

Crocodile Queen

Book Three

The Dream Cane Series ©

By

Phil Armstrong

Published by

White Wolf Books ©

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Title and Copyright Page

White Wolf Books ©

Crocodile Queen

Book Three of The Dream Cane series

by Phil Armstrong

Thank you for downloading the third eBook in "The Dream Cane" series ©. You are most welcome to share it with your friends. This book may be reproduced, copied, and distributed for non-commercial purposes, provided the book remains in its complete and original form, with the exception, of quotes used in reviews. Your support and respect for the intellectual property of this author is appreciated.

The cover graphic has been licensed and purchased by the author from Dreamstime.com -

©  Medieval young girl surrounded by crocodiles: © Fernando CortÃ©s | Dreamstime.com | Royalty Free.

This book is a work of fiction, the author tries to merge facts with his creative mind, some of the characters, events, places, buildings, and monuments are based in fact. To advance the story, fictional characters and fictional events have been manufactured by the author's creative mind. For the fictional characters, any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places and events, is purely coincidental or portrayed in a fictional way. For the people or places that are based in fact, the author has tried to represent them as accurately as the historical record allows.

Thank you for downloading this eBook – enjoy!

ISBN 978-0-9877284-6-3 Crocodile Queen

Copyright 2018, Author: Phil Armstrong. Discover other free titles and works by Phil Armstrong at

www.whitewolfbooks.ca

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Crocodile Queen

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The Sixth Realm - Bardonia

Chapter 1: The Crocodile Queen.

Crescent Island, Bardonia.

"I feel like a visitor just about everywhere."

A year had raced by since the day that Raj had passed away, life had returned to normal in Bardonia with the imminent threat of evil now extinguished, and the three witches finally forgotten. The once rampaging Devlins were all gone, with an occasional rumored sighting that never really seemed to materialize. The forest had returned to its original state, with the animals resuming their life and behaving in their natural order. Eian, the Elfen ranger, along with countless animal leaders, were hailed as enduring heroes, including the brave little mouse who played a role much larger than his diminutive stature. Their contributions would never be forgotten, immortalized within the lyrics of new songs, written into plays, and depicted within gloriously decorative murals commissioned to adorn the great halls of every castle in the realm. Sadly, only a handful of people would know of the pivotal roles played by Raj, Dan, Kaan, Jean, and the Crocodile Queen, on that fateful day.

Their very existence was deemed to be privileged information; it was determined that visitors from another realm, another time and place, and more importantly, another species, would irreversibly unsettle the newfound optimism now spreading across Bardonia.

A large heavy wooden door, elaborately framed with iron hinges and large iron studs, swung open to reveal a vast hall designed for hosting elaborate banquets, "Come in here, please wait," instructed a heavily armed Ricar. Kaan smiled patiently, the Ricar's large frame reminded him of Dan and Raj, wearing their Brion Fern insignias, while making the prestigious Revercan Ricars proud. Kaan's latest visit to Crescent Island was directly related to this brave pair of warriors, Kaan felt proud to call them his friends.

The large wooden door closed behind him, he waited patiently for an audience with the Crocodile Queen, the Ricar guard took their duties seriously. It was dusty, dark, and dim, inside the great banquet hall, a hall that had stood idle for a long time, it was clearly unused and showing its signs of age. The Crocodile Queen rarely received visitors, this once vibrant meeting place at the center of so many important meetings and functions, now lay sadly abandoned, adorned only with a sparse number of furnishings it's small high windows were covered in dark cloth to suppress the searing sun from entering.

Kaan raised his hands to his face, he withdrew his monk's hood pushing it backwards towards his shoulders revealing his scarred face and strong square chin, as his hood fell. Kaan squinted, closing the corners of his eyes as he tried to adjust his vision to his new surroundings. Kaan was looking forward to seeing his old friend the Crocodile Queen; he'd brought with him an important letter from Jean, which he knew would certainly elevate her spirits. She'd fallen in love with the French Knight, born in a more chivalrous time, long ago, and in another realm. Both had the enviable ability to travel through time, and when the planes of time and space collided, their souls met, falling hopelessly in love. Circumstances conspired, and it meant they were destined to spend most of their lives apart, only managing to orchestrate the briefest of crossings, a collision of their destinies infrequently. With some extreme planning they could snatch moments of happiness together, and that would have to be enough for these lovers entwined in time. Kaan smiled ironically, he'd never been able to find such happiness within his complicated life; he remembered Jean fondly, an eloquent knight that had told him with such conviction that 'absence made the heart grow fonder.'

Outside of the castle, raised high upon a grassy hill on Crescent Island, the river suddenly burst into life, frothing with white bubbles and underwater activity, an undulating mass of broad backed crocodiles writhed around in the water. They organized to form a bridge for the Crocodile Queen providing her safe passage across the river to enter Crescent Island. She walked confidently across their backs; she appeared to float across the water's reflective surface. It was a majestic sight as she casually stepped onto solid ground gratefully nodding her appreciation to her loyal attentive escort. Safely upon the island's shore, she walked towards the castle where she was greeted by her head guard; a large Ricar whom she recognized as Tan. "My Queen, a visitor waits for you in the great hall - a monk. He carries a sword with a crescent shaped handle, but he's not one of ours," Tan sounded concerned by what seemed like trickery.

"That's where you're wrong Tan," the Crocodile Queen responded quickly with a wry smile and a twinkle in her eye, "he's definitely one of ours." The Crocodile Queen hastened her step towards the great hall, she knew of only one Monk that could find his way to Crescent Island, and negotiate a safe passage through the woods, crocodiles, and owls. The fact that he openly carried a rare sword, forged from byridium, with a large crescent shaped pommel, meant it had to be Kaan. Kaan always brought news, or better still, a letter from her knight, he tried so hard to keep them connected; she could feel the excitement rising within her body, as she hurried towards the castle and the great hall.

She burst through the large doors like an excited child on Christmas morning, "Kaan, how wonderful it is to see you," she hurried towards the large hulk of a man, hugging his thick torso, "Did you bring anything for me?"

Kaan smiled, "It's good to see you too, and yes, I brought a letter for you," he said, retrieving the letter from Jean.

The Crocodile Queen snatched the letter impatiently from Kaan's hand; she tugged at the wax seal before devouring every word, as she shamelessly ignored the patient monk. A few minutes had passed before she paused and raised her eyes above the thin edge of the parchment, "Thank you for bringing this," she smiled uncontrollably, "I will read it a hundred times, hanging on to every word before I get the chance to see Jean again."

"It's my pleasure, but I don't think you summoned me to the castle just to play postman, there's another reason, right?" Kaan narrowed his eyes, hoping to hear the right response.

"Sit, please," she said, pointing at an empty chair. Kaan saw her demeanor change instantly, he decided to comply with her request, "Bardonia will always be eternally grateful for the role that Raj and Dan played in our liberation. They managed to free Jean, for he was the only person strong enough to kill the three witches."

Kaan was growing impatient, he didn't want to rehash recent history, "What have you seen? let's get straight to the point shall we."

His directness caught her off guard, "Sure, we can skip the lead in, and I'll get straight to the point. I was acting in a selfish manner when I asked Dan to rescue Jean, I knew that Jean was the only person capable of defeating those witches, but I also knew, it would place Raj and Dan in a great amount of danger."

"They both knew the risks," assured Kaan, "I know them well, they'll always jump in with both feet to help us, despite the risks, are you now feeling guilty?"

"You know I'm blessed with the ability to see things, I get visions that surge uninvited into my consciousness," Kaan nodded, "well, I've definitely seen things, very disturbing things."

She paused abruptly, Kaan decided to wait her out patiently, but she seemed uncertain and unwilling to proceed with the description of her visions. Kaan was curious, but she stared at the ground with a vacant look in her eyes, she was clearly somewhere else. Her hands shook as the parchment letter she held swayed like a small tree facing the cruel gusts of a north wind.

"Well?" said Kaan, his patience really tested.

The Crocodile Queen raised her eyes, "Raj is dead, and unfortunately he's passed away from ill health."

Kaan lowered his eyes in a mark of respect, "I knew he was not well, but he'll be sorely missed, and the boy, Dan?" he inquired, sensing there was more.

The Crocodile Queen shifted her weight uncomfortably, she approached Kaan, still sitting upright in his chair, "I'm worried Kaan, when they released Jean the evil spirits knew, at that very moment, that we'd found another spiritual traveler, and they knew, he was located on Earth. Jean killed those three witches, including the pretty one - Wendy. Killing the witches infuriated the dark lord; Wendy was his daughter. I was not aware of this at the time, but my visions, well, my visions are full of hate and revenge. I'm telling you Kaan, Dan is in great danger, and we have to help him."

Kaan nodded, "How bad is it? What else do you know?"

"I know exactly what the dark lord will do. Wendy had an older sister, Elora, he'll demand Elora seek revenge. They can't find Jean, he's illusive, evasive, and keeps moving around, but Dan's a sitting lame duck. It takes two to activate The Dream Cane, and unfortunately Raj has passed away. I don't know who has the cane, but Elora will surely find Dan. She has special powers and she's far more dangerous and sadistic than Wendy. She'll torture Dan before she gets her hands on The Dream Cane. It's only a matter of time before she uses the cane to come for me, I'm the target, I'm the one she wants." The Crocodile Queen fell silent and turned her back towards Kaan, "They may succeed, my visions are pretty graphic," her voice trailed off with a tremble.

Kaan rubbed his chin, "Nonsense, your crusading knight will rush here to protect you."

"Exactly, so she gets her full revenge. Dan, Jean and myself, the main protector of this realm, with all of us killed Elora will have unrestricted access to this realm. She'll take the power of The Dream Cane away from us, and all of our past sacrifices, our fight, and our glorious victories, will all count for nothing."

"Without the Dream Cane, they don't know who or where you are? They don't know how to penetrate the castle, or navigate their way on to Crescent Island or your realm, for now you're safe," he said, trying to convince himself, "so you need me to help, to protect Dan?"

She crinkled her nose and turned away again, "This time we can't. Unfortunately, Dan's on his own, he's living in a time where you and I can't enter the Fifth Realm safely, and Jean, well, it's way too risky for Jean."

"We can't just abandon the boy, he's unprotected and too young; we both know he's ill equipped to face this type of witch."

"The risk is too great Kaan, even you don't know what she's capable of, she'll get into his mind, then infect his blood, she's really nasty."

"And highly motivated, fueled by revenge. I say we go and fight her."

"And you'll fight bravely, but you'll lose this time," the Crocodile Queen raised her voice in frustration.

Kaan was stunned, he'd never seen her agitated like this before, she seemed rattled and unsure, "That's what your visions tell you, to sacrifice the boy?" Kaan stood quickly, "I can't do that, even if there's no hope."

"My visions show me a girl," the Crocodile Queen was hesitant to mention her, but she'd blurted the words out as they slipped quietly from her mouth, "the girl is the key to this whole thing, if you go to help Dan you will be killed, I need you to warn the monastery and to protect your own realm. I'll help him, I'll lead Dan in the right direction and I've already cast a spell."

"How?" Kaan looked confused.

"I gave Dan a book, the spell is contained within; it's a protective spell."

Kaan walked away from her slowly, her turned with a thought racing into his head, "You knew this would happen, didn't you?"

"Well, I..." she stuttered for the correct response.

"You knew the boy would be in grave danger, exposing his exact location, knowing the realm he calls home would be cruelly exposed; you knew they would come for him, that's why you gave him the book, you knew all along!"

The Crocodile Queen was racked with guilt, "I had to save this realm, what choice did I have? What else could I do?"

Kaan was furious, "What was your real motivation, saving this realm or releasing Jean? I'd like to know, what was your true priority?" She didn't respond, she merely turned away from his hurtful words. Kaan regretted his accusing questions the moment they took flight, he knew he'd hurt her deeply. "I'm so sorry, that's totally unfair of me. Look," he said, grabbing her arm and facing her, "tell me what we can do to help that poor boy?"

The Crocodile Queen pulled away still hurting from Kaan's comments, "Don't you think I've agonized over this? Don't you think I've examined every angle of these events? Its pained my soul to have poured through every option, where every choice I have exposes us more and places us all in greater danger, that's exactly what they want. Elora is the meanest, most powerful witch I've ever known, but she won't go to Earth, that's far too risky for her, she'll only go to the Fifth Realm if she's certain of a kill, she knows her powers will be substantially reduced leaving her too vulnerable. She'll try to kill Dan in other ways, but he's a resourceful kid, this test will have to be his coming of age."

Kaan shook his head, "And if it isn't?"

"Then we're all in grave danger," she cast her eyes to the ground, feeling the weight of her shame, remorse, and regret.

"I don't like this," mumbled Kaan, "I don't like this at all," his words underlining the hopelessness of the situation.

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The Fifth Realm - Earth

Chapter 2: Night Scares.

Westtown, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.

"Many of our daydreams would darken into nightmares, were there a danger of their coming true!"

Dan recognized Ally's panic-stricken voice calling out to him, she sounded desperate as she called his name, it was almost like the bleating sound a lost lamb would make when separated from its mother, devoid of any hope. Her voice sounded distant and faint, it was followed by an ear-piercing scream that ripped sharply through Dan's body causing sheer panic to set in, "Where was she? He knew he needed to get to her quickly, but the sound of her voice seemed to change its origin, making the source hard to locate. He felt the growing urgency; anxiety and panic were rising through his entire body, as another spine-chilling scream pierced the air like gunfire. This time it was more intense, Ally's screams for help seemed to be laced with acute pain, the sound appeared to be reverberating around the confinements of thick stone walls. Dan could see the details contained within the thick stone walls that surrounded him, a smooth slate roof was supported above his head, providing no obvious way of escape, no exit point from this stone cell, and no door. How did he get in here? Where was he? How could he get to Ally? He didn't know what was worse, her painful screams for help, or the fact she'd suddenly gone silent. Dan pushed at one of the heavy stone walls, it fell away collapsing with remarkable ease, he fell through the wall crashing from the comfortable confines of his bed and landing on his carpeted bedroom floor. Dan was soaked in sweat, short of breath, and was breathing erratically. He'd experienced this terrifying dream and thrown himself out of his bed for the last three mornings consecutively. Shaking violently, he pushed himself off the floor and onto his feet facing where he faced the light bleeding into his bedroom from between the small gaps in the slats of his bedroom blinds.

There was an unusually strong rotting smell, permeating the air and circulating within his bedroom, it reminded him of food that had gone bad while festering in an unattended fridge. His mouth felt extremely dry, so Dan licked his cracked lips. Dan's nightmares were getting more realistic each night, they were starting to really upset him. Dan couldn't face the possibility of losing Ally, he knew that nightmares he was suffering through reflected his subconscious mind, it was a manifestation of his worst fear. It was always the same dream, and he was always placed in a situation where he couldn't help Ally, but last night Dan had suffered through the nightmare three repetitive times, each time he would wake violently, in a panic, and drenched in sweat.

After much deliberation, Dan had decided that he would not tell his Mum about these dreams, he knew she would only make a fuss, jump to the wrong conclusion and probably force him to go see a psychologist, he wasn't going to do that! Dan decided to put on his bravest face, and despite feeling exhausted and weak, he bounded into the kitchen, faking a cheery morning disposition.

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Today was Saturday, Ally had finally managed to get a restful night's sleep, she'd decided to rise early, change into her running gear, and had jogged along the quiet river bank for over an hour. Feeling refreshed, she decided to seize the rest of the day, she'd showered, eaten a healthy breakfast, and arranged to go to the library. Ally's Mum was now in a more positive place, she'd turned her life completely around over the last year, and because of that, things were looking rosier for Ally. Ally was pleased that her Mum had finally tamed her alcohol addiction that she'd used as a crutch to help her through a difficult messy divorce, this was followed by a long confidence-draining period of unemployment. Over the last year Ally's Mum had managed to stop drinking, landed a top job at a successful accounting firm, invested in regaining her health, and spent more time on her appearance. She was as an attractive woman with clear blue eyes, and a bright hopeful smile. It didn't take long for the local men to notice her change, and she'd started to see someone, he worked as a professional accountant that she'd met through her workplace. He was a gentle tall man named Derek. Ally had met him briefly, several times, and he seemed nice. Ally really wanted her Mum to be happy, she deserved a man like Derek, he gave her the motivation to stay sober, and to take pride in her appearance. The money she earned from her new job meant she could afford to buy Ally new clothes again. When times were very tough Ally had not complained but she had started to look like a street urchin from a Victorian novel. Ally had quit her part time job, and used the time to focus on school, studying for her assignments and upcoming exams.

Ally had an unexplainable fascination for history; she was drawn inexplicably to the stories and the resilience displayed by the human spirit when faced with all sorts of adversity. Her history teacher, Mrs. Henderson, was so inspiring, passionate, and knowledgeable, she'd won local teaching awards and always seemed to get the best out of her students while keeping them engaged through interesting classes. Today's assignment involved working on a topic that Ally had personally selected. The class was challenged to select a well-known female archetype and study a historical event that centered around that role. Because Ally's Mum had managed to pay off her debts, and regained her financial footing, she'd told Ally that she would buy her a new laptop at the end of the month. Ally was hoping to get a cell phone too, but she hadn't devised a strategy on how to break this to her Mum yet. The laptop excited Ally, the thought of having that level of convenience, but for now, without having a laptop, the local library would have to suffice as the place to conduct her research. Once Ally had pushed through her desire to be lazy, she recognized that the library, which contained a collection of older books, would give her access to unique stories, reference materials, and facts, that weren't necessarily indexed by Google. Ally was keenly aware that many of her classmates would source the same information through the internet, using an old-school method of accessing information through the library would give her assignment paper a unique edge, gained through verified, older, uncategorized information, not found online.

Ally washed her breakfast bowl, letting her mind wander to her assignment. She intended to get an 'A' on this one and felt her competitive spirit kick in. Once she'd cleaned everything away she said goodbye to her Mum and walked briskly towards the library, intending to get an early start on her research. The female archetype that Ally had carefully selected was a subject she'd always been fascinated by and drawn towards with an unexplainable curiosity - the Witch.

When Ally arrived at the library they had just opened their doors to the public, it was empty. The library was a large yellow and brown colored stone building streaked with the dirt and grime of decades of pollution and inclement weather. Ally raced up the well-worn stone staircase before pushing the large oak doors open to gain entry to the third floor. Should she activate an old clunky Internet enabled computer terminal? or should she start by browsing the books? She decided to head for the bookshelves, and throw her fortune into the hands of fate, letting chance dictate her path. Ally selected a couple of books from the shelves, she flicked through the pages scanning their content studiously, she would pause occasionally to inspect the pictures or illustrations contained within. A number of the books recounted the events and hangings of the witch trials of Salem, Massachusetts, in the early1690's. Ally knew this was the result of heightened paranoia, she knew that any fellow class member who selected a witch as their archetype would likely present this material. Ally wanted to be different, she wanted to present a story that was more unique, she was more interested in a story that she was unfamiliar with.

Ally browsed the shelves selecting three additional books; she carried them back to the reading table. She leafed through the stiff pages where her eyes scanned for anything of interest; a feeling of unquenched anticipation, coupled with rising disappointment loomed in the pit of her stomach as she set aside the first book. Perhaps this was not going to be as easy as she first thought, it looked like it was going to be a long morning. The second book she has selected offered little hope, until she saw an illustration that caught her immediate attention. The illustration was from an English painting, it depicted the scene of a witch trial that occurred in Pendle Hill, Lancashire, England. Set in 1612, the story described a time when some people made a decent living by claiming to be a witch that possessed spiritual powers with the ability to cast spells, create potions, and to heal the sick. Pendle Hill was situated in the county of Lancashire, located in the North West of England. In August 1612, twelve people were detained by local authorities and accused of witchcraft, they originated from two families, each accusing the other as they tried to establish their dominance. They were all charged with the murders of ten people and accused of using the dark art of witchcraft.

Of the eleven people who went to trial, consisting of nine women and two men, ten were found guilty and were hung for their crimes. The allegations against the ten individuals were exaggerated and spiteful, the Demdike family and the Chattox family were significant contributors to the evidence presented in the trail, which sealed their own fate. As Ally continued to read through the details of this sordid affair, she seemed to identify with the scared and bullied eight-year-old girl named Jennet Device, who was forced to give evidence against her own delirious mother, and her cruel, spiteful, brother and sister. When she gave evidence, her mother Elizabeth Demdike, had to be forcibly removed from the proceedings when her demeanor turned foul. She would curse loudly in a dramatically deep voice, and forcefully assert that the brave little girl was not one of them, not her daughter. The observers could only imagine how hurtful this must have been, her own mother denying her existence; the trail had turned ugly for this brave little girl.

The more Ally researched the factual accounts of the actual events, the more captivated by the story she became. The witch trial at Pendle Hill became the most comprehensively documented witch trial in English history, occurring in the 17th century. Ally suddenly made her mind up, she would select this story as the subject for her essay assignment. The rest of the morning was spent researching online, at the library terminal, to establish the facts of the dispute, trying to sort out the facts from the fabricated accusations offered by each family, in the hope that it would incriminate the other family. Were there real elements of witchcraft involved here, or was this simply a family feud that escalated and horribly backfired in the most fatal way?

As the day progressed and evening was drawing to a close, Ally and Dan had failed to connect, each kept busy with household chores, homework assignments, or errands. They'd arranged to meet on Sunday, at the park where they always seemed to meet. The old inoperable drinking fountain could be seen throughout the park and was approximately half way between their respective homes, this served as an ideal rendezvous point. On Saturday evening, Dan was getting tired, but he tried to stay awake, he forced himself to keep busy and procrastinated about going to sleep. Fearful of the nightmares ahead, he eventually dragged his weary body into bed, hoping for at least one peaceful night ahead.

Ally felt satisfied with the accomplishments of her day, she seemed pleased with her research progress where she had gathered vast amounts of small details that would enrich her story and differentiate her school essay on the Pendle Hill witches. She felt confident that she could recreate the feud, the mood at the time, the trial, and vividly describe the victim's fates. She knew with her creative flair, she could write a paper that would not just be a simple generic piece but hers would stand up well against anything her classmates would produce.

Ally settled in for her night's rest, turning off her bedroom light at 10.30pm, she felt tired but fulfilled, knowing her day had been productive. It wasn't long before she fell asleep and started to dream. White fog blanketed the ground swirling around like an eighties music video, Ally could see herself staring across the bleak Lancashire moors, patterned with old weathered dry-stone walls that bordered green fields stretched across the rolling grass hills. She was standing ankle deep in the fog, a narrow dirt path was barely visible as it stretched out in front of her lined with high, dark, drystone walls. It reminded her of the corn maze she'd once visited last summer, except these were walls made of stone. In the distance a shape appeared, its details obscured by the thick fog. The figure drew closer as it walked slowly through the fog. Her first instinct was to run, but her feet seemed heavy and anchored to the muddy ground. The small figure of a child emerged from the fog, it was a girl, about eight years old, wearing a gold dress accented with white lace cuffs. She wore her dark hair parted in the middle with two long pigtails flowing over the sides of her small head. She had a pretty face, but her demeanor was solemn as black crows screeched their disapproval overhead, she didn't smile as she approached.

"I don't have much time, and you'll need to listen to me carefully," she said, appearing to hover above the ground floating above the dense ground fog, "I have so much to tell you, but this is not the place, it's far too dangerous. I need you to trust your instincts, your woman's intuition; this is not simply a dream. I'm using this place that sits between your world and mine, to deliver a vitally important message to you. You must trust your instincts about this message, I want to meet with you when you wake, let's arrange to meet at 10.30am, in the park at the drinking fountain. Make up any excuse you can to free up your time but come alone."

The girl in the gold dress approached closer, her brown eyes were merely inches away from Ally's, "You have no idea how important this is," Ally felt a sharp pinching pain shoot through her right bicep. She glanced downwards to see the little girl nipping at her flesh with her small fingers, "Meet me in the park tomorrow, or you'll regret this for the rest of your life."

The pretty girl, and the pain in Ally's right arm soon disappeared in an instant, leaving behind a cloud of damp Lancashire ground fog. Ally stood alone, deserted on a wet dirt road, high upon the Lancashire moors. Her dream ended in a flash of light, Ally wouldn't dream again that night as she fell into a deep trance-like sleep, only waking once the sun had started to encroach upon her room. When Ally did wake she lay within her bed trying to recall every small detail, every word spoken, and the feeling of that damp fog within her dream, she could hear the distant sound of the black crows, the dark harsh textures of the stone walls, and those captivating piercing brown eyes of the mysterious little girl. Ally rolled over onto her side, she felt a sharp pain shoot up her right arm. She examined her bicep and upper arm; Ally could see the outline of small purple bruises clearly made from the pressure exerted by dream girl's child-sized fingers!

Ally stared at the purple bruises in disbelief, she recalled her vivid dream, it didn't resemble any other dream she'd ever experienced. She remembered everything, every little detail. The bruises on her arm confused her; did she do this to herself unconsciously? She raised her left hand to her right arm; her fingers were much larger than the impressions left on her arm. Did she manifest these bruises subconsciously using her brain, where she thought the dream was real? She'd read about deeply religious people manifesting wounds like the ones inflicted upon Christ as validation of their deep-seated faith. She tried to rationalize away the bruises, but always came to one simple consistent conclusion, her dream must have been real. She knew it was a dream, for she didn't have the ability to magically travel to the north of England overnight, but the little girl had deliberately left these bruises upon her arm for a reason. There was no other rational explanation for why this little girl had grabbed her arm so violently than to prove her experience was real and needed to be taken seriously. The pattering of rain drops tapped lightly upon Ally's bedroom window, as the sun beat a hasty retreat giving way to ominous black storm clouds that swept through the area. The wind intensified, lashing the house and the entire neighborhood, with much needed rain, "It's good for the plants," she heard her mother's voice echoing through her mind. She smiled before focusing upon her vivid dream once more, what should she do? What felt right? She knew the answer to her own questions, but she couldn't help but feel a little silly admitting it to herself.

She sighed heavily catching her reflection in her dressing table mirror, Ally scooted over to the mirror pushing her face close to her reflection, she wanted to see herself say the most ridiculous statement, "So, Ally - what are you going to do?" she teased herself, as she addressed her weary reflection. "Should we be practical and brush this off as a silly dream because I pinched my own arm seeking attention? Perhaps the pain from these bruises made their way into my dream, into my subconscious, and I dreamed that this little girl had squeezed me, so my mind could reconcile all of this. Yes - that's exactly what happened. That means, I get to spend the entire day in the park, drenched in this romantic rain, with the guy I love, listening to him moaning on about how wet he is and failing to comment on how beautiful my eyes are."

Ally crinkled her nose and pulled a face, she knew that's exactly what would happen, "Alternatively, you could trust your female intuition, listen to the persuasive little girl that sent you a sign, don't tell anyone about this and simply call Dan to cancel the park by saying you don't feel too good, and its foul weather." Ally noticed a wry smile crossing the face of the young woman staring back at her in the mirror. "Yes, he'll be happy as a little toad to avoid this damp cold windy rain. You don't have to tell Mum, just leave the house and go to meet the little girl at 10.30am in the park, at the drinking fountain as she instructed. What's the worst that can happen Ally?"

Ally paused, realizing how ridiculous it was talking to herself in the mirror like she was being interviewed, "I have a question for your reflection, what if she doesn't show up?" Ally rubbed her tired face before answering her own question, "You go home wet and feeling silly. I have a better question." She paused, and stared at her own tired eyes, "What if she does show up?" she noticed how serious her reflection had suddenly become, "am I going crazy?" She looked at the purple bruises on her arm in the reflection from the mirror and touched them gingerly with her left hand, "I'm going to have to hide these, or my Mum's going to freak out."

Across town, Dan woke suddenly, he was drenched in sweat lying face down on the carpeted floor of his bedroom, "Aww no, not again," he moaned, rubbing his dry eyes and rolling over onto his back. He tucked his hands behind his head to make a supportive pillow and stared at the blank ceiling, as he exhaled loudly. That familiar foul smell wafted through his room again; he felt strange, totally drained of energy, weak, and dizzy. He lifted himself from the floor as a sharp pain shot through his side causing him to flinch and fall back hard to the carpeted floor. "Ouch!" he mouthed the words so as not to alert his Mum. Dan gazed at the source of his pain, he could see deep bruises between the gaps of his ribs. He was a skinny kid and didn't have any extra padding on his body, he looked at the black and purple bruises covering his left side extending around onto his lower back. "What the hell?" he said, softly twisting his body like a circus contortionist trying to see the extent of his injuries. On his lower back he saw flashes of red as blood oozed from open scratches that raked across his lower body. They were sore to the touch; he was trying to understand how this had happened? Did he get them falling out of bed? Did he do this to himself? He couldn't even reach some of the scratches on his upper back! A variety of different thoughts raced through his inquisitive mind as he stumbled to conceal his wounds underneath a large oversized black t-shirt. He hurried to the bathroom hoping his Mum wouldn't see him.

"Good morning love," she said, hearing her son's door open and expecting his customary dash to the bathroom.

"Good morning," Dan managed to stammer a response as he ducked into the bathroom closing the door behind him. He ran the water into the washbasin as he stripped off his t-shirt to further examine the scratches and bruises more closely in the mirror. The bruises were deep, purple and black blotches that started under his armpit, moved down his ribs, and extended across his lower back. They were sore to the touch and moving his body caused him to wince in pain. The most unusual part of his injuries, were the deep scratches. They were thin, bleeding, and evenly spaced like the talons of a bird, or the claw of an animal, or perhaps a woman's long nails had raked his body. How was he going to explain that to his Mum? Sheer panic crashed over him like a large wave hitting a rocky cliff, how on earth was he going to explain this to Ally! Dan held his hand out in front of his face and studied his fingers carefully. When Dan was nervous or stressed, like school exam time, he would inevitably chew upon his nails. They were well bitten down, and they looked darn ugly. There was no conceivable way he could have done this to himself. Dan tried to rake his nails across his forearm to scratch himself; his attempts were futile.

Dan turned off the running water and flushed the toilet trying to buy him some time. He was having difficulty, wincing in pain every time he moved his body, he knew he'd have to hide his discomfort from his Mum; she would worry and blame this on Raj's death. Lately, whenever Dan appeared down, frustrated, or nervous, due to his impending school exams, Liz had over reacted and made overtures that linked his behavior to his handling of Raj's death.

Dan was really shaken by Raj's death, but he knew he didn't need therapy, Raj had lived his life to the fullest and had enjoyed the adventures of his final days immensely. Dan attended Raj's funeral, which was a small family affair. As is customary for Raj's religion, Raj was cremated, and he'd asked that his ashes be transported to India and disbursed within the flowing current of the river Ganges. Dan was saddened by Raj's death, but thought he'd handled it well, he worried about the Dream Cane and what would become of this precious powerful artifact should it fall into the wrong hands. He needn't have worried, Raj specified within his last will and testament that his walking cane be left to Dan. Dan's Mum thought it an odd gift to leave to a young healthy boy, but Dan seemed very pleased to receive it, no doubt happy to retain a memory of his recently departed friend. Dan kept Raj's walking cane safely hidden away in the back of his bedroom closet.

Dan put his black t-shirt on and attempted to flatten his hair, he hurried back into his bedroom wondering how he was going to mask this from Ally today? The shrill ring of the phone interrupted his thoughts, he could hear Liz's footsteps as she moved towards the wall phone, her muffled voice was inaudible as she talked to the caller; Dan guessed it was probably Brian. Liz walked towards Dan's bedroom door stopping outside, "It's for you Dan; it's Ally," she stated raising her voice slightly.

As much as he loved her, Dan was in no mood to hear Ally's cheerful voice this morning; he was dog tired, sore as hell, and unapologetically irritable. He opened his bedroom door, smiled at Liz and retrieved the phone, "Hi," he said greeting her as cheerfully as he could manage.

"Hey, how are you?" inquired Ally.

"I just got up, I'm dog tired," responded Dan truthfully.

"Listen, I'm not feeling too good today, nothing serious, but I've got a bit of a tummy bug and it's raining pretty hard out there today, I can see the rain bouncing off the street below. I'm sorry to have to do this to you Dan, but I think I'm going to have to beg off the park today and stay at home. I might work a bit on my essay, but likely I'm going to take it easy, have a lazy day and sleep this off, hope you don't mind?"

Dan was delighted, "That's ok Ally, it's supposed to be crappy weather all day today, so you might as well keep warm and rest up" he reassured her, making it up as he went along, "If you're not feeling too good, then you'd be best staying at home and getting plenty of rest. I'll see you at school on Monday yeah?"

"Thanks Dan, I'd be no fun today that's for sure," she sounded sad.

"Don't worry Ally, get that rest and take care." Dan could hardly speak; the pain was ripping through his bruised ribs.

"Ok, bye for now," said Ally, ending the call the same way that she always did.

Dan heard the receiver click and breathed a heavy sigh of relief, "What was that all about?" inquired Liz, having heard every word.

"Ally's not feeling too great, tummy bug I think - there's a lot of that going around at school," added Dan, embellishing his commentary.

"Aww that's too bad, I hope she shakes it off soon," said Liz, moving towards him. She reached out and touched his shoulder as he braced himself for the stabbing pain, "what are you going to do with yourself today then?"

For a moment he panicked before answering slyly, "Well it's peeing it down outside, so I thought I'd have a bit of a lazy day, get some rest and work a little on my school essay."

"Great idea; I'm meeting Brian, so I'll be out of your way," Liz sauntered into the kitchen to refill her coffee cup from the brewed pot.

Dan walked to his bedroom, acting as normally as he could; he hoped to continue this act until his Mum left to meet Brian, later that morning. Dan couldn't help but smile as he entered his room, finally allowing himself to wince from the rising pain. He lay on his bed listening to the driving rain tapping upon his window, "Good one Ally, you really came through for me today girl."

Ally had decided that she wouldn't inform her Mum of her cancelled arrangements; her Mum didn't care too much anyway, and didn't pay too much attention to her relationship with Dan. The morning proved to be busy with Ally spending her time doing laundry and organizing her research within her essay paper. She kept glancing at the clock as it drew closer to 10.10am, the time she had set to leave the house and start her journey to the park. The rain had eased, but it was still spitting lightly as she prepared to leave. She grabbed her black waterproof coat, the one with the large hood. She wore tight blue jeans and white Nike sneakers that she'd found on sale. She pushed the coat over her navy-blue t-shirt and headed for the door. Ally's mum had left thirty minutes earlier to run some errands. Ally had planned her route in advance, if she kept to the north side of the street, she could duck under the pedestrian walkway, cut through the alley near the shops, leaving a quick run for about three minutes in the rain uncovered.

Once Ally arrived at the park she would head towards the old pavilion. It was a wooden structure, a throw-back to the older times, when people gathered in the park to play lawn bowls and have afternoon socials. The old, weathered, rotting wooden buildings were poorly maintained, but they would provide enough shelter if she used the rickety veranda to hide from the rain. From that location she would remain out of sight but directly in line with the walking path that led to the drinking fountain. Was she being stupid? Would anyone come to meet her at 10.30am? Perhaps she should stand close to the fountain, so she could be observed. Would her absence be interpreted as a no-show?

