutes ago, that Amanda could not _wait_ to leave, she now feels strangely reluctant to leave the tiny bird. She feels, somehow, _attached_ to it.

Solly looks at her knowingly and nods. "I know. She'll _always_ be part of you now little lady. That's part of her _Wizitch_. Because _you_ were the first thing she saw and _touched_ when she was reborn, _you_ and her have a _special_ bond now, that will last a _lifetime_."

Solly smiles at Amanda, as _she_ realizes that Solly, too, has a _special_ connection with the Phoenix. Turning back to the Phoenix, Amanda says, "Bye, JJ... I hope someday I can _see_ you again." The Phoenix, beginning to glisten with some golden feathers, stares back at Amanda and sings another few sweet notes.

" _Those_ notes are for you miss. They're notes that just the _two_ of you will share. Like the ones she and I share. That's how you will know it's her, and she you, should you _ever_ meet up with her again."

Amanda smiles at Solly then looks at the baby Phoenix, already beginning to glisten with gold, and whistles the same notes, watching the tiny bird tilt its head and flutter its wings. Turning, Amanda walks back to her friends, glancing back at the Phoenix as she does so. Solly is feeding something to JJ from his pocket, the baby bird seeming to _grow_ before her very eyes.

Moving toward where Tia and Thian are standing, the crowd applauds their appreciation, with many moving forward to get a better look at the new baby Phoenix. Approaching the rope, Amanda sees there is some commotion in the crowd, as people quickly move out of the way to let someone pass.

Amanda ducks under the velvet rope, feeling that the Aviary has to be the _best_ Level in all of Cassandra's... maybe in the whole _realm_... if only for the Phoenix exhibit.

Thian hands her a soda. "Thanks! Where's Tianna?" she says looking from side-to-side as she sips the soda.

Tia says quietly, "Uh, she left. As soon as she saw you nuzzling the baby Phoenix, I think it was just too _much_ for her." Seeing the happiness drain from Amanda's face, she continues, "Come on, we'll go find her. It's _not_ your fault. The _Phoenix_ is the one who picks. Tianna's been disappointed before, when she was _sure_ it was her turn. But to have been picked, and then told you really _weren't_ the one. Well..."

Tia pulls her wand and waves it over Amanda. All the white powder instantly vanishes, leaving her with slightly singed hair, and a couple of small burned areas on her blouse and pants.

The three move through the crowd, many of whom congratulate Amanda on the ceremony and how well she did for a _foreigner_.

"Wait," Thian says. "I'm _hungry_. Let's go get some _Bird_ Poop and we'll bring Tianna a bowl as a peace offering. We've got to turn around though, it's back the other way, past the _Hunter_ Exhibit."

They make their way past other strange exhibits, with the 3-Footed Great JinJins of special interest.

"So, where do you think she'll be?" Amanda asks quietly.

"Well, _last_ time she was disappointed, she was outside, sitting on a bench waiting for us. She'll probably be there again," Thian says through sips. Leaning in close to Amanda. "Not having a very good day, is she?"

"I guess not, but _I_ didn't want to be the cause of it."

"And you're _not_ ," Tia says after taking a sip of her soda. "So, let's just get outside and talk to her. It'll be okay Amanda, _really_ , you'll see."

Once they all had their Bird Poop, with some _extra_ gooey poop for Thian, and an extra _squeeze_ for Tianna, they head outside. At first, Amanda had not wanted to chase and catch the birds that would provide their bird poop, but, it just looked like too much _fun_ , and she finally gave in. She had a _great_ time chasing a rather large blue parrot, which had done its _best_ to keep away from her, as Amanda laughed the entire time. She had finally caught it and handed it to the handler. He held the squawking parrot over a large bowl and gave several _good_ squeezes, poop _flying_ out of the bird and into the bowl, its eyes _bulging_ , while squawking and trying to escape. Much to the excitement and _laughter_ of the crowd. Amanda, even while thinking that this was _disgusting_ , just could not help but laugh right along with everyone else. Taking her filled bowl, she turns to walk away with Thian and Tia, each holding large bowls of their own, along with a large one for Tianna.

Once outside, they spot Tianna sitting on a bench, alone. Seeing Tianna _alone_ is odd to Amanda. Tianna is always in the _middle_ of things, making sure things are as they should be, directing everyone around her to do what they are _supposed_ to do, always being the one everyone comes to for direction.

But now, watching the lone figure on the bench, Amanda cannot help but feel she is seeing another part of Tianna. A hidden part. Alone and sad. Always wanting to feel she is _special_ , somehow _different_ from everyone else. She made up for that feeling of isolation with _bursts_ of anger and sudden tirades. That was just her way.

Thian hands Amanda the Bird Poop. "Tia and I'll wait here."

Nodding, Amanda walks to Tianna and stands in front of her. After a few seconds, when Tianna still has not acknowledged her, Amanda sits next to her and hands her the Bird Poop. "I know it _looks_ disgusting, but it's _really_ good."

"Yeah, I know. I've _had_ it before you know."

Then nothing.

"Tianna... I'm _sorry_... I..."

"Stop. You don't have to _say_ anything. As a matter of fact," finally turning to Amanda, "I don't _want_ you to say anything."

They look at each other for a full minute in complete silence.

Not following her own instruction, Tianna asks, "Why _you_?"

"I can _talk_ now?"

"Yeah, talk. I don't _get_ it. Why _you_? What makes _you_ so special?"

" _Nothing_. I don't know _what_ happened in there. I'm sorry, I _really_ am. I'm _not_ special. I'm really not. I think it was just because I'm a _stranger_ and have _no_ Wizitch in me at all, and, well, somehow she _sensed_ that... that's all."

Contemplating what Amanda had said, Tianna takes a bite from her Bird Poop. "Okay, I can accept that. Yeah, you're a stranger, and she _sensed_ that you don't have _any_ Wizitch at all. You aren't _special_ at all. She just felt _sorry_ for you is all. Yeah, okay, that makes sense, _that's_ why she picked you."

"I'm really sorry..."

"Stop _saying_ you're sorry! _You_ can't help being a stranger and having _no_ abilities at all. After all, _that's_ why she picked you." Nodding her head, she continues, " _Now_ I get it. She _sensed_ all those people around with Wizitch abilities, and you... _you've_ got nothing."

Feeling _strangely_ relieved, Amanda says, "So... are we _friends_ again?"

"Sure. There's _always_ another time for me. Tell _Mickey_ and Minnie they can stop _pretending_ they're busy. They can come over now."

Amanda turns toward Thian and Tia, and notices that Loki is with them. Grinning, she waves them to come over.

To TOC

# The Dragons Den

Thian gives Amanda a thumbs up as he sits on Tianna's other side with Loki. "Where do you want to go now Tianna? Back into the Aviary? Those 3-Footed JinJins are awesome."

"No. I've had enough of the Aviary for now. Let's go to the _Dragon's_ Den on the upper level. I'm in the mood for something a little more _aggressive_ ," smiling sweetly, she gets up.

"There aren't _real_ dragons in the Dragon's Den, _are_ there?" Amanda asks slightly taken aback.

Tianna turns around. "Wouldn't be much point to the place if there _weren't_ , now would there?" Then seeing Amanda's eyes become fearful, Tianna says, "Don't worry... I _won't_ let them eat you... well, _maybe_..." trying to keep from smiling as they walk back inside and to the upper level.

Tianna leads the way to the Dragon's Den, a slight spring to her step as they get closer.

Tia, noticing Amanda's worried expression says, "There's usually only _candy_ dragons there. But since the convention is in town, they've flown in several _real_ dragons, to draw more people to the shop. Don't worry, we've seen them _lots_ of times, and only _once_ did any of us get hurt at all. Which was _Thian_ of course! He tried to _roar_ , like a _real_ dragon when he got close to the Blue-Ridged Dragon cage. He must have roared something _insulting_ , because the dragon let loose a _blast_ of fire that singed his eyebrows and eyelashes _right_ off, and the front of his hair took _months_ to grow back."

They know they are getting close, as sounds of _roaring_ and screaming become louder, which does _nothing_ to ease Amanda's fears.

At a particularly menacing roar, Amanda stops, causing Tia and Thian, who are walking arm in arm with her, to stop suddenly.

" _What's_ going on in there? Is it _safe_?" Amanda looks to them both.

"Remember where we are... of _course_ it's safe... well... _mostly_..." Thian says confidently, trying to get Amanda to start walking.

"Is it... really?" Amanda whispers to Tia as they walk toward the huge entrance.

"Just stay close to us... and don't wander off or anything... and you'll be okay. Well, I think anyway," Tia whispers back, doing nothing to infuse confidence in Amanda.

"There are lots of cages with candy dragons that fly and stuff, and they're _really_ hard to catch and all, but fun to chase, and they taste great too.

"But, the _real_ fun is in seeing the real dragons. They bring them in every year for the convention, like I said. Just stay close and it'll be fine."

As they each approach the attendant, they are given a fire-proof vest to wear as a precaution. It takes a couple minutes to get one Loki's size, but soon, they are all headed to the entrance.

Walking through the gate with the others, Amanda is tying her vest around her, making sure it is _good_ and tight, when she looks up and her jaw drops.

There, standing inside the entrance, is a _huge_ , _real_ , two-headed royal blue and black dragon. Jumping back, Amanda bumps into the people behind her.

" _Watch_ what you're doing, will you!" says a woman holding a child.

"Sorry... I just wasn't expecting to see a big... _dragon_!" Amanda sputters.

"Well, what did you _expect_ to see in the Dragon's Den... _goats_?" the rude woman walks around Amanda, shaking her head as her voice fades, "darn _foreigners_."

Thian looks at Amanda. "Don't worry... it's just Lucy."

"Lucy?" Amanda asks looking confused. "That lady is _Lucy_?"

"Wha'...? No..." Thian laughs. "No, not the _lady_... the _dragon_... _she's_ Lucy. Come look," and grabbing her hand, walks toward the dragon.

Thian shows her the sign in front of the large enclosure.

**Lucy** :

The first dragon born in captivity from Lamour.

Lucy loves people, tuna salad sandwiches and swing music.

Lucy uses her fire breath to heat marshmallows,

which she loves to eat when her handlers read to her.

She is especially fond of mysteries and romance stories.

Amanda starts to laugh, then looks up at Lucy who is munching on some popcorn from a _gigantic_ bowl with one head, while drinking water from a huge bowl with the other.

"See... it's gonna to be fun!" Thian says. "Let's go!"

And it _is_ fun. Amanda loves looking at the dragons. There are dragons with scales and dragons with _feathers_ ; dragons who have one or more tails, and dragons with _no_ tails.

"Let's go see the _Nursery_ ," Tianna says excitedly.

" _Baby_ dragons?" Amanda looks around at Tianna. "I thought Lucy was the only one born here."

"Lucy _was_ the first born on Lamour, not here," Loki says fiddling with his fire vest. "Since then, there've been _hundreds_ , both on Lamour and here, lots of other realms too. The babies are _really_ cute. You can _pet_ them, if you want. But, sometimes they _bite_. Almost lost my _finger_ last year, so be careful."

"Don't the mothers get upset if people touch their babies?" Amanda asks.

"The mothers are kept in the back of their Wizitched enclosures and fed, while the babies are kept in the front, so that people can see them up close. The mothers don't seem to mind as long as they get something to eat. The babies are _so_ cute, you'll _love_ them!" Tia explains.

Rounding a corner they come to the Nursery. And _there_ are the baby dragons. Some, newly born, are still tottering on their legs. Others are being petted and scratched by people sitting on the floor.

"Oh, how _cute_ are they!" Amanda says rushing forward.

She waits in line to pet the babies with Tia, Thian, Loki and Tianna.

"Not _scared_ anymore?" Tianna asks.

"No... I didn't know they were so _adorable_! I'm really glad you wanted to come here! Thanks, Tianna!"

Amanda and the others are beckoned forward by one of the attendants, and asked to sit cross-legged on the ground of the enclosure, then wait for the baby dragons to come up to them.

Tianna has a baby dragon come staggering up to her immediately. She puts her hand out so that the baby can sniff her. The baby sneezes, making it fall over, a puff of gray smoke wafting from its long nose, as everyone laughs. It then gets up and climbs onto Tianna's lap. Tianna looks at Amanda and smiles. Amanda can see she really loves the babies.

Tia and Thian now have baby dragons on their laps, too. One larger baby slowly makes its way over to pause in front of them all. It looks at Amanda, then to Loki, and slowly walks to Loki and climbs its way up and into his lap, where Loki laughs as it rolls over on its back, little wings opened and begins making little growls, wanting its belly scratched. Amanda laughs at the site, then turns to see what baby dragon she will get. But there are no other baby dragons available for petting.

Amanda watches longingly, hoping that one of the baby dragons will eventually wander from one of her friends, and come over to her. But, as none do, she gets up and walks around the baby dragon enclosure, looking at the 3D-moving images of dragons on the walls. Walking slowly along one wall, she looks at scenes of all kinds of dragons on the huge moving mural.

Hearing a faint but strange _mewing_ sound coming from around the wall, she turns in that direction. As she follows the sound, she suddenly has a vision from one of her recurring dreams, in which she _sees_ a baby dragon, all white, and herself, laughing and playing with it. Often at night, or early in the morning, she has the dream, along with other _strange_ dreams she doesn't understand. She does not know what any of them mean, or if they mean anything at all. More than likely, she decided, the dreams are based on stories she had heard, when she was much younger, and she just does not remember them now.

Nothing more, just snippets of stories.

But when she awakens, they were so _real_ to her. And now, this _mewing_ sound is somehow, _familiar_ to her. Ridiculous, she thinks. And yet...

As she walks around another wall, her breath catches in her throat. There, a beautiful, all _white_ baby dragon is being held by one handler, as another handler is trying to _force_ something down the struggling baby dragon's throat.

One of the handlers looks up and sees Amanda standing there. "Sorry miss, but this is a restricted area. You can't come in here."

But Amanda is frozen to the spot, her full attention on the baby dragon. "What are you doing to it? Why's it crying?"

As the baby mews louder and struggles to get out of the handler's arms, he says, "She's _sick_ and we're _trying_ to give her medicine. But she's being _really_ stubborn... OW!" he yells loudly lunging for the baby, after it _bit_ his arm in its last bid for freedom.

Both handlers grab for the baby but it maneuvers out of their reach, sprinting for the edge of the enclosure.

Amanda kneels down blocking the baby's only exit. The little dragon looks up at Amanda with _exquisite_ pale, pink eyes, and mews hauntingly.

"I know, little one. I _know_ you don't feel well. Come here Kira, and I'll make you better."

Amanda sits down, cross-legged on the floor, as the baby dragon immediately climbs onto her lap, snuggling down next to her.

The handlers look at each other, then back to Amanda. "Why'd you call her Kira? That's not her name you know," the handler says, rubbing his bitten arm.

Amanda looks up. "Kira? Did I say Kira?" Amanda looks down at the baby who is lying in her lap contentedly. "I don't know why I said that. It just somehow seemed... right."

The handler who had been holding the baby dragon says, "I don't care _what_ she calls it... look. That baby never lets _anyone_ hold her." Taking the medicine from the other handler, he walks over and hands it to Amanda. "You think _you_ can give the medicine to her?"

Amanda looks down at the baby, who is looking up at her with those amazing pink eyes. Amanda feels the dragon making soft purring sounds. Amanda smiles. "I'll try."

Taking the medicine, Amanda smells the bottle. It doesn't smell too bad, so she speaks quietly to the little dragon. "Kira, I need to give you this medicine, so you'll grow up and be the biggest and most _beautiful_ Hakuseray dragon _ever_!"

Not hesitating, she pours some of the medicine in her palm, then lowers her hand to the baby dragon, who immediately licks the entire amount from her hand, then sneezes a small blue flame, accompanied by gray smoke.

"Well... if _that_ don't beat all!" says the astounded handler who had tried but failed to give the baby the medicine. "How did you _do_ that miss? We've been trying for over an _hour_!"

"And how'd you know she's a _Hakuseray_ dragon?" asks the other. "That there's a really _rare_ Asianistic breed, and no one even knows we _have_ it yet."

Both handlers stare at Amanda suspiciously.

Amanda hands the medicine bottle back. "I don't know... I just... _knew_." Then, not knowing why she knew, but knowing she is right, says, "If you want to give her more medicine, you have to speak _very_ quietly to her. They have very _sensitive_ hearing, and loud talking upsets them."

The handlers look at each other, then back to Amanda.

Amanda is starting to feel uncomfortable. How _does_ she know all this? Bending down to the baby she speaks quietly. "Kira, you need to go back to be with your mother now. And, _please_ take your medicine when they want you to, all right? These men only want to help you."

The baby looks up at Amanda and grudgingly, it seems to her, gets up and wanders back toward the men. As she passes, she blows a small flame toward them, and disappears around another concrete wall, leaving them in a shroud of smoke.

Amanda gets up brushing off her pants, not wanting to look at the men who are staring at her in disbelief.

"Well... _thanks_ miss. But you better go back now. This _is_ a restricted area, and we could get in trouble for letting you stay."

Amanda nods and turns back. As she rounds the far corner, she walks _straight_ into Tia, Thian, Loki and Tianna.

"Where have you _been_ , Amanda?" Tianna demands. "You had us all _worried_!"

"Are you all right, Amanda?" Tia asks more gently. "I _told_ you not to wander off... this _is_ the Dragon's Den after all...we thought you got lost... or _worse_."

Loki smiles at her, glad she is okay. Thian says nothing, just looks at her questioningly, as she appears to be in some kind of daze.

"I'm fine. But I just remembered something..." and without another word, turns away, and leads them out to see the other fire breathing dragons in an adjacent room, untying her vest and tossing it aside, knowing she has no need for it.

The others look at one another for a moment, all thinking she is _crazy_ to toss her vest away. Shrugging, they jog to catch up with her, Loki _tightening_ his vest as he bounds forward.

They spend the next hour looking at the dragons, and watching some of the shows the handlers put on for the crowds, then decide it's time to leave, all the while Amanda smiling as she remembers bits and pieces of her dreams.

To TOC

# A Note From Gaynon

As the kids are on their way downstairs from the Dragon's Den, Amanda, _almost_ losing her footing, cries out as a folded piece of paper _pops_ into view right in front of her face.

Loki quickly says, "That must be the letter from my dad. What does it say Amanda?"

Amanda, breathing hard, _snatches_ the note out of the air, while clutching at her chest. Amanda looks around to make sure no one is on the stairs with them, and quickly unfolds the note, reading it in a low whisper, "Amanda, the _transfer_ is complete. You may now do what you wish. Most warmly, Gaynon."

"Well, let's get back to the bank so I can transfer your shares to your accounts," Amanda says with a huge smile, as everyone grins back at her.

"You don't _have_ to go back to the bank," Thian says as they continue down the stairs. "You can use the kiosk just _outside_ the bank if you want. All you need is _your_ account number and ours. You just punch in what you want done, and step into the cylinder to be scanned, like in the bank. When the light turns green, the transactions complete. Then, you can check your account number to see your balance."

"Great!" Amanda says as they all exit the sweets shop, then head to the little booth outside the bank.

Amanda and Tia enter together. Tia shows her how to use the machine, and how to do the first transfer from Amanda's account to Thian's. Since the booth is enclosed, Amanda does not feel so silly, standing in the cylinder with her arms out, watching the spinning disk whirl around her. When the light turns green and the disk shoots back into the ceiling, she steps back into the other section of the booth.

Tia opens the door to the booth saying, "Thian, want to see what your account looks like _now_?" He grins at her, then looks to Tianna and Loki, who smile broadly.

"Yeah! You _bet_ I do!" Thian says exchanging places with Tia. He steps up beside Amanda, who has a _huge_ smile on her face. He punches in his account number, puts his hand on the scanner for aura verification, and watches as his new balance is shown on the screen. The readout shows, one-hundred-eighty-two million, eight-hundred and twelve-thousand, six-hundred and ninety Turrens.

"By the _moooons_ Amanda!" Thian says while all the others are sticking their heads into the doorway to listen. "I've never _seen_ my name tied to so much _money_ before. Or to anyone _else_ either. I know you _said_ you were really going to do this. But. I..."

Laughing, Amanda watches Thian turn very pale, as he continues looking at her with a blank expression. "Well, you're _welcome_!" she laughs again. "Now, Loki? Do you have the account number you want me to send your funds to?"

Tianna _yanks_ the weak-kneed Thian out of the booth, and Loki eagerly steps in. "Yeah. Here," he says holding out a small piece of paper. "My dad opened up a special account, just for this. I told him to put it all in his account, or just put a little in mine, just so I had some. But he actually _wants_ to split it with me. But, well, actually, I think I would spend all mine on really neat stuff... to _me_ anyway... but probably really _stupid_ stuff in the long run. So, he decided to open up a special account just for this, and we will sit down and decide what we want to do with it, or _how_ we want to divide it up and when, later."

Tianna makes a sarcastic _snorting_ sound from the doorway. Both Amanda and Loki ignore her. Amanda punches in her account number, Loki's account number and the amount to be transferred. She needs to do the full body scan for each transaction, but does not mind it.

When she steps back into the booth from the cylinder, smiling she says, "Well, go _on_... check your account!"

Loki grins as he punches in their account number, and his eyes go wide, along with a huge grin spreading across his somewhat hairy face. "Wow! _Look_ at all those numbers. By the Oak and _Ash_ Amanda. _Thanks_!"

He then gives a low bow, which Amanda has come to know is the way of dwarves. Laughing, she bows also, then to his surprise, she gives him a _huge_ hug saying, "You're _welcome_ Loki! I hope you and your dad find something _wonderful_ to do with the money."

"Okay, okay," Tianna says reaching in and yanking Loki, half stumbling, out of the booth and steps in. " _Our_ turn now. Come _on_ Tia, what are you _waiting_ for?"

"That's alright. _You_ can look for both of us Tianna. Here Amanda, here's our mom's account number, mine and Tianna's. Both mine and Tianna's are brand new too. We've never had a bank account of our own... we've never had a reason.

"We were _really_ surprised, but mom actually wants us to _split_ up the money equally, between _all_ our accounts, and to do it now. She said that if we _blew_ it, _shame_ on us, knowing what being poor is like. Besides, she said that you could just as easily have given it _all_ to just Tianna and me anyway. Says that she doesn't deserve any of it."

"Well, your mom _does_ deserve it. After all, like you all said, _she_ was the one who was really taking care of me. And if not for _her_ and her herbs and stuff, I'd be _dead_. Okay, I'll do yours first Tianna."

Tianna stands shoulder to shoulder with Amanda, watching very closely as Amanda punches in her account number and the amount to be transferred for all of them divided by three, to be sure she gets it right. Amanda goes through the scan, then steps back into the booth. Tianna has already punched in her account number, and is placing her hand on the scanner. There is a beep and a green light, then Tianna's eyes _fly_ wide as her mouth falls open for a moment.

After another moment's worth of staring at the numbers in the glowing screen, Tianna turns to Amanda with a _huge_ grin saying, "Those are a _lot_ of numbers to be sure! Well, thanks!" And before Amanda can say anything, or step forward and hug Tianna, Tianna quickly steps out of the booth as she _punches_ the air. Turning, Tianna rests her back against the booth, then begins looking around the village, like she is trying to decide which _shop_ to buy first.

"I'll do yours next Tia," Amanda says punching in her numbers. When she is finished with the scan, she asks, "Do you want to see your balance Tia?"

"Nah. If _you_ say it's there, it's there. And thank you _sooo_ much Amanda! There's no way _I_ deserve anything really. But, I'll _take_ it!" Then she and everyone else laugh.

"Okay, I'm doing your mom's now." Once she finishes, and has verified the amount in Thea's account, she punches in the numbers for her own account. The screen now reads, one-hundred-eighty-two million, eight-hundred and twelve-thousand, five-hundred and twenty Turrens. Smiling, she hits the _clear_ button on the machine and steps out, now grinning along with the others.

"By the _moons_ that's a lot of money!" Thian says shaking his head. "I have _no_ idea what that would really even look like."

"Well, there _is_ a way to see you know," Amanda says with a laugh, followed with a sly crooked grin, both hands on her hips.

"What? You mean, check the _vaults_?" Thian asks with a grin as his eyes go wide.

"Sure, why _not_? It would be _fun_ to see the faces on the bank goblins, when we walk back in after all the _yelling_ we did this morning." They all laugh and decide it _would_ be fun to see what that much money actually looks like, spread out on the tables in their vault.

They make their way into the bank, the huge creature once again opening the door for them. As they make their way to the main floor guard's desk, to present their keys, they notice the bank manager watching them closely with a slight _snarl_ on his lips. They have already told Loki what happened earlier, so, they all look _really_ upset as they approach the desk.

After the guard okays their keys, they head for the elevator and descend to level five. When the doors open and they step out, they could have heard a _pin_ drop. _All_ the guards and the supervisor watch them approach, each with eager anticipation of a heated exchange.

One of the many doors open, as Kim and a very tall _snooty_ looking woman enter the room. Kim spots them and stops dead in his tracks. The lady simply continues to walk off without so much as a glance back. Kim has a _completely_ surprised look on his face, as he turns to sign the lady out.

"May I be of assistance?" The main floor guard asks dryly. "Perhaps one of you found a _Turren_ in the street, and would like to... _add_ it to your vault?" There are loud snickers from the other guards.

"We want to _visit_ our vaults you _idiot_ , and it's none of your _stinking_ business why," Tianna snaps, red faced and _glaring_ at the little goblin.

"Yeah!" Amanda says hotly also, "and we don't want _that_ little, uh, _dirt_ digging, um, well, we don't want _him_ to take us either," she says pointing to Kim, who is leaning against the far wall with a stone face.

" _I'll_ handle this," a growling voice sounds behind them. When they all turn, they see Kim's supervisor standing only two feet away. "I'm very _sorry_ miss, but _Kim_ is the only one available now who can take you."

"Well," Thian says as angrily as he can without cracking up, "we'll just wait for someone _else_ then."

"There is no one else _heeeere_ at this hour sir, so you _will_ either go with Kim, or _go_ away and come back some other time. _Your_ choice of course sir," the little creature says in as snitty a voice as any of them have ever heard.

After looking to one another for a quick moment, Tianna turns hotly and with saliva _spraying_ from her mouth, says, "FINE! But he better be _nice_ this time. Or _else_."

"Of course miss." Wiping his face, he waves Kim over, who walks _veeery_ slowly, making the other guards smile, or, at least what Amanda decides can only _be_ a smile on such hideous faces.

"Kim, please show these... _customers_ , to their vaults once they have been scanned. Oh, and _try_ to be nice this time will you?" he says giving Kim a crooked smile and tilt of his head.

"Of _course_ sir. Of course. My pleasure." Then without a look to any of them, Kim turns his back saying, "Follow me please. _Try_ to keep up! Well, don't _dawdle_!"

Kim leads them to be scanned, and once finished, says, "Follow me please, and _do_ try to keep up," with that, he walks away at a brisk pace toward the far door.

The kids all turn to look to the supervisor with angry expressions, the supervisor simply _glaring_ back at them, with an odd curl on his lips. The kids then turn and jog to catch up with Kim.

Once they have entered through the thick metal door, and it has latched behind them, _everyone_ breaks into laughter, as they introduce Loki to Kim. Kim is _thrilled_ to see them all again, and says that since their encounter earlier, he has been treated like a _hero_ , and thanks them over and over again.

As before, Kim takes them on the _ride_ of their lives, with Kim, Thian, _and_ Amanda throwing up this time, but _loving_ every second of it. Amanda decides that _bird_ poop looks even _worse_ coming out, than it had going _in_.

They decide to go to each vault, just for the thrill of the ride. When they get to Tia's, which is the first one, they all step into the vault as their mouths fall open and their eyes grow as large as their fists. The entire vault is almost _filled_ to capacity, with _huge_ stacks of platinum, _gold_ , silver and copper. The glint off the coins is _blinding_.

After they visited all the other vaults, continuing their theme park-like thrill ride, and have returned to the guard's station, Tianna, Amanda and Loki all gave Kim a good piece of their minds, as to how they had been treated worse than _swamp_ stink, as all the guards, along with Kim's supervisor, watching and enjoying the yelling.

Kim simply _waves_ his hand in dismissal, as he turns his back on them saying, "Yeah, well, get _over_ it! Thank you for visiting Kushmen's Village Bank. _Please_ come again!" and strolls over to the guard's desk and begins writing in some log, never giving them another glance.

They all stand there for a moment, glaring after him, then turn and get into the elevator. Once the doors close and it begins to rise, they again hear _cheers_ coming up the shaft below them. They burst into laughter, leaning back against the walls.

When they reach the lobby, they _stomp_ out of the bank without saying a word, but can feel _all_ the goblins eyes on them. _One_ in particular.

Once outside and away from the bank, they break into fits of laughter, tears running from all their eyes.

After they compose themselves, they talk about where to go next, and decide that, instead of taking Amanda to the _Experience Center_ , knowing that if they went, they would spend the _rest_ of the day there and not see anything else, will just show her around the village first. That way, she can do a quick walkthrough of the shops, then they can decide which ones to revisit, if they have time, and maybe even _purchase_ a few things, then head for home.

They spend the rest of the day wandering through the village, showing Amanda the many shops. Stopping in _Durango's Gymnastics_ for a while to watch some of the kids there, she remembers how much _she_ had loved it.

Amanda laughs when she sees the sign, " _Dad Gum It_ ," which is the village's _only_ dentist, run by an old man everyone calls dad, who actually _has_ no teeth.

They stop into _Clio's Clinic_ , which is the only health facility in the village, where Thea works. Thea is with a patient, so they just go on their way.

Amanda laughs again as they pass, " _Fluffy's_ ," which is one of the pet shops in the village. There are several strange, but cute and cuddly looking animals in cages at the front window.

Feeling hungry, they stop at, " _Flash In The Pan_ ," which is the most _wonderful_ restaurant Amanda has ever seen, although, she admits, she has _not_ seen many.

They enter into a nice lobby arranged like a miniature mountain landscape, where one half of one wall is a beautiful waterfall, filling a large pond occupied with multicolored fish, leisurely swimming about. There are many trees and small hills of just the right size for the scale of the room. Flowers and grasses cover the lush green hills, and there is seating scattered around for those waiting for a table inside.

The nice lady at the counter takes their names, then tells them it will only be a minute or two at most, because they are not really that busy today. Instead of having them sit in the lobby, she motions for them to pass through a pair of large double doors. They thank her, and Thian leads the way. Once through the double doors, they find themselves entering a darkened seating area, again filled with small hills, flowers and plants.

"Wow," Amanda says looking around, "It's kind of _dark_ in here."

"Oh, yeah," Thian says now pointing to the double doors at the other end of the hall they are seated in. "It's so your eyes adjust some before you go into the main restaurant. It's a little dim in there. At night, you wait out in the larger waiting area we just came from, since it's dark outside anyway at night, and your eyes don't have to adjust so much."

They chat for a few minutes, before a very _nice_ looking lady comes through the double doors from the main part of the restaurant, and calls Thian's name, though, since they are the _only_ ones in the waiting area, it didn't seem necessary.

Just before they enter through the double doors, Tia reaches down taking Amanda's hand saying, "You'll _love_ this, but I may need to drag you along a little." The others laugh and grin back at them.

As they step through the double doors, Amanda's jaw drops. It is like entering a _wonderland_. The entire place is lit by _thousands_ of tiny blue and green glowing insects, about the size of a pea, covering the walls and ceiling. There are wonderful _waterfalls_ and little streams which meander throughout the entire place. There are some beautiful, _carved_ wooden bridges scattered about, which let you cross from one side of the streams, to the other, to get to other booths.

The booths are separated by either little hills with grass, flowers and plants, or also with a tree or two, or all those plus one or more boulders.

All the trees are lit with _hundreds_ of softly glowing little insects, which constantly flit from one area to another, giving the entire landscape a continuously changing movement of soft light, though the little insects never come close to the customers or their food.

It is the most _wonderful_ restaurant Amanda has ever been in. Tia does _indeed_ need to pull Amanda along after them, or she would still be back at the doors in shock.

Walking down a long hill near the end of the room, Amanda immediately knows they are going underground. They enter an elevator and descend for several seconds. The doors open and they follow the lady down a corridor and then through a short dirt tunnel. Stepping through the little wooden door at the end of the tunnel, they enter a _gigantic_ cavern with waterfalls, trees, flowers, bushes, boulders... everything, again, softly lit by those _wonderful_ tiny insects. In front of them is a _huge_ lake, which again, makes Amanda's jaw drop.

The lady leads them down to the boats at the little dock, and they all step into one, which rocks gently as they take their seats. The boat is something like a very large row boat, and can seat up to eight large adults. Once settled, the lady smiles saying, "Enjoy your meals kids. Booth 238," and with that, the little boat begins moving off slowly on its own, as Amanda, quite startled, _grabs_ the railing.

The ride to their booth reminds Amanda of a ride she once saw on TV, years ago, called " _Pirates Of The Caribbean_."

As the boat continues into the lake, the water is so clear, Amanda can see all kinds of fish swimming around, as well as many rocks, coves and reeds far below, all softly lit.

They soon come to a waterway which branches off from the lake, and they find themselves moving along a rapidly moving stream, with rolling green hills, plants and flowers passing on both sides of the boat. The _thousands_ of glowing insects far above, now look more like flickering starlight.

A pair of little witches shoot overhead, both cackling away, as they ride on their brooms, with _tiny_ lanterns hanging on the end, just behind where they are seated. The witches soon dart off over the tops of some trees and vanish. Amanda is about to say something, when she spots _more_ of them in the distance, then realizes there are _dozens_ and _dozens_ of them flying about, zooming in and out of the trees, and out across the lake.

"Are, are they _real_?" Amanda asks pointing up to them.

"Nah," Loki says looking up. "Wizitchaly created. But they are really _fun_ to watch while you are waiting for your order. They chase each other around, and even have _duels_ and stuff. Sometimes they _blow_ each other up too. It's _really_ fun to watch."

Their boat begins to slow and turn to the left, following a very calm little stream. They only travel a short distance, then stop alongside a wooden dock. They all step out and walk up the little slate-like pathway to their booth.

The booth is set _directly_ into a curve of the hillside, the top of the booth level with a good part of the grounds. There are trees and flowers everywhere, scattered about with little boulders. The sight is _breathtaking_.

As Amanda slides into the booth, she decides that the most _wonderful_ thing is what looks like a _marvelous_ old and crooked, half _broken_ down wooden house, directly across from where she is seated, looking over Tianna's shoulder. It is something like a dollhouse of sorts. There seems to be a flickering glow coming from the little open windows. There is a little pathway lined with miniature pink flowers too, that lead from the front door, curve to the left, and then go around and behind a large rock and out of sight.

As Thian motions for Amanda to slide all the way in and to the _back_ of the booth, the left side of the old house comes into view. Amanda lets out a small cry as she sees a little witch dressed all in black, including the pointed hat, stirring a very large, black steaming cauldron. Well, very large for her size anyway.

Orange flames and red embers are _crackling_ in the little wood fire below it. Amanda watches half-seated as the little witch, only about _eight_ inches tall, empties the contents of one of several tiny bottles, which are scattered across the ground, into the cauldron. As Amanda finishes scooting into position, the little witch walks away from the cauldron, enters the house and _slams_ the door.

Everyone is watching Amanda intently, giggling at her stunned expression. Turning, Amanda looks to Tia with a questioning look on her face.

"No. _She_ isn't real either," Tia says with a laugh. "But they are _so_ much fun to watch while you wait for your food, and while you're _eating_ too."

A moment later, Amanda lets out another startled cry and _almost_ jumps up on the seat, when a witch, about a foot tall, comes soaring down on her broom, landing _right_ at the head of the table. Thian, who is seated right next to Amanda, gently pulls her back to her seat, as the little witch dismounts her broom.

The tiny witch, standing on the edge of the table, smiles and says in a very high pitched voice, "What can I get for you _dearies_ today?" and reaches into her robe pocket, taking out a tiny pad and pencil.

Tia orders her lunch first, then Tianna, Loki and Thian. When the little witch looks up to Amanda, all Amanda can do is stutter.

Thian grins and says to the little witch, "She's had a pretty rough day today. Trouble with the _goblins_ at the bank you know?" The little witch nods while touching her nose with a very long greenish gnarled finger.

Turning to Amanda, Thian asks, "Is it okay if I just order for you?" Amanda nods, still transfixed on the tiny witch with her broom resting against her shoulder, between her arms, as she straightens her long robe.

Thian asks, "Burger and a drink okay?" Again Amanda says nothing, but slowly nods. The others laugh.

The little witch writes everything down, puts the pad and pencil back into her little robe, mounts her broom and says, "Have it _ready_ for you in a wink," as she kicks off and shoots up over the trees and into the shimmering sky, her little orange lantern swinging off into the distance.

It takes Amanda several moments to recover from her shock. When she turns to Thian, he laughs and says, "Yeah, she _is_ real. She's from the realm of Rala. Actually, they're a very nice race. They're also _very_ bright. Don't let their size fool you. They don't trust most species, but, if you get to be _friends_ with them, you can learn a lot."

Amanda smiles, beginning to relax again. Still bewildered be everything she sees, she is beginning to _really_ enjoy herself.

While waiting for their orders, they all enjoy Amanda's expressions every time she notices something new. She had spotted tiny, brightly colored and somewhat _glowing_ birds, like humming birds, flitting from flower to flower around the little witches pathway, collecting nectar. They cannot have been more than half an inch in length.

Amanda _gasps_ when she turns to the side, to look at the little flowers growing on the lush green hill they are seated against, and sees a _tiny_ man, riding on what looks like a rapidly moving, softly glowing, orangish _snail_ of some sort. The little man is wearing a red shirt, dark blue overalls, and tiny brown pointed boots with gold buckles. He is seated on some kind of odd saddle with a high back, perched high upon the snail's glowing shell, with his boots sticking through the stirrups. The snail is being steered by some kind of _harness_ which is placed over the snails head, with two long reigns leading back to the little man.

He is wearing a tiny, bright blue pointed hat, which is sitting slightly askew atop his little head, his long hair cascading down to the middle of his back.

The little man who is holding the reigns of the snail-like creature, looks up and waves to Amanda, as she sees the teensy, tiny, round metal framed glasses he is wearing.

With her mouth _wide_ open and her eyes fixed in a daze, she finds herself slowly waving back. She watches as the man begins steering his charge _quickly_ around what to them, must have been a _huge_ boulder, but which is just a small pebble to Amanda, then disappear behind it.

Amanda notices that the grass immediately _behind_ the snail, is quite short, compared to what they are moving through.

As Amanda turns around, with a stunned expression, she slowly points back over her shoulder stuttering, "There. Man. Snail... _Riding_?" Everyone is in tears.

Once she has stopped laughing, Tianna wipes her eyes on her lapkin. "The little man is of the Orcian race, and _yes_ , _he's_ real too, and that's his _natural_ size. He's riding a Gurnaptor, which eats a _lot_ of grass. They're actually rather quick as you saw. They're used here as the grounds keepers."

It takes Amanda several moments to recover, before she notices the tiniest little _squirrel_ -like creature she has ever seen, _scampering_ up the trunk of the tree directly behind Tia, who is seated across from her. Tia turns looking behind her, to see what Amanda has become dumbstruck over, and spots the tiny squirrel-like creature, now _running_ around the trunk, with another one chasing it as they play.

"Those are Wizitched _Scabbers_ ," Tia says with a grin. "They're normally about a foot long, but have been reduced in size to fit the scale in here. They're _real_ , just like the little man you saw riding on the Gurnaptor. The only difference is, these have been scaled down. The witch waitress and the little man, weren't."

Their orders _suddenly_ appear right in front of them on the table, along with their utensils and drinks, startling Amanda again as she _gasps_ loudly. As they eat, they have a _terrific_ time watching all the interesting, tiny creatures that appear every now and then.

The small witch in the old house, will come out from time to time, to toss more wood under her cauldron, or throw some other ingredient into the pot while stirring it. There are green fumes rising and dissipating into the air from the cauldron now, and the sway of the rising steam is mesmerizing.

After a short time, the little witch comes out of the house and finds a Scabber is scrounging around in her stash of bottles near the cauldron. As she tries to scare the Scabber away, it grabs one of the bottles and scurries across the grass and up a tree. It has just about reached a hole in the tree, when the tiny witch pulls her wand and _blasts_ the Scabber with a _brilliant_ blue-white bolt of lightning.

Amanda _gasps_ again as the tiny Scabber falls from the tree to the ground, and does not move. The witch is mumbling something as she walks over and picks up both the limp Scabber, and the bottle.

Stunned, Amanda watches, almost frozen in place, with her burger poised for a bite, as the little witch tosses the _Scabber_ into the steaming cauldron, then empties the little bottle in after it. There is a loud _hiss_ , as bright green fumes rise up, and as the steam twists in the air, the shape of a Scabber appears within the steam. The wafting steam with the now twirling shape of the little Scabber, drifts over to the same tree it had just been blasted from. When the steam reaches the tree and begins to wrap itself around it, the Scabber, itself made of green steam, begins pawing at the tree. Suddenly, the somewhat _transparent_ Scabber, breaks free from the rest of the steam, as Amanda watches _completely_ dumbstruck, as the _shining_ , green steam-like Scabber, _runs_ up the tree and disappears into the hole.

After recovering, some anyway, Amanda finds that the burgers are probably the _best_ she has ever had, but decides not to ask what the _meat_ is actually from, not wanting to _spoil_ her meal.

After lunch, they all board the little boat and enjoy the trip back to the lobby. They arrive at the checkout counter, where Thian quickly steps forward saying proudly, "This is _my_ treat, _I'm_ buying for _everyone_!" and all but Amanda laugh, as the others begin to thank Thian.

"Uh, _thanks_ for the lunch Thian," Amanda says as they begin to leave. "But, what's so _funny_ about your paying? Did I miss something?"

Tia says, "Amanda, _none_ of us hardly ever has enough money, to just pay for _ourselves_. Only once in a while, like on really _special_ occasions, do we have enough to pay for, maybe _one_ other person. We have _never_ had enough money to pay for _all_ of us before. This is the very _first_ time."

They all smile, then laugh as they go back outside, into a _much_ brighter day, where it takes a few moments for their eyes to adjust again.

They decide to continue to look around the village for a bit. Their next stop is to look through, " _Belinda's Beautiful Robes_ ," and are all tempted to buy several of the _spectacular_ robes they see, but, decide to look around some more before buying anything.

They next visit, " _Willie's Whimsical Wonders_ ," which is the village Wizitch shop. There are all kinds of Wizitch tricks there, even funny _spells_ and potions. They spend a good deal of time in there, looking at all the interesting things, laughing and watching the demonstrations by the shop staff before moving on.

When they come to, " _Willow's Wisp Wands & Staffs_," they all laugh when Thian says, "I really _could_ use a new wand you know. Now that I can _afford_ one."

Amanda says seriously, "Well, why _not_? You got the one you have, when you were just a little _kid_. And it sounded to me like the lady just wanted you to _leave_ , and made your mom take the one you had in your hand at the time. Maybe now, you can get one that will _really_ work, and you can stop _setting_ things on fire... like the school... or your _barn_ or something. Or blowing out the _windows_ in the village!"

