“With me is Doctor Barratt of the Midshire University Archaeology Department.”

“Hello.”

“Doctor, what exactly am I looking at?”

“Our most recent dig. Our most exciting one in decades.”

The reporter glances into the dugout. “But what is it?”

“A barrow mound, carbon dating estimates 1000 BCE, with a 10% margin for error.”

“In a field in the middle of nowhere? How did you find it?”

“It began as a class project. A search for anomalies by studying aerial photography. Several candidates and not one to balk at a challenge, this is the one I chose. We hoped we’d strike gold, and… Some of the artefacts are amazing..”

“What like?”

“A diamond encrusted bronze plate is the most valuable piece, but a clay pot sealed with pitch contained a surprise. The most important discovery is a windup toy and a ball similar in size to a modern football. The body was that of a child.”

“3000 year old clockwork?”

“Nothing quite so exotic, but it was driven by a spring.”

“And the contents of the pot?”

“A fish, coated in what could only be described as batter.”

“Aren’t barrow mounds normally above ground?”

“There are a lot of mines in the area. Five hundred years ago, the workings beneath it collapsed causing the whole mound to slump into a deep dip which gradually filled with debris over time.”

“Thank you, doctor. Dennis Mulligan, BBC news, Cheshire.”

The screen switched back to the studio.

“Sport now, and Manchester United have announced a new lineup”

The TV turned off.

“I think that went rather well. Score one for us.” Barratt grinned.

Barratt’s assistant stared at the blank TV, worry creasing his brow. “But what if they catch us? It’s the most audacious hoax since Piltdown Man!”

“I wouldn’t worry about that.”

He marched up to the table, pulled out the chair and sat, watching the guard in the corner of his eye.

“Hello, Dad. Go on…”

“What do you mean go on! I’ve been worried sick!”

“Give me the bollocking of a lifetime, of course!”

“Oh, no. I’m saving that up for when you’re home!”

“How is she?”

“Your mother?”

“No, the woman I ran into!”

”How do you think she is!? Her arm’s likely to be in plaster for the next six months! They don’t heal well at that age. What the hell were you thinking?”

“I wasn’t thi”

”I knew that bike was a bad idea! I’ll tell you this for starters. That bike has been destroyed!”

“Dad! It took me a year to save up for that! It cost me over ten quid to get it made!”

“I don’t care. You’re a menace on the roads on that thing! At least a horse has common sense, unlike you!”

The guard moved away and stood by the door.

Eric grinned. He lowered his voice. “Did Lance keep his trap shut?”

“He did. Dave grounded him with Greg.”

Eric sighed with relief. “Did you bring what I asked?”

“Yes, they’re checking the books over, now… So how is it in here?”

“I agree with Diah. I actually like a lot of it. Banged up in your cell all alone, though. That’s the hardest part for me. I need to do stuff. God it’s boring. Even with a book.”

“It’s not meant t”

“I know, you don’t need to say it. I won’t either. What’s happening with two section, do you know?”

“They went on an exercise on Monday.”

“Yeah. Diah told me about them marching past his prison cart in full kit. How long?”

“A week.”

“Bugger. And I’m missing it! Have they started on the fighting, yet?”

“Don’t know. They’re on exercise, so I doubt it. Look, how is Diah?”

“I’ve only seen him once since it happened, but I know he’ll be fine.” Eric sighed. “Angry, of course.”

“I can’t believe you agreed to this, Eric. This…”

“Diah wasn’t even conscious until we were in that bloody prison cart on the way down here, Dad. He didn’t take the taser well, at all. He needed me and I am better than fine here. Just pissed off I needed to miss two days in chains because of what happened Tuesday night. God, he’s impressive.”

Fred nodded.

“I mean it, Dad. That guard…” He chuckled. “They’ve told both of us if we ever get banged up again, it’ll be hard labour every time whether we’re sentenced to it or not. They’ve never seen anything like it, for either of us.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Really. And what’s more, I’d be more than happy with it, too.”

Sorry about the huge delay. Work and a lack of ooomph and when I hit a sweet spot where I felt like writing again, I ran into a roadblock as I re-read the previous part. Took a while to get a slight alteration in place for me to start again and then the time had passed. Can't believe it's nearly six months since the last part. Oh well, let's try to get things back on track.

Chapter 23

As they trudged up the hill, Gareth slowed his pace until he was walking level with Wren.

He lowered his voice to a mutter. “Can you tell?”

“Tell what?”

“Keep your voice down. Talk like I am. I don’t want him to hear.” Gareth pointed at his dad. “Can you tell if that’s my dad, or one of you pretending to be him?”

Wren sighed. “Sorry, He just looks… well… Um…”

“Human?”

“I’ve seen my reflection in that shiny thing on your car. I look human too, don’t I?”

“Right now, yes. I was hoping there might be some kind of tell.”

“If there is, I don’t remember what it is.”

“I… This might be unpleasant, Wren, but I want you to do something for me, now. He can’t read us, but he can read you.”

“Why couldn’t I read you?”

“Best to keep that a secret, because he can read you. I want you to bring up that feeling, the loneliness. The pain. Think about it and nothing else, for now. Just in case he tries.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Seems to me, from what you said when you were under the influence, that he’s buried those feelings so deeply, he might not even be aware of them. If you bring them to the front and he reads you, he’ll have to face those feelings head on. Possibly for the first time in his existence. It’ll hurt. Might even drive him away for a while. I bet he won’t understand what he’s feeling, but I know it won’t be pleasant.”

“In that case, I… Anything that hurts him, now I know what he feels about me.”

Gareth nodded. “Thanks.”

They continued following his father for another hour, out of the village, down the road, then out onto the moors.

Gareth sighed. “I think we’re far enough away from people, now, Dad.”

“But we’re not there, yet.” He looked around and scratched his head. “If only I could remember…”

“Remember where this supposed fishing spot it?”

“What do you mean, supposed? It”

“Dad, enough. There’s no such place! Not ’round here at any rate! We can talk here!”

“But I was sure…” His shoulders sagged and he turned. “Alright, so… What are your plans?”

“What about?”

“Your new… friend, for one? How can magic even exist? It’s just a stage trick!”

Eloise, I want you to do something for me, now. Seems you have an ability we lack, so we might as well put it to use.

Gareth could feel her shifting uncomfortably in his mind. What do you want me to do? What can I do, stuck in here?

You can hear me. I don’t need to speak out loud to you, Olban can’t, so, act as a relay. If I ask you to pass something on to him, do it. No need to pass it back, I can hear both of you.

Olban sounded confused. What’s that Eloise? What does who want you to do?

Gareth. I can hear his thoughts. Like he can hear both of us. He was just asking me to relay messages.

Gareth’s dad looked at him impatiently. “Well?”

Gareth sighed. Just ask Olban. What I can say that will totally throw him off the scent, something believable.

Eloise repeated the message.

If I had shoulders, or control, you’d be shrugging, right now.

Ask him… How about this… Olban’s created a means for me to access magic, here. It’s normally too weak in this world, while in Olban’s it’s a standard part of life. He created a channel, a way to direct some of that magic here for us to use. He taught me how to make the device that taps into it last week, to show you and Mum that he’s real and magic exists.

Another message passed, Olban considered for a moment and replied. Clever. You’d be nodding right now. Good one. And good thought with this relay, thing.

“Alright, Dad. Can’t hurt to tell you, but I can’t tell you too much. Olban created a sort of… channel… A way to direct some of the magic of his world to here, so I could use it to prove he existed. He directed me into building the receiver half of it last week.”

“Receiver? Of magic? Sounds complicated. Where is it? Can I see it?”

“No, Dad. It’s not accessible. We made it that way.”

“What do you mean, not accessible?”

“We hid it in a sea cave in the cliffs. Somewhere safe. Somewhere no-one could interfere with it. Mainly because it’s hidden, but mostly because it’ll spend over half its life underwater. It’s high tide. I can’t tell you any more. It might put you in danger.”

“Danger?” His dad’s eyes narrowed. “What kind of danger?”

“Taking on a passenger’s caused another problem. Seems we’re being targetted by an extremely powerful but utterly…” Sorry Eloise, but I’m saying this more to rile him up than you, “cretinous moron. He might be an idiot, but he is still dangerous. He wants to destroy the universe, Dad.”

“Destroy the universe!? How the hell can anyone destroy the universe?”

“I can’t say any more. We know. That’s all that matters. I’m protected, thanks to Olban. He can read minds, so I can’t tell you.”

It was a weird sensation. It almost felt like a feather had brushed the surface of his mind.

His dad’s eyes narrowed even more and beads of sweat appeared on his brow. The next time, it wasn’t nearly as gentle, almost like a bullet ricocheting off a brick wall.

Olban chuckled. Nice way to goad him, Gareth. He’s probably not even aware we can feel that. We wouldn’t be able to if the shield wasn’t in place.

“And you both know?” There was a strain in his dad’s voice as he said it.

Gareth nodded. “Protecting him’s next on the agenda. It takes time to get it right.”

Wren collapsed to his knees, but at the same time, the expression on his father’s face twisted into one of pure horror and grief. Tears began to stream down his face as he let out a howl. His body withered, dissolved, briefly revealing the horned, devilish true form of one of his minions before it collapsed into a pile of dust and blew off into the wind. The howl continued for another few seconds as it faded into the distance and was gone.

Wren stared at the spot Gareth’s father had stood a few seconds before, worry creasing his brow. “That… That could’ve happened to me? You don’t think it still could, do you?”