Thoughts raced frantically through her head, Ally navigated her way to the park as planned. The rain had almost subsided, but the wind was fierce, blowing the damp moisture into her face as she rounded the bend along the path leading to the park. She'd lost some time and she glanced at her watch hurriedly. She had one-minute remaining to get to the fountain, so she decided to avoid the rickety pavilions and head straight for the fountain as directed. It started to drizzle; droplets of rain fell from the hood of her coat and onto her face. Her jeans felt heavy, her denim-clad thighs were soaking wet and the dark denim clung to her legs as she walked. As she approached the drinking fountain the slender figure of a woman came into view. She was tall, the wind created undulating waves blowing her straight black hair. The black strands whipped her face as she struggled to protect herself from the fierce wind and lashing rain. Ally noticed the woman's coat; she looked like a model wearing vintage clothes from another time. As nice as she looked, she was woefully underdressed for this drenching rain. The woman appeared to be oriental and hovered impatiently around the drinking fountain. Ally was confused; she'd expected to see the little girl in her dreams. If she were truthful, she'd expected to see nothing but a wet deserted drinking fountain.

What should she do now? What should she say? How do you approach someone who you don't know and ask them if they were the voice in your dream? Ally decided to play it cool; she approached the disheveled figure intending to casually walk by. Her movement caught the woman's attention as she continued to brush long strands of wet black hair from her face. "Ally," she shouted over the howling wind, "Ally."

Ally continued to walk towards the woman, should she turn and run now? Ally turned her head to inspect the pretty face of the slender woman. Ally's hair was safely tucked away under her waterproof hood allowing her a good opportunity to examine the windswept woman, "Who are you?" Ally shouted.

The woman moved closer, she grabbed Ally's arm through her coat sleeve, "I'm the girl in your dream, the one who gave you these bruises," she said squeezing Ally's right arm.

Ally's eyes widened, she tried to process this startling information, "How do you know about that? What do you want with me?" shouted Ally.

"Where can we go to talk?" suggested the woman, "Dan is in great danger, and he doesn't even know it, only you can help him. I have so much to tell you, but you have to trust me; I've travelled far to help you understand."

Ally sensed the genuine concern etched across her pretty face, she recognized the intensity burning behind her narrow fiery brown eyes and decided this strange woman was telling the truth. She couldn't work out how she would know intimate details of her dream, or if this was some sort of manipulative trick, but Ally trusted her female intuition. She heard the panic running through this stranger's voice, she believed in this woman's concern, and for some strong strange compelling reason, Ally desperately needed to hear what she had to say. "There's a small coffee shop not far from here, let's go there and we can talk." The woman nodded her head; she seemed relieved that she'd convinced Ally to listen to her. They walked together to the coffee shop with Ally leading the way.

Once inside, the woman looked completely lost, like a tourist in a strange land unaware of the language, culture, and local customs. Again, Ally took the lead to ease the awkwardness of the situation. The young man behind the counter said, "Next," without diverting his eyes from the till as he sorted coins into their appropriate trays.

"Two medium sized coffees please," ordered Ally, as she fished for her money from within the wet pocket of her jeans. She handed the teenager some money and he dispensed her change from the till. With maximum efficiency, he delivered the change, grabbed two paper cups, filled the cups with coffee, and slid them across the counter, like a well-rehearsed choreographed dance routine. Ally retrieved her change sliding the coins back into her pocket, she grabbed each cup and turned to face an adjacent counter containing the sugar, milk, plastic lids and stir sticks. "What do you take in your coffee?" she inquired. The woman looked totally lost and not prepared to offer a reasonable answer. Ally smiled politely before turning to pour a little milk into both coffees. Ally nodded in the direction of a corner that housed an unoccupied table for two. She placed the coffees on the table and sat down pointing towards the other chair. The slimly built woman sat then stared at the strange steaming brown drink placed before her. Where should she start? How was she going to explain all of this to Ally?

"Ok," said Ally, sensing the uncertainty mounting from across the small round table, "what is this all about? Why is Dan in great danger? How do you know Dan, and where have you travelled from? How did you know about my arm? As you can see, I have many questions and I think it's about time you started talking, you need to give me some answers, you've got some explaining to do." Ally leaned forward with her elbows propped upon the table; she wrapped her hands around her strong steaming coffee cup.

The lady opposite nervously glanced to her sides, ensuring her next words would remain private and unheard, "This may sound strange to you, but I'm not from your world. I visited you in your dream as a child; I pinched your arm so tightly because I wanted to leave a mark, I needed a tangible way to convince you to follow my instructions, I needed a way for us to meet. I've come from another place, another time, and I live far away from here, I've travelled so very far to talk with you."

Ally leaned in closer and lowered her voice, "So you're an alien or a crackpot?"

The young woman straightened her back, "I'm not from your world, but I can move between worlds, between dimensions, I have a gift. I can will myself to exist in other worlds, and if I concentrate, I can even exist between worlds, like the space in your dreams." Ally thought this woman was a complete nutbar, but she was still intrigued, how did she know about the child, and the bruises on her arm?

"I can take on different forms, different appearances, but I lose my powers, which makes me very vulnerable. I've placed myself in great danger coming here to your world." Ally smiled, sure, great danger; everyone is in great danger – total nutbar.

"Why?" questioned Ally, "who's after you and what does this have to do with Dan?" Ally still couldn't be sure if this woman was serious or if she'd fallen victim to an intriguing scam by an eccentric fraudster. So far, she hadn't asked for any money.

"I'm a monk from another world, and another time, I've travelled from deep in the past before you were even born. My life's vocation is to gain powers and use them to fight the evil forces that exist in all of our worlds; Dan had a friend, a wise Indian man called Raj, did you know him?"

"Yes, Raj," affirmed Ally.

"Raj walked with a cane, but this was no ordinary cane, it possessed a mystical and ancient power designed to transport two people to other worlds, and other times; it's known as The Dream Cane. This intricate cane was engineered to exact dimensions, with precise specifications, crafted by the finest artisans in India. It has managed to survive intact and undamaged for hundreds of years; it was originally commissioned by a wealthy and devoted Maharaja as a gift for his wife. The cane allowed them to experience fabulous adventures together. The cane creates a portal, a tear in the fabric of time, to allow access to other worlds, and to travel across dimensions that exist in the different planes of time; it's a bit hard to explain. Dark evil forces constantly surround us, they always exist, and you've seen them in your paintings, art, movies, songs, and literature. These evil forces are real, and the fight between good and evil, light and dark, is most certainly very real. The darkest of forces would love to locate, and seize, The Dream Cane. It's up to us to stop them. In his will, Raj left his cane to Dan, this makes Dan a target for every evil demon, goblin, spirit or dark entity that exists. Dan could try to hide, fading away into anonymity here within your world, within this current time-period."

"But there's a problem with that, right?" suggested Ally, warming up to the credibility of this woman's story.

"Yes - a serious problem," she diverted her eyes cautiously towards her cup of steaming coffee, "when Raj was alive, Dan would partner with Raj in the eternal fight against evil. Dan assisted Raj in a specific mission that was personally important to me, and they fought side by side to release an honorable knight that had been trapped, turned into stone, by an evil witch's spell. I know what you're thinking - it sounds incredible, but it's all true, and you must believe me. As soon as Dan managed to free the knight, by breaking the spell, the evil forces of this world knew of Dan's existence, and eventually his location. They knew a gifted person, equipped to fight evil, was active and residing right here in this part of your world. His selfless act made him an instant target, alerting every evil force and dark entity to his presence. Dan is in grave danger, but he doesn't realize what he's now up against, and just how much danger he's in."

"I'm sorry, you're expecting me to believe all of this?" questioned Ally.

"I know, it's an incredible story, unbelievable, but you must trust and believe me, for we don't have much time, the knight that Dan released was immediately transported to another world, another realm. I'm the one responsible for this, for you see, I'm the one who helped Dan release the French knight; his name is Jean d'Alluye. We needed Jean to travel to a distant world, for he was the only one capable of killing three evil witches. The witches were plotting to devastate my realm, my world, and they intended to hand it over to the dark forces of evil destroying it forever - we couldn't let that happen. One of the witches was a beautiful temptress and an extremely powerful witch. She could captivate any man, but she was dangerous, nasty, and spiteful. Jean killed her, and the other two witches. Killing the temptress angered the most powerful witch in all realms - Elora. The temptress was Elora's sister; Elora is the oldest and most powerful evil witch that exists, even I fear Elora. Raj has passed away; bless him - but the quest for her sister's revenge is now squarely targeted upon Dan and Jean. As a bonus, her search will lead Elora to me."

"You?" interrupted Ally, clearly intrigued by the story.

She waited, as if reflecting upon her interruption, "Yes," she admitted, "me. I will always be in great danger, but I possess certain powers that I can use to protect myself. In your world, here, my powers are suppressed, muted, which makes me incredibly vulnerable, making it so dangerous for me to even be here. Jean can travel between realms, between different worlds, moving backwards and forwards in time. He can hide effectively, disappear at will, and adapt to different worlds. It's Dan that I'm so worried about," she paused wistfully, the feeling of guilt clearly written across her concerned face.

"So, let me get this straight, you recruited Dan to lead a dangerous mission to free a French knight. The knight killed three witches who were determined to destroy your world. The knight disappears leaving a grieving evil witch, hell bent on exacting revenge upon Dan for killing her sister, where Dan is now exposed, defenseless, and vulnerable. You've traveled here through my dreams to warn me but conveniently all your super powers have been removed when you landed on our planet and you can't help Dan. I'm sorry lady, this has been a fun and fascinating afternoon, in fact it's been great entertainment, the stuff great books are made of, but I know Dan and the boring life he leads. If I came up with a story like this, well, they'd cart me off to Elmsworth mental hospital and throw away the key. It was pretty entertaining though, worth a cup of coffee on a dreary rainy day." Ally smiled and sat back in her chair, folded her arms, and waited for the woman's terse response, what happened next caught her completely off guard.

The woman removed a few dark strands of wet hair from her face; she leaned forward across the small round coffee table. She had left the coffee untouched and still steaming from the cup placed in front of her. She reached carefully beyond the cup with both hands and held Ally's hand firmly. She removed a dull looking, green jade ring from her index finger and slid it firmly onto Ally's finger, despite Ally's protestations.

Ally felt a powerful surge of energy shoot through her body, like a bolt had energized every cell, every nerve ending, and heightened every sense. When she regained control of her senses, she looked around the café trying to make sense of her surroundings. It was clear that Ally wasn't sitting in the cozy café anymore; she appeared to be sitting on a wooden pew, a worn bench in the middle of a large stone church. She glanced upwards at the vaulted ceilings painted with scenes of the eternal battle of light versus darkness, good versus evil, and demons versus angels. Stained glass windows glistened with vibrant colors as the light streamed through illuminating pictures depicted in blue, yellow, red, and green. She marveled at the scenes with religious men dressed in brown monk robes carrying ornamental canes, orbs, and books adorned with fancy designs. She heard music, an organ accompanied by the sounds of chanting, emanating from the front of the church, but she couldn't see any signs of life. She touched the smooth worn wooden bench, as if to confirm it was real and not a dream. A monk in a long brown robe approached slowly, his face hidden by his hood. He walked in a methodical way, navigating his path from the front of the church, as beautiful chanting melodies filled the air.

The monk approached calmly and entered Ally's row of wooden benches. He walked slowly and deliberately towards her before sitting next to her while facing the front, his hood still hiding his face. In a low deep voice, he began to speak, "My child, you need to believe that your life is going to change beyond your imagination, and it's normal to have doubts and questions, but if you resist and fight this change, it will destroy you. If you embrace the light, and the forces of good, then all of this will become clear. You'll see things that you've always suspected were real, because you believe in fanciful things." The monk slowly turned his head to reveal an unshaven face covered in dark stubble, a large scar running from his eye to his chin, and the most piercing blue eyes Ally had ever seen. "Dan needs you, more than ever. Come with me quickly."

The monk rose and walked towards the direction of the back of the church; as if connected by an invisible cord Ally followed uncontrollably. They walked past wooden benches organized in rows; they passed two large brass stands that supported numerous flickering candles, their flames swaying rhythmically in the drafty hall. They entered a smaller part of the church, it was narrower, older, and the stone floor was rougher and uneven. A smooth section had been worn into the stone by the feet of many monks over hundreds of years. They approached a large double door made of solid oak and the monk gave the blackened iron handle an almighty tug. The door swung open creaking upon its heavy hinges. He didn't wait; he walked into the opening with some haste, dutifully followed by Ally. Behind the large door was a smaller square shaped room with another set of large wooden doors secured by two thick iron bolts that slid into a hole bored into the stone surround.

Cold air whistled into the room from the direction of the second set of doors. The monk unbolted one of the doors swinging it open and stepping into the blustery cold air beyond. Ally followed exiting the church without questioning the monk's motives. Immediately the surrounding air temperature dropped to an uncomfortable level as she found herself outside of the church and walking across an uneven paved stone patio. She followed the monk to a dark colored stone retaining wall and realized she was standing on an observation point high in the mountains, above the wispy clouds that floated by innocently below. Dark jagged rock faces plunged to a raging river with rapids crashing through the rocks and the valley below. Ally instinctively clutched the edges of her coat together to offer some protection from the biting wind, as her rain-soaked denim jeans seemed to freeze to her thighs. "What is this place?" she wondered, her words tumbling from her mouth in the extreme cold.

"This is the Monastery of Light, a holy place, it's a sacred place where we train our warriors with the skills needed to fight the forces of evil. Those are the mountains of Haitden and the brave woman who brought you here, risked her life to find you. She cares deeply about Dan, and she feels responsible for his wellbeing - we know you do too." The cold wind increased and whistled by whipping Ally's hair as she tried to pull at the protection offered by the hood of her coat, "Dan's a special boy, I know how brave and intelligent he is, and I'd be proud to fight alongside him once again. Ally, you're special too, you just don't know why yet. Certain people throughout history can be trained, they practice and refine their special skills required to fight the forces of evil – for that, they come here. A few, and only a few, are inexplicably born with these talents, and that's very rare! You and Dan are meant to be together, for destiny has chosen you both to fight evil, and we need you to listen to us carefully; let us guide you, now, give me your hands."

Ally gingerly extracted her cold shaking hands from the warmth provided by her coat pockets and held them out for the monk as instructed. He held her hand, selecting the one with the jade ring, and placed both of his thumbs upon the ring. A familiar exhilarating surge of energy rushed through Ally's body jolting her back to reality and causing her to fall from her café chair. She regained her faculties quickly when she discovered her limp body sprawled upon the shiny floor of the coffee house. She felt rather silly attracting the attention of a few patrons who reacted to the sudden noise by casually glancing over at Ally's crumpled body lying in a heap on the bright tiled floor. Ally pulled herself back onto her chair and pretended to dust herself off with as much dignity as possible. The patrons unsurprisingly went back to their business, chatting, reading, and daydreaming, while getting their coffee fix.

"My ring please," demanded the slender framed woman sitting opposite Ally by extending her expectant hand. Ally slipped off the green jade ring and slid it across the smooth varnished wooden table. Little sparks of energy seemed to flare out from the surface and into the air like a miniature firework display. The woman grabbed at the jade ring and placed it quickly upon her finger.

"Where was that place?" inquired Ally, now a believer.

"You were transported to another realm, another world, it wasn't on this Earth. You see, we all exist together in this vast universe, but we co-exist across time and space; we must work together, all of us, if we're going to defeat the unrelenting forces of evil. For as long as time and memory serve, we have always been in an external struggle with the forces of evil. My dear Ally, I had to do something like that, so you'd take me seriously. You visited the Monastery of Light, located high in the mountain peaks of Haitden, where we train the monks to fight evil – its where I was trained."

Ally rubbed her face in dis-belief, her cheeks were still cold from the mountains winds, "Who was that man, the monk I spoke with?"

"That was Kaan, he's a good friend of mine, and he's a close friend of Dan," she watched as Ally raised her head, suddenly realizing she knew nothing of Dan's secret life.

Ally's thoughts turned to the stone monastery and how cold and windy it had been nestled so high in the mountains. She thought about Kaan, before turning her thoughts to Dan - how long had Dan led this double life? "Ok, I'm totally confused, and a little weirded out; I don't know how you did that, but now I'm a believer, you've seriously gotten my attention - what do we do next?

The thin framed lady calmly adjusted her old fashioned clothing and made herself comfortable, "Now – it's your turn to listen," she said confidently, her demeanor had changed, she seemed more confident knowing she'd managed to get Ally's full attention. "I have a lot more to tell you and you have a lot more to learn. This information will be really important for you, so you have to concentrate, and I'll try to explain."

Ally nodded keenly, taking a deep breath and blinking rapidly with a mixture of excitement and anticipation.

"There's a reason why I have the ability to communicate with you through your dreams, why you are susceptible to this type of approach. There's a reason why you're strongly drawn to certain topics and stories, for example the assignment you're currently working on for school."

"The Pendle Hill witches," Ally interjected.

"Yes," said the woman flashing Ally an irritated look, "the Pendle Hill witches. This is an interesting story, today it's told as two families fighting for the right to practice spells and witchcraft. They were all hanged because of testimony given from the chief witness, the young daughter of one of the families."

"Jennet Device," stated Ally, taking great pride in the fact that she'd remembered the child's name from her research. "Her foul-mouthed mother blatantly denied that Jennet was her daughter at the trial."

The thin lady glanced to each side, and lowered her voice, "That's because she wasn't her daughter, the foul-mouthed mother was telling the truth. The witches were unsophisticated and relatively harmless, but the mother was evil and dangerous. Her powers were growing, and, if left unchecked, she could have evolved and eventually have the power to develop a coven that would become very dangerous for your world. We needed to stop her, and our weapon of choice was the young girl - Jennet. Jennet was one of ours, a young girl from another time."

"Oh, now I get it," said Ally, adjusting a strand of hair intruding onto her face, "Jennet, was you?" stated Ally confidently.

Ally observed a smile, "No, not quite, Jennet wasn't me. She was actually a good witch, a white witch as they're known; now brace yourself, are you ready for this?" She didn't pause or wait for Ally's answer, but she noticed Ally had a sparkle of curiosity in her eyes, "the white witch Jennet, was your great great-grandmother to be exact. Jennet is part of your lineage, and that's why you're special and so important to us. That's the reason why you're so drawn towards the topic of witches and specifically this story - it's in your history. Ally, don't you get it - you're a white witch, a good witch. You possess the dormant powers that are now awakening, and you don't even know what you're capable of yet, including the ability to travel between realms. There's a reason why you and Dan are attracted towards each other, your vibrations are in harmony, and therefore you must help Dan. I know it's a lot to take in, but Ally; we just need to help you develop your powers. You must understand, good witches are extremely rare; I'm not talking about mumbo jumbo spells and stuff you can learn from a book. You are part of a long lineage and you have this special gift. People like you are extremely precious - your destiny is set."

Ally's mouth hung open, she finally crinkled her forehead in disbelief, "So my Mum's a witch also?" Ally asked lowering her voice.

The thin lady shook her head glancing from side to side, "No, I'm afraid not. The gene can lay dormant for a long time and can skip entire generations."

Ally leaned across the round table, she whispered, "How do you know I'm a white witch, I mean, that my powers and lineage are active?"

The thin lady whispered back, "I have many gifts, and I can see your aura, your energy, it shines brightly. I know who you are, and I've used my gifts to enter your unconscious thoughts, your dreams. I know many things - you'll have to trust me Ally, I know a white witch when I see one," she said smiling an assured smile.

"A white witch," Ally echoed, shaking her head, "Sorry I'm still trying to process that information; that's a good witch, right? I mean, I'm destined to fight evil right?"

The woman nodded, "Yes, but first you have to focus and help me, to help Dan."

Ally leaned back in her chair reeling from the recent information she'd just been exposed to, "This morning when I left the house, I was unaware and blissfully ignorant, then I meet you and you tell me you're not from this world. You tell me my boyfriend has a cane that can transport him to different worlds. You tell me I'm a white witch that's apparently something darn special. You tell me tales of other creatures in other realms and I'm suddenly zapped from sitting having a coffee with you to some freezing monastery perched on top of some snowbound mountains in an instant. How can my life ever be the same again? Yet you side step my most basic question - who are you and what is your name?"

"If I tell you, then I'll place you in great danger," she whispered.

"Sounds like you've done that already. By knowing what I now know, am I not in more danger than before?" Ally looked to her side to see if her words had been overheard.

"True."

Ally cut her off impatiently, "Your name?"

The thin lady leaned as far back as she could in her chair, took a deep breath, and paused, just for a moment, "My name is Rose, I was abandoned as a baby girl in the third realm many years ago. I was fortunate, the monks at the Monastery of Light decided to take me in and generously taught me their ways. I was gifted and adapted and embraced their teachings easily. Today, I possess powers that I've honed and perfected to fight evil forces, with a power to shift my form and appearance between realms. My name is Rose, but only three people in this vast universe knows that, people call me the Crocodile Queen."

Ally stared at the thin oriental woman accompanying her at a coffee shop in her home town, she waited for a punch line to round off this joke, but it never came, "The Crocodile Queen? Why?"

"It's a long story, but I'll try to keep it short for you, I live within the Third Realm, another world or a parallel universe to Earth, which is the Fifth Realm. Your boyfriend Dan, has visited me in the Third Realm, he knows it well. My life has been dedicated to protecting this realm from the constant attempts of invading evil forces who'd like nothing more than to eradicate me. I've struck an unusual accord with the large crocodiles that inhabit the river where I live. In my realm their exceptionally intelligent and evolved creatures, more intelligent and cosmically aware than the local inhabitants realize. They protect me, guard me, and keep me safe." Her eyes lifted from the table in defiance, "It's because of this strange accord that the locals call me the Crocodile Queen. They make up all sorts of strange and fancy tales, but enough about me, I still have to tell you why I've compromised your safety and why it's so vitally important that you help Dan."

* * * * *

Across town, Dan had already eaten breakfast, he'd talked to Ally and decided to go back to bed to sleep off his restless night. His body felt sore, and he felt relieved that Ally had cancelled their morning plans. Liz had already left their apartment anticipating another day with Brian, and a further chance to build upon their relationship. Dan had promised his mother that he would focus on his homework, but he fully intended to sleep off his restless night. Once Liz had left, it didn't take Dan long before his exhausted body lapsed into a deep restful sleep.

As the fog inside Dan's head cleared, he found himself in a forest surrounded by lush green leaves; he could feel the heat in the air and his sticky sweat beading upon his skin. He heard the birds calling from above and the sound of their wings as they flapped their feathers furiously. His senses were heightened as he focused on the sound of a common fly buzzing by his shoulder. A gentle breeze swayed the trees ahead, making that soothing rustling noise, and providing a welcoming cool wave of air. His eyes caught a slight movement to his right as a small monkey hung from a limb grasping on to the tree's rough bark. Dan noticed a tingling sensation occurring in his feet, it was subtle at first and easy to overlook, but for some reason he felt it again causing him to glance down. At first, he saw the occasional wisp of gray in the air, like the string of a small cloud rushing by his feet. The birds above took flight, delivering a noisy protest as the monkey scurried away too. What started as gray wisps now became thicker and soon the clouds of fog strung together forming ground cover. Within seconds, the density had increased; Dan could not see his feet. Below his ankles Dan was now standing in thick rushing fog. What was this? Where had this come from? The trees started to wilt and die, lush green leaves shriveled up in front of his eyes. The leaves curled up before turning a nasty brown color, blowing away as dust in the wind.

Suddenly, the forest went deafeningly quiet, as the daylight rapidly faded, plunging the forest into complete darkness as if nightfall had come in an instant. Dan was alone, scared, and disoriented. He couldn't see anything around him, and the quietness was deafening. His feet felt unusually heavy, as if anchored to the ground by some immovable force. He heard a faint but recognizable noise, like dirt being shuffled around by an idle boot. He glanced down at his feet realizing the ground had started to move, to his surprise the soil opened to reveal a dark ominous shape. Dan tried to jump back, to jump away from the emerging shape, but his feet seemed fastened as if glued to the forest floor. He struggled vigorously, trying to twist and buck his terrified body to move away.

Suddenly a pair of dirty, soil stained, muscular arms shot out from the dirt, oversized hands and fingers with long sharp fingernails attacked him. These were not human hands, with Dan's limited vision; he could just make out their shape. They looked like the hands of a reptile or a beast from a low-grade horror movie. Like weeds growing in fertile soil, numerous hands and arms started to burst through from the dense soil covering the forest floor. Dan panicked; he struggled with greater ferocity to free himself from his seemingly invisible restraints. His futile attempts to run had caused him to lose his balance falling to the ground and offering himself to the mercy of the clutching, grasping hands, that lay in wait.

He wriggled and twisted, but the dirt covered razor-like nails scratched and sliced at his body, tearing at his flesh while wounding his legs, arms, and abdomen. Dan screamed in pain, he needed to stop this, he needed to break the cycle and wake up immediately! Dan instinctively knew this was an uncomfortable dream, but with each progressive nightmare, his experience was becoming more realistic. There were no fuzzy details, no glossed over parts, and no gaps in the experience, his senses were crystal clear; he could hear sounds acutely, he could smell his complex surroundings, and he could see everything in vivid color and clarity. It scared him.

The disturbing part to his evolving nightmares was he could feel the pain inflicted upon him, as if the pain was real. Dan struggled to wake himself, writhing and tossing between his sweat soaked sheets. Finally, damaged, wounded, and bleeding, the slashing of claw-like nails ceased, the arms withdrew back into the dirt of the forest floor. Dan lay silent, he was in excruciating pain, his bleeding motionless body resting upon the forest floor. Then he heard something he would never forget, in the pitch-black darkness of the forest, the deafening silence was broken by a deep guttural howl that reverberated for miles around. It was unmistakable, sending a wave of fresh panic racing through Dan's body. Dan recognized the howl instantly, it was a Karcon, and judging from the howl, he knew it was a big one. Jolted by the terrifying sound, Dan managed to force open his eyes, he stared at the flush mounted light fixture positioned in the center of his bedroom ceiling. He focused upon its shape desperately trying to get his eyes to work, like adjusting an out of focus camera lens.

Gradually Dan regained his senses, he rubbed his face brushing the sleepy residue away from the corners of his tired eyes, that's when he noticed his hands were stained red with dried blood. Dan leapt out of bed to examine himself in his bedroom mirror. As he landed on his bedroom floor his leg gave out beneath him, a shooting pain surged into his hip with his body buckling from its own weight, crumbling to the floor. He yelped as he fell into a messy heap unable to stand. Dan stared at his legs, they were crimson red covered in scratches and deep painful wounds that spiraled up from his ankles to his stomach, "What the hell?" he questioned. Dan was covered in scratches, cuts, and unsightly oozing wounds, "Jesus!" he said, hauling his limp body to its feet again. Dan made it to the bathroom where he examined his whole body trying desperately to clean himself up. Examining his tired face in the mirror, he noticed a small scratch on his cheek, below the dark circles forming below his eyes. He looked awful and he knew it. How would he be able to keep this from his mother and Ally? What the hell was going on with him and how could he stop this?

Dan's dreams were getting scarier and more realistic each night. A macabre thought raced through his mind; if he were to die in one of his dreams, would he really die? - "Damn," he said out loud, splashing water on his face and staring at himself in the mirror, "I'm in really bad shape here."

Dan spent the rest of the day dressing his wounds and figuring out the best way to conceal them using his clothes. For the first time in a long while he felt scared, his thoughts turned to Raj. How he longed to walk across the hall, flop down in one of those comfy chairs, and have a good conversation about this with Raj - he would know what to do. He was alone, and he missed Raj terribly. Dan couldn't talk to anyone about this, what would he say? He could see it now, telling someone that he's visited other worlds, talked to animals, fought dangerous evil beasts, and helped kill witches! He'd soon find himself living within a padded cell, likely drugged up to protect the world and himself. Dan knew he'd have to fight this, but how?

* * * * *

In fourteenth century Japan, a powerful warlord ordered a woman killed, she lived in a remote section of a small village now known today as Yokohama. The villagers were afraid of this woman, she reportedly mumbled in a strange language, collected herbs, flowers, bark, weeds, and animal parts from the surrounding forests. The local children were afraid to look at her, for she would bark at them when they came near, she was afraid of their innocence. After numerous complaints, the warlord decided to act, and ordered his guards to remove and eradicate this woman, restoring harmony to the village, and its inhabitants. No one knew her history; when she first arrived on the outskirts of the village, nobody knew her family lineage, or where she'd travelled from. Nobody took the time to ask, but stories about this woman soon became plentiful as the fear and paranoia that surrounded this mysterious woman grew. It was reported that she had powers, evil powers.

This legend is still told today, three guards were dispatched to deal with the woman. They confronted her at home while she ground herbs into a powder; the use for this powder was never established. Some say the powder was to incite delirious behavior, but information surrounding this poor mysterious woman is now unsubstantiated. The three guards forced the woman to the river's edge where she was drowned in an unprovoked attack. The village created a song about this welcomed event, but the tune has long since been forgotten. The lyrics described how she screamed out in pain and struggled wildly as she protested her innocence when the cold clear water engulfed her. For a while parents would threaten their children with her evil spirit and the imminent prospect of their dreams being haunted if they continued to misbehave. An old manuscript hung in a village tearoom showing an illustration of a specter hovering over a sleeping child while haunting their dreams. As time passed, and memories faded, the song was totally forgotten, the manuscript was reduced to ashes, lost in a great fire, and the legend of the strange woman was forgotten. Today it sounds ridiculous, but there was a time, in a fourteenth century Japanese village, where the prospect of a visit from the Ochitacki was a serious threat.

Japanese warlords, and their ability to exercise control over vast parts of the country, were common throughout Japan's storied and complex history. The warlord who sanctioned the killing was found murdered in his bed, his throat was cut from ear to ear, and he suffered excruciating wounds in the form of deep slashes inflicted across his legs, back, and abdomen. Strangely, his hands and feet were severed. It was strange for two reasons; first, it was a mark of the highest disrespect. Second, these horrific wounds, and mutilations, were conducted with the utmost skill and stealth. As the warlord slept, two of his concubines were soundly asleep within the same bed. Neither heard the attack nor felt the victim's frantic struggles. Neither was alerted to the atrocities occurring under their very noses within the bed they shared. When they awoke that morning, the warlord's blood-soaked bed jolted them from their slumber, screaming to alert the guards. The guards ever watchful vigil had been breached. No sword or weapon could be found within the warlord's room and no forced entry. To preserve the warlord's honor the details of his demise were suppressed, unfortunately, both concubines were killed to cover up the atrocities committed.

A story was immediately fabricated, and quickly circulated to cover up the failings of the royal guard; the new story pointed the finger at the neighboring warlord, it was said that he successfully dispatched a stealthy assassin; this fabrication initiated a fifty-year war. Many of the residents of Yokohama secretly believed in a very different story. In quiet corners, darkened alleys, and secluded tearooms, they would often talk of Ochitacki; the spirit ghost who attacked the warlord through his dreams. Stories and legends always evolve over time, often forgotten, and then resurrected in a different form; it is part of our culture and becomes engrained within our history, where different generations have replayed the same common themes. Elora possessed a cruel and vengeful soul; when witches from her coven were killed, she took pleasure in exacting her revenge, inflicting fatal wounds while her victims slept. She would possess them, slowly infiltrating their dreams, and turning them into their own worst nightmare. Every creature needs to sleep, and even though they may try to resist it, she will inevitably get another chance to attack her victim. Elora would gradually gain more power until she controlled her victim's unconscious mind. Then she would architect scenarios within the mind where actual harm was manifested upon the victim's body.

The strong of body and the young of age, were best equipped to fight the forces that Elora exerted, their bodies would be covered in bruises and scratches. Inevitably, as the body suffers this pain it weakens, it demands sleep to heal the trauma, and in that weakened state, Elora would strike again. She would inflict deep cuts, this would be followed by infections, often more severe trauma would occur such as the cutting of throats, strangulation, and decapitation, all resulting in certain death. Few had the power to muster an adequate defense against Elora. When a good white witch grew in power, Elora would make it her obsession to locate the white witch, no matter what realm she would reside in or travel to, Elora would be determined to eradicate this potentially growing threat. Elora had heard of a new white witch, from an impressive bloodline that would inevitably grow in power. Humans and citizens across the realms were often predictable, more alike than they cared to admit, when an individual starts to emerge blessed with special powers, inevitably they would use those powers for good, for the betterment of their kind. People of all realms like to celebrate these acts through song, fables, and artwork. Eventually, their fascination with good will lead the dark forces to the location and often identity of such individuals. When they're found, they're systematically eliminated before their powers can grow dangerously strong.

It came to Elora's attention that a white witch, an established powerful witch, had moved across realms, she could move effortlessly along timelines and her powers were growing, she'd managed to carefully conceal her identity and location. Elora had decided the best way to locate this white witch was to follow the chain of people associated with her stories; it was this strategy that led her to Dan.

* * * * * *

It was colder in the apartment than Dan liked, but he decided to take full advantage of this, instead of turning up the heat, a normal reaction on a damp windy day, he decided to use the weather as a factor in his concealment plan. Dan covered his battered, scratched, and bruised body, with multiple layers of clothing, culminating in a thick bulky woolen sweater. When Liz finally got home, Dan hid his injuries underneath his clothing layers until she turned up the heat. Dan tried to act as normal as he could, before retreating to his bedroom, making a big show about working on his school assignment. It was starting to get late and Dan was barely managing to keep his eyes open, he could feel the panic rising within his body, he was fighting his sheer exhaustion and his immune system was weakened.

It was around 6.45pm, the light was fading rapidly outside when Dan heard an unexpected knock at the door. Feeling sore, and riddled with pain, Dan could barely stand to see who it was. He tried to control his breathing, straining to hear the muffled conversation taking place when Liz answered the door, she was talking with a visitor. When Liz got excited, her voice raised both in tone and in volume. Although her voice was muffled, Dan could tell she sounded excited as she welcomed a visitor, the conversation had a familiar tone, like Liz knew this person - who was it? Dan strained to hear the words, but it was all too muffled. Dan could hear the pounding of his own blood as it coursed through the veins of his battered, swollen, ears.

There was a soft tap on Dan's bedroom door, then Liz opened it cautiously, "Dan, you have a visitor," said Liz, peering around a half-opened door with a silly awkward grin plastered upon her face.

Liz continued to open Dan's bedroom door, Dan's eyes widened, he was not expecting visitors or the sight that unfolded before him.

* * * * *

The Fifth Realm - Earth

Chapter 3: Back in Business.

Westtown, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.

"Life is full of unexpected gifts, just untie the ribbons."

Dan stared through his open bedroom door, squinting his eyes and trying to reconcile what he saw. It was Ally, looking pretty and shy, on a Sunday evening visiting his apartment unannounced. Ally never came over to the apartment; she'd gone out of her way to avoid meeting his mother and made every possible excuse to avoid such a visit. Why was she here? Was something seriously wrong? All Dan could muster as a response while entrenched in his shocked state was, "Hi Ally, what are you doing here?"