Loki says, "Go ahead Thian, we can look around in there while you get tested."

Thian smiles, "Well, it _would_ be nice to get one that works. Then maybe everyone won't make _fun_ of me." He steps up to the window and looks in, seeing two people behind the counter. One is the lady that sold them his wand years ago. She notices him pressing his nose against the glass, and raises one hand to her heart, while looking rather frightened.

"Actually," Tianna says slowly, followed by an evil look, "this might be kind of _fun_ you know?" They all laugh as Thian steps over, opens the door and they all enter.

As they approach the counter, the younger lady asks, "May I help you?"

Tianna _immediately_ says, watching the older lady as she is _obviously_ trying to stealthily _sneak_ off to the back room, "Yes please. My friend Thian here would like to look for a new wand. And he would like _her_ ," pointing to the older lady, who freezes with her hand on the doorknob to the back room, "to help him, since _she_ did such a _good_ job last time. _She_ sold him _this_ wand you know? It was his _first_ one."

"Oh, sure. _Iris_? You have some customers here."

Iris turns around slowly, and with a weak smile says, "Oh yes, well, I really need to, um, finish up the _inventory_ Mildred."

"Oh, _no_ problem. I'll finish it up for you. I know how much you _love_ to help your return customers." And with that, Mildred walks briskly to where Iris is standing, opens the door while Iris opens her mouth to protest, and enters the back room as the door shuts behind her. Iris is standing there, looking at all the kids smiling at her.

"Do you... remember _me_?" Thian asks whipping his wand out.

Iris _cringes_ , half holding her hand up, giving a short cry, "Oh! Yes, yes of _course_ I remember you!" Then in a much quieter voice as she straightens her skirt, but loud enough in which they can all hear, "how in two _moons_ could I ever forget? Took _six_ weeks for my eyebrows to grow back."

She then smiles at the others in the shop, who have turned to look at her. With a pasted on smile, she walks over and motions for Thian to enter the _same_ purple testing chamber, as he did when he was tested for his _first_ wand.

As Thian walks through the door Iris is holding open for him, he turns and looks back to his friends. "You know... I think you guys better wait down the street. In case I set _fire_ to the building, or _blow_ it up or something. Loki wants to look at some new axe's, so, I'll meet you at " _The Axe Man_ ," well, if I don't have to be taken to the _hospital_..." Then turning and continuing to enter the chamber, "or _her_."

Iris lets out a small cry, turns to look at the kids with _terror_ in her eyes for a moment, then, again giving a forced smile, noticing _everyone_ in the entire shop has stopped what they were doing, and are looking directly at her. As she steps inside and shuts the door, the kids all try to keep from laughing until they get outside, and the door shuts behind them. Then, they all break into roars.

"I sure wish we could be in there _with_ them!" Tia says now holding a stitch in her side. "But," she continues, holding up both hands and tilting her head, " _then_ again." Everyone laughs even harder.

"Well, Thian _was_ right though," Loki says pointing down the street. "I really _would_ like a new balanced axe for my competitions, now that I can actually _afford_ one. My dad said it would be okay too. Do you want to come with me and watch me throw? Or, I can _catch_ up with you later if you want."

"I'd really _like_ to see the axe shop, and to watch you throw too. I've never seen anyone throw a competition axe before, and, well, to figure out what to purchase," Amanda says now wiping the tears from her eyes. So, they all decide to go to the axe shop, and watch Loki throw some axes to find the one he likes.

Once in the shop, they enjoy looking at all the knives, spears and axes, and have watched Loki throw several axes at some moving targets before he decided on one. He has it engraved with his name on it near the blade. The axe is _stunning_. The shop keeper has no sooner finished handing Loki the carved wooden box, when there is a _huge_ explosion as the entire village shakes.

"Oh _God_!" Amanda yells, "What was _that_?"

They all run out of the shop, staff included, to be joined by _throngs_ of people now _streaming_ out of shops all along both sides of the street.

They hear _yelling_ to their right, turn and see smoke coming from one of the shops, and a _lot_ of shattered glass laying on the sidewalks and street, from several _other_ shops nearby the smoking one.

"Ooooh _noooo_!" Tia says pointing at the black smoke pouring from several windows down the street, "that's... the _wand_ shop!"

In a flash, they see Thian _run_ from the building into the street, with several others _chasing_ him. Iris is _hot_ on his heals screaming, "And don't you _ever_ come back here young man! _Everrrr_!"

They clearly see that _half_ her clothing has been burned away, and _most_ of her hair is smoking, with some _huge_ clumps missing. Her face is _completely_ black, covered with the sooty smoke, as is Thian's face and clothing. Along with them are seven others who are standing in the street, coughing and trying to remove the soot from their clothing, using spells from their wands.

All the people now gathered in the street, are laughing _hysterically_ , watching the blackened and still _smoking_ Thian, run as fast as he can away from Iris, toward Amanda and the others, who are in tears too.

Thian comes _skidding_ to a stop in front of them, completely covered with soot, some of his clothing still _smoldering_ as he pats at them. Out of breath he says, "Well... I think my old wand... will do _just_ fine... thank you _very_ much!"

They all _burst_ into laughter, tears streaming down all their faces. Looking back up the street, they see the smoke now clearing, while the _people_ in the street, wave their wands to have the broken glass windows _instantly_ repair themselves, resealing back in their window frames.

Thian is _really_ embarrassed as he begins brushing off soot from his clothing. Tia takes out her wand, waves it over him while mumbling something Amanda cannot hear, and the soot _vanishes_ from his skin and what is left of his clothing.

" _Thanks_ Tia!" Thian says doing the best he can to straighten his very singed hair. Licking his finger, he then tries smoothing down one very _fuzzy_ eyebrow. "Well, _that_ was interesting! What'd I miss?"

They burst into laughter again. Once everyone calms down, Loki proudly shows him his new axe, which Thian is wild over, nodding and grinning back at Loki.

"Listen," Tia says turning to look at all of them. "There's a _lot_ more to see, but I really think we need to buy some new clothes for Thian, and maybe some for the _rest_ of us too. It would be nice to go to the events looking _good_ for a change. Whatdaya say we get some stuff we can _really_ use, then come back another time to finish showing Amanda around the village?"

They all agree and spend the next few hours looking through the clothing and footwear shops, purchasing, and sending by Wizitch, their new items home.

Thian stops into the, " _Racing and Armory Emporium_ ," and purchases a _full_ set of the very latest racing armor. He also stops into, " _Brenda's Broom Shop_ ," and purchases the very latest, high-end racing broom. Tianna and Tia _both_ buy one too. Thian and Tia send their new brooms home, then they all step outside.

"Well, it is getting kind of late you know," Loki says looking around. "I have got to practice some with my new axe before my events. Would it be okay if we had something to eat? Then I should really get going."

They agree, and decide to take Amanda over to, " _Mel's Malts and Beatrice's Bursting Burgers_." Seated outside in the little covered patio, they eat and enjoy watching the people walking by, most dressed in various kinds of brightly colored robes.

When they finish eating, Loki says his goodbyes, turns on the spot, and with a _pop_ and a slight bluish flash, is gone.

Amanda, Thian, Tia and Tianna, make their way back to collect their brooms. Tianna sends her old one home, smiling at her new, _top_ of the line racing broom. They have a great time flying around in the early evening, with the twin moons just rising in the distance behind them, Amanda whooping and hollering as she rides the tandem, Thian doing his best to entertain her.

Once back at Thian's place, Tia tells Thian to _keep_ the tandem, since she, Thea and Tianna never use it anymore.

Everyone says goodnight, and Thian and Amanda watch Tia and Tianna fly off over the trees, Tianna _shooting_ far ahead on her new racing broom.

Amanda and Thian laugh as they see her vanish, with Tia shaking her head, slowly heading off after her.

To TOC

# Dueling Competition

Neither Amanda nor Thian get much sleep that night. Getting up early, they have something to eat and do their chores, before heading off to the convention. There are many events scheduled throughout the day, several taking place at the same time.

After breakfast and feeding the Cucuteos and Kikis, they both go in to clean up and change into their new clothes and colorful robes.

While Thian waits for Amanda, who says she is finishing up but wants to redo putting her hair up in a bun, he takes his new, top of the line, sleek and shiny broom outside and gives it a go. Wow! What a _difference_! He shoots off like a rocket, hardly opening the throttle at all. He adjusts the foot rests on either side of the broom, to help him lay as aerodynamically as possible.

The broom's business end has nicely tapered bristles, reddish in color. On these high powered brooms, the handlebars can adjust to either fold up like on the regular riding brooms, or any position, including almost _flat_ against the handle, similar to his other brooms. These handles pull out slightly from the broom handle, and have the braking system on the left side, with the throttle on the right, giving the rider the ability to bend well forward, almost lying flat on the handle.

The fully adjustable footrests stick out near the bristles and allow the feet to hook either over or onto them. Many flyers wear special suits with helmets that look like long tapered beaks of a bird. Thian purchased one of those as well, along with the rest of his new armor.

When Amanda comes outside and looks for him, she does not see him. Suddenly, she looks up and sees something streaking across the sky far above her. Whatever it is, it is moving _very_ fast.

Walking to the edge of the house, she looks around the sides for Thian. Not finding him, she walks back to the front of the house, then looks back to the sky. Squinting at the dot in the sky, it seems to be growing larger by the second. Soon, she makes out that it is Thian, and he is shooting _right_ for her, growing larger and larger.

In a few more seconds, he levels out shooting quickly over her head, making her duck, scream, then laugh. Turning quickly, she watches as Thian immediately shoots straight up, slows to a stop, hanging motionless for a moment as though he has run out of something Amanda calls gas, then rolls _right_ over backward making her scream. Spinning like a top for several revolutions, he straightens out _just_ before striking the ground, and comes to a _swerving_ stop just in front of her. After Amanda catches her breath and her eyes return to their sockets, they both have a good laugh.

Thian quickly puts the racing broom away, grabs the tandem, and they are off for the arena just outside the village.

They have a good time on their way in, looking at all the other flyers riding brooms, dressed in wonderful robes, while others are in street clothing. Everyone smiling and waving at everyone else. They see dozens of wagons being pulled by various strange creatures, with many people flying on very large and odd creatures as well.

As they approach the village, it takes them a while to make their way down to the arena, and into the visitors lot. Once on the ground, there are signs pointing to various areas for whatever type of transportation you have used, one path leading to the pens for flying creatures, another path for wagons, still another for those who use brooms, and a couple others that Amanda does not have time to read, before she has to turn away, then jog to catch up with Thian.

They check their tandem at _The Broom Closet_ and eagerly make their way into the nearest large arena, now being used for the dueling events of the day.

After handing their tickets to the attendant, and receiving their stubs, they find that they have very good seats, only several rows up from the open arena floor. As they make their way to their seats, Amanda notices that as someone sits down, a chair _instantly_ appears, and they rise a foot or so off the long benches. Armrests also appear, along with some kind of _video_ -like monitor. Tapping Thian on the shoulder, she points.

"Oh, yeah," Thian says as he begins to move down one of the rows toward their seats. "As you sit down on the bench, you're weighed and your size is measured. A customized seat shows up and molds itself around you, and the armrests appear along with the monitor too. Ah! Here we go Amanda. These are our seats. Just sit on the number you see on your ticket."

Amanda glances at her ticket, then sits on the bench directly over her number. _Instantly_ , she feels herself rise up a foot or so, as one of the blue chairs begins molding around her, along with armrests appearing. A monitor flips up from the right side of the chair, swings around on a kind of gooseneck, positioning itself right in front of her, while a _viewstick_ suddenly appears, positioned just in front of it.

Grinning, Amanda says, "Wow! _That_ was fast. And they're really _comfortable_ too, but the armrests aren't exactly in the best spot for me."

"Oh, that's no problem. Flip up the top of your right armrest. You'll find some controls in there to adjust the height of the chair, for the length of your legs, and the position of the armrests too. And if you don't _want_ the armrests, you can push the little button on the _left_ side of your chair. You can push it again to get the armrests back if you want. You can push and pull on your monitor to position it however you want. Push the button at the top right of your monitor to turn it on. Then use the viewstick to move around the field. You can zoom in and out using the rocker like switch on the stick."

Amanda has no sooner adjusted her chair, armrests and monitor, and has just played around with the monitor controls a little, which she tells Thian are called a joystick back on Earth, when Tia and Tianna show up, taking their seats next to Amanda. Ten minutes later, Loki shows up, and much to everyone's surprise, _Kim_ the goblin is with him. Loki tells them that he sent Kim a ticket, asking him to join them all for the day, if he would like to. Kim was _thrilled_! He has never been asked to join _anyone_ , anywhere, _ever_. Not even those from his own kind.

They take their seats next to Thian, Loki sitting beside him, and everyone has a great time chatting and showing Amanda and Kim how to use their monitors and controls. It turns out, you can view _any_ part of the field, from _any_ angle you like. You can _zoom_ in and out as much as you want.

After about half an hour of sitting in the comfortable seats and playing with their monitor controls, the music which has been playing, suddenly stops. Everyone in the stands begins to cheer.

From a tunnel on the right side of the arena, five figures appear, all wearing black and gold robes, with very tall, blue and gold hats. The crowd cheers and applauds louder as the approach.

"Those are the judges," Thian says leaning over so Amanda can hear him. "Once they're seated at the judges stations, the competitors will enter through the same tunnel."

As soon as the judges take their seats, a dozen trumpeters come out and line up, six to each side of the tunnel, which the judges had come through. Everyone in the arena stands, so Amanda slides her screen out of the way and stands too. The trumpeters begin to play. Everyone in the stands crosses their arms across their chests, making an "X" shape, with their hands in a fist. Not knowing why, Amanda does the same.

"This is the tribute to the competitors, from _all_ the attending realms," Thian says in a whisper, as the entire arena falls silent. Only the trumpeters are heard now. In a low whisper, Thian says, "Kind of like the universal song of the Wizitch events. The arms across the chest, is kind of like a salute, a sign of _respect_ for all those who compete."

When the trumpeting ends, the entire crowd erupts in cheers and applause, as competitors now stream from the tunnel, and begin making their way around the oval arena. When they eventually come back around near the tunnel, most go back through the tunnel to await their match, while others begin taking their position on the field.

Everyone remains standing, cheering and applauding until the last competitor takes their position, then everyone sits down and adjusts their screens.

"Golly, there are a _lot_ of competitors aren't there? Amanda asks. "How many do you think there are?"

"Oh, I forgot... here," Thian says reaching over and punching a button located along a row of buttons at the bottom of her monitor. The screen changes and a program of the events appears.

"This will tell you just about _everything_ you want to know about an event. Number of competitors, who they are, their backgrounds, and stuff like that. If you want _more_ information, just tap twice on that little icon... that little picture to the left of what you're reading. That will instantly add the number of pages needed to give you the data on that topic. Like, you can tap twice on someone's _photo_ or name, and it will give you their _bio_ , where they're from, whether they're a _master_ or apprentice... if they've won events before, and if so, which ones... and _lots_ of other stuff. When you're done, just tap that icon again, and you'll get the main screen view of the arena again."

The competitors for the first events receive their individual competition numbers, and have them attached to their chests and back, then move on to their assigned areas.

While this is going on, Amanda plays around with the program, tapping here and there, enjoying how the extra pages will simply show up, changing pages as she swipes her finger over the screen, then disappear when she taps the icon again.

"It says there are four- _hundred_ competitors!" Amanda says rather impressed. "They're going to be dueling with _twenty_ pairs on the field at a time, for these one-on-one events. Then, when all the other pairs have completed their duels, the winners from those, all continue to duel, until the last _two_ are on the field. The one standing after _that_ dual, is declared the winner, and gets the _Gold_ medal. Aren't there any other medals? Like the Silver and Bronze?"

"Nope." Loki says leaning past Thian to look to Amanda. "In a duel, the last one standing wins. All the other competitors, will have quit, or have been _knocked_ out, and I mean... _literally_! The duel continues until one of the pair can't counter a spell or curse, and either gives up, because of the number of spells or curses placed on them renders them incapable of continuing, or, they are actually _knocked_ out cold."

"What do you mean, renders them _incapable_ of continuing?" Amanda asks.

Thian smiles saying, "Well, let's say you get hit with a _boil_ spell, where you break out in boils all _over_ your body. It can be pretty painful, let me _tell_ you! I accidentally did it to myself once, when I was trying to learn the spell. Waved my wand in front of a mirror, to be sure I was getting the _wand_ movements right. You're not _supposed_ to actually _say_ the spell out loud, especially while you practice in front of a mirror, but I got so _frustrated_ after a while, I actually _yelled_ it. And, uh, well, it worked _just_ fine."

Everyone laughs, then Thian continues, "So, here you are, now fighting a duel with all these hideous, _pus_ popping boils all over you. Then, you get hit with an _itching_ rash spell. They're really _murder_! You itch so bad, you just can't _help_ but scratch! Which means you aren't paying attention to your dueling and..."

"You get _taken_ out," Amanda says nodding.

Once the remaining competitors take their seats to await their duel, everyone in the stands takes their seats, and the competition begins. Competitors will come onto the field in groups of twenty pairs.

Amanda is _fascinated_ at how the flat field will instantly change into sections of trees, boulders, rocks, fallen trees and other obstacles. As the dueling begins, she swings her viewstick from place to place, and watches as competitor after competitor, is taken out by some _horrible_ spell or curse.

As the competition continues, there are _two_ competitors who really stand out. Both wear the same kind of robe, with the same coloring. That in itself is not unusual, as Tia explained that competitors from the same school, or Order, will very often wear their school's colors. These two stand out, because they seem to hardly get started in their duel, when it is _over_. The other person _always_ ending up flat on their face or back, out cold.

As the field resets and the victors face new challengers, and others enter from the tunnel to fill in the spaces, the _same_ two continue to rapidly finish off their competition. Amanda finally taps the number of one of the competitors, which reads, Morpheus Fulner. Several pages pop up and she begins to read. It reads that Morpheus is the head apprentice of a very powerful wizard named Taldan, from someplace called Olnar. That sounds _familiar_ to Amanda somehow, but at the moment, with all the excitement, she just cannot place it.

Morpheus has _never_ been defeated, in _any_ public dueling competition, and has _two_ -hundred thirty-five competition wins. Eight _straight_ over the past eight years, right here in these competitions, and has won the _Realm's Cup_ , similar to the Olympics on Earth, for the past _three_ years running, which the screen says, are the _only_ times he had entered them.

Amanda closes the pages, then taps twice on the other competitor's number, which comes up Blaine Blackwater. Somehow, she is not surprised to see that _Blaine_ is an apprentice of Taldan's too, considering the identical robes. It reads that Blaine is one of the most up and coming competitors in this year's competition.

Blaine has come in second, in _every_ event he has entered during the past three years, in which _Taldan_ had allowed him to compete. He _always_ came in second, because in the end, he had to compete against _Morpheus_ , and _no_ one ever beat Morpheus, other than Taldan himself it is rumored.

Turning to Thian, Amanda says, "Wow! These _Morpheus_ and Blaine competitors are _really_ good!"

"Yeah," snorts Tianna, looking past Tia to Amanda. "Really good at _cheating_ , bending and blatantly breaking the _rules_ that is!"

"What do you mean?" Amanda asks furrowing her brows. "They don't _play_ fair?"

"Do not play _fair_?" Loki says hotly. "Those two and the others from their Order, the Order of Taldan, only win _because_ they cheat! They use _illegal_ spells and curses, and everyone's afraid of them. I am telling you, if you _ever_ see them on the streets Amanda, stay as _far_ away from them as you can. Because _those_ two... they are _always_ looking for a fight, so they can prove to _everyone_ how good they are, or to try out new spells, _curses_ and stuff, on people they _know_ they can beat!"

"That's _awful_!" Amanda says watching Morpheus dive over a fallen log, then fire some blue lightning bolts from his wand. The bolts strike his opponent in the chest, throwing her into the air and back at _least_ twenty-five feet. The girl lands flat on her back, not moving, _clearly_ knocked out.

A pair of medical personnel run onto the field as Amanda yells, "Hey! Isn't that your _mom_? Isn't that _Thea_?"

"Yeah it is." Tia says watching her mom help the other medic place the unconscious girl onto the stretcher. Thea then waves her wand and the stretcher raises off the grass into the air to waist level, then slowly begins making its way by Wizitch, off the field so they can further examine the girl's injures.

"So, if they _cheat_ , and use illegal and banned moves, why doesn't somebody _do_ something, like _evict_ them from the events, or _ban_ them from ever competing, or fine them, or, or _something_?"

"Because people seem to _die_ or go missing who try," Thian says looking very nervous. "It all started _years_ ago, when _Morpheus_ first arrived on the scene. He was _benched_ in his first ever event, for the use of illegal spells. All _five_ judges, ended up _dead_ the next morning. There were no suspects, and no one was _ever_ found who did it. It was a really _horrible_ thing too! Nothing like that had ever happened. _Ever_."

"And three days later," Loki says pointing now to where Morpheus is talking in some heated and animated conversation with Blaine, "Morpheus entered another event, and used banned moves when he was in one of the team events. The other team filed a complaint, the judges overturned the win and awarded it to the other team. Next morning, _two_ of the five judges, _three_ team members and the _coach_ of the other team, were found _dead_ in their hotel rooms. _All_ from an apparent heart attack. Five others who had been involved? Never _seen_ or heard from again. No suspect or suspects were seen. And, _none_ were now looked for either, knowing what may happen if someone _did_ search."

"Three _more_ times over the weeks competitions," Tia says watching Morpheus now push Blaine down onto the bench the competitors wait on, "in the events Morpheus was entered into, and the ones there _were_ complaints against him, people went... _missing_. Competitors, coaches, judges. _Never_ were any suspects ever seen. By now, _everyone_ had a pretty good idea what was happening, and _who_ was making things happen."

"But the thing is," Thian says scratching his arm, "since there were never any witnesses, no one could ever _prove_ anything. No evidence of _any_ kind could be found.

"Over the following year, _wherever_ Morpheus had entered, and complaints were lodged, people ended up _dead_ or missing. More go _missing_ now then end up dead though. When _Blaine_ showed up? The same _things_ began to happen.

"Now, whenever someone fights either of them, _no_ one says a word against them if they're smart, or _else_! And now, for the _first_ time, this year, there are like _fifteen_ others from their Order entered into various events too. So, _everyone_ is really nervous now. The paper said that this year, there will be _more_ people in attendance than ever before. _I_ think people are coming here, because they want to see who ends up _dead_ or missing this time, and want to have been here in person to _experience_ it, you know?"

"They strut around the village as though they _own_ it!" Tianna says red faced. "And they may as _well_ too. They can walk into any shop and just _take_ whatever they want, whether they really even _want_ it or not. For a time, a few years back, seems that people who made them _pay_ for things, also began to end up... _missing_. The rumors ran wild about it being members from Taldan's Order. But honestly, even back _then_ , everyone really knew that it was _Morpheus_. Now, for the past couple years, that idiot _Blaine_ has been walking around the village, _threatening_ people, and taking whatever _he_ wants too. Somebody _really_ needs to stand up to them!"

They all watch both Morpheus and Blaine hit their opponents with spells and curses, which would snap a leg or arm, or _both_ legs and arms, break ribs, and some spells, which ended up giving their opponents _concussions_. Each time though, the crowd would _cheer_ , other than for Tianna and a few others, who will _boo_ at the top of their lungs, much to the _horror_ of everyone around them, including Tia, Thian and Loki. Poor Kim does not know what to do, nor how to act. And now, even _Amanda_ cringes whenever Tianna boos. They are all trying to get her to just do _nothing_ if she is not going to cheer.

Watching Blaine, Thian tells Amanda he just used an illegal move. Tianna boos loudly, even after everyone in the arena has quieted down. Blaine turns to see _who_ is booing him. Tianna jumps up and boos as _loud_ as she can. He spots her, still standing and booing, pointing at him and calling him a _filthy_ cheater and no good _scum_.

Blaine whips his wand up, pointing up at her, then slowly lowers it as the entire arena gasps. Morpheus had jumped to his feet, and is _yelling_ something at Blaine they cannot hear. Morpheus turns and looks directly up at Tianna, smiles and bows, then takes his seat.

The hours pass, and as the competitors dwindle, it seems that the field is only composed of those wearing the robes of the Order of Taldan. There are now the _last_ ten competitors facing off in the duels. One by one they fall, until at last, there are only _two_ standing to the cheers of the crowd. Morpheus and Blaine take the field and the tone chimes for the dueling to begin.

After the two of them quickly make their way over and around fallen logs and trees, they finally begin shooting spells at each other. In a _flash_ , Blaine fires off a binding spell as he dives to his right, behind a fallen log. Morpheus _easily_ blocks the spell and fires off a petrifying spell, making a person as _stiff_ as a log, and will _kill_ them if the anti-spell is not cast within no more than two minutes.

Blaine does a _wonderful_ jump, his legs moving all the way up to his shoulders in front of him, where he touches his toes with a smile, as Morpheus's yellow bolt whizzes just below, and _would_ have struck him in the chest, if not for the jump. The _crowd_ goes crazy.

Morpheus _ducks_ to his right behind a tree, as a _breaking_ spell, meant to break the bone of whatever area it struck, _shoots_ past his skull, striking the ground where a large chunk is _blown_ away.

They continue to duck, cover, dive, roll, dodge and otherwise avoid each other's spells and curses, until Morpheus fires _three_ rapid spells, one after the other, quick as a cat. Two miss Blaine, but the _last_ one, as Blaine dives to his left, strikes him _square_ in the face, leaving a streak of blood as he hits the ground unconscious.

The arena goes into the loudest cheers of the day, with Tianna once again on her feet, _booing_ at the top of her lungs. Since the kids are only a few rows up from where Morpheus and Blaine have ended their duel, Morpheus spins and looks angrily at Tianna, as the cheers have begun to subside.

His piercing stare _instantly_ halts her boo, as if she has been _slapped_ across the face. Lowering slowly, Tianna sinks back to her seat, Morpheus never taking his angry eyes off her until she is _fully_ seated. Turning slowly, he then walks over, picks up Blaine's wand and _snaps_ it in half. Then, tossing it aside, he walks to the Victor's area to receive his gold medal.

"Uh, I _think_ I've seen enough for the day," Thian says now getting to his feet. "What do you say we all have something to eat, look around for a while, then head home?"

"Yeah, okay," Amanda says getting up also, her chair instantly disappearing. "I could use something to eat, then maybe even a fluffy _parrot_ for desert." Everyone but Kim laughs.

"Wait! Isn't a _parrot_ some kind of... large _bird_?" Kim asks looking confused. "Why would you want to eat one of those... _especially_ for desert?"

"You've never _been_ in _Cassandra's Sweet Treats_ shop before Kim?" Amanda asks with a grin.

"I've never been allowed _anyplace_ other than the bank. My uncle won't let me go anyplace but from the bank to home. He's staying late at the bank tonight, and it's my day off. So I decided to come here anyway. He doesn't know about it _yet_ though. But what can he _do_ really? _Ground_ me? I can't go anyplace _anyway_ , so, who _cares_?"

They all smile at one another, then Amanda says, "Well then, after something to eat, we'll take you to the sweets shop. I think you'll _love_ it!"

They all laugh, Kim along with them, again _stunned_ but very excited, to be asked along as though he were considered a _friend_. He is accustomed to being treated poorly by non-goblin kind, because of the way he looks, and because of his race... _goblin_. But now, he has found friends who really do not care what race he is, or what he looks like. They just like him for who he is inside.

They take Kim to the _Flash In A Pan_ restaurant, where Kim is _just_ as amazed by things as Amanda had been. Kim has only lived and worked deep underground all his life, and has never seen such things, although he has read a good deal about other creatures, realms, and the Wizitching ways of others.

After dinner, the kids take Kim to _Cassandra's Sweet Treats_ , and buy him a bright blue and green parrot, that is, after Kim finally caught it, the entire crowd laughing and cheering him on, never having seen a goblin outside the bank before. The Parrot keeps trying to fly away, until, at Amanda's suggestion, he frantically tries to pluck out its soft fluffy candy wings, and _stuff_ them into his mouth, just as _fast_ as his little hands can move. Much to the laughter of everyone else, the candy bird continues _pecking_ at him trying to get away, all the while beating him _feverishly_ with what is left of its wings.

They all walk around the village for a little while, enjoying the sights and sounds, then say their good nights.

Everyone is looking forward to watching _Tianna's_ dueling matches the next morning, Sunday.

To TOC

# Tianna's Dueling Competition

Early on Sunday morning, Amanda swings her legs over the side of the bed as she sits up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Yawning, she stretches her arms up and over her head, working a kink from her neck. After making her bed, she gets dressed in a simple top and pants, which Tia had made for her _ages_ ago now it seems. She could have put on some new clothing she had bought at the village yesterday, but, she _really_ likes that Tia had taken the time to make these for her, and they mean something _special_ to her.

After brushing her teeth, and redoing her hair for the _fifth_ time, she heads out of the bathroom. Hearing sounds of pots being banged around in the kitchen, she heads that way.

"Morning Thian!" Amanda says rounding the corner into the kitchen.

"Morning!" Thian says brightly as he lays some Kiki strips into the hot pan with a sizzle. "Did you get much sleep last night? _I_ didn't, too _excited_ you know?"

Laughing, Amanda answers, "No, not _much_ anyway. Too _excited_ , too! Ummm, that smells _wonderful_! Here, let me help," and she helps Thian make the rest of their breakfast.

They chat excitedly about all the wonderful things they will see at the convention, and cannot _wait_ to see Tianna duel in her _first_ ever competition, _especially_ after seeing the dueling yesterday.

"I _still_ can't get over how they let little kids into these things though," Amanda says cracking a Cucuteo egg on the edge of a pan. "I know you all said that you get hit with all _kinds_ of spells, like we saw yesterday. But, yesterday, we saw a _lot_ of people carried away on _stretchers_ who were really hurt _bad_. Broken arms and legs, _cracked_ or broken ribs. Lots of them even had _concussions_ , boils, huge _warts_ and green and yellow fungus growing and sprouting all _over_ them, and tons of other stuff!"

"Yeah, well, like I told you though, all the contestants are given those special wands. That way, just in _case_ someone uses one of the _killing_ curses 'cause they get mad, the _worst_ that can happen are broken bones. Mostly, the person is just _knocked_ out, unless they fall, hit their head and _die_ , or break their _neck_ or something, or die from a _heart_ attack.

"All of those happen sometimes, but for the most part, don't. Most of the _younger_ contestants can't really do all that much. Like, the five year olds, which are the youngest. They can _hardly_ do anything anyway, but they get _mad_ at each other a lot, and usually the worst thing that happens with them, is that they start _beating_ each other with their wands," Thian laughs, "Now _that's_ really fun to watch.

"In the group competitions, even though the first range is from five to ten years of age, _no_ one expects the little kids to last long. It's just pretty much to give the older kids some _warm_ -up practice, before having to duel with kids their _own_ age, or older, in the one-on-ones, or the other team events.

"It's from the second age range on, that things get _really_ interesting... and that's where _Tianna_ will be, the eleven to _sixteen_ year olds. By then, you know enough spells and stuff to do some _real_ damage."

"Tianna said she's kind of _nervous_ about the team events," Amanda says as she takes her plate to the kitchen table. "I've only seen her and Loki duel a couple times in the backyard. She seemed really good to me, but Loki said he _wasn't_ very good. How do you think Tianna will _really_ do in the competition?"

Thian smiles as he stuffs a large fork full of eggs into his mouth. "Ah, well," he says, forcing down a huge swallow, then grins saying, "I think she'll do okay. Let's finish up and get there early okay? We've got _really_ good seats down front again. Tia and _Loki_ will meet us there.

"Thea of course, is already there, since she's one of the emergency attendants in the tents set up outside the Stadium. Today's dueling events are in a different Stadium. There are a _lot_ of competitors, so Thea and the other medical teams won't be going onto the field this time. I think _she's_ the most nervous of all of us! She can watch the events from the Medics tent though. They have a couple of large flat seeing crystals in there, so they have an idea of what type of injuries will be showing up on their cots as the injuries happen."

After eating, they wash, dry and put away the dishes, then both Thian and Amanda head for their rooms to slip into new clothes and a new robe. They have each purchased three robes and cannot _wait_ to wear them, joining the _hundreds_ of other people wearing _their_ colorful robes as well.

Amanda hears talking when she comes out of her room, and heads into the library, where she finds Thian talking to Birchmar. Amanda cannot get over the fact that the tree is a living _creature_ , with its own face, mind and _wonderful_ personality, remembering how she first thought it was some kind of novelty, like the _singing_ fish she had seen.

As she enters, Birchmar smiles saying, "Well, now don't you look _marvelous_ Miss Amanda, absolutely _stunning_ I must say."

Grinning, Amanda says, "Why _thank_ you Birchmar," as she slowly turns in a full circle, as both Birchmar and Thian whistle, making her giggle.

"I was just telling Thian that Tianna has just left for the Stadium, and that Tia asked if she could come here and ride into the village with the _two_ of you."

"Oh, I'd _love_ that!" Amanda says as there is a knock on the front door.

"I _thought_ you would," Thian says with a laugh. "I told Birchmar to tell her it was okay, and he just had when you walked in. That's her now I bet."

Amanda walks to the front door and opens it to see Tia's smiling face, holding her old racing broom.

"Thanks for letting me come with you. I _hate_ to fly alone, and it's way too dangerous to Appareo almost _any_ place near the village. At least at my skill level, with so many people, animals, carts and stuff."

"Are you _kidding_?" Amanda says closing the door as they both head to the library. "I was really hoping that you _would_ come with us! I can't _wait_ to fly again! I just _love_ it!"

They are both laughing as they enter the library, when Birchmar had just begun telling Thian that the _Root Network_ , already has news of two _mysterious_ deaths and _three_ missing team coaches from yesterday's events. One of the deaths had been a judge, the other, a contestant, _both_ from yesterday's dueling events.

Everyone listens intently with concerned expressions, as Birchmar continues. "The _head_ judge, who had argued with _both_ Morpheus and Blaine yesterday _several_ times, for using illegal curses and hex's, was found _dead_ early this morning. The _contestant_ that was involved in that dispute, was found _dead_ as well. _All_ the others... missing."

They all gasp looking nervously to one another.

"The thing is," Birchmar continues, "this time, it wasn't from the usual apparent heart attacks we have gotten used to over the years."

" _Snarkins_! This isn't good," Thian says as the girls take their seats. "Then what _happened_? Everyone thinks all those people who died over the years, _Morpheus_ killed 'em somehow. And, they were _all_ said to have had some kind of curse that causes a heart attack. Nobody knows what's happened to all the ones who've gone _missing_ though."

"Yes, well, that be as it may Master Thian, _this_ time it is quite different. This time, the judge was found... _burned_ to death, laying in her bed at the hotel. The really strange thing is, no one _smelled_ any smoke or stench at all. She was discovered early this morning, when she did not show up for the judges morning briefing."

" _She_... was killed?" Amanda says surprised. "It was a _woman_ judge that was killed?"

"Yes, Miss Amanda." Birchmar says, shifting the leaves which make up his eyebrows. "She was actually the _head_ judge. She is not the _first_ female to have been killed mysteriously over the years. Well, once _Morpheus_ showed on the scene that is."

"And I don't think she'll be the _last_ either," Tia says looking to Amanda. "Now that _Blaine_ and others from Taldan's little _gang_ have showed up for the competitions."

"Indeed," Birchmar continues, "and the theories running through the _Root Network_ are, that many now suspect Morpheus is using some _new_ kind of curse, or, now that _Blaine_ is on the scene, it may be _his_ use of some unknown Dark Wizitch. The _contestant_ was killed the same way, only he was found sitting in a charred wooden chair, against a partly burned writing desk in his hotel. Again, no smoke was smelled by anyone in the hotel. No signs at _all_ as to what could have caused it. But, since nothing like these, or the _heart_ attacks over the past few years, ever happened until _Morpheus_ showed up, well..."

"You mean, these kind of things _didn't_ happen until Morpheus came along? _Ever_? Didn't others from Taldan's, uh, _gang_ , do anything before now?" Amanda asks confused.

"No," Birchmar says, shifting his eyes from side to side, scrunching up his face. "I've been growing here for nearly a _hundred_ and fifty of your years. I have _never_ heard of this kind of thing happening on an ongoing scale. Of course, from time to time over the ages, there _have_ been _some_ unhappy contestants, who may have a fight or two. And only _three_ times as far back as I can remember, _before_ Morpheus showed up, had anyone been _foolish_ enough to kill someone, in some heated argument over the _judging_. But you must understand Miss Amanda, Taldan had _never_ let any of his apprentices enter _any_ sort of open competition, in _all_ his long years."

"Why not?" Amanda asks confused. "Why not all _those_ years, and then decide to let Morpheus enter? And why would he let Morpheus _kill_ those people, if he thought it might lead back to it being one of his _own_ apprentices?"

"Good questions all, Miss Amanda. But I have _no_ answers, only speculation. I think that for some reason, Taldan had decided that it was time to show all realms just how _powerful_ he had become. And not wanting to put _himself_ in harm's way, he selected his _best_ apprentices and sent _them_ to show off their skills. To show, that _no_ one has the skills and powers that he and his, as you call them, _gang_ have.

"When Morpheus was challenged, _lost_ his temper and _killed_ his first judges, coaches and competitors, using some _unknown_ curse, he got _away_ with it. _No_ one could prove that he had anything to do with the deaths, or those who went missing. From that point on, I believe that Taldan has given his _blessing_ , in their doing _whatever_ it takes, to show our realm and others, that _no_ one can challenge them, and _live_ to tell about it. But, since no one can prove it _was_ Morpheus, or now most likely _Blaine_ as well, or any of the others of their Order, they _must_ be allowed to compete."

"Yeah," Tia says looking nervous. "And Tianna and the _rest_ of us will be competing against some of Taldan's apprentices _too_ this year. I know Thian, Loki and _I_ won't cause any trouble with them, but..."

"Tianna..." Amanda says, eyes growing wide, knowing her temper.

"Yeah. You _know_ Tianna," Thian says getting up. "Tianna doesn't take _crap_ from anybody, no matter _how_ big or dangerous they are. I'm really worried about her. This is the first time she, and well, the _rest_ of us, have ever entered. She _always_ wants to stand out, show how _good_ she is, you know? So, I'm really _worried_ that if one of Taldan's gang, _cheats_ on her, she won't let it go."

Everyone nods slowly, then Birchmar says, "Well, keep an eye on her won't you? You three better get going so you can get seated early, and before it gets too crowded. Have a _great_ time!

"I will, of course, be keeping tabs on as much of the going's on as I can, through the _Root Network_. Wish Tianna good _luck_ for me would you? Oh, and Miss Tia, I must add how _smashing_ you look in your new robe. Why, I don't think I have _ever_ seen you looking more _lovely_."

"Thanks Birchmar. It's really _great_ to have some nice clothes for a change, and I just _love_ the colors in this robe. We'll pass the luck along to Tianna for you. Come on you guys, let's get started, we've got some really good seats again, since we bought all the tickets early. See you later Birchmar!"

Gathering their things, they leave the house and Tia mounts her racing broom. Looking over her shoulder, she sees Thian and Amanda mount the tandem and flip up their handlebars. They all kick off, and the three of them laugh as they head up over the tops of the trees, heading for the village, and will then follow the road to the Dueling Stadium, about a mile further on past the village.

Having done a great deal of laughing on their flight in, and having waved to dozens of other flyers going to and from the village, they begin their approach to the Dueling Stadium. They get into a flying line, and are soon making a smooth landing on the large red circle, the center of a bull's-eye, which can be seen from almost a mile away while flying in from high above.

They dismount, take their brooms to the _Broom Closet_ , collect their tickets, and quickly head off to join the _throngs_ of people already making their way into the Stadium.

In no time, they make their way down a row of benches, heading for their seats. Amanda laughs each time she sees someone sit on a bench, just to _pop_ into the air, sitting on a sparkling clean, blue spectators chair.

As they approach their seats, Tia says, "Hey! There's Loki and Kim!"

Amanda looks up to see Loki and Kim waving to them, as they make _their_ way down the row from the opposite end. They reach their seats first, and are already seated when Thian, Tia and Amanda come up and sit beside them.

"Hi Loki. Hi Kim," Amanda says now popping into the air in her chair. "Are you two as excited as _we_ are to see Tianna duel?"

"Oh yeah, I could hardly sleep last night at _all_!" Loki says adjusting first his armrest, then his viewing screen. "Did you guys _hear_ what happened last night or early this morning?"

"You mean, that lady judge and one of the competitors?" Tia asks. Loki and Kim both nod, then Tia continues. "Oh yeah. Birchmar told us _all_ about it. We're a little worried about Tianna you know. I mean, well, you _know_ how she gets."

"Yeah, Kim and I were talking about that this morning at breakfast. I met Kim at _Beatrice's Burgers_ , then got a couple malts at _Mel's Malt's_ and sat outside to eat. We found a copy of today's _Village Gazette_ and it was headline news. _Everyone's_ talking about it. Uh, you think, you-know-who and his gang are responsible?"

"Well, _we_ were talking about that this morning too." Thian says glancing around nervously, to be sure no one is listening. "We think they're the ones that did it _too_ , but, again, _no_ witnesses, and _no_ evidence either."

They all chat for a while on various subjects, while adjusting and playing with their viewing monitors. Most of the talk is about the upcoming events of the day. Soon, the entire Stadium has filled to capacity, and the sound of trumpets soon begin. The crowd cheers as five people appear from the far right of the Stadium, walking slowly while they wave to the crowd, then take their positions at the judge's bench.

After they are seated, the trumpets sound again, and a steady stream of brightly robed competitors come onto the field, single file, and begin making their way around the Stadium, smiling and waving excitedly to the crowd.

The entire Stadium laughs, as one very _tiny_ girl, who, by the rules, _must_ be at least five years old but looks _three_ , trips over her robe, which is _far_ too long for her, and falls face down. Two of the competitors just behind her, not having seen her fall, tumble over her as she tries _desperately_ to get to her feet. Once up, she hurries forward to catch up with those ahead of her, then falls again, with a tall boy now falling over the top of her for the _second_ time.

The crowd is _howling_ with laughter. The tiny girl is _yanked_ to her feet by the large boy, who looks _very_ angry, as she sprints forward again. Having almost caught up with the long line in front of her, she then falls _two_ more times, sending the crowd into fits of laughter. The little girl just gets up each time with a huge smile on her face, and continues to wave to the crowd as she runs.

"I think she just became my _favorite_!" Amanda says laughing as the little girl stumbles for a few steps, but does not fall this time.

"Hey! Look! There's Tianna!" Tia yells pointing down at the field.

"Where?!" Thian cries looking around with a huge grin.

"She just came out of the tunnel. She's, one, two, three, four, five, the _sixth_ one in front of the tall boy with the bright _red_ robe. See her?"