Gareth shrugged. “I think he’s still learning how to interact with the universe. The first time we dealt with one of his minions, it was utterly… stupid… some of the things it did. We managed to kill that one… Well, Olban did, we were in his world at the time. Second time we dealt with one, he just abandoned you, and you became a friend. I imagine he’s just made a small alteration to the design, so when he abandons them from now on, that’s what happens. Otherwise, we’d end up with an army of his own minions teamed up against him.”

Pure guesswork, Gareth, but I like your way of thinking. It does prove one thing, though. That wasn’t your dad.

Gareth sighed. “I suppose we’d better get back to their house. Maybe Mum can pull her head out of her arse long enough to tell us when he started acting differently. We need to find him. If he’s tied up, there’s no telling how long he’ll be stuck like that. Or how long he already has been.” He helped Wren back to his feet. “Are you OK?”

“That hurt. It felt like someone smashed me in the face with a… a… Well, a really hard heavy thing.”

“Try sledgehammer.”

* * *

Gareth knocked on the door and waited… And waited… He knocked again.

Is she in? Maybe she left? She wasn’t in a very… stable… state of mind the last time we saw her.

Gareth sighed. “Or, maybe she’s still out cold on the sofa. Do you think I’d have enough… ooomph to open the door?”

I told you what you’d likely be capable of. Anvil in my world, feather in yours. A pencil, possibly, and that’d be pushing it. Busting open a door? No way.

“But I don’t need to bust it open. I’ve been in and out of this place often enough to know how the latch works.”

Good point. I still think it may be too much for you, but it’s worth a try, I suppose.

“How do I…”

Just place your hand, the right one, obviously, over the lock and concentrate on the image of the latch on the other side. I suggest a hard press down, rather than a gradual one. It might take more energy, more force, but it will be a lot shorter and be enough to overcome the force of the spring in it. Just make sure you time it along side pushing the door correctly. Should do the trick.

“Right.” Gareth placed his hand and closed his eyes. Image of the latch, check… aaaand… He imagined something slapping the end of it, hard and at the same time, shoved the door, almost falling flat on his face as it swung open. “Bloody hell.” He said, scrambling back to his feet. “It worked.”

Take it slow, Gareth.

“What?”

You saw the state she was in. I’m just saying be on the alert. If you were convinced your son had turned into a monster and were terrified he might come back…

Gareth sighed. “Good point.” He opened the door to the lounge a crack and peeked in. Well, she wasn’t on the sofa. Then, an idea. He opened it wider and peeked through the crack between the door and the frame on the hinge side… “Ah.”

It was only a fine line he could see through, but she was there, hiding behind the door.

“Mum, I’m not going to come in with you there. I’m not a monster. Don’t even know where you got that loony idea. I’m unarmed. And I most certainly do not want to spend the next week in hospital recovering from a stab wound or concussion. What is it? Kitchen knife? Frying pan?”

“Get out of my house! You are a monster! My…” She started to weep. “You murdered him!”

What the hell did he say to her?

Eloise, relay time again. No idea, but it’s obvious he’s been busy.

“I’m still me, Mum. Ask me anything. Anything at all. Dad was the imposter, Mum, not me.”

“Brian told me! He told me he saw you, a demon! You murdered Gareth and”

“The man who left this house an hour ago was not your husband! Think, Mum. Please! I’ve met them before, these, what you called demons! They make mistakes! Obvious things! I don’t know why, but I think it’s because the thing controlling them doesn’t understand the world. It doesn’t understand us! If you’re not willing to talk to me, phone Doctor Connors! He knows everything, now. We’d only just saved him before we came here!”

“I’m not coming out from behind this door until you’re out of the house!”

“Fine! I’ll leave, but phone him! Dad’s missing! No idea where that thing stashed him, but one of them was impersonating Connors! We found him tied up in his broom cupboard! I think they need them alive for some reason. Maybe to pick their brains for the information they need for a convincing disguise, but, as I said, they make mistakes! Think back. When did Dad start on this me being a monster, bollocks? What other things did he say that sounded odd?!” Gareth walked back to the front door, opened it, stepped outside and before slamming it, called back one last time. “Phone Connors! Now!” *SLAM*

Eloise had never sounded so meek. I… I’m… I… don’t know what to say.

“It’s OK, Eloise. It’s not… well… directly your fault. This is new, admittedly, but Mum’s always been a pain in the arse. Trying to protect me. Trying to wrap me in cotton wool because of my,” he maid air quotes, “mental condition.”

Olban chuckled. If you think this reaction was bad, you should’ve seen her when he announced he’d joined the Whitby RNLI. That he’d already been out three times and saved six people from stormy seas.

“Thanks for reminding me.”

Ten minutes later, the front door opened a crack. “Gareth? Is it really you?”

“Of course it’s me! You really upset me when you started throwing that monster bollocks at me! You saw how much!”

“But Brian”

“I told you! That wasn’t Dad! What did he say to you? How could you even believe him?”

“I didn’t believe him! I thought he was off his rocker! Until…”

“Shit! I’m sorry, Mum! I finally had a way to prove to you everything I said about Olban was true! Olban’s been working on something back in his world for a while. A way for me to use magic in this one, I wanted to be dramatic! To get it through your thick skull that there’d never been anything wrong with me! Different, yes. I’ve even since been informed it’s very rare, but wrong, no.”

She flung open the door and pounced, gripping him in a tight hug. It wasn’t long before she was bawling her eyes out. “I… I… I thought… you… you were dead!”

Gareth gripped her, too, attempting to calm her by stroking her back. “It’s alright, Mum. It’s alright. Let’s get back inside, eh? Sit down, I’ll put the kettle on and tell you as much as I can over a cuppa? OK?”

The evolutionary bias towards male offspring could be seen as a balancing act. After all, throughout history, it's always been the men who did the most dangerous jobs. Hunting, fighting rival tribes, coal mining, heavy labour, etc. Men, therefore, are far more likely to die. OK, women, being the child bearers, are at risk of dying, too, but men tended to put themselves at risk on a daily basis, while the most dangerous part of a pregnancy is the actual labour, which is, at the most, once every nine months. It's only in the past 100 years or so that the balance has shifted, men taking up more sedentary roles and women allowed to do the dangerous jobs, too.

"We run into the problem of definitions with this little conundrum." He said, leaning back in his leather easy chair, puffing on his pipe. "For there are several different meanings to the word 'brownie'.

"I'll cover just the three that spring instantly to mind and answer your questions in turn for each of them."

"1: Do brownies exist?

"Of course.

"Are they a tangible phenomenon?

"As a small, rectangular chocolate flavoured fudgey delight, of course they are. It'd be a little difficult to enjoy them if they were imaginary.

"Can you quantify them?

"I wouldn't even care to try to come up with an estimate. Millions must be made each day and I'm not a professor of baking.

"Why aren't you eating one?"

He reached for his plate and plucked up a sweet treat, taking a bite. "That's simple, because I'm eating a profiterole."

"2: Do brownies exist?

"Of course."

"Are they a tangible phenomenon?

"Most certainly. I've met a few people who were members, my sister included. As some of the audience may not be from the United Kingdom, a brownie in this sense, is a small girl, too young to join the girl guides. The female equivalent of a cub scout, though, I have heard the boy scout movement began admitting girls a few years ago..."

"Can you quantify them?"

"Again, as someone who pays little interest in youth organisations, I wouldn't care to try. I'm not even aware if they've gone into a decline in recent years."

"Why aren't you eating one?

"Because I'm not a monster? I'm not a child murderer, or cannibal?"

"3: Do brownies exist?

"This is a problematic question to which the best answer is, unlikely.. It is however, impossible to prove a negative. I would personally say no, but many people still believe in fairies, so, who knows? Maybe they do.

"Are they a tangible phenomenon?

"If they exist, they are reputed to be on the helpful end of the faerie spectrum, and they wouldn't be able to help much if they couldn't move things about, so., if they exist, yes. But as I don't think they do, I'll say no, they're just fairy stories. The result of an overactive imagination. So no."

"Can you quantify them?

"For the side of the argument where they do exist, no. For the side where they don't, yes. There are zero, none, zilch.

"Why aren't you eating one?

For the "They exist" side, have you ever seen a faerie? More, have you ever captured one? If, by some extraordinary chain of events, you managed to, killing and eating it would be an incredibly dangerous thing to do. The faerie folk are, as you've proven them to exist, a notoriously vengeful, petty, vindictive people with access to magic. Kill and eat one of their kind and there'd be hell to pay. Om the they don't exist side of the argument, because they don't exist, of course."

The headlights flashed, the car made its beep beep noise and Gareth pointed. “Get in, Wren.”

“In? How? What is it?”

Gareth sighed and opened the driver side door. “Just get in the other side, sit down and close the door behind you. We’ve got to go.”

“Errr…”

“God, he really did take everything, didn’t he? I’m surprised you can even remember how to speak, let alone use that talent of yours. It’s a car. It’s how we travel long distances relatively quickly.”

Wren nodded and walked around to the other side. “How do I…”

“Just pull the metal handle.”

With Wren finally seated, Gareth nodded. “Now, reach for that black strap by your left shoulder, pull it down and clip the metal bit to the thing on your right by your seat. And before you ask, it’s for safety, it’s called a seatbelt.”

“These things are dangerous? I… Err… Can we walk?”

“We don’t have time to walk! It’ll take hours to get there and back on foot. It’ll only take fifteen minutes by car. Just follow my lead!” Gareth exaggerated his movements as he put his seatbelt on and muttered “finally” when Wren was secured.

“Where are we going?”