Ally improvised, "I swear he'd leave his head somewhere if it weren't permanently attached," she said laughing, and turning her sparkling eyes towards Liz, "remember it's been raining all day, so we decided to spend an hour tonight going through the school assignment, remember, so we don't look like total idiots tomorrow at school. We both agreed this morning to wait until the rain stopped, and I said I would come over to your place when it eased up - remember? You don't, do you?"

"Err," Dan didn't remember at all, in fact he was completely sure that this was a lie, but he didn't know how to react. The words seemed to spill from his mouth uncontrollably, "Oh sure, I remember now," he said, unconvincingly. Liz gave him that knowing smile, for she knew that Ally had the measure of Dan already, and she really liked Ally. It's a tricky dynamic when a girl starts to get between a mother and her son.

"Well? are we going to stand here all night, or are you going to invite me in?" inquired Ally, flashing that knowing look at Liz again. It was as if the two women had a secret code and the joke was on him.

"Oh yes, sorry - come in," stuttered Dan, wondering what was happening.

Liz gave Ally another knowing smile, as Ally pushed her way forward and started to take off her backpack and coat. Dan sheepishly closed the door to his bedroom as Ally took a seat at the small bedroom desk. She crossed her legs and smiled at Dan with her eyes sparkling with mischief.

Dan sat on his bed facing her, he lowered his voice, "What the hell are you doing here? What's going on?"

Ally raised her finger to her lips making a gesture of silence, "Shhhh." She lowered her voice and leaned over towards Dan, he was close enough to smell the scent from her shampoo coming from her damp hair. "I have three words for you, so listen carefully; the Crocodile Queen." Ally sat back and watched the look of sheer panic and confusion spread across Dan's face.

There was a knock at his bedroom door, breaking their gaze and distracting their attention, "I'm so sorry to interrupt you two," said Liz peering around the door inquisitively, "I don't know where I left my manners. Ally dear, would you like anything? A hot tea, coffee, or water perhaps? Are you hungry?"

"Oh thanks Mrs. Proctor, I've already eaten dinner and I'm good thanks."

"Well just give me a shout if you need anything, I'll be right out here." It was a friendly gesture that was far too subtle for Dan to comprehend, but Liz had given Ally a gentle reminder that this was her house, and no funny business would be tolerated. Liz smiled to herself, taking great delight in Dan's totally vacant expression. Liz closed the door and Dan regrouped his thoughts.

"I don't know what you're talking about?" he said, fidgeting nervously, "the Crocodile Queen, is that a band?"

"You can stop the lying, I know all about her. Today, a strange oriental woman visited me; she called herself the Crocodile Queen. She met me in the pouring rain at the park, and we spent all morning together talking over coffee. I know about you and Raj, about the different realms and The Dream Cane. I know about Jean, Kaan and the three witches. The Crocodile Queen told me about her past, and more importantly, how much danger you're in. We don't have much time and you're going to have to trust me, she said she gave you a book, do you still have it?"

Dan's bottom lip had dropped a couple of inches, the secrets he'd worked so hard to keep from Ally had all been stripped away and exposed within thirty seconds of Ally entering his bedroom. She seemed so calm like she was reading a recipe or a train schedule, "You simply believed this person?"

Ally was irritated, Dan was avoiding her straightforward question and going off on his own tangent without listening to her. Was this a trait that all men were born with? "Focus - do you have this book or not?"

"Yes, it's here in my room."

"Then give it to me quickly - now."

Dan scampered to his closet and rummaged within a drawer to retrieve the book, he reluctantly handed it over to Ally. Ally opened the thick leather-bound cover and turned fifteen pages, as she'd been instructed to do. Her eyes fell upon a short verse written in the most beautiful of italics with the finest of ink. Illustrations of swirling clouds, angels, and cherubs, decorated the margins of the page, Ally raised her beautiful eyes and set the book down gently within her lap. She raised her finger to her lips again and then began to read aloud, motioning for Dan to abandon his perch on the side of his bed, and to come closer. Dan scooted across the bedroom carpet gingerly and still in pain to get to Ally.

"Ipsus diem batte havnat elmtar dar tarras," she raised her eyes again, this time peering beyond the book to focus on Dan with a flashing glance. Dan remained motionless. It was the first time she had uttered words in the old language, but they seemed eerily familiar, as if she'd said them before.

Ally continued to chant the phrase over, and over again, in this powerful long forgotten language from the old world. A bright golden column of light started to shoot from a design painted onto the parchment. Sparkling particles of gold leaf rose like buzzing fireflies catching an imaginary thermal air current. They swirled and circled, gathering into a thicker, brighter, beam. Ally placed her palm facing downward to absorb some of the rising energy, "Quickly," she hissed, "place your hand on top of mine." Dan followed her instructions as the warmth of the golden light seeped through his hand before spreading throughout his entire body. Dan experienced an inner warmth, a powerful healing energy. Eventually the beam was broken, with a thousand small golden particles falling back into the parchment of the book, like tiny bee's returning to their hive.

Ally looked pleased with her efforts, she moved her hand and folded the heavy book's binding, it closed with an audible thud. Dan felt warm and at ease, "What have you just done?" he inquired sheepishly.

"Hopefully," Ally said, letting the word hang carelessly in the air, "I've just cast a protective spell, my first ever spell. This will stop your nightmares and prevent any more wounds to your body," Ally looked at Dan knowingly and she seemed pleased with herself.

"You know about my nightmares and my injuries?" questioned Dan, clearly confused.

Ally nodded and smiled, "The Crocodile Queen has told me many things, I know more about why this is happening to you, than you do."

Dan let out an audible sigh of relief, like a great weight had suddenly been removed from his tired and bruised shoulders, "Why didn't the Crocodile Queen just come and visit me?" Ally crinkled her nose in annoyance, she felt like he didn't want her to be involved? "I mean, she's put you squarely in danger now, hasn't she?"

Ally parked her annoyance, "I really need you to listen to me and don't interrupt. First, put this book under your pillow and keep it there, every night, without fail," she said, extending her arms and handing Dan the heavy book. Dan complied without question, moving to his bed and sliding the heavy book under his pillow as instructed. When Dan moved he did so with ease, the pain he'd felt from his injuries had simply melted away.

"Done," he said, with a touch of sarcasm.

"Good, now listen carefully to me again. You and Raj released a knight, the one who killed three witches," Dan nodded in agreement, thankful he could finally share his stories with someone who wouldn't think he'd lost his mind. "One of the witches, the pretty one, was very powerful. Wendy was her name. Turns out that Wendy was the sister of the biggest bitch witch you could ever meet, and she's clearly not pleased that she's lost her sister. The bitch witch, is called Elora, and now she's going to stop at nothing until she gets her revenge. Eventually, she wants to kill the Crocodile Queen, but she's going to start with you, then Kaan, then Jean, and eventually you'll lead her to her prize - the Crocodile Queen herself. Elora attacks you through your dreams, through your fears, and your nightmares. She can harm you and hurt you badly; eventually she'll kill you. She's done this before, countless times over the centuries, and she'll do it again. The Crocodile Queen came to visit me for a reason, she explained it to me, and she knew you were not equipped to survive an attack from Elora on your own. She told me I'm here to help you, I'm here to help you survive Dan."

"I still don't understand why she told you about Raj and I; why would she put you at risk by exposing you to all of this stuff, the different realms and the Dream Cane. I'm glad she did, but I can't believe she put you in such danger?"

Ally took a deep breath, "It's our destiny." She stared at him defiantly, he knew better than to question her statement, "There's another thing that I haven't told you about yet," Dan's downward stare suddenly lifted in curiosity, "It's about my family history, my genes, and my lineage; the Crocodile Queen informed me that I'm a white witch, a good witch. I still have a lot to learn, but I was happy with my first protective spell!"

Dan smiled, "You're a white witch," Dan held Ally's gaze as he stared deeply into her eyes.

His concentration was broken by a loud tapping noise, followed by a louder banging noise, emanating from Dan's bedroom closet. They both heard the sound, moving their eyes to the origin of the sound. Dan cautiously approached his closet door; he slid the mirrored door open carefully along its rail. A brilliantly bright crimson light shot into the bedroom as small diamond shapes raced across the walls, illuminating the ceiling, like an old-fashioned disco ball. The Dream Cane seemed to leap out of the bedroom closet under its own volition, as if powered by a powerful rocket. The cane flew, sliding across the thick carpet, and finally coming to rest with its decorative glowing ball shaped knob pointing straight at Ally. Dan's mouth gaped in astonishment, he knew the Dream Cane was very choosy around whom it selected. This action was a clear signal to him that Ally had been selected to replace Raj as his partner.

The blinding bright light emanating from the Dream Cane's crimson ball started to fade as the intensity of the light dulled behind the dark red rubies set deep within the cane's globe, "Wow, that's the Dream Cane, right?" inquired Ally.

"Yes, and it appears to like you, it's selected you to replace Raj as my new partner."

"Partner," said Ally, her voice rising in a teasing way, "I like the sound of that," she said smiling.

Dan blushed, he could feel the heat of his blood flushing his cheeks, he turned away in embarrassment pretending to close the sliding closet door. "This is serious Ally, it means you and I will operate the Dream Cane. We'll go on adventures together, but I need to explain this carefully to you, it has a few ground rules, well actually, a lot of ground rules. I don't have time to go through them all right now, but tell me more about this white witch thing?"

"Not much to tell," said Ally, shrugging her shoulders as she carefully examined the intricate Dream Cane, she turned it with both hands trying to inspect the carvings, "I was told by the Crocodile Queen that I was a white witch, a good witch. She told me it was in my genes, my family lineage, or something like that. This ability can skip certain generations but apparently, I have it. It connects me to something larger, something good, and it gives me the ability to cast spells, as you've just seen," she said, sweeping her hand as if pointing to a spell she'd just cast. She placed the cane gently back upon the carpeted floor. "I have an ability, and apparently that's why I'm so fascinated with, and drawn to, stories of witches and times gone by. We're running out of time tonight, but I can explain more later. Right now, I'm the best shot you have; you'll need a partner to fight Elora. Dan, I will do everything I possibly can to protect you, but as the Crocodile Queen has told me, when it comes to witching, I'm a complete novice. I think the Crocodile Queen means, I have a lot of potential, but I still have a lot to learn, and I'm not sure who's going to teach me?"

Dan listened carefully, "Remember the day I had that fight at school?"

"Yes," but you shouldn't be proud of that," Ally looked confused and serious.

"The reason I won that fight is down to this," Dan reached forward and touched the Dream Cane. "When you go on an adventure, it's like you assume the attributes of a character, like an actor in a movie. The only difference is, you retain all the experiences and all the skills, of that character afterwards. If you're a warrior in your adventure, then you retain the warrior's fighting skills, they never leave you. Perhaps the Dream Cane has plans for you, around your white witch education -who knows?"

"You might be right, listen it's getting late, you'll be safe tonight as long as you sleep with the book under your pillow. Don't leave it there in the morning though, you'll have to hide it again ok?" Ally pointed to the closet.

Dan agreed, "I will."

"Good, we both have a lot to catch up on, so we'll need to talk some more tomorrow at school. I have to go now," Ally leaned forward and did something that caught Dan completely by surprise. She moved her face towards Dan, stopping inches from his mouth and closing her eyes. For a fleeting moment, a cloudy fog rushed through Dan's brain, as he asked himself what she was doing? For an instant Dan felt foolish and inexperienced, then he seemed to take charge, understand, and moved forward to kiss Ally with as much passion as he could muster.

It was Ally who finally broke off the kiss, leaping to her feet in one fluid movement, "I need to go now. She opened the bedroom door, her body buzzing from their first kiss, and called out to Liz who was watching TV in the living room. "Thanks Mrs. Proctor, I have to go now before its gets too late, I'll see you at school tomorrow Dan, thanks for your help," she said, fooling nobody.

Liz leapt to her feet, "Oh ok, are you going to be ok getting home Ally?"

"Yes, no problem," she said, struggling to get her arm into her coat in a hurry, aware of the blush racing to her cheeks.

"Ok, well come again anytime, it's really nice to have visitors, I mean, for Dan to have visitors," Liz stumbled awkwardly over her words trying to be friendly.

"Thanks Mrs. Proctor, have a good night."

Liz moved closer to Ally, "Good night love, and please call me Liz," she said, with a genuine smile. Ally smiled back politely.

Dan watched Ally leave with his mouth hanging open and his head swirling. Liz noticed her son's besotted look, she laughed discreetly at the effect this beautiful vibrant young woman exiting their apartment had on Dan.

* * * * *

The Sixth Realm - Bardonia

Chapter 4: Desperate Times.

Crescent Island, Bardonia.

"The difference between perseverance and obstinacy is that one comes from a strong will; and the other from a strong won't."

The sun had beaten a hasty retreat far beyond the wooden tree line to travel across the sky high above the crocodile infested waters of Crescent Island; the shadows were growing longer as patches of darkness snuffed out the persistent light valiantly trying to shine through the trees. The Crocodile Queen paced impatiently across the dark stone floor of the great hall while she waited for her visitor. She was desperate for a conversation to allow her to share her immense feelings of guilt, "I've left two poorly-equipped children to deal with this, how could I have been so stupid?" she mumbled to herself, still angry at the circumstances she'd created. "They won't last the length of a parrot's song against the power of Elora," she shook her head in dismay as a worry line creased across her forehead. "Damn it!" she raised her voice in frustration.

Finally, her torturous solitude was broken by the welcome creaking sound of a large wooden door. She spun around expectantly, briskly walking to the door to meet her visitor. A large guard stepped aside to reveal the familiar brown robes of a monk; it had to be Kaan, although a large hood hid his face. The monk walked confidently into the room, the Crocodile Queen recognized his familiar gait, and it was Kaan. Kaan lifted his chin to reveal his bearded rugged face, eternally scarred from his fight with a demon; a fight where he'd almost lost an eye. Kaan proceeded to do something that she'd never seen before, he stepped to one side out of respect and deferred to a shape emerging behind him. Kaan was a proud man with strong values, a confident and calm man, but today he appeared nervous, and a little uncomfortable. A shape followed Kaan into the room.

The Crocodile Queen was fascinated as she blinked rapidly, her eyes trying to focus on the misty fog-like shape that billowed into the room. Was it fog? no, it was too thick and too solid to be fog. The edges of this apparition were not clearly defined, constantly moving, creating a blurred image like a badly taken photograph. Her brain couldn't process this, she couldn't comprehend the image in front of her; she'd never encountered anything like this before. The room warmed with a sudden rush of warm air instantly killing the damp chill, it happened in an instant. The Crocodile Queen was transfixed, her eyes were drawn to the misty shape undulating before her, it was the shape of a woman, but her features, image, form, and shape, changed rapidly. It was hypnotic, mesmerizing, and strangely alluring.

The shape floated gracefully towards the Crocodile Queen, she could feel it's warmth. Kaan stepped forward bowing his head slightly; Kaan raised his chin flipping the large brown hood of his robe back to reveal his face. He addressed the Crocodile Queen informally, "My friend, and guardian protector of the Sixth Realm of Bardonia, I present to you Atheria, spiritual leader of the Ninth Realm," Kaan backed away respectfully.

The Crocodile Queen smiled, her mind muddled in a confused state, she watched Kaan step aside, "But there is no Ninth Realm?" she stated, without considering her words and their impact.

Her eyes were suddenly drawn to the foggy shape that billowed before her; it was changing, morphing before her eyes into a solid shape that formed a body, dressed in familiar clothing. Within seconds, the Crocodile Queen could have been looking into a mirror, as she recognized the pretty girl in a golden dress staring back at her, "There is a Ninth Realm, and many more realms that you're clearly unaware of. We should sit for a while, don't you think, as we have much to discuss."

The Crocodile Queen shot a worried look in Kaan's direction wondering who and what this thing was inviting her to talk. Kaan jumped to attention pulling out a chair for the spiritual being. Atheria took a seat, her new form shimmering as it changed instantly to a taller, slender woman, with Nordic features and long blonde hair, "The Ninth Realm is a spiritual realm. It comprises of complex energies that make it difficult for physical beings like yourself, to understand. I know that you have gifts beyond your physical form, but our realm, and the beings that inhabit it, all have these capabilities. Your concept of time does not exist for us, we can see into the future and the past. Neither exists for us. I'm here for a reason Rose," hearing her name jolted her to attention; it made her eyes narrow with distrust. "I'm here to help you, and you know what Elora will do to those inexperienced kids. I sense your frustration, and the self-loathing that you harbor deep in the pit of your stomach, yet you can't leave this place for it would certainly leave the Sixth Realm vulnerable to attack, with you, its primary guardian gone." Rose recoiled at the honesty of her words being positioned for her consideration. She knew it was the truth, and she was racked with guilt, she'd thrown two inexperienced kids to the wolves, or worse.

Sensing Rose's awkward body language, Kaan stepped forward, "This is where Atheria can help you," he offered nervously.

Atheria's physical form shriveled, whirled, and swirled into a distracting, undulating wave of smoke, with no face or form. Her voice could still be heard, "Without your help, Dan and Ally will both undoubtedly die at the hands of Elora, a primitive protection spell will only work for so long. Without your help Rose, Kaan will likely be killed by these evil forces, and you my dear, my precious lady that holds so much potential, you will be mutilated, killed in the most savage way possible, by the evilest of spirits. Your castle will be leveled, those magnificent beasts that swim in the river outside, will all be boiled alive and sadly this realm will be lost to evil. I don't say this to shock you, or to threaten you, I hate being the bearer of this bad news, but it's simple fact, inevitable." Atheria paused for effect, she let the sullen harsh words sink in, and wash over Rose.

"You need to fight, you must use your powers and your intellect, you cannot resist or hesitate if you want to save everything that is dear to you, there are larger things at stake; I come here reluctantly, for it places myself, and my kind, in great danger. Being a spiritual creature of energy and light, I'm connected to the whole of my realm, if I were to be captured by Elora, she could penetrate our entire realm, and yet my elders sanctioned my visit here for the good of your realm. Kaan is a dear friend to our kind, we don't want to see him killed."

Rose glanced at Kaan trying to gauge his reaction, his face remained stoic, "Elora is a really nasty piece of work, she grows more powerful, each day. You have no choice Rose; you must protect those kids, your mission will become clear, I can see visions ahead for you and you must help them."

Rose rubbed her tired eyes, the swirling shape before her was making her dizzy, "But what about my realm and everything we've fought so hard to protect?"

The fog stopped swirling, settling into a mirror image of herself, "I will stay here in your place, I will protect your realm and carry out your duties, keeping the calm while you're gone. Rose, you will need to change back to your original form, your adult form, and help these kids. Help us all. If you don't, fear and selfishness, will have far reaching consequences for all of us, across many realms."

Hearing her own voice emanating from her own mirror image shook her to the core, she found herself nodding, "Yes, I understand, I'll help them, and protect them."

"I have one last message for you Rose. When you go to them, your mission will become clear, remember, I see things in your future, but the future is never cast in stone. Like a river, its flow can be redirected around the obstacles placed in its way. With a strong will, and a targeted intervention, the future and its consequences will change, I guess it's up to you. Sitting here moping around your deserted castle will not change what will become an inevitable end. Rose, you must go and make us all proud, have faith in yourself and the intellect and potential of the young white witch."

They talked for a while longer before Kaan left for the monastery. Soon after, a reluctant Rose left Crescent Island to find Dan and Ally, leaving her castle and her realm in the promise of Atheria's safe protection. Rose would return to Earth, the Fifth Realm, worried about the prospect of a prolonged visit this time.

* * * * *

The Third Realm - Haitden

Chapter 5: The Stranger.

The Monastery of Light, Haitden.

"I have often depended on the blindness of strangers."

It was early evening as the crisp bright sunlight streamed across the frigid skies illuminating the mountains of Haitden, as wispy clouds sailed by hovering momentarily at their peaks. The Monastery of Light was safely concealed within the highest mountain peak, home to over fifty monks of the highest order. One narrow path, cut into the side of the sheer stone face of the mountain, led ominously to the monastery's heavily fortified entrance. The cold wind howled with such ferocity that a strong man's violent screams would not be heard.

Kaan returned to the Monastery, settling into his quarters for the evening. His mind raced through the day's events, Atheria's ominous warning still bothering him deeply. A loud bang at his door, coupled with the sound of raised voices, meant something was wrong; his curiosity led him into the great hall surrounded by other monks, "What's happening?" he inquired, grabbing a monk by the arm.

"I don't know Kaan, I think someone's at the main gate," shouted the monk pulling his arm free.

"The main gate?" Kaan muttered, allowing his mind to mull over this new information. The weather was brutal outside, it was cold enough to kill any man, the path to the Monastery was long, narrow, treacherous, and winding. In these conditions, no mortal man could approach and navigate a way to this haven provided by the peak of the mountain. Kaan hurried to the front gates, he followed the flow of gathering monks. He stopped abruptly at the gathering crowd just in front of the main gates, the gate consisted of a set of double wooden doors, clad with black iron hinges, and black reinforced metal studs.

They all waited patiently, listening to the howling wind outside; there it was again, the unmistakable sound of someone, or something, banging desperately on the wooden doors. Kaan was immediately suspicious, "You - get upstairs quickly at the sentry position above the door and see who, or what, is out there. You," he pointed at another monk standing motionless nearby, "go with him and report back."

A few monks moved curiously towards the door, Kaan intercepted, "No, wait! Let's see what we're dealing with here first, we don't open this door until we know more."

The monk's curious voices could be heard through the door, causing the banging to increase in both frequency and volume. Within minutes the monks reappeared, "It looks like a man, wrapped in fur, bear skins I think. He's slumped against the entrance door and covered in ice, he appears to be alone. We couldn't see anyone for miles down the narrow path, or outside the front doors, he's alone."

Kaan thought quickly, weighing up their options, "Here's the plan, we open the iron gates, then the wooden doors. Let's grab this fur covered visitor, as quickly as we can, and then take him immediately to the infirmary, we don't know if he's human, sick, infected with the plague, or even if it's a he? Just get that thing in here quickly and close the doors and the gates behind it. Once it's in here, clear the front courtyard quickly - I don't want any monks exposed if we have an infection."

Two monks opened the iron gates; they opened one of the large wooden doors. They grabbed the fur-covered stranger as instructed, and pulled it quickly inside, away from the howling wind and penetrating cold. A large framed man slid across the stone floor, slumped in a heap through sheer exhaustion, and shivering from the intense cold. "Quickly, get him downstairs and isolated, but be careful!" barked out Kaan hurriedly. "The rest of you, for your own safety, clear the area - now!"

Kaan followed the strange visitor to the infirmary, he was cautious of any attack the man might be planning, fortunately he was too cold, and too exhausted from the climb; to be more accurate, he was almost dead from his exertions. His breathing appeared heavy and labored, his beard was badly matted with solid ice, and his many layers of clothes, hoods, and fur skins, were heavy from the weight of the snow and ice. The stranger's face appeared red, blistered, and burned, from the sun, wind, and the searing cold. He could hardly open his eyes, and was unable to speak through his cracked, bleeding, purple lips. This stranger posed no physical threat, for he could hardly stand. The questions that remained unanswered would need to wait; where did he come from? Why was he here? How did he manage that climb? Was he infected with anything and would he manage to recover?

Kaan watched intensely as the monks carefully peeled away his heavy frozen layers, inspecting him for wounds. They discovered a leather bag strapped to his body. It contained food items such as nuts, seeds, and a small piece of hard frozen bread. A square object was carefully placed inside the bag; it was bound in a leather cover and tied together with a thin leather strap. Kaan opened the object expecting to find a book. The leather outer cover fell away revealing a rather plain book jacket made from discolored brown leather. He opened the book and glanced at the elaborately written text within. He expected a journal, or perhaps an account of events, something personal. Instead, he found a book of hymns, some new, some common, some old. This was clearly the monk's song book.

Disappointed that the book offered no additional clues to the stranger's almost fatal quest, Kaan glanced at the stranger, his labored breathing stopped abruptly. A weird calmness seemed to fall upon the room, no words were spoken, but all the monks had stopped attending to the visitor. One of the monks turned to Kaan and shook his head, lowering his eyes he whispered, "He's gone Kaan, bless his poor frozen soul, he's gone."

Kaan placed the book carefully next to the man's body, "I think he was a monk, he carries no money, no weapons, and a small bag of food, and this, a simple book of hymns." Kaan bent over the dead man's weathered face, "What were you doing here? What were you trying to tell us?" Kaan felt a hand on his shoulder.

"I guess we'll never know, that bag was the only thing he had with him, it was all that he carried," said the monk shaking his head.

Kaan rubbed his chin thoughtfully; "This makes no sense to me, why would a monk be out there, all alone, in weather like this? I want you to keep his body in isolation, and make sure it's locked away for now, until we know it's safe."

Kaan inspected the man's fur clothing closely, they appeared to be primitively made and he thought they looked like fur from a black bear, uncommon in these parts. After a couple of days, the inhabitants of the monastery started to feel relief, the stranger was not infected with any communal disease, his body was prepared and burned in a ceremony where his ashes were returned to the wind. The Monastery was a refuge, designed for only the most gifted of monks, a school to prepare and hone their unique talents through meditation, prayer, inner reflection, and chanting. The monks selected this path of enlightenment and dedicated their lives to a higher cause, and the fight against eternal darkness. This extreme discipline could get repetitive and boring, to provide some variety, in the evening hours the monks would gather in the large stone room, a room with thick protective stone walls, and a solid stone roof providing amazing natural acoustics. This is where they would gather to drink, tell stories, and sing hymns to pass the time.

Upon further inspection, the visitor's hymn book contained familiar songs from the monk's well-rehearsed repertoire. Towards the front of the book, three songs in, was a new song, the monks were excited to sing a song they hadn't seen before. Two nights after the visitor had passed away, the lyrics and harmonies of a new song reverberated joyfully around the stone room, which amplified its magnificence. The atmosphere felt relaxed, it was filled with fun, good ale, laughter, and cheer. Kaan was not a particularly talented singer, but the home brewed ale helped him shed his inhibitions, filling the night with song, it helped to build a strong bond between the monks confined within their mountain home.

It was a good night, a fun night, where the monks had enjoyed themselves singing a new song, and plenty of familiar ones, while keeping warm in front of a roaring fire. The lyrics seemed innocent enough, but the accompanying music, played on reed instruments by a couple of musically gifted monks, resembled nothing they were familiar with. The sweet melodies were hypnotic, the rise and fall of the notes were almost trance like. Kaan swayed his head gently to the music as the monks sung the new song from the leather book.

Deep in the lower level of the monastery, the sweet music swirled through the corridors and halls of the frigidly cold building. The music washed through the rooms like the incoming tide. Once the music had echoed into a small room adjacent to the infirmary, it swirled around the black bear skins hung carefully upon metal hooks anchored into the exterior stone wall. The stranger's body had been burned, and reduced to ashes, but in such a cold place the luxury of bear skins should not be wasted. The monks decided to keep the furs, they would prove useful for the extreme colder nights that lay ahead.

A night of song in front of a warming fire had seemed like a good idea, but a trap had been expertly set. The fur had been identified as black bear, but the fur was from a Bayerhold, a significantly larger bear-like creature emanating from the second realm. Larger than a Karcon, this ferocious beast proved to be a willing servant for its masters in the dark underworld. Elora herself, transforming these creatures almost to the point of death, had expertly cast a powerful ancient spell. Their mutated, flattened, lifeless bodies, would be roused by this enchanting spell activated so deviously by the captivating music contained in the new song.

The metal hooks supporting the furs began to buckle then snapped trying to support their weight; the furs undulated uncontrollably as they filled out with bone, flesh, and muscle. Heads, snouts, claws, teeth, and eyes, started to emerge as the animals began to take their original form. Two massive creatures emerged from the fur resembling a cross between a wolf and an oversized bear.

Kaan had been suspicious of the strange visitor and his strange appearance at the entrance to the monastery. He couldn't reconcile his uneasy feeling, which seemed to settle heavily in his gut, and never moved. He knew that something wasn't right, it just didn't make sense, and it continued to bother him that he couldn't solve this puzzle. The monks were all having a good time when it suddenly became clear to him, the hymn book. He couldn't explain his overwhelming urge to inspect the hymn book, but he knew it had been delivered to the monastery for a reason, a reason so important that a man was willing to die for it.

The stranger carried nothing else of any importance, so why hang onto a hymn book? Perhaps the clues were written in the songs? Perhaps the songs told a story? Perhaps the construction of the book hid secrets yet to be discovered? Kaan couldn't stop himself; he needed to look at the book more closely. His urge was overpowering, and his curiosity had grown where he leapt from his slumped comfortable position, to make his way to the front of the stone room, where the book had been placed upon a wooden sermon podium.

The monks laughed, clearly in good spirits, while enjoying the evening with the welcoming warmth oozing from the oversized hearth on this bitterly cold night. Kaan walked slowly towards the book, trying to disguise his intent with his calm casual movements. The swirling sound of the last song had activated the beasts growing in strength below, but it also activated the book itself. The book held a dastardly spell, an additional spell designed to attract Kaan, it delivered to him an irresistible compulsion to move towards the book. Kaan rationalized this overwhelming feeling with his thirst to understand the niggling mystery of the visitor. Kaan was unaware that he'd been hooked, captured by a spell from a high-ranking witch, designed to drive a man uncontrollably towards an object or a person.

Kaan moved silently, positioning himself behind the book, before approaching the wooden sermon pulpit, he stopped momentarily to survey the room before him. Monks seemed to be happy, laughing, and talking within small groups. They consumed the homemade ale and occasionally moved closer to the warmth provided by the roaring fire. It was a relaxed scene, a perfect opportunity for Kaan to casually inspect the book without drawing a lot of attention to himself or his increased scrutiny. Kaan laughed along at a clever joke, he slumped upon the podium using it to casually support his weight. He bowed his head and slowly opened the book reading the first page. The back flap of the book's jacket had a raised square just above the edge of the leather spine. It faced downwards towards the wooden podium and was hidden from Kaan's view by the parchment pages of the book. Kaan moved his hand to support the book's weight and flipped another page to review the next hymn. The raised bump located on the back of the book started to undulate; a small tear appeared in the thick leather binding. Oblivious, Kaan continued to read the hymns as a pair of small black spindly legs forced the tear open like an insect emerging from a leather cocoon. A small spider emerged, black legs first, followed by a shiny black body with two yellow dots emblazoned upon its back. The spider knew exactly what to do, it had waited patiently, suspended in animation for this task. It pushed its body free from the restraints of its leather pod and crawled quickly along the back of the book's spine heading straight for Kaan's hand.

The spider appeared for the briefest of moments before it sank its fangs into Kaan's finger injecting its venomous load directly into a small vein just below the surface of Kaan's skin. Kaan felt a small stabbing pain and immediately dropped the book onto the wooden podium. He didn't make a sound; he raised his hand and stared at the two small puncture wounds that appeared on the side of his smallest finger. Within seconds he felt dizzy, nauseous, and a strange tingling sensation swept through his body.

Kaan managed to register some faint sounds of concern before his world turned dark, and he felt suspended in a state somewhere between sleep and consciousness. He wasn't dead, for he could still think and reason, but he'd lost his sense of sight, smell, and hearing. He couldn't move, or feel any muscle in his entire body, in fact, he couldn't feel anything at all, and perhaps he was dead?

A few of the monks heard Kaan drop the book, as he started to stagger around uncontrollably. It was obvious from his sudden appearance and demeanor, that he was unwell. He flailed his arms around wildly, trying to desperately regain his balance, and then he stopped abruptly. It was frightening to watch as he literally stopped moving, as if frozen, like he was suspended within the timeless still of a movie frame or immortalized within an oil painting by a Dutch master. Kaan's body was upright, it looked like rigor-mortis had inflicted his body, the other monks leapt to Kaan's assistance, it was then that they noticed his face, hands, and skin, had started to change into a hardened state. At first it appeared to be hard skin, then it changed again to a porcelain-like appearance, before solidifying into stone. Panic spread as the monks decided what they could do, they stared at a stone statue of Kaan, so heavy it was virtually unmovable. Evil forces were at play, penetrating the sanctuary of the monastery; the elders were suspicious and gravely concerned. A few examined the book, impatiently snatching it from each other while desperately searching to find a key to this mystery.

The room fell strangely silent, before the stone room's large wooden doors burst open in a crescendo of guttural growls, two ferocious Bayerhold's charged through the doors indiscriminately attacking the monks. One of the beasts stationed himself at the door to repel any fleeing monks, the other pounced upon anyone that moved, mauling them mercilessly with his bulk and sheer, raw, power. It was clear to any witness that the beasts would kill everyone in their path. The monk's resolve had been softened with ale, the lateness of the hour, and the calming spell they'd unwittingly sung together; they were no match for the rampaging beasts. Together, the Bayerholds savaged their prey easily, showing no mercy. One of the younger monks fought bravely, grabbing a broken shard of wood that had separated from a smashed chair leg. He jabbed at the Bayerhold forcing his snapping jaws backwards temporarily, the beast backed up and diverted his attention to an easier target, attacking an elder, cowering in fear, against a nearby wall. The fight continued, with the beasts moving in for their final kills. The young monk used his training as best he could, he tried to remain calm and take stock of the scene unfolding before him. The Crocodile Queen had trained the young monk in the art of combat, he could hear her voice echoing through his head, "Survey the theatre of war."

Two monks were still fighting, one badly injured, with one about to die from a fatal bite to the neck. No weapons were brought into the stone room, only broken tables and chairs could be used. No escape route was allowed, except for the double wooden doors guarded by the beasts. "Calculate the odds of survival, slim. Form a plan," the young monk recited, he watched in horror as the bodies of the remaining monks fell to the ground and the beast's attention turned to him. He felt his grip tighten upon the broken chair leg; he glanced at the stone statue showing Kaan frozen in that awkward pose. The beasts attacked together squaring up to him, readying themselves for one last fight. His mind was racing but he knew the odds were not in his favor; he couldn't stay and fight. He dropped his improvised weapon and reached for his necklace. A golden coin was suspended from the young monk's neck, held by a thin golden chain, he grasped at the coin, holding it between his thumb and index finger as he concentrated as hard as he could. Fueled by intense fear, he focused on the Crocodile Queen's pretty face, forming her image in his mind. The beasts decided to charge, running at full speed towards the brave slim-framed monk. As they moved in for the kill they seemed startled and confused as monk's robes shook violently then simply disappeared into thin air. No one was left alive to witness the amusing sight of two startled and confused Bayerhold's crashing head first into a solid stone wall.

The young monk had finally harnessed his gift for dimensional travel, this gift was extremely rare, he'd been assigned to the Crocodile Queen to study and develop his talents further. The monastery elders had secretly hoped he would develop into a master, like the Crocodile Queen, capable of fighting evil across realms and dimensions. The Crocodile Queen was the most talented master alive today in this discipline, and it was clear the young monk still had a lot to learn. He'd demonstrated natural raw abilities, but was a long way off mastering the technique sufficiently to control his emotions, energy, and focus. He respected the Crocodile Queen immensely, but he feared her reputation.