"Yeah! There she is!" Amanda yells. Thian, Loki and Kim soon spot her too. When Tianna has made her way along with the others, all the way around the huge Stadium, and is walking only a hundred feet away from them now, as the competitors all return to the waiting area for their tournament, Thian stands up.

"Tiaaaanna! Tiaaaanna! Tiaaaanna!" he chants pumping his fist in the air. Amanda, Loki, Tia and Kim all jump to their feet, and begin chanting as well. Tianna looks around for a few seconds, then spots her friends, and with a great big grin, holds up her arm and punches the air, then gives a short bow. In a moment, she had passed by, and soon they watch as she and the others reenter the tunnel, and are gone. They then take their seats.

It is several minutes after the competitors had left the field, when the trumpets once again sound, and _dozens_ of competitors run onto the field. Many head for the back of the Stadium, while others head for the area nearest to where the kids are seated, at this end of the Stadium. Tianna is not in this grouping. These are the age ranges from five to ten years of age. The little five year olds are _really_ easy to spot. But some of the ten year olds, look much older than their years, with some _taller_ than Thian.

The mass of competitors soon break again into smaller groups. There are now _five_ groups, comprised of eight team members on each end of the field, for a total of eighty competitors. Forty at the far end of the Stadium, with forty at this end.

"Thian," Amanda asks pointing to the field with a confused expression. "How does each team know who they're dueling _with_? I mean, don't they all get confused or something when they separate, hiding behind trees and stuff, and start _attacking_ people from some other team next to them, instead of the ones they're supposed to?"

"Oh, no! In a minute, the field will actually fill with boulders, trees, small streams and stuff, and each group will be divided by a really high wall. The wall will look solid to those on the field, and feel solid if they hit it, but will be clear to us from our angle. So we can watch whichever group we want, _without_ being blocked by the walls. Take a look at your monitor. When you use your viewstick to look around, you can see that each section is numbered. So, if you want to watch just one area or competition, just punch in that areas number, then use your stick to follow the action you want. Also, since each competitor is assigned a group number they wear on their front and back, and the numbers for each team are a different color, you can spot members of your _own_ team, or the others."

He has no sooner said that, when the entire Stadium gasps, then cheers as the Stadium field instantly changes into various forested landscapes. Amanda gasps as well, sitting there with her mouth and eyes wide.

In the area directly in front of them, she sees huge boulders with a few smaller ones scattered about. Green grass of various heights fill much of the landscape. Wonderful brightly colored wildflowers are scattered about everywhere. There is a small stream meandering around boulders and trees, and off to the right, is a _huge_ waterfall, cascading from that wall into a large pool at the base. There are fallen trees crossing the stream at several places, or leaning up against boulders, or simply laying on the ground. It is truly _breathtaking_.

You can tell the competitors are really excited as well, as you watch them laugh, bend and look around, pointing at various areas, quickly talking among themselves.

"Once the landscape changed," Tia says smiling, "the competitors have _three_ minutes to decide where each will go when the _first_ whistle blows, and decide on any other strategy they may come up with."

"Yeah, and then," Thian says adjusting his monitor, as he watches a couple of little kids argue and push each other, "when the _second_ whistle blows, the tournament begins. It can get pretty exciting _really_ quick. Even with the _little_ kids."

The first whistle sounds and the Stadium roars as the competitors run to take their chosen positions, taking the best cover they can find.

Once all the competitors are in position, and the three minutes expires, a _second_ whistle blows. The Stadium erupts as the competitors begin dodging this way and that, looking for members of the opposite team, as they sprint from one area to the next or dive behind a log or boulder. The action is _exhilarating_.

Soon, there are flashes from wands all over the field. Amanda is moving her head from side-to-side so fast, she becomes dizzy. Things are happening so quickly, she does not know which way to look, or where to spin her viewstick.

"I don't know where to _look_ ," Amanda says with a laugh. "Things are happening... _everywhere_."

"It's best to just pick one or two areas, and only focus on those," Tia says with a smile, eyes glued to the monitor. "Otherwise, you _won't_ get much out of it. Hey, look! Isn't that the little girl everyone was _laughing_ at?"

Amanda looks just in front of them and to the left section where Tia is pointing. Sure enough, there is the tiny girl with the _really_ long robe. She has her wand out, moving very quickly, bent low to the ground headed for a rather large boulder.

"It _is_ her!" Amanda yells leaning forward in her seat, laughing hard. "Oh, how _cute_ is she?! I hope she doesn't get hurt!" Punching in the number for that area, the monitor instantly zooms in to the action in _just_ that section. Amanda adjusts her screen and zooms in. Adjusting the image slightly, she places the cross hairs over the little girl and hits the 'auto follow' button. Amanda grins as her monitor automatically follows the tiny girls every move.

They watch as kids make their way around boulders and behind trees, as blasts from their opponents wands flash past them. Amanda gasps as she sees one boy, who must be around eight or nine, _blasted_ right off the boulder he has just jumped up onto. Flying some six feet, he slams hard against a tree. Dropping his wand, he slides to the ground, slumping over on his side. He is no longer moving.

"Oh my _god_! That boy just got... _killed_!" Amanda shouts, putting her hand to her mouth.

"The one who hit the _tree_?" Tia asks, having been following the same section on her monitor. She watches as Amanda slowly nods, her hand still over her mouth. "It's okay Amanda. He's _not_ dead. Only knocked out. Remember, you _can't_ die in these anymore. Well you _can_ , but not very often. You can get broken bones and stuff, or knocked out, but that's pretty much all you see now. He's only been knocked out. In a minute, he'll disappear. The judges have each person who can't compete any longer, _removed_ , so they can have their injuries looked after. See, he's _gone_."

Sure enough, there had been a blue _flash_ on Amanda's screen, and the boy vanished.

Amanda watches intently, as the tiny girl makes her way to a tree, quickly placing her back to it. Zooming in, her tiny face looks _scared_ to death. As Amanda zooms back, the girl turns around and sticks her head around the corner of the tree. A green bolt strikes the tree just _inches_ over her head, making both Amanda and Tia gasp.

Turning quickly away, the girl trips over her robe, falling _face_ first onto the ground. Amanda hears Tia, Loki, Thian and Kim all gasp along with her, and she knows _they_ are watching the poor little thing, _struggling_ to get up too.

The little girl once again places her back against the tree, sticks her head around the same corner of the tree, as once again, a bolt strikes _just_ above her head, as she bends low.

Quickly, whipping around the other side of the tree, she fires off _two_ green bolts, timed about a second apart. The first one is shot at the right side of the tree where a ten year old boy had shot his bolts at her. Her shot strikes the tree setting it on fire. Her second shot has been aimed at the other side of the tree, where the boy has _just_ appeared, as he begins running from that tree to another. He has only taken _one_ step when hit in the arm, is sent _spinning_ to the side, where he hits the ground hard. He begins _scratching_ at his arm with his wand hand, having been hit by an _itching_ rash spell. The tiny girl shoots two more blasts from her wand, both striking the boy, who instantly begins to _laugh_ hysterically, then _throw_ up. He has been hit with _both_ a laughing and vomit spell.

The tiny girl fires _one_ more spell at him, as he begins to point his wand at her, as she runs toward another tree. Her spell hits him _square_ in the face, knocking him over backward, flat on his back. He is no longer moving. The little girl quickly changes direction, making her way to a fallen log near the stream.

"Did you _see_ that?!" Amanda yells, not taking her eyes off the little girl on her monitor, who looks to be caught up in her long robe again. "Did you _see_ what she did?!"

Tia laughs, as does Thian, then Tia says, "Yeah I did. Not _bad_ for a little kid huh?! Hey, look, _there_ she goes!"

Amanda watches as the tiny figure in a now _filthy_ fluttering robe, jumps up and begins to run across the log, which arches up and over the stream, like a kind of natural bridge. _Blast_ after blast from the other team flashes past her, setting some trees and bushes on fire, which quickly go out.

As she reaches the other side of the log, the little girl _dives_ off the end, flies through the air like _Super_ -girl, robe flapping wildly in the air, _hits_ the ground doing a forward roll, _springs_ into the air doing a forward flip over a small boulder, lands, then _drops_ to her knees facing the other team. She fires off five rapid shots. Jumping to her feet, she begins to run, trips over her robe and falls _face_ down, just as two bolts whip over her head. Quickly, she rolls to the side and behind another log. Two of her shots had struck their marks, with two more bodies lying on the ground.

_Half_ the crowd must be watching the team the tiny girl is on, because the entire _Stadium_ is going nuts.

Other members on the tiny girls team are dropping like flies, until only the little girl and one older boy are left on their team, while _four_ others are left on the other.

The tiny girl and the boy, look across the fallen log they are both hiding behind for a moment. The boy nods slowly three times. On the third nod, they both jump up firing spells as fast as they can. The older boy strikes two members of the other team, before being struck himself. He is blown back several feet, then lies motionless on his back, still holding onto his wand.

The little girls first bolt strikes a tall girl who must be ten, slamming her back against a large boulder. She slowly slides to the ground, head slumping forward, where she stays motionless. The little girls second shot missed its target, and she herself is struck _square_ in the chest by a yellow bolt, shot from the wand of a _huge_ ten year old boy.

Amanda screams, as a majority of the Stadium gasps along with her. The tiny body flies five feet backward striking the ground hard, and skids for another five or six feet on her back, before striking a boulder.

Amanda has tears streaming down her face, as she turns to look to her friends. Tia crying too, is intently focused, zooming in on her monitor, as is Thian. Amanda cannot see Loki or Kim's face, but hears Kim sniff.

When Amanda turns to look back to her monitor, the tiny girl is gone, and the tall boy is punching the air, jumping up and down. The crowd begins to cheer, for a job well done, and a win well deserved.

The kids watch the remaining sections duel, until only one person is left standing. Their entire team, many in bandages, comes to join them for the Victors Ceremonies, where each winning _team_ member is awarded a medal. The last one standing from the winning team, is awarded a _special_ gold medal, with a large _ruby_ set in the center. They all then leave the field, so the next events members can take their place.

They watch three more team events in this age range, then it is time for the eleven through sixteen year olds to take the field.

"I _still_ don't see why they have such a wide age range," Amanda asks turning to look to Thian. "I mean, that little girl we like, is only _five_ years old. She was up against kids _twice_ her age. And at five, that's like, well, like _Tianna_ at thirteen, dueling someone who is _twenty_ six. Or, someone who's twenty six, dueling someone who's _fifty_ two. That's a _huge_ gap in education, practice and _experience_! It just doesn't seem _fair_ at all!"

"Nope," Thian says applauding as the Judges for this age group take the field. "It's _not_ fair. But either is a lot we encounter in _life_. Amanda, at _any_ age in our realm, and _especially_ in some others, you may be faced with a _life_ or death duel against someone of _any_ age, or against other _creatures_ as well. But, as you saw, that little five year old girl, took out several people twice her age. True, _experience_ and education play a _huge_ part, but these tournaments are designed to begin to give people a _real_ sense of what's out there. You know, like what you may _really_ face someday. Well, that, and to have a little _fun_ as well while you hone your skills."

"Not only that," Tia says leaning over to join the conversation, as the competitors begin to take the field and make their way around it, to the cheers of the crowd. " _Thousands_ of years ago, the competitors only dueled, or flew, or threw axes and other things, against those their _own_ age. Back then, there weren't that many people competing. As time went on, there were just too many people in the _same_ age groups wanting to compete. It would have taken _weeks_ , even _months_ for everyone to compete that way. It just wasn't feasible anymore. So, they began to combine age groups into an age difference of three years. Then it went to four, several thousand years ago, then to five years difference, and now, we're at six.

But, then, there is the _Fully Mixed Team Dueling_. Those are the ones Tianna has entered too, which is tomorrow. Remember? Those are teams made up from _all_ age ranges, and are selected by a Wizitch random competitor selection process."

Amanda nods, watching the tunnel exit intently on her monitor. "Hey! There she is! She's just coming out. See her?"

They all stand and cheer. Of course, Tianna cannot hear their cheers over the din of cheering and applauding from the entire Stadium, but she knows where to look for her friends and sister, since they had told her where their seats would be. Tianna looks over, and begins waving at them for a minute, then begins to wave along with the other competitors to the rest of the roaring crowd.

In a few minutes, the competitors are broken into several groups. Tianna is one of those selected for the first round. In a few moments, the field changes again to provide trees, water and boulders. The first whistle blows and Tianna and all the others sprint for cover.

The whistle blows again, and in moments, flashes are coming from all around the Stadium, along with gasps, oohs and ahhs. The cheers and boos are now a constant drone.

All the kids have punched in the number for Tianna's section. They watch as Tianna dives over a small log, firing off a quick shot as she rolls behind a boulder. She takes out a competitor, as two of her team mates are struck and fall. One is thrashing _violently_ on the ground, the other has been knocked unconscious.

"Way to _go_ Tianna!" Loki yells getting to his feet for a moment.

Amanda watches in awe, as Tianna jumps to her feet, and begins to run, _full_ sprint, straight for a tree. She will be _fully_ exposed for a full four seconds. Running like a wild _animal_ , she reaches a low boulder which is about three feet high, by about eleven feet in length about half way to the tree. Tianna _leaps_ into the air doing a full forward flip, _up_ onto the boulder, as two bolts of yellow lightning just miss her. One bolt _zips_ just past the middle of her back, the other right _through_ where her leg had just been.

Taking four quick strides, Tianna _shoots_ across the boulder, dives off the end of it, _soars_ through the air for seven feet, before striking the ground doing a forward roll. She _springs_ up into the air, and _vanishes_ into the branches of the large tree.

"Holy _Cow_! Did you _see_ that?!" Amanda yells with her eyes wide. "Where'd she _go_? Wow, she's _really_ good!"

Tia laughs, then adjusting her viewstick says, "Actually, she's a little _slow_ today. Must be nerves or something. Usually, she's _much_ quicker than _that_!"

Suddenly, there are bolts streaking from the tree Tianna has jumped into, and three of her four shots strike home, taking out her opponents. One of her shots blows a girl, about her age, out from behind a boulder, where she hits the ground motionless. Another strikes a very tall, slender boy, who must be fifteen or sixteen. He just rounded a tree, and was beginning to stick his head out, when Tianna's bolt hit him _square_ between the eyes. He dropped straight forward, a _perfect_ face plant. Her last shot took out a very _vicious_ attacker, who had dropped several from Tianna's team.

After striking those three, Tianna drops from the tree, directly behind a large boulder near a little stream.

In five more minutes, only Tianna is left from her team, with _two_ others from her opponents.

The two on the other team split up, each heading for a different side of Tianna's boulder, making their way as quickly as they can behind a tree, fallen log, or some other form of cover. One of them though, is not quick enough, as Tianna _blasts_ him off his feet and several feet into the shadows of the nearby trees.

"Wow! Did you see _that_ one?!" Thian yells with a huge grin. "That was _awesome_!"

There is a blast from Tianna's remaining opponent, which blows _part_ of her boulder away. Many in the crowd _gasp_ , and are now pointing to Tianna match.

"Hey! That's an _illegal_ spell!" Tia yells getting to her feet. "He's using an illegal _force_ spell! If that had hit Tianna in the head, she could have been _killed_!"

"Killed?!" Amanda yells. "But, but I _thought_ you said that those dueling wands _couldn't_ give off enough force to actually, _kill_ someone. They would have to, like, _fall_ and hit their head on a rock, or have a _heart_ attack or something."

"Well, they aren't _supposed_ to! I don't know what happened, but she's in _real_ trouble! Why don't the judges _stop_ it? They're just _sitting_ there! Look at their _faces_! They look half _scared_ to death don't they?"

Two of the judges had spotted the boulder being blown apart, and rose to their feet, just as a bolt from the boys wand seems to strike Tianna, where upon she _violently_ spins away from the boulder, flies through the air, landing face down in the stream. Most everyone in the Stadium _gasps_ at the same time. Amanda zooms in, eyes wide, heart pounding, hand to her mouth, as she watches Tianna's body begin floating away, in the direction the boy is now standing with his wand held high in victory.

"He... he _got_ her!" Kim yells.

Half the Stadium is on their feet, having just witnessed what everyone knows _may_ have been the end of the girls life, from what was clearly, _another_ , illegal force spell. The kids are on their feet, frantic as to what they should do.

Amanda watches Tianna's body, as it floats around behind the boy, who is now taking bows to the crowd, and the obvious _cheers_ coming from a section not far away, composed _entirely_ of Taldan's apprentices.

"Hey! Look!" Tia yells pointing to where the boy is standing.

Amanda snaps her eyes back to her screen and zooms in. She watches Tianna crawl from the water, and get to her feet behind the boy, who is _oblivious_ to her stealthy approach, from all the _roaring_ in the stands. Sneaking up, Tianna taps him on the shoulder. Surprised, he turns quickly, just in time to be punched _square_ in the mouth by Tianna's clenched fist.

The kid is knocked off his feet, landing hard on his back, as he drops his wand. As he reaches out to grab it, Tianna steps forward kicking it away, just as his fingers begin closing around it.

It's obvious Tianna is _yelling_ something at him, and _he_ is yelling something back. Tianna yells something else, then just stands there. The kid hesitates, then says something to her. She holds her arms out slightly to the sides and shrugs. Then with a quick _snap_ of her wrist, a blue green bolt strikes the boy and his _entire_ body bounces off the ground, then slams back down. Making _another_ quick swish of her wand, the boy's body bounces once again, falling motionless. Reaching down, she picks up his wand, then _brakes_ it in half over her knee. Turning to the judges, she holds up the broken wand, as the entire Stadium goes _crazy_!

One of the judges holds up a green flag, with her section number, and _her_ teams number on it, ending that match.

Tianna... has _won_! The kids are jumping up and down, _cheering_ , as is most of the Stadium.

After all the _other_ teams have only one team member standing, the team awards are given, and there are _huge_ cheers from the Stadium as Tianna bends her neck to receive her gold medal, with the sparkling _ruby_ in its center. Raising her arm, with a huge grin, she waves to the cheering crowd, kisses the medal, then holds it up toward the kids, who are all _hooting_ and hollering at the top of their lungs.

Tianna's other dueling event for the day, is her one-on-one events. She has three hours before that starts, and she said earlier, that she would meet her friends at the _Broom Closet_. They will all fly over to _Beatrice's Burgers_ , then get a malt or shake at _Mel's Malt's_ , where they can have a bite to eat and chat about the dueling events.

The kids get up and make their way out of the Stadium. They wait by the _Broom Closet_ until they hear a commotion coming from off to their left. Turning, they see Tianna making her way through the crowd, being patted on the back, people clapping as she passes. She waves to the crowd around her, holding up her medal, the gem _sparkling_ in the sunlight. Tianna has the _biggest_ grin on her face that Amanda has ever seen on her.

As Tianna comes closer, they all applaud and cheer, as she laughs and takes a bow. Then Tia runs over and hugs her, the two of them begin jumping up and down talking excitedly. They then step over to join the others, who congratulate her, taking turns admiring her medal.

"That was _really_ exciting!" Amanda says as Thian retrieves the tandem from the Closet, then retrieves the others brooms for them as well.

"Thanks! It was _actually_ even more exciting than I _thought_ it would be! I was _really_ nervous at first, and that really _slowed_ me down. I'll have to work on that one."

"We thought you were really _hit_ when you flipped into the stream!" Loki says shaking his head. "That _idiot_ actually shot some kind of illegal _force_ spell at you, and blew _half_ that boulder away too."

"Yeah, and when we saw that _second_ bolt strike the boulder," Kim says softly, like he is not sure he is really allowed to participate in the conversation, "and you spun into the stream, we thought you might be, well, _dead_!"

"I think I _could_ have been too. That bolt struck the boulder right below my armpit, and actually _blew_ a chunk of rock away, _right_ between my arm and my body. I decided to let him _think_ I was done for, you know. So I _faked_ the hit and spun into the stream. I held my breath just before I hit the water, and kept my head tilted slightly to the side, so I could see him if I was _lucky_ enough to get behind him. When I saw him waving to the crowd, I just put my feet down, snuck out of the water, stepped up to him, and tapped him on the shoulder.

"You should have felt him _jump_!" Tianna says with a laugh. "When he spun around, his eyes were almost _popping_ out of his head. His jaw actually _dropped_. I was so mad, I punched him right in the _mouth_. He hit the dirt hard. Knocked some of the _wind_ out of him I think."

"What were you _yelling_ at him?" Thian asks with a grin. "He didn't look very _happy_ , and looked like he was yelling back. You then seemed to shrug, then _zapped_ him."

Tianna laughs, and says as Tia hands her the new racing broom, "Well, I called him a few names I _won't_ repeat here." Everyone laughs. "Then I asked him _why_ he used an illegal spell, and he told me to _drop_ dead. I asked his name, and he said his name is _Cocytus_ , and that he is one of _Taldan's_ apprentices, and that I was in _big_ trouble."

At this, all the kids gasp, as Amanda puts a hand to her mouth. Thian says, "Uh oh... _this_ isn't good." The others shake their heads, looking rather nervous.

"But," Tia asks, "why did you _shrug_ , then _blast_ him?"

"Oh, I asked him if he was willing to give up and surrender his wand. He gave me a rather long string of rather _foul_ language. Then he said, that _Morpheus_ , Blaine and the others from Taldan's Order, would _never_ allow the surrender of a wand. So, I shrugged and said, 'Oh well, you had your chance, and gave him _all_ I had in a _puss_ and itching spell... all in _one_. Then I hit him again with a full force _knockout_ spell. So, when he wakes up, they'll still be treating him for _boils_ all over his body, and I think he'll find the _itching_ most uncomfortable. _Especially_ where I directed it to go. Which was rather _low_ , if you get where I mean."

Everyone breaks into tears of laughter. They all mount up and head for _Beatrice's Burgers_ , where they have a bite to eat as many people stop by to congratulate Tianna and admire her medal.

Tianna soon heads back to the Stadium to be sure she is rested for her next event. The kids wander around the village for about an hour and a half, then head back to the Stadium to watch Tianna's final events for the day.

To TOC

# Tianna's One-On-One Duels

The kids have no sooner taken their seats, adjusted their armrests, and flipped out their viewsticks, when the trumpets sound as the judges appear to the cheers of the crowd. After a few moments, the trumpets sound again as the competitors enter.

"Gosh," Amanda says watching the steady stream of people continue to pour out of the tunnel and onto the field. "Look how _many_ there are."

"Oh, yeah. But actually, these one-on-one duels don't really take very long, well, _usually_." Thian says waving, as are the others, as Tianna comes through the tunnel to what to them, seems a much _louder_ applause. "They're generally grouped into something like, groups of _fourteen_ , or more. Of course, it has to be an _even_ number. Look, they're splitting everyone up. Let's see what kind of group she's in."

They watch as kids are sent to areas all across the field. Tianna is assigned to a group near the far left of the Stadium, a good ways off from where they are all seated. Everyone punches in her area number, and their screens zoom in.

"There, _see_ ," Thian says pointing at his monitor, to where Tianna is being directed to stand by an Assistant Event Volunteer. " _She's_ in a group of fourteen. Let's see, she's..." Thian begins counting over to her position. "... nine. She's in position _nine_ , so, she'll be wearing the number nine. There see, she's putting the number on her chest, and the Volunteer's putting one on her back too."

Amanda nods asking, "So, _how_ does this work again?"

"Oh, it's easy, really," Tia says waving her wand. A pencil and paper appear from _nowhere_ in her other hand. "I'll show you an example. I'll draw the whole thing out first, then I'll explain."

Amanda watches as Tia draws the following:

"See?" Tia says pointing to the little drawing. "The first time around, they're all paired off. Numbers one and two duel. Three and four duel, five and six and so forth. The _winners_ of each pair, move on to the next round. So, here, the winner between numbers one and two, was number _one_. Between three and four, it was number _four_ , and so on. So now, you end up with only _seven_ people left to duel, here in the second round. Here, the winners, number one and four duel, five and eight duel, ten and twelve duel..."

"Hey!" Amanda says pointing to the number thirteen. "The winner between _thirteen_ and fourteen, which was number thirteen, _isn't_ dueling against anyone the second time around. That doesn't seem _fair_ to me."

"Maybe not," Thian says, leaning in to see what Tia has drawn. "But that's just the _luck_ of the draw. They _automatically_ move on to the next round. Sorry Tia, go ahead."

"No problem," Tia says now returning to the drawing. "As you can see, after everyone duels this time, there are only _four_ competitors left. Number four and eight will duel, and numbers twelve and thirteen. Here, number _eight_ won their duel, and number _twelve_ won theirs. So now..."

"Eight and _twelve_ duel," Amanda says nodding. "And the overall winner for the medal, is number _eight_. Yeah, okay, now I get it. Thanks."

Tianna stays on this side of the field, while her opponent walks to the other end of the field. When all the other duelers have taken up their positions, there is a _gasp_ from the crowd. The field has instantly filled with trees, rocks, boulders, water areas, and of course, the walls separating those dueling from the others.

"Hey, they're starting!" Kim yells after a few moments as he points to the field. "The whistle blower's on her feet."

The first whistle blows and the competitors sprint for the cover they have chosen to start the event. The competitors are widely spread out, since they need to do a lot of ducking and diving, so each section is quite wide. This type of competition continues, until _one_ of those dueling either gives up, or is _knocked_ unconscious.

The second whistle blows, and soon, there are flashes, with competitors jumping, diving, rolling and flipping everywhere. In minutes, some of the duels are over.

Zooming in on her screen, Amanda watches excitedly as Tianna darts from a boulder to a log that crosses a small stream. Several bolts shoot past her, one _clearly_ singeing her hair, making it smoke.

"Oh my _god_!" Amanda says grinning, eyes wide. "She almost got hit _that_ time!"

Tianna dives behind a fallen log, then makes her way along it, crawling flat on her stomach. Jumping to her feet near its end, she sprints to a tree off to her left, after leaping over a tree stump. As she lands, a _tall_ girl who is her opponent, steps out from behind a tree, and they _both_ fire off a shot at the same second.

"What the _heck_ happened?" Amanda asks confused. "I saw Tianna dive to her left, shooting a bolt which hit that really tall girl. Then Tianna got up, walked over to the girl, and _broke_ her wand. _Look_ , now she's walking back to this end of the field."

"Yeah," Thian laughs. "That other kid didn't have a _chance_! Tianna figures that _most_ people are _right_ handed for some reason. And, also, for some reason, tend to _dive_ , jump or _move_ to their right as well. Tianna dove the opposite way, to her _left_. The other kid is used to seeing people dive to their right. So, as the girl dove and fired off a spell, _expecting_ Tianna to be diving to the right as well, right _into_ her spell, Tianna, having gone the _opposite_ direction, fired off _her_ spell, where _ninety_ percent of people _do_ dive. She hit her and knocked her out, before she ever _hit_ the ground."

There is a huge round of _booing_ from the crowd just then, but none of the kids had seen which section it had been directed to.

Tianna looks around to see who won their Individuals, as all the winners need to come to stand at this end of the field at the end of their Sessions. Tianna sees the numbers, two, three, six, seven, herself as number nine, number twelve and number fourteen. Number fourteen, being the high number, will not be dueling anyone, and automatically skips this next duel, and moves on.

Tianna is now paired with number twelve, who is a huge _ugly_ boy of sixteen. He stands at _least_ six feet five, and must weight _two_ -hundred-fifty pounds. He stands with a snarl on his lips, _growling_ at Tianna, constantly leaning from side to side glaring at her, pounding one huge fist into his other palm.

As the Event Volunteers select those to take the far end of the Stadium, Tianna blows him a kiss as she swivels her hips sensually, which stops him dead, as his jaw drops. Turning, stifling a laugh, she begins making her way to the opposite end of the field, walking like a runway model, as many in the Stadium _burst_ into laughter.

Once everyone is in position, the field resets with all the wonderful features in different places.

The whistle soon blows, and the crowd erupts into cheers as the competitors sprint for cover.

The second whistle sounds as Amanda adjusts her viewstick, so the scene on her monitor shows views from Tianna's end. This way, she can follow Tianna's every move.

Soon, Tianna and the huge hulk of a boy spot each other through the trees, and the lightning begins to flash.

There are cheers and _boos_ from the crowd as they respond to the various areas and duels they are watching.

Loki _cheers_ as one of Tianna's bolts hits the big kid in the right side, and he immediately begins scratching _violently_ , as his wand arm moves up and down with each scratch.

Tia laughs saying, "She must have hit him with an _itching_ spell. They're _really_ murder, you just can't _help_ but scratch, they itch so bad!"

Several bolts just miss Tianna, as she jumps, rolls or sprints from place to place.

As the big guy jumps out from the side of a huge tree, firing two quick spells, Tianna leaps _straight_ up, as high into the air as she can. She fires a purple bolt as she rises, which strikes him square in the chest. Her legs are sticking up and out to her sides, as she touches her toes with her finger tips to the _roar_ from much of the crowd. Landing lightly on her feet, she does a kind of weird dance. She then walks over, bends down, picks up her opponents wand and _snaps_ it over her knee. Her opponent is laying on his back, with his wand arm bent at an _odd_ angle behind him, _clearly_ broken.

" _Show_ off!" Thian says shaking his head, but smiling. "You know, _one_ of these days, she's going to show off to the wrong people, and get her _butt_ kicked."

"Yeah, she _will_!" Tia says as she and the rest of them cheer and wave, watching Tianna make her way back to this side of the field. "But, until then, you _gotta_ love her spunk!"

There is a lot of yelling to their left, and everyone turns to see what the fuss is about. There are several coaches of some of the competitors, _hotly_ yelling at the main judge, as a lone competitor stands nearby, grinning.

The kids quickly adjust their viewsticks to zoom in on the action.

"Hey... isn't that one of the robes the apprentices of _Taldan_ wear?" Kim asks.

"Yeah, it is." Loki says with a frown. "I bet he _cheated_ somehow too. Those coaches are _really_ ticked."

They watch as two forms appear from the waiting competitors. Thian says, " _Here_ comes trouble. Isn't that _Morpheus_ and Blaine?"

Sure enough, Morpheus and Blaine are right in the mix of things now, waving their arms and yelling at the top of their lungs. The judges look _very_ nervous. Then to the many _boos_ from the crowd, the win is _still_ awarded to Taldan's apprentice.

"Hey, _wait_ a minute!" Tia says leaning forward and zooming in on the face of the kid. "Isn't that the kid Tianna _punched_ in the face?"

"Oh my god!" Amanda cries, "It _is_ him! Do you think _Tianna_ knows it's him?"

"Oh yeah. _Look_ ," Loki says pointing to his monitor. "She's got her hands on her hips, and she's _shaking_ her head. She _knows_ who it is alright! It's that _Cocytus_ kid!"

Cocytus is now being paired up with a really large boy, who must be around seventeen or so. Tianna is paired up with number fourteen, who had automatically advanced to this round.

After things settle down, the competitors take their positions at opposite ends of the field. The field then resets with a new landscape. Since there are fewer pairs of duelers, the area for each duel is much wider. Tianna is beginning from the same side of the field the kids are seated. They all adjust their monitors to watch her.

The whistle blows and there is a scramble to take cover. Another blow of the whistle, and the battle begins. There is a _scream_ from a large portion of the crowd, as something has happened in one of the other areas. Flashes are soon snapping everywhere.

Tianna maneuvers behind a boulder that is fairly close to a fallen log. She and the big kid exchange several volleys of spells. Tianna dives behind the boulder then rolls behind the log... but, _not_ before getting hit in the leg. She feels a sharp pain, but knows that since she is still conscious, and is not breaking out in itches or boils, it must have been just a glancing knockout spell. Faking a direct hit, she drops to the ground, flat on her back and does not move.

The big kid _knows_ he hit her, but waits for a few seconds, before cautiously making his way forward, wand held at the ready.

Amanda and the others, of course, do _not_ know she is alright, and think she has been knocked out. Amanda zooms in and watches as the huge kid slowly approaches the fallen log. Holding his wand out in front of him, he rounds the log cautiously. His face is dripping with sweat.

He stares at her with a sneer spreading across his face. He nudges Tianna with the tip of his boot, then hauls back and really _kicks_ her hard, her whole body moving. She just lies there, her eyes open and staring into the sky. Her wand is still clutched in her hand, laying across and near the center of her chest.

The big guy begins to laugh, bending down with his wand hand, to take hers and snap it. He is just about to grab it, when Tianna, _quick_ as a cat, reaches out with her wand hand _snatching_ his wand right out of his hand. There is only time for his eyes to fly wide and partly straighten up, before he is hit with bolts from _both_ wands, which send him flying up and back, for _twenty_ feet. He hits the ground hard, and does not move.

Amanda and the kids all have their eyes wide and mouths open, then begin _cheering_ as Tianna quickly gets to her feet, walks over to the huge motionless body, and gives him two _more_ blasts, those sending his body bouncing high with each hit. Tianna then hauls back and _kicks_ him hard in the ribs, _twice_. Just to be sure.

Tianna yells something to the lump on the ground, takes his wand and _snaps_ it over her knee. As she begins to walk back to this end of the field, many cheering for her, she hears loud _boos_ come from a good portion of the crowd.

But they are _not_ directed at Tianna.

Amanda snaps her head to the left for a moment, then looks back to her monitor, and quickly begins maneuvering her viewstick. Soon, she sees the big kid Cocytus was dueling, lying flat on his back, Cocytus standing over him, his wand still pointing at him. Amanda _gasps_ as she zooms in and sees that the kids entire body... is _smoking_.

There are many cheers, and as Amanda turns back, sees Tianna slowly step to this end of the field, bend and begin rubbing her leg.

"What? What _happened_ to this kid Cocytus was fighting?" Amanda asks looking to the others. Then _more_ yelling and _boos_ come from everywhere in the Stadium.

Cocytus is standing over the smoking body, laughing to the cheers from Taldan's Order. Morpheus and Blaine run over to join in on the yelling of the coaches and judges.

After Morpheus _shoves_ two of the judges violently, and both he _and_ Blaine have their wands out, a judge steps over to the bench, then holds up a green flag with _Cocytus's_ number on it. Cocytus has been awarded the _win_ , as the _entire_ crowd boos loudly.

"Oh _no_!" Amanda says as she turns to look into all the others frightened faces. "He _won_ , and so did _Tianna_. That means. I mean..."

"That _she_ has to duel Cocytus!" Tia says, looking very nervous.

The entire Stadium falls silent, as the five judges call Tianna and Cocytus over and have a quiet word with them. Tianna and Cocytus step onto the field, with nervous cheers and whistling of the crowd, and take their positions. Tianna is once again, beginning from this side.

The field clears, then resets, with new landscape appearing, and this time, they have a tremendous area to maneuver in.

The whistle blows and they run for cover. There is a blast from the whistle again, and Amanda zooms in to watch the action, as has _everyone_ in the Stadium.

Both Tianna and Cocytus quickly make their way around boulders, behind trees, jump over rocks and tree stumps, and even dive into the little river running through the landscape, to get to what they think might be a better vantage point.

They are _both_ moving quickly, but cautiously, and as _stealthily_ as they can. The entire Stadium is hollering and whistling. The sound is almost _deafening_.

It takes almost five minutes before the first flash, which is sent from Cocytus. The bolt just misses Tianna's right side, as she sprints for a huge tree. Once at the tree, she waits for a moment, then holding the hem of her robe, flips it out and around the side of the tree, rather low. There are two blasts which strike her robe, setting it on _fire_ momentarily to the _gasps_ of the crowd. Tianna instantly whips her wand around the other side of the tree, firing off two shots of her own.

Amanda sees _both_ bolts from Tianna's wand, _strike_ Cocytus. One in the arm area, the other _square_ in the upper right chest as he had stepped out. But it looked to Amanda, like there was a dull _bluish_ glow, where the bolts had hit, but nothing _happened_ to him at all. Cocytus drops to the ground on his side, as he fires two quick blasts at Tianna, one striking her in the left arm, as she had stepped out, running for another tree. She spins _fully_ around, _twice_ , before hitting the ground hard.

The kids know that _this_ time, she has _really_ been hit.

There are _boos_ from just about everyone in the Stadium. The kids are all on their feet and scared half to death.

"Did you _see_ that?" Thian yells to no one in particular. "She _hit_ him, _twice_! But nothing happened. I _know_ she hit him... didn't she?"

Cocytus walks to Tianna, picks up her wand, and _snaps_ it in half.

"Oh yeah, she _hit_ him alright!" Tia yells having replayed the scene again and again on her monitors instant replay. "He used some kind of _shield_ charm, and that's _illegal_ in competition! Hey look, Tianna's getting up. He must have only _stunned_ her. Uh oh. She _really_ looks mad! Oh no, _this_ isn't going to be good at all!"

The judges have just awarded the win to Cocytus, and are about to place the gold medal around his neck, when Tianna begins yelling.

Morpheus and Blaine are _instantly_ on their feet, and begin yelling at Tianna, as Cocytus steps forward and begins yelling along with the five _judges_. This goes on for several minutes, then Tianna snatches the wand from Cocytus, and shoots a bolt into the air, which _bursts_ into a huge fireball, like a really fancy firework. The crowd falls silent, and you can hear Tianna's voice coming from the P.A. system, from the announcers station, "...or I'll _take_ this to the International Wizitch Federation, with a _formal_ complaint, and not only against _them_ ," pointing to Morpheus, Blaine and Cocytus, "but against _you_!" she screams at the judges.

The announcer comes out of his daze, noticing that he has left the microphone open, and instantly switches it off. You can see the judges looking around nervously, as the crowd stays almost silent, waiting to see what the judges will do. The _judges_ know that the crowd has clearly witnessed the _illegal_ use of a shield spell. But, the judges _also_ know what has happened to judges in the past, when things did _not_ go the way Morpheus wanted them to.

Morpheus and Blaine begin yelling again, and no one needed a P.A. system to figure out what they are saying.

The judges _reversed_ their decision, _stripping_ the gold medal from Cocytus, and place it around Tianna's neck.

The entire _Stadium_ erupts. Just about everyone in the Stadium, except for Taldan's group, are on their feet, _cheering_ and applauding _louder_ than ever. Morpheus pushes one of the judges, who falls over the judge's bench, landing flat on his back. Morpheus points his wand at him, and yells something they cannot hear.

Tianna walks into the empty field and waves, turning slowly in a full circle to the _cheers_ of the huge crowd, holding her gleaming medal high. She looks to her friends, giving a short bow.

Morpheus and Blaine walk quickly over to her as she begins to leave the field, so the next group of duelers can take their turns. Blaine _grabs_ her by the left shoulder, spinning her around roughly. In a flash, Tianna takes a short step back then _kicks_ him where it _really_ hurts, instantly dropping him to his knees. The crowd _howls_ , while the kids _gasp_ , the color draining from their faces. Morpheus is so _shocked_ , he does not have time to do anything, before Tianna turns and begins to run off the field. Morpheus is _so_ embarrassed, with the entire _Stadium_ now howling and laughing at him and Blaine, that fuming, he turns and walks off, leaving Blaine laying in a ball, groaning on the ground.

The kids get up and make their way out of the Stadium as quickly as they can, then jog over to the _Broom Closet_. They wait nervously until they spot Tianna jogging toward them.

Tianna waves and nods to passers-by who are congratulating her, as her two gold medals bang against her chest.

"Are you _alright_?" Tia asks as Tianna stops in front of them, slightly out of breath with her singed hair.

"Yeah... I'm okay. Really _pissed_ off at that idiot _Cocytus_ and some of the _judges_ though. And can you _believe_ those judges were going to give _him_ the medal, after he _cheated_? Three of the five had voted to give _him_ the medal. But, after I _yelled_ at them, and they heard what I said being _broadcast_ over the P.A. system, the _head_ judge changed his mind and voted for me, so... I _won_.

"But let me tell you, those judges are _really_ scared now, you know? And they all _know_ Cocytus used an illegal shield spell on me too." She then lets out a _stream_ of profanity, making Amanda blush, looking around nervously with her eyebrows raised.

Thian has retrieved their brooms and passes them out. They head off to get something to drink, and to hear Tianna's view of the events, then decide to head for home.

The next morning, the _Village Gazette_ appears on the kitchen table early. As Thian picks it up and looks at the headline, he gasps. Amanda walks around behind him, holding a cup of hot tea, and peers over his shoulder at the headline which reads, "Tie Breaking Head Judge In Contested Dueling Competition Goes Missing."

"Ooooh, myyyy, _god_!" Amanda says, "What _else_ does it say?"

Thian scans the few lines beneath the headline, then says, "Uh, well, not much actually. It just says that the judge is somehow missing. That he was on his way back to his lodgings after the events, and, he never showed up. No suspects were seen, and," looking up into Amanda's frightened eyes, " _none_ were searched for."

They flipped through the paper while they ate, Amanda still marveling at all the moving, 3D pictures. They soon come to a page where there are several moving images of Tianna. In some, she is _yelling_ at the judges, while in others, she is grinning and holding her medals.

One makes both Thian and Amanda laugh. That image is a _glorious_ shot of Tianna kicking Blaine _squarely_ in his private parts, knocking him to the ground, as he lays curled in a ball. The scene plays over and over.

"Well," Amanda says as she takes her plate to the sink, where Thian takes it and begins washing it. "Today is Tianna's _final_ dueling competition, and then you, Tianna and Tia, have the _speed_ racing events right?"

"Yeah. Tianna finishes her dueling first thing this morning. Then we have about two hours before the speed events. Let's change into our robes and wait for Tia. She said she'd be here around now."

Amanda agrees and they both head off to change. A few minutes later, Amanda hears a knock on the front door, and hears Thian jogging down the hallway to answer it. Coming into the library to join Thian, Tia and Birchmar, Amanda smiles at Tia, who is wearing a different colored robe than the one she wore yesterday.

"Wow! You look _great_!" Amanda says grinning.

"Thanks. And so do _you_. I really _like_ that blue robe on you. Makes your green eyes stand out."

They all chat with Birchmar, who tells them of all the rumors passing through the _Root Network_ , about one _other_ death from an event _Blaine_ had been in yesterday, and who everyone suspects as the one who had done it. No surprises there. Everyone _knows_ it just has to be Morpheus, Blaine or _someone_ from their Order.

When it is time to leave, Birchmar says, "Well, I wish you all the very best of luck. Please tell Tianna Hi for me, and _please_ tell her to try to keep her temper in check. Things have really gotten dangerous, and with so _many_ of Taldan's Order in these competitions, well..."

"Yeah, we know," Tia says looking rather concerned. "Both mom and I really _scolded_ her last night, but, _you_ know Tianna. Tianna does what _Tianna_ wants, and nobody can change her mind.

"Mom watched her on the big monitors they have in the tent. _Scared_ her half to death in those matches! And when she saw Tianna _yell_ at the judges, and was yelling face-to-face with both _Morpheus_ and Blaine..."

"I bet she almost _passed_ out!" Thian says shaking his head.

"Oh yeah. Mom said she had to sit down and put her head between her knees. Then, when Tianna had won that battle with Cocytus, and was walking away, when Blaine _grabbed_ her? Mom said she almost _completely_ passed out, and had to lie down.