“Robin Hood’s Bay. It’s time my parents got a bit of a gobful from me, in person. And with you in tow, we can finally get them to stop bloody fretting.”

Olban chuckled. Good thought. They’ve been nothing but overprotective pamperers since you started talking.

“Yes, but only because I was talking to you. Well, now I’ve got proof that you’re real.”

Gareth pulled out and the moment they were on the main road, put his foot down. “Did he leave anything behind, Wren?”

“What? I said I can’t remember anything. I was telling the truth, you know. Even the reason for being there’s faded, now.”

“I want you to try something. Something so… so powerful that it not only controlled you, but created you in the first place… Well, I can’t imagine something like that not leaving some kind of impression.”

“But I said, I don’t”

“Wren, just humour me, OK? You might not even be conscious of it, but trust me. I’ve seen more psychiatrists and psychologists over the past twenty years than attend a bloody shrink convention. I know how it’s done.”

“What do you want me to do?”

“Just close your eyes, relax, breathe deeply, for now. Just imagine there's an incredibly relaxing warmth in your toes and each time you breathe in, you draw that warmth further up your body. It’s the most relaxed feeling it’s possible to have and with your next breath, it’s up to your ankles, then your calves. Each breath, you feel more and more relaxed, more and more…”

You’re trying to hypnotise ’im?

“Yes, now, as you feel this warmth spreading up your body, every other sensation, every other concern or worry just melts away. The more relaxed you feel, the more you concentrate on my voice. My voice and that relaxing warmth are the only things that matter, the only things that exist as it spreads to your torso, and up, up to your arms, then down the arms until it reaches your fingertips. Your entire body’s more relaxed than it’s ever been before.”

Gareth glanced across at Wren as he left Whitby behind, entering the bleak North Yorkshire moors. Wren was definitely falling under the influence, Gareth could tell. The smile, the utter relaxation, he continued as he drove and he slowed down as he did so, careful to avoid any bumps in the road, anything that might jar Wren out of it.

Gareth continued with, what he’d learned from his own experiences, was called the induction, until he was sure Wren was down as deep as he could get him. Then he spotted a lay-by and pulled in, slowing to a gentle stop.

“How do you feel?”

“Wonderful! Thank you.”

“Do you want to feel this way again?”

“Oh, yes, please.”

“Good. It’ll be quicker to get to the state you’re in next time. I’ll give you a trigger phrase. When you hear that phrase, you’ll immediately seek out the most comfortable position you can find and when you have, you’ll sit or lie there, relax, and feel as you are now, instantly. When you hear me say “Dark lords suck”, that is exactly what will happen.”

“Thank you. I’ll like that.”

“Now, though, I want you to follow my instructions. I want you to imagine a large clock has appeared in front of you, the cl”

“What’s a clock?”

“Damn.” Gareth muttered under his breath. “Picture a large white circle in front of you, one with a straight black line extending from the centre. The line moves a small amount along with the thing making a tick, tick, tick noise as it moves. Those ticks are one every second. Just picture that line moving, tick, tick, tick, tick.”

“I can see it.”

“That arm’s movement and that ticking sound represent the passage of time, but as you watch, it begins to slow, and as it does, time slows down with it. Tick, tick… tick… … tick… … … And… The ticking stops… But it doesn’t stop for long, instead, the arm begins to move backwards, and as it does so, your time moves backwards with it. Tick. Each tick, a second of your time has gone back, back into your memories. Back further. Tick, tick, tick… You’ve just asked me how to get into the car… Tick, tick, tick, you’ve shown us where you hid Doctor Connors. Tick, tick, tick. You’re back in the doctor’s office, bound by the magic, just after your creator abandoned you. One more tick, and the clock stops again, and that tick takes you back to before we subdued you. To before the magic held you. Tick. Where are you, now?”

“Nowhere, there’s nothing. It’s just dark.”

I’m in the office, getting ready to spout that mumbo-jumbo at him.

Gareth sighed. “Olban, snap out of it!”

What? Where… Why have we stopped in the middle of… Olban sighed. It happened again, didn’t it?

Gareth chuckled. “When it comes to being hypnotised, you’re a natural. Me on the other hand…”

Always resisted it. No idea how. It’s just so… So restful. And Wren’s under, too? In the same place I was?

“Same time, no place. What did you mean, mumbo-jumbo? We wasted hours getting that crap in perfect sync.”

She doesn’t understand magic. All we needed to do was make sure we were all on the same page intention-wise, all concentrating on the same thing at exactly the same time. It was just for Eloise’s benefit, not ours. What did you mean, same time, no place?

“One tick back from his master abandoning him, just darkness. Nothing’s how he described it.”

Ahhh, shit. Well that was a waste of time, then, wasn’t it?

“Maybe, maybe not. Wren, I want you to examine the darkness. Examine the nothing, see if there is actually something to it. Some texture. Some lingering echo of an emotion or other impression. That darkness represents a hole in your memory, so, don’t just probe it, don’t just examine it, find the edges of that darkness. Find the shape of it. Try to detect any differences between the middle and the edge.”

It was a few minutes before Wren responded. “There is something, it gets stronger nearer the middle, but… I… It’s faint. Too faint to get a grip on.”

“In the state you’re in, Wren, I want you to understand that nothing can hurt you. It’s your mind and you have all the power in there. Do you understand.”

Wren’s smile widened. “Yes.”

“Good. Now, imagine my words are a rope, a tether, a link back to reality. I want you to tie these words around your ankle and dive into the darkness. Dive as deep as you can go into it, see if those things you feel get stronger, the deeper you go. I will be on hand to pull you out, but I want you to dive in and describe what you feel.”

“It is getting stronger it’s… Anger. No, worse than anger, stronger, pure unmitigated rage… No, wait, that’s gone now, I’m going deeper. There’s something else up ahead… Something… I… I don’t know the word for it…”

“Can you describe it?”

“His purpose hasn’t been fulfilled. Annoyed because every attempt to complete it failed? I…”

“Frustration?”

“Yes, that does seem to fit. Frustration, but that’s gone, too, now. The next one feels stronger. Ugh, I don’t like it down here. It’s too strong.”

“What’s too strong.”

“It’s making me feel sick. Repugnance? Revulsion? Disgust?”

“Disgust at what?”

“At the universe. At all the achievements of his brothers and sisters while he’s been locked away. The idea that the universe could’ve grown so much, developed to the point its at. He… He hates me. He loathes the idea that he has to sink to their level and create things like me to achieve his goals.”

“We knew he was an arsehole, Wren.”

“There’s something strong up ahead. I think it’s near the middle… It is the middle… Oh, God…”

“What is it?”

Tears began to stream down Wren’s cheeks. “It’s horrible. How could anyone endure it?”

“What? What is it?”

“Lonely… I’m so… He’s so alone! He’s always been alone. Everyone he knew, every single being was against him, even before they locked him away.”

“And you think he needs someone?”

“I don’t think he even understands the concept of companionship. He never experienced it, he probably doesn’t even understand the pain he’s in but it seems to be at the very core of his being.”

“I’m pulling you out of the darkness, Wren. I think we got everything we’re going to. You’re rising up. Up through the frustration, hatred, loathing and anger. I’m also pulling you through time, back to the here and now. Before you wake up, there’s one thing. The trigger I gave you will remain a part of you from now on, but you won’t remember it even exists.”

“Why?”

“It could be used against you, Wren. So, only we know what it is. Only my voice will activate that trigger, but if your old boss got wind of it with a mind probe like you tried to do to us, he could send another one of you disguised as me. So, my instruction is to forget you ever heard the phrase at the conscious level. It’ll always be there, waiting to be used, but you won’t know about it, as I said. I’m going to count down from five, and as I do so, that relaxation begins to drain away, the closer to one I get the more awake you become. When I reach one, you’ll be fully awake and refreshed and you’ll remember what you encountered in the darkness. 5… 4… 3… 2… 1.”

Wren’s eyes flickered open. He turned to Gareth with a gasp. “That was…”

“Weird?”

Wren shrugged, reaching for his face. “I don’t know what’s considered normal yet, sir.” When his finger stroked his cheek and it came away wet he stared at it in horror. “I… I leaked? You said no harm would come to me, sir!”

“Please, Wren. Don’t call me sir.”

“I don’t know where that came from. Maybe something came back from the black with me.”

“At least you didn’t call me master.” Gareth pointed at Wren’s finger. ”As for that, you cried.”

“I what?”

“When people are hurt, upset, sad, grief stricken, even angry, they cry, Wren. Tears stream down their face, they howl, they sob. It’s perfectly normal, not an injury. If anything, it helps people deal with strong emotions if they cry.”

He sniffled and nodded.

“The fact you did cry means you’re more human than monster, Wren. Be happy about that.”

“You’re not going to make me go there again, are you?”

“Into the darkness? No, Wren. I think we learned everything we’re going to. If you like, the next time you enter that state we can try filling it in with new memories. Wipe out the last remnants of your old master completely. Erase him from your mind. How does that sound?”

“Now I know how he felt about me, I know I picked the right side. Do it.”

“Let’s get to my parents. We need to talk to them.” Gareth started the engine and continued on his way.

Olban stared around himself in dismay. Nothing was familiar. Oh, the trees were all of recognisable species. The flowers and other plants too, but… Gareth had asked a bloody good question. Where in all the hells were they?

He sighed. “I have absolutely no idea where we are;”

Fuck! What are we going to do? Gareth’s tone took on an air of despair.

“I think you were asleep when I made this.” Olban pulled on a chain around his neck and withdrew an amulet. He held it up to his face and turned it around in his hands. “Master Stell had never even conceived of such a thing before. He still doubts its usefulness. Now, it could prove vital.”