She'd taught him well, sacred artifacts were known to harness energies from their storied past, owners, and surroundings; over the last year they'd worked upon summoning this powerful vibrational energy and using it, controlling it, and amplifying it. How could he summon the energy from deep within his body and use it to push his spirit through the physical world, allowing him to enter other spiritual realms. He knew it was possible, and he'd heard stories and legends of monks dedicating their entire life towards this pursuit, often without success. It required an extreme amount of meditation, total focus, and flawless control of your internal energy. One day he became disillusioned with his inability to breakthrough into another realm, there were some small signs of real improvement, lots of encouragement, but it wasn't enough for the impatient young monk. He'd demonstrated with hard work and constant practice, an ability to summon energy, concentrate it, and harness it. These were the steps required to move into another realm. The final step involved relating this summoned energy to a driving force or strong emotional feeling from within. This feeling could only be explained as a passion, an all-consuming feeling, like revenge, jealousy, fear, or perhaps the strongest and most reliable feeling, love. The monk had never loved any woman; he had no family, and found it difficult to make the necessary internal connection to enable the final step.

After a long arduous meditation session, where he'd given all that was asked of him and shown great promise, the Crocodile Queen decided to try something different. She presented the young monk with a golden coin, suspended by a thin gold chain in the form of a necklace. He was shocked and delighted.

She wanted him to focus his energy, to consciously change the natural resonating pattern of his body's energy. He'd never managed to create enough emotion, passion, or feeling, required to physically transport. The fear coursing through his veins at the sight of the marauding beasts had shown him in an instant what the Crocodile Queen was trying to extract from him, what she was looking for, and the level of intensity required. The gold coin the Crocodile Queen had gifted to him originated from the days of the Roman Empire, cast in Firenze, Italy, on Earth, within the Fifth Realm. The Crocodile Queen had intended to give it as a gift to her lover, Jean, a crusading French Knight from the same realm.

She had reluctantly succumbed to a greater need, as the coin would allow a point of focus for the young monk, hopefully to make that necessary connection. The coin was one of an identical pair; its duplicate was suspended from the neck of the Crocodile Queen. She would never admit it, but she'd grown to like and respect the young monk and cared deeply about her mentorship role required to assist him in developing his potential. She knew the closer he got to realizing his ability to jump realms, the more danger he would be in, attracting the attentions of the dark underworld forces. He was a good student, and she saw his face, and his reaction, as he initially winced and cringed visibly when he was assigned to her for tutelage. He'd been ridiculed and teased about it by the other monks, to his credit, he'd progressed steadily and taken direction without question. He'd completed every assignment and never shirked his responsibility. She knew his preferred role model was Kaan, and he secretly longed for Kaan's respect. To protect him and preserve his fledgling talent, she'd decided to give him the coin. The Crocodile Queen was a supreme white witch; she'd cast a spell upon the coin. If the young monk managed to jump realms, the coin would channel his direction, enabling him to transport directly to Crescent Island, her home.

The coin had a storied history; it had witnessed war, love, greed, malice, and revenge. It could tell stories of the most powerful and foolish people throughout human history. The coin had changed hands as a gift, been stolen, betrothed, sold, auctioned, and smuggled, during its checkered past. Once, it had become separated from it pair, only to be reunited decades later by an avid collector, a Benedictine monk who'd gifted the coins to the Crocodile Queen as a token of gratitude.

One of these powerful coins now hung around the neck of a young, inexperienced, and petrified monk, now staring at two blood-thirsty Bayerhold's about to pounce. In an instant, he was transported to Crescent Island, Bardonia, in the Sixth Realm.

* * * * *

The Crocodile Queen had already left her home and returned to Earth, the Fifth Realm; she was in Westtown planning her approach on how to re-engage with Dan and Ally. She suspected they may be under reconnaissance and a careless naive approach could put both kids, and herself, in immense danger. She'd decided to watch Ally's movements for a couple of days, to establish that they were not being watched. On this visit, the Crocodile Queen was dressed in more modern, darker clothes, as she tried harder to look more inconspicuous. She waited outside on the street watching the entrance to an older building made from red brick, she hoped that Ally would emerge soon. She scanned the street cautiously, she searched for anyone trying to look casual, and attempting to blend in. She was starting to feel that her heightened paranoia was unfounded and unjustified.

It was a subtle feeling at first, but the Crocodile Queen's skin that touched the coin suspended from her neck seemed to react, it started with a mild tingle, and progressed to a burning searing sensation, the coin eventually became uncomfortably hot. She had warned the young monk about abusing the extraordinary privilege the coin afforded, it was only to be used when she was present, and they were training, or in the case of a real life-threatening emergency. If it was abused, the Crocodile Queen threatened to take the coin back. The coin had heated to a point it was now burning her skin, she reached upwards towards her collarbone to separate it from her exposed skin. She held the coin between her cold hands and realized the young monk, if he were successful, would now be waiting for her, at her home on Crescent Island. She shook her head, hoping this wasn't a foolish act or silly prank. If she travelled back to her home, to find a sheepish, naïve, young monk, beaming with foolish pride about his ability to transport for the first time, she would be livid. He was going to receive the sharp end of her tongue, the sniggers from his fellow monks when he was assigned to her initially would soon be validated.

Calming her initial anger, she allowed another thought to scamper through her mind, what if the monastery had been breached? What if this was a legitimate cry for help, an emergency? The young monk would have been perfectly safe housed within the refuge provided by the Monastery of Light, why would he have activated the coin? He must have been frightened badly to successfully activate the coin. Now she was worried, what's happened to the monastery and what's happened to Kaan? Was he at the monastery or was he travelling? She knew the monks stationed at the monastery, some of the elders were martial arts specialists, but they were older. A wave of panic washed over her, 'I have to go,' she mumbled to herself, rubbing the coin suspended from her neck.

The Crocodile Queen transported into the Grand Hall of her residence on Crescent Island, her sudden appearance startled Atheria who was perched upon an antique chair wondering how she would receive a young monk, newly arrived at the castle, and demanding to see the Crocodile Queen, "Oh good, I'm relieved your back. I've just been informed of a visitor, a monk, he's insisting that he gets an audience with you to relay vitally important news." Atheria seemed relieved; there was no need for her now to pretend to be the Crocodile Queen.

"You're back early though?" she inquired.

"Yes, because of this monk; I fear he's the bearer of bad news, perhaps he brings a more pressing situation than protecting Dan and Ally? Let's bring him in and have a chat with him, but you can't look like me, that will freak him out. I need you to change back to another form. He can't be exposed to two of us, that would just confuse matters."

"Do you know this monk?"

"Yes. I know the monk, we can trust him," the Crocodile Queen appeared agitated.

"Hear him out, but remember, there's nothing more pressing than protecting Dan and Ally. Do not introduce me as Atheria, and don't expose the existence of my race; in fact, don't introduce me at all, I'm going to blend in as a servant." Atheria instantly morphed into the shape of a slender woman, dressed in plain servant's clothes, a disguise that Atheria had previously used when she needed to be anonymous.

The Crocodile Queen walked briskly towards the doors of the Grand Hall, she glanced over her shoulder observing Atheria who assumed her new role by arranging water jars on a large table at the rear of the hall. The Crocodile Queen opened one of the doors to be greeted by two large Ricar guards; they prevented a frightened, nervous, and pacing monk, from entering the hall. With a wave of her hand the guards stepped aside obediently, allowing the monk to enter. She waved him forward into the room and he duly obliged following her instructions. The monk was so nervous he failed to notice the spectacle of the Grand Hall or even acknowledge the existence of the young servant girl working at the rear of the hall.

The monk focused his attention on the small child-like girl that greeted him, she wore a long, woven-silk, gold colored, shimmering dress adorned with crisp white lace cuffs, "Where's the Crocodile Queen?" he inquired. There was something about the area around this child's eyes that was strangely familiar, but this girl was not the disciplined, strong, mature, fearsome warrior, who had mentored him at the monastery.

"Yes, it's me," she said, in a high-pitched voice of a child, "I can take this child-like form when I visit this realm, I change my appearance for my own protection." The monk interrupted her abruptly, a nervous bundle of frenetic energy.

"Rose, really is that you?"

"Yes, why are you here, why did you activate the coin," inquired the Crocodile Queen.

This familiarity opened the floodgates, "We were attacked, they're all dead," he stuttered quickly, forgetting to breathe.

"Calm down boy," she hissed, "come in and sit down, then you can tell me all about this unfortunate matter," she said calmly, trying to reassure him.

He followed her instructions sitting with his back towards the servant girl, "Two beasts attacked us from within the monastery, they were too powerful, they killed everyone. I managed to get the coin to work, I was the only one that managed to escape."

"Calm down, how did the beasts get into the monastery?" The Crocodile Queen kept her anxiety under control as she tried to calm the stricken boy.

"I don't know, they just burst through the doors as we sang hymns. Kaan, I forgot about Kaan!" He repositioned his weight nervously, knowing how close her friendship was with Kaan.

"What about Kaan?" she inquired, pulling the sleeve of his robe and demanding his full attention and focus.

"Kaan was turned to stone, right in front of our eyes! It was dark magic I tell you, I was lucky to escape with my life."

"The beasts," she asked, "did they attack Kaan?" She sounded worried and was getting impatient with his unhelpful answers.

"No," his voice was raised, "I just told you, he was turned into solid stone."

The Crocodile Queen shot a worried glance towards the servant girl who had stopped attending to her duties, "Thank you," she said calmly, "it must have been traumatic for you, you must rest now, leave this with me, you're safe here and you must re-gain your strength. I will need some time to formulate a plan, but let me assure you," she said reaching out to touch his trembling hand, "we will need to avenge this callous act, and find the perpetrators. That might take us some time, but this will not go unpunished. One last question before you go and get some rest, think carefully about this, your answer will be important. Was there anything unusual at the monastery before the beasts attacked?"

"Yes, a man came. He arrived at the front gate, exhausted, and cold, the gossip suggested he was a monk, but no one knew where he was from. He carried with him a hymn book, and we were singing some of the new songs from that book just before the beasts attacked."

She moved closer to the monk, lowering her voice she inquired, "What happened to this monk?"

"He died. We cremated him and scattered his ashes from the stone outcrop, the point of the four winds."

She nodded her understanding, "Guards," she called out, "help our guest find some food and a warm bed for the night, he can stay as long as he needs, as my guest."

The monk nodded, his heart had calmed from a wild beating rhythm, and his shortness of breath was returning to normal, he was courteously led away.

As the door was closed behind him, the servant still positioned at the back of the hall swirled frantically changing back into Atheria's natural form. The cloud like entity floated towards the Crocodile Queen.

"We have to go there now," said Atheria, stating the obvious, "We have to secure the Reposte Scroll before they figure out a way to get it."

"And save Kaan," added the Crocodile Queen, slightly annoyed at Atheria's cold process of prioritization and lack of empathy.

"Of course," said Atheria, embarrassed at her obvious omission.

The raid on the monastery was clearly designed to inflict damage on a sacred location reserved for cultivating the highest talent and skills, a place where individuals would be schooled to leverage their gifts in the eternal fight against evil and the dark forces. Elora had succeeded in her complex mission; she'd delivered on her promise of immobilizing Kaan permanently, and wiping out a whole tranche of aspiring fighters.

Faced with the snarling beasts, Kaan could have simply fled to another realm, just as the young monk had done. Using the hidden stone spider had caught Kaan off guard; this twist in the plan had served its purpose well. Elora now had access to Kaan's trapped spirit, entombed deep within his stone shell, she would torture him at will through his own thoughts and dark dreams until her sick pleasures had been satiated.

Wiping out the rising stars of the monastery, together with eliminating the teachings of the old masters, was simply icing on the cake for Elora, for she just wanted Kaan. He was instrumental in the killing of the two witches and Elora's sister; she'd sworn to avenge them all.

Elora was evil and cunning, she knew this action would be enough to draw out the Crocodile Queen, and this would offer her the chance she needed. There's an old saying that warns against plans made in haste, when emotions are running high. Elora was so consumed with rage and revenge that she failed to recognize a great opportunity that lay before her, a prize so big, it could have influenced the eternal war between good and evil forever, the Reposte Scroll. The sacred scroll containing wisdom and insights from countless sages across the universe of realms and spiritual worlds, knowledge that would have been devastating, powerful, and dangerous, if the forces of evil weren't so blinded by revenge. It was there for the taking, loosely secured in a private room, deep within the breached stronghold of the Monastery of Light. Atheria retrieved the scroll easily, vowing never to reveal its new location to the Crocodile Queen. Atheria knew this knowledge would be dangerous and she wanted to protect the Crocodile Queen from knowing. She knew the Crocodile Queen's continued fight with evil forces was far from over, and there was still a possibility that she could be captured or worse.

Atheria had seen many things in her unusually long life, she examined the hymn book, abandoned on the monastery floor in great detail, she recognized the spells contained within. She spotted the small leather pouch where the stone spider had crawled out, free from its slumber. She swirled around the stone figure of Kaan, frozen in time for all eternity. Her swirling mass seemed to engulf him, examining every exposed inch until she found the two small puncture marks still visible upon his statue confirming her spider theory.

The Crocodile Queen grew impatient trying to control the seething rage that built within her. The remains of the gored, stricken monks bodies still lay strewn about the stone room, as the Crocodile Queen fought back the urge to vomit from the carnage the beasts had left behind. There was an eerie quiet throughout the expansive stone building, only the faint sound of the cold wind creeping inside through gaps and cracks could be heard.

The Crocodile Queen's blood boiled with the desire to seek revenge, she wanted to leave her home immediately, but she knew that contradicted all her teachings. She tried to master her raging feelings; she tried to find balance within her immediate priorities. She was immensely curious; she needed to understand how Elora had managed to inflict so much damage in a place this remote, and so well hidden, as the Monastery of Light. Above all, putting her selfish feelings aside, she had to find a way to help Kaan. She'd almost forgotten about the guilt that had earlier consumed her every waking moment, as her thoughts moved back to the two inexperienced, yet vastly gifted kids, still exposed in the Fifth Realm. Dan and Ally needed her protection; that was her mission before all of this started. She needed to focus on doing what was right, what was important, before she could think of revenge for Kaan.

Controlling her feelings was difficult; she looked around at the lifeless, blood-soaked faces, strewn across the room carelessly. Hours before, these fine men had sung together and celebrated life. She knew almost all these monks, some had taken the time to train her, they'd helped her, and a couple were so close to her that she regarded them as a father figure for an abandoned little girl unceremoniously dumped at these monastery gates. Guilt set in remembering how she'd entered the monastery, rising to become one of their best students. She wondered if her method of arrival had influenced the monk's decision to let a total stranger into the Monastery of Light? She tortured herself as her anxiety started to swell up uncontrollably within her chest like a coiled cobra rising from the ground.

Struggling to regain her composure, she started to pace the room staring at the blood-soaked walls and stone floor. Atheria swirled frantically around the room quickly surveying the bodies, various objects, and inspecting the carnage for clues. She suddenly stopped, her gyrating cloud blocking the Crocodile Queen's impatient path.

"I know what happened here, I'll tell you everything, but it's likely a story you don't want to hear."

"Tell me," the Crocodile Queen snapped with such a determined streak coursing through her voice that Atheria was shocked.

Atheria explained in detail the complex set of actions, timing, and spells, that Elora had used. She described the ancient spell, called a Bindhold, that drove an innocent monk to unwittingly seek sanctuary in the remote, desolate, Monastery of Light. Wrapped in fur to keep him alive, he unwittingly delivered two beasts from the underworld, right into the heart of the monastery. "The cargo he carried within his belongings were more clandestine, for the hymn book contained the spell to unleash the beasts, resurrecting them to their full dangerous form. Elora had planned for Kaan's intellect, a monk who'd caused her an unparalleled amount of damage to her intricate plans. She wanted him gone, removed, but she knew of his great powers, brute force would not work. Kaan had the ability, if threatened, to simply transport to another realm. Her plan involved subtlety and cunning, the only way to catch such an elusive adversary. The book had contained a stone spider, from the Second Realm; his venom was so strong it would suspend the hapless monk, perhaps forever. The stone spider had been captivated, caught within Elora's powerful spell. It lay dormant within the book until Kaan touched the binding releasing the venomous spider. Elora knew the spider would feel threatened and was ordered to bite, true to her plan, he bit Kaan suspending him forever."

"And the beasts?" inquired the Crocodile Queen.

"Long gone, out into the mountains, who knows how long they will survive in that cold?"

"Suspended forever," repeated the Crocodile Queen, realizing she would never see her friend again. Kaan was the protective brother she'd never had, he meant so much to her, and she never imagined he would be vanquished in such a cowardly way. She could feel her rage swelling up inside her again.

"Well, perhaps not forever," said Atheria, letting her words drift in the stale air and offering the faintest ray of hope the Crocodile Queen so desperately needed. It should have made her feel better, but she was cold, dead inside, with a numbness that made her unable to feel anything. The cold air bled into the stone room reminding her of countless nights she'd spent within the monastery, and how remote and bitterly cold this place had always been. The thick stone walls were closing in on her, suffocating her with the stench of death lingering in her nostrils.

"Say more," demanded the Crocodile Queen, desperate to hear how she could save her friend.

"I'll tell you, but not here, it's not safe here anymore, let's go back to Crescent Island and I'll tell you all you need to know."

The Crocodile Queen reluctantly nodded, turning Kaan to stone would predictably result in her immediate visit to this location, and it's a plausible ploy to draw her out from her haven. This could have been orchestrated as part of Elora's elaborate plan, it was extremely dangerous, but she had to come. "Let's go," she stated reluctantly. They returned to Crescent Island taking the Reposte Scroll with them, but not before burning the hymn book.

* * * * *

For now, the castle on Crescent Island was safe from Elora's reach, the spirit entity Atheria, began to explain Elora's cunning plan to the Crocodile Queen in more detail. The Crocodile Queen sipped from a cup of ginger tea while trying to contain her anger and impatiently waiting to hear about Kaan's fate, was he truly gone? She'd taken inexcusable risks, but the liberation of this realm, the releasing of Jean, and her involvement in the killing of the three witches, had sparked Elora's insatiable anger like never before. The involvement of Jean, Kaan, Raj, and Dan, had implicated them all, Raj was gone, Jean was safely stowed away within another realm, and another time, Kaan had been found, so surely it was only a matter of time before Elora went after Dan and Ally. Elora knew that would draw her out even more, suffering from guilt and an urge to protect those kids, would lead to her taking more risks. Their vulnerability would ultimately lead Elora right to her, and that was what she was counting on. What choice did she have? Elora considered doing-the-right-thing as a sign of weakness, a frailty worth exploiting. The Crocodile Queen considered it a strength, a core difference between good and evil.

Finally, Atheria elaborated upon her earlier statement regarding the fate of Kaan, Atheria swirled in frenzy, "Tell me my child, are you familiar with Myrddin Wyllt?"

"Yes," she said quickly, not feeling the need to explain herself.

Atheria continued, "We've all heard the stories and legends that surround this man, unfortunately most of these are just fiction. What do you know of Myrddin?"

She thought carefully, "He was an extraordinarily gifted man, tortured constantly by the evil forces that reduced him to a shell of his former self, banishing him to the status of a mad man living in the woods like a hermit trying to escape Elora's cruel grasp. I know of this poor soul, why do you ask?"

Her swirling cloud slowed, "In the year AD 573, on Earth, the Fifth Realm, Myrddin fled to the woods as you suggested. I was there to assist with his escape, he'd been a loyal servant to our fight, and was blessed with extraordinarily powerful gifts; he was a prophet, a sorcerer; he was a magician and an alchemist; he possessed the ability to travel between realms at will. Much has been written into folklore and legend about the enormous power held within his ring, many have searched the realms claiming to have found his ring, but that remains part of the mystique surrounding this man. I speak the truth, the legend of his ring was a story manufactured as a cunning distraction, for the real source of this man's power was an amulet, suspended from his neck by a chain of gold, that hung hidden beneath his robes. It's a very special amulet and remains to this day - one of a kind. Rose, I know this to be true, because I was the one who had it made for him. The center of the amulet contains a very rare Kaledral stone; a precious gem from the second realm. It looks like a red crystal, capable of catching, storing, and transmitting energy. It was Myrddin's source of power. The stone was clasped into place by two dark crescent shapes; they resembled sculptured stone, like onyx. They were a deep black color, as hard as Welsh slate. I remember the day the last remaining adult dragon was eventually slaughtered in the Welsh countryside. She resisted flapping her massive scaled wings to evade the approaching soldiers; she remained grounded in a valiant attempt to protect her wounded child, a small female dragon of about six months in age. Although fearful, the soldiers would eventually kill the protective mother, and the smaller juvenile dragon endured a similar fate. Myrddin and I would arrive too late to save either of them. The dark crescents that surround the amulet are not stone, they're powerful mystical talons taken from the fallen smaller dragon."

"Fools," snapped the impatient Crocodile Queen.

"The oldest, wisest, and most mystical creature that ever lived within the Fifth Realm had now been hunted into extinction, by hordes of scared foolish men. An act that was perpetrated across every country and every continent within the Fifth Realm. Evil forces had influenced the men of this world, turning them into frightened, scared, irrational beasts, that would attack a dragon without provocation or cause. Myrddin's necklace, containing the Kaledral amulet, is a powerfully precious artifact, the blood red stone has stored within it, countless memories, spells, and ancient rituals, while the dragon's talons allow the wearer protection from evil spirits.

If you want to see Kaan again, it's simple, you must find Myrrdin's amulet. A white witch will need to wear the necklace and access the power of the Kaledral stone, touching Kaan's petrified statue will break Elora's wicked Bindhold spell. The amulet is extremely powerful, if it's worn by the wrong person, a person with inadequate powers, well; it will drive the wearer mad."

"Is that what happened to Myrddin?" inquired the Crocodile Queen, encouraged there was a remedy for Kaan's predicament.

"No, not at all, that was all about Elora. The Amulet was designed to protect Myrddin, but Elora managed to get to him one night, I suspect he removed the necklace." Atheria swirled violently recalling the incident, it still made her angry and remorseful.

"Where can I find this Amulet?" inquired the Crocodile Queen, no answer was provided from the swirling mass of energy that undulated in front of her, "do you know where it is?"

Atheria seemed to avoid the questions, as she thought carefully about her response, "Myrddin and I created the story that his ring was the all-powerful artifact. Books, movies, and songs, all describe and talk about his ring, I want you to ignore all of that, as I said, it was simply a way to divert attention away from his necklace. I've followed his precious artifact through hundreds of years, as it passed through people's hands with limited knowledge of its true power. I've seen it stolen, sold, battered, buried, and found, unfortunately today, it remains lost."

Atheria could sense the despondency rising deep within the Crocodile Queen's heart, "Have faith my child, in recent times, there have been two people obsessed with Myrddin, they were both scholars studying everything about the man, both were insanely driven to prove his amulet existed and equally driven to find it. They were independent and never knew each other or shared their research. They could not have been more different, and they lived far apart, both believed in the existence of the necklace, both have collected clues through their own research to its current location; you'll need to find these individuals and extract any knowledge you can from them to locate the amulet. Rose, that's your only chance of releasing Kaan. I'll tell you the names, dates, and locations of these individuals, I've tracked their progress to see if they would eventually find the amulet. I can't help you any more than this, but if you find the necklace, to release Kaan, you must give the necklace to Ally, then you'll have a chance."

"Ally?" questioned Rose.

"She'll need it to protect Dan and herself from Elora's foul reach, and that's what you must do if you want to save Kaan."

Atheria's swirling cloud suddenly folded into itself and she was gone.

For the first time, in a long time, the Crocodile Queen felt totally alone again, she felt confused, beaten, and truly frightened. She'd faced evil forces, before emerging victorious, she fought fierce battles, but she always had Kaan at her side. Or at least covering her back, guiding her, and helping her through. Never had she felt so alone, so angry, and filled with feelings of rage and revenge. She started to pace the floor, trying to clear her head, she desperately needed to find a solution. She stopped moving, suddenly clutching her hands to her chest, "That's it. I need to find the amulet, but I also have to protect those two kids; we'll find the amulet together, then I can protect them by keeping them close to me."

She scurried to her favorite chair, she folded her arms, and thinking about Ally's pretty face she attempted to recall details of her eyes, nose, mouth, and lips.

* * * * *

The Fifth Realm - Earth

Chapter 6: A Call to Action.

Westtown, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.

"My evening visitors, if they cannot see the clock, should find the time in my face."

It was 6.30am on a lazy Sunday morning in the sleepy village of Westtown, Pennsylvania. Ally had woken earlier; she'd rubbed her tired eyes and initially turned over, trying to drift off back to sleep. Ally knew today was going to be a lazy day, she couldn't muster up any energy, she wanted to simply laze around. In her semi-conscious state, she was drifting in and out of a light relaxing sleep. Ally's Mum had left earlier in the morning hours heading to an event in the city. Ally's eyes started to move rapidly making undulating waves beneath the surface of her eyelids as she fell deeper into her sleep pattern and beginning to dream.

Ally could hear a strong fresh wind rustling through the tall birch trees that surrounded her, she was standing in a circular shaped clearing, with a brilliant blue cloudless sky above her. She felt warm, and the winds that swirled around her started to cool her body on this hot summer's day deep within the forest. Her attention was drawn to the movement in the trees, she saw flashes of brilliant colors, large parrots fluttered between the welcoming branches. She could feel energy, the rhythm of the old forests daily life was unmistakable, but today, the old forest was strangely flat, deadly quiet. Ally could hear the rustling wind through the trees, but nothing else.

A screaming flash of brilliant gold caught her eye, she turned her head quickly to focus on the vibrant color invading her peripheral vision, she saw a young girl; she'd seen this girl before, dressed in a brilliant shimmering golden silk gown with long white lace cuffs and matching collar. The small, thin girl pulled her long dark hair away from her face. She approached cautiously, but not with a heavy foot or a recognized gait, she seemed to float above the forest's grassy floor with a graceful ease. The girl stopped short of Ally, she smiled, and a voice entered Ally's head, but strangely the girl's pretty face remained still, her lips never moved or parted. The cooling wind had died down, Ally could feel the searing heat warming her face and forming beads of sweat at the nape of her neck.

"Don't be afraid Ally, I'm your friend Rose - the Crocodile Queen."

Ally narrowed her eyes, examining the young girl's pretty face, unable to move her feet, she felt helpless but strangely calm.

"You're still in great danger, and I've returned to help you."

Ally narrowed her gaze more, feeling a wave of healthy suspicion as she continued to listen, was this a trick? Was this a clever manipulation?

"I need you to go to Dan immediately, tell him of your dream, tell him the following message and he'll understand. You must go to him again, you need to convince him that you're both still in grave danger. I'm being serious, I'm not exaggerating the danger you now face, I want to help you both, but it's far too dangerous for me to visit you, you both must come to me. Heed my warning white witch, you have great potential but as the forces of evil gather, you will need my protection, if you're going to survive. Tell Dan to activate the Dream Cane with you as his partner; it's the only way the both of you can visit me. Time is running out, you must do this immediately, immediately."

Ally woke from her dream abruptly; she rolled from her bed, waking as she hit the floor. Squinting at her bedroom window, her shade still closed, she could see shards of the morning's light bleeding into her room, it entered around the ill-fitting edges of the window shade. Ally shook her head, as if to clear her head of the weirdly realistic dream. "Was that real?" she asked herself, stretching her lean body like a cat emerging from a curled sleep. Ally tried to recall every detail as she re-played the dream in her head. She walked over to her dresser, and started to assemble some clothes, jeans, a t-shirt, underwear, and socks. She brushed her hair and examined her face in the mirror, Ally talked to her reflection a lot, it helped her think through various situations. Staring at her sleepy reflection, she uttered the words, "White witch."

Ally glanced at her iPhone, a recent gift from her mother, it was 7.02am. She grabbed at the clothes impatiently, without hesitation she dressed, brushing her hair, applying eye makeup, and dabbing on some of her favorite perfume, after all, she was going to see Dan. She grabbed her backpack and her laptop computer.

Within ten minutes of her decision Ally found herself walking briskly in the direction of Dan's apartment. It was surprisingly cool outside, and she instantly regretted her choice of clothes; Ally needed more layers to feel warmer. The cold seeped into her bones making her hurry her pace, she scurried across roads, sidewalks, puddles, and a path that wound across the park leading to a set of traffic lights. Pushing her thighs forwards, hastened her walking speed, her brain was also working quickly as she realized that she would need a reason, an excuse, to suddenly barge in on Dan and his mother again, and at this early hour, what would she say?

Still unsure of her reason for return, she approached the buzzer panel located at street level, and stepped inside the door-well to Dan's apartment. She hesitated for a moment before pushing the illuminated plastic button, she heard the old weathered speaker crackle into life with a familiar but annoying buzzing sound, "Hello," inquired a welcome voice.

Ally felt the relief sweep over her as Dan had answered the intercom. Unaware if Dan's mother was at home, or indeed listening in on their conversation, Ally played it cool, she had to be creative to get her desired result, "Good morning Dan, it's Ally - I'm here to continue working on our joint homework assignment." Ally sounded upbeat her voice full of excitement.

"My mum's out already, come on up." Dan buzzed Ally into the apartment lobby.

Dan answered the door, Ally stepped in recognizing the strong scent of coffee, "What's going on?" inquired Dan.

Ally walked towards Dan's bedroom, Dan smiled and followed her, "What the hell are you playing at? Two visits, this is really odd."

Ally raised her finger to her lips again, "Shhhh," she said, an attempt to gain control of his rising annoyance. She waited, letting him stew in his confusion for a few seconds before she explained. "Sit down and listen to me," like a trained dog Dan sat, instantly admiring how fine Ally looked with her sparkling eyes and excited state.

"Last night the Crocodile Queen came to me again, this time in my dreams, she told me that we were both in grave danger, she was insistent. Look Dan, I'm still shaking," Ally said, stretching her hand out as her fingers wobbled in the air. "I don't know how serious this is getting, but from the tone of her voice, I'm telling you, she meant it. I think we need to listen to her message. The Crocodile Queen told me to come here immediately; I haven't even showered for god's sake! Immediately, she said. Tell Dan to activate the Dream Cane, he'll know what to do." Ally paused \- "Do you?"

Dan could tell Ally was scared, he tried to calm her with a show of confidence, "Yes, I know what to do." He moved towards his bedroom closet and retrieved the Dream Cane. He sat on the edge of his bed holding the cane between his legs. "Come here," he instructed Ally, "get on your knees facing me and grip the cane with both hands just below mine. Whatever happens, promise me you'll never let go, ever." Ally nodded and knelt on his carpeted floor before him. She looked into his eyes to make sure this was real and not some childish joke. Ally dropped her gaze to the cane, staring at the ornately carved wood. Dan had both hands firmly placed upon the ancient cane. She leaned back on her haunches, before lifting her arms and gripping the cane with both hands. The silver orb starting to spin, and a deep crimson glow erupted deep within the spinning handle of the Dream Cane. Shards of crimson light streamed through the rubies as they illuminated the room, the orb lifted from its setting, floating into the air. At that moment Ally felt faint and tightened her grip on the cane, determined not to let go, not to break her promise, and not to disappoint Dan.

A strong wave of energy swept through Ally as the room began to spin uncontrollably, the crimson lights danced upon the walls, and she felt sick to the pit of her stomach. Ally clenched her eyes shut, trying not to vomit or let go. She lost consciousness passing out in a brilliant crimson haze that seemed to fill her head and her brain. A strong, unpleasant odor mercilessly filled her nostrils, jolting her back to consciousness. Ally shook her head, instinctively removing her nose by jerking it to one side from the offensive smell.

"It's smelling salts, to help you wake, my dear," a soft female voice explained.

Ally gradually opened her eyes, her vision was blurry and unfocused, she tried to adjust to her unfamiliar surroundings. Her body felt heavy, as she slumped into a large ornate, plush and padded, wooden chair, "Where am I?" she questioned, as a large room came into focus.

Dan's face was a welcome sight, "You're safe, and we're here with the Crocodile Queen on Crescent Island, in the Sixth Realm. Congratulations Ally, you've just completed your first journey between realms. Trust me, you'll get used to it, but it always makes you feel sick at the start, we all felt like that. At least you're not in a Ricar body or some other animal, that would really freak you out, trust me, I know. Because we're in our normal form it means we have to stay in the castle at all times, and stay out of sight."

Ally was regaining her senses, she straightened her posture and stared at Dan as he came into focus, Ally switched her attention to the small child standing at Dan's side dressed in the golden colored silk gown she'd seen in her dreams. She moved her gaze rapidly around the room to determine if they were alone, "You're the Crocodile Queen?"

The child approached slowly, "Ally, I remember our meeting in the rain-soaked park, the chat we had at that little coffee house. I remember telling you about the witches of Pendle Hill and sharing with you your gift, being a white witch. In this realm, I choose to be a small child, but don't be fooled by my appearance. I have powers, knowledge, and strength, that never goes away in this realm. My disguise has served me well, as my potential captors often look for a fierce woman warrior," she said, broadening her infectious smile.

"I don't mean to be forward," said Dan, "but you said we were in grave danger?"

The Crocodile Queen paused thoughtfully, "You may want to pull up a chair Dan and listen to me very carefully." Dan obliged, pulling at a heavier than expected chair, and scraping it across the large stone tiles. "Ready?" she inquired, waiting for Dan to stop making so much noise. Ally shot Dan a look, the one she uses to great effect when she wants to show her displeasure.

Dan stopped fidgeting, "Good, then I'll begin." She paused again to collect her thoughts, where should she start? "Elora is the highest ranking and most powerful witch there has ever been, evil forces attacked this land recently trying to use three witches to open a portal and convert this realm over to evil forever. Dan was here, he bravely assisted with the fight, the three witches were slain; one of the witches was Elora's sister. Many believe that I'm the most powerful white witch alive today, but even I still have a lot left to learn. As a white witch gains her power, she becomes a target, the forces of evil will stop at nothing to eliminate the threat I pose - in other words – they'll try to kill me. I've known this for a while, its why I assume another appearance, another identity, and why I hide in another realm here on Crescent Island. I fight as bravely as I can for the white light, I try to uphold everything that's innocent, pure, and good." She stopped suddenly, as if to think about the words she'd just spoken. She moved to the table at the back of the room and poured herself a glass of water letting her words sink in, resonating around the feeling of the Great Hall.

"Elora is a mean spirited old hag, but she's nobody's fool; anyone associated with her sister's death will eventually pay, they'll become a target for her revenge - that includes you two. Dan, you assisted in the eradication of those evil witches, you have access to the Dream Cane, that's why Elora punished you through your dreams, eventually, she would have killed you. Ally, well, my dear Ally, Elora will get to Dan through the things he cares deeply about, you being a white witch is just a bonus. Left to your own devices, with no protection, both of you would certainly be killed." She paused again to sip the clear water from her glass, "I was trained by gifted monks, high in the Mountains of Haitden, at the Monastery of Light. Ally, you will recall being there briefly and meeting with Kaan. Kaan, whom you know well Dan, was always there to guide me, and help me develop my special gifts, he was like a brother to me. Kaan helped Dan on a rocky ledge, to fight a beast, a Karcon from the underworld, he helped you fight the witches, and he assisted Raj with numerous missions, he's served us all with distinction."