"Then watching the replay, and seeing when Tianna _kicked_ Blaine in the, uh, well, when she _kicked_ him... than started to run, mom said _everyone_ in the emergency room just about _fainted_. They were all afraid Morpheus would _kill_ her right then and there.

"You should have heard mom _yell_ at Tianna last night! I've never _heard_ her that mad before, and she's never used _language_ like that either. _Ever_! She wasn't going to let Tianna compete today, but somehow, as _usual_ , Tianna convinced her to let her go."

To TOC

# Day Two, Tianna's Team Events

The kids say their goodbye's to Birchmar and head outside, then mount their brooms. This time, as Amanda mounts up, she holds Thian's racing broom that he will use in his speed racing events later in the day.

They kick off and again have a great time flying to the Stadium, waving to all the other flyers and people in wagons, or those just walking along the dirt roads.

They land and quickly check their brooms into the _Broom Closet_. They race each other to the Stadium, Amanda _just_ beating Thian. They laugh and chat on the way to their seats, wanting to get seated and have everything adjusted before the dueling begins.

Moving through the throngs of people entering the Stadium, they quickly find their seats and adjust them, the armrests and then play with their monitor controls, looking around at all the brightly robed people.

Five minutes later, Loki and Kim take their seats with huge _grins_ on their faces. Even _Kim_ is wearing a robe today that Loki got for him. The two of them have become close friends.

Loki is picked on a lot, because he _looks_ different from most of the people in the village. There are only a few of the _dwarf_ race in the village, and so are easy targets for _bullies_. Maybe that is why he and Kim _became_ close. They are _both_ bullied because of their race, and because they just _look_ different.

Amanda asked Kim why his uncle allowed him to keep coming to the events. Kim replied that, since he had _embarrassed_ his uncle _once_ by coming to, and associating freely with " _their_ kind," he no longer cared _what_ he did, but expected him back at work bright and early next Monday, when the convention was over. Kim was _thrilled_.

"Amanda, these are the _big_ team events," Thian says adjusting his monitor. "These are the ones where you can be in a team made up from people of any age. You can have five year old kids right beside _ninety_ year old grownups. These _really_ get wild! There are over _two_ -hundred team groupings, and, every grouping consists of _sixteen_ teams at a time, with _six_ duelers on each _team_!"

"Yeah," Tia says waving to a friend a couple rows down. "And once you're assigned to a team, you _stay_ with that team, and are either _eliminated_ with all of them, or _advance_ with all of them. Even though there may be one person standing at the end, or several from one team, _everyone_ on that team is considered a _winner_ , and they _all_ advance to the next duel.

"So, in the end, _six_ people will win the _Mixed Team Trophy_ and have all their names added to it. They each get a smaller, individual trophy to take home too, along with each of them getting the gold medal. No _gem_ in any of them though, not for these mixed team events."

"Wow. That's really cool," Amanda says with a grin. "This is _so_ exciting! But, I hope Tianna will be, well, _you_ know..."

Loki laughs saying, " _Good_? Don't _count_ on it. The thing is, we _do_ all know Tianna, and she will _fight_ for what she thinks is right, no matter _what_ the cost! That is just the way she has always been. She _hates_ cheating, and injustices. She does not care if she loses, as long as it was fair."

The music stops and the crowd cheers as the trumpets sound. Several judges make their way onto the field, and as Amanda zooms in on them, all of them look pale, as they look around nervously.

" _I_ sure wouldn't want to be a judge!" Kim says over the roar of the crowd. "Not after those other judges getting _killed_ or went missing. No way!"

The others agree as the judges take their positions. The trumpets sound again and everyone is on their feet, as the competitors begin to pour out onto the field, waving to the crowd.

Amanda has her monitor zoomed in on the tunnel, where the competitors are coming through, looking for Tianna.

"Hey!" Amanda yells. "There's that little girl! Oh my god, look how _tiny_ she is!" They all watch her for a few moments, still tripping and falling over her robe, to the laughter of the crowd. Getting up, she starts waving to everyone with a huge grin. "I just _love_ her to death! She is _so_ cute!" Everyone laughs.

Amanda punches the button for the menu, then for the names of the contestants. Punching in the number the little girl is wearing, her screen changes to provide the information on the girl.

"It says here that her name is Sadie, and that she's from some place called Alderon," Amanda says with a smile. "She's only five years old, but looks more like _three_ to me. She is so adorable, her robe's at least _two_ sizes too big for her."

Amanda changes her screen back to follow the action.

"There's Tianna!" Thian yells. "She just came out. Gosh... she doesn't look very _happy_ though does she?"

"I don't think she _is_!" Tia says with a laugh. "Mom told her she wanted a word with her in the tent before she entered the Stadium. I think the two of them had _another_ nasty yelling match."

It seems like forever for the competitors to make their way around and back out of the Stadium, while the first group remains on the field.

Soon, the field splits into sections and fills with landscapes as it had before. The whistles blow, and in a few minutes, there are flashes as people drop like flies. Once these sessions are over, the field cleared and another group took their place, and the battles began anew.

Two hours later, the field has just been cleared when the next mass of competitors stroll onto the field.

"There she is!" Tia yells grinning from ear to ear. "She looks a _little_ happier now. Must be really pumped up."

There is a roar from the crowd and Loki shouts, " _Hey_ , there is that little girl, just coming out of the tunnel."

They all zoom in on her and laugh as once again, the poor thing falls _flat_ on her face, tripping over the robe which is far too large for her. Amanda laughs till she has tears streaming down her cheeks.

The Event Volunteers begin directing the competitors to various areas to form teams. Of the sixteen teams, Tianna receives the number _eleven_ , indicating she is a member of _Team_ Eleven, and is sticking it to her chest, as a Volunteer attaches one on her back.

Turning, Tianna waves to the kids, who hoot and wave back, then walks to take her place with two others of her team.

"Look!" Kim shouts, "They just put the number eleven on that little girl, _Sadie_ , so she is on Tianna's team too. Gee, the number is _almost_ as big as she is."

Amanda smiles as she watches the tiny girl, proudly wave to the cheering crowd, then holding her robe up, skips over to stand with her teammates. Tianna immediately steps forward, shaking her little hand and welcoming her to the Team. The tiny girl only reaching her waist.

"Uh oh," Thian says pointing to his monitor. "Look. Morpheus and _Blaine_ are on the same team... Team _Four_. This should be interesting."

A minute later, Tia says, "Oh, _this_ can't be good. _Cocytus_ just got the number four too. And who's that other kid beside him? He just got the number four too, and _he's_ wearing a set of Taldan robes. So, he's one of Taldan's Order. This _really_ isn't good at all. That's _four_ of the six members now from _Taldan's_ Order. Listen to the _crowd_."

The crowd turned from one of cheers and excitement, to more of hushed and anxious chatter. Amanda knows that just about everyone in the Stadium is wondering _how_ , out of almost _two_ hundred competitors, _four_ of the sixteen to eighteen people from Taldan's Order, ended up on the _same_ Team. _No_ one thinks it is by accident. But, the competitors are chosen, _supposedly_ , at random by a _secure_ Wizitch device.

None of the kids are smiling now, and Amanda has begun to hope Tianna's Team will be knocked out of the competition before she has to face Team Four.

By now, Amanda knows how the events work. Team One duels Team Two, Three against Team Four and so on. That means that Tianna's team, Team Eleven, will be dueling Team Twelve.

As Amanda studies the members on Tianna's Team, she sees that one lady looks about forty. Then, there is the little five year old girl, a big man in his fifties, a man around twenty-five and a young girl around eighteen.

"Well, at least Tianna will not have to duel them yet," Loki says quietly. Then looking over to Amanda, "Maybe if she _is_ lucky, she will not have to."

The crowd cheers as Team members begin walking across the field to take up positions at the other end. In a few minutes, the field changes to the now expected forested landscapes.

The whistle blows, and the competitors sprint for cover, the tiny girl _falling_ before she gets half way to her log. There are _gasps_ from the crowd, followed by laughter, so Amanda knows that a good number are watching Team Eleven and Twelve. Amanda smiles as the tiny girl gets up, takes several steps and dives behind her log to the _cheers_ of the crowd.

The whistle soon blows again, and the crowd roars. The _excitement_ in the air is contagious. Amanda has never felt so excited, _scared_ and nervous all at the same time. It is absolutely _exhilarating_.

Soon, flashes are coming from all around the field. Amanda watches as Tianna and a tall lady, sprint to a large boulder, each taking a position at one end. One of her Team members just missed getting hit by a blue bolt that strikes a tree, setting it on fire for a moment, before going out.

Gasps and loud _booing_ are coming from much of the crowd, and although Amanda does not know from where, she has a pretty good idea.

Tianna and the lady shoot off in two different directions from the boulder, the lady sprinting for a large tree while Tianna sprints for the stream. As Tianna approaches the stream, two bolts shoot past _so_ closely to her, Amanda gasps, putting a hand to her mouth, her eyes flying wide.

In a flash, the older man who shot the bolts at her is taken out by the tiny girl, who is now sprinting across the rocky ground headed for a boulder, holding up her robe so she does not _trip_ over it.

Tianna turns, looking around quickly from her new cover, and sees that if Sadie had not taken out that man, she would have been hit by his next volley, and taken out herself.

Looking to where the tiny girl is, Tianna sees her behind the boulder, laying with her face down and turned to the side, looking directly at her. As the tiny girl sits up, her side against the boulder, Tianna smiles and gives a thumbs up. The tiny girl grins and waves excitedly, her face lighting up, making Amanda laugh.

Amanda gasps as Tianna points her wand at the little girl and flicks her wrist. A bolt shoots out striking the poor thing square in the chest, knocking her over onto her back and making _many_ in crowd gasp too.

The little girl quickly sits back up looking startled for a moment, turns and puts her back against the boulder, breathing hard.

"Hey!" Amanda yells. "Look, Sadie's robe _fits_ her now! Tianna hit her with something to make her robe the right size." They all laugh as the little girl waves and blows a kiss to Tianna.

Tianna laughs, then pointing off to her left, gives some hand signals. The tiny girl nods quickly.

More boos and what sounds like angry yelling are coming from the crowd. Amanda momentarily turns her viewstick, to look at the Team Morpheus and his gang are on, and is surprised to see they are standing in the _Victors_ area at this end of the field. _Their_ dueling is already over.

Amanda turns her screen back to the action, where she finds three of Tianna's Team members down, along with several from the other Team.

Tianna is now firing off shots to cover the little girl, who is running like _crazy_ to a fallen tree, which is leaning _right_ up against a boulder, where the one who had taken out their team members is hiding. Tianna has to turn away for a moment, to fire some shots at someone else shooting at her.

Amanda and the others gasp, as the man behind the boulder begins to run to the side. Sadie has just run up to the leaning tree, and taking two quick steps across the boulders top, leaps off the boulder into the air.

The crowd gasps again, as Amanda and the kids watch wide-eyed, as tiny Sadie _flies_ through the air, her little arms outstretched, and lands on the _back_ of the running man. Her tiny arms quickly wrap _tightly_ around his neck.

Losing his balance, the big man falls hitting the ground face first. Sadie rolls off him, jumps up, and hits him with two quick _blasts_ from her wand. Then, to the roar of the crowd, the tiny girl begins doing cartwheels and back flips across the field, as bolt after bolt flies past her, Tianna firing shot after shot in return, to cover her. The tiny girl does a series of quick back flips, with bolt after bolt _whizzing_ past her, until she has vanished into the darkness of the trees.

In no more than two minutes, only _Tianna_ and tiny Sadie are left standing.

The _crowd_ is on their feet! They were the last Team to finish, so _everyone_ had been watching what happened. Tianna walks over to the tiny girl as she emerges from the trees, after taking out the last opponent.

As she approached, Sadie runs up to her and hugs her legs. Tianna just stands there for a moment, then drops down beside her, says something, then they both turn and wave to the cheers of the crowd. They make their way back to the Victors area, hand-in-hand, both wearing huge grins. The tiny girl _skipping_ , constantly looking up to smile at Tianna.

There are now only _eight_ Teams competing. Team Two will duel Team Four, the one Morpheus and the three others of their Order are on. Team Five will duel Team Seven. Team Ten will duel Tianna's Team, and Team Fourteen will duel Team Sixteen.

After those who had been defeated left the field, and all the others from the Teams who had been injured had been returned to states of consciousness, and those members who can still continue are ready, they all then rejoined their Teams.

"Looks like Tianna's Team is missing one of their members. It's the tall man that looked like he was in his fifties," Thian says moving his viewstick to look to Team Ten. "Looks like Team Ten has _all_ theirs. This may be a _tough_ one."

The field clears and Tianna's team and others take the far side of the field. The field resets with new landscapes and Amanda adjusts her monitor to view the action from that side.

The whistle blows and all the Teams scrambled for positions. The second whistle blows and the field looks as though ants are darting all around. Soon, the flashes begin as the crowd cheers for their favorite Team or Team member.

Tianna manages to hit _two_ opponents before _she_ is taken out by a double dose from an _itching_ spell. She thrashed around on the ground for a few moments, then held up her arms and slammed her palms together, _vanishing_.

"What _happened_?!" Amanda shouts, " _Where'd_ she go?"

Loki laughs then says, 'She got hit with a pair of _really_ good itching spells. You itch so badly, you cannot even think, so she _knew_ she was done for. She held up both arms with her palms together, signaling she was done. The _second_ she did that, she was sent _directly_ to Medical. Thea is probably fixing her up right now. She will be fine. She will be back for the next round, if her _Team_ wins that is. Nothing broken."

In another couple minutes, Sadie is struck while crossing a fallen log. She is blown several feet to the side, hits the ground and rolls a couple times, then lays still. A good portion of the crowd reacted with gasps and "Oooooh No's!

Soon, only the eighteen year old girl from Tianna's Team is left standing, and punches the air as she walks back to the Victors area.

In three more minutes, all the winning Team members lined up in the Victors area.

There are now only _four_ Teams to compete. Team Four, the Team Morpheus is on, will duel Team Seven. Tianna's Team, will duel Team Sixteen.

As Amanda watches those who are able to rejoin their Team, she says, "So, this is kind of like the semi-finals. I mean, the two Teams that win _this_ time, face off for the medal, right?"

Tia tilts her head slightly forward at Amanda saying, "Yeah, and I'm kind of hoping that Tianna's Team _won't_ make it through this round.... but don't tell _Tianna_ I said that."

The field clears and once again Tianna and her Team walk to the far side. They had not lost anyone else, and both Tianna and the tiny girl look just fine.

The field resets and the whistle blows. There is another blast from the whistle and almost immediately there is loud _booing_ from most of the crowd. But Amanda sees that nothing has even happened on Tianna's Team yet.

Swinging her viewstick to look to the other competition, she sees that it is already _over_. Morpheus, Blaine, Cocytus and Manu, another of Taldan's gang, along with the other two members of their Team, are walking toward the Victors area.

Kim, who has been watching that match when the boos had begun says, "Can you _believe_ the judges aren't doing anything about _that_?!"

"About what?" Tia asks as she watches Tianna dive behind a large log, Sadie sprinting between two tall trees.

"Morpheus and Blaine both used illegal _blinding_ spells, then took out _four_ opponents at once. Cocytus and Manu took out the _other_ two, and it was _over_!"

"What?!" Tia shouts leaning over to look to Kim. "Are you _sure_ Kim?"

"I saw it too," Loki says. "I told Kim that we should watch the other Teams, to see how good they are, and he is right. They used _illegal_ blinding spells. I zoomed in real quick on the judges, and they all looked _shocked_ and really _scared_. They leaned their heads together and talked real quick amongst themselves, then held up the green flag for Team _Four_ , giving _them_ the win."

After another fifteen minutes, "Look!" Thian yells. "They _won_! Tianna's Team _won_!" He is on his feet cheering along with Kim. Tia, Loki and Amanda stay seated, all exchanging nervous looks.

Thian looks at them with a huge grin, then his grin fades as does Kim's, when they both realize what this means, and they slowly sit down.

The entire crowd's mood has changed. Amanda cannot only hear it, but _feels_ it.

"I want to check something," Tia says quickly in almost in a panic.

"What?" Amanda asks leaning over to see what Tia is bringing up on her screen.

"I'm checking to see what kinds of _injuries_ the people had that Morpheus's Team took out." In another moment, a list of names and injuries appear on her monitor. "Oh _no_! It's _worse_ than I thought... look!" Tia swings her monitor to face Amanda, since Amanda does not know how to get this data herself yet.

Amanda leans in and begins to read, her eyes growing larger and larger. "Oh _shoot_! Most every _one_ of them has _multiple_ broken bones, severe lacerations, and only a _few_ were just knocked out, or taken out by puss, boil, itching, _vomiting_ or some other spells. Most have been sent to one of the _large_ hospitals in big cities, because their _injures_ are so bad. Oh, _this_ isn't good at all!"

Thian and Loki brought up the same data. Loki spins his monitor so Kim can see it, since Kim does not know how to do this yet either.

"And that is not all," Loki says. "Pull up the list of complaints from all the Teams."

Tia hits several buttons and a new list appears.

"Wow!" Amanda says scanning the screen. "Only _three_ other Teams have complaints against them, and only a few complaints at that. But look at Team _Four_! Half the _screen_ is filled with complaints. Most of them have a red 'IC' next to them. What's that for?"

"It means," Thian says rather hotly, "that those _scum_ suckers have been charged with illegal moves. The 'IC' standing for _Illegal Challenge_."

To TOC

# Team Morpheus Duels Team Tianna

The field has cleared and only _two_ Teams are now in the Victors area. The Team Morpheus in on, Team Four, and Tianna's Team Eleven. Once all members who are _capable_ of returning have returned, the two Teams turn to face one another.

Those on Morpheus's Team sneer at Tianna's, with _vicious_ expressions... especially Cocytus, Morpheus and Blaine, who have _special_ plans for Tianna. She lost them the medal for Cocytus, but more importantly, had _embarrassed_ both Morpheus and Blaine, not only in front of this huge crowd, but in front of _millions_ , since the events are being broadcast across many realms. And no one _ever_ does something like that and gets away with it.

Everyone on Tianna's Team looks scared to death, other than Tianna and the tiny girl, Sadie. Sadie is happily skipping around her Team members, waving her arms as she skips, singing some song Amanda cannot hear.

Morpheus lifts his wand, pointing it at Tianna making an _angry_ expression, while yelling something at her. All members on her Team stiffen, and the tiny girl stops skipping and turns to look at Morpheus and the others on his Team. Blaine lifts _his_ wand yelling something too, then Cocytus does the same, then spits on the ground near Tianna's feet.

All the members of Tianna's Team look to one another nervously, then two of them _snap_ their own wands over their knees to the gasps of the crowd, turn and run off the field.

"What the _heck_ just happened?" Amanda asks turning to look to Tia, then to her other side to Thian.

"They _quit_!," Tia says looking startled and scared.

Loki and Kim quickly chat in hushed voices, as do most of the crowd in the Stadium, having witnessed what had just happened.

"But..." Amanda begins to stutter, "but that leaves only _three_ people on Tianna's Team, against _six_ on theirs. Is that _fair_ when they haven't even started yet?"

"Yeah, it is." Thian says half in a daze. "Those are the _rules_. Only those who can still duel rejoin their Team, and you can _quit_ at any time... for _any_ reason."

When Amanda looks back, Tianna's Team is once again the ones who have to take the far side. Once they arrive and have turned around, they see the entire Stadium has reset, filling almost all of it with trees, boulders, rocks, streams, sand, little hills and crevices.

"Oh man, would you look at _that_!" Amanda cries looking at the beautiful landscape. "Does this mean, that the entire _field_ is theirs to duel in?"

Loki leans forward looking at Amanda, "Yeah. Since this is the final duel for the Team Trophy and gold medals, they have the entire place to use. This kind of thing can last for, anywhere between fifteen minutes to over _four_ hours.

"Before _Morpheus_ showed up, the finals usually lasted between three to four hours. Since then, most only last around fifteen minutes or so, and that is only because he likes to _play_ and show off before he finishes off his opponents. But, with _four_ of them from Taldan's Order, it could be over in a _minute_."

"What do you mean, _play_ and show off?" Amanda asks as the first whistle blows and she watches Tianna and the two others spread out wide.

Tia answers, "Morpheus likes to use all kinds of spells on his... _victims_... making them suffer as much as possible before he knocks them out. He likes to hit them with puss and boil spells, itching spells, vomiting spells, laughing spells and _lots_ of others."

"Yeah, and he won't let them _surrender_ either," Thian says in a nasty tone. "Every time one of his... _toys_ tries to raise their arms to put their palms together in the surrender position, he hits them with some _other_ spell to send them thrashing around, so they never get their arms up and palms together."

Tia says, "Then, when he's through _playing_ , he hits them with various spells until they're unconscious, snaps their wand, and just walks away with a big smug _grin_ on his face."

"That's _awful_!" Amanda says watching the sixteen year old girl on Tianna's Team sprint toward the left side of the field from their end. Sadie is running, then skipping, to the right. Tianna is darting into the trees, almost dead center of the field.

Amanda has become very good at using her viewstick, as she snaps it around to watch each member on both Teams for a few moments, then swings around and zooms in on another. The viewing is done by a form of advanced Wizitch, that none of the kids understand. But you can maneuver the view to literally any position, and watch from any angle you like.

Amanda can zoom in so the view looks like a movie camera, just a few feet in front of someone, watching their every facial expression and movement, or she can swing in an arc around them, and follow them from any distance or angle.

Thian showed her how, once you pressed several buttons on the monitor, the scene instantly changes to one of looking directly _down_ on the field from above, but in a kind of "X-Ray," so you can see right _through_ the trees, into caves, inside of hollow logs or trees. And, by pushing another button, the number of competitors will show on the monitor, just over the image of the person. She loves this feature, because she can follow the action, even when someone goes into a hollow log.

"Oh, and one thing I forgot to mention Amanda," Thian says still watching his screen. "In the finals, you get points for each _hit_ you make, and _type_ of spell you use, and the _number_ of different spells you use. Well, that is, the ones that hit your target."

"What!?" Amanda says snapping her head up to look to Thian.

"Yeah, and it can get really _ugly_ too," Tia says with terrified eyes. "They do this so the finals can go on a lot longer... well, usually. Makes things more _exciting_ for the crowd, and the participants get to show off their skills and spell knowledge. The accumulated points are simply added to your hit score. It really doesn't mean anything as far as wining the events here go. Those totals are only used to enter other events in other realms, which try to pit competitors against those of similar skills and abilities."

Sadie has vanished into the trees almost two minutes ago. The teenage girl is stealthily making her way around a boulder, when a man on Morpheus's Team fires a shot at her, just missing.

Immediately she runs and dives behind a fallen log. The man sprints for a tree but is hit three times in quick succession, from the _girl_ who has just appeared over the end of the log. The man hits the ground thrashing around for a few seconds. Standing fully upright, she hits him again with three more quick bolts, sending him into frantic scratching. He raises his arms, slaps his palms together and _vanishes_ to show he has given up. It is now _five_ to three, Morpheus's Teams favor.

Tianna has just come into view nodding to the teenager, who nods back. Both of them walk for some distance, when Tianna sees Manu sprint between two boulders and vanish. Tianna is just about to turn to her right, when she sees a tall woman dive behind a fallen tree.

Thian says, "Uh oh. Tianna's got Manu on one side, and that really _tall_ girl on the other. This isn't looking so good. Where the heck are Cocytus, _Morpheus_ and Blaine?"

Amanda switches to "X-Ray mode" and instantly sees three numbers just sitting on a log, not doing anything at all.

"I've got 'em!" Amanda says suspiciously. "But they're just _sitting_ on a log about a third of the way in. They aren't doing _anything_ at all."

"That _cannot_ be good!" Loki says watching his monitor.

Amanda zooms in on Tianna for a close-up of her face. Tianna looks like she is trying to figure out _how_ she is going to move without being hit from both sides.

As Amanda zooms back out for a wider shot, looking at things from _Tianna's_ perspective, something _drops_ from a tree, right where the boulder Manu is hiding behind.

The crowd _cheers_ , seeing that Sadie dropped from the tree, landing on Manu and forcing him to the ground. She is now _blasting_ him again and again with an itching spell, as she skips around his thrashing body.

Amanda spins her viewstick until she can see what is happening behind the boulder.

Manu dropped his wand when he hit the ground. He tries to reach for it, but is hit twice more, once with a _vomiting_ spell, and once with a laughing spell. Amanda's eyes are filled with tears she is laughing so hard, watching the tiny girl do a dance as she hits him again in between his yells at her.

It seems that Sadie will say something each time before hitting him again, and is saying something to him again now. She is talking to him as she holds her wand to the side. Amanda can tell he is not saying anything _nice_ back to her, as he quickly reaches for his wand again. She hits him twice more with laughing spells, bends down and snatches up his wand.

In a moment, Manu, laughing hysterically, then repeatedly _throwing_ up, while scratching _frantically_ at his arms, raises his arms as best he can, and slaps his palms together. In a _flash_ he is gone.

The tiny girl does a little dance, then skips around the little boulder, making the entire crowd _howl_ and cheer. Hearing the cheers, she stops, looks up and blows _kisses_ to the crowd, turning in a circle.

Spinning her viewstick, Amanda sees that Morpheus, Blaine and Cocytus are now making their way quickly into the forest. When they heard the cheers, they _knew_ it could not have been for their side.

The woman on Morpheus's Team, who dove behind a tree, just made the mistake of sticking her head out to see what all the hysterical _laughing_ is about. The teenage girl on Tianna's Team hits her with a _vomiting_ spell. The woman leans over and throws-up, again and again.

As she raises her wand arm, the teenager hits her again with a combination vomiting and laughing spell. Somehow, the woman raises her wand and is about to blast the teenager. A bolt strikes the woman from the left. Amanda spins her viewstick to see the tiny girl's wand sticking out from behind the boulder. She has hit the woman with an itching and pus spell.

Tianna fires off a shot and hits the woman with a hick-up spell. The woman vomits, laughs, scratches then hick-ups in quick successions, while breaking out all over in green and yellow boils, pus now _popping_ and _squirting_ like tiny volcanoes. After a few moments, she manages to raise both arms, places her palms together and vanishes.

"Oh my _god_!" Amanda yells. "It's three against _three_ now!"

"Yeah," Tia says looking up from her monitor. "But that means... Tianna, that sixteen year old girl, and the tiniest five year old girl I've ever seen, have to face Morpheus, who is a _killer_ , Blaine, who is just as bad, and that _idiot_ Cocytus. And all _three_ of them have scores to settle with Tianna."

Amanda, swallowing hard, turns back to her screen in time to see Sadie scrambling up a tree. Tianna is running forward and to the left. The teenager shooting off to the right.

In another ten minutes, Cocytus is sneaking up on the teenager. He is approaching her from the side. He must have stepped on something, because he looks down for a quick moment, then snaps his head up, just in time to see the girl spin around. She fires off a shot before he does. Her bolt strikes him at the right hip, but there is a dim blue glow where the spell struck.

Amanda stares wide-eyed as he straightens up and fires off a quick shot striking the girl, sending her twitching and howling to the ground. The _entire_ crowd gasps, and are now all yelling and _booing_ as the judges look very nervous and indecisive.

"He's using an illegal _shield_ charm!" Thian yells, "That _filthy_ cheating scum!"

Amanda watches as Cocytus quickly makes his way over to the thrashing girl. He hits her again and again, while looking around nervously.

"He's not even giving her a _chance_ to quit!" Amanda yells as the crowd continues to boo. "Even that little girl, Sadie, _asked_ if they wanted to give up before _blasting_ them again."

"Yeah, he's learned from the best, or should I say the _worst_!" Tia says angrily. "He's doing the _same_ thing Morpheus and Blaine do."

Tianna shoots out from behind a tree firing off two quick bursts at Cocytus, one misses, the other strikes him in his right shoulder. There is a dim blue glow. Spinning around from the force of the blast, he hits the ground. Springing to his feet, he bolts into the trees. The poor girl he had been torturing quickly raises her arms, slaps her palms together and vanishes.

"He's _still_ using the illegal shield charm!" Tia yells angrily. "Tianna hit him _square_ on the shoulder. I don't know what _kind_ of a spell it was, but it did _hit_ him, and had _no_ affect other than the force of it."

Tianna ducks behind a fallen tree, when Cocytus runs to take cover behind a large tree. Moving quickly, she sees him dart behind the tree. Licking her dry lips, she sprints for a huge boulder. Cocytus steps out from behind the tree as Tianna is halfway to the boulder. He snarls as he raises his wand to fire.

The crowd goes _wild_ as the tiny girl drops from the tree, holding a _very_ large rock. She strikes him _hard_ in the head, as they both fall to the ground. Cocytus has been _knocked_ unconscious.

Sadie gets up, grabs his wand and tries several times to break it over her knee, then places it down between two rocks, _stomping_ on middle of the wand with her right foot, _snapping_ it in half. Cocytus _instantly_ vanishes.

The crowd is on their feet, _roaring_ and cheering when Tianna snaps her wand around the corner of her boulder, then slowly lowers it, as she watches the tiny girl doing a victory dance, with a _huge_ smile on her face. Tianna bursts into laughter.

There is a bright _flash_ and the tiny girl is blown off her feet, slamming back against the tree she had dropped from. Blaine enters the clearing, immediately firing a shot at Tianna, blowing a small chunk of her boulder away. The crowd _gasps_ and begins booing.

Tianna begins to run for a nearby tree, but is hit by a bolt from Morpheus. Tia _screams_.

Both Blaine and Morpheus walk quickly to their prey, and begin hitting them again and again with various spells, sending both Tianna and Sadie _thrashing_ and bouncing off the ground, as both Morpheus and Blaine _laugh_ hysterically.

Morpheus stops torturing Tianna for a moment, turning to say something to Blaine, who stops torturing the tiny girl, both making sure to hit their _toys_ again, should either of them recover enough to try to quit. Both Tianna and Sadie can _hardly_ move at all from the pain.

The entire Stadium, still on their feet, _boo_ and yell for them to stop, or for the judges to intervene.

Tianna, who had dropped her wand when she was thrashing around on the ground, hears Morpheus say, "Let's have a little more fun, then I think we'll try out that Zeatoman killing curse. I've been _dying_ to try it for real. Do it like I taught you, and everyone will _think_ we gave them a chance to run off and continue the match, then we _hit_ them. They'll appear to fall and strike their heads. Poor things... died from their falls. Not _our_ fault."

Blaine grins, then laughs as he turns back to face the tiny girl, Sadie.

Morpheus turns and hits Tianna again with two more quick torture curses as she reaches out for her wand. Blaine does the same to the tiny girl, sending both Tianna and the tiny girl into _screams_ of unbearable pain.

Morpheus lets up on his curse, as does Blaine. It is all Tianna can do to just to take a breath. Through tear filled eyes, she looks through her blurry vision to see Morpheus grinning down at her.

Turning to look to Blaine, Morpheus watches Blaine hit the tiny girl again with the torture curse, laughing like a _mad_ man as he does so, watching her _scream_ and twitch violently.

Morpheus laughs, shouting over to him, "I think we've have enough fun, I'm getting bored. I say we _kill_ them and then have something to eat, I'm starving. I'll give you the honor of killing that little _brat_ first, then..."

Tianna's eyes fly wide when Morpheus tells Blaine to kill Sadie, and even though Tianna is in tremendous pain, she _snatches_ up her wand and fires off a stunning spell at Blaine, who is preparing to use the new curse on the tiny girl, that would make it _look_ as though she is trying to get away, by _animating_ her lifeless body, then, at some point, release the curse, whereupon she will _fall_ and appear to strike her head. Of course, she would _already_ be dead. Only their _evil_ Wizitch would be animating her lifeless body.

Tianna's bolt strikes Blaine _square_ in the face, and he freezes like a statue. The second Tianna sees the bolt strike, she raises her arms slapping her palms together. She _vanishes_ just as Morpheus snaps his wand down to _kill_ her, and finds he is pointing at nothing but dirt. By the time he turns back around, _Sadie_ has vanished as well.

Amanda and the others gasped when the bolt struck Blaine and he actually froze. Amanda was just about to ask why _he_ wasn't using an illegal shield charm too, when Tianna vanished. Amanda then watched as Sadie rolled from being on her side in a ball, to laying on her back, arms rising just over her outstretched and trembling body, bringing her palms together. There was a _flash_ , and the tiny girl vanished.

The crowd is cheering and _booing_ at the same time. Everywhere Amanda looks, she sees tearful faces. She wipes her own eyes, turning to look to her friends, who are all doing the same thing.

When Amanda looks back, the field is bare, as Morpheus fires a bolt at Blaine, releasing the stunning spell Tianna had hit him with. Blaine is _clearly_ gasping for breath.

Morpheus hits Blaine again with a torture curse, making the crowd gasp once again. He lets up his curse, kicks dirt at Blaine, and turns with an ugly and _angry_ expression, heading back to the Victors area.

Blaine slowly gets to his feet, staggers and heads unsteadily off after Morpheus.

Many of the members from Tianna's Team returned to the competitors area during the match, just beside the Victors area, to watch after they and given up. Seventy other members from various other Teams are also present, to watch the final match, which is the custom.

The _boos_ from the Stadium crowd are so loud now, it is making Amanda wince.

Blaine is walking up to join Morpheus, who is screaming at Manu and Cocytus, waving his arms around and bright red in the face. Manu and Cocytus are both red also, not only from anger, but from _embarrassment_.

The judges, who all look _petrified_ , hold up the green flag with the number _four_ on it, signifying that _Morpheus's_ Team has won. The crowd boos loudly, as many begin throwing their programs, cups and other items as they yell.

"Oh _no_!" Tia yells looking over near the tunnel. "It's _Tianna_ , and look how _mad_ she is!"

"Oh god... oh god. This isn't going to be good _is_ it?" Amanda says scared half to death.

The judges have just placed the gold medal around Morpheus's neck when Tianna gets to them and begins _screaming_ at the top of her lungs.

"What's she _doing_?" Amanda asks in a frightened and shaky voice.

"If I know Tianna," Tia says looking frightened, "she's launching a formal complaint. She's protesting the use of illegal spells and unjustified uses of torture curses. You're only allowed to use a torture curse once, and only quickly too. The other spells and curses are either to break bones, or make you itch, throw up and stuff like that."

The judges, Morpheus, Blaine, Cocytus, Manu, along with the other two members of their Team... several coaches _and_ Tianna, are all screaming at one another.

Morpheus turns quickly, pushing one of the coaches to the ground, then pulls out his _real_ wand and holds it up in the face of the head judge. The crowd instantly goes from yelling and screaming, to one of _stunned_ silence. Everyone trying to get a sense of what is being said, because you are _never_ allowed a real wand when on the field... _ever_.

Everyone can see Tianna's _own_ Teammates are pleading with her to let it go. But there is _no_ way Tianna will stand for such injustice.

"Where's that little girl Sadie?" Amanda asks looking all around. "Do you think... do you thing she was _seriously_ hurt, and that's why she's not here?"

"Don't know," Thian says shaking his head. "I sure hope not. But she's _so_ small, and she was hit a lot of times with really _horrible_ torture curses."

"Look!" Kim shouts.

Amanda snaps her head around to see Blaine pushing Tianna, again and again. Shoving her backward _hard_ with each push. The fifth time he thrusts his arms out to push her, she knocks his arms to the side, _punches_ him right on the nose, and once again, _kicks_ him where it hurts, instantly dropping him to the ground in a ball. Quickly she kicks him in the face, knocking him senseless. The crowd _howls_ , cheering wildly as he spits out two of his teeth.

Tianna runs over to where the announcer is sitting, and grabs what amounts to a microphone in the _Wizitch_ realm.

She and the announcer begin struggling with the microphone, while her Teammates and all the other members from the other Teams, quickly begin making their way off the field, expecting _real_ trouble.

Tianna draws her bright yellow wand, points it at the announcer's face and _yells_ something about pus and _vomit_ , then rips the microphone out of his hands. Yelling into the mic, she says, "I _demand_ the judges review the rule book, _now_ , in front of _everyone_ in the Stadium. I have the _right_ to challenge according to the laws of our land. And, I _demand_ you do as our laws state, NOW!"

The judges are looking at Tianna with _horror_ stricken faces. You can faintly hear them pleading with her _not_ to protest, to just _let_ it go, that it is not worth it... that it was over, and in _their_ opinion, Team Four had won.

Tianna yells into the microphone, "Those..." followed by a very long string of cursing, "used _illegal_ shield spells, _excessive_ force spells, _repeated_ torture spells, and were going to _kill_ me and the little girl, just before I struck that..." another string of profanity, " _Blaine_ in his ugly _stupid_ face." The crowd gasps, then quick murmurings take place around the Stadium, as more people flee for the exits.

Continuing, Tianna screams, "I _demand_ that the recordings be reviewed on every screen in the Stadium, and I demand that the judges do their _job_ , or I'll turn _them_ all in to the Wizitch Federation for expulsion from _ever_ being judges again.

And, I will see to it, that a _copy_ of these events, are sent to _every_ known realm, showing everyone what sniveling _cowards_ Morpheus, Blaine, Manu and Cocytus _really_ are! And, that they apprentice for the _biggest_ scum sucking _coward_ of them all... that _worthless_ , sniveling _idiot_... Taldan! A _Dark_ wizard so _cowardly_ that he has to send others to do his own _dirty_ work... since he's so Cucuteo, he _can't_ do it himself! These are the _lowest_ of cowards, who need to use _illegal_ spells and curses to win... because they're so _pathetic_ they can't win any _other_ way, than by _cheating_!"

The remaining crowd gasps, most everyone getting to their feet, _running_ for the exits. Many being knocked down and trampled in the process. _No_ one wants to be around when things start happening, and most, think there will be _big_ trouble.

Morpheus has his real wand now pointing at Tianna, yelling something at her. He raises his wand higher to strike, then looks at all the reporters watching wide-eyed. Turning slowly, he looks around nervously.

The kids are all standing, frozen in place with horror.

Tianna turns back, facing the judges, as _red_ in the face as you can get, yelling, "I said, review the rule book! NOW!"

The judges look around nervously as well. They know that the convention is being shown _live_ , all over this realm, _and_ many others, and that the entire thing is being recorded. Dozens of Wizitch reporters are still there, taking photos and writing feverishly.

After a brief moment, one of the judges waves a wand and a huge book appears on the table in front them. Morpheus and Blaine are glaring at Tianna, while Manu and Cocytus stand in front of the judges with angry and very embarrassed faces. You can tell that Morpheus and Blaine would have _killed_ Tianna right there, but knew better than to commit _murder_ , while being _recorded_ and watched by hundreds of _millions_ across many realms.

After several strained moments, the judges say something which _really_ sets Morpheus and Blaine off, who flip over the judges table, sending four of the five judges sprawling to ground in a panic.

Tianna then yells into the microphone, "In case you all _missed_ that... the judges found Team Four to have used _illegal_ spells and curses, _disqualifying_ them, and have _reversed_ their decision. Team _Eleven_ has won!"

"By the Oaks and _Ash_ though," Thian says shaking his head. "At what _cost_? Tianna never thinks things _through_ first you know? Who knows _what'll_ happen now. She's _really_ ticked off the wrong people this time."

They watch as Morpheus takes off his gold medal, throwing it on the ground. He stands there for a few moments, yelling and pointing at the judges, several coaches, and a couple other people who had stayed on the field.

Turning to face Tianna, he lifts his wand again and looks like he is about to blast her, when she points up across the field to one of the _huge_ Stadium view screens. Hesitating, he turns to see a close-up of he and Tianna on the giant screen, with his _own_ image pointing his _real_ wand, at a smaller thirteen year old girl. His face is so red, and he is so angry, you can actually see him _shaking_ on the huge screen. Startled and looking very nervous as the huge screen zooms in to his wand, he lowers it as he says something to Tianna, between clinched teeth, but you cannot make out what he says. Turning, he shoves Blaine hard, knocking him to the ground, then storms off the field. In a moment, Blaine and the others from Taldan's Order quickly follow Morpheus off the field.

When Amanda turns back, Tianna is standing on the Victors Ceremonial Platform, where the winning Team receives the huge team trophy, their individual trophies, and their gold medals.

"She's the only one _up_ there!" Tia says shaking from what has transpired. " _Why_ does she have to _do_ that? Be _right_ all the time... why can't she just let things _go_?"

"Because, like you said before," Thian says sadly, " _that's_ who she is. If she sees an injustice, she speaks her mind. No _matter_ the consequences. She's a _right_ fighter, always has been."

"Look!" Amanda yells pointing to the tunnel. "It's the little girl! She's alright!"

Everyone looks, and sure enough, the tiny girl is running as fast as her tiny legs can take her.

Tianna jumps off the platform, running to meet her. Dropping to her knees, Tianna hugs her, then struggling some, picks her up and carries her back to the awards platform.

There they stand, all alone, side-by-side holding hands. Very few people are left in the entire Stadium now.

The judges are beside themselves as to what they should do. Amanda can clearly see that they all just want to run off, but again, they know that the entire thing is still being recorded, and broadcast _live_ to hundreds of millions.

The head judge, it being their job, grabs the huge trophy, quickly steps forward and hands it to Tianna, who lowers it so the tiny girl can hold onto it too. Several photos are hurriedly snapped by a few photographers, then another judge hands each of them their smaller individual trophies. More quick photos are snapped, as the two of them hold up their trophies, with beaming faces. The head judge, clearly shaking, steps up and as quickly as possible, places a gold medal around Tianna's neck, then the tiny girl. The gold medal is almost as big around as the little girls face.

Tianna and the tiny girl put the large trophy, along with their small ones on the platform. They hold hands and raise them high, holding up their medals in their other hand, as the last photos are quickly taken, while cheers and applause erupts from the smattering of people still in the stands.

The photographers shoot off like bullets from a gun for the exit. You cannot just vanish inside the Stadium, unless a victim of the competition. Protective spells have been set in place for security purposes.

The judges are now running quickly for the exits as well, frantic to get away. No one knows what may happen, but all know, they do _not_ want to be around when, and _if_ , something does.

Tianna and the little girl wave to the cheers of only a few dozen brave people who have stayed for the whole thing. Tianna bends down saying something to the tiny girl, who turns to look directly to the kids, waves, then blows them kisses.

Cheering and waving back, Amanda says, "Oh, I just _love_ her to death!"

"We need to get the _heck_ out of here, fast!" Loki says. "I am heading home now... Kim too. I think all of you should _skip_ your racing events and get the heck home too. They are _not_ going to just let this go you know?"

"I'm with them!" Tia says watching Tianna and the tiny girl running off for the exit. "Let's get to the _Broom Closet_ and wait for Tianna, then get out of here. _Mom_ must be in a panic! I can't even imagine what mom's gonna say to Tianna tonight. But it _won't_ be nice!"

"How come Thea didn't _stop_ Tianna from continuing, once she had been hit?" Amanda asks as they head for the exits.

"Our laws state that once a competitor begins a competition, only _they_ , not a parent or guardian, can stop their competition. You can bet mom _tried_ to get her to quit, but, _no_ way would Tianna quit," Tia says as she quickly walks behind Thian, as they make their way through the exit tunnel.