Why? What is it?

“I learned a lot in your world, Gareth. Watch.” He closed his eyes and concentrated and a moment later, a wispy form appeared before them.

Don’t tell me you can summon ghosts, now! Eloise exclaimed, horror filling her voice.

Olban muttered through gritted teeth. “Of course not. That isn’t a ghost.”

The form took a step back in shock. “Oh, by the Gods! I’m so sorry, Olban. I’m so”

“Sir. I’m not dead.”

“What? But look at you! There’s nothing to you!”

“Sir. Pull your amulet out.”

“What?” The figure reached for its neck and the moment the twin to the one Olban wore appeared, the figure gained a lot of solidity. It also became recognisable. It was Master Stell.

“But the beast! Goliath swore on his very life! He said it ate you whole!”

“Clearly, the form it took was designed for imprisonment rather than digestion, sir. The last thing it said before I passed out was that someone wanted to see me. It was just as stupid as Wellick. It didn’t disarm me. It swallowed my sword, too, and it was fairly easy to cut my way out. It’s dead, now. The problem is, I have no idea where we are. Nothing in the landscape’s familiar. Can you locate me?”

Stell smiled. “Of course, my boy.” He took something long and thin from his tool belt, clenched his fist around the amulet, closed his eyes and sighed. His smile withered. “How could that thing travel so fast? You were only swallowed two hours ago!”

“Why, sir? Where am I?”

“You’re a hundred and ten miles south of the village.”

“A hundred!? It’ll take days to get back! I have important work to do!”

“Don’t be too hasty. I’m currently in your cave. I’ve already scrubbed away the abomination that perverted it.”

“The salts, sir? I was wondering about that. About what could be done with them to”

“No, Olban. No. I forbid it. Leave the pigments to the weavers and potters. Blending such things with the art of metallurgy can lead to some very… unpredictable effects. It’s far too imprecise and where magic’s concerned…”

“Dangerous… I know, sir. Why did Wellick do it like that, then?”

“A very messy short cut. I did study the pattern before I removed it but I wasn’t able to make much sense out of it. All I can say is, wherever it led, it wasn’t in this reality. Fortunately, the pattern beneath, even though the metal was removed, is still ingrained in the stone. Bear with me, Olban, I think I can at least partially repair the damage.”

“You think we can have a means of instantaneous travel? To anywhere?”

“The magic in this cave is far beyond my level of expertise, Olban. I thought I was a master until I saw this. Now? Compared to this, I’m a child making his first horseshoe, but, I think I should be able to get enough range to open a way for you. One hundred miles is nothing compared to what this thing was originally capable of. I think that’ll be close to the limit with my shoddy workmanship, though.”

“Yes, sir. How long, do you think?”

“An hour, maybe two. You may as well sit down. Relax. Find something to eat while you’re waiting.” The image winked out of existence.

Two hours? Eloise sorted. A hundred miles is easy in two hours!

Oh, for… Gareth sighed. Even a marathon’d be a world record with a time that short. We don’t have the internal combustion engine here! The average walking speed for a human adult is less than four bloody miles an hour! I bet you’ve never even walked ten miles, let alone a hundred. How many settlements are there between here and the village, Olban?

“None until we’re about ten miles away. No-one travels very far south beyond Calton’s farm.”

What about a horse? Eloise prodded. Those are quicker, aren’t they?

“Do you see a horse around here? They’re not wild animals, you know. Certainly not on this continent, anyway. The nearest one? Calton’s farm, again. That means no water, no shelter, nothing. For at least four days. I think waiting here for a couple of hours is preferable, don’t you?”

What did he mean, find something to eat?

“Ah, yes.” Olban jogged to the top of a small hillock and surveyed the scene before trotting down the other side and over to a tree. “The traveller’s friend, we call this, otherwise known as the molkanut tree. They grow all over the place around here.” He placed his hand on the trunk and closed his eyes for a few seconds before whispering. “Forgive me, but we are in need and beset by evil forces. I promise to spread your seed when we depart.”

What was all that about?

Gareth chuckled. Magic’s real, remember? What you might view as superstitious crap in our world could save your life in this one. There might be a wood nymph attached to this tree. A dryad. Don’t want to annoy her, now, do we? What happened to Rinam. Olban?

“I’d rather not talk about it, but by the gods it was nasty.”

I think our guest needs to know.

Olban began gathering fruit from the tree. They were about the size of a plum with a dull orange skin, dotted with bright purple blotches. He shuddered. “Alright. He was about the same age as me until he disappeared one day. Thirteen by your reckoning. The next day…”

Go on. It’s good to talk about these things, y’know.

“He was my best friend! We were always exploring, playing at being travelling mercenaries and things but that day, I didn’t go with him. He got careless, not thinking the fairies lived in our lands. Here? We’re in fairy territory. That’s why there’s no settlement within a hundred miles. To the south, there’s nothing for a hundred leagues. He ate of the tree without asking for its forgiveness. Without promising to spread its seeds.”

How do you know he ate without this weird ritual thing if he disappeared? Asked Eloise.

“Because the next day, someone new came to our village. God, he was old, must’ve been at least a hundred and twenty. He was blind, but he recognised my voice. That was what happened to him. They took him. Punished him for years, then returned him. That’s one of the many dangers in dealing with the fairy folk. Their time works different. It isn’t consistent like ours. He could just as easily have vanished for a hundred years and appeared in our village as if only a day had passed for him, but they wanted him to suffer. They tortured him. He was insane when he returned to us but he had the odd lucid moment. One of those moments, he told us what he’d done and some of the things they did to him. We both had nightmares for a month. Didn’t we Gareth?”

You’d be nodding right now. One of the first times I really let loose to a psychiatrist. Unbelievably, he actually helped, that time.

Olban nodded, wandered back to the hillock and sat. “It’s not just scary looking things in this world that might be good friendly creatures. Some creatures are incredibly beautiful and very, very dangerous. As I said earlier, bury all your prejudices. Both good and bad. Here, they could get you killed.”

And you prefer this?

“We don’t choose where we’re born, Miss Parker and I was born here, raised, here, trained here. This is where my family and friends are. Besides, your world’s probably more dangerous than this one.”

But it’s hell, here. You live in filth, abject squalor, the dangers are way worse and we’ve been attacked twice and it’s barely afternoon! How can my world be more dangerous than a place that can get you snatched away for a hundred years of torture just for eating the wrong thing?

“You know the rules in your world, we know the rules in this one. As long as you follow them, there’s little danger. As for the filth, the so-called squalor… Gareth, last time you got ill?”

Gareth chuckled. Really bad case of the flu last year. Before that, chickenpox, food poisoning, the broken leg when the boat capsized was a major downer. I was off my feet for six months!

“Quite. I’ve never been ill. I never will be in this world. In yours, I very well may fall foul of one of your innumerate diseases. I didn’t enjoy it one bit when Gareth got sick and the broken leg was agony.”

So? Everyone gets sick once in a while. You’ve just been lucky.

“No. Not luck. Magic. Oh, I’ve suffered from the odd broken bone over the years, too, but I was fully back in action a day later each time. Every trade has its magical lore. Everything we own contains some magic or other woven into its structure. This tunic, for example. A modicum of protection from injury, a little temperature regulation and healing. The amulet I showed you, telecommunication, the pots we use to store food prevent spoilage. It never goes off. Never loses its goodness.” He prodded his neck. “Feel any pain?”

Errr… No. Why?

“That thing held me by the neck until I passed out. Not even a bruise, now. Healing magic. Someone from this world appears in yours, they’re unlikely to survive the week.”

What do you mean? Why?

“Even if they didn’t step out in front of a speeding car and get flattened, they’re likely to catch one of your diseases. They’d have no money, so couldn’t pay for food, pay for shelter. They’re likely to run into some thug or other and get beaten up. Might even get shot if they appeared in the wrong country. Here, we’re not obsessed with keeping up with the Joneses. We don’t own possessions just for the sake of having the brightest newest thing. We own things for their purpose and nothing more. Your world’s beset by greed. Selfishness. You people don’t give a stuff about the people around you as long as you’re alright. Here, we care deeply about each other. It seems your penchant for having a bedroom to yourself made you lose that sense of community.”

And that, Gareth replied smugly, is something I took from this world. It’s why I’m a lifeboat volunteer back home. I do help, where I can. Olban… the nut…

“Oh, of course.” Olban took one of the fruit and using his thumbs, tore off the flesh and put it to one side. Inside, a stone which he popped between his teeth and bit down, hard. There was a crack and he spat it out again before tearing the stone in half. He pulled a black ball about the size of a pea from the centre, wrapped it in the flesh, took out his dagger, cut a square out of the sod and planted it, replacing the square.

I… I don’t understand? You eat the stone? What about the good bit? It’s a fruit! You normally do the reverse. You eat the flesh and throw the stone away.

“Not with these. The flesh contains a stimulant, a very powerful one. If we had a horse, I could feed it the flesh. There’s enough in the stone to keep a human awake and active for quite a while. Eat the flesh and you’d likely suffer a heart attack, even with the healing properties of the tunic. The flesh will help the seed grow.”

Eat it, Olban. Oh, God, this is one of the few things I’m looking forward to when I get here physically. Tasting it for myself. Yes, Miss Parker. I agree with you about the smell. I don’t like it either.