"Why are you telling us this? Is Kaan dead?" blurted Dan, visibly upset.

"Only one monk managed to escape an attack on the monastery, passing through into this realm and safety. He managed to save himself from Elora's wicked plan, unfortunately the rest of the monks, my entire family, were mutilated by two large beasts," she paused, and sipped at her water, "except for Kaan." Dan raised his eyes expecting to hear good news, "Kaan is neither dead or alive." Dan's eyes narrowed with confusion.

"Kaan was bitten by a stone spider, a creature from another realm, its venom petrifies a man, but he's now caught in one of Elora's dark spells, neither dead or alive. Kaan's trapped inside a stone shell, allowing Elora access to his dreams, where she can terrify him at will. We must save him, release him, and help him break free from this eternal bondage and incarceration. The young monk who escaped the monastery transported to safety, he's in shock but has managed to confirm these events. I have visited Kaan's stone tomb and we must set him free."

She stared deeply into Ally's pretty eyes; she hoped to see a fire that would burn brightly,

"Where is Kaan now," asked Ally coldly.

"His stone shrouded body is rooted firmly to the monastery floor, high in the Mountains of Haitden, in the exact spot that he was bitten."

Ally looked concerned, Dan joined in with the questions desperate to help his stricken friend, "I need to know, is he dead, or can we save him? Can we bring him back to life?"

The Crocodile Queen turned the sides of her mouth upwards, finally allowing herself a small smile; she recognized for the first time a determination and willingness to help. "Kaan is not dead; yes, we can save him, but it's not going to be easy. I will need both of you to help me."

"Anything," offered Dan immediately, Ally was a little more reserved.

"Kaan would have done anything to protect you both, that's just who he is, the least we can do is to help him when he needs us the most. There will come a day in the not too distant future, when evil threatens your very existence, and trust me, having Kaan around to help you with this fight will significantly increase your chances of survival."

Appealing to Ally's rational and analytical brain seemed to work, she dropped her gaze and reluctantly nodded, agreeing with the sound logic being presented. Dan's blood was boiling, clearly upset at the news of his distressed friend. He'd always looked up to Kaan, respected him, and wished he could be him. Dan admired his physique, wisdom, and intellect. The Crocodile Queen had expertly manipulated them to illicit the response she wanted. Dan was ready to do anything, while Ally smiled realizing how they'd both been played.

"So, tell us, what do we need to do?" asked Dan impatiently.

The Crocodile Queen sipped her water slowly, she knew how to ease them into the conversation gently, without overwhelming them, "It is possible to release Kaan unhurt from his stone shell, it requires the use of an ancient spell but, when dealing with evil forces, there's always a catch. The spell is useless, ineffective, and powerless, unless the person summoning this spell is a white witch wearing a very special necklace. This is where I need your help, together we must find this necklace for it contains a powerful amulet."

"Find it," repeated Ally, "So you don't know where it is? or do you?"

The Crocodile Queen lifted her head, Ally's greeted her full on stare, "I've obtained two avenues of pursuit, including the names of people that we'll have to visit. This will be complicated, but we must solve this mystery and find the location of the necklace if we're going to save Kaan."

Dan leaned forward abruptly, "What's the story behind the necklace, what power does it possess?"

The Crocodile Queen finished the water in her glass she walked slowly and deliberately to the back of the room carefully placing her empty glass upon the wooden table. She took a deep breath and decided she would have to share everything, for they deserved to know. "You both deserve to know, but the more I tell you, the more I place you in danger."

"More danger than the most powerful, evil witch that ever existed, wanting to kill us both? Seriously, I can't believe you got me into this stuff," Ally directed her killer stare at Dan this time.

"Enough, have you ever heard of Merlin?" inquired the Crocodile Queen, taking them off on a timely tangent.

They both nodded, Dan stuttered the obvious, "The wizard," he said, trying to sound knowledgeable.

"Well close, but not really, no. You see, there's a large gap in the facts that surround Merlin portrayed in the books, movies, and entertainment that you consume today versus the real events of the time. You see, Merlin as you know him today, didn't really exist; it's a story altered many times over the ages that now represents a great fictional character in your books. There was never a Merlin."

"How do you know?" asked Ally, her voice edged with a touch of sarcasm.

The Crocodile Queen smiled, walking closer to them both, "Because I know someone who was there, I've met a person who knew the real Merlin, the man they call Myrddin. To you he's a powerful wizard rooted in Arthurian legend and depicted in Welsh poetry. He's the blending of two men who lived at that time around 1136 AD. Geoffrey of Monmouth wrote a manuscript in 1136 AD called the Historian Regum Britanniae, he blended the characters and stories of two men, Myrddin Wyllt, and a Roman British soldier named Ambrosius Aurelianus into the fictional character of the wizard Merlin. This fictional character was immediately popular, he's been augmented, inflated, and ascended into cult status through his magic, mystery, and legend. The fact is, he didn't exist. I'd like to tell you about the man who did exist, a proud and gifted Welshman, called Myrddin Wyllt or Merlin the Wild. He was the chief bard, storyteller, and poet, he lived in Carmarthen, located in South Wales. The history books, songs, and poems, all say he went quite mad, after the Battle of Arfderydd at Arthuret, in 573AD. Many unspeakable things happened that day, history talks about Riderch Hael, King of Alt Clut, who slaughtered the forces of Gwenddoleu. It is said, Myrddin simply lost his mind, he went mad after witnessing such carnage. Stories change over time, you will learn this, facts are often exaggerated, twisted, and manipulated, to represent a message that is popular at the time. Eventually the newer generations start to believe the stories to be true, and that is how history is written. Unfortunately, Merlin the magnificent wizard, never truly existed."

"I've read novels and watched movies about Merlin and his ring?" said Ally, her voice trailing off with disappointment.

"All fiction, I'm afraid, Myrddin wasn't a wizard, but he was exceptionally gifted. In Celtic times, Myrddin sang songs, wrote poetry, and gave sage advice to the Lords and landowners, they were powerful people. He became well known, but it was his special gifts that garnered attention from others, for he was blessed with the sight. The ability to see into the future and predict events unfolding. He could advise the fates of battles, strategic family alliances, and other matters of great importance. Myrddin predicted a victory for Gwenddoleu, at the Battle of Arfderydd, but he was inexplicably wrong, and watched on as many unfortunate men were put to the slaughter. Evil forces had invaded Wales that day, strange soldiers appeared, impervious to longbow arrows and the blow of a sharpened sword, they cut through the oppositions soldiers with ease. Elora played a hand in the victory; she'd helped to eradicate the last Dragons from Wales, removing the mystical beasts and a real obstacle to her invasion. She'd turned the head of the King and convinced him to fight with dark magic and trickery. Myrddin got it wrong, he fled to save his life, to the safety of the woods where he went insane, wild, supposedly from his guilt and isolation. At least, that's what history books would tell us, "She paused as if reflecting, rerunning the real stories surrounding this charming, handsome, man.

"Elora hated and despised Myrddin, she detested everything he stood for, he would use his gifts to heal, to help the common man, and to divert calamitous events, accidents, and casualties, that were about to occur.

When the Battle of Arfderydd started, Myrddin could not foresee Elora's evil influence,

with her deadly interference, the result and the course of history, would be changed forever.

Elora had managed to get inside Myrrdin's head, deceiving him with false visions. Some of the villagers took pity upon him, remembering his good deeds, but he would continue to rant and rave about demons, nightmares, evil spirits, and gates to other worlds. To them, he'd clearly gone mad, still suffering from the abhorrent sights of the battle, and the isolation of the forest. Myrddin the Wild, he was known as, unfortunately he was labelled a mad man. We tried in vain to save him," the Crocodile Queen fell silent and sad, she bent the truth to protect Atheria's identity, "he thought we were evil spirits, and refused our help. It was so sad for such a fine man," the Crocodile Queen fell into a prolonged silence, a fine acting performance.

Ally was impatient, she gladly broke the unbearable quietness, "And the necklace?"

The Crocodile Queen lifted her head to face the impertinent girl and shot her a stern look, it was an uncomfortable moment, "Yes, the necklace. Myrddin had commissioned a necklace, made by one of the finest jewelers in Wales. The necklace was expensive, paid for as a gift from a wealthy landowner, a gift donated to Myrddin for saving his son, another set of white lies to protect Atheria. In the center of the necklace was a precious red stone, a Kaledral stone from the Second Realm that once belonged to the most powerful white witch that ever lived. It is said to be framed by two black crescent shaped stones, claws from the last Welsh Dragon, a mystical, spiritual animal from the old world. The amulet is suspended from a golden chain; the gold was mined from a quarry deep in the heart of Wales. The necklace's amulet contains memories, power, old world magic, spells, and ancient knowledge, all stored within its red stone; the Dragon claws provide a protective spell effective in warding off evil. Unfortunately, Myrddin removed the necklace one night, no one knows why, but Elora seized upon this opportunity, and drove him mad. The necklace has since changed through many hands, many times, in its illustrious history, but it gained an unfortunate reputation of attracting bad luck, ill fortune, and often death for its owner. Because of this, I suspect it is now unfortunately lost. I doubt it's known as Merlin's necklace today, but it's clear, we need to find it, the red stone remembers the old spells, including the stone spider spell, the Dragon claws will protect us from Elora and we'll be able to release Kaan."

"What about this ring?" inquired Dan.

"That was just an elaborate hoax to redirect attention away from the necklace, Merlin's ring is like Merlin himself, a myth," the Crocodile Queen shook her head.

Ally listened intently, she hung upon every word, "Lost, you said. The necklace, Merlin's necklace, is now lost, how are we going to find it?" Dan watched the Crocodile Queen closely; he waited for her to flinch, an indication of anger, disappointment, confusion - anything. Instead, she remained inexplicably calm, showing no emotion to Ally's probing question.

The Crocodile Queen refused to meet Ally's deliberately intense stare, she kept her chin tucked to her chest, and stared at a dark patch etched into the stone floor, "There were two people in your world who were obsessed with the legend that surrounded Merlin. The more they studied him, and the myth that surrounded him, the more interested they became. Both realized that Merlin did not exist in the form portrayed today, both linked Merlin to Myrddin the Wild, both researched Myrddin, accessing books, manuscripts, old poetry, letters and Welsh legends. At different times, they both came to the same conclusion that Myrddin owned a powerful artifact, a necklace, described in glorious detail, but never publicized through books, songs, plays, or movies. These two researchers never knew each other, for they lived in different times, different countries, and came from very different backgrounds, yet they were united by a common cause - finding Merlin's necklace. One was motivated by pure greed and ego, the other was a scholar, delighting in solving an intellectual challenge and finding an antiquity."

Dan shuffled in his seat impatiently, his movement caused a break in the Crocodile Queen's concentration where she stopped talking, and this annoyed Ally.

Dan filled in the silence, "Did they write down their research, can we access it?" Ally was surprised by Dan's sound logic, it wasn't a bad question.

"I have a better idea. We're going to visit these individuals and gather as much information as we can. Think of it as hunting treasure, we need to find some clues, and if possible, start to draw our own treasure map. The necklace is lost, but that doesn't mean it no longer exists, we just have to solve the mystery."

"Who are these researchers?" inquired Ally, intrigued by the task at hand.

"The first one is a librarian, a curious bookwork and researcher, I've been told she was a mousy looking woman who died in the 1940's. She worked in the research area of the New York public library, and we're going to pay her a visit."

Ally crinkled her nose, a subtle give away that indicated she was puzzled, "How can we visit her, you just said that she died?"

"Indeed, in 1942 to be exact, I suggest we all go back in time, prior to 1942, and pay this charming lady a visit. I know she worked at the library right up until her last day. She sounds like a charming, well-educated woman, who was simply intrigued by a mystery. She became obsessed with the necklace and dug out clues to its whereabouts through her intensive research at the library. I suspect for her it was a hobby, perhaps a welcome distraction to entertain her unchallenged mind during the long dreary days spent in a quiet dusty library."

"And the other one," Dan prompted.

She paused thoughtfully, "Ah yes, the other one," the Crocodile Queen gripped her hands together, squeezing them tightly in front of her body, "this one's a bit more challenging, he's a wily old business man based in Hong Kong. He's studied the legend of Merlin, he's identified the necklace, and the power of the amulet. His motivations are less pure, he's driven by profit, power, greed and ego. He's a collector of fine and rare things, we'll find him alive today, in your time-period in the Fifth Realm, but today he's frail, weak, and heading into his final years. He collects antiquities, although his methods range from shady to illegal, and everything in between. When he sets his mind upon acquiring something of value, something he desperately wants, he usually gets it. He takes great pride in showing off his collection to his cronies, but the one thing he's desperate for is the addition of Merlin's necklace before he dies. He thinks the amulet could contain an ancient spell for immortality, and he might be right. Throughout his entire life he's been driven by greed and the accumulation of wealth, but his frail health, and his approaching death, are making his actions more desperate; our timing couldn't be better. He did believe the necklace would bring him power and immortality, but he's starting to wonder if the necklace has survived. He's still totally convinced of the necklace's existence, but he's almost conceded that it does not exist today after diverting vast amounts of his fortune towards finding it; his efforts have been futile. He grows old, tired, weary, and cynical; getting him to talk about his findings will be nearly impossible. We have to try." She raised her head, deliberately and resolutely, meeting their expectant stares straight on, they needed to see the confidence, guile, and determination, still burning behind her resilient, passionate eyes.

There was a stunned silence as both Dan and Ally waited for each other to speak - neither did. Eventually, Ally broke the tense and awkward pause, "So, if I understand this right, we're going to accompany you to 1940's New York, and then visit modern day Hong Kong, to see if we can get two people to talk about what they've found from their research, and get them to tell us any clues that they may have uncovered, regarding the current whereabouts of Merlin's necklace. Then we must piece together the location and go and get it if we're to save Kaan." Ally glanced at Dan, wanting to see his expression at the ridiculous plan she'd just summarized. Dan was shocked into silence, even he knew this sounded weak, a long shot; he was disappointed in the Crocodile Queen, this was her master plan? Was she serious?

"Do you have a better idea?" the Crocodile Queen asked, with a small dash of irritation coursing through her cold words.

Dan remained silent, much to Ally's annoyance, Dan finally spoke, "Nope, we don't, we just hope this works, for Kaan's sake." Ally flashed Dan a desperate look, but what could she do, she didn't have a better plan.

"Wait here, I have to collect a couple of things and we'll start our quest right away in New York City." The Crocodile Queen walked to the door, her guards opening the large wooden door allowing her to pass while motioning to keep Ally and Dan secured in the great hall.

"Are you going to trust her, this sounds pretty weird? We're going to travel back in time and chase some lost necklace to save a monk imprisoned in a stone casing in another world. Do you know how crazy this all sounds?" Ally was starting to freak out and her voice was beginning to rise.

"Calm down, it's going to be okay, if you're going to be a white witch, you're going to have to get used to some pretty interesting things. Ally, I've seen trees come to life, animals talk to me, a resurrection of a dead knight from long ago, a great beast from the underworld, I've inherited hunting and fighting skills, I'm asking you to trust her, she's been around a lot longer than us, and she's survived far worse threats. We have to trust her - don't we?"

"Yes, yes, you're right, but this doesn't make this any less weird." Ally paced the room waiting for the door to open and the Crocodile Queen to return, "Look how weird we're going to look in 1940's New York City, you, trying to blend in with your neon tri-colored Nike sneakers."

"You've still got a lot to learn Ally, stop trying to figure it all out, just go with the flow and improvise along the way, otherwise this will warp your mind," Dan stopped talking in mid-sentence when he heard the unmistakable sound of the large wooden door swinging open, the Crocodile Queen emerged, walking towards them in a hurry.

She stopped abruptly, "Come here now and hold my hand," she insisted, extending her small arms out in front of her body. The Crocodile Queen did not want to leave her realm unattended, but Atheria's words around protecting Dan and Ally above everything else raced through her head, Dan reached for her left hand, while Ally held her right, a blinding swirl of golden light filled the entire room.

* * * * *

The Fifth Realm - Earth

Chapter 7: A Different Time.

New York, New York, U.S.A. 1942.

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

The air seemed different; less pure, less clean, a combination of street food, diesel fuel, pollution, and an assortment of other smells assaulted their nostrils. It was raining heavily, and they were huddled together near the New York Library. Ally seemed to recover faster this time, quickly regaining her senses to notice Dan wearing a dark, but dated looking overcoat, gray flannel trousers, and big, dense looking, black boots. She felt different also; she touched her dark colored coat, made from rough wool, decorated with large oversized brown buttons. Her hair felt different, it was shorter, cropped at the shoulders and starting to drip with the falling rain. The biggest surprise was the Crocodile Queen, no longer a little girl, she was a grown woman with striking features, high cheek bones, deep brown eyes, long black hair tied up in a bun. She'd discarded the gold colored shimmering silk dress for a long black overcoat that extended down to her ankles. Below the hem of the coat she could see a pair of sensible black shoes, the style that Ally often referred to as old woman's shoes. Ally stared at the Crocodile Queen's face, she looked so different, it was her eyes, and they were no longer the eyes of a beautiful oriental woman. Her eyes were rounded, with an eyelid crease, like a western woman. This subtle change had altered her appearance completely, helping her blend in, but the Crocodile Queen was barely recognizable.

"Come on," the Crocodile Queen insisted, "we're all getting wet, follow me," they ran towards the entrance of the library. Ally noticed a statue of a lion, but the rain was coming down so hard, she hardly noticed the details of the sculpture or the fact it had a twin located on the other side of the steps. Everything was happening so quickly, Ally still felt a little light headed. She followed Dan into the building, hanging back a little, unsure of what to expect and what they would do next. They approached an oak desk at the reception, adorned with a stern looking woman, wearing half cut glasses and a crisp white blouse seated at the front reception desk. The Crocodile Queen approached first, flashing a broad smile, keeping her voice low, she whispered, "Good afternoon, we'd like to do some research on antiquities, and was wondering where we could find Ethel MacDonald for some assistance?"

The receptionist raised her eyes above her glasses, as if irritated by the interruption; unfazed, the Crocodile Queen continued to flash the most dazzling of smile, "If you want to do research on antiquities, then I suggest that you work with Mrs. Harmond, you'll find her in the west side, second floor, she'll be able to help you find what you're looking for," with that, they were summarily dismissed by the lowering of her old lifeless eyes, back to the book that she appeared to be more interested in reading.

The Crocodile Queen cleared her throat, causing the startled and slightly annoyed woman to raise her eyes for a second time, "We'd like to know where we can find Mrs. Ethel MacDonald please, Ethel?" Her tone was more direct this time, unyielding, and clearly sent a 'don't mess with me' message.

Ally felt uncomfortable, but the woman knew better, she backed down right away, "Why of course," she said sarcastically, "you'll find Mrs. MacDonald on the third floor, east wing, inside the antiquities section. She always wears the same type of sweater, it's not hard to miss the old dear, good luck," she said, clearly using different words than her thoughts.

"Third floor, east wing - why thank you, you've been so helpful," whispered the Crocodile Queen with that beautiful sarcastic smile. Ally smiled too, at the masterful way the grumpy old bag was not allowed to get the last word. The receptionist was a surly old bitter woman, but she'd no idea how old and experienced the smiling young woman who stood before her was, it was never going to be a fair contest.

The Crocodile Queen turned to Ally and Dan, she whispered quietly by mouthing the words, "Let's go," before turning to head up the stairs. Libraries were never Dan's favorite place, even though he'd first met Ally in a library, the assumed quietness made him feel restricted, and he always had the urge to yell and shout at the top of his lungs, to break the unbearable weight of the silence. He could hear faint whispers, inaudible conversations. This type of whispered conversation usually meant that people were talking about him; it meant he would be moving again, on to another foster home. Anytime people whispered in conversations near him, it meant a bad change was soon to follow, and he couldn't shake that feeling.

Before they knew it, they were bounding onto the third floor, following the Crocodile Queen through the sections of tall shelves, all stacked with books of different sizes, books bound with interesting spines ranging in thickness. This section was practically empty and had many unoccupied research tables used to spread the books out while reading them. In the far corner a movement caught Ally's eye, "There," she pointed, and whispered. It was dark inside the library, a small amount of soft yellow light bled through the tall shelves stacked with musty smelling books. Dust particles could be seen suspended in the small shafts of light that invaded the room. Ally liked the smell it was the smell of old parchment mingled with a lady's perfume, for some reason, she felt safe and secure. In a corner of the room, an elderly lady was dressed in a drab black woolen skirt, an ill-fitting powder blue sweater, and sensible black shoes, with her long silver streaked hair pinned neatly up in a bun. She wore gold colored metal rimmed glasses, attached to a safety chain hanging around her neck. She pushed a metal cart fitted with small wheels, she positioned it at the end of an unoccupied aisle, and she reached into the cart, and retrieved a book. She studied its label, replacing the book in its correct location high upon a dusty shelf. That must be her, thought Ally, Mrs. MacDonald.

The Crocodile Queen moved confidently in her direction with Ally and Dan following, "Hello," she whispered, flashing that disarming smile again, "are you Mrs. MacDonald?"

"Yes dear," she countered, offering a slightly less confident, and somewhat confused smile in return, "how can I help you dear?"

"I'd like to," the Crocodile Queen stopped abruptly, she turned her body to allow Ethel, a frail old lady, an opportunity to see Ally and Dan, "we'd like to, talk with you about something we're researching, but is there somewhere where its more acceptable for us to talk?" she whispered quietly, her voice trailing off to a point where Ethel had to strain to hear her.

"Of course, dear, follow me," without hesitation Ethel shuffled her way past the book cart abandoning it at the end of the aisle; she walked slowly towards the center of the library building. She moved towards a small room with false partitioned walls, they saw a dirty worn wooden door sporting a cheap black sign with large white letters announcing the word, 'Private'. She fumbled with some keys before pushing the door open and inviting them to follow her. Ally glanced at the Crocodile Queen who gestured to follow her, Ally proceeded first, followed by Dan with the Crocodile Queen bringing up the rear. Once inside they saw a square room, dimly lit by one exposed light bulb illuminating a small square table with four chairs surrounding it. It was plain, functional and private, the Crocodile Queen closed the door as Ethel took a seat. "What would you like to talk to me about dear?" she said calmly.

"We understand that you're an expert on Merlin,... Myrddin?" she said, trying to indicate a level of sophistication on the subject, "we're all fascinated by him, and we want to ask you some questions, perhaps tap into your expertise.

Ethel was a lonely person, if she were to be honest, she'd been feeling quite ill for about three months, but she'd never complain, she would never miss an opportunity to work a day at the library. Ethel loved books and she loved reading more than anything else, it was the only source of joy in her life, her true escape. She knew her days on this Earth were numbered, her job provided her an escape from her spinster life, a connection with people and the real world, and she also needed the money. It was four years ago that anyone last asked for help, visitors wouldn't even see her, she often felt as if she worked within an invisible bubble, where nobody could see her. She knew talking at the library was discouraged, but it was rare to receive an acknowledging nod, a smile, or even a glance or gesture, she would work a full day without saying or receiving a word.

At first, she found it to be peaceful, but later, after her husband Percy had died of pneumonia, she became desperately lonely. She often thought it was a cruel twist of fate, preordained to keep her in a restrained life of solitude. She grew to hate the library, but she loved it dearly, like an addict would with their favorite drug - an addiction.

A rare and fleeting chance to enter the consultation room, and to talk with real people about a subject she knew copious amounts of knowledge about, was indeed a chance too good to turn down, "What would you like to know?" Before they could answer, Ethel fired off another question, "Are you all related?"

"Yes, I'm so sorry, how rude of us," the Crocodile Queen explained, "I'm Beth," she lied so convincingly, "and this is my sister Lauren, and my brother David."

"I see, welcome - I'm Ethel MacDonald, you can call me Ethel, all of my friends do," Ethel's ability to lie was considerably less convincing.

"Great! We're very interested in learning about Myrddin, we know a little about his history and the stories of him going mad, isolated in the forest, but what we'd like to learn more about is his necklace, we'd love to hear what you can tell us about him. We've been told that you had the best knowledge about Myrddin in the city and that you had a particular fascination with this man, as do we." The Crocodile Queen looked anxious, uncertain if Ethel would share information or offer any help. She may react poorly to this type of question and be deeply offended.

She was neither, and countered the question with a question, "I'm curious, how do you know about the necklace?"

The Crocodile Queen hesitated, showing early signs of panic, so Ally stepped in deciding to take matters into her own hands, "That's a great question," she said, flashing her most welcoming smile. Ally had a way of making her eyes twinkle when she smiled, a simple trait that fostered immediate trust disarming her willing victims, "it's down to our father really, Alfred, bless his soul, he passed away last year. You see, he was obsessed with Merlin, which led him to study Myrddin. His ancestral heritage originated from Wales, and I guess it was his way of connecting with his roots. As kids we all heard about his research, and he told us stories, some he would make up to entertain us, and some were based on facts that he read in different books. It's a bit difficult for us to keep the two straight, but we're pretty sure he told us that Myrddin had a necklace, a unique necklace, that disappeared over the years after his death. He tried to piece together where it had gone but he didn't get far. We decided it would be fun, for us kids to try to continue his hobby, you know, in his honor. Before he died, he told us all about you, he'd heard that you might know of some useful information regarding the existence and whereabouts of the necklace. He spoke so kindly of you, and he held you in high regard. He told us that he'd never met you, but he knew you were interested in Merlin, and that you were a good researcher." Dan sat with his mouth agape, he was in awe of Ally's ability to manufacture such a compelling answer in the spur of the moment and deliver it with such authenticity. She had Ethel spellbound, ending her fabricated story with the sweetest of smiles.

Ethel thought for a moment, what should she do? She knew her health was failing, she knew she would never find the necklace within her lifetime, she knew she was missing some vital information, and she'd stalled in her quest to find the necklace. She was absolutely convinced it existed and would be happy if this group of kids continued her work and found it. In that moment, she decided to tell them everything - the result of hours, days, and years, of pouring through old manuscripts, books, songs, poems, coupled with visits to Wales and discussions with historians to try to piece together the journey the necklace had taken. She'd convinced herself of its existence, but she'd chased too many false leads and wasted countless years, examining leads that petered out on her quest to locate the necklace. After all her research, she felt strongly that someone clearly oblivious to its origin and powers probably owned the necklace today.

Ethel took a deep breath, "I've been studying the legends and folklore that surround Myrddin for almost fifty years, I've poured through every written manuscript, book, poem or song, that I could find trying to prove the existence of Myrddin's necklace. I'm convinced it once existed, and I have a strong feeling that it exists today. I'm less convinced, that its current owner, whoever that is, realizes the significance or the origin of this particular artifact." Ethel rubbed her nose staring directly at Dan, she studied the fine features of the handsome young man that sat before her. Oh, to be young, vibrant and that age again, she thought. "I don't think, I have a long time left in this world, so I'm happy to tell you what I know, and I hope you use this information wisely. I hope you find the necklace to honor your father's memory, I do wish I could have met him," she said wistfully.

"When Myrddin passed away, Welsh bards wrote songs and prose that told tales of the forest animals gathering near his residence to pay their respects. His necklace had powers, used for healing and protective spells; many attributed his extraordinary gifts, in part, to his necklace. If this was true it would attract many groups of people, some dangerous, to search for its existence. I think the knowledge surrounding Myrddin's necklace has faded over time, that's why I was curious when three young people knew about it." Ethel turned to face Ally, "Did you know, there's no big elaborately carved grave stone for Myrddin, no tourist trap, come and see Merlin's grave, complete with gift shop. In the past, I've visited the banks of the river Tweed, in the village of Drumelzier. A local historian, a nice man named Charles, escorted me to the very spot where the locals believe Myrddin is buried," she said wistfully.

Ethel seemed to drift away for a brief moment, before resuming her descriptions, "Yes, the grave was in a peaceful spot, and I had to promise not to divulge its exact location - which I never have. The necklace isn't there, the ring isn't there either, although his ring had no powers at all, that's just pure fiction. They tell me a simple skeleton is buried about six feet down."

The Crocodile Queen was growing impatient, "That's interesting, so if the necklace wasn't on his body when he died, and it's not in his grave, where do you think it went?"

Ethel smiled, tolerating the young woman's impatience, she glanced at her flashing her steely blue eyes, "That's the mystery isn't it? In Wales, and England, at that time, practicing wizardry and witchcraft would secure you a place to be tied to a stake high upon a burning pyre. The church was eradicating the old pagan ways, and they didn't stop to differentiate between white magic and black magic. They weren't interested in good versus bad, they wanted it all gone, and everyone who practiced it. Fortunately, when Myrddin died, a group of men in the village sought to preserve the old ways, they tried to continue practicing the white magic perfected by Myrddin. Myrddin had occasionally applied his magic within the village, he'd healed the sick, and cast out possessing spirits, Myrddin was liked and respected by the villagers. It's rumored, but I've never been able to prove this, that his cabin in the woods was raided, looted of its precious contents. A man called Ivor Davies led a group of villagers; he formed a secret society, some whisper that they still operate in Wales today. Myrrdin's private note books, recipes, potions, and of course, his necklace, is said to have been looted, and secretly stored by this underground society." Ethel shook her head, clearly agitated that she couldn't prove this, no matter how tenacious a researcher she'd been.

"Do we know when this looting happened?" interrupted the Crocodile Queen, "I mean, the exact date that Myrddin died." That's clever thought Ally, we could go back in time and grab the necklace before the looting. No wait that would change the course of history, Ally's head filled with options and thoughts.

"History is always a bit of a blur, it's represented by the interpretation of the author. That's an eloquent way of saying no, we don't know the exact date, and there is much debate and speculation for researchers and scholars to argue over this. Just as we argue that Merlin was Myrddin, and that it was not his ring but his necklace that channeled his power. We argue over his final resting place, and the details surrounding his life, to be truthful, the more I know, the less I know. That's why I don't mind telling you the following." Ethel stopped and stared at Dan, sitting silently. His dark brown eyes reminded her of her husband Percy, long since passed, she smiled at his innocence and naivety.

"I don't know what happened to the necklace," Ethel looked off into the distance with a wistful expression, she seemed disappointed, "in 1885, a letter was written by a young woman called Amelia, living in Cornwall, England. In the text, she refers to her welcomed gift, an item once worn by Myrddin. At that time, Myrddin was a very uncommon name; it raises a strong beacon of suspicion, and a strong association to Merlin. Amelia continues to thank her husband, a wealthy landowner and London based businessman, stating she will wear it with pride at high society balls. Her husband was a well-known societal character, he dabbled in the dark arts, and his high rank in the so-called secret financial societies of the capital city, were well known. From this obscure reference, I've managed to trace the necklace through several owners, primarily located in and around the London area. I recognized the necklace peeking out, very subtly, from underneath the wrap of an aristocratic lady, timelessly preserved in an oil painting that hangs on the wall of Leeds castle, in the south of England. This is the most excited I've ever been on my quest to find this necklace. It was partially obscured, but I could finally see it, the necklace existed, and more importantly, it had survived intact to the mid 1800's." Ethel wrung her hands excitedly, she glanced at the Crocodile Queen, "That was a big deal, a breakthrough moment for me you know." The Crocodile Queen smiled and nodded an affirmation.

"For many long patient years, I had believed relentlessly, and then I'd managed to track down the existence of this mysterious necklace using vague references in poems and the cryptic lyrics of long since forgotten songs. To see it there, peeking out from under that smug looking woman's fancy shawl, well, let me tell you, it was a day I'll never forget. It was validation, finally, for all my efforts. I wasn't bonkers, or some crazy woman, it existed. The following year, I doubled my efforts, and tracked the necklace through London, where the trail went cold for a while, but it eventually surfaced again, it was mentioned in the year 1895, within an old dusty manuscript, a recorded transaction between two families living in London. A friend forwarded the manuscript to me; she worked in the bowels of a records archive in the city of London. You must understand, people who work in these types of jobs, keeping and maintaining meticulous records, are always neglected and ignored. The minute I expressed an interest in her work and her inventory, my new-found friend was only too eager to help me. Sort of what I'm doing with you. She forwarded me a copy of the transaction; it recorded the sale of a building, a watch repair business, a small amount of livestock, and a parcel of land, in exchange for an amount of silver, and what was described as an ornate necklace originating from Wales. The Cartwright family were the sellers of the necklace, the transaction transferred the necklace to the Williams family, located in the south west of London, in 1895." Ethel shook her head in defiance she looked angry and proud.

"Listen to me now and take heed, throughout its storied history, many have accused the necklace of being cursed, I've never been one for superstition, but you have to look at its history. Lady Amelia, the smug looking lady in the oil painting, she died in a house fire while visiting her sister. Ivor Davies, the man that acquired the necklace from the cabin in the woods, a death record in a remote Welsh church records that he was hung, drawn, and quartered by a mob, presumably for his religious beliefs. The Cartwright family consisted of two daughters and an heir, a young son called Robert. Robert's sisters both drowned while playing near a river, Robert was killed in a freak riding accident, where the horse was spooked and fell upon the boy crushing him. John Cartwright had bought the necklace from a London jeweler, later in the day after he had retrieved the necklace, the jeweler died suffering a fatal heart attack, an event recorded within the obituary columns of the London Standard. John Cartwright held onto the cursed necklace throughout his family's tragedies, until his dear wife slipped tragically in their home, she snapped her neck on a wide stone staircase and died instantly. John, like me, was not a suspicious man, but he'd been warned about the necklace, and its fatal consequences upon its owners. His wife's death was the final straw, racked with guilt, he sold the necklace to Rhys Williams, a prominent, wealthy, and eccentric, Welsh slate mine owner. John died that week from a hunting accident on his estate, and so the curse continued."

It struck Dan, as he glanced around the drab square shaped room, that Ally, and the Crocodile Queen, were hanging on every word that Ethel uttered. She had them mesmerized, caught within a foggy trance as they concentrated on remembering every detail. Ethel, lapping up the attention, talked at length, as if she were un-burdening herself of a great weight before leaving this world. She pulled gently at the collar of her knit cardigan sweater, she inched forward upon her chair.

"Rhys Williams was a fine upstanding man, by all accounts, his family and his workers spoke very highly of him. It was rumored that he belonged to a powerful and influential group of Welsh businessmen, a group that evolved from the secret society originally formed by Ivor Davies. Rhys had purchased the necklace originally as a gift for his wife, it's unclear if he knew of the necklace's fatal reputation, perhaps he felt that being part of this society would protect him from its harmful effects, I think he thought that bringing the necklace back home would somehow insulate him from these harmful occurrences. Not long after acquiring the necklace, Rhy's health started to suffer, he complained of vivid violent nightmares, which shook him to the core. He confided to his wife, that he felt scared, the visions in his head were so vivid, so realistic, he couldn't separate them from reality."