They make a quick exit, then wait by the _Broom Closet_ until they see Tianna come sprinting out of the Stadium. The word has spread quickly as to what had happened, and there are very few people still around. Everywhere they look is almost deserted. The sky is filled with people flying quickly on brooms in all directions. They even see several _collide_ , sending their riders spinning through the air to hit the hard ground below.

Tianna runs up to them out of breath, holding her trophy and wearing her _three_ gold medals.

Thian has already collected all their brooms and hands Tianna hers.

They all just stand there for a brief moment, looking at each other, then without another word, they all mount up and kick off, and fly to their homes as quickly as they can. Thian and Amanda rapidly fall behind, flying on their slower tandem, with Thian's racing broom clutched firmly in Amanda's trembling hand.

The next morning, Amanda gets up very early, and grabs the morning _Village Gazette_ off the kitchen table. Flipping it over, she looks at the front page headlines, "Local Girl Challenges Dueling Judges and Wins!"

There is a large 3D, moving photo of Tianna _yelling_ at the judges, just under the headline.

"Oh god!" Amanda says putting a hand to her mouth. Quickly Amanda scans down the page until she finds the passage, "It appears that after the event, all the judges seem to have called in with emergencies back home, and all had to leave immediately after the match. They will need to be replaced for the remaining dueling competitions. So far, only one judge has been reported to have made it back to their home. No word as yet on the fate of the others. Photos of the event may be found beginning on page twenty-two."

After a few heart pounding moments, Amanda turns to page twenty-two, and is met by several moving images of Tianna kicking Blaine, and one of Morpheus looking up to the huge monitors, as he has his wand pointed to the much smaller and less skilled Tianna.

There are pictures of Tianna's competition, where she had challenged, and won her event with Cocytus, and of her being pushed by Blaine.

There are some photos of Tianna's and the tiny girls smiling faces, holding up their medals and waving to what was left of the crowd on the next page. Amanda cannot help but smile at the tiny girls shining face, holding up her _huge_ gold medal as she holds hands with Tianna.

Having sent messages back and forth between themselves the previous evening, everyone had agreed to stay home for the next couple days, to let things cool off, and maybe Morpheus and his gang will have gone home by then.

The _Village Gazette_ , over the next couple days, showed that Morpheus, Blaine, and others of their Order, had continued with the events, and had won _everything_ they had entered.

No one had challenged them again, and according to the _Root Network_ , they have been walking around the village like they _own_ the place, taking whatever they want.

To TOC

# Back To The Village

Thian, Amanda, Tia, Tianna, Loki and Kim have all agreed to meet in the village around nine this morning. They had decided that things had cooled down, and since Morpheus and the others had _won_ everything else they had entered, it would be okay to go back to the convention, and have a look around. The village has once again been filled with convention goers, and the _Village Gazette_ is filled with images of smiling people having a great time.

So after a quick breakfast, Thian and Amanda dress in their new clothes and robes, mount up and head to the village. They meet Tia and Tianna first, and as they are walking around the fountain where they are to meet, they soon hear Loki call Thian's name. Turning they see Loki and Kim jogging up to meet them.

It seems that Tianna and Thea had gotten into a _huge_ fight the day of the challenge, and it had taken tons of pleading from _both_ Tianna and Tia, to get Thea to let them come to the village today.

Thea does _not_ want them anywhere near the village until the Convention is over and everyone has gone home. But, after many tears and pleading... and because only a few bad things had happened since Tianna's match... and since all the competitions Taldan's apprentices had entered were over... _and_ the village was once again full of people having fun... Thea _finally_ gave in.

They have a great time looking over the exhibits during the day, and enjoy a peaceful lunch, watching all the people walking by in their colorful robes. Many recognize Tianna and come over to congratulate her, not only on winning her gold medals, but for _standing_ up to Morpheus and Blaine.

It is getting toward early evening, so they decide to go to _Flash In The Pan_ for dinner and some fun, then head for _Cassandra's Sweet Treats_ , before looking around a little more, then heading home. They have a great time at dinner, watching the tiny witches on their brooms flying around, and there is even a small aerial battle between a dozen of them over the lake. After a nice ride back across the lake to the main restaurant, they head to Cassandra's.

Kim is almost out of money, since his uncle never gives him much, and the pay he gets from working at the bank, is mostly _kept_ by his uncle. Loki buys him a green snake, about two feet long, that is constantly trying to slither its way out of Kim's hands, hissing and flicking its blue tongue at him. Kim wants to keep it and take it home with him, but knows he has to eat it now, or his uncle will destroy it so, he begins to chew on its tail as they head out of the shop. The snake is flicking its tail around, Kim's open mouth chasing it, trying his best to bite it, with the other kids laughing at the sight.

Kim and Loki exit the shop, Kim trying his _best_ to chomp off a piece of the snake's thrashing tail, as it continues to try to keep him from getting it into his mouth, Kim laughing the whole time. Loki, is sucking on the tentacle of his favorite blue octopus treat, as it _beats_ him about the face trying to get away.

Tia and Tianna exit next, Tia with a bright green parrot, Tianna with a tall plate of gooey bird poop, made of marshmallow and chocolate, with a couple of sugary blue tail feathers Amanda has given her from her large blue and green parrot.

Tia and Tianna have just joined Loki and Kim when Amanda steps out with her beautiful parrot, and is about to say something, when she sees them all looking at something with expressions of terror. Turning to her left as she steps forward, walking down the steps to join her friends, she sees _Morpheus_ and Blaine making their way down the boardwalk in their direction. They are laughing as they push people out of their way, or will threaten someone on the other side of the street, who has not done _anything_ wrong, other than, unfortunately, looked in their direction.

The village is very crowded, and the street almost filled with people strolling and just enjoying the shops in the early evening, after the long day of competitions. It is getting darker out now, and the twinkling lights in the trees and on the buildings come on to the delight of all.

Amanda hears a commotion further down the street and turns to look in that direction. There, she sees the remaining thirteen members of Taldan's Order, _bullying_ their way through the crowd, pushing and shoving anyone they can get close enough to. They have been going in and out of many shops, pretty much _taking_ whatever they want. As a group, they turn and head down one of the alleyways to the shops on another street, and are soon out of sight.

Morpheus and Blaine have not noticed Amanda and the kids standing out in the street yet, since the kids are surrounded by the throngs of other people strolling the streets. Morpheus and Blaine have just reached the sweet shop, when the door is yanked open, and Thian walks out backward saying goodbye to the shop owner. No one has time to yell a warning to Thian, before he steps out, turns quickly around, walking _right_ into Blaine. Thian _smacks_ Blaine directly in the stomach with his ' _Ultra-Sticky-Multi-Flavored-Sucker_ ,' which is _thirteen_ inches in diameter and as _sticky_ a thing as you can imagine. Tianna had challenged Thian, that he could not make it through the rest of the evening, without getting it stuck to himself, or someone else.

Unfortunately, she just _won_ her bet.

Thian lets out a yelp of surprise as he steps back a little, looking at his _huge_ sucker which is now firmly _stuck_ to the front of Blaine's gleaming robe.

"You stupid!," Blaine begins, now grabbing the thick stick of the sucker, yanking hard to remove it. The result being a large _tear_ in his robe, which _really_ sets him off, with the sucker still clinging tightly.

Stepping forward, Blaine _strikes_ the frightened Thian with a backhand, _hard_ across the face, sending Thian flying off the walkway, sprawling onto the street in pain and surprise. The crowd gasps and begins to fan out. " _Look_ what you did, you _stupid_ wretched little elf! These are _brand_ new! I just got 'em five _minutes_ ago!"

"Seems he needs a lesson in _manners_. Don't you think?" Morpheus smirks.

"No, please! I'll pay for them, really, I'll _pay_!" Thian pleads scrambling to his feet, the other kids standing only a few yards away with others from the crowd, too scared to move.

"Oh, you'll _pay_ all right!" Blaine says pulling his wand. The crowd gasps, cries coming from most as everyone scatters, all but Thian's friends, clustered together off to one side.

Blaine lifts his wand and mumbles something Amanda cannot hear, over the murmurs and cries of the crowd. Thian _screams_ as he falls to the ground in pain, thrashing about in the dirty street, sending up huge swirls of dust.

"Stop it! You're _hurting_ him! Stop it!" Amanda yells as Tia's parrot and hers fly off over the crowd, snapping their beaks, Tia's parrot only flying in a rising spiral, since she has already eaten a large portion of the feathers from its left wing.

Both Blaine and Morpheus snap their heads around and notice the kids for the first time.

"Well, well, _well_..." Morpheus says with a sneer spreading across his face. "Look who we have _here_! Aren't these the little _brats_ that were booing you Blaine? Oh, and look who's with them. The little trouble maker with the big _mouth_! Cost us _two_ gold medals, and a _whole_ lot of embarrassment."

"Yeah, it's _them_ all right. And _that_ one cost me two _teeth_ too!" Blaine says stepping into the street, then begins walking around them, pointing his wand at Tianna who _glares_ back at him, but with a somewhat frightened expression this time.

Loki lets go of his octopus, which quickly makes its way to the top of his head and just lays there, tentacles dangling down the sides of his face, still _beating_ on him. Kim's snake drops from his hands, and slithers away into the crowd, a portion of its tail missing as several children suddenly appear from hiding places, giggling and running after it.

Thian is just getting to his feet when Blaine spins back, flicks his wand sending Thian flying off his feet, slamming into the steps of the sweet shop, knocking him half unconscious, where he lays moaning. Blaine yells, "I didn't say you could _get up_ , did I?!"

Amanda feels a tingling growing within her, as though her arm is falling asleep, but throughout her entire body, yet is still able to move freely.

Tia runs to Thian as Blaine hits him again. Amanda yells, " _Stop_ it! Please, _stop_ it!"

Blaine flicks his wrist, sending Tia slamming to the ground in pain beside Thian, using another torture curse on her.

Amanda feels jolts of immense twitching in her arms, as though they are trying to move on their own. Unsure why, she fights the impulse as she realizes her hearing and vision are changing, becoming more acute.

"You _filthy_ coward!" Tianna yells drawing her wand. "You leave my _sister_ alone! Why don't you go pick on someone at your _own_ skill level, and _not_ kids! Or are _we_ all that you can handle?"

In a flash, Blaine snaps his wrist, Tianna _howls_ in pain, dropping to the ground and thrashing about in the dirt, under the Exruciar torture curse.

After releasing her from the curse he yells, "How _dare_ you speak to me like that you little _witch_! I'll teach _you_ to respect your superiors!"

Again and again, Blaine first strikes her with the curse, then releases it after a few moments, letter her catch her breath, then hits her again, making her _scream_ in agony, as she thrashes violently.

Amanda's whole body seems to be fighting to act on its own, against her will to suppress it. The other kids are _pleading_ for Blaine to stop.

Amanda shouts in a very shaky, drawn out voice, her entire body trembling visibly, "Stop! You're going to _kill_ her, stop!"

Blaine laughs saying, "Yeah, good idea. I think I _will_ kill her, teach the entire _village_ a lesson too I think. After all, _she_ drew her wand on _me_! _Everyone_ needs to know who we are, and never forget what we can do. And now, you _stupid_ little brat, you die!" Slowly, sneering at Tianna, he begins raising his wand arm, scrunching up his face, glaring down at the tearful and frightened Tianna.

A cry comes from one of the little alleyways off to Blaine's left. Both he and Morpheus spin to see _Thea_ come charging at them with her wand drawn, yelling, "Stop it! Leave my children alone! I'll _kill_ you if you touch her again!"

Without any hesitation, Blaine swings his arm quickly around, doing a curling _swish_ of his wrist yelling, "Deicio!"

Amanda recognizes it as one of the _killing_ curses she had read in the ancient book, and screams, "Nooooooo!" just as the red bolt strikes Thea in the right side, spinning her completely around where she drops face down in the dirt.

The crowd _screams_ , immediately spreading out further, some running away, some vanishing on the spot, while others dart into alleyways or through shop doors, just to reappear looking out the windows.

"Noooooo!" anguished cries pour from Tia and Tianna, who are on their feet running toward Thea, who is not moving.

Blaine is like a _mad_ man now, excited and pumped up by his kill. Spinning quickly, he fires at both Tia and Tianna yelling, "Exruciar!" watching as they instantly drop to the ground, _writhing_ in pain in the dirt near their mother's body. All the while, Blaine is _laughing_ as though he were insane. Morpheus stands grinning hideously, nodding his approval at Blaine's swiftness and cruelty. When Blaine lets up on the curse, Tia can hardly move, as she cries weakly over and over again, "Momma... Momma! No! _Please_ , Momma!" as she tries to crawl to her mother. Tianna is just regaining consciousness.

Amanda feels as though she were on fire, _anger_ coursing through her as she continues to twitch and tingle at the sight.

Blaine laughs, and in a mocking voice says, "Momma, momma, _pleeeease_. How _pathetic_ is that? She _deserved_ what she got! She was going to _kill_ me, you heard her. Maybe _you'd_ like to join your _stupid_ , dead momma. Would you?"

Tianna crawled to Thea, and is rolling her over. Everyone who can see Thea, gasps as they see blood coming from her mouth, nose and ears. Thea's eyes are open and glazed.

Tianna screams, "You _killed_ her! You _killed_ my mom you..." she raises her wand and before Blaine can react, since he is facing Morpheus while laughing, she fires a _slashing_ curse at him, which is the _worst_ curse she knows how to actually perform. It hits him _square_ in the side of the face, opening up a large, _deep_ gash on his cheek, making him cry out. Blood splatters into the air around him, a long streak smattering across Morpheus' face.

Reaching up, Blaine touches his cheek. When he brings his hand away from his face, it is covered in bright blood. His lips curl as his face reddens. Turning, he raises his wand, and is just about to _kill_ Tianna, when Amanda steps forward. Shaking as if in a kind of fit, her voice sounding odd and strained, she shouts, "You _will_ leave her alone!"

Glancing over at Amanda, as Morpheus keeps a sharp eye on the crowd with his wand drawn, just in case someone is _stupid_ enough to try to interfere, Blaine glares at her. For a moment, he thinks her eyes are actually _glowing_ somehow. He shakes his head, then pointing his wand at her, he sneers, "You're _next_ witch."

Turning, he faces Tianna. As he raises his wand, ready to strike, Amanda moves jerkingly to where Tianna is. Amanda's hair seems to be waving in some breeze, but there _is_ no breeze.

In a strange and somewhat _sarcastic_ voice, she says, "No... I _don't_ think so."

Tia, Tianna and the other kids look at Amanda. She has a _very_ odd look on her face. It is not a look of fear, but of pure rage... and something more. She moves with her teeth clenched and eyes unfocused.

Blaine watches Amanda walk slowly to where Tia and Tianna are crying, holding their mother in their arms. Kim scoots over beside Tia. Loki and Thian cautiously walk past Amanda, as she stops in the middle of the street, placing herself between her friends and Blaine. Thian and Loki kneel to comfort their friends, both crying in gasping breaths themselves.

They all look up, when Amanda again says in that strange voice, "It is _you_ , Blaine, who are going to die."

Morpheus and Blaine burst into laughter, both of whom _tower_ over the smaller girl. Blaine says mockingly, "Yeah? And just _who's_ going to do _that_? _You_? You're just a stupid, _pathetic_ little... _girl_."

They both laugh. Blaine says, "I'll take care of _you_ in a minute, but you need to get _out_ of my way now, so I can _kill_ your little friend first."

He _fires_ a stunning spell at Amanda. The spell deflects just as it is about to strike Amanda in the chest, hitting the ground instead, sending up a spray of dirt.

Amanda had not made a move.

The smiles on both Morpheus and Blaine instantly vanish.

"How'd you _do_ that?" Blaine demands staring at Amanda, who just stands there with her empty hands at her sides.

Amanda stands, not saying a word. Her angry expression has changed to one of _no_ expression at all, just staring blankly at Blaine, her eyes unfocused.

Blaine raises his wand again, ready to send a killing curse at Amanda, when there comes a flash of yellow-orange from within the crowd. Blaine is spun to the side, trips over his own foot, and hits the ground hard.

Morpheus whips his wand up, spinning around to see where the spell has come from. A man is emerging from the crowd some distance away, wand at the ready.

As the man approaches, Blaine grabs his dropped wand and scrambles to his feet, with a very _large_ and dirty sucker still stuck to his robe. Getting his sleeve caught in the sticky sucker, he whips the robe up and off over his head, throwing it to the ground while swearing, then turns in the direction Morpheus is looking.

Suddenly, Amanda comes out of her trance-like state. She staggers for a moment, then looks around like she does not know where she is. Spotting the kids, she runs to them and drops to her knees, completely confused and shaking. Tia reaches over taking Amanda's trembling hand, as they lock eyes.

Tianna glances at Amanda for a brief moment, and thinks that Amanda's eyes look different somehow.

"Look!" Loki says pointing into the crowd. The kids look up to see Josh Carmen making his way to the front of the crowd.

"Who are _you_ , and how _dare_ you interfere with us?" Morpheus sneers.

The man stands for a moment at the front of the crowd, looking to Thea's limp body, with the kids all clustered around it. Shaking his head slowly, he says, " _That_... was a _huge_ mistake that was."

Morpheus again yells, "I said, _what_ do you want?"

Josh turns his attention back to Morpheus saying, "Just taking a stroll actually. Nice night for it don't you think? Tisk, tisk. Using a _killing_ curse on their _mother_ , and now, threatening to kill these _children_? Should be ashamed of yourselves. Big _boys_ like you picking on young inexperienced kids. And Amanda there, doesn't even have a _wand_. Most _cowardly_ of you."

Blaine steps to the side, raising his wand to strike and trips as his foot sticks to Thian's sucker, sending him off balance and sprawling _face_ down into the dirt with a cry.

"Problems standing up there Blaine?" Josh says casually, watching Blaine yank the sucker off his boot and toss it into the nearby crowd. He then quickly gets to his feet.

Josh continues, "I don't think Taldan would like to see you all _filthy_ like that. Do _you_? Doesn't set a very good example you know. And a _big_ boy like you should have learned how to handle a _sucker_ by now. Dear, dear."

Looking at Thea's limp and bleeding body, still being held by Tia and Tianna, he continues, "You really _shouldn't_ have attempted a killing curse on her you know. There was _no_ need. Only a sniveling, uneducated _coward_ would do something like that to a lovely lady."

"How _dare_ you talk to me like that?!" Blaine yells as he throws his arm forward, flicking his wand.

Josh, almost imperceptibly, gives a little twist of his wrist deflecting Blaine's curse, which blasts a hole in the street, once again sending people screaming, scattering and diving for cover.

"My, that _was_ sloppy," Josh says in a casual matter-of-fact tone.

Morpheus fires off three quick blasts, just like in the competition, when he had taken Blaine out.

Josh does not even bother moving, nor does he flinch in the least. Again, with very slight moves of his wand, deflects all three curses, as both Blaine and Morpheus stand there with their mouths and eyes wide in surprise.

Josh moves forward from the crowd, paying little attention to Blaine and Morpheus, as he walks over and helps Tianna to her feet, who is clutching her side, as the other kids get up as well.

"You kids need to move off to the side now. There is nothing more you can do for her at the moment. Go!" He says that with such authority, even though he said it kindly, they all find themselves helping each other to the side of the street, where they gather near a lamppost in front of one of the shops. Both Thian and Tia stand with their backs against the shop wall, Thian holding Tia, who is crying against his shoulder, as tears pour down Thian's face as well. Loki and Amanda are helping Tianna to sit, as she clutches her side where Blaine had _repeatedly_ struck her with his curses. Kim stands beside them, looking like a scared _Scabber_ in wand light.

Josh watches as Tianna is lowered to the walkway.

Blaine and Morpheus look to one another for the briefest of moments, then Morpheus yells, "Snarnoff!" Turning quickly, as one, they each fire three quick blasts at Josh.

Josh does not even turn around to face them. He simply flicks his wand with slight but very quick and intricate movements, _behind_ his back, which Amanda seems to somehow recognize, as the spells are deflected, blowing more holes into the street.

With two more swift swirls of his wand, not saying a _word_ , both Blaine and Morpheus are thrown into the air, landing hard on their backs. The crowd is quiet for a moment, then begin to break out in nervous laughter, many pointing and snickering at the two _bullies_ sprawled on their backs in the dirt, which _infuriates_ Blaine and Morpheus.

As Blaine and Morpheus scramble to their feet, and begin to separate from one another, so as to attack from different angles, Josh is asking Thian and the others if they are okay. They _are_ hurt, but say they are all right, though still in tears, and very frightened.

Josh turns to Morpheus and Blaine. "Well, _that_ didn't work very well, now did it? Really, the _Snarnoff_ offense? Can't Taldan teach you anything above the _second_ level?"

"I'm _through_ playing around!" Morpheus yells as he watches Josh walk out into the middle of the street. " _Nobody_ makes a fool out of _me_ and lives. Nobody!"

"Well," Josh says, standing calmly, "seems to me that nobody _needs_ to make a fool of you Morpheus. Since you do a _very_ good job of that, all by yourself."

The crowd _howls_ with laughter. Morpheus waves his wand at the crowd, who instantly fall silent. Josh calmly says, "Don't you two think you ought to run along now? Somebody may actually _get_ killed you know? And I think you're in enough trouble now as it is. Don't you think?"

Morpheus, turning back to face Josh, is about to answer when he hears a ruckus down the street. As the crowd parts, Amanda sees the other thirteen members of Taldan's Order run up the street toward them.

Morpheus smirks as he looks at Blaine, as the others of their Order arrive with wands drawn, and begin fanning out in a wide semicircle.

To TOC

# Blaine Crumbles

Turning to face the others of his Order, while Josh is calmly standing, as though he hasn't a care in the world, Morpheus says loudly, "Well, you arrived just in time to see me kill this _scum_ , who _dares_ to interfere in our dealings! Watch closely now, and learn how a _master_ does it. When I'm done with him, Blaine and I will show you how to kill _multiple_ adversaries at once," pointing to where Amanda and the others are cowering against the shop wall.

At the moment Morpheus says that he is going to kill Amanda and the other kids, the overwhelming tingling begins again in Amanda's right arm. Once more, she tries to shake off the feeling, but it now continues up her arm and into her torso. Giving an involuntary shiver, she returns her attention to Morpheus.

Morpheus is circling Josh, crouching like a cat before a strike. He spins his wand through his fingers just for show, making the Order laugh. He makes a couple false feints to strike, but Josh continues to stand there, as if watching a kitten play, with a slight smile on his face, not making any movement.

The others in the Order are yelling for Morpheus to kill the man and teach the village exactly who they need to respect.

Their chant, "Kill, Kill, Kill," reverberates throughout the village as Amanda begins to shake involuntarily, feeling a little dizzy.

The other kids, scared out of their minds and not knowing what to do, continue watching nervously. They look from Morpheus and Blaine, to the others of their Order, then to Thea still laying on her back in the street, a small pool of blood near her head.

The kids look pleadingly to many in the crowd, who either look away or down at their feet. _No_ one is going to intervene. They know what that would mean to themselves, and their _families_ , should things go wrong.

In an instant, Morpheus makes a rounding movement with his wrist, while making a lunging motion yelling, "Exanimo!" A brilliant red bolt shoots from his wand, as Josh twists his chest sideways while leaning to the side. The killing curse easily passes him and strikes the wall near the kids, setting the shop briefly on fire, before going out.

The crowd _gasps_ as one, hearing Morpheus yell one of the killing curses. None of them had _dared_ to think that neither Morpheus nor Blaine, would actually _use_ a killing curse _once_ with so many witnesses, let alone _twice_ , and _threaten_ to kill all the children! This is simply _unheard_ of. Maim or _disfigure,_ or permanently _disable_ someone perhaps, if they drew their wand on you first with the intention of doing harm, but never _kill_ without reason with an entire _village_ watching.

Morpheus hesitates for a moment, stunned that not only is the man not _dead_ , but is now scratching his back with the tip of his wand, looking as though nothing has happened.

Morpheus lifts his wand, ready to strike again, when a woman's voice booms from his right. The voice has come a little distance from where Josh is standing, on the far side of the street near one of the shops.

Samantha Carmen is casually walking toward Josh, carrying four large shopping bags and rummaging through one of them. "Found some wonderful teas dear. And got you some new socks and shirts. Got me a couple of things too." Looking up, she stops and turns, looking at Thea's body lying in the street, blood pooled around her head.

With a saddened expression, she slowly shakes her head. "Shouldn't have done that. No reason whatsoever." Turning slightly, she spots the kids, waves and says, "Oh _hi_ kids, nice to see you. Sorry about your mom. _Hi_ Amanda, are you all right? You look a little... _strange_."

Amanda can do nothing but stutter, "Uh..."

"That's nice dear." Samantha walks up and stands about three feet from Josh to one side. Glancing at Morpheus, Blaine and the thirteen others who have their wands out pointing at her and Josh, she looks at Josh, speaking in a casual tone. "Are you about finished playing dear? Or do you need another minute or so?"

Everyone is stunned at how _calm_ she is. Josh turns slightly to her saying, "Oh, I may need another minute or two Hon, but that all depends on Morpheus, Blaine and their little gang here."

"Oh, well, I won't interfere dear, but we really _should_ be getting back. I need to feed the Cucuteo's you know."

"Alright sweetheart, this shouldn't take much longer. Oh, by the way, did you get me a blue shirt for the garden? My old one is getting a bit tattered. I like the color Thea has on.

"Did you notice how the blood now flowing over it from her nose, is hard to see against that color?"

Everyone is _totally_ baffled at the exchange, but finds themselves looking from Josh and Samantha, to Thea's body, in her blue healers uniform, then looking back to Josh, completely confused.

Kim focuses his attention on Thea for a few moments, then begins walking slowly out into the street. Thian and Tia reach to stop him, but he quickly bolts for Thea, dives and lands on top of her with his wand waving. They both _vanish_ , making everyone gasp in surprise.

"Of course dear. _Double_ stitched like you like them," Samantha says, ignoring what just happened. "I'll just wait for you over here dear," as she turns and walks off, waving with a warm smile to the kids, who are all huddled together. Samantha looks at Amanda for a moment with a curious expression, then turns to face slightly between Josh and the Order.

Blaine, Morpheus and the others of their Order, stand there, dumbfounded, as do most of the crowd.

Josh nods to Samantha, who stands to the side looking at Morpheus, Blaine and the Order, who all look _completely_ confused at the casual exchange between the couple.

"Well?" Josh asks with a smile, " _are_ we done here, or do you have something else for me tonight?"

Blaine snarls, firing off a _stunning_ spell of his own, instantly blocked by Josh with a slight movement of his wand. Josh yawns, then says, "You need a little more _ring_ finger pressure on the _twizzle_ for that one. Something like... this." He makes a little swish with his wand and Blaine freezes in place, tilts slowly, then falls to the ground. His arm and wand still sticking straight out, his entire body stiff as a board.

Amanda feels more tingling shoot through her, intensifying each time someone attacks or counters a spell or curse.

Morpheus takes a step back, holding his wand out in front of him, eyes wide, and for the first time, a slight look of fear in his eyes. He had not even seen Josh strike. Standing there for a moment, not sure of what to do, he looks around at the crowd, who are laughing and pointing at Blaine, laying stiff with his mouth wide open. He looks at the members of the Order as they shuffle, looking at one another, not sure what they should do.

Josh then says, "Allow me." With a flick of his wand, a green bolt strikes Blaine, releasing the stunning spell. Blaine quickly gasps for air, then scrambles to his feet, eyes wide with what can only be immense surprise and fear, quickly turning into anger.

Samantha, swaying from side to side slowly, softly hums a bright little tune, her head nodding in time with the beat. She is watching Tia's parrot flying around in circles above them, one wing missing a large number of feathers.

Morpheus looks first at Samantha for a quick moment, completely baffled by her lack of interest, then at Josh. Coming out of his stupor, he turns and fires off a killing curse at Samantha. "Exanimo!" a burst of red light shooting from his wand. But quicker than the eye can see, Samantha drops her bags, pulls her wand, deflects the curse and fires off a spell of her own - all before her bags hit the ground.

Morpheus is lifted off his feet, thrown backward, and _slams_ against one of the shops walls, where he slides to the ground semiconscious. You could have heard a pin drop a mile away. All mouths are open and eyes wide.

Amanda begins to shake violently as the other kids ask her what is wrong. But she does not look at them, her eyes completely unfocused, staring directly at Morpheus.

"Sorry dear," Samantha says looking at Josh in a very calm tone. "I know I said I wouldn't interfere when you play, but after all, he _did_ direct the curse at me."

"That's all right Hon, he had that one coming after all." Calmly, Josh says to both Morpheus and Blaine, "Really, you've done enough damage here today. Please run along before you do something even more stupid than you have."

Morpheus, his senses returning, realizes the crowd has recovered as well, and are laughing at the exchange between Josh and Samantha, while pointing and laughing at Morpheus.

Morpheus yells, "Order. As one, _Kill_ them both, NOW!"

Morpheus and Blaine dive and fire killing curses at both Josh and Samantha, who dive to the side as the other thirteen of the Order, begin firing off every spell and curse they have learned, for whatever level they have achieved.

The crowd erupts into panic, yelling, _running_ and screaming, as they dive for cover or vanish on the spot.

But many dive too late. Five are killed before they hit the ground, as spells and curses miss their intended targets and strike them instead. Others fall like dominos, struck with other disabling curses and stunning spells. Huge _boils_ erupt on some as others twitch on the ground from itching spells, many with broken legs, arms and ribs. Still others lay stiff as a board, having been hit by stunning spells, which, if the counter spell is not given soon, will suffocate to death.

All the kids, other than Amanda, are face down in the dirt near the walkway, screaming and crying. A web of various colored lightning bolts fly everywhere, people running and falling wherever the kids look.

Several bolts strike the buildings on both sides of the street, setting them on fire. Some bolts blow out windows, while another large red bolt, blows the entire _fountain_ to pieces, sending fragments raining down all around them.

A man riding in a cart loses control of his animal, which runs frantically between Blaine and Josh. A bolt strikes the wagon, flipping it into the air. As it lands on its side, it comes to a skidding stop in front of the kids, as the frightened animal charges down the street.

Blaine dives behind the wagon as a bolt from Samantha's wand shoots past him. She is doing back flips across the street, firing blasts of various colored bolts at the Order as she continues to flip. Flipping high in the air, she rotates two full twists while firing off four curses before hitting the ground, killing four of Taldan's Order. They are dead before they hit the ground. Doing one handed cartwheels in the opposite direction, she continues to fire off spells.

Blaine gets to his feet and is about to rejoin the fight from behind the cover of the wagon, when he sees the kids spring to their feet nearby, cowering against the wall away from him.

Amanda has not moved with the others, but just stands where she had been, shaking hard. Thian runs forward and grabs her, trying to get her to move. Loki joins him and they drag her back, her heels dragging in the dirt, leaving long gouges. It is as though she is frozen in place from fear, though, her expression is not one of fear, but more like shock.

Blaine's eyes narrow and a curl begins to twitch at the sides of his mouth.

A bolt strikes next to Blaine and he dives to the side. Blaine fires off a torture spell at Loki, as he begins to run away. The spell ricochets off a metal barrel, losing much of its power, and strikes Tianna in the back, making her fall to the ground with a grimace on her face. The others reach down to help her up. Trembling, Loki moves back and stands next to Amanda.

Before Thian and Tia can help Tianna up, Blaine steps forward. His face contorted with anger, he yells, "Leave her!" They step back, clearly terrified. Blaine yells at Tianna, "And now, _you_ can join your _filthy_ momma. If it weren't for _you_ and you big _mouth_ , she'd _still_ be alive."

Amanda reaches over and grabs Loki's wand from his waistband, holding it out in front of her. Having the same blank expression, she steps forward in front of Tianna, placing herself in Blaine's way.

Speaking in that odd commanding voice, Amanda says, "No, she _won't_ die," and walks forward, _directly_ toward Blaine, as her hair again looks as though it were moving in a high breeze, but there is no breeze this evening that strong.

Blaine is a little taken aback for a brief moment, by this young girl's tone and odd look. Again he could swear that her eyes are somehow _glowing_. A bright yellow bolt strikes the wagon beside him, setting it on fire, making him duck and cringe, bringing him out of his stunned stare.

"Enough! I guess I'll just have to kill you _first_ then!" Snapping his wand forward he yells, "Deicio!" The red bolt bursts into an array of harmless sparks, about a foot in front of Amanda's chest.

Amanda's hair shoots straight up in the air and to the back, just as Blaine fired the shot. It looks as though she is being blasted by a _jet_ of air from below and just in front of her.

To all who see her, Amanda has a shimmering, silver glow around her, like a flair of light when your glasses need cleaning.

Blaine stands there for a moment in shock, then begins walking backward with his mouth open, as Amanda continues to approach. He fires another killing curse at her _point_ blank and another burst of sparks erupts a couple feet in front of her.

Unfazed, Amanda keeps walking straight toward him, wand lowered to her side, moving as though she were sleepwalking, her eyes unfocused and hair waving wildly. Amanda looks fuzzy to the others, like looking at her with sleep in your eyes.

They have now entered the main portion of the street, as Blaine fires killing curses, one after the other at Amanda, all bursting into huge arrays of sparks, just before striking her.

Someone yells, "Hey! Look! Blaine and that girl!"

In a moment, all the fighting stops. All heads turn to watch the much larger Blaine, firing again and again at the young girl, yelling at the top of his lungs, "Deicio! Deicio!" Sparks fly everywhere in front of Amanda, who simply continues to walk slowly toward Blaine, eyes unfocused, no expression of fear, as though in a trance-like state.

Amanda looks possessed. Her expression is completely blank. No look of anger, fear or for that matter, any _other_ expression. The ends of her hair continue to snap like tiny whips, while the bulk waves frantically.

"Morpheus, help!" Blaine yells in complete panic. But Morpheus has become frozen in place, eyes wide by the sight. Blaine's killing curses, at point blank range, are _exploding_ as though striking some kind of invisible shield spell, sending the killing bolts into a spray of harmless sparks, just in front of the smaller girl. A girl who Blaine _towers_ over, and who has not even lifted her wand.

He knows there _is_ no known shield spell that can stop a _killing_ curse. Especially... at _point_ blank range.

"Morpheus! For the love of Seeda, _help_ me!"

Amanda with her eyes unfocused, says in a slow, strange and mocking tone, as though it were not her own, "No one can help you now." Raising her wand, while using two very intricate movements, she says softly, "Tostonia."

Blaine has just raised his wand up to the side and slightly behind his right ear to strike again, when he is hit by the reddish-orange bolt from Amanda's wand. His wand hand and arm instantly go stiff as he begins to scream.

His wand, hand and arm, have turned to _stone_. As he continues screaming the most _horrible_ scream anyone has ever heard, the immense _pain_ unbearable, the rest of him, slowly begins turning to stone as well. His skin begins to ripple, being replaced by veined stone, as the curse spreads down his body, making a sound like _cracking_ ice or glass. The transformation continues until his screaming is suddenly silenced, as his face contorts, turning to stone as well. Blaine's last terrified scream is frozen on his face. His eyes are wide with horror... an expression of frozen terror.

There is a final _crackling_ , as Blaine becomes a solid stone statue.

No one moves. No one speaks. No sound can be heard for several heartbeats. Then with her hair still _snapping_ in some unseen storm, Amanda twirls her wand around in her hand, making a flourish of intricate movements with her wrist, extends her arm and yells, "Frango!"

An instant later, _cracks_ begin to appear all over the stone statue of Blaine. The cracks grow larger, horrible cracking and _popping_ are heard, as _chunks_ of him begin to fall to the ground. In another moment, the cracking sound grows to a frantic pitch, and Blaine _bursts_ apart, falling into a pile of shattered stone _rubble_ at Amanda's feet.

After a brief moment, Amanda's hair drops, as though a fierce wind has suddenly stopped. Her eyes roll back into her head as she drops the wand. She staggers for a moment, then falls to the ground... unconscious.

Morpheus looks to the pile of stone and yells, "Noooo! _Kill_ them, _kill_ them all!" And the battle begins again. Colorful bolts fly everywhere. The kids drop to the ground again, just as the windows behind them are blown out, covering them with shattered glass.

In another few moments, it is over.

Twenty-seven dead, eighteen seriously injured, another two dozen slightly injured. _All_ of the Order of Taldan, other than Morpheus... dead. Even the very young of the Order. Morpheus has both legs broken as well as his wand arm, with countless cuts and gashes, blood flowing freely.

The kids, deciding it is okay to move, still hesitate for a moment, as they look at Amanda lying crumpled in the street, the pile of stone which used to be Blaine, in front of her.

Tia, after licking her lips for a moment, runs toward Amanda, the others quickly following as Tianna struggles to get to her feet. When they reach Amanda, she is just showing some signs of movement.

The kids are completely confused, and a bit _frightened_ of Amanda, after seeing what she had just done.

Amanda's eyes flutter open, as Tianna staggers toward her, still holding her side. Tianna says, "What the... look at her _eyes_!" Everyone is _shocked_ to see that Amanda's usually striking green eyes, are now a strange yellow-orange.

Amanda moans, blinking as she shakes her head. Opening her eyes again, as they begin to focus, the others help her sit up. When she looks at them now, they see her eyes have returned to their normal sparkling green color.

"Must have been from taking the strikes or something. Maybe," Thian says shakily.

A very confused expression spreads across Amanda's face, as Thian and Loki help her to her feet. Staggering a little, in a daze as she looks around wide-eyed, she asks, "Where? What? What _happened_? Why am I in the street? Are, are all those people... _dead_?" pointing at all the bodies, and hearing the cries and moans of dozens of others who are injured.

Turning, Amanda sees her friends staring at her with frightened faces, as they take a small step back from her.

Tears begin streaming down Amanda's face, not from any injuries, but from being confused and frightened by the looks on her friends faces, and not knowing what just happened, and seeing the dead all around her.

Looking again at the dead scattered about, she quickly turns, looking her friends up and down to see if they are okay. Loki has some cuts, Tianna has several torn areas in her robe, and some cuts on her face and arm, and is holding her side, grimacing. Tia has a rather nasty gash on one arm, and some bleeding cuts on her face from the broken window glass as well. Thian is limping over to pick up Tianna's wand, returns and hands it to her. Loki bends and retrieves his own wand, laying at Amanda's feet.

Josh walks over to where Morpheus is writhing in pain yelling,

"Take a _good_ look around!" The kids all turn to watch. " _This_ is what happens when you try to _bully_ your way through life. Many _innocent_ people are dead, because _you_ wanted to teach some kids a lesson and look tough. You _tortured_ and would have _killed_ Thian, Tianna or the others without a second thought. And you struck their mother with a _killing_ curse!

"I should kill _you_ right now. But I won't. We are _not_ like you. We do not _kill_ for the fun of, or pleasure of killing. We do _not_ kill unless we are faced with death ourselves, and even then, _only_ if there is no other choice! _All_ within your Order are dead, because _you_ ordered them to kill everyone.

"Sam and I couldn't just look the other way and let that happen... the mass _murder_ of innocent bystanders. You are more _pathetic_ than your idiot master _Taldan_."

"Who? Who _are_ you?" Morpheus cries out in pain, blood flowing from his mouth.

"Someone who fights the _Dark_ side of Wizitch. Someone who knows _better_ than to purposely hurt, torture or kill innocent creatures... and someone that has now _spared_ your life."

Josh glances over to see Samantha dusting off her skirt, and sees that she is all right as she gives him a smile and wink.

Samantha collects her bags and walks casually over to Josh, that act alone seeming to calm the crowd. As she does so, she calls to the kids, "You kids okay? Amanda, you okay there dear?"

Amanda nods as she continues to take shuddering breaths, trying to compose herself. The feeling of thousands of tiny needles throughout her body is fading quickly, as the control of her body begins to return to her. She is frantically trying to understand what happened, and _why_ her friends look at her as though they are afraid of her.

Samantha's smile fades as her face suddenly pales for just the slightest moment. She takes a double take back at Amanda. "Did Amanda's necklace just give a faint flash?" she thinks. Then her eyes go wide. After a brief pause, she smiles, regaining her composure. As she steps beside Josh, she says calmly, "Are you about finished dear? It really is getting late, and as exciting as this has been, we really must be getting back. By the way, do you like Amanda's necklace?"

"Huh?" Josh replies, looking at where Amanda and the kids are standing. For a moment, he just looks at Amanda's dirt stained face and dirty robe. Then his eyes catch a glint from the necklace, which had flipped out from beneath her robe during her fall.

He looks at it for a moment, as does Morpheus. Josh's eyes go wide for only an instant, as Morpheus says softly, "The necklace of _power_?" Josh flicks his wand at Morpheus, whereupon he falls silent, still fully conscious, but can no longer speak.

Looking back at Samantha, Josh smiles saying, "Lovely isn't it? Should get you something like that someday... would go great with your eyes I think."

Josh looks around the crowd until he spots the Mayor, who is assigning people to take care of the wounded. Josh calls to him, "Mike, you need us to stay around to help clean up?"

The Mayor, as pale as everyone else, swallows hard, shakes his head saying, "Uh, no, that's okay Josh. I got it."

"Well, okay then," Josh says turning back to Morpheus.

"Well, time for you to run along now and tell daddy how you got all from his Order _killed_. Other than... _you_. And when he asks how _you_ managed to get away alive, when no one else did... you let me know how _that_ goes for you, won't you?"

Turning to Samantha Josh asks, "Shall we send him home now Hon?" She nods with a calm smile. Josh lifts his wand over his head, and just before bringing it down, says almost in a whisper, "Tell Taldan Hi from the _Thorns_ for us, will you?" He snaps his arm down saying, "To Taldan!" There is a bright blue flash making Amanda and the others turn away, covering their eyes. When Amanda looks back, Morpheus is gone.

Josh turns to the Mayor and calls, "May I at least send Taldan back the rest of his trash Mayor?" The Mayor glances around nervously at all the dead bodies, then looking back at Josh, simply nods.

"Would you like a little help dear?" Samantha asks following him to the first cluster of the dead from Taldan's Order.

"Oh yes, please. That would be a great help. Shall we?" She nods and they begin waving their wands as they walk around the street, as the dead members of the Order _vanish_ in flashes of blue.

When the last one disappears, Samantha and Josh walk over to the kids, who still look scared to death, _especially_ Amanda, who still does not know what happened, and what _she_ had done.

"Sorry you had to see all this kids," Josh says with a kind smile. "Not something _anyone_ at any age should have to see. But there are some creatures who only know violence and cruelty, and must be dealt with in like kind. It is simply the way of this universe."

Samantha leans forward with a smile, brushes away a clod of dirt from Amanda's face, as she looks intently at the necklace. She then says brightly, "Now, _that's_ better isn't it?" Straightening up and smiling warmly, she continues cheerfully, "Well, it's been _nice_ seeing you kids again. I would suggest you run along home now though, it's getting quite late." Turning to Josh. "Come along now dear, we need to be getting back too."

With that, Josh steps forward saying, "In a moment hon. Want to say goodbye to the kids first. Be right there."