Olban shrugged. “Bet you wouldn’t even notice it after a week. Besides, it’s natural. Better than the diesel and petrol fumes in your world.” He popped half the nut into his mouth and began to chew, sighing with contentment as the flavour exploded in his mouth.

putain, c'est la meilleure chose que j'aie jamais goûtée

What?

I said it's the most delicious thing I’ve ever tasted!

I know. Good, isn’t it?

* * *

“Olban?”

Olban’s eyes snapped open, he leant up on his elbows and look down the hill. The image of master Stell was back. “Here, sir.”

“Ah, good. I’m ready. I’m going to try to open a way for you now, directly to the centre of the village rather than to the cave, but it may place more stress on the repairs. I’m unsure how long I’ll be able to keep it open, so I want you to make yourself as small as possible and leap through the moment it appears.”

“Thank you, sir. Before you do it, though…”

“Yes?”

Olban gripped his amulet, concentrated and a second later, the image winked out of existence. A few seconds wait, another manipulation of the amulet and the figure reappeared.

“Sir, what were we just talking about?”

“I was telling you about opening a way to the village… Why did you end the…. Whatever you call it?”

“A good word’s connection, sir. I just wanted to make sure you weren’t another Wellick. We know they’re a little on the tricky side and they can change their appearance and be pretty convincing about it.”

“Ah… Good thought. Very good thought. Be ready, I’ll do it, now.” The image winked out of existence again.

A few seconds later, it appeared. It didn’t look like the last one. It wasn’t a sphere. Instead, a shimmering window hung in the air, the roundhouses of the village clearly visible.

Olban leapt and at the same time, curled into a ball. It was a strange sensation. A sudden wave of cold combined with acceleration. A few brief flashes of… things. Not long enough to process what the things were, but they seemed to resemble life of some kind and then, a longer flash of the cave, another acceleration in a different direction and the village was just… there.

He landed, stood, and turned just in time to see the window showing the hillock he’d lain on flicker and vanish.

He gripped his amulet one last time and Stell appeared again. “Thank you, sir. You may want to study it before using it again.”

Stell’s eyes twinkled. “Oh, I intend to. What was it like?”

“Best I can describe it as is strange, sir. I don’t know how it works, but I seemed to pass through another place and I think there were living things there.”

“Really?” He giggled. Olban had never seen Stell giggle before. “I’ve got so much more to learn. I could spend the rest of my life studying this and barely scratch the surface. I’ll let you get on with it, I’ve…” He rubbed his hands together with glee… “I’ve got a to learn.”

And with that, the image vanished yet again.

I’ve never seen him like that before. He’s normally so….

“Serious?”

I was going to say miserable, Now? Looks like a kid in a toy shop near Christmas.

“Well, he is. He knew it all until he saw that cave. Now he’s realised he doesn’t know anything. Bet he feels like that kid, too.” Olban took a deep breath and turned towards his forge. “Better get to work. I’m afraid you might have to miss a day, Gareth.”

Miss a day?

“I think I’m going to have to pull an all-nighter. No sleep means you stay asleep until I’m finished. Sorry, but we’ve lost so much time today with all the distractions.”

Gareth sighed. OK. Just as well we decided to travel across on a Sunday, isn’t it? Just as well I booked a few days off work to show you around, too.

* * *

It was a weird sensation. Oh, she’d been conscious a few times when one of her other “personas” had control, but this time? The care! The skill. The strength he put into the work, carving the precise patterns onto the inside of the band with a white-hot stylus. And she wasn’t just seeing it being done. It actually felt like she was doing it, even though she had no idea what it was he was doing. There didn’t appear to be any rhyme or reason to the patterns other than the fact they were beautiful.

Olban worked tirelessly at first, but the exertions of the day eventually caught up with him and when his need for sleep began to make demands, he took another nut from his pouch and did the same thing he had last time, munching on another of the stones. Reinvigorated, he continued, setting aside the stylus and collecting together the numerous metals he required, drawing them into wires so thin, Eloise suspected they were about as thick as a human hair.

When that was done, with even more care than the carving, he placed the hairs he’d made into the grooves, winding them around the pattern in various combinations, all the while muttering something incomprehensible under his breath, and, when each hair was fully in place, he ran this thumb along that section of pattern, muttering something more, this time with almost a sing-song tone. As his thumb stroked those sections of pattern, the metals smoothed and became a part of the armband in a way she couldn’t fathom.

When darkness began to encroach, Olban waved his hands in an elaborate way and the ceiling lit up. He continued his work.

Light was beginning to stream through the open doorway again by the time he held up the armband to study it and sighed. “All done.”

It’s beautiful, Eloise gasped, but what does it do?

“You surprised me, Eloise. I was expecting to be bombarded with questions all night.”

I’ve just never experienced anything like that before. Oh, the others had control once in a while, but my hands were doing such amazing things, I was mesmerised, this time. What was all that mumbling?

Olban sighed. "Alright. It takes immense amounts of concentration to focus enough to shape magic to your needs. I was just stating in exact terms what my intent was, that helps shape the magic in my mind and thus, the magic in the piece."

But I didn't understand a word of it.

"That's because I was speaking in the ancient tongue."

Why not just say it in English?

"A few reasons. You need to learn it, it isn't what you grew up with, which makes sure you're concentrating. That's only a small reason though. It's much more formal than English, not that we call it that. English is far more flexible and far more imprecise, more prone to misunderstandings. If I said it in English, my mind might trip up over some of those imprecisions and that could be dangerous. The ancient tongue is precise, rigid, just like the metals I'm working with."

I'm not too sure what you mean by imprecise.

"How many synonyms and homonyms are there? How many people can't even get it right in your world? Wear, where, were? There, their, they're. As for set, the dictionary has pages full of definitions and that's before we even get onto punctuation. When I say a panda eats shoots and leaves, do you picture a panda munching down on bamboo shoots or taking a bite out of a doughnut before opening fire with an assault rifle and walking away? One comma's all it takes to completely change that sentence."

I think I uderstand. I’ve never really been into arts and crafts. That might change, now.

“Nice to know we’ve had an impact.”

But what’s it supposed to do?

Olban sighed. “Alright. The designs along the outside edges are the original ones. It was nothing more than a proof of concept. Master Stell examined it and said it’d work so we didn’t even need to test it, not that we could until this weekend. Those patterns allow the band to travel through the dream with the wearer. It will appear on Gareth’s wrist when he wakes up. Stell’s confirmation allowed me to try for something much less conspicuous and much grander, though. Two days ago, I completed the two rings we would wear the next time I slept. Gareth also completed the other half of the mechanism. A circle in his basement that allows physical objects to appear from the dream. I was going to travel across with him, wearing the rings I’d made, but that’s no longer possible.”

What? Why?

“Because Vellan asked us to help you. We can’t use the rings until we have enough of them, that means six more.”

Six? But there’s only three of us.

“And five more minds sharing your original body. They’ll each need one in order to gain independence from each other. Until then, this armband will prove, finally, that magic is real and that Gareth doesn’t suffer from multiple personality disorder. As for the other things it can do, what I added to it? Several things above and beyond its original function. Vellan suggested a proof of magic, so… Well…” Olban snapped the armband onto his wrist. It covered his entire forearm, like a bracer rather than just a small bracelet. He pointed at the anvil and it shot three feet into the air. He twiddled his fingers, it span and then, he lowered his hands and it gently landed where it’d originally sat.

Gareth let out a cackle. And I’ll be able to do that? I’ll be able to flip the doc’s desk?

“No, Gareth. You know how weak magic is in your world. You may be able to levitate a feather. Possible even a pencil, but I doubt you’ll be able to do more than that. There is however more to it than just magic tricks. I’ve woven a healing charm into it. Here, it’ll do pretty much what the magic in my tunic does. There, it should prevent any diseases, stop them from gaining a foothold. It should aid your recovery by maybe double the normal healing rate if you’re injured. I also threw in a mental block. No more mind reading from things like Wellick. It’ll be like bashing their minds against a brick wall, here or there should they make the attempt.”

Good thought.

“Only one more thing to do before I bed down.”

Gareth sighed. What?

“Don’t worry, it’s only a promise I need to keep.” He gathered together the four Molka seeds and dashed to the edge of the village. A few minutes was all it took to plant them before he was back in the forge. He opened his firebox, placed it in the centre of the fire and the light began to dim, then winked out. Firebox back in his pouch, he walked over to the other side of the hut, swept aside a blanket, rapped it around himself and lay down in the centre of an ornate circular design.

I thought you slept with your family?

“Not this time. The circle’s needed, the armband won’t go anywhere without it.”

* * *

Olban walked through the void and it wasn’t long before two misty figures began to materialise by his side. Gareth to his left, Eloise to his right. A couple of minutes was all it took for them to become as solid as he was.

Gareth glanced across Olban and smirked. “At least put some clothes on.”

Eloise’s attention snapped to her left and the froze. “Who the hell… Gareth? Olban?”

“Of course. Who else would we be? Clothes?”

She looked down at her naked form and yelped, curling up and attempting to cover herself, not very successfully.

Olban sighed. “I thought you were familiar with the dream! You said you were going to conjure up a dagger, after all.”

“I normally find myself in some woods with my other… selves? I’ve only ever seen… What is this place? Why is it so… So empty?”

“It’s always like this. Just conjure up some clothes. It’s a little distracting, to say the least.”

“How?”

Gareth tutted. “It’s easy, just use your imagination. Look.” He swept his arm across himself and instantly, the jeans and t-shirt he had been wearing vanished, to be replaced by a pirate outfit that would’ve looked ideal for one of Jack Sparrow’s crew. He clicked his fingers and that was replaced by a full leather biker suit and crash helmet. Another click and he was wearing his lifeboat gear, yellow waterproofs and life preserver. Then, a thought… He clicked his fingers a final time and was immediately encased in steel. A full medieval suit of armour, cotton surcoat depicting a red cross included. “Thinking about it, we might all want to dress like this.”