Ally couldn't help herself, she shot a sideways glance aimed at Dan to see if he was picking up on what was happening to Rhy's. Dan had noticed Ally's attention; he nodded discreetly, "Rhy's became agitated and irritable, he dreaded falling asleep, for the nightmares were too lifelike, too graphic. After a couple of weeks, he started to manifest signs of physical injuries, wounds. I've had difficulty confirming this, but I managed to obtain a damaged journal from his doctor reporting deep lacerations, welts, and cuts he'd suffered while he was apparently safe, sleeping in his bed, next to his wife. She swore it was not her, and instantly blamed the necklace. Reluctantly, Rhy's agreed upon the next course of action, he would get rid of the necklace. He knew he couldn't destroy it, for that would likely bring irreparable harm to his family, he knew it couldn't stay, for the powers contained within the necklace needed to be harnessed and used for good. Rhys was convinced that evil spirits were using the necklace to do their bidding." Ethel glanced at the door.

I've never told anyone this," she stopped as if to consider her next words carefully, "it's vitally important, if you want to locate the necklace. My conscience will only be eased if I issue you this stern warning, if you ever find Myrddin's necklace, you'll need to learn to harness its powers and use those powers for good. Throughout its history, others have purchased it for vanity and status; the necklace has often been associated with a fatal consequence. I don't know the real reasons in your heart for wanting to find this necklace, but I warn you, it has a way of dealing with imposters. If your motives are pure, it will be attracted to you, but if they're not, well, my conscience is now clear, I've told you." Ethel stopped and rubbed her nose again, a gesture Dan recognized as her way of punctuating the point she'd just made.

"It was June12th, 1902, a day that Henry Davis boarded the R.M.S. Numidian, a ship registered to the Allen Line sailing from Liverpool and bound for Canada in the new world. Henry Davis was 21 years old, and from my research, I've identified him as being born in a small coastal Welsh town called Llanrhystud, situated on Cardigan Bay. I suspect Rhys Williams offered Henry a paid ticket to a new life, and a chance to form an import business for fine slate, quarried in Wales, and sold from the mine owned by Rhys Williams. Historical manifests show that Henry travelled from the Merseyside docks, in Liverpool. Eventually landing on the east coast of Canada. Henry Davis is important to our story, as I've managed to confirm, through old letters that he wrote describing his journey, that he was asked to deliver a sealed wooden box to a business associate of Rhys Williams, a fellow Welshman, and former member of the secret society of Myrddin, now living in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. His name was a Mr. Walter Seams."

Ethel winced quite visibly as she mentioned Walter's name, Ally noticed this and changed her facial expression to show concern; Ally wondered if Walter Seams had meant something to Ethel, perhaps a relative, or some connection into her husband? A searing hot pain shot through Ethel's chest, her chest tightened and restricted her breathing, like it had done almost every day for the last month. Her spasms were growing in intensity with each passing day. At work Ethel could hide behind a bookshelf or sit in a corner until her discomfort passed. Nobody really paid much attention to Ethel so disguising her deteriorating health was easy. Today she was sitting at a table with three young, intelligent visitors, and the timing of this attack could not have been worse, Ethel felt embarrassed. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself, ignoring the stabbing pain, "I'm sorry, let me continue," she implored, "I'm almost done. Letters were written and mailed between Walter and Rhys, these letters outlined their arrangement in some considerable amount of specificity before Henry had sailed. It looked to me like Henry wanted to be exactly clear, in writing, what the expectations were of his role in this agreement. The men communicated through correspondence and arranged the details for the necklace to be transported and delivered, sealed within a wooden box. I've read some of these original letters, but a few of the key letters written by Walter and Rhys are missing. I know this because of references contained within the letters point to other correspondence, they are unaccounted for, missing, and I can't even find a trace on their whereabouts. It's frustrating because it blocks my investigation, it's a long way of saying, I don't know what happened to the missing correspondence, but I firmly believe someone has them, a collector, an enthusiast, or perhaps the secret society. I'm certain additional information exists within these letters, definite clues that point to the whereabouts of the necklace. Because I've never been able to locate these missing letters, this is where my investigation goes cold. I can confirm that Henry was successful in his mission, for there are historical records of him registering a business in eastern Canada to import slate and stone. From that, one can assume that he arrived safely, and he conducted his business with Rhys, importing from the mine in Wales. From this we can assume that he delivered upon his pledge to give the wooden box, and the necklace contained within, to Walter Seams."

"What happened to Walter Seams?" asked Ally, disappointed that Ethel's trail had ended so abruptly.

"It's a good question, one which I have ruminated upon, I'm a tired old woman, I know, I don't have many days left in this world, so I decided that I'm not going to spend my final days chasing a fool's dream, especially one that's consumed far too much of my time already. In a way I feel guilty, perhaps instead of chasing a stupid necklace, I should have been enjoying my time with Percy." Ethel stopped and gazed off into thin air, it was like she was watching a movie of her own life flashing before her eyes. "Good luck to you all, occasionally, when I can stand it, I like to be honest with myself, this usually happens when I'm alone and feeling a bit sad. I can tell you, I was totally convinced that Myrddin's necklace existed, I still am today, but I've realized after many years that even though it may once have existed, that's certainly no guarantee that it exists today. After all that research, I've proven the necklace once existed, and I'm convinced it held special powers, but finding it today, intact and in one piece, I'm not so sure."

The Crocodile Queen sensed her sadness and regret, she wanted to tell Ethel that the necklace did exist, but that would lead to questions that she was not prepared to answer. "Is there anything else you can tell us that might be helpful? We know we've taken a lot of your time already, but we all wanted to thank you Ethel, you've been most helpful." Ally and Dan nodded their appreciation in unison.

Ethel thought carefully, "Yes, some lose facts, Walter Seams was a stone mason, I firmly believe he joined the army, and I think there's a connection to South Africa. We don't have access to military records in Canada from here, and our South Africa section isn't that big. I'm afraid that's all I have; I think I've told you everything except one last important detail. I did manage to read some of the original letters written by Walter Seams, letters that were stored in the historical business archives in Canada. Unfortunately, these letters were lost after a fire swept through the archives a few years ago. Walter's letters didn't offer much in the way of additional information, but I do remember vividly, he was an ardent admirer of a man called Allward, Mr. Allward. I got the feeling that Allward was a military buddy, and I think he has a role to play in this mystery, I just can't piece together how. That's what I was working on when I ran into a brick wall, but I have a strong hunch that Mr. Seams and Mr. Allward are connected somehow, Allward leads to you to Toronto, Canada, but hey, I might be wrong."

Ally flashed that brilliant smile again, "Thank you," she said, reaching out to hold Ethel's cold clasped hands, "you've been so helpful, and an absolute delight to spend time with. I wish you could have met out father also, he would have really liked you." Ally had a way with words, but her greatest gift was making people feel good. Ethel finally smiled, feeling the burden of this knowledge fall away from her. Everyone in that room tried to put a brave face on the meeting, like a sage who can see into the future, they all knew with some certainty that Ethel would pass away soon and have that chance to spend more time with her husband Percy.

It wasn't long before Ally, Dan, and the Crocodile Queen huddled together outside of the library, facing the busy street, "Let's find a quiet place where we can talk," whispered the Crocodile Queen as she scanned the surrounding buildings. They walked a couple of blocks before finding the perfect place, a narrow alley between two tall buildings, used for storing three large metal garbage containers. "Quickly, follow me," she barked, Dan and Ally followed the Crocodile Queen into the darkened alleyway ahead. Ducking behind one of the large green metal bins the Crocodile Queen grabbed Dan's hand, extending her other hand in Ally's direction. Ally reached out gripping the Crocodile Queen's cold hand, the alley exploded with a flash of bright golden light, resembling the flashes used in the old-fashioned cameras. When Dan opened his eyes, they were not in 1940's New York.

* * * * *

The Fifth Realm - Earth

Chapter 8: The Fragrant Harbor.

Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong.

"How helpless we are, like netted birds, when we are caught by desire!"

The sweltering heat coerced the hot dry air to spiral around their faces, they were huddled together within a tight passageway, wedged inconspicuously between two high-rise buildings, the passageway was strewn with litter, and an unpleasant pungent smell seemed to amplify in the heat, "Hong Kong, modern times," stated the Crocodile Queen in a serious tone, "follow me, and both of you stay close."

Ally noticed her clothes had changed, she found herself wearing a beige t-shirt, with an uncomfortably itchy bra that seemed too small, khaki colored shorts, that she would never select herself, and white sneakers that she really liked. Dan was wearing a plain white t-shirt, and long black pocketed surfer shorts matched with black and red striped sneakers. Ally knew that Dan would hate that look, but she thought it made him look good, modern, and contemporary. The Crocodile Queen wore jeans and a white t-shirt, Ally studied her closely, as women often do, she was a thin lady, but her thighs looked strong. The Crocodile Queen was in amazing shape, as she barked out her next order, "Come on, we don't have much time."

They exited the narrow passage and quickly merged into the busy street packed with an assortment of locals, visitors, and the occasional Caucasian straying off the beaten path. They cut through a densely populated side road that could not accommodate any more people, the Crocodile Queen would occasionally turn around and flash a worried glance their way to ensure they hadn't been swallowed by the crowd, "This way, follow me, and don't lose sight of me, stay focused."

Dan thought she was over-reacting, it was true there were a lot of people milling around, but it was easy to follow her along. They suddenly turned into a narrow street, situated next to a small park adorned with lush green trees; Dan glanced at a dirt stained street sign attached to the corner of a building, Yuen Po Street. The crowds of people grew denser, a market outfitted with an assortment of stalls quickly came into view, Ally heard the distinctive sound of chirping birds; these sounds reminded her of the park back home in Westtown. Dan's eyes started to wander, first he saw an assortment of elaborately woven wicker cages of all shapes and sizes hanging from poles, hooks, and roof edges, some were lined up on the ground.

Then, he noticed the colorful birds perched within their cages, some had blankets covering the cages to protect them from the strong rays of the sun, it was clearly a bird market, where people visited to buy birds, seeds, and cages. The bird's plumage contained yellows, greens, and an assortment of blues, a welcome splash of color within a drab, dreary, part of town. Some sang, some chirped furiously, and some screeched loudly, while others fluttered, most sat silently resigned to watching the people in the market file by. "Focus," hissed the Crocodile Queen, knowing the bird market was a huge distraction, Dan was looking at the variety of colorful birds when something else caught his eye, a young oriental woman working at the approaching stall. She wore tight fitting black jeans, a loose blue t-shirt, with her long black hair pulled back from her face and gathered into a ponytail. Her skin glistened as she worked in the relentless heat; her eyes were almond shaped, like a majestic cat. The sun caught her face, illuminating the deepest brown eyes he'd ever seen. High cheekbones framed her radiant face, she wore no makeup, and her dark eyelashes looked like natural eyeliner. Strands of her hair were meticulously tucked behind her ears, and it glistened in the strong sunlight. She smiled as she saw Dan walking towards her family's stall; Ally was hidden from view walking behind a couple of shoppers. It appeared as if Dan was walking with his elder sister, or perhaps his young mother, the Crocodile Queen.

The young woman clearly liked what she saw; she flashed Dan a flirtatious smile that he would never forget. Surrounded by wildly colorful birds, she managed to outshine them all, with her simple understated beauty. Dan smiled back, just as Ally came into view by sidestepping a portly older man who was ambling his way down the aisle of the Mong Kok bird market on a Sunday afternoon. Ally's timing could not have been better; she saw the dark-haired beauty smiling at Dan. She had the audacity to casually reach up to her face and pull away strands of dark hair, as if wiping away her perspiration, it was clearly an excuse to fuss with her ponytail and flick her long luxurious black hair around while attracting Dan's attention. Dan had his back to Ally, but she could see he'd turned his head and was clearly looking at the pretty bird seller. At first, Ally just smiled reveling in the irony of it all, a young woman surrounded daily by demonstrative exhibitionism, in the form of attention seeking birds, yet here she was, performing her own mating ritual right in front of Ally's eyes. As they approached the young woman's attention moved to Ally, who deliberately positioned herself closer to Dan. Her smile faded suddenly, as Ally flashed her the meanest stare she could muster, Ally narrowed her striking green eyes, crinkled her forehead, and locked in on her competition's gaze.

Realizing her error, flirting with another girl's guy, the young woman could conceive of only two options; she could try to stand her ground and stare Ally down, or, she could turn and pretend to make busy with one of the cage arrangements in the back of the stall; she disappeared into the back. Ally smirked, turning the corners of her mouth upwards, she savored her victory and proceeded to watch a disappointed Dan amble slowly by.

"This way," barked the Crocodile Queen, disappearing quickly into a busy street, Ally tried to take in her surroundings. Boundary Street, announced the sign attached to a low stone wall, they walked quickly, pushing their way through the crowded sidewalks until they reached Knight Street, a one-way street. Their pace quickened, and they seemed to have some urgency now, tall white cladded apartment buildings adorned with balcony attachments towered over them, the Crocodile Queen strode confidently towards one of the buildings. It suddenly grew darker, as the piercing sunlight struggled to find a way past one of the tall buildings. The Crocodile Queen approached a small door surrounded with six white colored plastic buttons; each button had a label with writing attached underneath. Some were written in English, some had strange Cantonese symbols displayed; the Crocodile Queen pressed the third button down, the only button with a blank label. They stood huddled together on the sidewalk, enjoying the cool shadow provided by the tall building, a painted metal olive colored door splashed with dirt had started to peel around the door jamb, the building wasn't in good shape. It looked dated, like a 1970's prefab, it stood today in a state of neglect. There was a strange buzzing noise, a speaker crackled into life, "Yes?"

The Crocodile Queen stepped forward, she perched herself on the top step, and moved her face towards the speaker, she whispered, "We've come to buy a yellow bird, there's three of us."

"Where have you come from?" inquired a frail woman's voice.

The Crocodile Queen glanced at the two fresh faced kids standing behind her, she knew she would have to take a risk that she didn't feel comfortable taking. It was time to trust Atheria, time to see if the information Atheria had shared with the Crocodile Queen earlier was correct. The Crocodile Queen's instincts told her to run, but she was compelled to save Kaan, he would risk everything for her. She felt herself cringe as she uttered the words, but she had no choice, she would place her life in the hands of a total stranger with no face, "From the Monastery of Light." Thoughts of a swirling, amorphous, shapeless cloud, flooded her head, 'I hope you're right Atheria,' she could hear the panic surging through the words of her own thoughts. A few moments passed, it was about two minutes, but it seemed like an age as they waited patiently on the top step of the entrance to the building.

Ally stepped forward, "Why are we here? I thought we were trying to find a guy?"

The Crocodile Queen seemed irritated at her question, "I was told us to come here first."

Suddenly the door opened inwards about two inches, accompanied by a strange buzzing noise as the door-lock released. The door then opened fully, a diminutive oriental woman with gray streaked hair greeted them. Her face was wrinkled and weathered, it showed the signs of her advanced age, she looked to be about seventy years old, approximately five feet one inch tall, and of slim build. She wore ill-fitting oversized brown canvass pants, and a black sweater with a black shirt peeking out around her neck. She wore no makeup and only a simple cheap plastic watch for jewelry. She wore brightly colored, red and yellow silk slippers that seemed out of place with her drab, plain, ordinary clothes. She looked at Dan, suspiciously sizing him up, then her attentions turned to Ally, before finally staring at the Crocodile Queen. She held her hand out in Ally's direction, her palm facing skywards, "Place the palm of your hand flat upon my palm dear," she said, in a soft but firm voice.

Ally shot a mistrusting glance towards the Crocodile Queen, who responded by nodding her approval, urging Ally to comply. Dan was skeptical, feeling his body stiffen as he thought request was odd.

Ally cautiously stepped forward; she complied by placing her reluctant hand, palm down, where it touched the outstretched palm of the old woman. Ally felt an immediate surge of energy shoot through her palm and stared into the old woman's eyes, they had rolled back into her head. She teetered and rolled her head briefly, before breaking the connection and staggering back a step to regain her composure.

"Come inside quickly, follow me now," ordered the woman urgently, as she glanced nervously from side to side examining the street outside. They followed her into a small, sparsely decorated, sterile looking lobby entrance with an elevator. The old woman didn't wait for them to enter, she'd already moved to the elevator pushing the button and summoning its arrival before they'd all managed to step inside. The doors opened and they all shuffled carefully inside the small cramped mirrored elevator. It was sized to fit six people, but the space was still uncomfortably tight with only four inside. She inserted a silver colored key into the control panel, she turned it ninety degrees, and pushed the number six on the illuminated panel. The elevator commenced its journey with a shake and a thud, it surprised everyone except the old woman, who calmly returned the key to her pants pocket. As the elevator travelled the old woman turned to face the Crocodile Queen, "She's very young, but she's extremely strong," she said, knowingly nodding in Ally's direction. Ally hated when people talked about her, when she was right there, close enough to hear every word. As a small child this happened to her a lot, adults would talk about her future, as if she couldn't hear or understand them.

"A young, strong, white witch, from a good bloodline, I didn't think I'd be spending my day with witches. Two white witches, well - that's an interesting day indeed," she mumbled. Ally glanced across at the Crocodile Queen. Dan glanced nervously at Ally. The elevator continued upon its agonizingly slow ascent. Finally, the doors opened, and the small oriental woman led the way by scurrying out of the elevator and down a long dimly lit narrow hallway. She paused halfway down the hallway and fumbled for her key. She opened one of the apartment doors and glanced each way, to ensure they were alone and not being followed, "Quickly, get inside, quickly," she urged.

Dan was the last to enter, and she moved her face uncomfortably close to his, "You have no gifts young man, but there's something about you that I can't quite fathom. Your energy isn't right, you're not a warlock or a wizard, you don't have the sight, and you can't shape shift, yet you hang around with a grand master white witch, and a young inexperienced white witch with a royal bloodline, why would these witches tolerate a boy like you? No - I'm missing something, I'm definitely missing something?"

Dan crinkled his nose he moved his muscular frame back, squeezing it against the door to put some distance between himself and this oddly curious little woman. She grabbed at his wrist; Dan's first instinct was to firmly pull his hand away. Dan was a strong young man, augmented with advanced combat skills that he'd acquired on his previous adventures with Raj. He instinctively turned his wrist, exposing the open part of her grip. To his surprise, her hold on him was vice like, she demonstrated overwhelming strength for a frail old woman. His strong arm and twisting motion had no impact as she held him easily, "Now I see it, that explains it," she mumbled, letting his bruised wrist go, and releasing her grip, "Sit, make yourself comfortable, I'll brew us some tea."

Dan was still in shock, Ally seemed confused, they both looked at the Crocodile Queen for guidance. She nodded her agreement and moved gracefully to a small couch facing the apartment's windows. Ally and Dan selected individual armchairs carefully positioned around a glass coffee table that was perched upon a patterned oriental rug. The apartment was small and cozy, with a full wall of bright-unobstructed windows, allowing the light to flood into the room delivering its warmth. The walls were painted a subtle cream color, and the furniture was made from carved wood adorned with birds, dragons, and Chinese symbols.

They sat and looked at each other in silence not knowing what to expect. The awkward silence was occasionally broken by the sounds required to make tea coming from the small kitchen. After what seemed like an eternity, the smaller framed woman entered the room carrying a wooden tray containing a blue and white steaming porcelain tea pot, and four stacked matching tea cups. She sat on the couch next to the Crocodile Queen and with an agonizing attention to detail; she positioned the small cups and began to pour the tea.

Ally recognized the smell permeating the air of the small apartment; it was green jasmine tea, her favorite. Dan was still obsessing over his introduction; she'd essentially called him useless, because he wasn't a witch. He was intrigued by the way she'd left his apparent usefulness hanging by a thread, quite deliberately, "Now I see it," he mumbled under his breath, 'see what' he pondered.

"Let's drink to infinite possibilities," she said, raising her steaming cup of jasmine tea.

The others followed suit, "Infinite possibilities," they answered together.

Gently placing her cup upon the coffee table, the old woman wasted no time with an uncharacteristically blunt question, "Why are you here?" she asked simply.

The Crocodile Queen gulped her mouthful of hot tea, she gently placed the cup back upon the wooden tray, "Atheria told us to visit you, we seek a man in Hong Kong who tracks Myrddin's necklace, she thought you would know of such a man?"

"Why do you seek Myrddin's necklace?" she appeared calm and detached, but her voice seemed harsh and direct.

"A dear friend of ours has been bitten by a stone spider, the black witch is responsible for this, and we need the necklace to break the spell and set him free from this curse, our search has led us here to Hong Kong, in the hope that this elusive person may give us clues."

The old woman reached for her cup of tea, she sipped, and reflected upon her course of action. Still holding the steaming cup, she raised her eyes, and stared at Dan, "Elora is a particularly nasty witch, I've run across her a few times, she gave me this," she raised her arm, and pushed the sleeve of her black lightweight woolen sweater up her arm to reveal a nasty patch of scarred flesh, it was oddly shaped and reduced her arm to a bone thin appearance. Massive trauma had been afflicted and suffered through, "It's a really nice souvenir, I was lucky to escape with my life, believe me, it was a humbling experience. I hope you know what you're doing?" she inquired, staring blankly out of the apartment windows with a vacant look in her eyes. Her loose sleeve fell back into place, covering her horrendous scars and her painful memories.

Dan was getting irritable, impatient, and bored of this whole tea ceremony thing, "So we're here to find this necklace, I was wondering if you could help us locate this guy?" he paused, feeling awkward, "or not," he sat back in his chair, ashamed that his frustration had got the better of him.

"Ahh, the impatience of youth," she said, smiling that knowing smile at the Crocodile Queen, "I sometimes miss that, you know. Yes, young man," she said, turning her head towards Dan, her words tinged with a pinch of poignant sarcasm, "you might not have figured this out yet, but I'm also a white witch, just like your friends here. I can decide to help you, or not help you. I'm well over six hundred years old, and time to me is like the air we breathe, it just simply exists. You my friend, you will learn to slow down and relax, the irony of life is that you men will always learn this important lesson, after it's too late, when you're in the final stretch of your life." She stopped talking and glanced wistfully at the column of light streaming through the apartment windows, "I died once, but that was a long time ago, I was brought back to life by a spiritual entity from another realm, Atheria. I was once considered the most powerful white witch on Earth, a title that I personally advise, that you should not aspire to. It makes you a priority, a target for the dark witch, she wants to be known as the most powerful witch, Elora will kill any white witch who shows promise. Elora tried to kill me many times, and finally I died, heed my warning, if this friend means something to you, she'll know you're trying to save him, its sounds like a trap with a larger prize at stake," she glanced at the Crocodile Queen knowingly.

The Crocodile Queen nodded, acknowledging the truth held within her observation and indicating her acceptance of the danger that lay ahead.

"Then I suppose you need to find this man, a man who can lead you to the necklace," she rose and awkwardly stumbled towards a large ornately carved chest tucked away at the side of an armchair. She kneeled as if her knees pained her and lifted the large wooden lid. She rummaged around in the chest for the briefest of moments before retrieving a flat, long shaped object, wrapped in a folded brown cloth. She closed the lid, let out a sigh, and struggled to regain her feet. She wobbled over to the couch, before sitting, "You seek a man, a despicable man, he's well known around these parts. His name is Tony Wong, but he's known around the Escalator district, as Mr. Flash. He likes pretty girls, fast cars, expensive meals, and is always surrounded by a group of large armed men. He always wears black, and brightly colored, loud shoes. Some put him in his sixties, but he's a slim, fit man, who looks a lot younger. He's a dangerous, callous man, who kills his rivals with no mercy. He's well connected with influence over the local police force, the Chinese government, and the local politicians and triad gangs. Apart from young pretty women, he loves antiquities; he's an avid collector and a relentless bidder at auctions. If he wants something, he usually gets it, legitimately or in some cases," she paused, "well, I remember one guy who outbid him at an estate sale in Hong Kong, it was a rare jeweled Chinese flask, that belonged to a Chinese emperor," she smiled an ironic smile, "he ended up face down floating in Aberdeen harbor. This is not a nice man, and you two young women, well, let's just say you're both his type. Mr. Flash likes to be flashy, he loves to flaunt his power and his wealth."

"Does this Mr. Flash have the necklace we seek?" the Crocodile Queen sounded hopeful.

"This is where it gets interesting, no, I don't believe he does," Dan couldn't hide his frustration and impatience. He fidgeted uncontrollably, rolling his eyes. The old witch caught his gesture within her peripheral vision. She decided that Dan would be a liability, not suited to the delicate art of Asian negotiations. The task that lay ahead for the two pretty, white witches, would be undermined by Dan's impatience, "You're a handsome, headstrong, and passionate guy, qualities I most certainly like in a man," she said smiling. "Qualities that will get you all killed with Mr. Flash." She waited for the message, delivered so sweetly, to sink in, she bent forward retrieving her cup and started to sip her tea. Dan pulled a face knowing his impatience had surfaced and got the better of him. Ally flashed him a scolding look, she wanted to shake some sense into him. She wondered if he had the smarts to figure out she'd just given him a backhanded compliment.

"I always try to keep away from Mr. Flash, he's too high profile and too dangerous for my liking. He has a private residence at the Four Seasons hotel; he acts like he owns the place. You'll need to seek an audience with him, I've got a few contacts that can get you a meeting," she turned to face Dan, "You, my handsome fearless dragon, will have to stay behind, you understand?"

Dan didn't at first, until it finally became clear, "I can't go to the meeting with Mr. Flash?"

"Correct. Mr. Flash likes pretty, young women, some say he likes them very young. You two ladies are very young and very pretty, you're definitely his type," she said, her eyes finally resting upon the Crocodile Queen's toned body. "If he thinks he has a chance with either of you, or better still, both of you, then he'll be fascinated. When you bring him a gift, he'll be hooked." The two witches listened intently, they didn't like where this was going or the suggestions the old woman was making.

"Mr. Flash is a vain man, he's spent a considerable amount of money pursuing the completion of his collection. Some say, his collection is the most important thing in his life, he's spent millions collecting the Seven Daggers of Xiang. In ancient China, seven warlords feuded over land and trade routes, this family feud continued for hundreds of years. There came a time when one warlord decided to negotiate a truce, uniting the seven warring families into one powerful co-operative. To commemorate this magnificent event the warlords commissioned seven jeweled daggers to be made. Each dagger had a uniquely shaped handle that, when placed upon a table, fits into the other daggers like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Today the daggers are worth a lot of money; the jewels and the craftsmanship could not be replicated. I know, I was present at the warlord's meetings, and I saw the daggers connected, a symbol of peace lying in the center of the negotiating table. I was serving water, rice wine, and food, while listening to the conversation."

She leaned forward and began to unfold the brown cloth that covered an object perched upon her knees, "Mr. Flash's collection is impressive, but this would make it more impressive, the fifth dagger, his only missing piece. Many have tried to create a forgery of this dagger, but only Mr. Flash knows the shape of the missing dagger's handle, because he has the remaining six daggers. This is authentic; don't ask me how I got it, that's a long story. This dagger will fit perfectly into his collection, like the last piece of a jigsaw puzzle. He'll recognize the quality and know instantly its original. What you two will need to do is use your feminine charms and use this dagger as leverage, a bargaining chip to get information around the necklace's location. He believes the necklace exists, and he's been digging for information that will lead him to its location for years, it's an obsession of his. I know he bought some old letters at an auction in England, they're said to contain a riddle that points to its location. This dagger, in exchange for the riddle letter, that should be your starting point. It's a ridiculously unfair swap, but you must find a way of getting the letter, and getting out of there, with your lives. He'll undoubtedly take the dagger, but will not think twice about removing you both, after you've outlived your usefulness. I can give you this leverage, and you'll need to follow a careful plan, am I making myself very clear?"

"Yes, we're not going to end up in the harbor," the Crocodile Queen said confidently, trying to ease the panicked look burning deep within Ally's concerned eyes.

"Good, take this, you'll need it," she offered the heavy dagger to the Crocodile Queen. "He has information, but he doesn't know where the necklace is located, otherwise he would have retrieved it already. It's important that you don't tell him anything that you know, remember, any small irrelevant detail could provide him with the missing link revealing its location. Your job is to find out as much as you can, get the letter with the cryptic riddle as an exchange, and get out of there safely. It's rumored that Mr. Flash bought a letter written by a Canadian, Walter Seams to his friend Rhys Williams, and its dated 1907. It contains a cryptic verse, which is unusually at odds with the banality of the letter's remaining content. This verse supposedly contains clues to the final resting place of Myrddin's necklace. The letter was sold for an undisclosed amount, many who've studied this topic firmly believe the verse is the final cryptic clue."

Dan's blood was boiling, he pictured some old fart drooling over Ally, "I'm not comfortable letting you two ladies go into this alone, I have fighting skills, I know I don't look like much, but I have fighting skills and I can protect you."

"We need a meeting, a distraction, some leverage, and a bargaining chip, unfortunately it doesn't involve muscle or fighting, so that rules you out," said Ally, her comment was out of character, firm, direct, and with a hint of a no-nonsense, causing Dan to pull a puzzled face.

"Leverage is good," the old woman countered, "but if Mr. Flash is fearful, a horrible paralyzing fear, it can be even better," she whispered with a smile.

"Are you saying Dan should come along?"

"No," she shook her head, laughing, dampening Dan's brief ray of hope.

Ally was confused, "Then how are we going to get a wealthy, corrupt, well-guarded and connected man to fear us?"

Ally was pleased that Dan wanted to offer her protection, but she knew he would not be coming along for the negotiation, and she studied the serious concerned look on his face.

The old woman also studied Dan's face, "I've been a bit hard on you haven't I young man, you've got a good heart. This young witch will need to lean on it in the coming years, but this one here," she pointed at the Crocodile Queen, "she can protect herself adequately and don't worry, she'll protect your precious love, far better than your fighting skills would have."

She turned her attention to the Crocodile Queen, "Meeting Mr. Flash in a public place will be the smart move for you both, and I'll arrange this for you. He needs to know that he can't mess with you," she reached behind her neck, and unclipped a golden chain. She gently pulled at it, extracting the chain from beneath her sweater. Suspended from the chain was a pendent, a design that resembled a pheasant swirling around a Crescent Moon. The old woman handed the pendent to the Crocodile Queen, who clumsily clipped the gold clasp around the back of her own neck. The pendant lay against her gold coin necklace.

"When you leave today, I want you to go to the Pacific Place mall, buy the tightest, prettiest feminine silk summer dresses that you can, they should have short hem lines, show plenty of leg, you understand? Buy some heels from the Louboutin store, and check-in at the J.W. Marriott hotel connected to the mall. I will arrange to pay for everything, just give them this card, when you buy things, remember to make everything expensive and feminine, you need to peak this guy's interest and flatter him. Men become extremely foolish around beautiful women, especially beautiful women who match their exact type. Get your hair done at the hotel tomorrow morning at the salon, and remember you're both beautiful women, but you must act as if you're unattainable, this is the ultimate tonic for an ageing ego-maniac who's accustomed to getting his way."

"You," she said, pointing at the Crocodile Queen as she tried to visualize what she'd look like in a summer dress stumbling around in heels, "be sure to wear that necklace, take the other one off and make darn sure it's clearly visible, that's really important. I'll arrange for a table in the lobby lounge of the Marriott hotel, your table will be situated in front of the tall Chinese tea jars, it's a nice display with Canton Tea Company written on it, you can't miss them, it's a tall dark wooden cabinet with blue and white ceramic jars containing loose leaf tea. Arrange to be at this table for 2pm sharp, I'll make sure Mr. Flash is there at 1.50pm promptly, just leave that part up to me."

She looked at Dan's disappointed face, "Sorry young man, this is a fishing expedition and to catch fish you need bait, you're not his type. That pendant is a powerful symbol of an ancient order, a long-forgotten order of Chinese and Mongolian white witches. They've brought warlords to their knees, averted wars, and controlled the fate of many powerful men, with their power and their cunning. Mr. Flash has researched the Order of the Crescent Moon, only to be told to back away and refrain from his research. He's tried to collect literature, spell books, artifacts, or anything he can get his hands on. A few years ago, after constantly thumbing his nose at our polite protestations he received a visitor." The old woman stopped talking abruptly to take a sip of her tea, she recalled that time in her life. She gently placed the tea cup back upon the table and resumed her story, now content that her parched throat had been quenched.

"A small child was sent to visit Mr. Flash, she spoke eloquently, firmly, with a directness that conveyed confidence and wisdom far beyond her age. Through her words and calm demeanor, she more than matched his intellect; she delivered a warning of imminent danger if he continued his fascination with the order. She gave him a week to declare his solemn intention to cease his research into our ancient order. At first, surrounded by his armed guards, and heavy henchmen, Mr. Flash felt safe, he wasn't going to be intimidated by a precocious child, and he appeared almost cocky. As the deadline neared, he started to feel weak, initially suffering from flu symptoms where he was sweating, coughing, and running a high fever. Then his body started to welt, it started to cover in sore boils that erupted over his entire body, legs, chest, back, neck, and face. He summoned for the child by leaving a donation at the local orphanage, as she had instructed him to."

The old lady shook her head recalling the events of that day, "When the child arrived to meet him, she did not appear shocked at his deteriorating physical state. Once he'd sworn to leave the order alone, she patiently explained to him that his longevity would be forever linked to the promise he'd just made. If he exposed the Order of the Crescent Moon or pursued any of its members or tried to acquire any artifacts relating to the Order of the Crescent Moon, well," she shook her head again, "the spell would resume, and Mr. Flash would die a horribly painful death. The child gave Mr. Flash a flask containing milk, honey, and lavender, which he greedily consumed; anxious to recover from what he knew to be a witch's spell. After a few days, he regained his strength; the boils and welts subsided, vanishing completely over the next few weeks. It scared Mr. Flash profoundly, and as a result, he's never been near the order since. Mr. Flash had previously purchased a golden statue, bearing the order's insignia, it was originally found in a Chinese village, and sold through the illegal antiquities market where Mr. Flash was the anonymous buyer. The child had such a profound affect upon his sudden vulnerability that he immediately sold anything in his collection connecting him to the order."

Dan glanced at the sun streaming through the apartment window, his attention snapped back into focus when she started to talk again, "You are both beautiful ladies, not as young as the child that paid him a visit, but when he sees you wearing that necklace with that insignia, well, let's just say, I think you'll get his undivided attention."

Ally smiled, she liked the added insurance now afforded by the fear factor the pendant brought, the old woman continued with her explicit instructions, "What you need to do, is use the dagger as the bargaining tool to receive additional information. Once he's finished, ask him if he has left any information unspoken, and remind him that holding back information would likely result in the reoccurrence of painful, possibly fatal, boils and welts, then I want you to reach up and play with your necklace. He will sing like the loudest bird in the Mong Kok market," she waved her hand in the general direction of the bird market. "Is this clear?"

The two women nodded vigorously, Dan sat silent and motionless. He was disappointed that he wouldn't be able to participate in this part of the adventure.

"Good, then I've done enough, you should hide the pendant when you're out on the street, and when you go shopping, and make sure no-one sees that dagger. Keep it with you always. Never leave it alone. It's time for you to leave now."