As Samantha casually brushes dirt off her bags, Josh leans in toward the kids and says in a whisper, "Listen to me, and listen to me good. You are all in _great_ danger. Taldan will stop at nothing now to see that _all_ of you are killed. Thian, you and the others go to your mom's old cabin. _All_ of you go with him. We'll meet you there at midnight."

Tia's tears are again streaming from her eyes, "They _killed_ our mom. They killed mom."

"There is nothing that can be done now," Josh says softly but firmly. "You all need to do as I say, or you will _all_ die, and I can assure you, your mother will _not_ want that to happen. Now, get to your homes quickly, gather some things as though you were leaving on a short vacation of a couple days, then get to Thian's. Thian, when everyone is there, leave for your mom's old cabin _immediately_. Do you understand?"

Thian hesitates for a moment, looking at the others. Josh grabs him by both shoulders, shakes him saying sternly, " _Do_ you understand?!" Thian swallows hard and nods.

Josh turns to Loki, "Listen, _you_ need to go with them too. You can't go home and stay there."

Loki starts to object, but Josh quickly says, " _Listen_ to me! You _must_ go with them! Your dad will have heard what happened here soon enough. I'll get word to him that you are _alive_ and safe... for now, but you _cannot_ go home other than for your things. Do _not_ stay there until your father gets there. You must gather your things and get to Thian's _immediately_. You will be placing your _dad_ , yourself, and _all_ your friends here in great danger if you do not. Do you understand?" Loki hesitates, licks his lips and nods.

"But, our brooms are back at the _Broom Closet_ ," Thian says looking around nervously at the large crowd which has gathered, with more showing up by the second.

Josh turns, faces in the direction of the _Broom Closet_ , closes his eyes and mumbles something none of them can hear. He then says, "They will be here in a moment. You must leave immediately and take _only_ what you think you can carry to the cabin. Get away from your house as _quickly_ as you can, and make your way to the cabin with haste. _Speak_ to no one, and _tell_ no one where you are going. Your _lives_ depend on it. And take your racing brooms to the cabin. You'll _need_ them. _Don't_ forget them, understand? And whatever you do, keep an _eye_ on Amanda. She's..." then looking at the necklace, "been through a _great_ deal I'd guess."

Josh stands saying brightly, "Well then, since you kids are all right, I'll say goodbye for now. So sorry about your mom."

Turning, he nods to Samantha. The two of them begin strolling arm and arm off down the middle of the street, right into the large crowd, as the crowd parts to let them by, all eyes following them as they pass.

Samantha humming a bright tune, watches a strange, brightly colored parrot, flying in circles high above.

Tia says pointing just over the crowd's heads, "Look! It's our brooms!" They watch as the brooms quickly descend, slowing to a hover just off the ground, next to Thian and Amanda, as Tia's and Tianna's brooms hover next to them as well.

"Loki, where's yours?" Amanda asks looking around, wiping her eyes on her dirty sleeve.

"I, I didn't use a broom. I, I..."

"Loki, go!" Thian says in a rush, as the crowd seems to be focusing on them, pointing and whispering, now that the Carmens walked out of sight.

Loki glances around quickly, then says, "See you at your place." He turns on the spot waving his wand, and disappears.

Tia and Tianna, looking half dead themselves, mount their brooms and shoot up and over the shops and disappear.

Thian mounts the tandem, telling Amanda to get on. Amanda flips up her handlebars, mounts, and Thian kicks off. Amanda watches as the landscape grows smaller and smaller beneath them, many people still trying to put out the many fires of the ruined shops below, the entire village looking like a bombed war zone.

To TOC

# Attack At Thian's Cabin

On the way to Thian's place, Amanda wants to know what happened. Thian explains everything as best he can. But when he tells her that _she_ had killed Blaine, and how, and the way she looked and sounded, she almost causes him to lose control of the broom.

Amanda becomes hysterical at being told she _killed_ someone, and looked as though she had been possessed. She refuses to believe it, insisting that she is a _Christian_ , and would not kill _anyone_. Thian tells her to ask the others later, and they will tell her the same thing.

But as hard as she tries, Amanda cannot remember any part of it. It is as though she had come out of a nightmare, finding herself lying beside a pile of stones and not remembering anything before. It just _cannot_ be true!

Amanda cannot remember doing any of it, no matter how hard she tries, and cannot understand how she could _possibly_ do anything like that, when she does not have any _Wizitch_ ability at all.

Neither can Thian. And neither can understand _why_ Thea had been killed. Blaine could have _knocked_ her out... he did not have to kill her.

And they cannot figure out why _Kim_ had run to Thea, threw his body over hers, and disappeared. Nor _where_ they may have gone.

Amanda asks again who the Carmens are and Thian explains, again, that he does not know much about them. He and his mom would say Hi to them in the village, that they are really nice, but keep to themselves, and does not know much more.

They race home at full throttle, and are descending over the trees to the house. Thian hits the brakes, which reverse the Wizitch thrust, and they come to a swerving stop right outside the front door. They dismount and leave the tandem lying on the pathway, as they both sprint into the house.

"Amanda, just grab your travelers pack, load it with what you think you might need for a few days I guess, and I'll do the same. Josh really wants us out of here as _fast_ as possible. I still don't know _how_ he knows about my mom and dad's old cabin. Even my mom and _I_ haven't been up there in years. I don't even know if it's still _standing_. I'll meet you back out front okay? Go!"

Amanda runs to her little room, reaches under the bed and drags out the travelers pack and flips it open. It still has the Ancient Book and Journal, her flashlight, water bottle and the other books. She pulls out all the books but the Ancient Book and the Journal, and quickly packs some other clothing, toothbrush, hairbrush and other sundries.

After slipping the pack on, she runs into the living room and looks around, then hears Thian rummaging around in his room.

Stepping outside, she looks around for the others. No one else has arrived as yet. Nervously looking around, chewing on her lower lip, she turns as Thian comes out of the house, wearing his large travelers pack and holding his racing broom.

"I went to tell Birchmar what's going on, but he told me he already knew. The news has already spread through the _entire_ realm. And there're other rumors too."

Amanda is just about to ask what _kind_ of rumors, when there is a flash and Loki pops into view a few yards off. He has his wand drawn and his racing broom in the other hand, wearing his travelers pack. Looking quickly around, he jogs to Thian and Amanda, giving Amanda a curious and frightened look.

"What?" Amanda asks, as Loki looks at her as though she might bite him.

"Um, don't you think it would be better to wait _inside_ Thian?" Loki asks, looking into and above the dark trees of the forest. It is getting darker, and being scared, _all_ the shadows look like someone is moving within them.

"Oh, yeah," Thian says looking around. "That's probably a good idea. Come on. Amanda, can you grab the tandem?" Thian turns and they head quickly inside and close the door, making their way to the library.

"I take it Tia and Tianna aren't here yet?" Loki asks looking around the room with little jerks of his head. He drops his pack and broom and takes a seat.

"Not yet," Amanda says softly, dropping the tandem and pack, taking a seat as well.

"Birchmar?" Thian asks looking at the face on the old tree. "Any news, on whether Tia and Tianna have been seen flying our way yet?"

"No, I have _no_ word of them at all. I'm sorry, but the _Root Network_ is a mess, so many messages, I'm having a hard time making anything out at all. I'm sorry."

"That's okay. If you hear anything, let us know okay?"

"Most certainly, I'll do the very best I can," Birchmar closes his eyes and goes silent.

Amanda sniffs saying quietly, "I just can't believe Thea is gone. I just can't believe it you know? She was the _nicest_ grown-up I've ever met, and she was so kind. She treated me, well, like one of her own."

"Yeah. She was a really nice lady," Thian says sitting on a little stool near the library window, looking at his hands resting in his lap. "She was _always_ looking out for me. Making sure I had enough to eat, that I was taking care of myself, and would buy me _treats_ when she could afford it. And she never... _laughed_ at me either, no matter what I did, unless she knew I would laugh too. She... has always been like a second mom to me."

"What's going to happen to Tia and Tianna now?" Amanda asks looking to Thian.

"I'm not sure really. I've never met any of their relatives... maybe they don't have any. In our realm, if you're deemed competent enough to take care of _yourself_ , you have the choice of either going to live with relatives or not, providing they _want_ you, or you can take care of yourself if that's what you want.

"Well... not just if you think _you_ can take care of yourself, but if our _legal_ system thinks you can take care of yourself. I really don't know what they'll do, but, I think they'll want to stay together, and stay in their house by themselves."

"Where are they anyway?" Loki asks anxiously, looking at the door of the library nervously. "Should they not have _been_ here by now? Their house is a lot closer to the village than _your_ house is Thian, or mine. They should have gotten there, and have been half packed before _you_ two even got home."

"Yeah, you're _right_. But... maybe they're, you know, taking a little more time, to... to..."

"Say goodbye to the place for now," Amanda answers in a low voice. "It would really be hard to be there, and see the things of your mom laying around. Knowing..."

"That they will never _see_ her again," Loki finishes. "Yeah, well, maybe that _is_ what is taking them so long."

Loki is still looking at Amanda with a suspicious expression, and a little fear in his eyes. Finally, he just cannot stand it, and asks her how she had done what she had in the village, and who... or _what_... she really is.

Once again, Amanda begins to cry, insisting she does not know what happened, and cannot remember any of it at all. Shaking her head, she _swears_ she is a good Christian, and is who, and _what_ she says she is, and would not kill anyone, _ever_.

Amanda reminds them that she does not know _how_ to do any Wizitch, and cannot even get a _feather_ to float, finally pleading with both Loki and Thian to believe her.

Thian is trying his best, but Loki, after seeing what he saw... is _not_ buying it.

After ten more minutes of anxious waiting, all trying to figure out what had happened to Amanda in the village, Birchmar cries out. "There's trouble! They've been _attacked_ at their house. They've been trapped there fighting and could not get a note to us. They're on their way here!" Birchmar's eyes are wide as he scans the room.

They immediately hear cries from outside, making them jump to their feet. Thian and Loki pull their wands. There are a couple of bright flashes through the windows from outside in the dark, followed by several voices yelling at once.

The front door _bursts_ open as Tia and Tianna scramble in, eyes wide and scared. Both are yelling hysterically, "They're _after_ us, they're trying to _kill_ us!" Turning quickly, they both fire spells out the door. A yellow bolt strikes beside the doorjamb as the girls jump back, _slam_ the door, and quickly lock it.

Both Tia and Tianna are holding their racing brooms in one hand, their wands in the other, wearing their travelers packs.

"Thian!" Birchmar cries. "The trapdoor! _Use_ the trapdoor! You must go, _now_!"

"Grab your stuff, quick!" Thian shouts. He grabs his broom from the library and waits for Loki and Amanda to gather their things. After slipping her pack on, Amanda clutches the tandem, looking scared to death.

There is a _blast_ and the front windows of the library are _blown_ out. They all scream and begin running. They pass the front door and are entering the hall, when the front door is _blown_ off its hinges and sent spinning into the living room. The door hits a beautiful china cabinet, _totally_ destroying it and everything in it.

"Quick! Follow me!" Thian yells as he runs through the house to his parents old room, the others close behind.

The living room windows _explode_ as glass shards fly everywhere. Loki and Tianna quickly turn, move back out of the bedroom, and fire several volleys of spells through the shattered windows. One of Loki's spells hits a _huge_ man in the leg, sending him instantly to the ground, as he clutches his leg while swearing. One of Tianna's spells strikes a tall woman, who drops face down and begins twitching violently.

"What spell did you use?" Loki asks firing off another shot.

"Itching spell. _Double_ strength," she says with a smile.

They both fire another round of spells. Loki strikes two more people. One with a dancing spell, sending the man dancing around in circles like some kind of _bad_ disco, arms pointing up, then down, then up again. Tianna hits another tall woman with a vomit spell. The woman bends over, throws up, begins to stand, then throws up again and again and again.

Suddenly, a yellow bolt strikes the window jamb, splintering it to pieces. With a startled yell, Loki and Tianna turn, running to join the others.

"Who _are_ they?!" Amanda shouts as more windows explode at the back of the house. They hear a portion of the front wall of the house burst apart, sending all of them diving for cover.

After a moment, they scramble to their feet. Thian grabs the end of the bed in his mom's old room yelling, "Loki, help me move this to the side! Quick!"

Loki grabs hold of the foot of the bed, and with Thian, they swing it to the side. Thian quickly flings a rug aside, and to everyone's surprise, they see a _hidden_ trapdoor.

"What's _that_ for?" Tianna asks as another blast strikes somewhere in the house, making them all drop to the floor.

"They're shooting _fireball_ spells at the house! They're trying to _burn_ us alive!" Tia yells.

They can smell smoke, and can see the flickering of fire through the doorway. Several people are yelling things they cannot understand from outside, the words muffled by the _cracking_ of the fire in the living room and other parts of the house.

Another blast sounds like a portion of the _back_ of the house has been blown away, and they see more flames. The fire is so intense, they _feel_ the immense heat of the fire on their skin as the smoke makes them cough.

Getting up, Thian flings the trapdoor open, yelling, "In... get in! Quick!" Tia goes first, followed by Tianna. Amanda goes down the ladder next, which ends in a dark and musty dirt tunnel.

Both Tia's and Tianna's wands are emitting a soft blue light. Loki comes down next, followed by Thian. Once at the bottom of the ladder, both Thian and Loki say, "Lumino," and their wands emit the same soft blue light.

"This way!" Thian says, jogging down the dark tunnel. The others follow quickly behind.

After a short distance Amanda yells, "Wait! The trapdoor! What if _they_ come in here after us?"

"She's right!" Tianna says, and without waiting for any other response, runs back down the tunnel, holding her side as she yells, "You guys go ahead! I'm going to seal the tunnel at this end! Go!"

Everyone yells for her to stop, but Tia says, "Tianna knows what she's doing... I _hope_. Come on, let's keep going!" Turning, she pushes Thian, who runs further along the tunnel with the others on his heels.

After a short distance, there is a loud _bang_ and the tunnel shakes, as a small amount of dirt rains down on them. Everyone skids to a halt, covering their heads and crouching low.

Tia yells, "Tianna! Oh no! _Tianna_!" As Tia and the others are about to run back down the tunnel, they hear Tianna's faint voice call to them from the darkness, "I'm okay! _Go_... I'll catch up!"

After several minutes of frantic running, they come to an old wooden door. Thian tries the handle but the door will not move. It is locked, and he does not have a key for it.

Tianna, panting, runs up to them. "Well, I _caved_ in the tunnel, a little ways from the trapdoor. Uh, it worked a little better than I had planned. That ought to hold them for a while for sure."

They smile, then Thian and Loki both try to open the door, but it will _not_ budge.

" _Why_ won't it open?" Tia cries looking back down the dark tunnel with a frantic expression. "Now that Tianna caved in the other end of the tunnel, we're _trapped_ in here!"

"My mom just told me that, if something ever _happened_ , we would go through the trapdoor, through the tunnel, and up into the forest a good distance away from the house. But, she never _gave_ me a key!" Thian says breathlessly, "She never said _anything_ about a door at all, and I've never been _allowed_ down here before. I had _forgotten_ all about this, until Birchmar mentioned it just now!"

"Maybe we can _blast_ it open," Loki says looking at the door, holding his wand out.

"Oh _great_!" Tianna says sarcastically. "So, the door will either get _blasted_ open, or _this_ end of the tunnel caves in too?"

"Oh. Uh, I see your point," Loki says lowering his wand. "Well, anybody got any other ideas?" Loki asks looking at all of them anxiously.

Amanda looks at the door for a moment, then steps past the others saying, "Stand back. Let me try something." Looking at her anxiously, they step aside, _clearly_ showing fear in their eyes.

Amanda holds both her hands up and out in front of her, the tandem still clutched in one hand, and shouts, "Orathian!"

There are _clicking_ sounds, as the others take a few startled steps back, eyes wide and mouths half open.

The door pops open a crack. Amanda reaches forward yanking it fully open, yelling, "Go!"

No one moves. They stand there staring at her with frightened expressions.

"Just go! Now!" she yells.

Loki bolts through the door, followed by Tia. Tianna stands there for a brief moment, studying Amanda carefully with wonder and fear, then Thian shoves her forward and through the doorway. He smiles weakly at Amanda. "Cool!"

Amanda gives a weak smile back and follows him through the doorway. Once on the other side, she finds the others standing a few yards away, watching her nervously.

Turning around, holding her hands up and out again, she says, "Neldor!" The door _slams_ shut, making everyone jump and cry out. They hear clicking sounds within the door, as it locks.

As Thian shoots past them leading the way down the tunnel, Tia slowly nods as she looks at Amanda. "That's the _same_ command you told us about, to open the doors in the places you told us about. I remember that now," and smiles.

"Come _on_!" Thian yells back to them. They sprint down the dark tunnel for another five minutes, eventually coming to stairs leading up to another trapdoor. They stand for a moment, waiting to catch their breath and looking at one another.

The stairs are _steep_ , at least at a thirty degree angle. There is a small platform at the top, with a trapdoor just a few feet above that.

"Uh, well, I guess I'll go first," Thian says nervously. "Seeing that it's my house and all. Loki, hold my broom okay?"

Handing his broom to Loki, Thian climbs the stairs, using both hands to move aside the many spider webs he encounters. Stepping onto the small platform at the top, he sees there are a few more steps leading right to the trapdoor itself. Slipping his still lit wand into his waistband, Thian reaches up and pushes against the trapdoor directly over his head.

Nothing happens. He pushes again, _hard_. Not even a budge. Worriedly, he looks down at the others frightened faces. Turning his head slightly, he focuses on Amanda for a brief moment and smiles. Turning back, in a small voice says, "Orathian." The sound of a latch being moved echoes into the tunnel.

He looks back at Amanda, grinning. "Seems you were right. Some kind of Wizitch command for opening doors, but I've never _heard_ of it before."

As Thian pushes up on the trapdoor, it creaks open as dirt rains down on him. He looks at his wand saying, "Vado Atrum" and the light goes out. Taking hold of one of the rungs leading to the trapdoor, he rises slowly lifting the trapdoor. Taking another step up, he slowly pokes his head out and quickly looks around. It is _completely_ dark here in between the trees of the forest.

There is an orangish-yellow glow coming from a long distance behind him. Quickly, Thian flings the door fully open and makes his way out. He calls down to the others in a whisper. "Extinguish your wands and come on out. Hurry!"

They make their way quickly up the steep stairway to the platform. Loki passes Thian's broom up to him, then steps aside to help the others out.

Tia climbs the few steps and comes out. Turning quickly, she helps Tianna out, who is holding her side in obvious pain, still sore from the strikes from Blaine. Amanda makes her way out, nervously looking around.

Loki is the last to come through and Thian shuts the trapdoor, seeing that a large Wizitched bush is growing on it. When the door shuts, Thian whispers, "Neldor." The trapdoor thumps firmly into place, as they hear clicks from beneath the large green bush, that hides the trapdoor completely.

Sprinting, they make their way to the huge trunk of a tall tree, stopping and huddling together. Turning as one, they look behind them. They can just make out through the bushes and trees, that Thian's home is completely engulfed in flames.

Thian begins to cry out, but Loki clamps his hand over Thian's mouth, whispering loudly, "Quiet! If they hear us, we are _dead_!"

Loki slowly removes his hand, Thian's eyes wide with disbelief. He then cries out a little more loudly, " _Birchmar_!" Again Loki clamps his hand over Thian's mouth. "There is _nothing_ you can do for him now. He is _gone_ Thian! I am sorry."

"We've got to get away from here, _now_!" Tianna says through clenched teeth, the pain in her side throbbing. "Thian, come _on_ , take us to your mom and dad's old cabin, before they discover we're _not_ in the house."

Thian, tears streaming down his face, stares wide-eyed at his burning home. Tianna grabs and spins him around to look at her, " _Now_ Thian! We need to leave, _now_!"

Swallowing hard, nodding, Thian says, "Drop your packs, I'll send them to the cabin. Should have thought of it before."

"Well," Amanda says sliding out of her backpack, "we've been a little _busy_ to stop before now."

They drop their packs into a pile, Thian adding his racing broom to the top. Waving his wand over the pile, he says, "To the cabin." To everyone's surprise, the pile does _not_ burst into flame, but actually vanishes.

"Mount up and follow me. We'll stay low and make our way through the woods for a mile or two, then head above and stay just over the tree line. Let's go."

"But Thian," Amanda asks quickly. "I know _I_ can't vanish and appear someplace, but, can't the others just vanish and go, and we'll meet them at the cabin?"

"No. I don't even know if the cabin's still _standing_. And, like I said before, you need to know _exactly_ where you're going, or you can end up in a wall or tree or almost anything. None of us are advanced enough to know the automatic obstacle detection spell. And besides, the others have never _been_ to the cabin, so they wouldn't know where to show up."

Thian mounts the tandem, quickly adjusting his handlebars. Amanda gets on right behind him and adjusts hers too. Thian looks back to be sure Loki, Tia and Tianna are all mounted, then kicks off. They slowly make their way through the darkness, between the densely packed trees.

It is agonizingly slow going at first. It is _so_ dark amongst the trees, they can hardly see anything, but do not want to chance lighting their wands just yet. They are constantly _smacked_ by branches, getting tangled in bushes, and occasionally, running _directly_ into a tree.

By now, Loki has been knocked off his broom _twice_ by branches he had not seen, and his temper is beginning to get the best of him.

After ten minutes at what seems a _snail's_ pace, Thian calls back in as loud a voice as he dares, "I'm stopping now. Light your wands." Everyone comes to a stop and hovers. There are whispered commands of "Lumino," and the small, dense area of forest they are in begins to glow a soft blue, as if lit by fairy light.

Thian spins the tandem slightly to his left, so he can look back at the others and make sure everyone is still together. Seeing their frightened faces, all looking around as though something will jump out at them any second now, he confirms they are all there. Loki still mumbling something through clenched teeth, pulls a handful of brush from his beard.

Thian says in a whisper, "Okay. I think we're far enough away now. But I was thinking... what if they stay around until the house has completely burned down... you know? Thinking all of us are _trapped_ in there, they might be hovering just above the tree line, just in case we _did_ somehow get away.

"As soon as we rise up, they might _spot_ us. I've got no idea where we are now, or how far we've actually gone away from the house. The moons are up, and those people could still be up there _waiting_ for us to poke our heads out. They'd see us in the moonlight for sure. So, what should we do now?"

Everyone is hovering just above the undergrowth, and turn to one another for what they should do.

Loki says rather gruffly, "Well, it is ten-thirty now. How long does it normally take to get from your house _to_ the cabin, Thian?"

"Around half an hour I think. Well, flying as fast as this _tandem_ can go anyway. Why?"

"Well, I was just thinking. What if we continue through the forest for another ten minutes or so, find a clearing, then wait until around eleven-thirty. Then, if we think it is okay, make a _run_ for it. Josh said he would be at the cabin at midnight."

They talk it over and decide it may be the best thing to do, just in case someone _is_ waiting for them just over the tree line.

They continue through the forest for another fifteen minutes, find a small clearing, and decide to wait there. They dismount and sit in a circle facing one another, their wands lit and holding onto their brooms, in case they need a quick exit.

Everyone is quiet for a while, all glancing over at Amanda, not knowing what to think of her or what to say. Tianna finally looks at Amanda, clears her throat, and surprises everyone when she asks calmly, "Why did you stop Blaine from killing me?"

"What?" Amanda asks startled, turning to Tianna.

"Blaine was about to kill me. And he _would_ have too. But you told him not to. When he laughed and was just about to _really_ do it, you stepped _right_ in front of me. You grabbed Loki's wand, and told Blaine, no, that he was _not_ going to kill me. Why? Why did you step in front of me, putting yourself between Blaine and me? I mean, he would need to kill _you_ then, to get to me. You don't even _like_ me. Why did you do that? I was _so_ sure he was going to kill me. I don't _ever_ remember being that scared before. And _you_? You just stepped forward to protect... _me_. Why?"

"I... I _do_ like you though. We don't always get along all that well maybe, but, I really _do_ like you Tianna. Nobody gets along _all_ the time you know. That's what being friends really means though. Tianna, you're my _friend_ , and I'd do whatever I could for you. But, like I told Thian, I don't remember _any_ of what happened at all. Honestly!"

"Well," Thian says with a forced laugh, "you should have seen Blaine's _face_ , when he was firing _killing_ curse after killing curse at you! With all of em' just _bursting_ into harmless sparks, just when they were about to hit you! And _you_ just walking straight into him, not even _lifting_ your wand!"

"I did?" Amanda asks, her eyes wide. "He was _really_ hitting me with... _killing_ curses, and I didn't even get hurt? Thian, I thought you were _exaggerating_ when you told me before."

"No, he wasn't exaggerating, and yes, Blaine was firing them at you." Tia looks from Amanda to Tianna. "And you _did_ save Tianna's life. Actually, _all_ of our lives. I'm sure that if Blaine _had_ killed you, he would have killed Tianna, then the _rest_ of us too. Just for the _thrill_ of it."

"Well, anyway.... thanks for saving my life," Tianna says in a quiet voice. Eyes narrowing, she spits loudly, "I'm going to _kill_ Morpheus!"

The others tell her to keep her voice down but she continues. "I'm going to _hunt_ him down, no matter _how_ long it takes! Then I'm going to _kill_ him, just like _they_ killed our mom! Morpheus could have _stopped_ Blaine, but he didn't. He just _stood_ there and laughed!"

After a moment, Tianna begins to cry saying, "It's all _my_ fault isn't it? _I'm_ the reason mom is dead, and all those _other_ people too. It's because I challenged the judges and won isn't it? It's like Blaine said, if I'd kept my _mouth_ shout, _mom_ and the others would still be alive. It's all because of _me_ you're all being hunted.

"Thian, I'm so sorry. Your house... your things... _Birchmar_." Her voice trails off, all of them in tears, thinking of Thea, Birchmar, Thian's home, and all the others who died.

No one knows what to say, but everyone feels that to some degree, Tianna is right. If she _had_ just let things go, Thea and all the others who had been killed or injured, would be okay.

After another few moments, Thian says in a small voice, tears in his eyes, "You're _not_ to blame Tianna. It's not _your_ fault... really. It's _Morpheus_ and Blaine who are at fault. If they hadn't _cheated_ , this wouldn't have happened. You _stood_ up for yourself, and for the _others_ on your team. You stood up for what was _right_. That's just who you are.

"I'm really _scared_ you know. And at first, I _was_ really mad at you. But, honestly, it's _not_ your fault. Morpheus and Blaine could have just _let_ it go too, but they didn't. They didn't have to... _do_ what they did to your mom, but they did.

"In the village, they may have just walked on by us, if it weren't for _me_ walking into Blaine. But they didn't. I don't blame you anymore, and I don't think any of the rest really do either. One of the things that makes you, well, _you_ , is that you fight for what's right. I wish _I_ had the courage to do the things you do, and _stand_ up for what I think is right. It's not your fault."

Sitting there quietly, they slowly begin going through the events of the day. They fill Amanda in on various details of the battle, until finally Tia says, "Hey, it's just about eleven-thirty. If we're going to go, I think we'd better get going."

They get up, and begin mounting their brooms, when Tianna says still sniffing, "I'm gonna go up and have a quick look around first. Stay here, I'll be back in a minute."

With that, Tianna shoots straight up without waiting for a reply.

To TOC

# Battle In The Night Sky

Two minutes later, Tianna descends, hovering just above them as she says quietly, "It _looks_ okay. But it's really dark out. The moons are bright, so the tops of the trees are lit, but you can't see anything below their tops, where somebody could be hovering. But, I couldn't _see_ anyone though. So, if we're going to go, it might as well be now, if they're there or not."

They all rise and come to a hover, just above the trees, everyone looking around expectantly. The only things they can see, is smoke rising against the illuminated light of the two moons, coming from Thian's ruined home, some birds, a few scattered clouds, and the forest.

"All my mom and dad's things. All _my_ things. Gone. And Birchmar. Poor Birchmar didn't have a chance. He's been growing there as far back as I can remember. I'm really going to miss him. He was family too you know. Now, I have no one," Thian says, tears streaming down his face.

"We're sorry Thian," Tia says softly. "But we have to get to the cabin. There's no other place to go now."

Thian nods, wiping his eyes, the others wiping theirs. "Yeah, okay, follow me," and they swing around to face a new direction. Speeding off at full throttle, moving as fast as the tandem can go, they head for a pass between two large hills. Amanda's hair is streaming out behind her, as is Tia's and Tianna's, the cool air of the night feeling good against their faces.

They have only gone a couple thousand feet, when a _burst_ of red light suddenly whips past Tia's left ear. Crying out she yells, "They've _spotted_ us! They're trying to _kill_ us! That was a _red_ bolt... Go! Where the _Snarkins_ did they come from?"

"They must have been hiding just below the tree line after all," Tianna shouts, looking back over her shoulder.

Dozens of bolts of various colored blasts whiz past, many barely missing them. Thian yells, "Amanda! How many of 'em are there?"

Looking over her shoulder she shouts, "I see _seven_ of them, and they're coming fast!"

"Split up!" Thian yells. "It'll make it harder for them to _hit_ us. Split up!"

Amanda watches Loki shooting off hard to their right, then dart up and out of sight. Turning slightly to her left, she sees Tia branch hard left, then shoot up, followed by Tianna who quickly overtakes her, climbing even higher, then shooting even further to the left.

Looking back over her shoulder, Amanda yells, " _They're_ splitting up too! They're going to follow each of us! They're gaining on us! Thian, go _faster_!"

"We're going as _fast_ as we can on this thing! I've got the throttle _wide_ open!"

Amanda looks up and around frantically, searching for Loki, Tia and Tianna. It is dark, but she spots someone small on a broom moving fast, followed by two _large_ adults flying quickly after them. _Whoever_ is after them, are on racing brooms too, because they are bent forward to streamline their movement through the air. _No_ handlebars are sticking up, and Amanda is sure they are _expert_ fliers.

The good thing is that both Tia and Tianna are on _their_ racing brooms too, as is Loki. And so far, whichever of her friends this is, is keeping their pursuers from catching up, weaving erratically as they fly.

A red bolt passes close by Amanda's left arm, making her cry out. Thian, immediately drops straight down, scaring the _starlights_ out of Amanda, who _thinks_ he has been hit as he leans forward.

_Screaming_ as they shoot down into the trees below, Amanda is sure this is the end. They are headed rapidly toward the forest floor, flying down between four tightly spaced pines. Squinting and looking forward over Thian's shoulder, she sees that he is okay, but is unable to see anything in front of them, let alone _where_ the ground may be.

In a moment, she sees a soft blue glow in front of her, as Thian ignites his wand. He lets out a cry of surprise as they are about to _strike_ the ground. Yanking back on the handlebars as _hard_ as he can, they straighten out, _inches_ before striking the ground. Their feet scrape the underbrush, as the broom whips wildly from side to side, the brush ripping and tearing at their robes.

For a moment, Amanda thinks they are going to _crash_ into the trees right in front of them, but at the last second, Thian regains control. Amanda's heart is _pounding_ , and her eyes are as _wide_ as they can go.

Thian quickly begins threading his way around the trees, only a foot or two above the groundcover. There are fallen logs, low lying limbs, and countless branches they have to make their way over, under, or around. They are constantly whipped and _smacked_ by bushes and branches, as they wind their way through the dense underbrush and around trees.

A thin orange bolt shoots past them, striking a tree just to their right, setting it on fire. Amanda _screams_. Thian maneuvers quickly to their left and through a narrow opening between two trees, causing Amanda to shut her eyes and _hang_ on for dear life, thinking she will be _scraped_ off the broom.

Amanda opens her eyes. Looking back over her shoulder she yells, "He's _gaining_ on us! Thian, _do_ something!"

"Tell me when he's about thirty feet behind!" Thian yells back as he quickly begins weaving in and out of the trees faster, as though running a race on a slalom course, making them an almost _impossible_ target to hit.

In another moment, Amanda turns around and sees a very large man coming quickly toward them, wand lit. He is snarling at her, his sneer bright in the wand light. Amanda has _no_ idea how Thian is able to maneuver so _quickly_ around these closely packed trees, passing them in a blur.

"Thian, he's _right_ behind us! _Less_ than thirty feet!"

They weave their way around a few more trees, then Thian shoots in a straight line between two huge trees instead of weaving in and out, leaving a _clear_ shot for their pursuer.

"Thian!" Amanda yells, "What are you _doing_?!"

Looking back, Amanda sees the big man give a hideous smile, raising his wand to strike the fatal blow. But at that moment, Thian hits the brakes _full_ on, while tilting and yanking as hard as he can to the left. Amanda _screams_ as she tilts quickly to the side, the broom turning ninety degrees to the approaching tree, but continuing to _slide_ through the air, like a car sliding on ice, headed _right_ for the huge trunk of a dark tree.

As Thian once again tilts them upright, he accelerates just a little, until he can see _where_ they are headed.

Amanda looks to her left, into the startled face of the large man. His eyes are _huge_ , as he tries to keep from crashing into them, reflexively pulling up _hard_ on his boom handle. It is no good. He is moving far too fast. Amanda _ducks_ as he speeds directly over her, the toe of his boot _striking_ the top of her head as he passes, spinning him forward like a cartwheel. A second later, she hears a sickening _crack_ as the man slams _face_ first into the huge gnarled trunk, flattening him like a _bug_ on a car windshield.

Thian twists the throttle as she snaps her head around, looking behind her to the right. The sight of the dark red _splat_ on the tree, along with huge chunks of what _used_ to be a man, scattered about the trunk and falling to the ground, makes her sick. Leaning to the side, she throws up... twice.

Thian shoots up through the trees as Amanda spits several times, bending her head down and wiping her mouth on her sleeve. Thian slows as they reach the top of the trees, continuing to slowly rise and level out, frantically looking around.

Red bolts _flash_ in the sky ahead of them. Thian points up and to the right.

They see a pair of flyers chasing one of their friends, but cannot see who it is. As the begin flying off to help them, a flash comes from their right, then another just a short distance further to the right.

Slowing for a moment, off in the distance they see two _new_ figures coming fast.

"Oh god!" Amanda yells. "There're _more_ of them! What are we gonna do now?"

As Thian keeps his course for the pair chasing their friend, they watch as the new comers split apart, one heading to the left, the other to the right. In another moment, they see flashes from the new comers wands. The bolts from their wands are _not_ directed at their friends, but at their _attackers_.

Surprised for a moment, Thian and Amanda slow almost to a stop. They watch as one of the attackers closing in on their friend, is _blasted_ off their broom and falls to the jagged trees below, their broom spinning down wildly behind them.

Thian twists the throttle and heads for their friend, who now has _one_ pursuer after them. The pursuer breaks off his pursuit, turns, and quickly shoots off to their right. He does not get far, before another red bolt flashes from 1whoever has joined the battle, striking the fleeing flyer square in the back. They arch their back, slump to the side and fall from the sky, like a rock dropped from a rooftop.

Whoever it is that killed this second attacker, is flying quickly, _directly_ toward Amanda and Thian. Shaking, Thian holds his wand at the ready, but after seeing what just happened, knows he and Amanda do not have a _chance_ if they are after them for themselves.

In a moment, Amanda yells, "It's... it's _Samantha_ Carmen!"

1Samantha comes to a swerving stop, hovering right beside where Thian and Amanda have come to a complete stop, eyes as big as they can get. Samantha quickly looks them over, then smiling calmly asks, "You kids all right?"

"Yeah, we're okay," Thian says in a shaky voice. "But Tia, Tianna and Loki are out there. Is that _Josh_?" Thian asks as they watch an aerial battle with _one_ flyer against four others. Three flyers are headed toward Thian, Amanda and Samantha from several angles. In a moment, they see it is Tia, Tianna and Loki.

"They're all right!" Amanda shouts, _smacking_ Thian on the shoulder as he laughs. "Thian, they're _all_ right!"

In a moment, the three join them, Loki holding his left arm, blood flowing between his fingers. Part of Tia's robe is burned away and there is a bloody gash on one leg. Some of Tianna's hair has been singed, and there is a gash on one cheek. Loki partly slumps forward and groans.

"Loki, you're _hurt_!" Thian yells looking at the blood flowing down his arm.

"It is okay, really," Loki says through clenched teeth. "Looks a lot worse than it is, I think. Good to be a Dwarf sometimes... slightly smaller target you know. Tia, Tianna, you are hurt too." He looks at Thian and Amanda. "Are the two of you okay?"

Both Thian and Amanda say they are fine, and Tia and Tianna assure them that they _are_ hurt, but will be okay.

Hearing more blasts, they all turn to watch the aerial battle.

As Amanda watches the battle in the distance with flyers turning, rising and diving like a swarm of mad bees, she cries to Samantha, "Aren't you going to _help_ him?!"

"Oh _no_ dear," she says in a very calm voice, watching the battle with casual interest. "He always likes to give people a chance to go away, before he has to do something drastic."

"But... but..." Thian cries, "aren't you afraid he'll get... _killed_?!"

"Oh, I think he'll be okay," she says with a smile.

Samantha slowly looks around, taking in a deep breath, then lets it out slowly. "Nice night out isn't it? Gentle breeze, _bright_ moons. I just _love_ to fly on nights like these, don't you?"

They look at her with stunned expressions, no one knowing what to say, when they hear a scream. All heads snap around to see two people falling from the sky. There are four bright flashes of red light and two _more_ fall from the sky, spinning through the air before striking the trees below.

The only one left hovers for a few moments, turns, and flies in their direction.

In no time, Josh slows and comes to a stop just in front of, and facing Samantha. He looks the kids over quickly, then looks at Samantha saying, "These socks are a little _scratchy_ hon. I should have washed them first, before putting them on I think."

Looking at the kids with a warm smile, he speaks in calm voice, "We came a little early. Hope you don't mind. Didn't mean to spoil all your fun, but I _do_ enjoy a little action from time to time myself you know. You don't mind... _do_ you?"

The kids stare at him with blank expressions. All they can do is shake their heads.

"Excellent! By the way, _nice_ flying you guys. Well, it is a nice night out, but I do think we had better get along to the cabin for a chat. Thian, would you lead the way please?"

Thian gives the others a quick glance, turns and opens the throttle. They head off into the pass between the two hills. After flying for some time, they round a ridge, and follow a stream up the side of the mountain they just reached. Soon, they arrive at a large clearing with an old broken down wooden cabin. They come to a stop by the front porch, directly across from the front door. Dismounting, wands at the ready and clutching their brooms, they cautiously go inside.

Thian walks to a large crystal on top of the fireplace, waves his wand saying, "Luminett." A very soft blue glow emits from the crystal, just enough light to see each other clearly. Amanda nods, remembering this was the spell used to emit just a small amount of light.

Looking around, they see that the place is a _wreck_. It looks as though it had been broken into by some kind of large animal, or animals, years ago. Some of the chairs are broken, curtains torn down, things scattered about, spider webs _everywhere_.

"Nice _place_ you've got here Thian," Tianna says with a snort looking around. "No _wonder_ you never brought us here."

Thian is about to say something when Josh waves his wand. Seven, very comfortable chairs suddenly appear, making Amanda cry out, as the others jump.

Josh smiles. "Sit. We need to chat, and we may not have all that much time, should someone else know of, or remember you _have_ this little cabin Thian. Sit, please."

Josh takes a seat facing the door while Samantha pulls her chair up to the window next to the door. Facing outside, she keeps watch, as the rest of the kids pull their chairs into a semicircle facing Josh.

Turning to look at Loki, who has just gasped while grimacing, Josh says, "Hold out your arm Loki, and pull up your sleeve."

Everyone turns to Loki, who looks startled and pale. Slowly pulling up his sleeve, Amanda and the others gasp, seeing a deep, ugly gash with blood continuing to flow freely.

Josh looks at Samantha. "Hon, _would_ you please?"

Samantha glances back over her shoulder for the slightest moment, looking at Loki's wound. She returns her attention to scanning the sky out the window. Flicking her wand back over her shoulder, she mumbles something they cannot hear. There is a blue-green flash over Loki's wound. Everyone jumps at the flash, crying out at the same time. To everyone's surprise, when they look at the wound, it is _completely_ healed, not even a scar. The kids mouths drop open.

Several more flashes erupt from Samantha's wand, again from over her shoulder, and Tia's and Tianna's wounds also vanish, as do any cuts and scrapes on Thian and Amanda, as though they had never been hurt.

"How? How did she _do_ that?" Tia asks in a soft shaky voice. "That's... well... _impossible_!"

To TOC

# Amanda's Necklace

"No time for that now," Josh says turning to face Amanda. With a nod of his head he asks, "Amanda, where did you get the necklace you have on?"

"Huh? My necklace?" sounding confused. "Oh, uh, well, I _found_ it actually." Amanda can't help but think this an odd question, considering they had all just been _attacked_... several people _blasted_ out of the sky... and killed. Looking at the other kids, she sees they are looking at Josh while thinking the same thing.

"Amanda. This is _very_ important. Tell us _where_ you found it, _how_ you found it, and _everything_ that led up to your finding it. And, everything that has happened _since_ you found it. Do you understand?"

Even more confused, Amanda does _not_ understand why they want to know about the stupid necklace now, or _ever_ for that matter. A little frightened after seeing what Josh and Samantha had just done, she is not sure if she should tell them about the necklace or not.

But, after all, they _had_ just saved their lives. _Hadn't_ they?

"Go ahead Amanda," Thian says nervously. "If they _wanted_ to kill us, they would have done it already... I think."

"Kill you?" Samantha says turning to face them. "My _dear_ child, we would _never_ kill you! What in _two_ moons makes you think we would want to _kill_ you?"

Unable to think of anything to say, Thian turns a little red and shrugs. Looking back at Amanda he says, "Go on. And tell them _everything_ okay. I don't see what it has to do with anything, but..." and shrugs again.

Amanda looks at the others, who all shrug and nod too. Chewing on her lower lip for a moment, she nods and starts her story, beginning in camp, just before she went up the mountain.

When she comes to the part where she finds the necklace, she gets up and walks to her travelers pack, placed with the rest of the packs, near the fireplace. Bending down, she pulls out the Ancient Book and the Key she had found with the necklace. Walking back, Amanda hands them both to Josh, as Samantha gets up and walks over to take a look.

Josh places them on his lap when Samantha comes to stand behind him, looking over his shoulder. Samantha lets out a small cry when she sees the book, startling the kids, since she had not shown _any_ surprise nor fear, through _anything_ they had witnessed thus far.

As Samantha looks down at the cover of the book, Josh looks up and meets her eyes with a surprised look of his own. "Well hon... looks like your _hunch_ may be right after all. Although I can hardly believe it."

Nodding slowly, Samantha looks at Amanda with a sad expression saying, "You _poor_ child. What a _terrible_ burden to have to bear," looking as though she is about to cry.

The kids look from one to the other, then at Amanda, who looks the most frightened of them all.

"What... what do you _mean_... poor me?" Amanda asks, blood draining from her face.

"Now _hold_ on Hon," Josh says to his wife. "We're not _completely_ sure yet."

"But it _has_ to be Josh! What else could it be? How _else_ could a child, who supposedly has _no_ Wizitch abilities at all, _do_ what she did in the village? Land sakes, not even _Taldan_ himself could have..."