Olban nodded. “Slight improvement on that idea, Gareth. How about this?” And in the blink of an eye, Olban was encased, too, but not in metal. The material was much lighter and more flexible around the joints, but completely solid. Completely sealed off from the outside world.

“Space marine? I like it!” Gareth chuckled and his armour changed to match. He patted his side and pulled a laser pistol from its holster. The next time he spoke, it came out like a poor quality old-style phone call. “Might as well be armed, too, just in case.”

Eloise looked down at herself, closed her eyes and concentrated. When she opened them again, she sighed with relief. Jeans, t-shirt and leather jacket. “Why do you want me to dress like a science fiction convention reject?”

“When we crossed over last time, there were a lot more nightmares than usual. They can be dangerous if you become embroiled in them. You can’t be hurt, but you can have a very rude awakening and if you’re here physically, like when Olban completes the rest of his rings, then you can die. As just dreamers, though, it just means waking up, but on this side of the woods, that means waking up back in Olban’s world. We have to get back to mine. To ours.”

“You were having nightmares?”

Olban shook his head. “The woods you seem so familiar with aren’t just your dream. They contain all the dreams, of everyone. Here, this empty space is just the place between worlds, between the physical realm and the dream realm.The woods’ll materialise soon, we cross them and then they fade again as we enter the place between the dream and your world, but if those nightmares have got worse… We want to be protected. I suggest you protect yourself, too.”

“What do you mean, everyone?”

Olban tapped his chin for a second. “Think of the woods as the collective unconscious of the whole of humanity. Yes, humans have got a small amount of latent psychic ability, but that only usually manifests when they’re dreaming. They’re usually totally unaware of any dream but their own, but we’ve been crossing those woods all our lives, so we get a sneaky peek into what everyone else is dreaming about. We can even interact with them, but if it’s a nightmare, that is not advisable.”

“And I can dream up anything?”

“Yes. You could even turn yourself into a dragon if you wanted to.”

“Well, I’m not wearing that!” She closed her eyes again and a moment later, a bracelet covered in flickering lights appeared on her wrist.

“We said protect yourself, not invent a new piece of costume jewellery.”

“Go on, then. Shoot me with that blaster thing.”

“Seriously? This could cut a mountain in half!”

“Try me.”

Gareth shrugged. “OK, if you’re sure.” He raised his gun and with a zappy sound just like the one in Star Wars, a blue bold of energy shot out, bounced off her and vanished into the distance. “Personal force field? Clever. Think I’ll add that to this.” and in the blink of an eye, a flashing panel appeared on Gareth’s chest. “Double protection. Let’s get a move on, eh?”

They continued on their way, but before the first of the trees began to show themselves, another figure appeared in the distance. As it approached, Eloise inched back, to walk behind the other two. It was the wolf. It looked like the same one that’d… that she thought…

Olban sighed. “It’s alright, Eloise.”

“But it… it… killed me.”

“It did to you what it saw as necessary to protect everyone else. What you attempted to do could’ve caused untold damage to not just your friends, but to the world itself.”

“But it”

“He attempted to prevent the damage in the only way he could. He did also ask us to help. If he hadn’t, you’d still be standing in this void, mindless and naked. He won’t harm you again.”

Well said, Olban. Hello Gareth, Eloise. I trust your work was fruitful?

“The armband is complete, sir, if that’s what you mean but”

But things didn’t go quite according to plan, I know. For either of us. The balance has been disrupted more than we feared.

“Is that why we were attacked, sir?”

Yes.

“What exactly was Wellick? What was that thing that ate me?”

I suppose the best way to describe them is minions of the nameless one.

“Nameless one?” Gareth said with a yelp. “That doesn’t sound good. What the hell is a nameless one?”

When the universe was still very young, we emerged. How? We don’t know. We just… Appeared. Whether we were created by gods or just out of a necessity the universe required, we don’t know that, either, but each of us had a purpose. Some had a creative purpose, others a destructive one, but the nameless one chose a different path. It attempted to undo everything each of us tried to do. It wanted a return to the void, the state of things before the universe began. That was what it decided its purpose was. As time went on and we began to make progress, it became more violent ending with the death of one of us. The rest of us banded together, created a space for it with just what it claimed to want, an empty void and locked it away.

Gareth sighed. “And the last thing Wellick said was he’s coming. What happens if he does?”

He? That’s new. It never even chose a name for itself let alone a gender. When I said the balance must be restored, it was to prevent just this type of catastrophe.

“And if he does return?”

Chaos. And it’s… he’s just the type of petty minded, vindictive… He’s likely to start with the highest of our works. Worlds with life, with intelligent beings such as yourselves.

“He can’t be that much of a threat, can he? He doesn’t seem to be intelligent enough. We’ve encountered two of these minions so far and both were severely lacking in the brain department.”

His minions are something new. He only cared about destruction, so creating some proxy creatures to do his bidding is unusual for him. Clearly, he hasn’t mastered the art, yet. We don’t create life in the way he is. We allow nature to take its course and just prod it once in a while. We guide, we don’t force. These Wellicks are just his first attempts. Never underestimate then because they will become smarter as he grows in confidence.

Eloise finally plucked up the courage to poke her head around Gareth’s side. “But why are they targetting us?”

The wolf regarded her gravely. You were a very unusual and powerful being, Miss Parker. Six independent and distinct minds all sharing the same body? If you’d only realised just how special you were, you could’ve performed some amazing feats, but now? The balance is too fragile. Your attempt to murder one of your own, your betrayal is what allowed the barrier to weaken to the point he could force open a crack. It’s far too thin to allow him entry back into these worlds right now, but if you were to die before the balance could be restored, or worse, if you were to fall into his clutches, he could tear the world apart. That is why I had to do to you what I did. The only way to even begin to fix this, now, is to transport all of your compatriots to their respective worlds. Olban, Gareth, come. Eloise…. Stay.

Vellan turned and trotted away.

Gareth and Olban glanced art each other and jogged after the wolf. When they were a fair distance away, it stopped, turned and regarded them.

What we discuss now must not reach her ears. Is that understood?

Olban nodded. “Yes, sir.”

“I’m fine with that. Why the secrecy?”

When your rings are complete, do not allow her to wear one until you’re travelling back to Olban’s world. I know I said she could travel back to her own but things have changed. She already has a physical presence there and another would only add to the disruption. When the rings are distributed and her compatriots have completed their journey, her body will die, because there will no longer be a mind to sustain it. Olban… She will have to take up permanent residence in your world. When you get back there, take her ring and destroy it. Ensure all rings attune themselves to the first wearer so they can never be used by anyone else, just in case she attempts to steal one of yours.

“Hmmm…” Olban looked down at the wolf with concern. “I’m not sure about the attune to one wearer thing, sir. In order to give the rings to her and her compatriots from Gareth’s world, he’ll need to wear all of them in order for them to travel with him.”

That may be, but he won’t be materialising himself. He has a body there. Make the attunement activate on materialisation. Gareth will appear in your world using the full power of the ring. Have it lock to him, then.

Olban nodded. “I see how that could be done, sir. One thing I don’t understand.”

Only one? Vellan’s voice took on an amused tone. Go on?

“You said there were many focussed on destruction as their purpose. Why not lock them all away?”

Creation and destruction are two sides to the same coin, as long as they abide by the rules the universe sets forth, Olban. If a star explodes, what happens?

Gareth chuckled. “He’d got you there, Olban. Heavier elements? We wouldn’t exist without iron, carbon, a few dozen other elements.”

Quite. The nameless one doesn’t want to just blow up the odd star, he wants to unmake the universe itself, and not just this one, but every corner of reality.

“But what do we tell her?”

I’m sure you’ll be able to come up with something. Just, don’t tell her the truth until her ring no longer functions. I suggest you get on your way, I have a lot of work to do. Be careful crossing the woods. Oh, and be on your guard. There may be minions anywhere, including Gareth’s world, now.

And with that, the wolf vanished.

“What was all that about?” She demanded, the moment they got back to her.

Olban shrugged. “It’s technical. A final modification to the rings, in order to prevent interference from that… thing. Also a warning, he said the woods were getting more dangerous. Come on, we’d better get going.”

* * *

Even before the misty forms of the trees had solidified, it became evident something had changed. They no longer stood erect, proud. Instead, they were twisted, deformed and the more solid they became, the more sinister they appeared. Their branches seemed to reach out to grab them as they passed, their leaves were black. In fact, everything about then was black.

“I see what he means about being careful, now.” Gareth said, staring around uneasily. “It looks like something from bloody Scooby Doo.”

Before he’d even completed the sentence, a man appeared, eyes wide with terror, bolting through the woods at right angles to them. A few seconds later, a misty form floating three feet off the ground appeared, clearly chasing him. It let out a blood curdling howl and vanished into the woods.

Olban sighed. “At least the last time, the nightmares were benign or distant enough not to matter. We’d better hurry. The quicker we’re through, the better.” He increased his pace.

At the brow of a hill, the trees began to thin and down below on the other side, a city street appeared. Rubble, shattered windows, huge holes in some of the buildings. A man in camouflage uniform stalked rounded a corner and froze as an old woman approached. She said something that clearly upset him and held something out to him. He raised his rifle and fired. She slumped to the ground. He stared at the body for a few seconds, shaking his head. He appeared to be weeping. Then, he turned tail and ran.