The Crocodile Queen rose to leave, Dan and a reluctant Ally, followed her lead, "Thank you," said Ally, knowing she'd just met an exceptional witch, and someone very special. Ally thought about how much she could have learned from this wise woman, but she had this strong intuitive feeling, deep within her stomach, she just knew she would never meet this powerful woman ever again, she couldn't quite explain it, but she just knew. As they filed silently towards the apartment door, the old wise woman remained seated issuing one last reminder, "Remember, tomorrow, in the lobby of the J.W. Marriott hotel, Chinese Tea jars, Canton Tea Company at 2pm, don't be late and remember to look gorgeous!"

Once they had left, the Crocodile Queen ducked back into the apartment, leaving Ally and Dan at the door, she placed her hand upon the old woman's shoulder, "Thank you, you don't know what this means to me."

The old woman smiled, "Take good care of that young lady, she's very special. I'm still confused about my reading of her and I'm never confused. That girl has dragon blood inside of her, but she's clearly not Asian. She must be from the old world, a pure bloodline lineage, that's powerful magic. She doesn't know her own powers, but the demons will want her eradicated, so take care of her please," she squeezed the Crocodile Queen's hand tightly as if to reinforce her point.

"I will, thanks again," the Crocodile Queen pulled her hand away and moved towards the door.

* * * * *

Ally emerged from the bathroom of the executive suite in the Marriott hotel on Hong Kong Island. Dan stared wondrously at the view from the window, he marveled at the harbor, and the busy scene unfolding before him, surrounded by highrise apartments buildings and hotels, he could see cars moving along the concrete roads below so small they looked like the toy cars he played with as a child. They were so high up, the street below appeared in miniature as the strong sunlight streamed into the room reflecting off the water and making the boats look like they were floating on air. Dan turned to look at Ally, she wore a light tan colored silk dress that clung to her body, the silk was lightly decorated with red flowers and green leaves, embroidered delicately into the sheer tight-fitting fabric. Her hair was left long and flowing, it framed her face so expertly made up with makeup and eyeliner. Her legs were exposed from the mid-thigh and her feet were freshly pedicured. She wore a nude-tan colored pair of high heels, that exposed a shock of red, painted on underneath of the shoes across the arch, "Wow," said Dan, with his mouth struggling to close.

"You like?" teased Ally, knowing full well how great she looked, all Dan could do was nod quietly. The Crocodile Queen walked into the executive suite to join Ally, Dan was stunned. He'd never seen her look like this before; he wished Jean could see her. Her long black hair shone in the bright sunlight, it was normally pulled back in a no-nonsense ponytail, and it had been teased and styled to perfection, now framing her pretty face. Her features always seemed hard and intense, the eyeliner, lipstick and blush accentuated her femininity and made her look very pretty. Her brown eyes sparkled where they couldn't be ignored with her new look. She wore a light blue silk dress with shoulder straps, and a low-cut neckline, the dress flowed to the mid-thigh exposing her lean, toned legs. She wore black heels with the same red under soles. Her dress was less ornate than Ally's, but it clung to her body and accentuated her shape, making her look very feminine. The low-cut neckline exposed her necklace as she had been instructed, Dan agreed with her choice of dress. Together they both looked stunning, any man would turn their head for a second look, the Crocodile Queen fluffed her hair with her fingers, unaccustomed to the volume and the feel of it.

She walked over to Dan standing at the window, she touched his arm, "Listen, I know this is hard for you, I know you want to come with us to be a part of this and protect Ally. I've been a bit unfair with you Dan," she turned away to look at Ally, "I'd want to be part of this too, and it's not fair that you must wait here, but we can't afford any mistakes, this must go perfect. I know you've inherited fighting skills, and I'm eternally grateful for the fact that you've risked your life, several times killing a Karcon, fighting with the army that saved my realm, I can't thank you enough. Dan, this is going to be tough while you wait here, but I won't let any harm come to Ally, I promise you that with my life." Dan looked into her eyes and noticed how different she appeared. "Be here for us when we return, we'll take comfort in knowing that you'll be waiting for us." He was disappointed in his role, missing this negotiation, but he felt better that he wasn't summarily dismissed, a bad feeling he got from the old woman he'd met in Mong Kok.

"It's time to go," whispered Ally, urging the Crocodile Queen to retrieve the dagger. Ally appreciated the Crocodile Queen's effort to boost Dan's fragile self-esteem. She tried to think about it if the roles were reversed, she pictured Dan, all spruced up with a new haircut, fitted silk suit, and an expensive watch going to lunch with a powerful old hag, known to have a penchant for young men. She'd be jealous as all hell, and her unattractive bitchy side would be rearing its ugly green head. Dan was excluded from this part of the adventure, and he was handling it well.

The Crocodile Queen took the dagger, still wrapped in the brown cloth, and carefully placed it gently in the fold of a South China Morning Post newspaper, which she retrieved from a glass table in the room. She carried the newspaper folded in a way to conceal her bargaining chip; the two beautiful women smiled at each other, waved goodbye, and left the sun-drenched hotel suite.

Ally patiently waited for the elevator to arrive, she studied the strange image reflected before her on the mirrored walls of the elevator lobby, "God, we look hot," Ally joked, as she laughed turning to face the Crocodile Queen.

"Why do your men like this type of look? Painted face, fluffed up hair, and these awful boots," the Crocodile Queen shook her head in dismay.

Ally laughed, "These are high heels, I wouldn't refer to them as boots."

"They're stupid, uncomfortable, and impractical," the Crocodile Queen snarled.

"Yes, and dead sexy, so just try to work it, and stay on your feet," Ally smiled enjoying her new-found femininity.

The elevator announced its arrival with the fanfare of a shrill dinging noise, when the doors opened, they stepped inside, and Ally pushed the lobby button. They rode alone and in silence down to the lobby level. Once the doors opened to the lobby they exited the elevator and turned right, walking into the general lobby area of the hotel. They could see the reception desk, and a flurry of uniformed bell hops, each attending to luggage, hailing taxis, and directing limousines. To their left, was a seating area filled with business men who turned to stare, noticing two beautiful women walking elegantly through the lobby, the breeze from the open lobby doors fluttering their silk hemlines. They turned to their right, walked carefully down a flight of polished marble stairs, and proceeded towards the lobby lounge, surrounded by large gleaming silver circular columns capped in a gold ring, that towered above them.

"Two for lunch ladies?" inquired an awkward young man dressed in black trousers, a white shirt, black tie and an ill-fitting beige waistcoat.

Ally took the lead, feeling more comfortable standing in her heels, "We're expected at a table close to the tea jars, in front of the Canton Tea Company display."

"Of course, please follow me," said the young man in a cheery voice.

The Crocodile Queen struggled to look elegant, she wobbled, and adjusted her weight regaining her balance, as she perched precariously on her ridiculously high and uncomfortable shoes. She noticed how glamorous and polished Ally looked in comparison, Ally glided into the lounge with all eyes turning to her like a graceful gazelle. Staring at her feet, the Crocodile Queen weaved around the chairs and tables, she noticed the busy beige and white patterned carpet. They were led to a small circular table with two men patiently waiting for them, neither rose to greet them, preferring to remain seated. The Crocodile Queen remained standing, Ally followed her lead, the young man scurried to assist the Crocodile Queen with her chair, followed by Ally's chair, helping them sit gracefully.

They joined two men, one dressed in a classic black suit, white shirt and black tie, Ally thought he looked like a blues brother from the classic Dan Ackroyd film. He had spiky black hair, a thick neck, a fat face, and an unsightly scar running across his face. He was a large man squeezed into a small beige colored chair. He sat uncomfortably in the lounge with a tea pot and delicate china tea cup placed in front of him. The other man looked in his element, comfortable in his serene surroundings, as he sipped his tea elegantly. He was a thin, small man, elegant and polished, impeccably groomed with an expensive haircut, his face was narrow and smooth. He had small brown eyes that twinkled in the strong sunlight that streamed into the lounge through the floor to ceiling glass wall that separated the guests from the outside and the harbor.

He was dressed elegantly in a casual expensive way. He wore black Salvatore Ferragamo shoes, black socks, a leather belt, and expensive wool blend trousers. He wore a blue silk form fitting shirt, open at the neck. He wore his shirt cuffs rolled up like a hard-working politician that you'd see on TV, and although he was quite small framed, he seemed to command the space around him with his confidence and presence.

"Ladies," he said, gently placing his delicate teacup onto the white table cloth, "I took the liberty of ordering some Jasmine tea for you both," he said, sweeping his hand across the top of the tea pots carefully arranged. He glanced at his henchman with an annoyed look, finally he figured it out, it was his job to pour the tea, "Please," he barked. What followed was an embarrassing moment as they watched a nervous brute of a man, more comfortable bashing someone's head against a wall, trying to be refined as he poured Jasmine tea from ceramic teapots without spilling onto the white linen table cloth. Under that much pressure, he did a pretty good job, resulting in two cups of steaming Jasmine tea.

Ally followed the Crocodile Queen's lead; she flashed her million-dollar smile constantly at the small elegant man. Both ladies looked gorgeous, Mr. Flash was clearly enjoying the occasion.

He reached forward carefully moving a vase placed in the center of the table, adorned with white orchids to one side, this allowed him to observe the two stunning women that had joined his table, "I was asked to join you today, I was told that you had information that may lead me to a special artifact that I would most like to receive, is this true my precious doves?" he smiled in a condescending way.

Ally reached for the teacup signaling to the Crocodile Queen her compliance; she would not answer this question. As the Crocodile Queen sat, she'd gently placed the newspaper upon the carpet, extracting the clothed wrapped dagger and placing it upon her lap. This act had escaped Mr. Flash's attention, as he'd been infatuated with Ally's face, dress, and legs. "We do appreciate the opportunity to meet with you today," the Crocodile Queen started formally, "but you've been sadly mis-informed." Mr. Flash studied the Crocodile Queen's face, he didn't recognize her race, but he suddenly appreciated her round chestnut colored eyes, and instantly wanted her. He felt an energetic surge pulsing through his body. He wanted them both.

Ally shot a glance towards the Crocodile Queen, as she continued to hook him in, "We don't bring information today, we bring you something far more exciting, more tangible, and perhaps, even the object that you desire."

"Well, that would be exciting," echoed Mr. Flash, as his eyes dropped to her breasts in an unveiled attempt to unsettle her. The tactic backfired, as the Crocodile Queen didn't miss a beat, she instantly recognized the look of panic spreading across his confident face, as his eyes came to rest upon the necklace prominently displayed around her neck.

Mr. Flash's cocky expression changed in an instant, Ally caught his eyes lingering upon the pendant's insignia, 'Good,' she thought, 'now we have his attention.'

The Crocodile Queen continued, "We're reasonable people, so today we bring you a proposition, one which I'm sure we can both find profitable." She stopped, reached for the tea cup and let her words linger like the red hang-gliders sailing down on thermal currents from the tall surrounding mountain tops. Mr. Flash was irritable and impatient, fidgeting in his seat, a remarkable change from the comfortable laid back cocky attitude of the man they'd observed when they first entered the lobby. The Crocodile Queen had peaked his interest, the necklace was having its desired effect, striking fear and uncertainty into his heart and soul.

"Proceed," he said, rubbing his nose impatiently, "I'm intrigued," Mr. Flash's voice crackled with uncertainty, like an old gramophone.

Ally smiled, she knew they had the upper hand, she marveled at how far she'd come. Once a shy mousy girl, trying desperately to blend into the background, dressed in shabby loose-fitting clothes, bullied and teased by the other girls at school. Look at her now, she felt like a model dressed in the finest clothes, sipping tea in a beautiful lounge in Hong Kong. She felt like a movie star playing a role in a fantasy movie, like a Bond girl. Her thoughts turned to Dan, pacing around in their suite high above them. Since meeting Dan her life had changed in so many exciting ways, and she felt grateful.

The Crocodile Queen retrieved the item lying carefully in her lap; she placed it gently upon the circular table covered in a crisp white Egyptian-cotton tablecloth. She smiled at Mr. Flash, "We bring you a gift for your co-operation, a gift from the order," she raised her eyes to ensure her reference to the order had registered deeply with his deep-seated fears and anxieties. He reciprocated by raising his eyebrows in recognition of whom they represented, "There's a price for this gift, and I know you'll be happy to co-operate with us," she leaned in and carefully unwrapped the brown cloth that covered the dagger. Mr. Flash scooted forward in his seat with anticipation; his henchman visibly stiffened expecting the worse. It took a few seconds before Mr. Flash could process the object before him; he recognized that magnificent dagger laying on the table in front of him.

"Is it real?" he gasped.

The Crocodile Queen nodded, "Yes, it's real, the missing piece of your collection.

"Where did you get this?" inquired Mr. Flash, the excitement coursing through his strained voice.

"Does it matter?" responded the Crocodile Queen curtly, Ally smiled, watching her manipulate the greed rising within this weak man. "With most precious objects, there's always a price, one that I'll need to explain. You can have this, a gift, the fifth dagger of Xiang, you can walk away with it today, but in return, we want valuable information. Here's the catch," she seemed to be enjoying toying with her prey. Just as she appeared to have him in the palm of her hand, the Crocodile Queen did something quite unexpected, and out of character, she turned to the beautiful young woman sat quietly next to her, "my friend here is a talented white witch of the highest order, why don't you educate this gentleman in the conditions attached to this impressive dagger?"

Ally felt the men's eyes rest upon her, heat flushed into her cheeks; she needed to compose herself, to act the part and avoid turning this meeting into a fiasco. She took a deep breath and flashed her most radiant smile, her eyes sparkled in the bright sunlight, and "The order has agreed to gift you this dagger, the last missing piece of your collection, as a show of good faith. The dagger comes with an honesty spell, I cast the spell personally upon this object." The Crocodile Queen watched Ally's performance intently, she wondered where she was heading with this, and started to regret her decision to involve Ally.

"The dagger is yours, if you agree to do the following things; we require the letters that you purchased regarding the correspondence surrounding Merlin's necklace. We want you to tell us everything that you know, everything that you've discovered through your extensive research on this topic, and then the dagger is yours. Heed my warning though, if you try to deceive us, tell us half-truths or even omit important details from your research, the honesty spell will be automatically evoked. So be warned, if you accept the dagger, you must honor your pledge or ..." she let her words trail off for dramatic effect. "Well, let's just say you may develop a particularly nasty skin condition again, this time it could be fatal, do you understand?" Ally flashed her eyes at the scared man sat across the table from her, she'd done well, he visibly recoiled remembering his previously painful experiences with the order.

Ally observed Mr. Flash as he weighed up his options, he stared longingly at the dagger, he studied the shape of the handle and inspected the jewels embedded into the curved design. The Crocodile Queen smiled, leaving the awkward silence to do the work, she turned to face Ally smiling her acknowledgment of a job well done.

"I accept your kind offer, ladies of the order, now push that dagger over here, and I'll have the letter delivered to you as promised," Mr. Flash looked pleased with himself. A rare dagger in exchange for an old letter, and some information relating to a decade long chase after what he now considered fool's gold.

"Tell us what you know about the necklace, and remember, don't hold anything back," insisted the Crocodile Queen as she shoved the dagger towards him. He stared at the artifact, memorized by its beauty, caught in his own trance he began to talk.

"The necklace of Myrddin, it's believed to be Merlin's necklace, an interesting artifact containing wisdom, power over evil, and protection from the dark spirits. This necklace contains an amulet, it is said to be made from the claws of a Welsh dragon. I've studied the legends and rumors surrounding this necklace for a long time, I've not managed to locate its current resting place. The letter I bought at auction was supposed to contain a key, in the form of a riddle, to its current location; this riddle is what you seek and that's what I'll deliver to you." Mr. Flash stopped to sip his tea and admire the dagger laying in front of him.

"In the 1800's, a Welsh boy was paid to deliver a wooden box containing the necklace to a man in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Walter Seams received the necklace containing the amulet, I can confirm this to be a fact. Walter was a stonemason by trade, but he served in the 10th Royal Grenadiers, number two-service company. I've had the good fortune to read other letters from Walter, complaining about the weather, the food, and a lot of sentimental thoughts while fighting the Metis Indians, in the North-West rebellion, in the Battle of Batoche, in Saskatchewan, Canada, in 1885, I believe. It appears our man Walter survived, but that's where my trail goes cold. I know he worked in Toronto, and I know that he mentioned his deep admiration for his military officer. What was his name? ah yes, a Mr. James Mason. Walter fondly refers to Mr. Mason in several of his letters, how brave he was, how he admired him, and how he was severely wounded in the Battle of Batoche, where he lost a lot of blood but carried on fighting like a hero. I don't know if Mr. Mason has anything to do with the necklace, but his letters paint a grim picture of the desperate times this man faced. I bought one of his letters at an auction in London, the most important one of his letters, the one containing a cryptic verse. Many scholars have pointed to the verse as a cryptic message designed to tell his brother where he'd hidden the necklace forever. Many have concluded the necklace to be cursed, so I suspect Walter wanted to get rid of it. I still have the letter, and the verse, as agreed I will forward the letter to you sharing these clues. I will warn you, I've not been able to decipher the cryptic verse, not at all. I'm being honest, for me this was a poor investment, until now," he said, with wide eyes and a broad smile.

"Do you know anything else?" inquired Ally, curious if he was still holding anything back.

Mr. Flash thought hard for a moment, "No my dear, I don't. If I recall anything, any small detail, I will let you know, but I will hand over my file, giving you all my research and my notes and you can see what I have. Once the necklace makes its way over to Canada, that's when the trail goes cold."

"Did you establish any connection to the necklace with South Africa?" inquired Ally hopefully.

"South Africa?" repeated Mr. Flash with a puzzled look, he glanced at his henchman who shrugged, "No," he shook his head, "no, not that I know of. This dagger is a priceless object that you are trading with, I'm assuming you know a lot about the necklace already, and the order has its own motivations for wanting to find it, but I'm sworn to be honest with you, I think this is fool's gold, I gave up on this fruitless search many years ago. If the necklace exists, and it still could be an elaborate hoax, then it's going to be hard to find. I'm hoping it's still in one piece, I wish you luck because I think you'll need it. We have to go," he said, grabbing the dagger and wrapping it greedily within the brown cloth, "my files and the letter you seek will be couriered to this hotel today, an envelope will be waiting at the front desk for you after 5pm addressed to..." he waited.

"Jessica," responded Ally.

"Jessica it is," repeated Mr. Flash with a smile, "I've enjoyed our meeting ladies but, with respect, I don't wish to see either of you again, the tea is paid for, good day" and with his parting gesture of generosity, he marched out of the lobby with his henchman scurrying behind laboring to keep up. Mr. Flash wanted a fast exit before the ladies changed their minds and withdrew the dagger from the deal. Mr. Flash was excited and scared, he clearly felt that he had received the better deal, but he shivered at the thought of the pheasant swirling around the Crescent Moon. He knew how dangerous the order of witches could be and he shouted ahead, barking his orders for his Maserati to be waiting at the door. If he could only get back to his office in Central, then he would feel safer.

The Crocodile Queen seemed to relax, she slumped into the confines of the uncomfortable rounded chairs, "Let's enjoy our tea for a while, a sort of victory drink," she smiled and reached for the jasmine tea.

"You did well," affirmed Ally, reaching for her cup.

The Crocodile Queen rubbed the pendent between her thumb and her finger, "This thing really worked, did you see how scared he was? he turned into a completely different person as soon as he saw it."

"Yeah, absolutely, he's definitely going to follow through on his promise, I just hope we can make sense of this cryptic verse, for Kaan's sake."

The Crocodile Queen moved her gaze aimlessly towards the tall windows, the bright sunlight reflected off the gleaming high-rise buildings, shimmered across the water, and illuminated the busy harbor below. "Fragrant harbor," she whispered. "Hong Kong, the fragrant harbor. There used to be wild flowers covering these hills, when the wind blew strong, flower petals would blow into the water creating a natural perfume, now look at it, and they call this progress. It has a different fragrance now," she lamented.

The Crocodile Queen seemed wistful, pensive, enjoying the calm, if only for a while.

Ally could sense the Crocodile Queen's stress slipping away as she sipped the scented hot jasmine tea, "I know you think I'm just an inexperienced kid," blurted Ally, "but this isn't all on you, you know. Dan and I are both here to help you, I'm fully aware that we don't know much, and we're both still learning, but we'll do anything to help Kaan, and help you. You're not alone in this, and we'll help you find this damn necklace, Dan and I are resourceful, we both come from nothing, we're survivors and fighters, and we won't let you down." As soon as the words left Ally's mouth, she felt more defiant, empowered, and for the first time in her life, she felt like a mature adult armed with wisdom and responsibilities. Ally was dressed to the nines, she desperately wanted to flaunt her new look, but she felt guilty that Dan was waiting upstairs pacing with worry. She felt conflicted, she wanted to enjoy this relaxing moment, but she wanted to go upstairs and tell Dan that she was safe.

The Crocodile Queen smiled, breathed deeply, and sipped the jasmine tea allowing the strong sunlight to wash over her face. She had to admit her dress was pretty, but the things on her feet were impractical, garish, and uncomfortable. She didn't miss the weight of her sword, and felt light, free, yet vulnerable in what for her was an unusual style of dressing. Despite the lack of protection, she felt calm, unusually safe, which was a feeling she'd not felt in a long time.

Images flashed through the Crocodile Queen's mind, slain bloody monks, karcons, devlins, wood sprites, Jean, witches, crocodiles, the monastery. Her life was a shambled mess, she'd always tried to project an air of calm, calculated control, but she missed Jean desperately, and wanted him so badly to be by her side, instead, she had two naive, but well-intentioned kids. The old woman in Mong Kok, on the Kowloon side of Hong Kong harbor, she knew, these kids were full of potential, she recognized the power of their gifts gained through their lineage, but they'd be lucky to realize their full potential.

"OK, it's time to go. I'm starting to get too comfortable here and that's when complacent mistakes are made," the Crocodile Queen rose from her chair, struggled to balance in her heels, regained her composure and marched out of the lobby defiantly. Ally wondered if she would look back to see if she were following her, but she didn't. She headed straight to the elevators, nodding politely to the staff and attendants stationed within the lobby area. Not a word was spoken in the uncomfortable ride up to their suite in the elevator, Ally replayed the sequence of events back in her head wondering if she'd done anything wrong. As they exited the elevator and headed down the hallway to their room, the Crocodile Queen suddenly stopped, she stooped down to release her feet from their tight restraints of her fashionable shoes, "Get these damn things off," she mumbled, as she perched precariously on one heel supporting her weight with her hand on a hallway wall. She continued to pull at her shoes.

"Have I done anything wrong?" inquired Ally, slightly bemused by the struggle that unfolded before her.

The Crocodile Queen finally managed to release her foot, holding the beautiful red-bottomed shoes in her hand, "No, not at all, I'm just angry and it's all starting to get to me. This has to work, the letter, the cryptic verse, it all has to work out or Kaan ... " she didn't complete her sentence. "We can't fail on this mission, it's a lot of pressure, I know I need to be strong, and that's why I'm angry. I'm stronger, and more determined when I'm angry." It was a good line, but Ally wasn't buying it. For the first time the events were getting to her, she wished Jean were here to reassure her, she wished Kaan were fighting by her side. Her teacher and mentor at the monastery had been slain, the old woman in Kowloon was too scared to openly help her, and she was saddled with two willing but inexperienced kids. What if this letter was a dud? What if she couldn't find a solution to this riddle? Where was the necklace containing the amulet? What if this was a quest for fool's gold? What if she couldn't release Kaan? How would she live with herself, knowing she'd failed so many? It was all starting to get to her, but she had to remain strong, optimistic, and defiant, for the sake of these two kids, who Elora would make short work of.

"Come on," said Ally, "let's get back to the room and update Dan." The Crocodile Queen had dropped a few inches in height, as she walked barefoot towards their suite. Ally towered over her, elegantly walking toe-to-heel style in her posh shoes.

The next hour was spent updating Dan on what happened in their meeting and what they'd learned. Dan was inquisitive, he asked numerous detailed questions, Ally grew tired of providing the answers, but the Crocodile Queen was more patient, as if taking the time to answer in detail provided a welcome delay from returning to the task ahead.

"So now we wait for this package at the front desk, and we go from there," Dan said, stating the obvious.

Ally smiled sweetly, "Yup, that's what we do Dan."

Dan scratched his head in dismay, "Tell me something, how are we supposed to crack this riddle? and do it quickly, when this Mr. Flash character, with all of his resources couldn't solve it?"

"Because Mr. Flash never managed to travel back in time and talk to Ethel, did he? Ethel's the only person in history that's studied this mystery as much as Mr. Flash. If we combine their knowledge we should be ok," Ally sounded sure of herself; she didn't want to dwell on the task at hand, feeding Dan's doubts and insecurities. It was a silly discussion as Dan was super talented at solving puzzles and riddles.

The Crocodile Queen disappeared into one of the bedrooms, after a few minutes she emerged wearing more comfortable clothes, "I'm going to take a quick nap, conserve my energy while we're all safe, you two stay close, don't leave the suite, do you understand?"

Dan pulled a face, the Crocodile Queen approached him quickly, "Listen to me, this is not a game, don't get comfortable or sloppy, it will cost you your life, or hers," she pointed to Ally while holding onto Dan's stare. "Elora is one nasty," she stopped in mid-sentence, "well, let's just say she'd have no qualms making you two suffer, and it doesn't matter to her where you are in this world, or any other world, that's why you need to stay close to me, got it?"

"Yes," muttered Dan, knowing he'd received a bit of a dressing down.

"Good," she said, walking into the bedroom and closing the door behind her.

"Dan, she's acting like this to protect us, you know that, right?" Ally flicked her hair from her pretty shoulders. Dan noticed again how beautiful she looked in her dress and heels.

He nodded reluctantly, "You weren't there Ally, and she forgets that I've fought in bloody battles, killed raging Karcons, I'm not a kid."

Ally's voice lowered to a whisper, "Come on Dan, I don't know, but I don't think their nastier than some dark evil spirit witch bitch, remember what Elora was doing to your body through your dreams, imagine what she'd do to you if she got access to you for real. Dan, just listen to her, I think she knows what she's doing, and she's trying to help us." Ally then tried to change the subject, "I wish I could keep these," she sighed looking at her shoes, "but I get the feeling that I can't." Ally headed into the other bedroom, "Wait here and don't move," Dan resented being told what to do. Ally returned wearing a white tee shirt, tight blue jeans and white socks; Dan thought she looked just as appealing.

The afternoon drifted by slowly with Dan and Ally chatting about school, life, the Dream Cane, his past adventures with Raj, and Kaan; they tried to watch some local television but the programming in Hong Kong seemed weird to them. Eventually, the Crocodile Queen emerged looking refreshed from her nap, the conversation returned to James Mason, finding the necklace, deciphering the cryptic clues, and their impatience. They questioned Mr. Flash a couple of times, their position swaying from total confidence that he would deliver the letters to a brief fleeting position that he would deceive them and ignore the order's warning.

Dan glanced at the time again, it was displayed prominently in the top right-hand corner of the television screen showing the news channel where they'd muted the sound. The time displayed was 5.05pm, the blinding sun had moved steadily across the harbor, it was now obscured behind a wall of glass, shelter provided by another high-rise hotel facing their suite. "It's time," Dan pointed to the television.

"Well Jessica," Ally stood to address the Crocodile Queen, "shall we get our package from the front desk?"

"Let's go," responded the Crocodile Queen, with a hint of uncertainty.

Dan continued to stare out across the busy bay of the harbor of Hong Kong. The boats continued to traverse the channel of water oblivious to their visit and the darker side of this world.

The Crocodile Queen paused, "Let's go," she said again, "all of us," she led the way with Dan springing excitedly from his chair.

The elevator ride to the lobby was excruciating, as Dan stared at his feet trying to work out why the Crocodile Queen was nervous.

The high-pitched chime alerted them to their imminent arrival at the lobby level, the Crocodile Queen was the first to exit the mirrored elevator bank. She didn't wait for the others, she immediately walked across the polished marbled lobby, and past the sofas adorned with waiting guests, past the doors attended by young men in smart uniforms and approached the check-in reception desk. A young man peered obliviously into his monitor before jerking to attention as the Crocodile Queen glared, annoyed at his lack of promptness, "How can I help you?" he managed to blurt out under pressure.

"There's supposed to be a package for me - Jessica," the Crocodile Queen sounded mildly irritated.

The young man turned and examined the wall of wooden shelving behind him, he retrieved a bulky envelope and read the label stuck to its cover, "Jessica," had been printed by hand across the label. He turned and offered the envelope to the Crocodile Queen, just as Dan and Ally caught up and approached from behind.

The Crocodile Queen snatched the envelope; she was surprised at how heavy it was. She walked briskly to the right of the check-in desk, loitering near the tall silver and glass railing overlooking the tea lounge. She opened the envelope hurriedly inspecting the papers, hand written notes, and another smaller envelope with older documents that had a different odor to them. She glanced around the lobby and inspected the lounge, that's when she noticed two men sitting in the lounge below staring at her perched high above them. The lounge had emptied, the two men were not drinking or eating anything, they just simply sat and observed. One of the men moved his chair backwards so he could observe her better, his position made it awkward to converse with the other man. It made no sense. They stared at her and quickly glanced away trying to conceal their apparent interest and intent. They casually pushed their chairs back as if to stand and leave the circular table.

The Crocodile Queen became very suspicious, she couldn't tell if it were the reflection of the strong sunlight bouncing off the water or a trick played by her eyes, but she saw something that wasn't right. The man furthest away from her pushed himself from the chair to stand, in doing so, his body shape seemed to flicker. It was fast, and so subtle to the untrained eye, most people wouldn't have noticed it. When you've encountered, fought, and killed, as many demons as the Crocodile Queen has, you learn to see them hiding in plain sight.

She couldn't explain it, it was like a sixth sense, she didn't have time to explain it. Their faces, their haircuts, their shapes, their mannerisms, and of course this shape shifting flicker was not a trick of the light. With every cell in her body she just knew, "Quickly," she barked, "follow me, now!"

Without looking at the men, the Crocodile Queen rushed to the elevators, followed quickly by Ally and Dan. Once inside the elevator, the Crocodile Queen pressed her room's keycard against the scanner, selected her floor and stood silent. A small Japanese woman had entered the elevator, she smiled politely as the doors closed. The Japanese woman had selected the eighth floor; they all waited for her to exit, which she did, slowly, laboriously, and painfully, "So what's all the rush about?" inquired Ally.

"We have to leave Hong Kong right now!" the Crocodile Queen sounded unusually spooked, "those men in the lobby, they're demons, and they're here for us. We're in grave danger now, I don't know how they found us, but we have to leave, and I mean now." The panic that flashed through the Crocodile Queen's eyes was so intense both Dan and Ally obeyed without question.

Dan could sense her urgency, "Too right, let's get the hell out of here."

Once out of the elevator they ran to their room fumbling with the electronic keycard that opened the door, "Grab only what you absolutely have to, we're going back to Westtown, your realm."

"I thought you said that's dangerous for us all?" inquired Ally, a notable amount of concern running through her voice.

"They're expecting me to run to a safe place, like Crescent Island, I can't go there right now, I can't risk being tracked by the demons. Besides, if we're going to solve this cryptic riddle, shouldn't we use your modern technology?"

Ally glanced at her silk dress laid out neatly on the bed next to her expensive shoes; she shook her head in disappointment. They gathered in the living room as the Crocodile Queen folded the large envelope in half, tucking it into the back of her pants. She extended her arms, Dan and Ally each grabbed a hand, the Crocodile Queen closed her eyes as the drapes started to flap wildly, a strong wind swirled around the luxurious suite. The room was flooded with a bright golden light easily drowning out the natural light from the windows. The room appeared to swirl in a circular motion around them and they simply vanished leaving behind a faint trace of their existence in the residue energy.

* * * * *

The Fifth Realm - Earth

Chapter 9: Going Home.

Westtown, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.

"Not going home is already like death."

It was 7.20am in Westtown, Pennsylvania, when Dan's bedroom suddenly flooded with a bright crimson light, creating a small tear in the fabric of time. The Crocodile Queen, Dan and Ally, all arrived in Dan's bedroom in and instant. Dan and Ally were momentarily confused, their brains swirling, filled with crimson fog, both Dan and Ally were gripping the Dream Cane tightly. They returned as they had left. The Crocodile Queen stood over them both, she was fully alert and cognizant, "Ally, listen to me carefully," the request seemed to snap Ally back to reality, "take Dan to the coffee shop where we met, I will meet you in the coffee shop. We need to study this letter carefully, we must solve this riddle." The Crocodile Queen placed her fingers under Ally's chin, gently lifting her face to stare deeply into her pretty eyes, "Do you understand me?"

Ally struggled to snap herself back to full consciousness, "Yes, yes, the coffee shop. I got it," stammered Ally, letting go of the grip she had on the Dream Cane, and resting back on her heels.

In an instant the Crocodile Queen was gone, she just vanished right before their eyes. Dan was also starting to come to, he quickly opened his wardrobe door and stored the Dream Cane safely away, "To the coffee shop," he said, looking at Ally.

"Yes," she said somewhat reluctantly, her eyes still full of crimson fog. Both Dan and Ally grabbed their school backpacks. They hastily left the apartment, before Liz's return, they headed to the coffee shop as quickly as they could. Westtown was starting to wake up on a sleepy Sunday morning, the occasional car hummed along the quiet streets. Birds chirped loudly, as if to welcome the warming rays of the morning sun. They cut across the narrow streets, crossing roads, and winding their way towards the park, adjacent to the coffee shop's location. They were close enough now to recognize the store's signage, a man was holding the door open with one hand while balancing a cup of coffee in his other hand. He exited the coffee shop as Ally crossed the quiet street leading the way. She grabbed the door's handle giving it a firm pull before entering the small cozy cafe. Immediately the welcoming smell of freshly ground coffee beans, and richly brewed coffee, welcomed them both inside. Dan darted his eyes around the store as he inspected each table, "She's not here yet," he whispered to Ally, they both approached the counter. A smartly dressed woman in her thirties looked up from her task of cleaning the chrome on the coffee machine.

"Good morning, what can I get you two?"

"Two large coffee's, both with milk, one with sugar please," Ally took control of the order while Dan glanced at the door, "sorry, I forgot, can I get a bottle of water with that as well please, my friend will be joining us soon?" Ally retrieved her wallet from her backpack and slid a $20 dollar note across the counter.

"Sure-thing honey, take a seat, and I'll bring them over to you with your change" the lady said, pointing her nose in the direction of the small empty tables.

It wasn't long before she arrived with the coffees and water, "This one has the sugar," she said, tapping one of the mugs and leaving Ally's change on the table.

"Where is she?" Dan was starting to fret, he kept turning around and staring at the door.

"Relax, drink your coffee, she'll be here when she's ready. You have to admit, she hasn't let us down yet, has she?" Ally tried her best to calm Dan's nerves, but she felt the first pangs of anxiety starting to rise within her chest. She took a long sip of rich warm coffee, she let it flow into her mouth savoring the strong complex taste and inhaling the rich odor into her nostrils, "Relax," she whispered to herself, loud enough for Dan to hear it. They sat in silence for close to seven minutes sipping their coffee.