Samantha falls silent as Josh holds up his hand and turns to Amanda again. "Amanda, you say you _found_ the necklace, key and this, uh, book," he glances quickly to Samantha, then back to Amanda, "in the _same_ place? Next to a _skeleton_?"

Swallowing hard, Amanda feels as though she has done something wrong by taking the things, but nods slowly.

"And when you reached down and _grabbed_ the necklace, what happened again? And leave _nothing_ out. What did you _hear_ , smell, _feel_. Tell us _everything_ you can possibly remember. It's okay, but we need to know _everything_ you can recall."

Everyone is looking at Amanda so intently, she feels goose bumps on the back of her neck and turns a little red.

Nodding, she takes them through everything she can remember at that time... how she had to tug at the necklace before it popped free into her hands, and how she had taken the things to the lake and washed them off.

When she tells them about dipping the necklace in the water, to wash it off, she hesitates, looking first at Samantha, then at Josh, then at the kids.

"What is it Amanda?" Josh asks leaning in. "You _remember_ something don't you? What is it? What do you remember? Tell us, no matter _how_ small a thing, or how _insignificant_ you think it is. It could be very important."

Amanda swallows, then says quietly, "Well. It's _silly_ really. But when I was washing it off, I... I..."

"What Amanda?" Samantha says leaning over Josh's chair to look at her.

"Um, well, I, _thought_ the necklace _glowed_ some, you know? Like it was giving off some kind of light of its own."

Josh snaps his head up looking at Samantha, whose eyes are wide, as she says nothing, just blinking.

"I only _thought_ it glowed though," Amanda continues quickly. "It couldn't _really_ have glowed on its own. _Could_ it?"

"Never mind for now. Please, continue," Josh says excitedly.

Amanda continues her story, telling how she survived the white water terror she had experienced, then how she had managed to make her way to the shore, and began to follow a path. How she followed the path until she stepped on something, and fell into a pile of bones, while looking up at a massive, ancient wooden door, with the awful smelling red mist coming from it.

"Did the red mist smell like... like _sulphur_ by chance?" Samantha asks expectantly.

"Uh, well, _yeah_! Like that but _worse_!" Amanda says remembering.

Josh and Samantha exchange a knowing look, then ask her to continue.

Amanda tells them how she got out of the bones, and how a skull had _bit_ her on the thumb, drawing blood, at which point Josh and Samantha exchange another quick and surprised look.

Seeing the look between them, she tells them how she found the sword, shield, helmet, breast and back plate, and the arm and leg protectors in a huge pile, and how she set them aside from the larger pile of armor, planning to return at some point, once she found her way out.

"After looking at that huge door, and not being able to get it open," Amanda continues, "I was just looking around, and saw the little hole in the wall." She tells them how she had tried the old key, and it unlocked the door.

Both Samantha and Josh shake their heads in wonder. They look the old key over very carefully, smiling as though they had found a long lost friend.

Amanda continues her story, telling them how she opened the door, stepped through, and figured she could find a way out, so she went back through the door, put the key into her backpack and tried to pick up the necklace, but had dropped it, _twice_. Then, without thinking, she picked it up in a hurry and put it over her head, dropping it around her neck and got up.

Amanda hesitates again.

Both Josh and Samantha lean far forward, Josh literally on the edge of his seat, looking so expectantly at Amanda, that she becomes scared.

"What? What _happened_ when you put the necklace on Amanda?" Samantha asks, her eyes narrowing.

"I... I mean... it, I don't know really... I felt something like a... a little _shock_ or something shoot through me. I must of just kinked a _nerve_ or something I think. _Really_!"

Josh's eyes fly wide, as he sits back quickly in the chair, while Samantha stands straight up, placing a hand to her mouth, eyes even wider.

"What?!" Amanda cries completely frightened. "What's wrong?"

The kids have their hands on their armrests, leaning forward as though ready to _spring_ up and run, although, they have no idea _why_.

"Oh Josh! It _is_! It really _is_! And it chose... _her_!" Samantha says waving her wand, another chair appearing beside Josh, into which she falls.

"Is _what_?!" Tianna asks wide-eyed. "You don't really _believe_ any of this do you? What is it? What's _really_ going on?"

"In a minute Tianna. And yes, we believe _every_ word she said!" Josh answers breathlessly. "Amanda. Um, have you ever tried to take the necklace... _off_?"

The kids turn to one another and exchange nervous looks.

Amanda sputters, "Yeah. But, it won't _come_ off for some reason! It seems to have gotten _smaller_ or something, and I can't get it off over my head. Thian even tried to _cut_ it off once, but it won't cut either."

At that, both Josh and Samantha shoot out of their chairs, and turn to face each other, the ancient book dropping to the floor. Everyone else jumps up too, all scared half to death, watching Josh and Samantha's shocked expressions.

"Josh! It's _true_! It has to be! It explains _everything_ that happened on her journey, and everything that happened in the village! By the _moons_ Josh! It's been _found_ at last!" Samantha looks absolutely horrified, _and_ excited, at the same time.

For a moment, all Josh can do is slowly nod his head. Slowly, he turns and picks up the book, then sits back down, motioning for everyone else to do the same.

"Will somebody _please_ tell us what the _Snarkins_ is going on!" Tianna yells slapping her hand on her armrest.

"Silence!" Josh says with a voice so commanding, everyone freezes in place. Then, in a softer and kinder tone says, "Amanda, please continue from when you put the necklace on."

Amanda tells how she began to walk through the mist, then decided to go back and close the door, because, she thought a monster could be on that side, and would come in and get her later. To everyone's surprise, neither Josh nor Samantha laugh at her, but rather look eagerly for her to continue.

Next, she tells them how once back at the door, she had begun to close it, but then, had spotted the armor she had set aside, and that she had gone back to get them and put them on. And, that she had been wearing them, right up to the time when Thian and the others found her.

"You, brought them _with_ you? Where are those items now?" Josh asks, eagerly leaning forward toward Amanda.

"Uh, well..." Amanda stutters.

"We've got them buried in one of my hiding places, back near the house." Thian says nervously. "Why?"

"Thian," Josh says quickly. "Summon them here _now_! Everything Amanda had with her! You can leave anything else you have hidden, but please summon all _her_ things here now!"

Thian takes out his wand and points it just to the side of Josh. He gives it a little swish saying, "Accio Amanda's things, hiding place seven." After a brief moment, a sparkling, like millions of yellow-green fireflies, appear where Thian points his wand. A stack of items comes clearly into focus.

Josh looks at Amanda. "May we?" indicating the pile next to him. Nodding, both he and Samantha move to the pile, kneel, and begin looking over all the items.

Josh lifts the sword while giving a little gasp. After looking it over, he passes it to Samantha, who smiles and looks it over with eager eyes.

Turning the blade sideways, she begins reading the ancient writing, "Lancer. Keeper of the flame of Alendur... I just don't _believe_ it Josh! Can it _truly_ be?"

"Yes. I think after all these millennia, it has _finally_ come to pass. All the killings, the needless deaths. And most would kill a _thousand_ times over, for just _one_ of these jewels."

He looks at her tear filled eyes, as he wipes a tear from his own cheek.

Samantha hands him back the sword saying, "If they only knew of its _true_ worth. And to be found by her, and she's... _wearing_ the necklace. Unbelievable!"

The kids are confused, not understanding either Josh's or Samantha's strange reactions, and even _more_ frightened then when the battle in the village and Thian's home had taken place. They are amazed, seeing both Josh and Samantha in tears, and almost overly excited about the jewels in the sword.

Amanda thinks they are talking about the killing of all the dead people she had found.

Josh is rubbing his finger over one of the very large jewels, with a gleam in his eyes and a curious smile. Amanda begins to think they may want the jewels for themselves, and may kill _all_ them to take them.

Stuttering, tears running down her face, she pleads, "You... you can _have_ the jewels! Just don't _kill_ us! Please! You can _have_ them!"

Josh and Samantha slowly turn to her.

Amanda, crying, is shaking hard. The others look frightened, tears welling in their eyes too, as they catch Amanda's meaning. All are thinking the same thing: that Josh and Samantha want the jewels for themselves, and _killed_ the flyers who had been after the kids, and will kill them now and leave, just for the treasure. After all, they can leave no witnesses.

"By the _moons_ kids!" Samantha says coming around the chair and kneeling before all their frightened faces, as the kids cower in their chairs. "You don't _really_ think... that, that Josh and I...

"By the _keeper_ of the golden crystal kids. We don't _want_ this stuff for ourselves! And we have _no_ intention of hurting any one of you! By the _moons_!"

Josh calls out, "Hon, take a look at this." He passes her the dagger and the belt with the wonderful buckle.

Samantha lets out a little cry, giving a quivering smile as she looks at the buckle, tears welling up in her eyes. "Yes. This was _his_! Oh Josh! It was _his_!"

1Both Josh and Samantha have tears flowing down their cheeks.

The kids, confused and scared, do not know what to do or say. They have never seen Samantha or Josh, show any emotion like this at all.

"But Josh," Samantha says, looking at the buckle with the missing gem, "it's _gone_. It won't work without it. The jewel's... _gone_."

Amanda says timidly, "Oh, uh, I _sold_ the little gem that was in it."

Both Josh and Samantha shout, "You _what_?!"

Their started faces and shout scares everyone.

"I... I didn't have any _money_ , and so, I... I mean we... took it out, and I had Loki's dad sell it. We got a _lot_ for it too. I split the money with Thian, Loki and his dad, and Tia, Tianna and, and..."

"Well, we'll figure out what to do about this later," Josh sniffs, then asks Amanda where and when she had found the dagger. When she tells them she had found it much later, he raises his hand saying, "All right then, you can tell us when you get to that part. For now, please continue your story, and be sure not to leave the _slightest_ thing out. Every _step_ you took, every detail, every kind of smell, touch, taste, sound or, _feeling_ you can remember."

Amanda relates her adventures with the lizards, and how she had used her sword to kill all the lizards in the eggs within the nest, then how she cut some up and threw them down the tunnel. Amanda recalls how the lizards tore apart the nest trying to get to her and how she had killed many others as well.

Amanda shivers remembering how she stood high on a stack of boulders, watching the severed head of one of the lizards, _spin_ off into the mist, and all the other amazing things she had done.

But, shaking her head, she tells them that she does not know _how_ she could have done it. That at times, it was as though the sword was doing it _for_ her... like she was holding onto it, but that it was _swinging_ on its own.

Josh and Samantha just smile at one another, nodding quickly, then motion for her to continue.

Amanda trembles as she tells them how she had been carried off by one of the huge flying lizards, into a _gigantic_ jungle-like cavern, and almost dropped into the boiling acid water.

Visions of the large cavern filled with waterfalls, and trees that weren't really trees after all, come back to her. Josh and Samantha are constantly exchanging looks, and nodding like they fully understand what she had seen, and _where_ she had been. They show no surprise in the least, when she describes the gigantic lizard trees, shooting down all the flying creatures.

All the kids are really into her story, knowing that both Samantha and Josh say they believe every word she is telling them.

When Amanda tells them about finding the cave behind the waterfall, and the skeleton in there who was looking at a plate on its lap, and had the charred circle of bone on its chest, Samantha puts both hands to her mouth saying, "Josh, do you think, do you think that was, _Alistar_?"

"Who's Alistar?" Loki asks watching Samantha look mournfully to Josh.

After a strained silence, Josh looks from the dagger now resting in his lap, to Loki and says, "Our son. Alistar is.... or more likely was, our son."

There are a few moments of shocked silence, then Thian says, "But... but Amanda said that the place looked like it had been abandoned for, like, a _hundred_ years or more, at least."

"Yes, most likely many _thousands_ ," Josh says softly. "Sam, the charring. Sounds like, like it could have been a focused fire ball curse. I've only heard of one person who could ever do it, other than us.

"He, if it _was_ Alistar, would never have had a chance, if he didn't see the _Wielder of Power_ approach him. The fireball, would have killed him instantly."

Samantha nods slowly, then Josh continues. "Please Amanda, what else did you find in the cave?"

Everyone exchanges confused looks, then Amanda continues with her story. Relating how she found the mural on the wall and the garden which kept her alive she continues, telling them about the door in the back of the cave, and finally deciding to go through it, not wanting to stay in the cave forever and alone. She talks about following the stairs to the tunnel, about the cave-ins, and finding the other door with more red mist coming from the bottom.

She takes them through her snake adventure and how she found the _Lost City of Elboreth_. How she fought the snakes and flying creatures beneath the huge snake skeleton, causing both Josh and Samantha to exchange surprised looks, then break out into laughter as they shake their heads.

Josh says, " _The Lost City of Elboreth_. Yes, of course. It had to be. I have no idea _how_ you managed to take the right paths to find it though, and not along the paths leading to all the _hundreds_ of traps. But I'm most surprised that the old _protections_ are still in place, aren't you Sam?"

Samantha smiles. "I would never have believed it Josh. Never in all our long lives, did I ever think any of this would ever come to be. The _necklace_ found at last. The lost city, and maybe even... Alistar. It's just so _much_ to take in," and wipes away more tears.

Amanda continues her tale of finding the goblet, and seeing the huge snake skeleton out the strange window. About all the snakes and flying creatures fighting and how she ran to find her way out. How she found herself in more mist, which cleared, and the huge cavern filled with _thousands_ and thousands of snakes of all sizes. About the bubbling mud, and hiding in the body of a snake she had killed and gutted. The fight on the red hot bridge, and about the bridge breaking, sending the giant snake down into the lava below. How she had made it to the other side of the crumbling bridge, with her boots smoking, and later found another wooden door.

She tells them how she had gone through the door and found the old broken down wooden house. That she had found the dagger, belt and an old Journal.

"An old Journal?" Josh asks. "I didn't see that among your things there," he says motioning to the armor.

"Oh, no," Amanda says getting up. "I have it in my backpack." She walks over and pulls it from her pack, hands it to Josh, and takes her seat again.

Josh sits for a moment, Samantha leaning over to look too. Samantha gasps and straightens, placing a hand to her mouth. There, in faded gold lettering, it clearly reads, "Alistar's Journal."

With somewhat trembling hands, Josh flips the cover open, and they both burst into tears when they see the writing.

"It's _his_ Josh... it's his!" Samantha says, her chin trembling. "That's _his_ writing! I'd know it anywhere."

"That... that Journal belongs to your son?" Tianna asks quietly, turning to look at Amanda with a little wonder in her eyes.

"Yes," Josh says softly as he flips through the Journal until finding the map.

"What's that?" Samantha asks wiping away her tears, as Josh begins unfolding the map.

"That map shows every place I went through," Amanda says getting up and going to stand beside Josh as he finishes unfolding it. "See? This is where the white water was. And here, the lizards, and the lizard trees. Here's the _lost_ city, the other snakes and, see, the _bridge_ over the lava and everything. This is where I found the door, and here is the old wooden house. This is the path I took to the transport chambers, and then I showed up in the mountains near Thian's."

"Wait. Let's go back to when you found the Journal," Josh says still studying the map. "Where _exactly_ did you find it, and in what condition was the house?"

She tells them about how the door fell in when she had knocked on it. How the house looked like it had been torn apart, things broken, knocked down, items scattered about.

Josh and Samantha look very sad, but both nod as though they understood. Amanda tells them how she had stepped on the rotten floorboards, and her foot had fallen through.

Amanda shows them in the Journal, how she had read about the stalagmite with the hidden doorway to the stairs, as Josh and Samantha read that part of the Journal with slight smiles.

Her story continues with how she pulled the items from the dirt floor below. Laughing, Amanda tells them how she had thought that the Journal was just someone's story, about some _fantasy_ they were writing. Continuing, she tells them how she had found the huge stalagmite but no door, and how she had _accidentally_ opened it using some strange word.

She tells them of her descending the spiral staircase within the stalagmite, until she entered the _huge_ chamber. She shows them those images in the Journal, then the images and descriptions of the _smaller_ rooms, with the many doors leading to the transport chambers.

Both Josh and Samantha are very interested in these, and flipping back several pages, they both read intently, every word, and study _every_ image carefully.

"Amanda," Josh asks after a few minutes. "What made you decide to choose the chamber leading to the _Deep Forest Elves_ , and not any of the many others?"

"Uh, well," Amanda says looking around while chewing on her lower lip. "I... I always _loved_ the stories I read about the elves, and, I don't know, it was the _first_ thing that popped into my mind I guess. Why?"

"Just curious," Josh says looking to Samantha with a smile. Samantha nods and smiles back.

"Please continue Amanda," Josh says, closing the Journal and handing it to Samantha, who clutches it tightly to her chest.

Amanda continues, telling them of getting into the transport chamber and not finding anything there. How she then reread the page that said to say, "Transportia," and how there was a flash, and she turned into some kind of opalescent smoke, weaving in and out of rock. How thousands of little spheres flashed by, all different colors and sizes. How she then found herself shooting down and then into one of the spheres, then making her way through rock again, and finding herself compressing back into her own solid form.

Both Josh and Samantha are smiling and nodding with exaggerated movements.

"And when I got up, I saw that I wasn't in the same chamber I was a minute ago. I followed the little tunnel to a wooden door, opened it, and found solid green vines."

Amanda tells them how she made her way out, and made a little pile of rocks so she could find the place again if she needed to. How she made her way down the mountain, got stung, and had seen the strange things in the forest. Then, about following the lake, seeing the smoke, and finding Thian's house.

The kids add what happened once Amanda had passed out on Thian's pathway. How they had tried to get the necklace off of her to clean her up, but that no matter how hard they tried, it just wouldn't come off. They tell them how Thea had saved Amanda's life, and how the rest of them cared for her, and all had soon become fast friends.

"For a while," Thian says looking at Amanda, then back to Josh, "we thought she had just lost her memory or something. Because at first, she couldn't understand or speak Elvish at all, and we all had to do our best speaking _English_. Then, one day, all of a sudden, she just started speaking Elvish perfectly."

Josh and Samantha look to one another, sober-faced and nod.

"What?" Amanda asks looking puzzled.

"Amanda," Josh says now with a smile, "do you remember exactly what you were doing at the moment you could, uh, _all_ of a sudden remember how to speak Elvish?"

"Oh. Well, um, I had touched Thea on the arm or hand. Can't remember which, but, well, I could all of a sudden understand what she and the others were saying."

"Was there anything... _different_ about the way the speech sounded, or does now, compared to your native English?" Samantha asks with a smile.

"Well, _yeah_ , now that you mention it. I've gotten used to it _now_ though, and don't notice it I guess. But, everyone sounds a little, I don' now, _fuzzy_ or something."

Samantha and Josh laugh.

"Hey," Loki says snapping his fingers. "She started speaking _Dwarvish_ when she was shaking my dad's hand. Remember? You said you had just... _remembered_ somehow." Then looking to both the smiles on Josh and Samantha, he says, "But... she did _not_... just remember... did she?"

"No. She didn't," Josh says sitting forward. "Through the necklace, Amanda can understand, speak and write, well over... what Sam? _Four_ thousand or so languages?"

"Yes, that sounds about right, from what I can remember."

" _What_? _I_ can't speak four thousand languages." Amanda says wide-eyed. "I have a hard enough time speaking and writing _English_ , and I've been doing _that_ all my life. How can I speak all those languages?"

"The necklace," Josh says. "Like I said, the spirits trapped within the stones, have been collected from almost the beginning of time. You can speak, read and write the most ancient of languages, as well as most of the modern. In fact, if I remember correctly, because of the immense database of linguistics within the stones, you can infer the meaning of _all_ languages with little trouble at all.

"When you shook the hand of Loki's dad, while he was speaking, the _necklace_ instantly translated for you. That slightly fuzzy background noise you hear, is the _translation_ taking place between the necklace and your brain. You can actually do _many_ amazing things using Wizitch."

"But I _can't_!" Amanda insists. "I've _tried_ , but I just can't."

Thian tells them how Tia had tried to show Amanda how to float a blade of grass, using a wand, but Amanda could not do that, nor any other Wizitch they had tried. He tells them how she practiced every day for months, using the many books they had given her, but nothing ever happened.

"Amanda," Samantha says, "you say you practiced the things from the books the kids gave you, and others in the library. Did you happen to practice any of the things you found... in the _Ancient_ Book?"

Amanda looks around nervously, then Tia asks, "You _didn't_ did you? I mean, the book was _buried_ with all the other stuff... _wasn't_ it?"

Looking like she is just about to be scolded, she says in a small voice, "Well, actually, I went and got it the day you all went back to school."

" _What_?!" the kids all yell at once.

"Oh Amanda, you _didn't_!" Tianna says shaking her head and crossing her arms.

"Why? _So_ , what's wrong with that?" Amanda cries out. "It's just a _book_ , and, and it's not like I could ever _do_ any of that stuff you know."

"But..." Thian says looking very frightened, "you _did_ really use it. That must be how you _killed_ Blaine. With a curse none of us have ever heard of, from the _book_. Well, maybe Josh and Samantha have heard of it, but none of _us_ have."

"But I _still_ can't believe I _did_ kill Blaine. I _couldn't_ have! I'm a _Christian_ and I would never kill anybody!" With tears filling her eyes, Amanda turns to Josh and Samantha and asks, pleadingly, " _Did_ I?"

"I'm afraid so," Josh says softly. "Amanda, you stumbled into quite an amazing situation. From what you've told us, you _believe_ you are a very nice, thirteen year old girl from the Earth realm.

"But you found something which has been lost for many millennia. Something, most who live today believe to be only myth, born from legend. That which you wear around your neck, is known in your realm, as the _Whiro Necklace_. It's also known as _The Necklace of Death_ or _The Necklace of Power_ , just about everywhere else.

"That necklace was created by the _Dillians_ in the _First Age_ of Wizitch. They were the most powerful of the Wizitch, on the _Dark_ side. The necklace you wear, was originally created to be worn, by only the most _powerful_ , evil, witch or wizard. One who is filled with the darkest side of Wizitch. It was _never_ intended to be worn by anyone who was good, nor someone who has little or no Wizitch training at all. And least of all, an _innocent_ child.

"It is said that the gems within that necklace, hold the _darkest_ evil spirits from _all_ the ages. The _souls_ of the most powerful and evil witches and wizards who ever lived. Their spirits... and _powers_... are trapped forever within the necklace, to do the evil bidding of whoever wears, and _commands_ the necklace. That necklace, Amanda, is perhaps the most _feared_ relic since the beginning of time itself. A good and kind person, was _never_ intended to wear something so vile... so _evil_."

" _This_ should be interesting," Samantha says shaking her head.

"I... I don't _want_ it!" Amanda cries looking horrified, as do the others. "Please, take it _off_! Can you get it _off_ of me?"

"No." Josh says slowly shaking his head. "As far as I know, it will not come off once it has chosen its new master, at least, not by any means I know of. Although, it has been said, in very ancient times though, that there _may_ have been some method to remove it. But, whatever it is, or was, has long been lost through the passage of time... at least, to _my_ knowledge anyway.

"However, the interesting thing here is, _it_ seems to be more the _master_ than you. Somehow, the evil within the gems of the necklace, are able to use _you_ , and not the other way around, unless they are just protecting who they believe to be their new master.

"This was _clearly_ demonstrated when you were taken over _against_ your will. You became... someone you are not. Eyes unfocused, speaking in a voice which was not your own. Moving and performing curses, with _perfect_ movements and wand techniques. You studied all the spells and curses in the book, and had practiced them. The evil powers within the necklace approved. It is _helping_ you to actually perform the curses and spells, and is supplying you with the Wizitch needed, stored within the gems. The only way that necklace will ever come off, again, as far as I know for sure, is when you _die_ , and it is removed from your bones. Like _you_ did when you found it."

"And, you can be assured," Samantha says looking very concerned, "when word gets out that the _Necklace of Power_ has been found... and it _will_... and that it is being worn by a young _child_ with little or _no_ natural Wizitch abilities at all... well... every evil witch, wizard and other creature will do everything they can to _kill_ you and take it for themselves.

"The wearer of that necklace, is the most _powerful_ creature in existence, and can rule any and all realms they wish. Taldan by now, and _Morpheus_ of course, already know you possess it. I believe it was some from their Order, who attacked you as you were on your way here. Not _Taldan_ and Morpheus of course, but their apprentices. They wouldn't _dare_ chance being hurt themselves. Not at this point. Not until they know more about you. Or, not until they have you chained up in some dark hole."

Amanda is almost hysterical now, trying to pull the necklace up over her head screaming, "Get it _off_! Please! Get it _off_ me!"

"Amanda, _calm_ down!" Samantha shouts, instantly silencing Amanda. Amanda is crying and shaking hard, the other kids wide-eyed and tearful too.

"Isn't there _something_ you can do?" Thian asks pleadingly.

"Well," Josh says looking at Samantha, then back to Thian and the others. "There are perhaps _some_ things we can do, and others we _will_ do, but, what you really need to do, is to learn the full history of the necklace, and what its _secrets_ are. Learn _how_ to control its powers.

"If there is some way to get it off, I can think of only _two_ living people who may still possess that knowledge, or perhaps, know where and _how_ to find it. Morana... and Bellinora."

"Who are they?" Loki asks.

"Morana," Samantha begins, "is the current leader of the bloodline of the original creators of the necklace... the Dillians. She and her ancestors have been looking for the necklace for as long as it has been lost, which is a _very_ long time indeed.

"Bellinora is an old woman who lives inside _Witch Mountain_ , high in the mountains within a cave. She is a witch of the truest sense. A _master_ healer, and a witch of unequaled powers. Bellinora is on the good side of Wizitch Amanda, known as the _Light_ side. I think she knows just as much about the necklace as Morana does. Perhaps... even more. _She_ would be your best bet."

"But, how are we going to find her?" Thian asks.

"We?" Amanda asks, looking at Thian in surprise.

"Well, _yeah_ ," Thian says leaning forward with a nervous smile. "You don't think I'm gonna let you go by _yourself_ do you? And besides, I've no place to go now. No house, and nothing left back there. It's all burned up. So, where _you_ go, I go."

"Well, _I'm_ going with you too," Tianna says forcefully. "If _Morpheus_ is after the necklace, I want to be there when he tries to take it, so I can _kill_ him myself!"

"You're not going _anywhere_ without me!" Tia says. "And since I know I can't _stop_ you, I'm coming too. Besides, _somebody_ has to look out for Thian, and _I_ want to help too Amanda."

"You... you all want to come with me? But, _why_? You don't have to. Why would you want to do that? People will be trying to, to _kill_ me! And if you come too, they'll try to kill _you_ too. I don't _wanna_ go myself you know." Then looking at her friend's nervous faces says, "But, I'm glad you want to come. I'm really scared."

Loki adds, "I would like to come too if it is okay. My dad would _ground_ me for life if I asked him if I could go. But, you are my only friends, and, well, I would like to go too."

Amanda wipes her tears and smiles at her friends. She cannot believe they are willing to come with her, especially knowing what they all may face.

"But Josh," Tia asks, "how do you _get_ to _Witch Mountain_? I've never heard of it?"

Samantha leans forward, passing the Journal she has been flipping through to Amanda. "You need to go back through the transport chamber you arrived in. Transport back to the Earth realm, and take the transport chamber to the realm of the witches. It's in the same transport room. Once you get there, do as the Journal says I guess. Once inside the mountain, ask around, and someone will know how to get to Bellinora's cave, which is actually _in Witch Mountain_. Do not let _anyone_ know how you got there, or where you are from, other than Bellinora that is, nor what you want with her."

Samantha takes off one of several rings she wears, and hands it to Amanda. "Take this, and give it to Bellinora. She will recognize it and do whatever she can for you. Do _not_ lose it, or it may make things far more difficult for you to get her to help you."

Tianna, sitting next to Amanda, taps her on the shoulder. "If you want, I'll put it on the chain of my necklace. I won't lose it, I _promise_." Amanda nods and hands the ring to Tianna who slips it onto her necklace, then slips it back over her head, and shoves the necklace under her robe.

"You must be _very_ careful from this point forward," Josh says softly. "It will be very hard to know who you can trust. Many people will more than likely figure out who you are, and try to kill you, or _capture_ you, and sell you off for a kingdoms ransom."

"But, why didn't Amanda _die_?" Thian asks. "Blaine was hitting her again and again with the killing curse? She wasn't even _trying_ to defend herself."

"Because... she cannot _be_ killed..." Samantha says evenly, "by any known methods we know of, other than _natural_ ones."

"What's that mean?" Tia asks looking confused.

"That means," Josh continues, "that _no_ spell, hex or curse can touch her, that we know of, while she wears the necklace. She can only die from infection, viruses, lack of water or starvation.

"The thing is though, if I remember a little of the lore of the necklace, if you know how to command it, the necklace can give you the power to actually _conjure_ water and food from the air or other matter."

The kids look to Amanda with mouths wide.

"I _can_?" Amanda asks totally bewildered.

"Yes," Josh says with a half-smile. "Well, as it was written anyway. But that was for a fully grown adult wizard or witch... one who had already reached the _highest_ level of their Order, and on the _Dark_ side.

"Like I said before, the necklace was _never_ intended to be worn by any child. Especially a non Wizitch one. Bellinora can give you much more insight than we can though."

"But," Thian says looking very confused, "when we _found_ Amanda, she was really hurt. Thea said that Amanda _would_ have died if we hadn't treated her. So, I don't get it. She _almost_ died. But now you say she _can't_ die. If the necklace protects her, how come she was able to get stung? And the flying creatures tried shooting her with quills. One quill even stuck in her travelers pack. And couldn't the _snakes_ have bit her, and... and killed her _then_? And she was grabbed by the flying lizard, and almost dropped into a boiling lake, and lots of other things before we found her!"

"Good questions Thian," Josh says nodding. "I believe the answer to those again is, the necklace had not been fully called upon by the wearer. Amanda did not know of its powers, nor does she now know how to _call_ upon those powers, or summon them when needed.

"Once a full _bond_ is established, she will need to do nothing. She and the necklace will eventually become one, and the full extent of the powers from all the ages, trapped within those gems, will flow through her every second.

"But here's the thing. The necklace is being worn by someone who was _never_ meant to wear it. Therefore, I don't think there is _anyone_ who can predict just what will and will not happen, and when. I _do_ think that the necklace was helping her during her adventures, with all the creatures she encountered.

"Amanda said herself, that the sword seemed to move on its own. I believe that is true. The powers of the necklace, for her, are weak and intermittent. But now, I think that should Amanda need the knowledge and power stored within the necklace, she will have it, to _some_ level or degree anyway. That is yet to be seen of course, but I believe that to be true.

"I do believe, she _could_ have died without Thea's help, because again, the power of the necklace had not been fully awakened, and the bond between them had not been fully established."

After everyone sits silently for a moment, Josh asks, "Amanda, would you be willing to try an experiment?"

"What kind of experiment?"

"Well, I saw a wand in your travelers pack. Sam, would you get it please?"

Samantha walks over and retrieves the wand, then hands it to Amanda.

"That's my mom's old wand," Thian says looking at it sadly. "My dad's burned up in the fire I guess. This one's yours now Amanda. Well, if you want it."

Amanda nods, takes the wand and looks blankly from Samantha to Josh.

"Okay," Josh says scooting forward in his chair. He takes a glass chip he finds on the floor, and scoots it over in front of Amanda. "Make it rise. You _know_ the commands, and you know the wand movements. Now, _concentrate_ , and make it move."

"But... I _can't_! I've tried _hundreds_ and hundreds of times! I can't do it. _See_!" Pointing her wand at the little glass chip, she gives a quick swish of her wrist and finger movements, while saying, "Adscendo!" flicking the end of her wand quickly toward the ceiling. The chip of glass shoots off the floor faster than anyone can see it move. Looking up, they see it _sticking_ in the ceiling.

Everyone is on their feet, other than Josh and Samantha, who are both smiling and nodding. The kids are _really_ freaked out.

"Oh my _god_! I _did_ it! I _really_ did it!" Amanda cries with eyes wide looking at the others, who not only look surprised, but quite frightened.

"How? How did you _do_ that?" Tianna asks completely stunned.

"I don't know," Amanda says with a smile, really excited. "How come I can do it now, and I never could before?"

"Because you have awakened at least a _small_ measure of the powers within the necklace," Josh says nodding. "I believe it became... well, _aware_... as soon as you washed it off. The glow you saw was it reawakening in _this_ age, after millennia untold of lying dormant. Bellinora can tell you for sure though.

"I'm not sure _how_ you were allowed to touch it, let _alone_ put it on... not being evil at all, but, for some reason, it _accepted_ you as its new master, binding with you, wanting to escape its long slumber. Once around your neck, it then shrunk so you and it would be together, until your end, as it was created to do. Then, after _your_ death, it will await for another to come along, and perhaps, claim them as the new master.

"However, its _full_ powers have not been called to action yet. Not by a _long_ way. Only the least of a sliver so far. For you had no idea how to command it, nor do you now. And, since you are not of evil spirit, I believe it cannot figure out how to form the complete _power_ bond with you."

"When you fought the lizards, the flying creatures and the snakes," Samantha says, "the _Dark_ powers within the necklace stirred. The _fear_ in you called to them. The need you had for some power greater than your own, to help you overcome your adversaries, summoned more power from the necklace, and, it became more a _part_ of you. The same when you fought all the others.

"As to the adventures with the flying creatures, shooting quills at you? I believe it was the fear again that called the power. Since the bond was not complete when the flying lizard grabbed you, no _shield_ was in place, and yes, you _could_ have been killed easily. You were easily stung and could have died then also, because the bond was not strong enough at that time."

"When you saw your friends in trouble though... "Josh says, "people you _love_ more than anything, you were not about to let Blaine _kill_ Tianna... because you _love_ her."

Tianna looks over to Amanda, then to the others, giving a nervous smile. The two of them blush, then turn back to Josh.

"Your fear for her life," Josh continues, "the _others_ and yourself, and your immense anger at Blaine for what he had done to Thea, whom you love very much too, and, for what he was about to try on Tianna..."

"Called upon yet a _greater_ power from the necklace," Samantha says pointing to Amanda's necklace. "But you, as a _child_ , did not know how to _control_ that power. You did not know how to wield it. So, the necklace did something that I don't think its makers intended, nor had ever even _thought_ of."

"Someone... a spirit within one of the gems... was able to take possession over _you_. It then used _you_ , to cast a curse of its _own_ choosing. _You_... were now doing _its_ evil bidding," Josh says glancing at the necklace, as Amanda reaches up and touches it. " _You_ became the slave. _It_ became the master. Most interesting, and _very_ frightening."

"Why? Why is it frightening?" Amanda asks looking terrified herself.

"Because dear," Samantha says softly, "we have no idea _when_ it will take control of you again, for how _long_ , nor what it may do when that happens. As you grow up... if you _live_ that long... you _may_ learn how to control the power, and not have _it_ control you. But we have no way of knowing at this time."

"You really need to talk to Bellinora Amanda," Josh says looking to Samantha who nods. "She is perhaps, your _only_ hope to understand the necklace, and how to control it. You must be _very_ careful how you use it, and try _not_ to use it at all if possible. For each time you do use it, it becomes more a part of you, or, perhaps, in your case, the other way around. That is, the more you use it, the more _evil_ is infused within you, until _you_ become, the living embodiment of all the evil within the entire necklace.

"At that point, there will be _nothing_ left of your former self, and you will have become _pure_ evil, craving nothing but _more_ power and control, over all creatures whom you meet, on all realms, within all the known universes. Therefore, _never_ use the greater powers, unless _absolutely_ necessary.

"And you kids need to _stick_ to her like glue. You need to watch her and stay with her. Should the necklace take possession over her, you must go where she goes, and wait for her to come out of its control... well, if she _does_. You'll know when that happens. At least, for a while.

"And should she come back to herself, you need to help her to understand where she is, and what has happened. You will be putting your lives at _great_ risk for sure. But, I cannot think of a more worthy cause than _this_. Should the necklace _somehow_ be taken from her, and placed around the neck of someone like... Morana, Taldan, Morpheus or the like... _Big_ trouble.

"With their powers, coupled with the powers of the most evil creatures collected over time immortal, all trapped within the gems of that necklace, _they_ could control every creature, on every realm, of every known universe, and the _Light_... would be extinguished forever."

"Are you _serious_?!" Tianna yells. "It can't really be _that_ powerful. It's... it's just a _necklace_!"

"Oh, I'm afraid it is," Josh says very seriously. "It was created for _just_ that purpose, in the first age of Wizitch. It was created by the most _evil_ of the evil, yet, when she first began, had no idea what she herself would become.

"The first necklace, housing but a single red gem, the other gems being added later, was created for just one purpose - to _dominate_ and control. To kill _anyone_ or anything, that refuses the wishes of its master, the one who wears it.

"Right now... _Amanda_ is the most powerful creature in all the universes that we know of. It is a _huge_ burden. One which no innocent child should have to bear. The responsibility, of not letting the necklace fall into the wrong hands, is one I would _not_ wish to undertake myself. I'm sorry Amanda, that responsibility is now yours.

"Our son, ages ago, said that he was on the trail of the last known _Wielder_. He had been marooned on a most _horrible_ and isolated realm by them, but had somehow escaped. He had been assigned long before to find the _Wielder of Power_ , and prevent their using the necklace at all costs. And, if possible, find a way to _destroy_ the necklace. For many ages, he said he thought the _Wielder_ had gone to some realm, followed by many armies, who were never seen nor heard from again. I believe the skeletons and armor you found Amanda, were from them.

"In some of the last correspondence we had received from him, he had said he thought the realm the _Wielder_ hid within, was the Earth realm. He said he found some way to track the _Wielder_ to the Earth realm, where he set up a small house near a lake, and had somehow... and to this day I have no idea how... managed to _trap_ the _Wielder_ , using _very_ powerful Wizitch, within some mountain. I believe Amanda, that it is the very mountain, _you_ somehow found yourself wandering within.

"He said that the _Wielder_ was becoming more powerful, and had feared that his Wizitch may soon no longer be able to hold them. I believe that our son was killed by the _Wielder_ , in the very cave you found him in. However, the great Wizitch which he had placed within that mountain, somehow kept the _Wielder_ trapped until they simply passed away, from what I can only imagine, was a _very_ old age indeed. Then, you came along, and, well, you know the story from there. You picked up the necklace, which was never intended for one of no Wizitch powers."

"Especially, a _sweet_ innocent child like you Amanda," Samantha says sadly.

Amanda is crying softly, scared, confused and in a panic. When she looks to her friends, they look even more frightened than she does, and just as confused as to what they will all do.

Samantha walks to Amanda, leans down putting her arms around her, saying, "I'm sorry child. You have been chosen, and there is nothing that anyone can do about that now. You will either learn to control it, and become the master, perhaps using it for the _good_ of all creatures, as best you can, although I have no idea if that is even possible.

"Or, _it_ will become the master, and control you... eventually. And all will be lost to evil, the _Dark_ side, forever. All the good, in all the _millions_ of realms, within the millions of universes, _annihilated_. I'm truly sorry."

Amanda buries her face into Samantha's chest, bursting into tears. Her friends are looking at one another, all crying too, emotions _completely_ overwhelmed.

"Amanda, would you mind if we took the sword, dagger and belt buckle with us?" Josh asks. "I'd like to see that they are stored safely, in a better place than buried in Thian's now ruined backyard."

Pulling her face from Samantha, she wipes her eyes, trying to compose herself. "What? Oh, yeah. Okay. I don't want them now anyway."

"Well, listen," Josh says getting up, "Thian, why don't you take Amanda and the others to the old cave at the top of the other ridge, the one you used to sneak off to after school sometimes. Stay there for the night. Sam and I will find out as much as we can about what's going on, and think of a strategy for getting you all safely to the transport chambers, perhaps in a couple of days or so.

"Oh, and here Amanda, take my racing broom, it's _brand_ new and top of the line, like those others you all have. I just bought it yesterday. I'll take the tandem." He hands his broom to Amanda.

"But, I can't _fly_ on a broom alone," then looking to Samantha asks, " _Can_ I?"

"If you can move that glass chip, you can _fly_ ," Samantha says with a smile. "And, I'm willing to bet, you will find that you are an _excellent_ flyer too."

"Sam, let's get going and let the kids get some sleep. It's really late... or early, dependent upon how you want to look at it. We really need to check some things out, then let Na Dama know the _Necklace of Power_ has been found, and that a non-Wizitch, non-evil _child_ , is now wearing it. And, of course, that we have the sword and dagger. Sam... shall we?"

Not waiting for an answer, Josh grabs the tandem. Samantha is already holding her broom. Josh waves his wand and he, Samantha, the sword, dagger and belt buckle, as well as, the rest of the armor, disappears.

To TOC

# Journey To The Realm Of The Witches

The kids sit there for a few moments, stunned that Josh and Samantha have just left them sitting there by themselves.

"How the _heck_ did he know about the cave?" Thian asks no one in particular. "I never told _anybody_ about that cave, not even my _mom_. It was like, my secret place to get away that nobody knew about, and where _nobody_ could find me."

"Well," Tianna says yawning, looking to Thian, "I don't know how they know about it, but, I _do_ think the both of them are a little _weird_ you know?"

"Yeah, they are," Tia says looking to all the chairs they had conjured from thin air. "But they sure can _fight_! And, if it weren't for them, I don't think any of us would be alive now."

"So, where _is_ this cave of yours Thian," Loki asks getting to his feet. "I think we should get going. I am wiped out." He looks at his time piece. "And no _wonder_! It is almost three in the morning! Come on, let us get to the cave and get some sleep!"

"Yeah, okay," Thian says getting to his feet, the others following his lead except for Amanda. "It's not far from here. It'll only take about fifteen minutes to get there. Better grab all your stuff. Amanda... you okay?"

"No. I mean, yes. I mean... Oh, I don't know _what_ I mean! I'm so confused. I'm _tired_ and scared, and I can hardly think at all. I don't understand what's _happened_ to me. I don't _want_ this necklace, and now they say that it's dangerous. And that I'm the most _powerful_ , uh, creature in the universe? I'm just a _kid_ , you know? I'm not a great _witch_ or wizard. _I_ could never do anything great... I'm just a _girl_. And now they say I _can_ do Wizitch, when I've never been able to before. I just _don't_ understand."

Tia walks to Amanda saying softly, "None of _us_ understand it either. But, we all saw what happened to you, when Blaine started blasting you with killing curses. You just stood there Amanda, wand at your side, walking right at him. You looked like you were _sleep_ walking. No expression on your face at all. Your hair was waving _frantically_ in the air, but there _wasn't_ any breeze. You lifted your wand and..."

"Turned him to _stone_ ," Tianna finishes. "Turned him to _solid_ stone. Never knew there was a curse that could do that. Then you waved your wand and he began cracking, until he burst apart into _hundreds_ of little pieces. Your eyes rolled back and you hit the dirt, unconscious. It was really _scary_ to watch. But, well, I guess it must have been even scarier to have _done_ it, and not remember doing it."

"Well, I guess that's why we need to get to the realm of the witches, and to _Witch Mountain_ ," Thian says. "To find out what the necklace can _really_ do, and, if we can get it _off_ you or not. If not, maybe we can find some way that you can control it. So, come on, let's get out of here."