Olban sighed. “At least some of them appear to realise what they’re doing is wrong, if they’re having nightmares about it.”

“What was that? Was that”

Gareth cut her off. “A Russian soldier. Yes. I wonder if that’s Kiev or one of the other cities.”

“I really don’t think it matters. I suggest we run until this one’s gone.”

“But we’re protected, aren’t we?”

“And if a missile strikes one of those buildings and buries us? We might not be hurt, but we would still be trapped.”

Olban and Gareth bolted and Eloise was hot on their heals, dodging around mounds of rubble, they reached an intersection, stopped at the corner to peer around it and continued. A few explosions could be heard in the distance, but clearly, the worst of it was wherever that soldier had run off to.

“How do you know it wasn’t the old woman’s nightmare rather than the soldier’s?”

“If the woman had died, this entire nightmare would’ve ended. She would’ve vanished. She didn’t. The nightmare’s still here, so, it was clearly the soldier.”

Eventually, the streets began to fade away and the trees replaced them again. Still covered in black leaves, but much straighter than the first they’d encountered.

A man standing on a hill as a mushroom cloud erupted in the distance. Fire swept the landscape turning him into ash in an instant. The whole scene vanished a moment later. A woman fleeing the transparent outlines of a shop with a security guard in hot pursuit. A man strapped to an electric chair. A flip of the switch, a lot of smoke and screams and that nightmare ended, too. They skirted dozens of them, avoiding trouble in each one before the trees began to fade and the between reappeared. They hadn’t encountered a single pleasant dream.

It wasn’t long before Olban and Eloise began to fade, too. As the armour became more transparent, it was clear the armband wasn’t.

“You’re both fading. What happened when you’re gone, Olban?”

“Pick the armband up and put it on the wrist you don’t wear your watch on. I don’t know what’ll happen if you put it on the other wrist. Two objects sharing the same space, I doubt the results would be good.”

“That’s a damned good thought. I hadn’t considered that.”

“I guessed. That’s why I said it.”

They continued and before long, there was a clatter as the armband fell to the floor. Gsreth picked it up, snapped it onto his left wrist and continued on his way. At first, it felt too big for him, but as he continued, it began to feel snug against his skin. He looked at it in amazement.

That’s another thing I considered, Gareth. I am more muscular than you, after all. Comes with the work. It’ll always adjust itself to the wearer.

* * *

Gareth woke, stretched, sat up on the camp bed and glanced at his wrist with a grin. He held it up so they could see it. “It worked!” Then, he shifted uncomfortably. “Oh, bloody hell! I suppose I should count myself lucky I didn’t wet the bed, and bloody hell, I’m famished.”

He dashed upstairs to the toilet, glancing at his watch as he went. It was nine at night.

Writing conventions.

Can we all agree on a few little rules to help keep the chapters consistent?

1: Keep it past tense third person. When Whitewolf posted the present tense piece it really jarred and it didn’t follow from the rest of the chapters. That’s been fixed, now.

2: Internal and external voices.

Follow this example. This is when Gareth’s in his own body in his world. Olban is the one stuck in the back of his mind.

Wake up.

Gareth Wilks groaned and rolled over.

Wake up, Gareth.

He groaned again and squinted at the glowing green numbers on his bedside table. It took a minute for him to focus. “For god’s sake, Olban! It’s five in the fu”

It’s dawn! Dawn is the correct time to get up! We have a lot to do today.

Gareth collapsed back onto his back. “And you really think it’s going to work?”

Of course. One more day, and you can get up whenever you like. I won’t be stuck in the back of your mind here, you won’t be stuck in the back of mine when I’m home and everything will be right in both worlds. We’ll be free of each other.

And this is when Olban's the physical being and Gareth and Eloise are stuck in the back of his mind, in his world.

What the fuck is that thing? Echoed in his head. The tone of Gareth’s voice indicated a mixture of awe and terror.

“It’s obviously still Wellick. What Wellick is, that’s a different matter. I think he’s turned himself into a mountain troll, this time. I knew he was an idiot but”

How do you know he’s an idiot? What about Bobby? Eloise’s voice had a petulant air. Indignant. Possibly even insulted.

Olban sighed. “As Gareth said, we’re not in Kansas anymore, Dorothy. You are in a completely different reality. A reality in which magic works. Clearly, this… this Wellick has the ability to read minds! Why you didn’t pick up on that when he answered you back’s beyond me! I didn’t say it, did I? You have to start thinking. It couldn’t be Bobby. There was absolutely no way it could be, so don’t fall for anymore of that bullshit again, OK?”

In other words, for external voices, quotes and non-itallic. For internal, no quotes, but don’t italicise the action or dialogue tags.

Please follow these guidelines. If you have any suggestions of your own to make the process smoother, don’t hesitate to drop a comment. If you disagree with anything, again, comments. I think this is a sensible approach as it distinguishes between voices that are heard by everyone rather than just Gareth, Eloise and Olban.

The moment Olban rounded the first bend in the cave, he was plunged into darkness. He rested is back against the wall and took a few deep breaths before poking his head around to see the entrance.

Stood there, a pair of legs so large they filled the entrance and considering they’d run into the cave without the need to crouch, that must make the whatever-it-was at least fifteen feet tall.

What the fuck is that thing? Echoed in his head. The tone of Gareth’s voice indicated a mixture of awe and terror.

“It’s obviously still Wellick. What Wellick is, that’s a different matter. I think he’s turned himself into a mountain troll, this time. I knew he was an idiot but”

How do you know he’s an idiot? What about Bobby? Eloise’s voice had a petulant air. Indignant. Possibly even insulted.

Olban sighed. “As Gareth said, we’re not in Kansas anymore, Dorothy. You are in a completely different reality. A reality in which magic works. Clearly, this… this Wellick has the ability to read minds! Why you didn’t pick up on that when he answered you back’s beyond me! I didn’t say it, did I? You have to start thinking. It couldn’t be Bobby. There was absolutely no way it could be, so don’t fall for anymore of that bullshit again, OK?”

But he’s one of my best friends! I’d trust him with

“Trust him with your life? I can guess by the way you went on about him, but think! By all the Gods, woman! How did he get here?”

What? What do you mean?

“Clearly, he’s from Gareth’s world. Your world! True?”

Of course he is!

“Well, how did he get here? Are you here? Physically? In your own body? Is Gareth? The only way to cross from your world to mine or vice versa without magical aid is by head hopping! Hitching a lift! Gareth and I have been tied to each other since before we could even think. I have never spent time in his world in this body. He’s never spent time in this one in his. It requires immense amounts of magical preparation in order to cross over physically and the very day we take you on as a hitch-hiker, Bobby turns up? As I said, it’s time you started to use your brain. Anyone in your world who shows up here is obviously a fake.”

And now, we’re trapped? And it’s my… Oh, hell, it’s all my fault?

“Calm down, Eloise. It’s not your fault. I’m the one who chose to follow him. I was hoping he might reveal more, and he has. I don’t know what kind of trap he’s set in this cave, but he’s picked the wrong person to mess with.”

Look at that thing! How can we get out of here?

“I’m not trying to get out. I want to see this so-called portal for myself. See just what he had in mind for us. It’s obviously a danger and if it’s not neutralised, an innocent might fall fowl of it. I played in these hills as a boy. I know others in my village do, now.”

And you knew he was an idiot, because?

“Haven’t you ever seen a James Bond film?”

What? Of course I have!

“And what’s one of the defining characteristics of a Bond villain?”

Gareth chuckled. I see what you mean. He’s not just an idiot. If his brains were TNT, he wouldn’t even have enough to blow his nose! How can anyone be so stupid?

Olban could sense the confusion when she next spoke.

What do you mean?

“What happens when the villain has 007 in his evil clutches? Tied up? Strapped down with a laser ready to cut him in half? Dangling upside down over a pool of piranhas?”

Erm...

“He tells Bond his dastardly plot in detail, so, when Bond escapes he knows exactly what to do, of course! Welllick appeared as a friendly warrior but even before he’d completed his first bloody monologue, he was telling us everything. I might’ve even trusted him in his friendly persona! He could’ve even joined us and become, what we believed to be, a friend before he betrayed us! Instead, hello, I’m a friend, I’ve got some vital information for you concerning rings, but oh, no, wait, no I’m not, I’m going to steal your souls! Then he transforms himself into the most pitiful excuse for a monster truck imaginable? Here? In this world? A monster truck?”

I think he must’ve got that from me. Not that I was thinking about one at the time, of course, but…

“I know, Gareth. I was watching that YouTube video, too, y’know.”

If I had control, you’d be nodding, now. And that’s only one aspect of his stupidity. I might not have a grasp of magic the way Olban does, but the amount of work we put into it, even I know you can’t just pluck objects from the dream realm. Everything he said after we met him about portals and rings, trying to force us to take short cuts… Fairy stories the lot of it.

But I believed him!

That’s because you’re still new to all this. So, Olban… What is the plan, now?

“First, we check out this portal of his. I might be able to see what makes it tick. If I can, I might be able to disable or destroy it. All the time, that final aspect of his stupidity will be working in our favour. When we’re done, we just sneak out.”

What… final aspect? Asked Eloise.

“If he’s taken on all the qualities of a mountain troll, that final aspect.”

I… What’s so special about a mountain troll… Apart from the fact it’s a huge monster?

“They live in the high peaks where it’s freezing all year round. Snow doesn’t melt up there. They hate warm weather. It makes them dim witted, slow, drowsy. By the time we’re ready to leave, it’s likely to be asleep.”