The door opened to the café, they both turned to inspect the emerging figure of a slender man entering the cafe. They were disappointed, nervous, and starting to get irritable, those feelings were soon washed away when they noticed the Crocodile Queen following the man through the door. She recognized Dan's face first, before heading over to join them at their table, as the man approached the counter to order his coffee. "Here, I got you some water," said Ally, pushing the plastic bottle towards the Crocodile Queen as she sat.

"Thanks, we have to be very careful, they know what we're trying to do, and they'll try to stop us from finding the necklace. I'm convinced, Elora doesn't know where Myrddin's necklace is located, and we're not going to be stupid and tip them off. "

"So, what's next?" Dan was curious.

The Crocodile Queen placed the envelope upon the table, she withdrew an old tattered letter, and "This is the letter containing the cryptic riddle, the clue that everyone is desperate to solve. Let me read this to you," the Crocodile Queen flattened the creased paper onto the table and began to read quietly.

"It belongs to the prophet, dangerous and uncontrolled,

a haven has been found, under a winged angle facing south,

guarded by a lady of peace, flanked by two loyal soldiers,

Allward's vision, a loyal servant to the founder of the empire,

with weapon slung, a heel hides the truth under 1909."

"Look, we have to solve this, we just have to" the Crocodile Queen sounded desperate but there was a determination coursing through her plea.

Dan swiveled the letter towards him, he took a picture using the mobile phone he'd retrieved from the apartment. They both stared at the cryptic clues, written a long time ago, and now illuminated within Dan's modern device.

"Don't worry, we'll solve this," responded Ally, her voice tinged with just as much determination, "So we already know who the prophet in the riddle is, it's Merlin or Myrddin; now we just have to crack the rest of the code." As if it were scripted, both Dan and Ally pulled out their computers from their school backpacks; they opened them up and placed them on the round coffee table. The café was equipped with free wifi, Ally had powered up her Microsoft Surface tablet, while Dan preferred his Mac Airbook. Digital screens flickered into life, they connected to the Internet and accessed their browsers to start their research, and Ethel would have loved to have access to this powerful modern technology.

Dan took the lead; he was usually very strong and talented at working through highly structured methodical tasks. Ally wasn't sure initially, but she let Dan lead the way, "A winged angel facing south is too broad a statement to research, lady of peace and soldiers, again that's too broad, too vague. Let's start with something more specific and work our way backwards into the riddle. Allward's vision, Allward's the name of the person Ethel mentioned remember? The guy in Toronto, I like that, that reference is put in there for a reason, so let's find out who, or what, Allward is, and if there's a Toronto connection."

"Agreed," said Ally, already typing into her search engine. The Crocodile Queen watched the young couple go to work.

"What are you both doing?" she asked, curious how this could be helpful.

Ally stopped briefly to answer, "Accessing the largest library in our world, we're going to solve this riddle for you," Ally diverted her gaze back to her screen.

The Crocodile Queen sipped her water telling herself to remain calm and show patience. She had to trust in these kid's abilities. An hour had passed before either of them had spoken a word, Dan studied his screen then lifted his head, "Ok Ally, I've think I've got something here, it's a Wikipedia hit for a Walter Seymour Allward. Says here, that he was the designer that created bronze sculptures among other things."

Ally stopped and raised her eyes, "Do a Google image search on 'Allward and Angels' and Toronto."

Dan turned his screen towards her, "Already there, look."

Ally stared at a grainy image of a large cenotaph, an Angel was perched high above, "That's promising, but we need to dig a bit deeper, lady of peace, two soldiers and founder of the empire, keep going." Dan took this as a challenge; he loved riddles and typed furiously. Another twenty minutes passed and the lady behind the coffee counter threw several concerned glances their way to indicate they'd outstayed their welcome.

The Crocodile Queen watched the pair interact, keeping one eye on the door and any imminent danger, she knew would arrive, "Look Ally," Dan swiveled his screen so Ally could see, "at the base of this column is a statue of a woman, perhaps she's the lady of peace, see right there, she's flanked by two soldiers."

"That's good Dan, I think you're onto something. Keep digging," Ally encouraged.

Ally had been typing furiously, she was following another path, "Here it is," she exclaimed excitedly, "Look," she said, this time turning her screen.

Dan read the contents aloud, "Allward was commissioned to design the piece by James Mason, a prominent Toronto figure at the turn of the century. Mason wanted to commemorate the troops who fought in the South African war, including his service in that war. It was unveiled in 1910, to mark Paardeberg Day, where people would gather on this day, February 27th. James Mason fought at the battle of Batoche, he was a banker, a military officer, and a politician. Mason was the founder of the Royal Canadian Military Institute, and an ardent imperialist who founded the Empire Club of Canada." Dan stopped and thought for a moment, "That's it Ally, founder of the empire, the Empire Club. Good work."

"Let's keep digging," said Ally, seizing upon their collective progress. A period of furious typing followed, "I used Google Maps and have confirmed the angel on the cenotaph faces south," Dan said proudly.

"At the base of the cenotaph, one of the soldiers has his weapon slung over his shoulder and his heel is straddling the stone step, the only thing I can't work out is the reference to 1909."

"I can't find it either, it was opened in 1910, perhaps they made it in 1909?" Dan typed furiously again.

"I think we have enough, there's too many connections here to be a coincidence." Ally looked at the Crocodile Queen, "Your riddle points us to University Avenue in Toronto, Canada, Ethel's hunch was right. Let's go!" Ally seemed confident.

They were oblivious to a slight drop in temperature, outside of the café, dark clouds started to form reducing the sun's natural light. A familiar tingling sensation disturbed the calmness of the Crocodile Queen. She had listened patiently to their theories, explanations, and discoveries, as they peeled away the complex layers of the cryptic riddle presented before them. She'd smiled politely, enjoying their progress, but in her heart, she recognized the ominous signs. Dark forces were gathering, and it was clear to her, they knew of their location, it was only a matter of time before they arrived. In this realm she was powerless, vulnerable, and clearly in danger. They all needed to get out, before it was too late. The Crocodile Queen glanced at both the door and the window repeatedly, she expected a hoard of demons to arrive at any minute, instead she observed a steady stream of bleary eyed, coffee seeking, commuters.

She nodded her head with some urgency, "Yes, now that's a good idea, let's go now. Grab your things," she said abruptly, turning towards the door leaving Dan and Ally in shock by the speed in which she left the table and exited the cafe. Dan and Ally rushed to catch-up.

"What's up, was it something we said?" inquired Ally?

"No, let's head to the park, away from the people, we're suddenly in grave danger, I think they've found us again. We need to get out of here now and over to Toronto quickly."

Dan flashed his eyes around wildly, "How do you know? I can't see anyone."

"I don't have time to explain," the Crocodile Queen marched away briskly towards the park, "if a gaping sink hole opens up in Main Street, and a hoard of winged beasts spill forth from the dark underworld intent on killing everyone, and everything, well," she paused dramatically, "it's not going to be good. I have limited powers here, and I can't protect you, but by some miracle should you survive, how are you going to explain this to your family, the press, or the world at large," now she was smiling in a weird sarcastic way.

"She has a point, let's hurry," urged Ally, grabbing Dan by the arm.

Winding their way nervously through the narrow streets of Westtown they were soon at the entrance to the park. The Crocodile Queen pulled them both behind a row of tall bushes, which conveniently provided a natural screen. She grabbed Ally's arm, moving her to her left, she offered her hand and fumbled for Dan's hand awkwardly. Her head tilted, and her eyes rolled backwards in their sockets showing nothing but the whites of her eyes. The world seemed to spin, like water escaping down a drain; the park went suddenly dark, as if swallowed into a dark abyss.

* * * * *

They emerged from a dark tunnel to be met by a flash of blinding light. Dan felt the welcome sensation of solid ground under his feet; he looked down to see a dirty slab of patterned concrete, and from its design he knew instantly they'd left Westtown. He took an educated guess, "Toronto?" he stammered.

Ally was still rubbing her eyes, "Yes," the Crocodile Queen answered, feeling her energy levels drained to near exhaustion. "We have to hurry, I don't think we can evade them for long."

They stepped out from an alley at the intersection of Front Street and University Avenue, in the heart of downtown Toronto. It was early morning and the faint rumblings of afterhour's revelers could be heard in the distance. An orange and black Diamond taxicab slowed down to see if he had a possible fare. Ally waved the taxi away impatiently, "If I'm not mistaken, I think we head north up University Avenue," Dan nodded his agreement, as they squinted their eyes trying to adjust to the faded light and establish their location. A bold yellow street lamp bled its illumination onto the quiet deserted street; they walked quickly and with purpose, occasionally glancing over their shoulders to ensure they were not being followed. They would obey the intersection crossing signals, waiting patiently for the white walking-man symbol despite the total absence of traffic. "Good judgement," said the Crocodile Queen, "let's not draw any unnecessary attention to ourselves."

It was a statement steeped in irony, as most pedestrians at that time in the morning were dashing across the empty intersections, ignoring the traffic signals, and clearly anxious to get home. It was also ironic as they were so focused on blending in, that they'd failed to notice the tall figures of two men lurking in a doorway of a closed Pizza restaurant. The two men turned their backs as Dan and his accomplices passed by.

University Avenue was a wide street; it accommodated four lanes of traffic lined by a blend of modern glass skyscrapers and old stone buildings with glorious histories. They stared at the center median of the road, some sections had bronze statues of what looked like prominent and distinguished men; although it was early morning and the light wasn't strong, these statues were clearly not what they sought. They continued walking north for what seemed about five minutes before they caught a glimpse of a tall stone cenotaph ahead, it was adorned with a majestic winged angel who faced them. They hurried north until they reached an intersection, the light had changed allowing them to cross the road and access the center median, the winged statue was positioned on top of the cenotaph surrounded by shallow fountains. They could walk around the fountains, gaining access to a set of wide stone steps creating a base for the statue. As they approached, they could recognize the statues of two soldiers flanking a lady situated on the base. One of the soldiers had his gun slung over his shoulder with his heel straddling a cement block, as depicted in their search results from the café.

Their excitement grew, but the Crocodile Queen had grown quiet, the two shadowy figures lurking in the Pizza restaurant doorway had tracked them to the statues. One was crossing the road from the east side and one approached from the west. They were heading to the center median and using a classic pincer movement of attack. The air had grown heavy, and the Crocodile Queen's body had started to tingle in that familiar way. The Crocodile Queen had survived this long, by trusting her instincts; she was acutely tuned to her senses with an ability taught to her by the monks at the Monastery of Light. Dan and Ally were lost in their excitement; they didn't realize what was happening until it was too late. A swirl of thick gray morning mist appeared out of nowhere, crawling over the ground like the exhaust from a large truck on a cold day. This dense mist surrounded them in an instant. There was no sound, no light, no movement on the street, it blotted everything out obscuring their visibility. The mist paralyzed them, anchoring their feet to the ground and immobilizing their ability to run for safety. They were easily rendered defenseless and vulnerable; an attack was imminent from the ominous presence of the two tall skinny men descending upon them.

The mysterious mist swirled and thickened, creating a noise like the wind howling across the Yorkshire Moors at Top Withens. The sound seemed amplified, as no other sound was able to penetrate the dense suffocating mist. Ally tried to call out to Dan, her screams were muffled, and muted, human voices would not carry through the dense mist. They were soon engulfed, it occurred so quickly; they were left unprepared, defenseless and afraid. Dark ominous shadows began to emerge from the dense mist shuffling their way slowly towards them like some B-rated zombie movie. Ally could feel the cold emanating from the mist, but she also felt a burning heat rising within her body as panic and anxiety consumed her every thought. It felt as if they were anchored, trapped in the mist for a long time, but it happened in a few seconds. Dark magic was at play, a weakened Crocodile Queen was powerless to resist, she knew her fate. A feeling of sadness enveloped the Crocodile Queen, they'd travelled so far, and almost reached their goal, but this was it, it was time to just give up, her fight would be over. A calmness descended throughout her body as she resigned herself to her fate, for she knew it would soon be over, "I warned them Elora was nasty," she thought blaming herself.

The shapes in the mist grew larger as they closed in, the howling wind was mixed with screams of pain, large guttural primal screams of unknown beasts. Dan forced his eyes open, although his body was rigid with his feet firmly anchored in place by an invisible force.

He could see several large dark shapes shifting position and thrashing through the mist, close to his motionless frame. Dan could also see flashes of light bursting through the dense dark mist, followed by the sounds of intense screams and grunts. There was clearly a great battle in progress, a battle of epic proportions, and it was playing out all around them, but all they could see were misty shifting silhouettes. Dan was annoyed, he wanted to fight, to help, but his frustrations rose with the feeling of being powerless and immobilized. Dan could feel the presence of the Crocodile Queen and Ally standing beside him. Neither made a sound. Ally couldn't decide if the thick mist was designed to hide them, and protect them, or provide a confusing advance for the aggressors. The screams of slayed beasts grew louder forcing Ally to conclude the mist was somehow protecting them, like some imaginary shield. Ally could sense the movement of large predators moving close to them, like a rushing wind passing by, although nothing was visible through the thickening fog. Dan had concluded that Elora had come to get them, determined to stop them from retrieving the necklace, right at the final stage of discovery. The Crocodile Queen could sense the evil presence surrounding them, she knew Atheria's warriors were close, engaged in the battle, but they were all easy targets in this state. Someone, or something, had other ideas and seemed to be preventing that from happening, perhaps it was Atheria?

Ally noticed something strange making its way through the mist; it looked like the limb of a dead tree, stripped of its leaves. A black shape, grew, extended, and moved towards them like the growing limb of a tree branch. It was spiked, sharp and intent on finding them. It probed through the mist, expanding and changing its shape as it drew near. Dan was frightened as it came close. He wriggled and fought frantically to break his bondage. Ally grew concerned as the black tree like entity came uncomfortably close to Dan. It lunged at Dan with a sudden thrusting movement shooting out a black, crystalline limb with a sharp spear-like appendage. Dan managed to bend his waist, moving his head to the right as the spear shot past his head missing his ear by inches. Ally tried to scream a warning, but nothing came out. Dan was fighting for his survival as the demonic tree-like entity grew, moved, and burst through the mist with multiple branches probing for Ally and the Crocodile Queen. Dan's movements became erratic; he resembled a buoy bobbing furiously in stormy choppy waters. The sleek, black entity stabbed and morphed it shape trying to spear Dan's anchored body. It looked hopeless as the tree started to surround Dan now attacking him from three angles.

Suddenly a gush of wind whipped their faces as another shape emerged from the dense mist. A twister emerged, like a hurricane sweeping away anything in its path; it attacked the black tree-like entity. Shooting energy bolts at the tree; it recoiled in pain, making a screeching sound like a person dragging a wooden chair across a polished floor. The black tree started to disintegrate; with small dust particles joining the fog the creature simply vanished. Dan closed his eyes and held his breath as the thing was literally blown away. The warrior moved away to continue the fight deep within the dense mist.

The battle continued for several minutes, they observed flashes of light, quickly followed by primal, often fatal, screams and constantly shifting shapes that created a rush of wind. As the battle raged, the noises seemed to grow louder and closer. Ally was the first to notice a dark red mist, that seemed to seep through gray dense fog, like a serpent it maneuvered and penetrated the protective covering making its way towards the Crocodile Queen. It pushed the cold gray mist aside easily allowing them all to finally see each other clearly. The red mist swirled and undulated until it started to form into a shape, assembling into a tall, striking, slender woman, dressed in long flowing red wispy robes, crowned with jet black waist length hair, that blew violently in the swirling wind. She raised her chin to reveal an alabaster, sculptured face, deep sunken cheeks, vibrant red lips, and piercingly beautiful, hypnotic green eyes. They all knew who stood before them, this was Elora, in her full glory, and she'd come for her revenge.

Still anchored to the ground, and powerless to resist, they knew their journey was about to end. When everything seems dark, and there is no hope left, sometimes a calmness descends upon the victims. Ally closed her eyes, took a deep breath and accepted her fate. The Crocodile Queen glared at Elora, she demonstrated her hatred with a defiant fire burning brightly behind her eyes. The Crocodile Queen still had faith in the power of good and light, and purity and love, for she believed the forces of good would always win the war. Dan was not calm at all, he felt angry, his rage bubbled up uncontrollably within his restrained body, he couldn't move, he hated being the victim of a dark magic spell. He wanted to fight, but his body and his spirit could not break free. The situation looked bleak, but Dan would have fought on valiantly, resisting until the very end.

Elora raised her right arm, the wisps of her red silk sleeves blew like dancing snakes charmed by the wind, she extended her bony finger pointing it directly at the Crocodile Queen, "No" screamed Dan, the words not managing to make a sound from his mouth. Ally new this was the end and couldn't watch, she closed her eyes tightly and expected the worst. A blast of bright red energy streaked out from Elora's finger, the Crocodile Queen expected this response and was fast enough to react; with both arms raised she managed to thrust her hands forward, exposing her palms in direct opposition to Elora's assault. A burst of blinding white light shot forth from the Crocodile Queen, meeting, battling, and actively resisting Elora's powerful red beam. Like an energetic arm wrestle, Elora's red beam of burning energy would advance towards the Crocodile Queen momentarily winning the epic struggle, only to be repelled, the pure white light moving the red blast backwards, as the two energies mingled and battled it out. The Crocodile Queen's white light had started to fade in its intensity, she was starting to weaken and wilt under the relentless pressure that Elora exerted. Dan could see the Crocodile Queen physically weakening as she fought hard to keep her arms raised; it was obvious that she would soon be forced to succumb.

Dan's heart was pumping frantically almost bursting through his chest, his blood surged through his veins like an out of control river, he felt powerless, and as much as he struggled to break his restraints he couldn't do anything to assist. It filled him with rage, anger and fear, his body trembled as Elora swiveled her demonic gaze towards Ally. Dan felt a sudden spike of panic as Elora extending her other hand, this time pointing a finger towards Ally. In horror Dan watched the tip of her boney elongated finger, "Oh God, no," thought Dan, demanding his body to move, to respond to his commands, to free itself from this paralyzed state. He couldn't move, he was firmly rooted to the spot, restrained sufficiently by this sadistic spell. He couldn't bear to watch, if Ally was going to be killed, he didn't want to see it. He closed his eyes and prayed for help. Dan would never describe himself as a religious person, but on that day, he heard his inner voice begging for mercy and pleading for an immediate intervention from any higher power.

Dan's life flashed before him, he recalled the struggles his mother had persevered through in her life, finally finding some happiness with her new man. He imagined how she would react when she learned the news that her son was gone? Dan would not get a chance to live with and love the girl of his dreams – Ally. He thought he was destined to be with this vibrant young woman and yet he'd failed to protect her, on her very first mission. The Crocodile Queen would not be able to repel the powerful red energy streaming towards her in her weakened state. Elora was far too powerful, and it was becoming clearer with each second that she would easily win this battle, condemning Kaan to a life of wretched internment. Dan's head flooded with so many conflicting emotions, he failed to notice an important subtle change, the cold frigid mist that once had shrouded their static bodies in a protective shield, suddenly started to dissipate. Ally felt a strong warm glow, it was the type of feeling that you get on a cold winters night when you turn your body to face a roaring fire. Dan opened his eyes to see a blinding white light appearing from the direction in front of them.

Dan blinked his eyes, trying to make sure they were not playing a trick on him. He could clearly see the extended wings of an angel, he recognized the angel as the one he'd studied perched high above the Allward cenotaph, and she was clearly visible, emerging from the remnants of the mist like a strong warrior. Blinding beams of white light pulsed from a ring of leaves the angel held within her raised hands. Like a lighthouse beams through the thick fog, she lit the entire area until her beam focused, piercing the back of Elora and entering her heart. Elora shook violently, she spasmed and flapped around wildly, caught within the snare of the fatally pure white light. Elora's attack on Ally had been prevented, her attack on the Crocodile Queen started to weaken.

A crackling beam of pure white light surged through Elora's body, raced down her outstretched arm and snuffed out any last remnants of red energy. It continued to race towards the Crocodile Queen enveloping her completely. "Ally open your eyes," shouted Dan enthusiastically. He could feel his feet, once trapped and immobile, suddenly releasing, freeing him from his evil bondage. Elora's powers had weakened; Dan knew his body was slowly returning to its normal state.

Ally opened her eyes, she saw Elora shaking wildly, her body spasmed as a penetrative shaft of pure blinding white light entered her body like a laser beam from a science fiction movie. Faint squeals of pain could still be heard from behind the angel, it was the noise of beasts and demons being vanquished.

A monumental battle had occurred today, but they couldn't see any of the fighting. Dan tried to look beyond the angel; he could see a strong red light that seemed to come from a weird oval shaped portal. It hovered, suspended above one of the fountains as if it defiantly challenged the laws of gravity. The portal resembled a crude tear in the fabric of reality, it was clearly a window to another world, another realm. Menacing, snarling beasts were crawling over each other, fighting to burst through the opening and enter this realm. Several scorching, hot white light beams, emanated from several sources, they were concentrated upon the portal's entrance evaporating the beasts that spilled forth. They screamed in pain, as their bodies evaporated before they were released from the portal's clutches. Brave warriors, Dan could only describe them as gray swirling clouds, mini-twisters, tornadoes armed with inner storms shooting lightning bolts of pure energy from within their center. They hovered, shooting their collective beams of white light at the portal's entrance. They continued to force the beasts to retreat, eventually flooding the red portal with so much white light that they forced it to close.

It was over in an instant, the portal disappeared, folding in on itself; the thundering noise stopped immediately, and the mist had completely cleared. It was surreal, a full-blown battle being fought in a thick blanket of gray, white, and red mist that suddenly cleared in a fraction of a second.

Dan looked at Elora, trapped on the wrong side of a closed portal, he saw her body implode from the devastating white light, her last moments in this realm, consisted of a blood curdling laugh, before she simply vanished, 'Good riddance,' Dan thought. As soon as Elora was gone, a spinning cloud-like creature physically separated from the chest of the angel, returning her image to her stationary sentry atop of the Allward cenotaph. The cloud-like entity moved away in the direction of the Crocodile Queen. The evil spell had been broken, the mist had completely cleared, but Dan and Ally were still motionless, still in shock. Dan had glanced at Ally to make sure she was ok.

After the battle, and the frenetic commotion, all Dan could hear now was the soothing sound of running water, flowing through the fountains at the base of the cenotaph, he glanced across at the Crocodile Queen, and she seemed to be interacting with the swirling cloud. After a few seconds it disappeared, leaving the Crocodile Queen motionless, holding her head in her hands. Ally approached the Crocodile Queen, "Are you ok?"

She breathed the fresh air in deeply, "Yes. That was too close for comfort."

"What were those swirling hurricane things?" inquired Dan.

"Let's just say you never saw them, they took a huge risk coming here to our realm, exposing their very existence. They're spiritual creatures from another realm, and I'm mighty glad they came to help us."

Ally pulled her hair back away from her face, "Looks like they killed that bitch Elora."

"No," the Crocodile Queen shook her head, a car hummed by on the quiet street to their right, as University Avenue seemed to return to normal. The sun reflected bouncing off the windows of the large, majestic Canada Life building, that looked down over the cenotaph. "Elora was stopped, not killed. She'll be back for us all. They tried to prevent us from reaching the cenotaph and the necklace. The necklace has old world powers, and it frightens them to think it could be wielded by a white witch with an ancient bloodline." the Crocodile Queen turned to look at Ally."

University Avenue, once frozen in time by a magical mist, started to wake, Dan could hear the chirping of birds, a couple of pedestrians ambled their way to work, cars started to move slowly along University Avenue.

"Let's get that necklace and solve this riddle," stated Ally defiantly. She broke the Crocodile Queen's train of thought, she was preoccupied in how close they'd come to death, if Atheria and her warriors from the Ninth Realm had not been there, she would have been vanquished by Elora, leaving Dan and Ally helpless.

Ally stared at the Crocodile Queen, "Come on, we can't dwell on this, let's get the necklace and get the hell out of here while we can."

Dan had a head start on his way to the base of the cenotaph. He instinctively headed towards the statue of the soldier located at the left of the cenotaph's base. This soldier carried his rifle slung over his shoulder with the heel of his back foot arched across the rise of the stone step. It was difficult to see, below the soldier's heel, etched into the weathered metal base was an inscription.

"Here," shouted Dan, the excitement coursing through his body, "look here, it says, Walter S Allward 1909."

Ally approached quickly, she recited the riddle from memory, "A haven has been found, under a winged angle facing south, guarded by a lady of peace, flanked by two loyal soldiers, Allward's vision, a loyal servant to the founder of the empire, with weapon slung, a heel hides the truth, under 1909."

The Crocodile Queen was the last to arrive, with the three huddled at the base of the cenotaph, all gathered around the soldier's heel, but the 1909 inscription was closer to the soldiers left foot and heel, "a heel hides the truth, under 1909," repeated the Crocodile Queen.

Dan contorted his face, "The only thing that's under the 1909 is a stone slab," Dan sounded disappointed.

The Crocodile Queen kneeled in front of the subscription; she closed her eyes, concentrated and pushed her palms together with as much force as she could. Her hands started to glow with a white energy, having been recharged by the pure white light from the earlier battle.

Dan was alert, he ordered Ally to huddle closer to him, creating a human shield around the Crocodile Queen blocking the view from any passing onlooker. The Crocodile Queen leaned forward and pushed her hands towards the weathered granite slab. Her hands slipped through the granite, and the blinding light, entering a cavity concealed behind the stone slab.

The Crocodile Queen seemed to fumble around inside the structure, her arms surrounded by an uncomfortably bright glowing light. The Crocodile Queen closed her eyes, shielding them from the glare; she suddenly moved her arms back inwards towards her body, withdrawing her hands from the granite slab. The intense light faded away leaving the granite slab intact, a dark black circular stain was the only evidence of an intrusion. The Crocodile Queen was holding a piece of brown stained burlap, a fabric covering used by landscapers.

Dan and Ally instinctively moved closer, to block the view of anyone close by. The Crocodile Queen carefully unfolded the burlap cover to reveal a golden chain with an amulet attached. In an instant, she covered the object, without truly inspecting the necklace.

"Is that the necklace?" inquired Dan, refusing to be left in suspense after everything they'd gone through to find it. Ally was pleased with Dan's directness.

"Yes. We've got what we need, but we have to get out of here, it's still dangerous," the Crocodile Queen looked around trying to find a place less obvious than the median of University Avenue.

Together they crossed the road to the west side of University when they came across a narrow alley separating office buildings. The Crocodile Queen spotted the entrance to an underground parking garage and led them into the entrance. They walked down the ramp that guided the cars below the building and disappeared. "Hold onto me," the Crocodile Queen said, Dan and Ally knew what to do. They each held a hand and braced themselves. A flash of golden light illuminated the parking garage entrance for an instant, and due to the timely intervention of Atheria, the spiritual leader of the Ninth Realm, all three were able to leave Toronto safely.

* * * * *

The Third Realm - Haitden

Chapter 10: The Monastery of Light.

The Monastery of Light, Haitden.

"My imagination is a monastery and I am a monk."

The Crocodile Queen, Dan and Ally all transported into the stone room at the Monastery of Light, perched high within the peaks of the Mountains of Haitden. Atheria had told the Crocodile Queen when they were in Toronto, that she would secure the location for their arrival. Knowing her destiny was to free Kaan, his location would be an obvious place for Elora to set an ambush. The warriors from the Ninth Realm were reluctant to expose their presence and their power, until Atheria convinced them of the importance of helping the other realms. Once evil had established a strong foothold across the other realms they would grow in power and use this as a platform to attack the Ninth Realm. Atheria delivered an impassioned plea to their highest council that the time was right to expose their existence and assist the creatures of the other realms in their fight for survival.

The vote was close but Atheria carried the day, she was escorted by a legion of highly trained combat warriors to secure the location and provide a safe escort for the Crocodile Queen, Dan and Ally's arrival. Once inside, the Crocodile Queen unwrapped the necklace and approached the stone statue of Kaan. Dan and Ally had not seen Kaan in this state. They approached with caution. They studied the statue of the monk, dressed in familiar robes; his hair and his chiseled face turn to stone. They could see his eyes, the bridge of his nose, his beard, and the outline of his scar that ran across his face narrowly missing his eye. The stone room had been cleaned, the mutilated bodies of the resident monks had been removed, the broken furniture had also been removed. The stone floor and splattered walls had all been cleaned of any blood.

The Crocodile Queen talked with one of the swirling cloud warriors as Dan and Ally studied Kaan. "This escort was arranged by Atheria, the Spiritual Leader of the Ninth Realm, my friend. She could not leave the Ninth Realm as her council insisted she stay, she wishes us luck in our quest and assures us our safety until we leave the monastery."

The Crocodile Queen turned to face Ally, this next part is all on you Ally, it demonstrates why you are so important. This necklace will respond to you, it's in your bloodline, your heritage, and your destiny. The necklace now belongs to you, but if you accept it, you will need to embrace it and all the power that it will bestow upon you. This is your one chance to turn back, this decision will change your life and your destiny."

Ally had passed that point when she first used the Dream Cane with Dan, she knew her life would never be the same, and she liked the excitement and the thrill of being different. Westtown was a sleepy boring place to her, she needed this excitement and she realized it brought Dan closer to her through shared experiences. Ally just nodded her acceptance to the Crocodile Queen.

The Crocodile Queen let the burlap cover fall to the floor exposing Myrddin's necklace, the amulet was smaller than Ally had imagined. She walked behind Ally and placed the necklace around Ally's neck, taking the time to hook the clasp together at the nape of Ally's neck. Once the necklace's clasp was closed, the Crocodile Queen let go as the golden chain took the weight of the amulet now suspended from Ally's neck. She walked around her slowly taking in the sight of a newly adorned white witch.

"Ally, I want you to approach Kaan," Ally moved to within inches of the stricken monk, "touch the Kaledral amulet, the red stone in the center with one hand," Ally complied. The Kaledral amulet instantly recognized the bloodline of the white witch, it sparked into life breaking its dormant state. Small wisps of red energy could be seen within the stone, like lightning bolts bouncing around inside the stone's interior. "I want you to close your eyes, and concentrate on releasing Kaan from his stone tomb, see it happening in your mind's eye, concentrate hard, and when you're ready, keeping your eyes closed, I want you to reach out with your other hand and touch Kaan, keeping your hand on the amulet. Whenever you feel the time is right."

Ally complied, she closed her eyes and imagined releasing Kaan, a hot flowing energy shot through her hand, originating from the Kaledral stone, Ally could feel it flowing through her arm, crossing her collarbone and moving into her other arm. Once it had reached her other hand she extended her arm forward, keeping her eyes closed, until she felt the stone surface of Kaan's chest. She lay her hand, palm open, against his chest and released the energy into him. She knew she was merely the conduit for a powerful energy pulsing through her body. The ancient witches knew about the spider's bite, and the spell required to reverse it; the Kaledral stone had stored countless memories, spells, and rituals, from long ago. The dragon's talons, contained within the necklace, would protect Ally from the forces of evil trying to access her from other realms.

Ally experienced a strange feeling of intense inner peace, a oneness with the necklace, as if the necklace had finally found a home it was happy with. It had indeed come home. The necklace had the desired effect, Kaan's thin stone shell started to crack and fall away from his body. When the fragments of stone hit the floor, they exploded into plumes of dust. The color gradually returned to Kaan's face, the Crocodile Queen held her breath in anticipation. Kaan took a sharp intake of much needed air, as he burst back into an animated state; relieved, the Crocodile Queen exhaled letting the air out of her lungs and breathing again.

Kaan opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was Ally's pretty face erupting into the most dazzling of smiles. Kaan scanned the room, he saw Dan, and then the Crocodile Queen. He noticed the warriors from the Ninth Realm hovering in the background, "Am I safe?" he managed to choke out the words.

"Yes," said Ally, nodding to him as she smiled. They'd managed to set Kaan free, Ally didn't know Kaan well, but she felt immense relief.

Kaan was overcome by emotion, "Elora couldn't hurt me physically, but she tortured my mind, relentlessly. I've seen, heard and felt things, I never want to go through that again," Kaan looked distraught and shaken to his inner core.

The Crocodile Queen stepped forward, she'd never seen Kaan like this, and he looked like a broken man. Kaan was normally a big, strong, loud, and brash warrior, "Elora's grip on you has been broken, welcome back. We missed you. You have Dan and Ally to thank for your release, Atheria played a massive part as well."

Kaan clasped his hands together, dust flew into the stale air, "Thank you both, I'm forever in your debt," he turned to the Crocodile Queen, "and thank you, for not giving up on me."

"Atheria's warriors are protecting us right now, but we must go soon, this place isn't safe anymore. Elora managed to kill everyone here, the students and the masters, everyone except one very traumatized monk who managed to escape to Crescent Island. You'll need to meet him, reassure him, and together find another monastery. You'll have to rebuild this place, somewhere else, recruit new masters knowledgeable in the old-world skills and find gifted students."

Kaan stepped out of a pile of stone dust, leaving footprints behind like a walk along the beach in the wet sand, "Killed everyone," he repeated, shaking his head, "what about the Reposte Scroll?"

"Don't worry about that," the Crocodile Queen assured him, "Atheria has it safely hidden away."

"This will take some rebuilding," Kaan looked overwhelmed and weak. "It's not the building, we've lost all of our masters, thousands of years of knowledge passed down painstakingly from generation to generation."

The Crocodile Queen spoke calmly, "We can talk about that later, when we're safely back at Crescent Island," she approached Ally, "The necklace will teach you what you need to know; because of your bloodline, the necklace thinks you're family, it's found its home. Remember my dear; you will grow into the most powerful white witch alive today. You will always be in danger and Elora will always come for you whenever she can, look after these two precious things," she glanced down at Myrddin's necklace.

"Two precious things?' inquired Ally.

"The necklace," said the Crocodile Queen pausing to turn her body towards Dan, still standing at the back of the room, "and him."

They both smiled, "I will," said Ally.

A crimson butterfly's movement caught Ally's attention as it fluttered by, Dan saw it instantly, he knew this was their signal to return. Ally was caught off guard, the room started to spin, the space within the room flooded with crimson light.

Both Dan and Ally were returned to Dan's bedroom, the Dream Cane had extracted itself from Dan's closet and activated their return.

Dan scooted over to Ally, "Are you alright?" he placed a hand upon her shoulder.

"Yes," she affirmed, reaching up to ensure her necklace was still hanging around her neck. She couldn't explain it, but her thoughts landed immediately upon the school paper on the female archetype of a witch. Now that she knew the real story surrounding the Pendle Hill witches and trial, and the difference between white witches, dark witches, and fraudsters, should she re-write her entire paper before submission? Ally smiled to herself, no – some things are best left the way they are.

"I can tell you one thing white witch Ally," said Dan teasing her, "you're never going to be bored from now on!"

They both laughed.

The End...

"The moment you stop believing in fanciful things, the world stops being fanciful."

\- Phil Armstrong