They put on their packs and grab their brooms. Loki leads the way outside as everyone follows him out beyond the porch, where they all mount their brooms.

"But, I've never _flown_ a broom by myself. And this one doesn't have the long handlebars like I'm used to either, just these short ones sticking out like all of yours. How do you fly it?"

"I'll show you," Tianna says coming to stand by Amanda. "Actually, your broom and all of ours, _do_ have the long handlebars as well... _when_ you want them. These newer brooms have Wizitched handlebars that will expand from their normal racing position, to the _touring_ position. Just use your wand, tap either side of the handlebars and either say, 'touring,' or 'racing.' Go ahead, try it."

Amanda pulls her wand, taps the handlebar and says, "touring." The handlebars instantly extend slightly, to the length she normally sees before pulling them to the length and angle she wants. It made her jump with surprise when it worked, and she and the others laugh.

"I can't believe it worked!" Amanda says with a huge grin. "I'm actually using a wand, and it _worked_!"

Tianna says with half a smile, "Interesting, don't you think? I guess maybe that necklace has given you some Wizitch powers after all. I think maybe we _do_ need to keep an eye on you."

Tianna extends her handlebars as well, then mounts her broom, Amanda matching what Tianna just did.

Tianna says, "Okay, now, when you give a little hop, the seat will take shape, just like on any other flying broom. Everything you want to do from that point on, is really done by pushing down or pulling up on your handles to move in those directions. To turn, lean slightly, and apply a _very_ slight twisting pressure to the handle, in the direction you want to turn. When you get really good, you can do most all those things just by thinking about what you want to do. Just like using a wand, and having to concentrate on what you want to do with it. Some things, you can do by thinking right away, well, if you really can that is \- like hovering.

"So, to hover, think _hover_. To move forward slowly, just open the throttle a little. For more speed, just turn the throttle, like Thian had shown you. To slow down, turn the throttle back, and to stop or slow further, press the brake handle.

"After a few days, you'll get the hang of it pretty well. You'll have to go _very_ slowly at first, if you can do it at all. We'll just have to really take our time getting to the cave, and fly at ground level. But _don't_ be surprised if it takes you a few _months_ to get to fly at _all_ well, without really having to concentrate on what you're doing. It took Thian, uh, well, a _really_ long time to learn, but look at him now. He's one of the best flyers there is. So, give it a try. Just hop up thinking hover."

"Okay," Amanda says shakily. "But I really don't think it'll work."

Tianna moves to the side, as everyone else moves out of the way. Just in case.

"Just remember," Thian says quickly, "if something begins to happen that you don't _want_ to happen, turn the _throttle_ back, and _hit_ the brakes thinking, _stop_! If something goes wrong, and you find you're pretty high in the air, just do that and we'll come and help you back to the ground okay? I mean, after all, these _are_ the fastest racing broom ever made, and, well, you could be halfway to the _moons_ before you stop."

"Oh god! Yeah, well, okay. But I sure hope _that_ doesn't happen. Well... here goes," Amanda says frightened. Swallowing hard, she does a little hop into the air like Tianna had done, instantly hovering with her feet a few inches off the ground.

"I _did_ it! I really _did_ it. I'm hovering. I can't _believe_ it!"

Everyone is surprised, but are smiling, enjoying Amanda's excitement. Even Tianna.

"Okay now," Tianna says shaking her head in disbelief. "Let's see if you can move forward _really_ slowly for a few feet. In fact, see that rock over there? The larger one near the center of the yard? Focus on moving _slowly_ over to that rock, stop, then hover. You should lean some to begin with, in the direction you want to move, twisting just the _slightest_. These brooms are really sensitive, so a little movement by _you_ , translates to a _lot_ of movement of the broom. And Amanda, open the throttle with a _very_ gentle twist. You're sitting on the _top_ of the line racing broom, the _fastest_ there is. Just the slightest movement will _really_ get you going, so be _really_ careful. You must always pull or push on your handle to start moving up, down, left or right. Got it?"

"Yeah, okay, sure, I'll try," Amanda says now looking to the little rock in the middle of the yard. Remembering the photo of Thian and his mom, and their house all torn up when Thian first started to learn to fly, with a very frightened expression, Amanda says, "Well, here I go."

Leaning forward some, looking to the little rock, she tilts slightly to her side, in the direction of the rock, applying the slightest twisting to the handles, while twisting the throttle very slightly. Immediately, she begins moving forward slowly, her eyes flying wide, a big grin spreading across her face. In a few moments, she coasts to a _perfect_ stop over the rock, turning to look back to her friends. They all have their mouths open and eyes wide, looks of _complete_ surprise on their faces.

"I _did_ it! I actually flew this broom myself! Oh my _gosh_! I actually _did_ it!"

Everyone cannot help but laugh, watching Amanda's huge grin, and remembering the first time _they_ had actually been able to control their boom, and go where they wanted the broom to take them. The thing is, it had taken them a _month_ or more, to accomplish what _she_ had just done on her _first_ try within seconds.

"I don't believe it!" Tia says with a smile. "Amanda, see if you can fly in a circle around us. Then, if you can, try a figure eight. That's what we all had to learn before rising more than a few feet. Go ahead, try it."

"Uh, yeah, okay. Fly in a circle. Sure. Here I go."

They watch as Amanda slowly moves away from the rock, and begins to fly in a perfect circle around them, her feet about an inch above the ground, a huge grin on her face for a few tense moments, then, she breaks into laughter. Everyone is in awe.

"Okay, now try the figure eights," Thian says with a grin, shaking his head in disbelief.

Amanda instantly begins to fly precise figure eights. Her expression looking like someone riding a _pony_ for the first time. Floating inches off the ground, holding on for dear life, even though she is moving very slowly, and _loving_ every second of it.

Amanda comes to a stop right in front of her friends, all of them giggling.

"Want to see if you can fly higher?" Thian asks pointing up to the roof a short distance away, then to the towering pine trees.

Amanda tilts her head back to look up to the very tall pines, swallows hard then says, "Oh. Uh, okay. But if something goes wrong, you _will_ come get me won't you?"

"Yeah, I will," Thian says smiling. "And if needed, so will _all_ of us. Go ahead, just go slow at first. Maybe try to fly up only a few feet at a time. Then if it seems to go okay, try as high as the roof. After that, try to go all the way up to the top of the trees. Fly around up there for a minute, then come back down."

"Okay. Well, here I go." Amanda looks to the roof of the cabin, pulls slightly up on her handlebars, and slowly opens the throttle. She begins to move up into the air. Laughing, she grips the handlebars so tightly her knuckles are white. In a few moments, she is making slow circles over the cabin. With a smile on her face, she moves out over the kids, giggling the entire time.

"I cannot _believe_ she is doing it!" Loki says shaking his head. "It took me two _months_ to get that high and keep my balance and all, and look how _smooth_ she is. Do you think it is the necklace helping her?"

"Oh yeah!" Tianna says watching Amanda now moving faster, headed up to the tree tops off in the distance. "You can _bet_ on it! _Nobody_ can fly like that their very first time. It's a little scary really. I mean, if she can do _this_ when she's never tried before, what _else_ can she do?"

"Well, we know she is advanced enough to use _killing_ curses anyway," Loki says with a frown. "I think maybe you are right Tianna. We better keep a _close_ eye on her, and, not _tick_ her off for a while."

"Ya _think_?" Tia says with a strained laugh, watching Amanda soaring above the trees. "Just _look_ at her! It's like she's been flying for _years_ , not... _minutes_. It's really weird."

"Well, weird or not," Thian says, remounting his broom with a yawn, "she's doing it. So, we may as well join her and head for the cave and get some sleep."

They all mount up, kick off and join Amanda just over the trees. Amanda has come to a hover, waiting for her friends to join her. Laughing she says, "This is _soooo_ cool! I can't believe I can fly! It's not really _hard_ at all!"

They all exchange looks, then Tianna says, "Yeah, but none of _us_ had some kind of powerful necklace to _help_ us either. Did the necklace, _shock_ you or anything when you first kicked off, or while you're flying?"

"When I _first_ kicked off, I felt a little tingle through my entire body, kind of like I have before. But it didn't _hurt_ or anything. I don't feel anything at all now."

"Interesting," Loki says leaning forward and looking intently at her.

"What? What's interesting? Why are you _looking_ at me like that?" Amanda asks as Tianna floats closer to her as well.

"Look at her eyes," Tianna says holding her wand light closer to Amanda's face. "They're not the usual bright clear green. They're, what, a kind of smoky blue _haze_?"

Loki looks closer, then says, "Yeah, they are. Take a look you guys."

"My _eyes_ are a different color?" Amanda asks rather startled as the others take turns coming close and taking a good look.

"Yep," Tia says when it is her turn. "They're a smoky blue. Interesting. But, you don't feel any different?"

"No. Not at all. Why do you think my eyes are a different color?"

"The _necklace_ of course!" Tianna snorts. "Maybe every time you do something new, your eyes turn a different color or something. _This_ should be fun."

Everyone laughs, even Amanda. Thian says, looking into the distance over the tops of the trees where they are now hovering, "Hey, what's _that_?" Everyone turns to look in the direction he is pointing. "See? Way off over there. Looks like some big flock of birds or something."

They all watch for a few moments, as the odd formation of clustered dark objects come closer. Loki then yells, "They are _not_ birds! They are _people_ on brooms, _lots_ of em'! Let us get the heck out of here! Quick!"

Everyone gasps as they realize Loki is right. There has to be at least twenty-five to thirty people on brooms, quickly flying _right_ at them.

"Come on!" Thian yells, "Let's go!"

Thian flies off as fast as he can, everyone accelerating after him. They quickly reach the wider portion of a fairly wide river, and begin to shoot along the center of it, just a few feet off the water, everyone staying closely grouped together.

Amanda, to her surprise, and everyone else, is staying with them, flying just as _fast_ and well as they are, her feet hooked over the foot rests these new brooms have when you want them.

As though something is making her arm move on its own, she draws her wand, taps the handlebar and says, "racing." The handlebars immediately retract until she is laying almost flat on the broom. After all, this _is_ a racing broom. Her hair is streaming out behind her in the cool night air.

The river they are following is fairly wide where they are, and has a large amount of water rushing through it just feet below them. Huge boulders are scattered about the shoreline, as are fallen trees, old stumps and a rocky beach along its banks.

"Here they come!" Tianna yells.

Amanda looks back over her shoulder, seeing that there are indeed at least twenty-five or more people after them. They are all wearing black robes. It looks like they all have black _masks_ on too, the hoods of their robes pulled down, their faces half covered. They _really_ look scary, and are getting closer, _fast_.

Whoever these people are, they are flying faster than the kids, because _they_ can see there are no obstacles between them and their prey, while Thian and the others need to concentrate on where they are going in the dark. The pursuers are dropping lower to the water too, continuing to fly quickly up behind them.

As Amanda looks forward again, the wind whipping through her hair, she sees that the river is beginning to narrow. It looks to her, as though the river narrows even more up ahead. Soon, she can see three streams shimmering in the little moonlight that is shining here along the river, between the _giant_ trees, the streams all branching into this larger rapidly moving river.

"What should we _do_?" Thian yells back frantically. "Should we follow one of the streams together, or _split_ up, like we did before?"

A bolt of yellow light shoots past Amanda on the left side. It is a good thing that they have all been flying in single file, or _one_ of them would have been hit. Loki is the last in line, just behind Amanda.

Before anyone can answer Thian, they reach the branch of the three streams. Thian pulls hard right to follow the stream on his right. Tia, being right behind him, brakes off in that direction too.

Tianna shoots straight ahead, followed by Amanda. Loki turns hard left to follow the left stream.

Amanda shoots a quick look behind her. Just as she thought, those following them quickly branch off as well.

"God there's a _lot_ of them!" Amanda thinks, turning forward to see Tianna slowing quickly. Tianna moves off to the left, and begins weaving her way in among the dark trees. In a flash, she _disappears_ into the shadows.

"Oh _no_! Where'd she go?!" Amanda cries, having lost sight of Tianna within the inky darkness of the forest. "What am I gonna to do _now_?"

Thian and Tia have also left the stream, now weaving their way quickly around the trees within the darkness of the forest. They have both just ignited their wands on low, just enough light to see a few yards in front of them, but no more.

They are doing everything they can to lose those pursuing them. _Ten_ pursuers are after them, and beginning to fan out, a little distance behind them.

Tia cries, " _Thian_ , four are branching off to the left, four to the right, and _two_ are staying on our tail! We're in _real_ trouble!"

"Just follow me okay?" Thian says in a rush. "I think I know what we can do. I _hope_. When I say ' _now'_ put out your wand. When I say 'now' again, push _straight_ down into a perfect vertical dive, and _fully_ retract your handlebars. We'll be over a deep hole in the ground, with a _very_ deep pool of water at the bottom... I hope."

"You _hope_!" Tia yells frantically. "Thian, if you're _wrong_ , or your timing is off, we're dead!"

"If we _don't_ do something soon, we're _dead_ anyway! Just _do_ as I say!"

Two bolts of yellow-orange flash past them, striking two trees and setting them on fire.

" _Crimany_ that was close!" Tia yells, as she careens around a tree so closely, a branch catches on her robe, ripping a large part away and causing her broom to be pulled to the side slightly. The movement makes her whip from side to side for a moment, almost causing her lose control.

Screaming, she struggles for a moment, recovering control quickly, as another red bolt shoots past her, setting another tree ablaze. She _knows_ that bolt was a killing curse by its color, and by the _massive_ damage it did to the tree. Swallowing hard, she knows that if that bolt had struck her, she would be dead.

"Get ready!" Thian yells. " _Now_!"

They both put out their wands. It goes pitch black all around them, they cannot see a thing. There is a frightening long pause, Tia's heart pounding in her chest so hard her _head_ hurts. She is so _scared_ , she is shaking, expecting to _slam_ into a tree and end her life in an instant.

Thian yells, " _Now_!" and pushes straight down on his handlebars, tapping his wand against the handle saying, "fully retract." The handlebars retract, pulling him down flat against the handle. Closing his eyes, he clenches his teeth, takes a deep breath, and half expects to slam hard into the ground.

Tia does the same, grimacing, with her eyes clamped shut, lying flat on her broom, as _she_ expects to strike the rock hard ground, and that will be the end of her. To her surprise, she continues down past where she _knows_ the ground should have been, and continues for a few more seconds, hearing a _splash_ a second before she herself strikes icy water.

As Tia bobs to the surface, she realizes she has lost hold of her broom, and reaching quickly around, cannot find it. Luckily, she still has hold of her wand, but is not _about_ to ignite it.

Just then, she hears several screams, followed immediately by sickening _cracks_ and dull thuds, and knows that several of their attackers have just run _head_ first into the cliff's naturally black vertical wall. She counts _seven_ large splashes a short distance away, one after the other, then many others, but not as loud. As she looks up, she can see that two of the other attackers managed to pull up in time, and she watches as the pale blue from their wands rise, then seem to hover _far_ above, their dark figures being silhouetted by the dim starlight.

"Tia?" Thian whispers, startling her, making her splash. Thian is only two feet away, but she cannot see him, it is so dark down in this hole. Hearing splashing right beside him, Thian gives a small cry and splashes too.

"Yeah, it's me," Tia says in a shaky whisper. "You hear any of the ones that hit the cliff, then splashed down in here?"

Listening carefully for a few moments, Thian says, "No. Don't hear a thing. I'm pretty sure they're all dead... ran face first into the cliff wall. There are probably chunks of them floating around in here with us. I heard lots of splashes."

Tia lets out a small cry, thinking of all the body parts that are floating around her, just as something _bumps_ up against her from behind.

"Here, I've got your broom. At least, I _think_ it's yours, hit me in the head just after I hit the water," Thian says passing a broom to Tia, smacking her in the face.

" _Ouch_! Uh, thanks. What now?" Tia asks in a low whisper. "Why are they just hovering up there? They can't _possibly_ see us down here in the dark, can they?"

"No, I'm sure they can't. I think they're afraid that we might _ambush_ 'em if they come down. They think we're either hiding and waiting for them, or that _we_ ran into the cliff and are dead too, like their friends. So, I think they'll just wait around for a while, deciding what they want to do next."

"Great. So what are _we_ going to do? It's _freezing_ in here, and... and, there are dead bodies and, um, _bits_ of dead bodies in here. Please, can we get out of here?"

"Follow me. There's a path through the cliffs, if we can find it. It goes about a mile and a half, then ends. If we can get near its end, we can fly up and out without being seen. I hope anyway. Keep hold of the end of my broom, so we can swim together and not get separated."

As they begin to swim as quietly as they can, Tia asks, "How did you know this pool was here, and how did you know we were over it and not over solid ground?"

"I used to practice slalom racing through the trees here, from where the river branched into the streams. I've flown the path we just took _hundreds_ of times. I used to come to this pool after my workout, to cool off. Then I'd go home. I could have flown here with my _eyes_ closed."

"Good thing too. Because you almost _had_ to. Glad we have the wands though."

After swimming to the shore, they walk around it until Thian walks _smack_ into a tree growing right at the water's edge. "Here it is. It's the only tree that grows right at the water. There's a channel directly behind this tree. We need to walk in a straight line, from _it_ to the cliff wall, then follow it to the right. When we find the corner, we go around it, mount up and get the _heck_ out of here!"

As they walk, the sound of them dripping is the only noise they can hear nearby. The natural sounds of the forest return, covering their footfalls.

Finding the cliff, then rounding the corner, they mount up and head off slowly down the stream bed, between the two high and vary narrow cliffs. They use the starlight above as a guide, to take them down the stream bed in the otherwise pitch dark. The do _not_ want to chance any wand light as yet.

Meanwhile, Tianna has led her _five_ pursuers on a wild chase through the trees. Lying flat on her broom, wand lit on low and holding it forward in front of her, gripping hard on the handlebars, she speeds forward. By lying flat, she makes herself the smallest target possible, and is going to be hard to hit in this position, weaving in the dark among the tightly packed trees.

She is keeping just ahead of her pursuers, as bolts strike trees all around her. From time to time they spot her, but so far, so good. But she knows, it is only a matter of time, and one of the five will eventually get her. Swerving left to miss a tree that suddenly looms from the darkness, she vanishes into the shadows.

Loki has been lucky. He has managed to weave through the trees so quickly, no one has seen where he has gone. Spinning around a huge tree, he slams on the brakes, dismounts and dives into some very tall bushes, completely hiding himself and his broom. He is _scared_ half to death, panting hard, his eyes darting around the total darkness of the forest. Shaking hard, he lays flat, waiting. In a moment, several flyers with lit wands speed right past him, making the bushes he is hiding in wave violently. Peering over the top of the brush, he sees them disappear into the darkness.

Amanda is _terrified_. She has _no_ idea where any of her friends are, what has happened to them, or if _any_ of them are still alive. She is doing her best to weave around the trees, when a tremendous _shock_ shoots through her. Her hair shoots up and begins _snapping_ behind her. That awful _tingling_ , like your arm is going to sleep, shoots through her entire body. It does not spread slowly like it had in the past, but shoots through her instantly.

A red bolt _bursts_ into hundreds of harmless sparks, less than a foot behind her. That killing curse would have struck her _squarely_ in the middle of her back, killing and dropping her instantly, if not for her being the _Wielder_.

There is a soft, silver, _shimmering_ light all around her, broom and all. Amanda feels dizzy, light headed, and her vision is changing, as though entering a dream.

Her pursuers watch as in a flash, she shoots straight up, heading for the starlight above the trees, just as the glowing blue tip of her wand goes out.

As she shoots above the treeline, five dark figures come speeding into the sky a short distance behind her. Swinging hard to her left, she sees a lone figure with five flyers after them. She shoots in their direction, her own pursuers hot on her tail.

Amanda is zigzagging wildly as she flies, like a _crazy_ person who has lost control of their broom. Shooting hard to the left, then the right, then up, then down, moving in almost a blur.

In surprise, her followers slow quickly, doing the best they can just to try to focus on her. Their heads moving _so_ fast, it is as though they are cats, trying to track a beam of light that moves rapidly on a wall.

Without any warning, as they begin to speed forward to catch up with her, Amanda comes to a complete stop in midair, then begins flying _backward_ as fast as she has been flying _forward_. Her attacker's _eyes_ fly open as they swerve to miss being struck by her shooting right back between them. In less than two seconds, five bolts of red lightning are fired from Amanda's wand, followed by five _bodies_ falling through the sky, headed for the sharp points of the trees below.

Amanda twists the throttle hard, shooting forward, heading for the five chasing one of her friends. Whoever it is, _really_ knows how to fly. There are several bolts of yellow from the five pursuers, and whoever it is they are chasing, is _hit_. They begin to fly erratically, then drop _straight_ down headed toward the trees, still on their broom.

Flying forward quickly, directly into the five, before they can pursue the fallen into the trees below, Amanda fires off two quick curses. One strikes a flyer squarely in the chest, and they are actually _blown_ off their broom, flipping over several times through the air, before dropping into the trees. The other four flyers branch off in different directions, then begin to move into formation.

Somehow, in Amanda's dream-like state, she _knows_ that formation, and knows it is an offensive maneuver to _strike_ from several angles at the same time.

Amanda comes to a dead stop and hovers. The four flyers shoot forward, one from the front, one the back, one on the left, and one on the right. Maneuvering her broom, Amanda adjusts her position as they continue to stream straight at her at full speed, wands held out in front of them, tips glowing.

A jolt shoots through Amanda and she sends a _burst_ of brilliant, _blinding_ light from her wand. At the same time, she dives straight down several yards like a rock. There are flashes from above, followed by a _sickening_ thud, as two of the flyers fly directly into one another, _killing_ them instantly. Turning quickly, Amanda fires a killing curse at one of the other flyers, just missing, as they turn to the side.

A bolt zips past Amanda from behind, striking the one Amanda had just missed, knocking them off their broom. They scream for a moment, then strike the trees and their screams come to an abrupt halt.

Amanda whips around to see Loki come quickly up beside her. Pointing her wand at him, his eyes fly wide as he yells, "Amanda! It's me! Loki! It's me!"

As Loki looks at her, he sees the shimmering silver light all around her. Her hair is _snapping_ wildly behind her, like _thousands_ of tiny whips, yet there is only the gentlest breeze.

Amanda's eyes are an almost glowing yellow-orange. Hesitating for a moment, no expression on her face, she lowers her wand, turns as she hears some faint yelling behind them. Loki turns toward the sounds as well.

"It is Thian and Tia!" Loki yells. "They are okay!"

As Thian and Tia get closer, two dark figures shoot up out of the trees behind them.

"Amanda, go see if Tianna is all right, it looked like she got hit and fell through the trees. I will go help them."

Without a word, Amanda spins her broom around and shoots off toward Thian and Tia.

"Okay..." Loki says watching Amanda speed away, looking like she is riding in a shimmering silver bath bubble. "Perhaps _you_ should go help them, and _I_ will check on Tianna," Loki says out loud to himself, then shoots for the spot he had seen Tianna drop down through the trees.

In a few seconds, after watching an exchange of wild spells and curses being _flung_ through the skies from the attackers at Thian and Tia, Amanda reaches them. Continuing to speed past them, she is nothing but a shimmering silver blur.

She continues right between the two pursuers, who lunge to the sides to keep from being struck.

Thian and Tia immediately break off as well, one going left, the other right. When they have finally turned around, Amanda is in hot pursuit of one of the flyers who is desperately trying to get away from her.

He does not get far.

Amanda shoots a bright red bolt, striking him square in the back. It strikes so hard, 1he is actually blown _forward_ right off his broom, while moving at full speed! He tumbles through the air as he falls, striking the trees below, his body slamming into limb after limb, like a rag doll.

The last flyer is almost upon Thian and Tia. He is going to have to pass between them to have any chance of outpacing Amanda. _That_ proves to be a mistake. Even as he fires several spells at them, both Thian and Tia fire spells of their own at the same time. Thian's pus and boil spell strikes the flyer in the arm, as he himself is hit in the leg, almost making him lose control. Tia's _double_ strength itching spell, hits the man in the leg as she tries rolling to the side out of his way, but is struck in the shoulder, leaving a large gash, making her cry out.

There is a howl, then the flyer swerves uncontrollably, is thrown from his broom, and falls. Whoever it is, continues to scream for a few moments as they strike the trees, but are soon beaten to death on their way to striking the forest floor. They are dead, _long_ before ever hitting the ground.

Thian and Tia, though injured, cheer as Amanda comes to a quick stop between them. Their cheers instantly stop, the smiles sliding from their faces, as they look at Amanda.

Amanda's eyes are unfocused, an almost luminous, pulsing yellow-orange, the shimmering silver light of the bubble she is in, lighting the sky around them. The sound of her hair _snapping_ in some unseen storm, is truly unnerving.

Amanda turns, looking first at Thian, then at Tia, with those otherworldly-like softly glowing eyes. Without a word, she speeds off toward the area where Tianna had fallen.

Thian and Tia exchange frightened looks, then, Thian says breathlessly, "Wow! Now _that_ was the scariest _yet_!"

Thian is applying pressure to his upper right leg, where a very deep gash is bleeding heavily, blood running down his leg, dripping and falling through the air to the trees below.

Looking at Tia, he sees she is grimacing, holding her left shoulder, blood covering her hand and running down her arm, staining her robe. With a gasp he says, "Tia, you're _hurt_... bad! You're losing a _lot_ of blood! Are you hit anywhere else?"

"No. At least I don't think so. It really _hurts_ , but if I can get the bleeding to stop, I think I'll be okay until we can get some help. You're really hurt too! Are _you_ hit anyplace else?"

"Nah, just my leg. We know Amanda's okay, well, at least I _think_ she is. I think Loki is okay too, I saw him heading for where Tianna went down. I _know_ she was hit, just don't know how badly. Come on, let's go find 'em!"

Tia and Thian quickly catch up with Amanda, who is scanning the darkness within the trees below them for any other adversaries.

Soon the three of them speed down through the darkness of the trees where Tianna had descended, coming to rest beside Loki and Tianna on the forest floor.

Tia, looking Tianna over very carefully, says, "I won't lie to you... it's bad. It's _really_ bad. But I think you'll be okay. We've _got_ to get you to a hospital though. You've been hit in the ribs. The same place _Blaine_ had repeatedly hit you before."

"No! _No_ hospital!" Tianna says, holding what they think are broken ribs, possibly cracked, or worse, _bruised_ ribs which are very painful, and take a _long_ time to heal. There may be internal bleeding as well. Tianna winces, "We need to get _out_ of here! They may be back any minute. Where'd they go?"

"Uh, well, let us just say, they are gone for now. We will tell you about it later," Loki says as he retrieves Tianna's broom. "Do you think you can fly at all?"

"I... well, I guess I'll have to. I'm sure as heck not staying _here_! Tia, Thian, you're _hurt_!"

"We'll be okay," Tia says ripping part of her torn robe away. "Once we get the bleeding stopped that is. Thian, let me wrap your leg to stop that bleeding okay?"

"Forget it," Loki says stepping up to Tia. "I will wrap _your_ shoulder first Tia, it is really bleeding badly! Then I will wrap Thian's leg. I am fine, I did not get hit."

"Hey! _Look_! Amanda!" Tianna shouts pointing off to the side.

They all turn to see Amanda laying in a deep layer of pine needles, a short distance away.

Tia runs over to where Amanda is lying face down, Thian limping badly up behind her. Loki stays kneeling beside Tianna. Using the long strip of cloth from Tia's robe, Loki wraps Tianna's ribs as tightly as he dares.

Tia and Thian reach Amanda. While gently rolling her over, Thian says, "I think she just _passed_ out is all. She doesn't _look_ hurt, as best I can see anyway."

Tia gently shakes Amanda, calling her name over and over.

Amanda thinks she hears someone calling her, from someplace far away, like in a dream. Slowly, she opens her eyes, and hears both Tia and Thian gasp.

"Look at her _eyes_ Thian. They're..."

" _Purple_?" Thian asks looking surprised.

"What... what _happened_?" Amanda asks looking around, startled and frightened. "Where _are_ we?" Sitting up quickly, she looks around frantically, "Where _are_ they? Those _flyers_? What happened to them? How... how did I get _here_?"

"It's okay Amanda. Calm down. They're, uh, _gone_ ," Tia says, not knowing if she should tell her at the moment what had happened.

"You're hurt, _both_ of you, oh my god!" Amanda cries very worried. "Where's Loki and Tianna? Are they, are they..."

"Over _here_ ," Loki calls waving to Amanda, as she looks his way around Thian. "Tianna has been hurt pretty bad. Cracked or bruised ribs we think. But she will be okay if we can get her some help."

"But you two are bleeding a lot too," Amanda says looking at Tia and Thian.

Thian, grimacing as he gets to his feet, helps Amanda to hers. She is a little unsteady for a few moments and feels a bit dizzy.

"We'll be okay," Thian says. "Loki's going to wrap us up to stop the bleeding for now. We'll get help later, it's _Tianna_ we're worried about. May be some internal bleeding we don't know of."

Feeling a bit more steady on her still somewhat wobbly legs, Amanda quickly moves past Thian, and makes her way to Loki and Tianna, where she kneels beside them with Tianna still lying flat on her back.

"Tianna, how do you feel?" Amanda asks as Tia steps up, handing Amanda the lit wand Amanda had dropped, when she had passed out.

"Oh, just _swell_! Feels like I got kicked in the side by a _Garro_. But, it really only hurts when I _move_ , or _breathe_. So... other than _that_ , I'm just _great_!"

Everyone smiles, including Amanda. Tia rips off another large portion of her robe, handing it to Loki, who sets to wrapping Tia's shoulder. With another strip from Amanda's robe, Loki tends to Thian's leg.

Amanda asks, "But what _happened_? The last thing I remember, I was flying like some kind of _crazy_ person through the trees behind Loki, since I couldn't see Tianna anymore. Then he disappeared, and I went on into the trees by myself. I remember a yellow bolt just missing me, then, waking up here."

"Are you _telling_ us," Thian says looking at the others, then back to Amanda. "That you don't remember _killing_ all those flyers?"

" _What_?! I... I _killed_ more people? Oh no! No, I _couldn't_ have! But, honestly, I don't remember _anything_ at all! I'm going to burn in _hell_ forever if I killed someone! I'm going straight to _hell_ when I die!"

"Amanda, there is no such _place_ as hell," Loki says shaking his head. "Hell is only recognized on your realm, and was only _made_ up by your power hungry church, to frighten the gullible into doing whatever those of the church say.

"Do you _really_ think that every soldier, law enforcement officer and such, will _burn_ in some _stupid_ place called hell, because they _killed_ some bad guy? Come on! You do not _really_ believe that do you?"

"Listen," Tianna says through clenched teeth, "can we maybe talk about this... _later_? I really think we need to get the _heck_ out of here! I think we should get straight to the transport chambers, if they really _exist_ that is, and now, I'm sure hopping they _do_!

"We may get more _company_ if we stay around here. One of those flyers may have sent a message to others, telling them where we are. And, as for _me_? I've had about all the _excitement_ I can stand for today. I'm so tired I can hardly stay awake.

"We can't go to the cave _now_ anyway. I'm sure there'll be a search party by here before long. They'll search the _entire_ surrounding area too. They aren't going to be very happy, to find all their friends _dead_ either."

"She's right," Tia says. "We need to get to the transport chamber, then think of what we need to do. Tianna, are you _sure_ you can fly?"

"No. But I'll have to try. Loki, help me up and hand me my broom okay?"

Loki just finished wrapping Thian's upper leg, and grabs Tianna's broom and takes it to her.

Tianna is able to mount her broom with a little help. With a small yelp of pain, she bends forward, kicks up and hovers, holding her side.

Everyone else mounts up, then Thian turns to Amanda asking, "Are you really back with us now Amanda? Can you take us to the transport chamber, or do you need a little more time?"

"I'm fine. Really. Not even a _scratch_. Confused and _scared_ silly, but other than that, just great. Yeah, I _think_ I can take us there. I just hope we don't get any more... _company_ on the way."

They all rise into the cool evening air, and begin skimming just above the treetops, keeping a constant lookout for attackers. No one has their wands lit, since the two moons are giving enough light in the direction they are flying.

After flying for a while, they spot the lake. Amanda takes them to within inches of the surface, as they begin making their way across the water's edge, looking for her little pile of rocks.

The fire from Thian's house has long since burned out, for no glow in that direction can be seen. They are as quiet as they can be, knowing that there could still be flyers hiding about.

Amanda soon finds the little pile of stones, then begins flying away from the lake just inches above the ground. She wants to keep low, just in case there may be _someone_ watching for them. They fly up the steep slope of the mountain, to the pile of rocks on the little ledge she had first stepped out on.

They dismount, and as they look around quickly, Tianna says quite startled, "Who's _that_?"

Turning quickly, they look to where she is pointing, off into the darkness of the trees far below them.

"Where? _I_ don't see anyone," Thian says with his wand held out, eyes darting about the treeline fanatically.

"I, I don't see them now. But I'm _sure_ I saw someone on a broom down near the trees though. They must have darted into the shadows."

"Well, _I_ don't see anything either," Amanda says squinting and scanning the trees. "And besides, if it _were_ somebody Tianna, why aren't they coming after us?"

Tianna scowls at Amanda saying, "Well, I don't _know_ why! But I'm telling you... I _saw_ somebody down there! There's nothing wrong with my _eyes_ you know? Maybe they're waiting for reinforcements. Let's just get _out_ of here okay?"

They help Tianna through the tangle of hanging green vines as they follow Amanda's lead. Poor Thian is wincing and grunting with every step on his injured leg.

Weaving through the vines, they are afraid they will get lost, or fall off some cliff they cannot see before they step over its edge. They continue slowly and cautiously.

They soon come to a wooden door, surprising everyone. Amanda holds her hands out saying, "Orathian." There is a _click_ and the door swings in.

As they enter, the walls begin to give off a soft light. Once everyone is in, Amanda turns, holding her arms up. She is about to say something, when there comes a sound like something scuffing against the rocky ground within the vines outside. "What was _that_?" she says in a quick whisper.

"What? _You_ heard that too?" Thian says standing right beside her.

Everyone listens for a few moments. Amanda shakes her head, holds her arms up and says, "Neldor." The door closes and locks.

Turning, Amanda says, "Maybe it was just the vines settling after we moved them or something, otherwise, I think we would have been attacked. Right now, I think we should get to the master transport chamber on Earth. Then we need to get Tianna and _you_ two some help when we go to the realm of the witches.

"I'm so _tired_ , I can hardly stay on my feet. I just want to sleep, but I'm so hyped up, I know I probably couldn't sleep right now anyway." They all nod in agreement. Everyone is absolutely _exhausted_.

All but Amanda, are _stunned_ to find themselves in this strange place, which has been up on their own mountain all this time. Amanda leads them down the tunnel and into the little transport chamber, where they all stand clustered together looking around.

For a few moments, they readjust Tianna's chest wrap, then Loki tightens both Tia's and Thian's bandages, which had slipped a little during their flight here.

Once Loki finished tightening his own bandage, Thian says, "Uh..." then looking around nervously as the walls glow a pulsing yellow, "so, what do we do now?"

Amanda smiles saying, "Get ready for one _really_ wild ride." Before anyone can ask what she means, Amanda holds up her broom and shouts in a deep _commanding_ voice, "Transportia!"

There is a _brilliant_ blue-white flash, as the kids begin screaming. Their screams are suddenly silenced as they begin to distort, elongating and turning into long _shimmering_ opalescent strands of smoke.

Amanda watches Thian's frightened face grow longer and more distorted, twisting and swirling around until it is nothing more than a thin opalescent strand. As she herself begins twisting, she sees the others, all with _terrified_ expressions, twisting, _swirling_ and waving, nothing but strands of shimmering opalescent smoke.

She watches as one-by-one, her friends are sucked up and into a tiny crack within the cave wall, and disappear.

In her mind, Amanda smiles thinking, "See you on the other side," as she too is sucked up, and speeds into the crack, _vanishing_ into the darkness.

***

Unbeknownst to Amanda and the others, a lone figure has stealthily been following them ever since they left Thian's burning home, keeping as much to the shadows as possible.

The figure follows Amanda and the others through the vines, until they too, come to the ancient door. Here, they hesitate for a few moments, listening intently for any sounds. After several spells, they manage to open the door. Pulling their wand, they enter.

Sneaking as quietly as possible, they inch their way down the winding tunnel. Muffled voices can be heard from somewhere just up ahead. They reach the last bend in the pathway, leading to the alcove itself, when someone yells a strange word which sounds like "transportia," followed by a _brilliant_ flash which lights the tunnel.

Startled, the figure quickly presses their back against the tunnel wall. With eyes wide, heart _pounding_ , their face takes on a snarl. Lips curling, their eyebrows bunch together into a menacing frown. Raising their wand to the ready, taking one deep steadying breath, they whip around the corner, ready for battle...

End of Book One

Please continue the adventures with Book 2:

Amanda Ackers And The Realm Of The Witches

Available in 2012

To TOC

# Appendix A

IMPORTANT

PLEASE READ THIS FIRST!

How To Read This Book

WARNING! Your eyes are not deceiving you... but your mind may be.

You think that you have a fictional story in your hands... you're ready to read it like you've done with every other fictional book... but what if, what you really have is not a fictional story, at all.

What you're reading is an actual transcript, as was taken directly from the memories of those on the adventures, and recorded using the standard Elvish transcription methods.

So... what does all this mean to you? It means that what you read will take on a completely different form than what you're used to.

If the supposedly correct, earth-bound punctuation and sentence structure that was - and may still be - crammed down your throat is important to you... please, do not read this book.

If there is no way you can wrap your mind around a different, and possibly better way of writing... please, do not read this book.

If proper English is the end all and be all for you, and you aren't able to see that language structure from other cultures can be vastly different than what you've always been told is the proper version, and by experiencing the language from those other cultures, worlds, realms, etc., simply can't add substance, vision, nor imagination to your thinking... please, do not read this book.

If what you're about to read is everything you've been told by your English teachers, literary professors, and writing scholars is completely wrong and NOT the "correct" way to write, then, please, put this book down now and do not continue.

We take no responsibility for any headaches (pounding or otherwise), sputtering or swearing that may occur while reading this transcript.

We do take responsibility however, for opening your mind... removing those tight braces from your brains... and enveloping you in a world with its own glorious language and writing.

Still reading? Good. Your mind isn't as closed as we thought it might. So, here's what you'll find within the pages of this transcript: punctuation in this book WILL NOT be that to which you are accustomed. Commas, for instance, will not appear as they would in formal written literature but rather where those in the story take a breath or pause while speaking.

It is important to remember, this is not a book or novel in the traditional sense.

Since the transcript has now been translated into 7,546,321 different languages, on more than 15,634,444 realms plus 3,264,785 sub-dialects within the lesser realms, the High Elves felt they needed to keep the recorded format of punctuation in the High Elf standard, and not have to change it to meet the demands of all the various formatting and literary styles in all the realms and languages. For example, for the version you are now reading, the words may be in English but the punctuation remains in the traditional _Memory Recording Formatting_.

Italics in Elvish are used to _emphasize_ where the original speaker emphasized a word or gave a word or words greater inflection, so that the reader can, as closely as possible, read the story and get the _same_ feeling or emotions as when it was actually spoken.

Take note, you do not need to raise the volume when reading italics, merely the pitch. In the earth realm, we do this all the time in our everyday speech. The only time you may wish to raise the volume is if the present mood calls for it or if the italics are next to an exclamation point.

Italics in this English version on the earth realm, are also used for product names, movie titles, songs, proper names and places, and so forth, should they apply.

The official (and only authorized) authors of these adventures to be presented in any format within the earth realm, are Glenn and Sasha Gabriel, who are personal friends of Amanda Ackers, having met her when she lived in the city of Riverside, California, (on the earth realm) the relationship blossoming into a close friendship.

Glenn and Sasha have been overwhelmed with questions as to why there are so many uses of italics in the story, even though the explanation above seems clear enough.

So, just in case the headache may be starting, let me reiterate. The reason, once again, is so you may read the story as closely to the original feelings and emotions of the speakers as possible. The italics are used where the actual speaker gave more inflection to emphasize a word or words.

You may ask, "Why is this so important?"

Well, let's take a look at a very simple example. The following is a simple sentence. How you may read that line of text, may or may not be how it was originally spoken, nor how someone else may read it. The emphasis / inflection of a single word or words has a _powerful_ effect on the overall feeling or emotion of the line.

Take a look at the following sentence:

"This is the same alcove I left from on Earth."

Now, read the following lines giving some inflection to the word or words in italics. There is no need to over emphasize them by speaking louder, unless there is an exclamation mark by it.

When we speak, we generally give more inflection by simply raising our pitch slightly, even extending the spoken length of the word, or pausing slightly before, or after that word. For example, let's look at the word, "same" below. You may raise your pitch slightly while drawing out the word, something like 'saaaame' and not necessarily increasing your volume.

I have bolded a different word in the sentence below, as well as the italics, so you may better find the emphasis in these examples:

" _This_ is the same alcove I left from on Earth."

"This _is_ the same alcove I left from on Earth."

"This is _the_ same alcove I left from on Earth."

"This is the _same_ alcove I left from on Earth."

"This is the same _alcove_ I left from on Earth."

"This is the same alcove _I_ left from on Earth."

"This is the same alcove I _left_ from on Earth."

"This is the same alcove I left _from_ on Earth."

"This is the same alcove I left from _on_ Earth."

"This is the same alcove I left from on _Earth_."

"This is the _same_ alcove I left from on _Earth_."

By sounding out each sentence, you should realize the meaning becomes somewhat different. You should now be able to read the transcript in a manner which is closer to the way the speaker actually said it, helping to experience _their_ feelings, attitudes and emotions at the time the words were spoken.

I know, I know. Seeing so many italics and adding some inflection at those points, may take some getting used to, but once you get the hang of it, it will become second nature.

An ellipse (...) is used wherever a longer pause was used or when a sentence is cut off due to an interruption.

Question marks are self-explanatory.

Semicolons may or may not be used, but if used, they may not appear or be used as you may expect (they amuse the High Elves).

Quotation marks are used to denote what a person or creature is saying as well as thinking. You will know if it was a thought for it will say something to that effect.

Other punctuation symbols may or may not be used as expected.

**NOTE** : If you are an English major or literary aficionado, please re-read the above several times, for I'm told that if you do not fully comprehend the above, the way this book is formatted will drive you mad (or perhaps madder than you already are).

If you are one who is a literary critic (you know who you are) and nit-picks proper word use and formatting as it pertains to the English language... someone who needs proper character and plot development and other such nonsense... you will truly be disappointed in the reading of this transcribed true story.

Therefore, please stop now and give this book to someone whose nose is not stuck so highly in the air as to not allow them to enjoy fabulous adventures, written _exactly_ as they happened in the adventurer's very own words!

This is _not_ a novel which will conform to your idealistic English way of writing and formatting (does it really have to?).

Instead, it is an _exact_ transcript of the adventures as they took place, using the formatting of the High Elves... so, please, _get over it_!

To TOC