How the hell do you know?

“I was born in this world! My grandfather made regular trips up to the mountains. He even traded with them. Befriended them!”

But it’s just a monster! You kill monsters!

“They’re a pleasant enough people, if you treat them with respect. Don’t judge a book by its cover. Down here, they’re dim, stupid creatures but up in the peaks, they can be bloody clever. If you go around in this world, sword swinging at everything that looks a little scary, you won’t last the week.”

But trolls are evil! Everyone knows that! They eat people!

“And that’s the kind of attitude that will get you killed. Why would any creature be born evil? This is reality, not bloody Lord of the Rings! Keep your prejudices in check! Enough of this, we’d better get in there.”

So we’re going deeper? In here? But it’s dark. I can’t see a foot and it’ll only get worse the further we go.

“I wouldn’t worry about that.” Olban dug into his tool belt, withdrew a box and held it up to his face. A small, circular metal box with an ornate design that glistened on the sides. A design of flames and it was the flames that were sparkling.

What the hell is that thing/

“I’m a smith.”

So?

“This is my firebox.”

You still rely on flint to light fires?

Olban rolled his eyes. “I suppose in your world, the smiths have to waste time starting up their forges in the morning, do they? Here, there’s no need for that. When the end of the work day is done, we store the flames, the heat of the forge in one of these. It saves fuel, far more efficient than letting it go out by itself and then having to spend hours every morning starting it up and pumping the bellows to get it back up to the correct temperature.”

Seriously? That thing? But it doesn’t even feel warm!

“It wouldn’t be a very good storage device if it allowed the heat to leak out overnight, would it?” Olban closed his fist around it and then his eyes, in concentration. Follow the threads, regulate the power, subdue it and… He opened the lid and a bright blue flame flickered into existence. He held it aloft and ventured further into the cave.

He didn’t have far to walk before it opened up into a large cavern and at the centre, hovering a foot off the floor of the cave, a ten foot wide ball the light wouldn’t touch. A ball of pure darkness.

What the hell is that thing? Bloody hell, Olban. He really is stupid if he expected us to willingly step into that. Where does it go?

“Where does it go, indeed?” Olban dropped down to one knee, placed his hand on the floor and opened his senses. “First on the agenda… Let’s try this… It’s… Shit this is a powerful magic, but I… Hang on.”

A deep rumbling voice echoed into the cavern from its entrance. “Step into the portal, Olban. You know it’s the only way out.”

He doesn’t seem too drowsy so far, Olban.

“Troubling. He must have only taken on the appearance and strength of one. Still an idiot though. We’ll have to find another way to deal with him. Right now, though…”

As he’d been talking, just as when Gareth had activated his circle with the drop of blood, patterns began to glow around his hand. They pulsed with a metallic light, some golden, some silver, some had a blueish tinge or the stark orange of copper. Olban closed his eyes, concentrated and the light expanded, following thousands of threads of metal as they wove their way around the cavern. Before long, the entire space, from wall to ceiling was aglow with the most intricate design Olban had ever seen.

Wow! Gareth chuckled. This is way more impressive than anything I’ve seen you make.

It’s beautiful! How did you do that?

“All I did was make the design visible. This thing… I recognise some of the elements. Over there is where the magic enters the pattern, over there, there and there… Anchors… The rest? I think this must be ancient. There are legends in this world, just as there are in yours.”

What kind of legends?

“You have the lost city of Atlantis. We have the Celenian Empire.”

Well, go on, then! Patience was clearly not one of Eloise’s virtues.

“OK, OK. There’s little in the way of proof, but this might be a big one. A global empire, masters in the crafts capable of wonders we couldn’t even dream of. They say they could just walk to another continent in the blink of an eye. Some say they even explored the moons, possibly even had easy access to other worlds, such as yours, without the need to use the dream to gain access.”

So you’re saying, a global civilisation, like ours back home, just… poof… fell?

“It may have taken decades. Maybe even centuries, but essentially, yes. That’s what the legends say, anyway.”

But how? How could something so huge, so… so powerful

“Eloise, please, shut up. I’m trying to concentrate. I don’t know how, OK! Do you think for one second your civilisation’s going to last another thousand years, the way your lot are acting right now!? You’ll be lucky to have a habitable planet!”

He’s got you there, Miss Parker.

Olban circled the cavern three times, studying this or that on the walls, ceiling and floor. Occasionally, he’d crouch or kneel, tracing the lines of light with his finger before continuing.

Any clue? At all? Asked Gareth.

Olban shrugged. “The only thing I can determine is that… thing is not the original intention. See here?” He pointed at a part of the pattern. “See anything… well, wrong with it?”

Gareth sighed. “You know I”

“Art and magic are the same thing, here, remember. Look at that. Does it seem to fit the pattern around it?”

All around, the lines were smooth, curved, intertwined in an exquisite symphony of colour, but the section Olban had pointed out did look out of place. There was more colour there, but the colour didn’t seem to play into the theme. Brighter greens, purples, blues and yellows, not even metallic. The lines also had a… jaggedness about them…

And that is…? It does look wrong somehow.

“Wrong? No finesse! Very little in the way of skill, craftsmanship or care.”

How did he get those colours like that? I thought everything had to be woven with metal threads?

“Salts do contain metal and they have a vast range of colours the pure metals or even the alloys can’t produce. I’ve never seen anything like it. I might need to research that possibility myself. It might open up whole new avenues.”

And you think that cretin out there did that?

Do not use that word!

What? Why? He is!

It’s obscene!

It’s just an insult! An apt one in his case!

It’s disgusting! Do you even know where it comes from? What it means?

It means absolute and utter moron. Why?

It means someone who was born with a thyroid deficiency leading to deformities and developmental issues! I suppose you still call people spastics as an insult too, do you?

Olban sighed. “Gareth, just… think before you speak from now on. We’ve got a guest. Remember where she comes from.”

What do you… Oh, the loony b

Loony bin, now? Good god, I’m sharing a head with an ape!

Now who’s being offensive! I’m not used to being criticised for saying something in the privacy of our own head! You’re the one who has to make allowances, Eloise. OK, I’ll try to cut it out with insults that mock the mentally handicapped, but expect the odd slip up from time to time! Or do you find mentally handicapped offensive, too?!

It’ll do. It’s no longer the modern term but I suppose it’ll have to do.

Good. So, do you think that… thing out there did this?

“I suppose it’s possible, with instruction.”

Instruction by whom?

“Yes, quite. Another troubling conundrum, but I think I have a way to solve two of our earlier ones.”

Deal with the troll?

“Hopefully take Wellick out of the equation permanently, too. Yes. The anchors.” Olban walked over to the one on the wall opposite the entrance and placed his hand on it. Again, follow the lines, tap into the magic, increase the flow.

He nodded in satisfaction as he looked over his shoulder to see the ball drifting towards the entrance and then through it into the tunnel beyond. It was far too large to fit, but that didn’t seem to bother it in the slightest, and any rock it passed through seemed unaffected by it once it’d passed.

When it got to the bend in the passageway, Olban rushed over to the one on the left of the entrance and did the same, a very slight increase there. He rushed back to look down the passageway. It was just the right amount. The portal followed the course of the cave perfectly.

Gareth began to chuckle. What happens when it reaches him?

“I cut the power. The sphere should vanish and anything inside it should go with it. Assuming it is a portal, at least. It seems this may have been a waystation.”

A what?

“Oh, think of it like an airport. Remember what I said about them being able to travel from one continent to another in the blink of an eye?”

“So, if we had stepped into that, we could’ve appeared anywhere?”

“Without the tampering, yes. With it, I’ve got no idea where it goes, or even if it goes anywhere.”

“It has to go somewhere, doesn’t it?”

“I can’t say. I really can’t. If we stepped through and appeared somewhere that doesn’t exist, what then? Would we cease to exist, or would we be trapped forever in darkness? A void? Not something I want to consider.” He rushed back to the bend in the passage to watch its progress and when it was just about to reach the entrance, dashed back to the cavern and withdrew his dagger.

A howl of terror echoed down into the cave and the moment it reached Olban’s ears, he stabbed one of the thicker golden threads.

The light dancing around the cavern winked out in an instant and at the same time, the howl of fear transformed into one of pure agony.

Olban bolted back to the entrance to the cave, but what lay there when he arrived wasn’t the troll. It wasn’t even the Wellick that’d introduced himself to them before all the transformations. Its skin was a deep purple, it had horns and a pointy nose, razor sharp teeth and its eyes were lit by a malevolent red glow which seemed to be fading, but it wasn’t whole. Everything below the waist was gone. Its innards spilled onto the ground as it gasped in pain.

Oh, God! I think I’m going to throw up!

No, Eloise. You’re not. No physical control, remember. You’ll just have to be disgusted in private.

Olban knelt by its head and it looked up at him, gasping.

“What in all the hells are you?”

It gulped. “What did you do!?”

“I’m not going to ask again. What are you and who sent you?”

“I… I’m… It hurts!”

“I’m not surprised. Where are your legs?”

“Where you’re meant to be.”

“And where is that?”

“Please! Help me! Master, please!”

“I’m not your”

“He’s coming!” It gritted its teeth against the pain and even managed to giggle. “He’s coming!”

And with that, the light in its eyes winked out and it slumped to the ground with a final sigh.

Who the hell is he? Asked Gareth. That did not sound good!

Why did he call you master?

“I have a sneaky suspicion that wasn’t directed at me.”

Who, then?

“Presumably this he who appears to be coming. I have to get back to the village! I need to consult with Master Stell!”